Scouring the web for an affordable smartphone that won't skimp on performance? You’re not alone. In 2025, more and more consumers are looking for budget-friendly gadgets that help them in performing basic, gaming and social media tasks while still providing an efficient performance.
In this blog post, we dive into three popular choices in the budget segment: Oppo A5 Pro 5G, Motorola Moto G56 and Vivo Y02A. We’ll compare their design, performance, camera quality, battery life, and general value to help you figure out which one would work best for you.
1. Oppo A5 Pro 5G
Design & Build
The Oppo A5 Pro 5G looks, on paper, all sleek and modern and more expensive than its price tag would suggest. It has the stylish look, glossy back and non-Apple colours that imply some major styling changes. Even though it’s constructed from mostly polycarbonate, the phone feels solid and balanced in hand.
Display
The device sports a 6.56-inch IPS LCD screen that provides HD+ resolution (1612 x 720). It's not as sharp as the best AMOLED screens, but it's good under indoor lighting and more than adequate for watching videos and browsing the web.
Performance
The A5 Pro 5G runs on MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ SoC, and comes up to 8GB RAM for the snappy day-to-day performance. Apps launch quickly, multitasking is largely smooth, and casual game playing (such as Mobile Legends or Call of Duty: Mobile with medium settings) happens without much lag.
Camera
Those cameras are a 50 MP main shooter and a 2 MP depth sensor. Photos look great in good lighting, sharp and vivid. Low-light quality is usable, but there’s bound to be some noise and softening. The front camera is 8 MP, and gives decent results for selfies or video calls.
Battery Life
The 5000 mAh battery inside the Oppo A5 Pro 5G sees it last easily through a full day of moderate to heavy use. It’s supported by 33W fast charging, which can take the phone from zero to 50% in around 30 minutes — a very valuable component in this price segment.
2. Motorola Moto G56
Design & Build
Motorola, ever the proponent of a no-nonsense, sturdy design, is continuing the trend with the Moto G56. The back, featuring a matte finish, resists fingerprints well and is comfortable to hold. The phone feels solid and a bit more “business like” than some of its flashier rivals.
Display
The Moto G56 features a 6.6-inch Full HD IPS LCD screen (2408 x 1080), allowing for clear viewing with decent colors. It also has a 90Hz refresh rate, meaning scrolling is smoother and it feels even better to use than the typical 60Hz panels.
Performance
Beneath the hood, the Moto G56 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 processor paired with 6GB of RAM. Performance is reliable for daily apps, video playback and light gaming. Its software is clean and bloat-free and the nearly stock version of Android delivers snappy performance.
Camera
The G56 is equipped with the three-camera system – 50 MP main sensor, 8 MP ultra-wide, and 2 MP macro. The main and ultra-wide lenses take good shots in daylight, and the macro lens allows for some experimentation with close-up photography. The 16 MP selfie camera is certainly one of the better choices in this price bracket as well.
Battery Life
The Moto G56 is supported during the day by a 5000 mAh battery. It gets 20W fast charging and while that’s no record-breaking amount, it’s plenty for a budget device.
3. Vivo Y02A
Design & Build
The Vivo Y02A is the most affordable among the three and it looks like it. But, Vivo has somehow succeeded in giving it a clean and understated appearance, retaining a slim and light footprint, which makes it a very comfortable one-handed user.
Display
This includes a 6.51-inch HD+ LCD (1600 x 720), with 20:9 screen ratio. The screen is plenty bright indoors, but fares less well in direct sunlight. It does the job fine for casual browsing and video playback.
Performance
Y02A is driven by a MediaTek Helio P35 SoC with 4GB RAM. It’s most at home doing light tasks — social media, web browsing and video streaming. On heavier apps and games, you might experience some stutters or slowdowns, which is to be expected at this price.
Camera
On the rear, there is a main 8 MP camera and a 5 MP camera for selfies. Photos are good-enough for fast social media uploads but lack detail and dynamic range. The camera is quite good in good light and not so good in low light.
Battery Life
When you consider the unimpressive specs on the Y02A, the presence of a 5000mAh battery is brilliant for a device that is so light. It can go easily through a day’s use, even heavy use. But the downsides are that charging is capped at 10W, so the battery takes more time to refill.
Final Thoughts
|
Model |
Display |
Performance |
Cameras |
Battery |
Price Point |
|
Oppo A5 Pro 5G |
HD+, 90Hz |
Dimensity 6100+, 5G |
Good main camera |
Strong + fast charging |
Mid-budget |
|
Moto G56 |
FHD+, 90Hz |
Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 |
Versatile triple setup |
Strong |
Mid-budget |
|
Vivo Y02A |
HD+ |
Helio P35 |
Basic |
Excellent |
Entry-level |
If you have to pick one of the three, you need to ask yourself: what’s most important to you? If the 5G and fast charging you’re after, go for the Oppo A5 Pro 5G. If a smoother screen and purer version of Android are your priority, take a punt on the Moto G56. The Vivo Y02A is another sub-PHP 5K, no-nonsense offering that is made to last long, and I mean battery-wise.
Screen Protection
You don’t have to pay a lot for a good, durable smartphone, but you also don’t want to leave your cheap phone completely unprotected. At ScreenShield, we have screen protectors designed to fit the Oppo A5 Pro 5G, Motorola Moto G56 and Vivo Y02A that we’ve manufactured in-house for crystal clear clarity and maximum toughness. Select from the categories below to find the type of screen protector that best meets your specific needs:
Anti-Glare Screen Protector: The Anti-Glare screen protector not only reduces glare and resists fingerprints but also protects your screen from scratches — letting you enjoy your favourite multimedia in bright light or sunlight.
Nano Glass Screen Protector: Perfect for those who want more screen protection without sacrificing screen clarity, colour or touch sensitivity.
We even have Privacy films that help keep prying eyes from looking inside and Anti-Viral options that can help slow the spread of bacteria and viruses, including Covid-19. Our protectors are precision-cut to match your device, providing superior scratch resistance, smudge protection, and defence against everyday wear and tear.
100% Australian owned and operated, ScreenShield bridges the gap between supporting local manufacturing and free Australia-wide delivery using Australia Post. Discover why thousands of Australians trust us to protect their devices — and let us keep your most trusted companion safe from harm with the best in smartphone protection.
