But that does not mean one has make do with some kind of handicapped smartphone; nay, within this budget, Aspera has been able to provide most features that one gets with devices that cost thrice or five times the amount.

A word before I go any further: when looking at a smartphone that costs $99, one has to stop comparing it with the rest of the market. This device is meant for those who _need_ a smartphone; bear in mind that there are many situations in which one needs a device of this kind even if it just does the basics.

For example, while travelling, airlines send flight information to a mobile number or an email address. How does one access this information on the go conveniently without a smartphone?

Or take the case of having to copy a document for use at some enterprise or government agency. How does one do that without a smartphone? The notion that a camera is just for taking pictures and selfies to suit one's vanity should be shelved for a minute when thinking about the usefulness of a device like the AS5 – even though it may be difficult for many to consider how the other half lives.

Taken at about 11am.

This may be doubly difficult in a country like Australia where the iPhone and Samsung hold sway, but it is good to stop and realise for a minute that there are others who may not have four-figure budgets to splurge on a smartphone.

This is the second $99 smartphone from Aspera that iTWire has looked at, the first being the Aspera Mobile Jazz 2 which was reviewed in 2019.

The AS5 runs version 13 of Android's Go operating system, a trimmed down and optimised version of the Google software. It has no bloatware at all, with none of the apps being removable.

The apps that come along with it are optimised for the Go system. On the upside there are apps aplenty to cater to all common needs; there is even a trimmed down version of the Facebook app.

On the downside it logically means that if one were to download any regular app from the Play Store - and by that one means an app meant for the regular Android OS - then it may run much slower. However, I tested out Firefox, my preferred browser, and found the performance was acceptable.

The AS5 has two 4G SIM slots and also an expansion slot for more storage that can take up to a 128GB SD card. It has face recognition and also a couple of other security features to protect against thieves.

Close-up of a bush. The colours are not the best.

The device is 146.5mm tall, a good bit shorter than the regular smartphones. The rear has a matted finish and makes it easier to grip. The removable battery is a welcome feature.

The AS5 has surprisingly good sound, a feature that has always been important to me. A set of headphones that come with the phone provide decent sound. A full charge took a little more than two hours and lasted more than two days with medium use.

The 54MP rear and front cameras provide basic pictures – but then, as I pointed out earlier, they are not there for those who want fancy pictures. Given that, I did not attempt to compare the quality of the pictures with any taken with another device.

The Aspera AS5 has been on sale at Big W, Ritchies IGA, Seasons IGA, Freedom Fuels, Trinity Petroleum, Mobiciti and Personal Digital since 26 July.

Features:

Face recognition

Octa-Core 1.6GHz CPU

2GB RAM + 32GB ROM plus up to 1GB additional virtual RAM allocated from unused ROM

5-inch FWVGA display

4G connectivity with VoLTE data calls improving voice quality

5MP rear and 5MP front camera

2000mAh Li-Ion removable battery

Micro USB, Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity

Dual 4G SIM slots

Android 13 (Go edition)

4G bands - 1/3/5/7/8/28a+b, 3G bands - 850/900/2100Mhz

146.5mm*74mm*9.9mm in size