Aspera Mobile’s new AS8 smartphone offers high-end features at a budget price

Aspera Mobile has raised the bar for entry level smartphones with the release of the AS8 which includes features usually seen on devices with much higher price tags including face and fingerprint recognition and NFC to enable contactless payments.

Priced at $149, the 4G AS8 has a 6.3-inch display with a resolution of 1600 x 720.

The device is running Android 13 and is powered by an octa-core 1.6GHz CPU with 2GB RAM and 32GB internal memory.

It can also allocate 1GB from the main memory as virtual RAM to improve performance and allow users to switch between apps even faster.

On the security side, the Aspera Mobile AS8 offers face recognition so you can unlock the phone just by looking at it along with fingerprint recognition with the fingerprint reader located on the rear panel.

Another feature not usually seen on a device of this price is NFC (near field communication) which is the technology that allows users to make contactless payments with their smartphone via Google Wallet.

The smartphone offers 4G connectivity and includes VoLTE – Voice over Long Term Evolution (another name for 4G) – data calls which offer higher voice quality.

When it comes to cameras, there’s a main 8-megapixel and 0.08-megapixel camera on the rear panel and a 5-megapixel front camera.

The AS8 has room for two SIM cards which means a user can have two numbers on the device which is ideal for those with a work number and a private number.

The device also has a large 4000mAh Li-Polymer removable battery.

“The AS8 is a highly featured, lower cost smartphone which is part of our new 2023 range. As with all Aspera phones it is aimed squarely at the budget conscious and those people who want a great smart phone experience but don’t want to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to get one,” says Aspera Mobile MD Allan Robertson.

“It has a high-quality feel, an HD+ display, a great camera and a long-lasting and removable battery.

“It even comes with a free gel case – all of which make it terrific value at just $149. As such, we believe it is the best value smartphone in the market at that price.”

The new Aspera Mobile AS8 4G smartphone is priced at $149 and can be purchased Big W, Ritchies IGA, Seasons IGA, Freedom Fuels, Trinity Petroleum, Mobileciti, Personal Digital, Mobile Experts and selected BP service stations.