One of the great things about Android is that you don’t have to spend a small fortune to gain access to its ecosystem.

Chinese manufacturers like Huawei and ZTE — and even the likes of Samsung, HTC, and Motorola — all offer super affordable Android-powered smartphones that even budget-conscious consumers and those in the developing world can gain access to. And some of them aren’t bad, either.

Take the new Moto G, for example: It starts at just $179 off contract, and for that you get an HD display, a quad-core processor, a 5-megapixel camera, and access to Google’s latest Android operating system.

Thanks to devices like this, smartphones are about to go mainstream in the developing world, according to a new piece in the latest edition of Wired from our own editor-in-chief Leander Kahney.

Cricket Wireless has officially announced that the ZTE Source will be the latest budget-friendly smartphone to be added to its “affordable” lineup of Android-powered devices. The Source will launch on Sunday, October 20, and the U.S. carrier will hold exclusivity over the handset at launch.

Virgin Mobile have officially announced that the ZTE Awe is the latest budget-friendly smartphone to be added to its “ultra-affordable” lineup. Virgin currently holds exclusivity over this handset, and has listed the device on its website as the Virgin Mobile Awe, which has also been referred to as the “N800” and the “Shocker” in several leaks and rumors over the course of the past few months.

Android rules the worldwide smartphone market when it comes to market share, and its dominance in China could have a lot to do with that. At the end of the first quarter of 2013, Google’s platform claimed a whopping 51.4% share of all smartphones owned in China.

ZTE has today announced its latest collaboration with Intel, the Grand X2 — and what a device it’s destined to be. It features the latest in Intel technology — yes, that’s right, a CloverTrail+ processor! The CloverTrail+ is capable of capturing 24 HD pictures per second, so it’s incredibly powerful.