Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus update: Moto G is priced at around $179, with a guaranteed Android 4.4 KitKat update while the soon to be available Nokia Lumia 525 is expected to be sold at around $200 off-contract.

Both of these units are part of the newest set of pretty but budget-friendly handsets that will soon be available in the U.S. The Nokia Lumia 525 is speculated to be available tomorrow while the Moto G is scheduled to hit stores January 2014.

In previous reports, many have indicated that the availability of the Android 4.2.2 for the Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus has made it a better option than the Samsung Galaxy S3.

Then came the arrival of affordable handsets. Like the earlier mentioned Moto G, which will soon be available this January with an Android 4.3, and guarantee to Android 4.4 KitKat update in the coming weeks. Price at $179, will this finally force S2 Plus loyalists to switch?

The Moto G’s retail price of $179, contract-free and unlocked brings with it a load of features including a 4.5-inch display with 720p LCD TFT, a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8 or 16GB of storage, a 5-megapixel rear camera and 1.3 MP front-facing camera, and a 2070mAh battery.

The phone’s design, which mirrors the look of the Moto X, could make it a hit in the low-end market. The price and features of the handset effectively beats what’s available in the emerging markets. Motorola, a Google-owned company, says that the Moto G could even be sold for less by its partners.

Nokia Lumia 525, which runs on Windows Phone 8 is expected to arrive with a $200 price tag. It will have a 4-inch display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, a 5 megapixel camera and a dual-core 1Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor with a 1GB of RAM and 8GB storage.

The earlier released Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus, however, whose retail price is almost at $300.00 has a 4.3-inch display and a 1.2 GHz Dual Core processor. Camera-wise, the S2 Plus has an edge on the camera with 8MP and also possessing a 1GB RAM system memory. The unit is notably two generations behind and is unknown if it will get the 4.4 KitKat, it is however, within Google’s 18-month window for potential update.

The S2 Plus seems to have a cult following, but we’re asking you, would you switch to a Moto G or a Windows Phone-Nokia Lumia 525 if given a chance? Let us know in the comments below.