Top 11 – Budget Smartphones Under £150 | (U.K. Edition)

What's the best budget phone you can buy in the UK in 2023? SOLVED! ✔

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Best Budget Phones UK

You Can Have An Awesome Budget Phone For Less Than You Think!

The big dogs of mobile would have you thinking that you need to fork out £600+ for a premium well-balanced smartphone… well that’s just plain false!

If our 100’s of reviews have taught us anything, it’s that you can match the raw performance of a £1000 Samsung flagship, for around the £400 price-point.

And the same holds true in 2023 brands like Xiaomi costing half of Samsung’s latest offerings while offering the same performance.

Xiaomi Mi 14 Pro
Xiaomi Mi 14 Pro
Xiaomi Mi 14 Pro
Xiaomi Mi 14 Pro

But… what if we take it a step further and set out to prove that you can have a premium-build phone with good performance for under £150. Well that’s exactly what this best budget smartphone list is here to do.

… You can have your budget phone cake and eat it! …

With all bargain smartphones, there are Pros & Cons to consider with the main one being: will it work in the U.K?. But, since we’re a bunch of super helpful geeks, we’ve shortlisted only the best low-cost phones that have Full UK Network Coverage.

That’s right, not every budget smartphone will work in the U.K. But you can rest assured that every budget phone in this list will!

Editors Side Note: Inflation… inflation… crazy-a$$ inflation… over the year, everything has become rather more expensive. So I’ve taken a few liberties and added a few phones that are a teeny but over-budget in this 2023 Best Budget Phone List! Don’t worry though, there’s still some hidden tech-gems to be had for less than £150.

Our helpful phone buying tips FAQ section is at the end of this guide as well as all the comments from you lovely folks.

Let’s get to it!

The Top 11 ‘Budget’ Phones – U.K Edition

Poco M4 Pro

Xiaomi Poco M4 Pro – Beauty & The Battery Life Beast

Price From: £169.99

Pros

  • 90Hz AMOLED Display (1000nits peak)
  • Modern & Lightweight Flat Design
  • Dual Speakers
  • Gaming-ready & Liquid Cooled
  • 5000mAh Battery + 33w Fast-charge

Cons

  • No 4K Video (Max 1080P @ 30fps)
  • No WiFi 6, No 5G
  • No Wireless Charging

This year’s Poco M4 Pro doesn’t compromise! It’s a solid choice for almost anyone and an easy top 5 within its mid-range price segment.

The gorgeous 90Hz AMOLED display gets a big upgrade in the brightness department now reaching a peak brightness of 1000nits. It’s also 100% DCI-P3 colour accurate, but who cares, let’s just turn up the saturation anyway and enjoy the inaccurate vivid mode!

Compared to the Poco M3, we now get UFS2.2 storage.

What the heck is that? it’s storage that’s so fast it can act as temporary RAM in demanding situations like gaming. And gaming it can indeed! With the MediaTek G96 powering the M4 Pro, we get an AnTuTu score of 327309 almost double that of the Snapdragon-powered Poco M3.

The G96 makes light work on Genshin Impact on medium settings and looks great on the 90Hz display. This time around, we also have a liquid cooling chamber inside to keep the phone from throttling for a little longer.

So we know it’s fast, we know it can game and it also charges like a beast thanks to the much improved 33w fast charging. But that’s not all.

The Poco M4 Pro has undergone a big design upgrade ditching the curvy soft pebble looks of its predecessor and moving towards a bold and flat design. And it works! The 180g phones feel great in your hand and God only knows how they managed to squeeze a massive 5000Mah battery inside at only 8mm thick.

Finally, nothing says cheap phone like a half-hearted waspy vibrate motor… and thankfully, Poco has upgraded the M4 Pro with a new Z-Axis linear motor.

We Love This Year’s Poco M4 Pro

Tech Specs: 6.43″ AMOLED Display, 2400×1080, Brightness: Peak 1000nits, MediaTek G96 (2Ghz | 8-cores), 6GB RAM, 128GB Storage (+256GB Expandable), 33w Fast-Charge 5000mAh battery, WiFi 5 (ac), Headphone Jack + IR Remote, Android 11 (12 Update Promised) with UK Support for 3G + 4G bands.

POCO M5S

Xiaomi Poco M5S – The Poco M4 Pro Clone

Price From: £119.99

If you were wondering about grabbing yourself the POCO M5S? Then I’m going to make it simple for you.

The POCO M5S is almost an exact clone of the M4 Pro but with only 4GB’s of RAM, a weaker selfie camera and also it loses the IR Blaster functionality.

All the other reasons why I praised the M4 Pro above, the excellent display, good mid-range gaming performance and fast charge times carry over to the POCO M5S.

The “BIG DIFFERENCE” between the two models is that you can have yourself the POCO M5S for around £119.99 (currently on sale), making it a steal!

Tech Specs: 6.43″ AMOLED Display, 2400×1080, Brightness: Peak 1000nits, MediaTek G95 (2Ghz | 8-cores), 4GB RAM, 128GB Storage (+256GB Expandable), 33w Fast-Charge 5000mAh battery, WiFi 5 (ac), Headphone Jack, Android 12 (13 Update Promised) with UK Support for 3G + 4G bands.

 

Motorola g10

Motorola Moto G10 – Great All-rounder

Price From: £124.99

Motorola is back at it again, with 4 new smartphones in their ‘g’ range. The most value-packed of these is the Moto g10 which comes in at £20 under our budget.

Reliable old Motorola created the first commercial mobile phone in 1983 (the DynaTAC), so what can we expect from the g10… 38 years later… not a lot.

Just kidding, the Moto g10 is a great all-rounder phone choice for anyone. While not a glass design, they’ve opted for a subtle sand-wave pattern on the back which feels fantastic in your hand and adds plenty of extra grip.

Carrying on with the sand theme, and the g10 comes with an IP52 splash/rain-proof rating for some extra protection.

Performance-wise, you can expect a smooth and responsive experience thanks to the 4-series Snapdragon chip which offers a 70% performance boost over last-gen thanks to Qualcomm’s new AI engine.

Other perks include NFC, a fast & accurate 48MP main camera plus expandable storage (up to 1TB).

Finally, let’s talk about battery life. The 5000mAh battery is fantastic and will easily last you two days, although charging times do feel a little last-gen with only 10watts available.

Tech Specs: 6.5″ Display, 1600×720, 269 Pixel Density, Brightness: 375nits, Snapdragon 460 (1.6Ghz | 8-cores), 4GB RAM, 64GB Storage (+1TB Expandable), 10w Fast-Charge 5000mAh battery, Dual-band AC WiFi, Headphone Jack, Android 11 with Full UK Support for 3G + 4G bands.

Samsung Galaxy A22 5G

Samsung Galaxy A22 5G – Last Chance Bargain

Price From: £149.99

Pros

  • 5000mAh Battery + 15w Fast-charge
  • Dual-SIM + SD Card
  • 5G Ready + NFC
  • Great colour choices

Cons

  • Mediocre Display
  • No WiFi 6
  • No Wireless Charging

You can grab yourself a bargain with Samsung’s A22 (5G model) dropping to £149.99 on Amazon. Why the hefty price-drop? Samsung has moved their A-Range design to be more in line with the minimalist Galaxy S series, so the A22 5G won’t be on the shelves for much longer.

While the specs might not be as mouthwatering as that of the Xiaomi, OnePlus or Oppo phones, you’re still getting great value with the A22 5G.

The 48MP main camera is great and will let you snap bright & clear photos with ease. There’s also plenty of Samsung software options to use with night and portrait mode looking great. The 8MP wide-angle is a nice addition but lacks detail and clarity compared to the competition.

Performance-wise, it’s a great choice. Although, you won’t be getting Genshin Impact to hit 60fps on high with the A22’s MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset. It slightly outperforms the Helio G80 putting it on par with flagships from just over 2 years ago but with the energy saving benefits of newly produced chips.

The 6.6″ screen is also fairly average, missing out on the AMOLED displays of more expensive Samsung phones. The IPS panel comes with a 90Hz refresh rate and a sustained brightness of just under 400nits… distinctly average.

Where the A22 5G does shine is in battery life. Thanks for the streamlined Samsung One UI power-saving software and a 5000mAh hefty battery. There’s a 15w charger in the box as well.

Tech Specs: 6.6″ TFT+ IPS @ 90Hz, 2400×1080 resolution, 399 PPI, MediaTek (Dimensity 700 | 8-cores), 4GB RAM, 64GB Storage (expandable to 1TB), 5000mAh 15w Fast Charge Battery, Dual-band AC WiFi, Android 12 (One UI) with Full UK 5G + 4G Support.

Samsung Galaxy M22

Samsung Galaxy M22 – The AMOLED alternative…

Price From: £139.99

The Galaxy A22 (non-5G version) might also be worth your consideration as it comes in at the same price as the 5G version. You’re swapping out the Full HD display for a brighter AMOLED screen, albeit at a lower resolution.

Pros

  • 5000mAh Battery + 25w Fast-charge
  • 90Hz AMOLED Display (600Nits)
  • Dual-SIM + SD Card + NFC
  • Great colour choices

Cons

  • 1600×720 HD Resolution
  • No WiFi 6 + No 5G
  • No Wireless Charging

Oppo A5 2020

OPPO A5 – Best Value Premium Phone That You’ve Probably Never Heard Of…

Price From: £99.99 | £149.99

Update: OPPO have slashed the price of the A5 to £99.99 for the holiday period making this phone unbeatable on value!

OPPO has taken Asia by storm by offering affordable smartphones that don’t cut corners. And finally, us Brits can now get our hands on them. And you’ll certainly want to as the quality of these phones is on par with Samsung. There’s even a few rumours that OnePlus was started by OPPO but runs independently.

Anyhoo, back to the A5. You’re getting yourself a huge 5000mAh battery combined with a gaming-ready Snapdragon 665 CPU making it a phone that’ll easily last you all day long. This is backed up by 3GB’s of RAM and a base 64GB’s of storage that you can expand via the dedicated MicroSD port. Both SIM   ports can be used on 4G simultaneously.

The display (480nit) bright IPS panel that works well outdoors thanks to OPPO’s ‘Sunlight Screen’ software. And at 6.5″ in size with Dolbt Atmos stereo speakers inbuilt it’s great for videos and gaming. Don’t worry though as the A5 still manages to weigh in under 200 grams for easy one-handed use.

Overall, the A5 is a beautiful device that offers plenty of performance & battery life. I only wish it was Full HD. If you’re not a pixel-snob like me, then this in the top 3 phones you can get in the UK for less than £150.

Tech Specs: 6.4″ HD+ Super AMOLED, 1560×720 resolution, 268 PPI, Samsung (1.6Ghz | 8-cores), 3GB RAM, 128GB Storage, 4000mAh Fast Charge Battery, Single-band N WiFi, Android 9 (One UI) with Full UK Support for 3, 7 & 20 (4G) bands.

Realme 6i

Realme 6i – Bright Display

Price From: £149.99 (Amazon)
Colours: White Milk & Green Tea

The Realme 6i uses a matt holographic stripe pattern that’s bonkers to see on a budget phone. Love it or hate it, it’s a unique design.

Related: Realme 7 Review

There’s a reason so many people choose the 6i as their smartphone and that’s because, for a budget phone, it packs in some great features.

The 720p display is fantastic, it’s bright at 500nit peak, viewing angles are good and colours pop. On top of that, it uses Gorilla Glass 3 and comes with a pre-applied screen protector.

The 2nd reason this phone made it onto our list is battery life. It features a 5000mAh battery (think 1.5x a normal phone battery) and, unlike the Moto g10, it comes with fast 18watt charging.

If you’re a fan of dual-sim phones, the 6i doesn’t cut any corners with 2 dedicated Nano Sim ports as well as an SD card expansion slot. It’s worth mentioning that the phone uses an older WiFi antenna so misses on the speedier dual-band 5Ghz or WiFi 5.

Overall though, this 6i is a gem!

Pros

  • Bright Display
  • Great Battery + 18w Fast Charge
  • Good Performance
  • Gaming Ready (AnTuTu: 202275)

Tech Specs: 6.5″ Gorilla Glass Display, 1600×720, 269 Pixel Density, Brightness: 500nits, MediaTek Helio G80 (2Ghz | 8-cores), 4GB RAM, 64GB Storage (+256GB Expandable), 18w Fast-Charge 5000mAh battery, b,g,n WiFi 4, NFC, Headphone Jack, Android 10 (Android 11 roadmap) with Full UK Support for 3G + 4G bands.

Samsung A21s Phone

Samsung Galaxy A21s – The Photographers Choice!

Price From: £149.99

Replacing last years A20s, the A21s has undertaken some huge internal upgrades making it one of the best-budget choices.

For starters, you’re now getting quad-camera setup with a huge 48MP main lens. This lets you easily zoom into pictures and crop without losing any pixels. And you get the same ultra-wide from last year for taking landscapes and group photos.

The other big upgrade is the battery. This year they’ve bumped it up to 5000mAh (4000 on the old A20s) and included a 15w fast charger in the box. So if you’re a light user like me, you can charge the A21s every other day.

So what’s the catch?

While colours and brightness are very good on this Samsung PLS IPS display, the resolution is mid-range at 720×1280. This does mean you’re giving up a little crispness compared to some of the other full HD models in this list.

Finally, let’s talk performance. Samsung has used one of it’s own mid-range Enxyos chips this year that offers almost double the gaming performance of A20s. During our testing, the phone felt snappy and responsive with no issues.

Close to the top of our £150 budget, the beautiful Samsung A21s is a great choice for those who value excellent battery-life & camera performance. An easy upgrade for anyone who wants a hassle-free Android upgrade.

Tech Specs: 6.5″ HD+ Super AMOLED, 1600×720 resolution, 270 PPI, Samsung (Exynos 850 2Ghz | 8-cores), 3GB RAM, 32GB Storage (expandable to 512GB), 5000mAh 15w Fast Charge Battery, Dual-band AC WiFi, Android 10 (One UI) with Full UK Support for 3, 7 & 20 (4G) bands.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Global – The Best Budget Phone!

Price From: £139.99

If you’re looking for the best feature-packed phone that costs less than £150, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 is your best choice.

Editors Note: The newer Redmi Note 9 is now released, but we still recommend the Note 8. Why? It has a better camera system, feels more premium with front & back Gorilla Glass 5 (the Note 9 is plastic) and still offers great performance thanks it’s Snapdragon CPU.

The 64GB version can be yours for as little as £139.99 during sales, and more impressively, it benefits from many of the same features we see in flagship phones.

In your hand, the dual-glass design feels fantastic and made from scratch-resistant toughened Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on both sides.

But let’s get back to those flagship features I mentioned earlier. The first is the rear camera module which now includes a whopping 48MP megapixel lens similar to what see on the Xiaomi Mi 9.

So if taking ultra-crisp photos is your thing, you’ll love this versatility that this lens offers. We’re also treated to 1080P video at 60fps, 4K @ 30fps and even a super-slow-mo mode which can capture 1080P video @ 120fps.

Related: What’s The Best Xiaomi Smartphone?

Performance-wise, the Redmi Note 8 excels thanks to the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 665. If you’re a gamer, you’ll be happy to know this phone scores 170,000 in the AnTuTu benchmark. If you’re not a gamer, you’ll still love the speedy performance this phone offers.

Connectivity is also spot on with support for the fastest Dual Band AC WiFi, 4x GPS support for superior tracking, an Infrared Remote, USB Type-C, an SD Card Slot, Bluetooth 5 and full UK Network support.

And best of all, this is all crammed into a super-slim 8.35mm body that only weighs 190g. Considering its dual-glass design and huge 4000mAh battery, this is super-impressive.

Compared to last years Redmi Note 7, you’re getting upgraded with a splash resistant nano-coating, improved blue-light eye protection and way better speaker quality thanks to a larger sound chamber.

And it’s for the reasons above that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 is our Favourite Budget Phone Choice

Colours Available: Space Black, Neptune Red and Neptune Blue

Tech Specs: 6.3″ FHD+, 1080×2340 resolution, 19.5:9 Aspect Ratio, 409 PPI, Snapdragon 665 (2.2Ghz | 8-cores), 4GB RAM, 64GB Storage, 18w Fast-Charge 4000mAh battery, Dual-band AC WiFi, Headphone Jack, Android 10 with Full UK Support for 3G + 4G bands.

 

Ulefone 9P

Ulefone Note 9P

Price From: £119.99

The Ulefone 9P is one of the best value budget smartphones you can get your hands-on today in the UK. It’s no performance-powerhouse, but makes up for it by offering Type-C fast charging, a headphone jack, fast AC WiFi, Bluetooth 5, and excellent GPS all while costing close to the £100 mark.

It covers both fingerprint and face unlock while offering a hefty 4500mAh battery that will easily cover your whole days use, especially when combined with it’s low-powered Helio P22 chip.

It’s not a high-end gaming choice, but, if you need a reliable phone for web browsing, video, social media, casual photography and light-gaming… the Note 9P has you covered.

At only 9.2mm thick and 188 grams, this polycarbonate phone feels great in your hand and as a juicy bonus, Ulefone includes both a screen protector and case in the box.

Tech Specs: 6.52″ Display @ 720×1600 resolution, 269 PPI, MediaTek Helio P22 (1.8Ghz | 8-cores), 4GB RAM, 64GB Storage, 4500mAh Battery + 10w Fast Charging, Dual-band N WiFi, Android 10 with Full UK Support for 3G + 4G.

Doogee X95

Doogee X95 – Best Phone Under £70

Price From: £69.99

The Doogee X95 is the perfect super-budget smartphone! It’s has a super bright HD display that can get up to a whopping 600nits in brightness. It’s running Android 10 (Go Edition) which is perfect for the 2GB RAM and quad-core CPU.

Related: What’s the best Doogee Phone?

And finally, it’s packing a huge 4350mAh battery that’ll bag you 6-8 hours screen on time. There’s dual-band WiFi for better indoor coverage and it comes with full support for all UK networks.

What’s not to love about this super-budget Android phone? It’s best-in-class at this price range!

Tech Specs: 6.52″ IPS, 540×1200 resolution, 201 PPI, MediaTek 6737 (1.3Ghz | 4-cores), 2GB RAM, 16GB Storage, 4350mAh 10 Watt Fast Charge Battery, Dual-band N WiFi, Android 10 (Go Edition) with Full UK Support for 3G + 4G.

Honor 10 Lite

Honor 10 Lite – The Budget Selfie King!

Price From: £129.99

If you find yourself taking more selfies these days, then the 24MP front camera of the Honor 10 Lite is perfect. The low aperture and larger pixel size combined with Huawei’s AI processing chip makes for some epic selfies after a few glasses of wine!

Considering its display (6.21″) and battery (3400mAh) size, it’s managed to stay featherlite at only 162 grams. This combined with its 8mm thickness makes it a beautiful looking phone that’s easy to handle. While you don’t get a rear glass panel, it does means you’re better protected against drops.

The display itself is what you’d expect from a company owned by Huawei. It’s crisp, it’s bright and colours pops vibrantly. Pair this up with the mid-range Kirin 710 processor inside, 3GB’s of RAM and we have a very capable device for both everyday task and gaming.

At this price, there’s got to be a catch right? The first is that the EU version is missing 5Ghz WiFi which is reserved for the china only variant. The 2nd is it’s still using micro-USB making fast charge limited to 10watts.

If you’re looking for a capable photography phone with good performance and a sleek form factor, the Honor 10 Lite has you covered.

Tech Specs: 6.21″ Full HD, 2340×1080 resolution, 415 PPI, Huawei Kirin 710 (2.2Ghz | 8-cores), 3GB RAM, 64GB Storage, 3400mAh 10w Charging Battery, Single-band N WiFi, Android 9 (EMUI 9) with Full UK Support.

Motorola Moto g8 Power Lite

Motorola Moto g8 Power Lite

Price From: £99.99 | £149.99

Update: Another big price-drop as the last g8 Power Lite stock sells.

The lower case ‘g’ isn’t the only strange thing about Motorola’s latest smartphone as it’s lacking in other areas as well. Even so, there’s no denying the excellent battery-life on the g8 Power Lite.

For some, the promise of staying away from your charger for 3-days, all-while carrying a fairly lightweight (200 grams) and slim (9.2mm) phone, sounds bloody fantastic! So you can head across to Amazon now :P.

But, it’s worth pointing out some of the shortcomings on this UK best-selling budget phone. Motorola has been been very frugal with g8 Power Lite.

For starters, it’s missing 5Ghz WiFi which offers much more reliable and faster internet speeds in your home. It’s also using the older micro-USB charging port which only supports 10 watt charging. On the large 5000mAh battery, 15 watts+ charging would be more appropriate.

My final gripe is that the 6.5″ display isn’t full HD. Why have a big, bright & beautiful display only to miss off Full HD clarity. Oh and let’s not forget it’s using last years Android 9 OS without a promise of an upgrade to 10.

But does any of this really matter? For some yes, for others not so much. I’ll let you decide.

Onto the pros, and you’re getting a water repellent design, (like we saw on the moto g7 Play below), excellent GPS tracking, plenty of sensors and it’s running on a bloatware-free version of Android 9.

But, make sure you check out the UMiDigi F2 (competition) below, it blows this phone out of the water, albeit with the same price-tag.

Tech Specs: 6.5″ IPS, 1600×720 resolution, 269 PPI, MediaTek Helio P35 (2.3Ghz | 4-cores), 4GB RAM, 64GB Storage + optional 256GB SD Card, 5000mAh 10w Fast Charge Battery, Single-band N WiFi, Android 9 with Full UK Support for 3, 7 & 20 (4G) bands.

Blackview A60 Pro Performance

Blackview A60 Pro

Price From: £74.99

The Blackview A60 Pro makes it onto this list with room to spare at only £74.99. Even at this price-point, we’re still getting a modern waterdrop notch display with impressive brightness levels.

It’s certainly not the slimmest in our list at 9.8mm, but part of the bulk is due to the large 4080mAh battery. This is more than enough to keep this phone going well into its second day.

There are a few corners that have been cut to help keep the cost down. The first is the 16GB of storage, although the A60 Pro does has a dedicated SD card port for expansion.

The second is the lack of fast charge support. This means you’ll be waiting quite a few hours for the phone to fully charge. Not a deal-breaker, but something to consider.

Finally, this lightweight (170g) phone features one of MediaTek’s new Helio A22 chips that offer solid entry-level performance with excellent power-savings. It’s not a phone for power-users, but it’s a great option when compared against the super-budget competition.

If you are using your phone for calling, messaging, browsing and taking the occasional photo, you can’t go wrong! That’s why it’s one of our favourite budget phones with hundreds of positive reviews by owners.

Tech Specs: 6.088″ IPS, 1280×600 resolution, 232 PPI, MediaTek Helio A22 (2Ghz | 4-cores), 3GB RAM, 16GB Storage, 4080mAh Battery,WiFi, Android 9 with Full UK Support for 3, 7 & 20 (4G) bands.

Samsung A20 Phone

Samsung Galaxy A20 – Budget Super AMOLED Display

Price From: £149.99

Not to be confused with the A20e (which doesn’t benefit from a Super AMOLED display), the A20 is the first of Samsung’s budget smartphones to include Super AMOLED display technology.

If you love candy-popping colour and incredible black levels… then you’ll fall in love with the Samsung Galaxy A20.

The catch? it’s only a 720P display. This means you’re giving up a little crispness in favour of the advanced AMOLED colour reproduction.

You’re also getting a large fast-charge-ready 4000mAh battery squeezed into a super slim 7.8mm thick body. Although this time, the rear of the phone is made from plastic, helping it achieve its featherweight status at only 169g.

If you aren’t already sold on the display, then let’s talk about the impressive dual-camera setup. Samsung has combined a 13MP main camera with a 5MP 123° Wide-Angle lens so that you can frame every scene perfectly. You aren’t getting Samsung’s Galaxy-level camera quality here, but it’s fantastic for the price.

Close to the top of our £150 budget, the Samsung A20 is a great choice for media consumers who value excellent battery life. Just remember that you’ll be paying a small premium for the Samsung brand name, but in return, you are getting Samsung’s epic build quality and no-nonsense warranty program.

Tech Specs: 6.4″ HD+ Super AMOLED, 1560×720 resolution, 268 PPI, Samsung (1.6Ghz | 8-cores), 3GB RAM, 32GB Storage, 4000mAh Fast Charge Battery, Single-band N WiFi, Android 9 (One UI) with Full UK Support for 3, 7 & 20 (4G) bands.

Are Low-cost Cheap Phones Any Good?

This is a question I hear all the time. When you’ve been shelling out 40+ pounds a month to own the latest iPhone, it can come as a shock knowing you could be saving £100’s on a SIM-only smartphone.

Now before you get too excited, not all areas of budget smartphones compare to flagships £600+ devices. The most obvious of these is camera performance. Squeezing a DSLR camera into a slim pocket-ready display doesn’t come cheap. To get Instagram worthy photos you will have to shell out over the £300 mark. But, if you don’t have 25000 Instagram followers, then you’ll do just fine with one of the budget phones above.

What has trickled down into low-cost smartphones is the performance. The £100 smartphone of today, is more powerful than a 3-4 year old flagship. We’re also seeing 3GB RAM standard and as well as a massive drop in the price of SD Cards.

So my answer is, Yes. Pick the right budget smartphone and it’ll be the best decision you can make. It won’t be blazing fast, but you’ll have fat pockets from all the money you’ve saved!

Are Cheap Phones Reliable?

Another common question is: are cheap smartphones reliable? and it’s a valid concern as not every mobile manufacturer produces their phones to the same standards.

When you buy an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy smartphone, you know that they’re getting a fully tested, high-grade phone.

So how do we know what we’re getting when dealing with smaller manufacturers that offer low-cost smartphones?

Well hopefully websites like Review Hub will answer that question. We closely inspect all the budget smartphones that come through our doors for craftsmanship faults and performance issues.

To answer the question: Yes. We’ve been particularly impressed with the reliability of Xiaomi, Doogee, UMiDigi & Cubot.

 

2 COMMENTS

  1. Hi
    Just wanted to ask if any of the above phones are affected by the Huawei situation and possible lack of support from Google etc. I know Honor phones are the same brand as Huawei but how about the other cheaper ones?

    And do you know much about these newer/smaller companies and what their support, warranties and customer service is like if one ever develops a fault.

    I’ve just sent back an Xperia L3 because although i didn’t have any real issues with the features (except not having a ‘glance screen’ to just look at it for the clock and any messages etc), the phone bar signal and 4G connection was very low in places where my old Lumia 640 has always been great for signal/4G

    Even side by side the Lumia still gave full bar service yet the L3 was awful at one or zero bars. I wonder if it’s the fact it didn’t seem to support GiffGaff & O2’s band 40 [2300MHz] which supposedly is used in busy town areas. They also use bands 1, 3 & 20 for 4G although band 20 is more fro rural areas.

    Do you know about these phone’s capabilities on these bands? I believe TDD-LTE & FDD-LTE supports ALL 4G bands in the UK and Europe, like Samsung phones do..?

    Thanks

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