There’s no two ways about it: phones are expensive.
Every year when the biggest brands launch their new devices, it feels like an extra 0 is added to already elevated price tags.
Whether you’re cash-strapped and need to replace a phone that has finally gone to meet its maker or your child’s reached an age where they need a device that will likely suffer from knocks and bumps, you might want to limit the amount that you spend.
Luckily, budget phones have come a long way. Gone are the cumbersome bricks with only basic functionality of yesteryear; nowadays, affordable mobiles can include everything from high-resolution cameras and screen displays to powerful processors and long-lasting battery life too.
The cheapest are those from emerging brands, including Xiaomi, Oppo and Realme, although corners do have to be cut to make these phones so affordable. Keep an eye on refresh rates (the number of times the screen refreshes per second) and the screen resolution, which can make the display less impressive than more expensive handsets - although unless you’re playing games that require vivid graphics, you’re unlikely to notice.
We’ve scoured the shelves for handsets cheaper than £200 (or thereabouts), where possible, as well as throwing in a couple more expensive but still affordable phones for those keen to stick to a well-known brand but dodge the hefty price tag.
Best budget smartphones at a glance
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Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC
Best for: overall
While most budget phones inevitably come with compromises, you’ll be hard-pressed to find them on this standout device from Chinese brand Xiaomi.
The Poco X3 NFC impresses with its extremely sharp display. This is helped by the excellent 120Hz refresh rate - in layman’s terms that’s a refresh of the screen 120 times per second or double what you’ll typically find in most of the competition.
Combining its punchy Snapdragon 732G chipset with a huge 6.67-inch display with 2400 x 1080-pixel resolution and you’ve got a handset that’s ideal for gaming, particularly once you add on the large 5,160mAh battery (which allowed this phone to last a couple of days in testing). The NFC functionality is also handy for contactless payments via Google Play, but the one major downside here is the lack of 5G.
The 64MP main camera should ensure high-quality photos but was a little disappointing, so expect to capture only decent images. Despite this, the Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC proves impressive and remains at the very top of the list based on how much is packed into this sub-£200 device.
Buy now £287.00, Back Market
Apple iPhone SE (2022)
Best for: affordable Apple
While there’s always cheaper and more function-packed phones out there, Apple remains a firm favourite among many consumers. While they might not normally be known for the affordability of their smartphones, Apple’s iPhone SE (2022) has bucked that trend.
Despite its teeny tiny battery, this handset uses extremely efficient processing chips to ensure that it lasts a lot longer than you might expect - although it’s unlikely to go for more than a full day with moderate usage. This third-generation phone also includes the A15 Bionic, the same chip used in the iPhone 13, ensuring punchy power.
It’s rated 1P67 for water and dust resistance (meaning it can spend up to 30 minutes in a metre of water without damage) and the 12 MP camera takes decent daytime photos but struggles in low light. It also comes with Apple Pay as standard and 5G connectivity.
Sure, there are more powerful phones that are cheaper, but if it has be Apple and you’re on a budget, then the iPhone SE (2022) will do the trick.
Buy now £379.00, John Lewis
NOKIA G60 5G
Best for: old-school cool
After almost completely falling off the mobile phone scene some years back, Nokia is back from the dead and back in the game. And although the plucky reanimated Finns have one hell of a climb ahead of them, the very latest offering at the altar of advanced communications, the G60 5G, sees them setting off with a sprint.
Firstly, its greener than Kermit the Frog glued to Grogu at an Extinction Rebellion rally, thanks to the fact it’s made from recycled materials, including a 100 per cent recycled plastic back and 60 per cent recycled plastic frame. Now, obviously, this eco-over-friendly approach to construction makes the G60 a ludicrous light 190g, while the build-quality is, perhaps surprisingly, reassuringly robust.
Adding to that strength is a tumble-taking Corning Gorilla Glass 5 screen, behind which loiters a stunning FHD+ display with a vibrant 2408 x 1080 resolution and an unexpectedly impressive refresh rate of 120Hz (great for gaming).
Camera-wise, the new Nokia packs a triple-lens rear snapper offering a colossal 50MP to play with, plus a front-facer of 8MP, so that’s your Instagram stuff all sorted.
Featuring all the expected connectivity suspects, including NFC, a speedy Snapdragon 685 5G chipset alongside 128/64 GB internal storage and 4GB of RAM, plus a fingerprint sensor on the side for security, the Nokia G60 5G really holds its own against much more expensive options and even comes with three years of free software and security upgrades.
What’s more, somehow Nokia manages to knock all this together for just £140. Seems Finns are what they used to be once more…
- Stuart Pritchard
Buy now £154.00, Amazon
Google Pixel 7 - Refurbished
Best for: pin-sharp photography
Don’t be put off by a refurbished phone. Given an MOT by experts, these devices are as good as new for a snip of the price.
Take Google’s Pixel 7 handset, for instance. The device is powered by Google Tensor G2 and offers an astounding 72 hours of battery life. What it really excels in is picture-taking, so if it’s stunning images you long to capture, the Pixel 7 will get you there. That’s not all the Tensor chip does: it helps apps launch and run quickly, images load instantly and everything runs incredibly smoothly.
The phone comes with a basic 128GB of storage but if you need more 256GB is available at a slightly higher cost. It also boasts a dual rear camera system - 50MP and 12MP - plus an 8 MP front camera. With its water and dust-proof capabilities, it can be taken practically anywhere without getting damaged.
Buy now £247.94, Amazon
Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
Best for: fast charging
Essentially an upgraded Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro has a hugely impressive 108MP wide-angle main camera, delivering photo capability that’s the best you can get for a budget phone below £250.
The powerful Snapdragon 732G processor is the same as its cheaper older brother, so spending the extra £50 is really for those where the quality of photography is a deal-breaker. That said, it does boast an AMOLED screen, offering more vivid screen colours, uses less battery, and is slimmer and slicker in the design department, too.
The battery is a whisker smaller than the Poco X3 NFC, but comes with 33W fast charging, meaning you can have it over half charged within just 30 minutes, as well as a handy headphone jack and Android 11 operating system.
Buy now £171.69, Amazon
Motorola G50
Best for: superior battery life
For clumsy owners or older family members who tend to leave their devices in a drawer, the Motorola’s G50 is an excellent choice. Sturdy and with a 5,000mAh battery that can last a good few days on one charge, this budget buy is reliable and affordable.
With only a 720-pixel display, would-be gamers or photographers need go elsewhere. Browsing, messaging and calling are the main functions of this phone, particularly as the triple camera array is nothing to write home about, but will capture decent, if thoroughly unremarkable, images.
The Snapdragon 480 chipset is also a little slow, but that’s not really the point with this device. Reliability and sturdiness are its main selling points, as well as 5G connectivity.
Buy now £85.00, Amazon
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T
Best for: 5G connectivity
Keen to hit the ground running with 5G connectivity? The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T means you can do this without breaking the bank. You also get a dual sim, plus NFC capability. What you don’t get is a slick, small phone that fits easily into your pocket - but that’s the case with practically all of the Xiaomi budget range.
You are still paying a price for that 5G inclusion. The display underperforms the Redmi Note 10 Pro, although you’re unlikely to notice, while the refresh rate of just 60Hz is disappointing and an indicator for die hard gamers to go elsewhere. The rear 48 MP camera delivers solid, if not remarkable images, and the processing speed of the MediaTek Dimensity 800U allows it to take multiple apps in its stride.
Realistically, this is worth the cash if you’re desperate for 5G but if not, there are cheaper, and more well-rounded options out there.
Buy now £182.58, Back Market
Oppo A54 5G
Best for: basic budget
Little known in the UK, OPPO is a Chinese brand that has been making waves with affordable smartphones and they don’t come much more budget than the Oppo A5 2020, which impresses at a sub-£200 price point. Yes, we couldn’t believe it either.
It certainly doesn’t look anything flashy, but it’s 6.5-inch 1080x2400 screen is extremely spacious and competitive, but it is by no means mind-blowing in the resolution department. That said, you probably won’t notice the difference when compared with other more expensive devices, so this shouldn’t be a deciding factor.
What should be is its large 5,000mAh battery, which can last and last, making this a reliable choice if you need a phone with long battery life. Processing is also a little slow with only a bog-standard Snapdragon 480 5G chip and a quad-lens camera that’s similarly just ok. But you can’t get everything, and at this price, we think this is a very attractive device.
Buy now £109.11, Amazon
Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
Best for: low-cost Samsung
Adore Samsung but struggling to justify the price of the company’s flagship models? The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G is a great halfway house between dependable specs and the quality you expect from this industry leader.
The 90Hz refresh rate and MediaTek Dimensity 720 5G processor promise smooth performance and a slick experience, while the 48MP camera promises high-quality images, although you can expect the normal tendency for oversaturation that you find in most Samsung handsets.
It also includes a MicroSD slot, headphone jack, fingerprint sensor and NFC, plus 5G connectivity, making it a well-rounded and easy to use phone that still comes in below £200.
Buy now £219.00, Amazon
HMD Pulse Pro
Best for: Performance perfection at a piffling price
HMD’s first original device, The Pulse Pro has a lot riding on its exquisitely narrow shoulders, being the model by which many will judge the whole present position of the company and possibly even rush to condemn the future of HMD as an entire entity too, so no pressure.
Available in three colours, Glacier Green, Twilight Purple and Black Ocean, the Pulse Pro is a good size at 6.5-odd-inches, yet weighs a near-nothing at 196g, all while feeling rather robust in the hand for a new 4G smartphone that costs a piffling £150.
Decidedly sleek, with a premium feel to it, everything you would hope for is on the outside, including an on/off switch/fingerprint reader, sim tray, volume, USB-C input and 3.5mm headphone jack, while round the back you’ll find a humongous 50MP camera (more on that to come) and that soon to be ubiquitous HMD logo. But, as attractive as an option as the Pulse Pro clearly is, it’s what’s on the inside that counts, so time to break out the metaphorical crowbar.
Running on the current latest version of Android (14), at the heart of the Pulse is a Unisoc T606, an entry-level octa-core processor with two beefy ARM Cortex A75 cores clocking up to 1.6GHz and six oomph-efficient ARM Cortex A55 cores clocking up to 1.6GHz, while the GPU appears in the shape of a Mali-G57 MP1, so the new HMD is more than geared up for speed, connectivity, graphics and gameplay, so don’t expect to experience any lag no matter how brutal your standard smart day. This comes served in conjunction with 128GB of storage, expandable to 256GB with the addition of a MicroSD card, and an ample 6GB RAM (virtual RAM options: 4GB, 6GB, 8GB). All of which means that the Pulse Pro is certainly saying all the right things.
Screen-wise, the 6.5-and-a-bit inch IPS LCD HD+ HID features a 1612 x 720 resolution, with a 90Hz refresh rate and typical brightness of 480-nits, so images are sharp, detailed and vibrant, while scrolling the screen is smooth.
When it comes to connectivity, the Pulse Pro can manage network speeds up to 4G and comes packing Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC too, to keep the contactless options open. So, no, no ultra-fast 5G for those with just no damn time to wait, but as 4G is fast enough for most unless you’re planning on battering bandwidth, you’ll be fine.
With a mighty 50MP camera both front and back, complete with 2MP Depth and 2MP Macro snappers around the rear, subject shots and selfies are stunningly sharp and detailed, while the slow-mo video mode is probably more fun than it should be.
Finally, we come to the battery, a capacious 5000mAh affair that can deliver up to 59 hours of power, features 20W fast charging, and is good for some 800 full charging cycles. What happens after 800? You simply order a replacement battery and change it yourself. Yep, the HMD Pulse Pro, unlike most others of its smart ilk, will keep going for as long as you do.
In all, then, handsome and power-packed, the Pulse Pro is a ‘budget’ smartphone that goes big on design, build quality, battery, and seamless performance; and at this price, it bears the mark of an absolute bargain.
Buy now £119.00, AO
Verdict
You can’t beat Xiaomi’s incredibly well-rounded, and well-priced, Poco X3 NFC, which is a sub-£200 steal. But if it’s an iPhone you want, and iPhone you must have, then the SE (2022) is a surprisingly affordable and powerful option from Apple.
