Who can afford to slap £1,000 down on a new phone? Shopping for a top-end handset has become a game exclusive to hardcore tech enthusiasts and people with money to burn. The good news, as this best cheap phones guide proves: there are plenty of cheap phone alternatives.
And while it’s true there's a newly vibrant mid-market filled with classy smartphones at around the £500 mark, we think you can go lower. Much lower.
UPDATE: Samsung has announced some big budget and mid-range phone additions to its range this week. Five new A-series models will be on the way before summer, including the Samsung Galaxy A01, which is a 5.7-inch phone with an LCD screen. We won't add it to our list of the best budget handsets just yet until we've had a chance to test it ourselves. But here's an early look at the A01:
Indeed, we think you can now get everything you need from a phone in a handset that costs around the £200 mark. The best of these phones have vivid displays, capable processors, appealing designs, and even competent cameras.
Cheap no longer needs to mean nasty in the world of smartphones, as these eight affordable phones go to show.
Upvote your Android of choice. Downvote one if you bought it, and regret it.
- Need some headphones to go with your new phone? Check out our selection of the best in-ear headphones
- Or, fancy a phone with a high-spec camera? Take a look at our picks for best camera phone or best Samsung phone
Best cheap phones
SOMETHING MISSING FROM OUR SHORTLIST?
Tell us about it, and if enough people agree we'll add it in.
