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As the world of premium smartphones evolves, we're witnessing a delightful trend- the rise of high-quality yet affordable smartphones. It's never been easier to find a top-performing smartphone that fits your budget, even under £500.
Cheaper phones don’t mean worse, as the models we’ve listed below offer a lot for the price and deliver superb performance for a considerably lower cost than the big-name models. Are you looking to buy the best phone for under £500? Here are the very best budget smartphones on the market:
Yet again, Motorola delivered a bargain phone. The Motorola G54 is a fantastic choice if you're looking for a phone with excellent performance at an unbeatable price point. It's the perfect pick for anyone who needs a smartphone with great features without breaking the bank.
The Motorola Moto G54 boasts 254GB built-in storage, 5,000 mAh battery with 15W TurboPower™ charging and Google Assistant voice control. One of the most impressive features of this phone is the camera's ability to take advantage of high-res digital zoom (up to 8x) and dual capture, as well as night vision and a live filter. This Motorola has a 6.5” screen, a sleek design and is available in four different colours. Retailing at less than £200, this cheap phone has everything you need and more.
Image: Motorola
Looking for Samsung’s best cheap phone? Look no further than the Samsung Galaxy A15, available in three colours and featuring all the impressive features you’d expect from an expensive Samsung phone. The Galaxy A15 has four cameras, the main camera has impressive 50MP, and a 5,000mAh (typical) battery that lasts for two days and recharges rapidly with Super Fast Charging.
This cheap Samsung is less than £200 and is the one for those wanting a cheap phone with a long-lasting battery life and good camera.
Image: Samsung
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If you’re looking for a cheap iPhone with all the quality features and high performance you expect in a smartphone, then the iPhone 12 is the one for you. One of the most affordable iPhones on the market, Apple doesn't make cheap iPhones, but buying a refurbished iPhone 12 is a great way to save money and get a good-performance phone. It has all the bells and whistles of an actual new iPhone 12, which was once a premium flagship but at a fraction of the cost.
This is perfect for people who want an iPhone but don't want to splurge on a new device. The refurbished iPhone 12 offers all the features of the newer iPhone models with a year's warranty.
Nokia’s are well-known for their durability, and the Nokia XR20 is no different. This cheap phone, at under £300, has wireless charging, all the latest Android features now and in the future, with up to 3 years of OS upgrades,and security updates for 4 years. Buying a Nokia is always an investment. These cheap smartphones stand the test of time - benefiting the environment and your wallet!
The camera features do not disappoint. The dual rear camera setup features a 48 MP sensor, dedicated flash for detail capture, and the new SpeedWarp mode, which lets you fast-forward to the key moments. For capturing video content, the OZO spatial audio capture with wind-noise cancellation ensures you can mute unwanted sounds.
Image: Nokia
Available in pastel lime or chromatic grey, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite has many high-quality features you’d need and expect in a smartphone - but without the hefty price tag. This smartphone retails just under £300 and has specifications such as a 5000mAh battery, 108MP main rear camera, up to 6x zoom, noise cancellation support and the OxygenOS operating system based on Android™ 13.
The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite has more camera features than we can list. Still, some of our favourites are AI scene enhancement, dual-view video, nightscape, portrait mode, slo-mo, time-lapse, and retouching capabilities.
Image: OnePlus
Boasting three colours to choose from, a 5100mAh (two-day battery), a 64MP triple camera, and 40W Honor Supercharge, the Honor Magic 5 Lite is a superb smartphone for under £500. Whether it’s the super-night and 5MP ultra wide-depth camera or the 120Hz OLED curved display and sleek, slim design that tickles your fancy, this is one of our top cheap phones currently on the market.
Remember, you can always offset the cost of any new phone you buy by selling your phone and putting the extra cash towards your purchase.
Image: Honor
One of the most affordable Pixel phones without compromising on quality is the Google Pixel 7a. An overview of the key features of this cheap Google phone is the ability to translate languages in real-time, the highest-rated security features, and an all-day battery that can last up to three days. This smartphone has advanced photo-editing capabilities for photo enthusiasts, a 64MP quad rear camera, and a 13MP front camera.
The Pixel 7a is as splash, dust, and scratch-resistant as it is sleek. It comes in four different colours made with recycled aluminium, glass, and plastic so that you can enjoy the quality features Google phones are known for while knowing the device is made responsibly, too.
Image: Google
The second Samsung phone on our list of best budget phones is the Samsung Galaxy A34. Slightly more expensive but still one of Samsung’s best cheap phones, this model hosts an OIS camera, refresh rates of up to 120Hz and a 48MP main camera.
Available in a range of colours, the Galaxy A34 also has impressive specifications and features, including an AI image enhancer, 256GB storage, dual-sim and security software updates until 31 March 2028.
Image: Samsung
Looking to save some money and make an eco-friendly choice? Consider checking out refurbished phones. By opting for these, you're getting a top-spec model at a lower cost and contributing to our environment's sustainability by extending these devices' lifespan.
Editor's Note: All prices are correct when writing but are subject to change.
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