Best cheap phones: Seven fantastic affordable handsets

It might’ve been replaced by the newer Pixel 7a, but that means the Pixel 6a is cheaper than ever, and rather impressively, still holds the title for best budget camera a year after use. Make no mistake, the Pixel 7a is a better phone with improved cameras, a faster processor and a 90Hz display, but doing so has raised its RRP past budget levels. Besides, at a discounted price, the Pixel 6a still offers incredibly good value for money.

You’ll find two very good snappers within the Pixel 6a, which are bolstered by handy tricks such as Magic Eraser and Night Sight in order to remove unwanted objects or improve your lowlight shooting, respectively. There’s a reason why Pixel phones are widely renowned for their camera tech, after all.

One area where the Pixel 6a really does excel over its affordable rivals is in the processor, which is the very same Tensor chip that you’ll find in the Pixel 6 Pro. It might not be an absolute beast in performance terms, nor even the latest Tensor chip, but it helps to deliver the great software, post-processing, 5G connectivity, and enhanced security that makes this phone a great all-round package.

Though the screen is colourful and punchy, it suffers a bit from not having a refresh rate enhanced beyond the standard 60Hz, so it may not seem as smooth as its competitors. Nonetheless, this device is well worth the price when all is taken into consideration.

Reviewer: Max Parker

Full review: Google Pixel 6a

Probably the most eye-catching handset on this list, the Nothing Phone (1)‘s look stands out from the crowd due to its transparent back covering and flashing LED arrangement, which indicates incoming notifications or the charging level in a unique way. Fortunately there’s far more to it than just this quirk.

We particularly liked the lush 120Hz display, which is one of the best around at this price point. With HDR support and high levels of brightness, this screen is a joy to use for gaming and more. There are two rear cameras on board, wide and ultrawide, and they both do a pretty good job. Although some snaps can end up looking over-exposed, most of the photos that we took in complimentary lighting conditions turned out very well, while its night shooting was a particular highlight.

The 4500mAh battery was plenty big enough to get us through the day, and it’s great to see the wireless charging feature at this price point as well. However, one of the few negatives about this handset was performance issues, likely down to sub-par software optimisation, which caused some stuttering from time to time.

The newer Nothing Phone (2) may take the experience up a notch with a flagship-level Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor, improved cameras and better Glyph lighting, but the price has also gone up by quite a bit as a result. With Nothing leaving the Nothing Phone (1) on sale at its much cheaper price tag, it remains a tempting option for design-focused consumers a year after its initial release.

Reviewer: Max Parker

Full review: Nothing Phone 1

If you want something cheap that looks and feels like a premium smartphone, the Honor Magic 5 Lite is a solid option for consideration.

The budget smartphone is anything but in terms of its design, with a sleek design that wouldn’t look out of place on a flagship, complete with a thin frame and curved edges that feel great in the hand. It’s also lightweight and thin at 175g and 7.9mm respectively despite featuring a large 6.67-inch display.

It’s not just a big display either; it sports a 120Hz refresh rate, an FHD+ resolution and an in-display fingerprint reader that’s both accurate and snappy in use. The AMOLED tech also delivers crisp, vibrant colours and inky blacks, though it’s not the brightest around at 800 nits.

Performise-wise, the Snapdragon 695 and 6GB of RAM is enough for everyday usage from scrolling through Instagram to web browsing, though graphics-heavy games might chug a big. 128GB of storage should be plenty for most users too. The main 64MP camera is a fairly capable one at the price, but the accompanying lenses aren’t worth writing home about.

Throw in a large 5100mAh battery that had no issue lasting all day (and then some) and 40W charging that delivers 50% charge in 30 minutes and you’ve got a good-looking, capable option.

Reviewer: Connor Jewiss

Full review: Honor Magic 5 Lite

The Motorola Edge 30 Neo is not only a decent all-rounder at a tempting price, but it’s also one of the more compact budget options around in 2023 with a fairly compact 6.5-inch display and measuring in at just 155g and 7.8mm thick. Okay, it’s not quite in true small phone territory like the Zenfone 9, but it’s as close as you’ll get here.

The 6.5-inch screen isn’t to be sniffed at either, with an OLED panel delivering vibrant colours and deep blacks with great contrast. It can also reach 120Hz like others mentioned here, allowing for a buttery-smooth experience, and crucially, our reviewer found it easy to use one-handed.

That’s backed up by a decent camera system comprised of an OIS-enabled 64MP main snapper and a 13MP ultrawide on the rear and a 32MP selfie camera with pixel-binning tech. While not quite at the same level as the likes of the Pixel 6a, the camera quality is decent in most conditions apart from low light where images can look muddy and washed out.

Despite its more compact dimensions than rivals, it still packs in a fairly decent 4,020mAh battery that doesn’t struggle to last a full day without needing a top-up, though it can’t quite make it through a second day. The good news is that 68W fast charge tech can provide a full charge in just over half an hour, among the fastest you’ll find at the budget end of the market.

Day-to-day performance is fine but more demanding tasks will start to show the limits of the included Snapdragon 695 5G, and with a Pantene partnership, it’s available in some truly stunning finishes too.

Reviewer: Sean Cameron

Full review: Motorola Edge 30 Neo

We are bending our rules slightly to include a phone that breaks our price limit, but if you’re deadset on getting yourself a new iPhone, then this is your cheapest option – and it’s still a belter.

You may have to forgive the depressingly dated design and its associated small screen which measures just 4.7 inches, but if you can get over that then the iPhone SE 2022 does in fact still offer a lot of positives for the price.

First and foremost, it runs on the brilliant A15 Bionic chip, which is one of the very best in the business; it’s actually the very same one that you’ll find on the iPhone 13 Pro, so you won’t be wanting for power. Even better, this phone will be in line for Apple’s unparalleled long-term software support, so we wouldn’t even be surprised to see it getting the latest updates seven years from now.

On top of that, the newest iPhone SE has one of the best cameras that you’ll find for the price, and it particularly delivers on richly detailed images, so that difficult textures like dog fur or woolly jumpers look especially good. That said, it does miss out on a dedicated Night Mode, which is a real shame, so if you’re planning to take a lot of pictures when the sun is down then this might not be the best phone for you. The selfie camera also could do with some work, with it not being to the same standard as the main snapper.

If you’re looking for an iPhone that gives a good camera and strong performance for a cheaper entry price then this is a good bet, but do bear in mind that the screen is small and underwhelming.

Reviewer: Max Parker

Full review: iPhone SE 2022

The Poco X5 Pro 5G, while not hugely different from its predecessor, is a great-value handset with great features across the board, so it’s well worth your consideration if you’re hunting for a handset that’s below $400/£400.

The OLED screen measures a generous 6.67 inches with a 1080p resolution, along with more premium features including a 120Hz refresh rate and support for HDR10+, which is brilliant for the price. It’s not auto-adaptive like premium alternatives, but if you’re prepared to adjust it yourself, you’ll find that supported content is smoother than ever.

Its main 108-megapixel camera is also worth shouting about, as it delivers excellent pictures that are bound to impress for the price. Night Mode does a good job of cleaning up any noise that you might get, however the accompanying ultrawide and macro lens aren’t up to this same standard.

Performance is fine but not exceptional with a Snapdragon 778G at its heart, but it does offer 5G connectivity for the latest mobile data speeds. The battery life is brilliant with a 5000mAh cell, and we reckon that you could even squeeze two days’ life out of it if you use your phone with some restraint.

There aren’t many downsides here, but one would have to be the cheap rear design and feel, and the other would be its bloatware-stuffed software interface. MIUI is far from ideal for day-to-day use.

Reviewer: Connor Jewiss

Full review: Poco X5 Pro 5G

What if you want a decent entry-level phone for less than £200 that simply does the job? The TCL 40R 5G fits the bill.

The budget-focused device offers all the main staples of a solid budget smartphone experience with 5G connectivity, a good-looking design, long battery life from a 5,000mAh cell and decent (though not quite snappy) everyday performance.

There’s a large 6.6-inch LCD display with a 90Hz refresh rate great for scrolling and binging, though its sub-1080p resolution can make elements look a little soft. The main 50MP rear camera is capable of delivering surprisingly sharp images for the price, at least.

It might not be able to compete with more premium options on the market, but for the £199 price tag, you won’t find much better in 2023.

Reviewer: Lloyd Coombes

Full review: TCL 40R 5G