The best budget phones you can buy right now

The CMF Phone 1 succeeds by being something very few budget phones are – fun.

The Nothing sub-brand’s first smartphone is doing things a little differently, with a standout design that’s surely to turn heads. The plain black panel you see above already looks stylish, but it can easily be swapped out for something more colourful if you’d prefer.

Then there’s the attachment you see in the bottom corner, which is compatible with dedicated lanyard, kickstand and card wallet accessories.

And with strong performance, a great display, and solid battery life, the Phone 1 combines style with undoubted substance.

The main compromise here is no NFC, meaning you can’t make contactless payments, while simplistic cameras could do with work. Nothing’s unique take on Android is fun to use, though the company is only promising two years of major Android updates and three years of security updates.

But overall, the CMF Phone 1 is a standout device in more ways than one, which reflects very well on its £209/$199 price tag.

In 2023, the regular Galaxy A14 was a slightly better buy than the A14 5G. But this year, the A15 5G’s better performance and 5G connectivity gives it the edge, and there’s no competition in the US – the A15 (4G) featured below isn’t sold there.

Essentially, what you’re getting here is a sub-£200 that nails the fundamentals of a great smartphone. It has a well-designed, premium build that could easy pass for a much more expensive device. Battery life is excellent, stretching to two full days with light usage. And the 90Hz display is a joy to use.

The A15 5G might not have the AI features or seven years of updates from the flagship Galaxy S24 series, but One UI remains the best software you’ll find on a cheap phone. And Samsung’s commitment to four OS updates and five years of security patches is still better than any budget rival.

If you can put up with unremarkable performance, no official water resistance rating and mediocre charging speeds, the Galaxy A15 5G is the budget phone to buy.

Given how good the Galaxy A15 5G is, why would you pay extra for the A25 5G?

There are a few reasons, especially as it still costs under £250/$250. A shift to Samsung’s Exynos 1280 chipset boosts performance, while the display is even more impressive with a 120Hz refresh rate. You also get an improved 8Mp ultrawide camera and stereo speakers.

Throw in the already-solid battery life, decent main and selfie cameras and those five years of updates and you’re on to a winner.

The only real reasons not to buy the A25 5G are the limited storage options and a design that won’t be to everyone’s tastes. Or if one of the other phones in this list appeals to you more.

The Moto G84 is undoubtedly one of the best budget phones you can buy. The only reason it isn’t top is the lacklustre software support, with Motorola offering just one Android version update and three years of security support.

You’ll also have to put up with average cameras and a back that’s prone to getting dirty, but that’s about where the negatives end.

The 120Hz OLED display is the finest on any budget phone, while the Snapdragon 695 delivers solid performance and 5G support. Battery life from the 5000mAh cell is solid, and you even get relatively quick (for a budget phone 30W charging).

If the two phones above don’t appeal to you, this is the phone to get – provided you’re not based in the US, where it isn’t available.

Can you really get a good phone for under £100? As it turns out, the answer is yes, and the phone to get is Motorola’s Moto G04.

It costs just £89.99 in the UK (not available in the US), yet still delivers all the fundamentals of a great smartphone. Performance is absolutely fine for the basics, and the display delivers a decent viewing experience, albeit with limited brightness.

Battery life is a real highlight, with two full days of everything except heavy usage. And the Motorola software is reassuringly familiar, even if it only gets two years of security updates.

There’s no 5G support or official water resistance rating and the cameras aren’t great, but these can easily be excused at this price. The Moto G04 still offers incredible value for money.

Read our full Motorola Moto G04 review

The Note 13 5G isn’t quite the cheapest phone in the Redmi Note 13 range – that award goes to the Note 13 (4G) – but this is the one we recommend to budget buyers.

At £279, it’s slightly more expensive than our usual £250 limit, though it makes more sense to consider it a budget phone than a mid-range handset.

And you still get a lot for your money here. A premium design makes the phone feel a lot more high-end, as does the excellent display. It’s also nice to see expandable storage in addition to 256GB on board, and Xiaomi is offering a generous four years of security updates.

Battery life, software and cameras could all do with work, but the big disappoint is that the Redmi Note 13 5G isn’t available in the US. Despite its flaws, it’s one of the finest cheap phones around.

As mentioned above, the Galaxy A15 5G is a better buy than the 4G model. But the latter is still worth including here, and it might be worth you saving £30 in the UK, though there’s no US availability.

Basically, the only things you’re losing out on are a bit of performance and 5G support. Everything else we said about the A15 5G still applies here, including the attractive display, strong battery life and long software support.

If you only use your phone for the basics and don’t live in an area with good 5G support, the regular A15 is definitely worth considering.

The Moto G23 is another great choice from Moto that can regularly be found for less than it’s already-decent £199.99 RRP. Unfortunately, it’s not available in the US.

The G23 looks and feels more expensive than it is and delivers where it matters. The screen is bright, it’s main camera will do the job fine, it has loud clear dual stereo speakers, and it charges at 30W with the included charger.

It has a dual SIM slot and storage is expandable via Micro-SD, though the built in 128GB storage is very generous for the price.

The ultrawide and macro cameras aren’t much cop, there’s no 5G support, and the processor is only fast enough to play quite basic mobile games – you won’t want to fire up Fortnite on this phone. But if you want an affordable smartphone that nails the basics and is running a nice plain version of Android 13, this is it.

If you like the idea of repairing your phone rather than replacing it every few years, the Nokia G22 could be the phone for you. If you can cope with the fact this is quite a slow phone – perhaps you only need one for basic functions like calls and messages and Google Maps – then it’s a good buy.

iFixit sells several official repair kits for the G22 including for screen cracks and new battery. It means you can grab a smartphone for £150 and be safe in the knowledge you can easily repair it yourself.

One thing to note is this phone will only have software support for two years from launch, which somewhat contradicts the idea this is a product you should keep for far longer and replace its failing parts. That aside, this is an interesting concept and a budget phone you should consider if you don’t need a powerful device.

The main reason to buy the Moto G35 5G is to get a sub £150 phone with 5G connectivity and a large and sharp screen, making it particularly suitable for those who struggle with the downsides of a smaller display.

It’s a whopping 6.72-inch and has a Full HD+ resolution and it gets nice and bright, too. It’s even got a 120Hz refresh rate to make things smoother in use but the underpowered processor makes this a slight moot point due to poor performance.

If you will be sticking to basic usage then it might not be a problem and the G35 benefits from a new dedicated ultrawide camera, excellent battery life and a nice design – which is even nicer in the Leaf Green and Guava Red models which have a faux leather finish.

Software is also user friendly but the phone will only get one major OS update. Overall, it’s a good value option for basic use in or outdoor for users such as kids and seniors.