Posted 20th Sep 2022
Hi
I thought I'd piece together some info on which are the biggest bargain smartphones on a tight budget.
With the current situation we are all in, I thought this would be handy for those on a tight / strict budget, most of us need a smartphone to keep in touch with loved ones etc. So why not save some pennies in the process
We have a few choices when it comes to choosing a budget phone, will we go new, will we go refurbished or will we go used, With used and refurbished you can generally get more phone for your money, so worth thinking about if you need a more powerful phone.
We all know the manufacturers who offer best bang for buck, the likes of xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo and realme to name a few, but not everyone wants to go Chinese, and Motorola offer some good hardware (and software) for those wanting a more familiar brand, The below list is a list i have compiled, and is by no means what you should get.
Please let me know in the comments if you think I have missed one you believe is a good option.
Some recommendations:
Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
In most people's opinion on site, this is the "go to" phone, it has a great camera, good battery life, nice OLED display, and has great looks and build quality, with good ram (6GB) and fast charging, with a 120Hz refresh display, however the processor is ageing a bit now.
Current deal on site starting 21st sept - credit Random1234 (£124 / £149)
hotukdeals.com/dea…224

POCO F3 5G - Smartphone 6+128GB, 6,67” 120Hz AMOLED DotDisplay, Snapdragon 870, 48MP Triple Camera, 4520mAh
Another "go to" phone for most, most of the time under £200 via the Xiaomi UK App, this hasn't been in stock for a while, however can still be picked up from the Amazon EU sites etc.
Again on this it offers a lot of phone for the money, Great processor (Snapdragon 870) And because of that processor great battery life, good size and build, only really let down by camera and updates going forward
Poco F3 Deals history

realme 8 5G Mobile Phone, Sim Free Unlocked Smartphone with Dimensity 700 5G Processor, 90Hz Ultra Smooth Display, 5000mAh Massive Battery, 48MP Nightscape Camera, Dual Sim, NFC
Another £139 / £149 budget choice, with 5G, and a more stock feeling ui over the two above, from comments in most threads users are generally happy with the device, saying it has a camera that punches above it's price, it's snappy with the dimensity 700 5G processor, build quality is a bit of a letdown, and unless you go with the 128GB version, you are only getting 4Gb ram and 64GB Storage
Keep an eye on efones, as they regular reduce to £139 - hotukdeals.com/dea…087

Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G 6.5" 128GB 5G Dual SIM
Going with a Samsung now, and probably your best choice at this level of budget is the A52s, Another well received phone in general, I have owned this phone twice now, only using it once, and it's a great phone, with OIS, 128GB as standard, good cameras in general, though night shots were a little disappointing, battery life was just ok, but does have a cracking mid range processor in the snapdragon 778G 5G
Currently a deal on site at £233, but has and does go below £200 at times - credit Maxjenson - hotukdeals.com/dea…797

Motorola moto g31 Smartphone (6.4" FHD+ Display, 50MP Camera, 4/128GB, 5000mAh, Android 11)
I have chosen the G31 here because it offers a lot for the money, a nice OLED display, good cameras (50mp) and a lovely stock feeling UI, with some nice moto touches
Current deal on site at £119, is also available at John Lewis if you prefer - Credit to bas613357 - hotukdeals.com/dea…353

Apple iPhone X
Not forgetting those who prefer an apple iPhone, the iPhone X feels these days like the bargain Apple, can regular be had under £200 in used / refurbished condition, and has the cameras, processor and build quality apple is known for, all wrapped up in a package that looks like it was manufactured today minus the dynamic island of course.

I shared this a while back also, which i believe will be very useful to those on a budget, they are all used in grade B condition, but all very much bargains in their own right, with some of them being older flagship models, note with the older models, updates are few and far between, with the Huawei handsets being the worst regarding updates
hotukdeals.com/dea…800
Take a look at this discussion on used vs New when it comes to mobile phones, and where best to sell your handset
hotukdeals.com/dis…133
So hopefully the above has peaked your interest, and hopefully it has helped you
A Few related categories on site:
Broadband and phone contracts
Electronics
Mobile contracts
Pay as you go
Pay monthly
Sim only
Sim free
More money saving discussions
Broadband Social Tariffs For People On Universal Credit (And certain legacy benefits) With Best Deals Available
'Typical Households' will pay no more than £2,500 per year* for two years from 1st Oct + discounts, grants, tips and info to help
Cost of Living Scotland - Rent & Rail freeze / Scottish child payment to increase to £25 per week from November
OVO energy £50 million customer support package from October 1st + proposed 10 point plan to help tackle energy crisis
Energy meter reading day - September 30th
Plans to enable households to get discounts on electricty bills if they cut use at peak times, set to be announced in the next 2 weeks
Cost of living announcement - Payments to start hitting bank accounts from today (14th July) + Extra Help for Energy Bills & More
What can you do to help cut costs when buying goods? How do we shop smarter and other information to help
I thought I'd piece together some info on which are the biggest bargain smartphones on a tight budget.
With the current situation we are all in, I thought this would be handy for those on a tight / strict budget, most of us need a smartphone to keep in touch with loved ones etc. So why not save some pennies in the process
We have a few choices when it comes to choosing a budget phone, will we go new, will we go refurbished or will we go used, With used and refurbished you can generally get more phone for your money, so worth thinking about if you need a more powerful phone.
We all know the manufacturers who offer best bang for buck, the likes of xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo and realme to name a few, but not everyone wants to go Chinese, and Motorola offer some good hardware (and software) for those wanting a more familiar brand, The below list is a list i have compiled, and is by no means what you should get.
Please let me know in the comments if you think I have missed one you believe is a good option.
Some recommendations:
Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
In most people's opinion on site, this is the "go to" phone, it has a great camera, good battery life, nice OLED display, and has great looks and build quality, with good ram (6GB) and fast charging, with a 120Hz refresh display, however the processor is ageing a bit now.
Current deal on site starting 21st sept - credit Random1234 (£124 / £149)
hotukdeals.com/dea…224

POCO F3 5G - Smartphone 6+128GB, 6,67” 120Hz AMOLED DotDisplay, Snapdragon 870, 48MP Triple Camera, 4520mAh
Another "go to" phone for most, most of the time under £200 via the Xiaomi UK App, this hasn't been in stock for a while, however can still be picked up from the Amazon EU sites etc.
Again on this it offers a lot of phone for the money, Great processor (Snapdragon 870) And because of that processor great battery life, good size and build, only really let down by camera and updates going forward
Poco F3 Deals history

realme 8 5G Mobile Phone, Sim Free Unlocked Smartphone with Dimensity 700 5G Processor, 90Hz Ultra Smooth Display, 5000mAh Massive Battery, 48MP Nightscape Camera, Dual Sim, NFC
Another £139 / £149 budget choice, with 5G, and a more stock feeling ui over the two above, from comments in most threads users are generally happy with the device, saying it has a camera that punches above it's price, it's snappy with the dimensity 700 5G processor, build quality is a bit of a letdown, and unless you go with the 128GB version, you are only getting 4Gb ram and 64GB Storage
Keep an eye on efones, as they regular reduce to £139 - hotukdeals.com/dea…087

Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G 6.5" 128GB 5G Dual SIM
Going with a Samsung now, and probably your best choice at this level of budget is the A52s, Another well received phone in general, I have owned this phone twice now, only using it once, and it's a great phone, with OIS, 128GB as standard, good cameras in general, though night shots were a little disappointing, battery life was just ok, but does have a cracking mid range processor in the snapdragon 778G 5G
Currently a deal on site at £233, but has and does go below £200 at times - credit Maxjenson - hotukdeals.com/dea…797

Motorola moto g31 Smartphone (6.4" FHD+ Display, 50MP Camera, 4/128GB, 5000mAh, Android 11)
I have chosen the G31 here because it offers a lot for the money, a nice OLED display, good cameras (50mp) and a lovely stock feeling UI, with some nice moto touches
Current deal on site at £119, is also available at John Lewis if you prefer - Credit to bas613357 - hotukdeals.com/dea…353

Apple iPhone X
Not forgetting those who prefer an apple iPhone, the iPhone X feels these days like the bargain Apple, can regular be had under £200 in used / refurbished condition, and has the cameras, processor and build quality apple is known for, all wrapped up in a package that looks like it was manufactured today minus the dynamic island of course.

I shared this a while back also, which i believe will be very useful to those on a budget, they are all used in grade B condition, but all very much bargains in their own right, with some of them being older flagship models, note with the older models, updates are few and far between, with the Huawei handsets being the worst regarding updates
hotukdeals.com/dea…800
Take a look at this discussion on used vs New when it comes to mobile phones, and where best to sell your handset
hotukdeals.com/dis…133
So hopefully the above has peaked your interest, and hopefully it has helped you
A Few related categories on site:
Broadband and phone contracts
Electronics
Mobile contracts
Pay as you go
Pay monthly
Sim only
Sim free
More money saving discussions
Broadband Social Tariffs For People On Universal Credit (And certain legacy benefits) With Best Deals Available
'Typical Households' will pay no more than £2,500 per year* for two years from 1st Oct + discounts, grants, tips and info to help
Cost of Living Scotland - Rent & Rail freeze / Scottish child payment to increase to £25 per week from November
OVO energy £50 million customer support package from October 1st + proposed 10 point plan to help tackle energy crisis
Energy meter reading day - September 30th
Plans to enable households to get discounts on electricty bills if they cut use at peak times, set to be announced in the next 2 weeks
Cost of living announcement - Payments to start hitting bank accounts from today (14th July) + Extra Help for Energy Bills & More
What can you do to help cut costs when buying goods? How do we shop smarter and other information to help
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