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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
","comment":[{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48263942","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"TheSpartan"},"datePublished":"2022-09-20T11:18:42.000Z","text":"I have the Poco F3 5g it's been superb, it performs well and I use it as my daily driver. The camera wasn't the best but this can be changed by installing GCam for a much better camera experience."},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48263886","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Sohail_Nadeem"},"datePublished":"2022-09-20T11:10:19.000Z","text":"I think the redmi note 10 pro is the best bang for your buck, thank you for the info!"},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48263977","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"mattkkinng"},"datePublished":"2022-09-20T11:24:17.000Z","text":"Poco F3 when on sale will forever be the best option"},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48264253","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Andrew_Oatley"},"datePublished":"2022-09-20T12:04:14.000Z","text":"I picked up a OnePlus Nord on eBay last week for £150 with 20% code unused open box sold as refurbished , it's a fab phone! Plenty of good phones out there for little cash!"},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48264536","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Yolofknell"},"datePublished":"2022-09-20T12:45:00.000Z","text":"Am in the market for a replacement. At the moment I have a S9+. Looking for a budget one that does wireless charging (whole house and car setup for this), NFC and 5G etc. Dual sim if possible.
Thanks"},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48264029","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"sohailh1984"},"datePublished":"2022-09-20T11:32:18.000Z","text":"Serious question - either the Poco F3 or Redmi easy enough to use? Need a budget friendly smartphone just to give my mum to use - calls and WhatsApp mainly - other apps are a bonus which won't really get used"},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48267736","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Mook2000"},"datePublished":"2022-09-20T20:35:30.000Z","text":"All the love for the F3 but I've found the proximity sensor thing to be a nightmare. Dropping calls or putting me on hold while talking. Switching on at random in the pocket. Nice unit, great screen, nigh on nightmare because of this."},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/49072726","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"KencoOutMyNostrils"},"datePublished":"2022-12-17T14:51:34.000Z","text":"Looking for a compact smartphone under £200
Is a like new S10e still a good option? Ideally the Snapdragon version.
Don't have much requirements for a phone, but I'd like a headphone jack and waterproofing as well as a relatively small size. Phones are too big these days!"},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48278626","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"TeddyBB"},"datePublished":"2022-09-22T14:43:01.000Z","text":"£200 for a phone is madness, £50- £100 is about right, worlds gone mad! £200 as \"budget\" phone...oh my days!"},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48264156","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Mattyblob"},"datePublished":"2022-09-20T11:52:26.000Z","text":"I'm firmly in the budget blower camp and the F3 has been my favourite to date "},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48479805","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"barneydog"},"datePublished":"2022-10-19T14:25:56.000Z","text":"Another vote for the Poco F3, I picked up a mint open box F3 8/256gb version for £200 off ebay."},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48268580","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"wayne_quigley"},"datePublished":"2022-09-21T00:16:56.000Z","text":"Oppo find x2 Neo is still a pretty good phone and we'll under £200"},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48268645","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"SoperMan"},"datePublished":"2022-09-21T01:17:44.000Z","text":"Redmi Note 10 Pro and Poco F3 5G when on sale are hard to beat.
Think iPhone 8 Plus is also worth considering."},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48264012","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"dave.richardsonskV"},"datePublished":"2022-09-20T11:29:42.000Z","text":"5g phone with dual SIM and headphones jack that's wht I am looking for"},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48264055","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Bargainsrule"},"datePublished":"2022-09-20T11:38:21.000Z","text":"Excellent discussion thankyou MrSwitch and those that have contributed. My S10+ battery life is getting rather poor so I'll be on the lookout for a new, less expensive phone before too much longer."},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48267194","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Nin_Jo"},"datePublished":"2022-09-20T19:25:07.000Z","text":"Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for the information"},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48268635","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"JamesB83"},"datePublished":"2022-09-21T00:52:20.000Z","text":"There's also the Xiaomi x4 pro constantly on sale for around £160 odd seems like a good option. Honor 50 a bit over £200 open never used condition on eBay if budget allows, and a bit more of a premium look to it (curved screen minimal bezel). Also the Honor 50 lite is cheaper still. Personally I'd say redmi note 10 pro is probably best bang for your buck rn if you don't care about 5g or the Poco f3 if you need something beefier"},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48266355","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"nopartylikeansclubparty"},"datePublished":"2022-09-20T17:03:30.000Z","text":"My redmi note 11 pro 5g has been brilliant value so far for just over £200 , the only slight problem I have is it seems to struggle with candy crush think I will survive"},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48268658","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"themachman"},"datePublished":"2022-09-21T01:30:07.000Z","text":"I digress on this, but Nokia are apparently bringing out a new 3310 5G
Switchy are you twitchy?
"},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48264025","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"TuShae"},"datePublished":"2022-09-20T11:31:58.000Z","text":"POCO F3 ! can you get the Poco F4 close to £200?"},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48267258","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Icky_Atwal"},"datePublished":"2022-09-20T19:29:31.000Z","text":"I need a 48 meg camera and a good battery and 5g any recommendations"},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48269147","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"stphnstevey"},"datePublished":"2022-09-21T07:06:30.000Z","text":"What's the best camera phone for £200? With only minor incremental upgrades to cameras on phones, do you actually need the latest features in phone cameras for average person capturing photos to record memories? What features of camera are worth paying for?"},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48279444","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"ozskins"},"datePublished":"2022-09-22T16:37:48.000Z","text":"Great summary, many thanks switchy"},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48280136","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"dcx_badass"},"datePublished":"2022-09-22T18:26:54.000Z","text":"Thoughts on replacing my Mate 20 Pro with an S20 FE 5G? The mate 20 pro does everything I need but I've never got on with the curved screen, also no more Android updates past the current 11 (just security updates), the S20 FE would give me 5G and should be updated to android 13, also no curved screen. Just not sure if I'm missing anything as the Mate 20 pro is well regarded. One of my big reservations is losing my face unlock which is incredible on the M20P and works in total darkness etc due to the IR."},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48280623","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"tsb"},"datePublished":"2022-09-22T19:34:19.000Z","text":"I'm using a Poco M4 Pro. OLED HD 60/90hz screen, 256g storage plus 8g RAM. Big battery (2 days easy) dual SIM or micro SD card, fast charger in box, Android 11 with 12 on the way. No 5g and mediocre cameras if that's important to you. Altogether very impressive. Regularly reduced on Amazon, got mine new for £169."},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48282665","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"jacksj1"},"datePublished":"2022-09-23T06:47:22.000Z","text":"I bought the Xiaomi 11t pro in a great deal on here. The problem is when I'm browsing something like Facebook after a while it seems like the memory is getting full, the app locks up and I have to use an app which is pre installed called Cleaner to free up memory.
Is this happening on all phones now ? Is this something common with the OS ? Would the above phones have the same issue ?
Thanks for any help."},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48283570","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"mint_fresh"},"datePublished":"2022-09-23T09:06:15.000Z","text":" 🏻 MrSwitch"},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/48284039","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"hullk"},"datePublished":"2022-09-23T10:05:53.000Z","text":"I'm looking to finally finish with my S9 and go budget; I'm liking the Redmi Notes and Pocos but this one or 2 years max of software updates/support worries me - can the techy-minded on here expand on it for me? Is it a security issue? Will I have issues installing new apps after the year or so? Thanks in advance."},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https://www.hotukdeals.com/comments/permalink/49075386","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Bazzer55"},"datePublished":"2022-12-17T20:00:29.000Z","text":"Why do people shy away from Chinese phones as most of the big brands are made in China anyway. I used to have rugged Blackview phones"}],"commentCount":82,"interactionStatistic":42,"articleSection":"Misc"}