We all are aware that modern smartphones are a miraculous invention compared to the bulky phones of the past. Technology overall has improved every year, and crucially also, much less expensive. It is no longer necessary to shell out a hefty amount of money to pay for your annual upgrade. Take your eyes off the usual flagship smartphones and you'll find yourself at a great price, considering that there are some amazing affordable smartphones that are available.

Yes, flagships that grab attention like those like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the iPhone 14 Pro are fantastic but you do not need to pay top-end prices to experience a fantastic smartphone experience. Are you interested in knowing more? That's the place we can help. These are among the top phones for the price.

Each every year Expert Review puts thousands of phones to the test so that you don't need to. We offer the most comprehensive coverage available in the UK. This means we are able to identify which budget phone is ideal for your needs. Look at the list below, and you'll find our frequently updated list of the top budget smartphones available along with an informative guide to buying a budget smartphone.

What is the best low-cost smartphone for you?

Finding the ideal budget smartphone isn't an easy task There are a variety of things to take into consideration when you are making your selection. Before you go to the payment point, you'll need to ensure you've got all bases covered. To help make the process easier we've listed the most important requirements to be looking for.

Which operating system is the best for your smartphone?

For phones that are budget-friendly, there's not much choice in terms of the smartphone operating system. Except for one exception, every budget smartphone is running the Google OS, Android. 

Be assured that Android is simple to use, no matter if you're a novice user or an experienced mobile user. Make sure to check the Android version your phone is running since older versions might not support regular security updates and are lacking crucial features.

If iOS is your preferred choice there's only one option. The Apple iPhone 8 might start showing signs of old age, but it's available and is an excellent value Apple device.

What should I be looking for in a smartphone's display?

While flagship phones come with the largest, best and most high-resolution displays but you can find phones with low-cost displays. Most budget phones come with a screen resolution of 720 pixels however, some more expensive options come with Full HD (1,080p) resolution displays that offer sharper and clearer images.

Battery longevity and performance.

The phones that are budget-friendly don't have the latest internals. However, that doesn't mean they're not performing well in any way and with decently fast chips frequently appearing in low-cost phones. To gauge what you can expect from a smartphone's performance, take a look at the speed of the processor (measured by GHz) and also the amount of RAM available (anything greater than 4GB will suffice).

The life of the battery is vital and every phone's endurance will vary. If you're considering a budget phone, look at the capacity of the battery (listed by mAh) The greater the number is, the longer you can anticipate that the battery will last on one charge. In case you're not sure, we've collected the most durable phones together in one place.

How much storage is preferable?

It's astonishing how much memory you can consume using a phone loaded with games, apps, and pictures. You should have at minimum 32GB of internal storage, and be sure to look for phones that have a microSD slot so that it is cheap to add storage when the internal memory will eventually gets full.