With the first few of its low-cost devices to go on sale in the UK, Xiaomi struck gold, and its newest smartphone is no exception. With improvements across the board, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 is an even more enticing alternative than ever before. It is far, much better than it has any right to be for a phone that costs this little.

Undoubtedly, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 is the smartphone that we would advise over all other budget-friendly choices available on the market. In our tests, the Snapdragon 680 CPU inside Xiaomi's newest low-cost phone achieved speeds that were readily comparable to those of devices costing twice as much. The huge 6.43in FHD+ AMOLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate is also a treat, as is the triple camera array, which includes a massive 50MP sensor.

These high-end specifications are often seen in flagship phones, so it's an absolute pleasure to find them on a phone that costs much less. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 is the epitome of a low-cost smartphone, establishing the standard for future low-cost devices. You will find a little better at this pricing.

Key Specifications – 

Processor: Octa-core 2.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 680; 

Display: 6.43in 2,400 x 1,080; 

Storage: 128GB or 256GB; 

Camera: 50MP, 8MP (wide), 2MP (macro), 2MP (depth);

Operating system: Android 11; 

Weight: 179g

2. Nokia C21 Plus

Before, a £100 smartphone had a bad reputation, but the Nokia C21 Plus is far more impressive than its low price would imply. The Nokia C21 Plus surpasses all expectations for a phone this inexpensive because of its specifically modified version of Android, which is tailored for low-powered smartphones. 

It only has 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, but despite this, it works surprisingly smoothly, has a brilliant IPS display, and has a camera that isn't half terrible for the price.

The battery life lasted long enough in our tests, and its durable construction materials and small size should help it stand the test of time. Even while the Nokia C21 Plus falls short in terms of processing speed and there are better options available if your budget can go over £100, it is the clear winner in terms of price.

Key Specifications –  

Processor: Quad-core 1.6GHz Unisoc SC9863A; 

Display: 6.52in 1,600 x 720; 

Storage: 32GB; 

Camera: 13MP, 2MP (depth); 

Operating system: Android 11 Go; 

Weight: 178g

3. Apple iPhone 8 (renewed)

Even if it isn't Apple's most recent iPhone, the iPhone 8 is still a solid choice. If the new iPhone SE (£419) is beyond your price range, the iPhone 8, which was released in 2017, will still work well for you as long as you don't mind purchasing a refreshed model.

The 4.7-inch Retina display and build quality of the iPhone 8 are still in excellent condition. Similar to the A15 Bionic chipset in the newest iPhone 13, the A11 Bionic CPU is still more than capable of handling a range of demanding activities. If you were concerned that you would not be using the most recent version of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS 15, the iPhone 8 also supports it.

The iPhone 8 is your best option if you're on a tight budget and don't mind that it's a little antiquated.

Key Specifications – 

Processor: Hexa-core 2.39GHz Apple A11 Bionic; 

Display: 4.7in 1,334 x 750; 

Storage: 64GB, 256GB; 

Camera: 12MP; 

Operating system: iOS 14; 

Weight: 148g