If money's no object, then it's much easier to recommend a smartphone: our best smartphone guide lists all of the top mobile phones that you can still buy, but we'll admit that some of them are pretty expensive. If you're on a tight budget, then that's where things start to get tricky, as saving money means that you'll have to make some compromises along the way.
Even so, that doesn't mean that the job is impossible, as it's mostly about knowing which compromises you're happy to make along the way. In this article, we'll help you choose the right smartphone for your budget before we give you our top four recommendations. That may not sound like a huge number of handsets, but rather than stuff our list full of mobile phones that aren't particularly good, in order to inflate numbers, we're only recommending handsets that we genuinely believe you should pay for.
Jumpt straight to the best budget smartphone list
Budget smartphone buying guide
Which smartphone operating system do I need?
The operating system you want your phone to run remains the most important choice in a budget handset, as it is in a high-end phone. It's the OS that defines how the phone is to use, which apps you can install and the features that come as standard. Apple's iOS-based smartphones don't feature on this list, as they're much more expensive than the competition, which means that you need to choose between Android and Windows Phone 8.1. Both are fully-featured and smooth operating systems, but they offer a different user experience and range of handsets.
Android is, as we're sure that you're away, the world's most popular smartphone operating system, with around 80% of handsets running it. With any manufacturer able to use Android, it means that there's a lot of choice at a lot of different price points. The problem with Android is that there are a lot of different versions and some budget handsets don't and won't run the latest version.
For that reason, we recommend a minimum of Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), as older versions are out-of-date and may not support all of the apps that you want to install. Even when you pick a version of Android, things are slightly complicated by the fact that manufacturers customise their own version of Android, which means that the experience differs. For example, our Android 5.0 Lollipop review explains how the latest version works, but the experience differs a lot between different manufacturers; our phone reviews, explain how Android behaves on that particular phone.
Android has tons of apps, all available in the Google Play store, and the number almost matches the number available in Apple's App Store. Android app quality is also improving, but we'd say that iPhone apps are generally a little bit slicker and the Apple App Store quality is higher. You should find that most major apps are available on Android, although there are some exceptions that are only available on iOS: this is one compromise that you can't do anything about if you're looking for a budget handset.
Windows Phone 8.1 is your second OS choice for a budget handset. This is also available on phones from different manufacturers, but Nokia (now Microsoft), unsurprisingly, is the biggest manufacturer. This means that there's less choice of handset than with Android, but don't let that put you off at this point, as Windows Phone is a highly accomplished OS, which is incredibly smooth and intuitive to use. We love its Live Tiles, which are large icons that display information from apps, such as your latest calendar appointments.
As easy as it is to use, Windows Phone's biggest issue is that its app store is small and you don't get every app for it. If you download and install a lot of apps, or have a particular app in mind, Android is going to be the better OS.
What should I look for in a smartphone display?
A budget smartphone is controlled entirely through its display, so it's important to get one that's right for you. While flagship phones will have the best screens and the highest resolutions, you can still find budget smartphones with high-quality displays. At the minimum, for a very cheap handset, we recommend a minimum resolution of 960x540, but look for 1,280x720 or 1,920x1,080 if you want a sharper-looking screen. All of the budget smartphones we recommend use LCD display technology, which is more than good enough for, but read our full reviews if you want to know full details of how good the screens are.
Battery life and performance
A budget smartphone means that you'll get a slower processor than with a flagship model, but that doesn't mean that you should compromise too far. Make sure that you get a relatively quick processor, as this will make the OS feel more responsive and let you enjoy games on your phone. Our recommended handsets are all quick for their price but read the full reviews to get the results from our full benchmark tests.
We tested every smartphone battery life, see the results here
To test performance we run a web browser benchmark on each phone and also a 3D test to see how well a handset can cope with modern games. We also play a video on repeat to test each phone's battery life; some phones will cope with a couple of days away from the mains, but most phones need charging every day.
How much smartphone storage do I need?
It's amazing how much storage you can eat through on a phone, with apps and, in particular, games taking up a lot of space. Throw in videos, music and photos and you'll probably need more storage than you think. A minimum of 8GB of storage is required if you don't use a lot of apps and don't have a lot of photos, but 16GB or 32GB makes more sense. Look out for a phone that has a microSD card slot, as you can cheaply add more storage to your handset whenever you need it. Given that some cheap phones only have 4GB of storage, you'll definitely need to expand the storage on some models.
Do I need 4G on my smartphone?
While all new flagship handsets support 4G (LTE) data for the fastest mobile data speeds, budget handsets often only have 3G. Whether that's important or not depends on the type of contract you have and how much data you consume. Most people buying a budget handset will not need 4G, with 3G more than sufficing for every-day tasks, with Wi-Fi at home or in shops, restaurants and hotels supplementing for faster download speeds.
How should I buy a smartphone?
Budget smartphones are, as you'd expect, a lot cheaper to buy outright than other handsets, with prices starting at around £100. As a result, if you've got the cash, we recommend that you buy one SIM-free. You can then find the right SIM-only deal from any network and then sell your phone when you want to upgrade. If you don't have the cash upfront, you'll need to go for a contract deal, but these don't tend to be great value for budget phones.
Contract vs SIM-free - are you paying too much for your smartphone?
Avoid PAYG phones (unless it's an own-brand handset made by the network itself), as you'll end up paying the SIM-free price, but with your phone locked to a network (with the exception of on Three, which doesn't lock phones).
Best budget smartphones
1. Vodafone Smart Ultra 6
The super-sized Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 is a phenomenonal smartphone for its price. Costing just £125 on Vodafone's PAYG service, this incredible handset has a 5.5in Full HD display, 13-megapixel camera and a super-fast Snapdragon 615 processor. It's tied to Vodafone, of course, but you won't find a better value smartphone for less.
Price when reviewed: £125 PAYG. For the latest prices, see our full Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 review
Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615, Screen Size: 5.5in, Screen resolution: 1,920x1,080 Rear camera: 13-megapixel,Storage: 16GB, Wireless data: 3G, 4G, Size: 154x77x8.4mm, Weight: 159g, Operating system: Android 5.0.2
2. Motorola Moto G (3rd Gen, 2015)
The 2nd Gen Moto G was an exceptional smartphone, but the latest version of Motorola's monumental handset is even better. While it's not quite as good value as its predecessor, the 3rd Gen Moto G is by far one of the most comfortable and attractive budget smartphones around. Its large 5in HD screen looks great, has a fantastic 13-megapixel camera, and its battery life is best in class.
Price when reviewed: £159 SIM-free. For the latest prices, see our full Moto G 3rd Gen 2015 review
Processor: Quad-core 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410, Screen Size: 5in, Screen resolution: 1,280x720, Rear camera: 13 megapixels, Storage: 8GB / 16GB, Wireless data: 3G, 4G, Size: 142x72x6.1mm, Weight: 155g, Operating system: Android 5.1.1
3. Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen, 2015)
If you're looking for an extremely low-cost and compact Android phone, the 2nd Gen Motorola Moto E is an excellent choice. Available for just £109 SIM-free or £7.50-per-month on contract, this phone has respectable performance, a great screen (even if its 4.5in 960x540 display is a little low-res), and its battery life of 13h 30m in our video playback test is also fantastic for its price. It also runs the latest version of Android Lollipop.
Price when reviewed: £109 SIM-free. For the latest prices, see our full Motorola Moto E (2015) review
Processor: Quad-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410,Screen Size: 4.5in, Screen resolution: 960x540, Rear camera: 5-megapixel, Storage: 8GB, Wireless data: 3G, 4G,Size: 130x67x12.3mm, Weight: 145g, Operating system: Android 5.0.2
4. Microsoft Lumia 640
The Microsoft Lumia 640 is the perfect Windows phone for those on a budget. At £10.50-per-month on contract or £120 SIM-free, the Lumia 640 not only has a great battery life and 5in 720p screen, but its funky colours help make it stand out from the crowd. It also comes with the latest version of Windows Phone 8.1 operating system, which is due to be upgraded for free to Windows 10 Mobile later this year. If you want a slightly bigger budget Windows phone, the Lumia 640 XL is an excellent alternative.
Price when reviewed: £120 SIM free. For the latest prices, see our full Microsoft Lumia 640 review
Processor: Quad-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400, Screen size: 5in, Screen resolution: 1,280x720, Rear camera: 8-megapixel, Storage: 8GB, Wireless data: 3G, 4G, Size: 141x72x8.8mm, Weight: 145g, Operating system: Windows Phone 8.1
