Best budget smartphone 2020: the top picks of the cheap mobiles around
These days you can get some really good phones for not a whole lot of money. Chipsets are now good enough that you can get solid performance without having to spend much, and once high-end features are starting to trickle down to budget handsets.
There’s plenty of choice too, with many manufacturers pumping out cheap smartphones at a rapid rate. That in turn means plenty of competition and incentive for companies to make the best phones possible at the lowest prices possible.
Best phones by brand
Some of these phones will soon be cheaper than ever too as Black Friday is on November 27 and Cyber Monday is set for November 30. We’d expect a number of handsets to get reduced during those sales periods.
Exactly which phones will be discounted is unclear, but during last year’s Prime Day we saw sales on handsets from Sony, Huawei, Motorola, Nokia, and even Google and Samsung, among others.
So it’s entirely possible that the likes of the Moto G8, Huawei P Smart (2019), Nokia 5.3, and Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC (all of which are on our list below) will be even cheaper than normal. We’ll highlight all the best deals below, but you might want to keep an eye on our best mobile phones deals page too.
However, there are a lot of cheap phones available and not all of them are good, which is where this guide comes in, as we keep it constantly updated with all the best phones you can get for roughly £200 or less.
So whether you wait for a sale or buy one of these handsets now, you can be sure that anything we’ve listed below is not just cheap but also good value.
Best cheap phones at a glance:
- Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S
- Moto G8
- Oppo A5 2020
- Huawei P Smart (2019)
- Honor 10 Lite
- Motorola One Macro
- Realme 3 Pro
- Nokia 5.3
- Moto E6 Plus
1. Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC
A lot of phone for not very much cash
Weight: 215g | Dimensions: 165.3 x 76.8 x 9.4mm | OS: Android 10 | Screen size: 6.67-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 2400 | CPU: Snapdragon 732G | RAM: 6GB | Storage: 64GB/128GB | Battery: 5,160mAh | Rear camera: 64MP + 13MP + 2MP + 2MP | Front camera: 20MP
It’s rare to get a 120Hz screen on a budget, but that’s exactly what you get with the Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC. That can make interactions feel smoother, and its 6.67-inch 1080 x 2400 screen is large and fairly sharp too, as well as supporting HDR10.
And it’s not just the screen that stands out, as the Poco X3 NFC also has a fairly powerful Snapdragon 732G chipset, which offers excellent gaming performance for the money. With a big 5,160mAh battery too (which we found offered up to two days of life with moderate use) this really is a remarkable cheap phone.
There are some compromises, most notably when it comes to the camera, which isn’t as good as some others at this end of the market, but for gaming, video, and most general use, the Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC is hard to beat without spending quite a bit more.
Read our full review: Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC
2. Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S
A champion budget smartphone
Weight: 209g | Dimensions: 165.8 x 76.7 x 8.8mm | OS: Android 10 | Screen size: 6.67-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 2400 | CPU: Snapdragon 720G | RAM: 4GB/6GB | Storage: 64GB/128GB | Battery: 5,020mAh | Rear camera: 48MP + 8MP + 5MP + 2MP | Front camera: 16MP
Xiaomi is becoming a major player in affordable phones, and handsets like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S show why.
It has a big and long-lasting 5,020mAh battery, decent performance from its Snapdragon 720G chipset, and a great 6.67-inch 1080 x 2400 screen. You also get up to 128GB of storage, and a quad-lens camera, consisting of a 48MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide one, a 5MP macro one, and a 2MP depth one.
The Redmi Note 9S is a bit chunky and it lacks the showy 120Hz screen of its sibling the Poco X3 NFC, but it comes very close to matching that phone, and is similarly cheap. If you’re looking to game on a budget or just want a long-lasting battery and a big screen, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S is an excellent choice.
Read our full review: Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S
3. Moto G8
The main Moto G8 handset, and perhaps the best
Weight: 188.3g | Dimensions: 161.3 x 75.8 x 9mm | OS: Android 10 | Screen size: 6.4-inch | Resolution: 720 x 1560 | CPU: Snapdragon 665 | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 64GB | Battery: 4,000mAh | Rear camera: 16MP + 8MP + 2MP | Front camera: 8MP
The Moto G8 is even cheaper than the Moto G7 was at launch, which is a remarkable achievement. Despite that, it’s an improvement in a number of ways, and arguably the best of the Moto G8 range (once you factor in price).
It offers great life from its 4,000mAh battery, delivers strong performance with its Snapdragon 665 chipset and 4GB of RAM, and has a triple-lens camera which - macro lens aside - is impressive for the money. The screen is big too, and the Moto G8 has a more premium design than many phones at this price.
It’s not quite the perfect budget handset, as the screen is only 720 x 1560, and there’s no NFC. But it comes very, very close.
Read our full review: Moto G8
4. Oppo A5 2020
One of the very best budget phones
Weight: 195g | Dimensions: 163.6 x 75.4 x 9.1mm | OS: Android 9 | Screen size: 6.5-inch | Resolution: 720 x 1600 | CPU: Snapdragon 665 | RAM: 3/4GB | Storage: 64/128GB | Battery: 5,000mAh | Rear camera: 12MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP | Front camera: 8MP
Oppo isn’t a massive name in the west, but it has started selling phones here, and some of them – such as the Oppo A5 2020 – are well worth paying attention to.
This has a price that’s the definition of budget, yet packs in a spacious, bright, and vibrant 6.5-inch 720 x 1600 screen, and a massive 5,000mAh battery, which in our tests lasted well over a day between charges.
It also sports a surprisingly expensive-looking (albeit plastic-clad) design, and a quad-lens camera. The actual performance of that camera isn’t special, and nor is the middling Snapdragon 665 chipset, but for the money the Oppo A5 2020 makes some very smart compromises.
Read our full review: Oppo A5 2020
5. Huawei P Smart (2019)
Super stylish for the money
Weight: 160g | Dimensions: 155.2 x 73.4 x 8mm | OS: Android 9 | Screen size: 6.21-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 2340 | CPU: Kirin 710 | RAM: 3GB | Storage: 32/64GB | Battery: 3,400mAh | Rear camera: 13MP + 2MP | Front camera: 8/16MP
The Huawei P Smart 2019 was for a long time the best cheap phone you could buy and it's still one of the best.
It packs a usable camera, plenty of storage and great battery life as well as a screen and design that punch way above their weight.
There is very little between the Huawei P Smart and the Honor 10 Lite, as they're practically the same device, but the P Smart has the edge with its slightly sharper design.
Read our full review: Huawei P Smart (2019)
6. Honor 10 Lite
A worthy rival to the Huawei P Smart
Weight: 162g | Dimensions: 154.8 x 73.6 x 8mm | OS: Android 9 | Screen size: 6.21-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 2340 | CPU: Kirin 710 | RAM: 3GB | Storage: 32/64GB | Battery: 3,400mAh | Rear camera: 13MP + 2MP | Front camera: 24MP
The Honor 10 Lite is a little unlucky to be ranked below the Huawei P Smart (2019) as it's almost identical.
But if you're a frequent Snapchatter or selfie addict the 24MP front-facing camera on the Honor 10 Lite is the one for you.
If you're thinking "isn't there a Honor 20 Lite out?" you're totally right, but there's very little difference between that and the Honor 10 Lite, save the price tag, so we're keeping the older device up here for now.
Read our full review: Honor 10 Lite
7. Motorola One Macro
A great handset but not for its macro skills
Weight: 186g | Dimensions: 157.6 x 75.4 x 9mm | OS: Android 9 | Screen size: 6.2-inch | Resolution: 720 x 1520 | CPU: Helio P70 | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 64GB | Battery: 4,000mAh | Rear camera: 13MP + 2MP + 2MP | Front camera: 8MP
The Motorola One Macro is a great budget phone, but not for the reasons its name might make you think. Yes, it has a dedicated macro lens, but in our review we found both this and its 13MP main and 2MP depth sensors to perform poorly.
Rather, the Motorola One Macro is good in most other ways, from its decent 6.2-inch 720 x 1520 screen, to its durable design, and its 4,000mAh battery, which provides above average life.
If not for its cameras the Motorola One Macro would be a great budget all-rounder, as things stand it’s a great budget almost all-rounder, ideal for anyone who doesn’t care much about smartphone photography.
Read our full review: Motorola One Macro
8. Realme 3 Pro
The Realme 3 Pro makes a great impression for a cheap phone
Weight: 172g | Dimensions: 156.8 x 74.2 x 8.3mm | OS: Android 9 | Screen size: 6.3-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 2340 | CPU: Snapdragon 710 | RAM: 4/6GB | Storage: 64/128GB | Battery: 4,045mAh | Rear camera: 16MP + 5MP | Front camera: 25MP
Sporting an eye-catching and robust design, along with a bright capacious screen, decent speakers, generous specifications and a powerful chipset, the Realme 3 Pro really does have an odd character of its own.
Though its software design might be divisive, it has no major issues. It has a class-leading camera for the price point, along with dependable stamina and the handy option of very fast charging.
Read our full review: Realme 3 Pro
9. Nokia 5.3
Another solid budget handset from Nokia
Weight: 185g | Dimensions: 164.3 x 76.6 x 8.5mm | OS: Android 10 | Screen size: 6.55-inch | Resolution: 720 x 1600 | CPU: Snapdragon 665 | RAM: 3GB/4GB/6GB | Storage: 64GB | Battery: 4,000mAh | Rear camera: 13MP + 5MP + 2MP + 2MP | Front camera: 8MP
The Nokia 5.3 is an exceedingly affordable phone, and like most Nokia handsets it’s generally dependable too.
The basics are covered and it even stands out in a few ways, most notably its software, which is bloat-free and very close to stock Android. It uses Android One, which means it’s also guaranteed two years of software updates.
The Nokia 5.3 also sports a quad-lens camera that performs well for the money, offering you a 13MP main, 5MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth sensor. While it struggles in low light, with well lit scenes you’ll get good results, helped by the presence of HDR and scene recognition.
The Nokia 5.3 is a basic phone in a lot of ways, with a mediocre screen and average performance, but even that for what you’re paying isn’t bad.
Read our full review: Nokia 5.3
10. Moto E6 Plus
One of Motorola's cheapest smartphones
Weight: 149.7g | Dimensions: 155.6 x 73.1 x 8.6mm | OS: Android 9 | Screen size: 6.1-inch | Resolution: 720 x 1560 | CPU: Helio P22 | RAM: 2GB/4GB | Storage: 32GB/64GB | Battery: 3,000mAh | Rear camera: 13MP + 2MP | Front camera: 8MP
The Moto E line of Motorola's smartphones is traditionally its most affordable, and the Moto E6 Plus is no exception, but it still manages to sport a decent, durable design, a dual-lens camera, and solid battery life.
Speaking of the battery, it's removable here too – how often do you see that in a smartphone?
Of course, it's got all the trappings of a budget phone too, so it's not as snappy or powerful as many higher-end devices, but then you'd expect that if you're paying less than £100 for it.
Read our full review: Moto E6 Plus
- Prefer to spend more? Try our best Android phone buying guide
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