Most popular budget phones 2020

Text:
Milk & Honey PR

It’s hard to imagine a world without smartphones. People can run their whole lives from their handsets. Naturally, that has led to mobile manufacturers vying for your attention – and hard- earned cash.

While the £1,000+ price tags of the latest Apple and Samsung smartphones are becoming the norm, competition at the opposite end of the spectrum is heating up. Not everybody wants to spend hundreds of pounds on the latest device and they certainly don’t need to blow their budget to afford an excellent handset with a great camera and long battery life.

Budget phones mean something different to everybody but we’re specifically looking at handsets under £250. And we’re not just looking at the latest releases either. We’ve found that models first released in 2017 are proving the test of time and remain a favourite among savvy shoppers.

Below, we take a look at the most popular handsets, chosen by PriceSpy shoppers, all coming in at under £250.

Most popular budget phones 2020

Motorola Moto G7 Power Dual

This 2019 release has proven popular with price sensitive shoppers who don’t want to compromise on a quality device. Running Android 9.0 (Pie) and a long-lasting battery, this handset is a great choice if you’re after a tried and tested all-rounder. In fact, this handset is the second most popular phone on PriceSpy overall, regardless of its £140 price tag.

Operating system: Android 9.0 (Pie)
Screen size: 6.2 inches
Release year: 2019

Apple iPhone 8 64GB

iPhones will always be a popular choice but the latest iPhone 11 Pro will set you back a whopping £1,049. This 2017 offering from Apple gives shoppers the iPhone experience at a fraction of the price. It’s sub-five inch display screen will also appeal to people who are getting a bit tired of the recent trend towards larger screen sizes.

There can be a risk in buying phones that were released over five years ago but Apple has only just stopped supporting the iPhone 6 so this model should be good for another few years.

Operating system: Apple iOS 13
Screen size: 4.7 inches
Release year: 2017

Motorola Moto G8 Plus Dual

If you’re after a budget phone but don’t want your insta game to suffer then this is the phone for you. It has a sleek, minimal bezel design, which is less prominent in phones under £250. The triple camera system means it’s one of the most sophisticated offerings in this list. And the stereo speakers give a decent listening experience for a mobile phone.

Operating system: Android 9.0 (Pie)
Screen size: 6.3 inches
Release year: 2019

Samsung Galaxy A10 SM-A105F/DS

Think of Samsung’s A10 like its popular S10 but with fewer bells and whistles and about £600 cheaper. This is a solid budget buy with a decent screen if you use your phone for watching videos and playing games. Unlike the most budget model, the A10 comes with a few higher-end features, including facial recognition.

Operating system: Android 9.0 (Pie)
Screen size: 6.2 inches
Release year: 2019

Huawei P Smart 2019 64GB

You don’t often find budget phones with 64GB storage so if you’re constantly swapping SD cards filled with photos and videos, this is the phone for you. You’ll need to buy a case for this phone as the plastic back scratches easily, but for healthy battery life and hefty storage, you could do a lot worse for under £120.

Operating system: Android 9.0 (Pie)
Screen size: 6.21 inches
Release year: 2019

Samsung Galaxy S8 SM-G950F 64GB

First released in 2017, the Samsung S8 can still hold its own in the ever changing smartphone market. This once flagship model has fallen by about 60% in price. Despite its age, you get an outstanding camera for the price and a top-quality Samsung Super AMOLED screen. It’s also an incredibly secure budget phone, offering a fingerprint scanner, as well as a facial recognition and iris scanner. If you are after a new phone but don’t want to break the bank or miss out on the latest features, this is the phone for you.

Operating system: Android 9.0 (Pie)
Screen size: 5.8 inches
Release year: 2017