Best Budget Phones 2026 UK: Top Affordable Options

Life is expensive enough, so the last thing anyone wants is a massive bill the next time they need to upgrade their smartphone. Thankfully, despite all the attention paid towards flagship devices, there’s a thriving industry of affordable smartphones and thanks to the hard work of our tech experts, we’ve singled out the ones that stand out from the rest.

We test models from all the major brands to see which ones are worth your money, including the likes of CMF by Nothing, Samsung Galaxy, Motorola, Xiaomi and plenty more. Each one is used as our own and put through rigorous testing to make sure your money is well spent.

To help maintain the budget-friendly credentials of this guide, we’ve set a strict upper limit of £300/$300, so any recommended phone that goes above that price is likely to appear instead in our round-ups of the best mid-range phones or the best phones overall. For all things in the world of budget smartphones, this is the place to be.

The one thing to bear in mind is that, unlike with buying a smartphone that’s higher up the price scale, even the best budget phones do come with some level of compromise in order to achieve their affordability. That might sound daunting to the average consumer, but it’s actually very simple to navigate – just take a minute and think about the features that matter most to you in a smartphone.

For instance, there are phones that go all in on battery life and display tech, which makes them great for entertainment on the go, but there are others that place a greater emphasis on software and making sure that there’s no bloatware to deal with. Once you know what it is that you prioritise, this list makes the upgrade process simple as we’ve highlighted which phones excel in what areas, so you can spend less time researching and more time enjoying your new phone.

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For now, we’ve searched high and low for the best early deals on budget phones, making these cheap handsets even better value.

In the UK, the Samsung Galaxy A17 5G is available for £159, a 20% discount. The Xiaomi Redmi A7 Pro is available for £74.99, a 16% discount. The Motorola Edge 60 Fusion is available for £234.99, a 22% discount. The Samsung Galaxy A17 4G is available for £139, a 17% discount.

In the US, the Samsung Galaxy A17 5G is available for $164.99, an 18% discount.

Best budget phone reviews The CMF Phone 2 Pro doubles down on everything we loved about its predecessor. It still has a bold and unique design with modular bolt-on accessories, and it still has Nothing’s stylish and bloat-free software installed.

The new model also brings some big upgrades: You now get a triple camera setup on the rear with a larger main sensor, the display is much better, it has a higher IP54 rating, and it’s slightly quicker, thanks to an upgraded chip.

The biggest downsides to the original CMF Phone have been addressed, too. It now offers NFC for contactless payments, and the software support has been extended to cover three years of Android OS upgrades and six years of security patches.

The original was already our favourite budget phone, and these upgrades make it more tempting than ever. Of course, you’ll have to be onboard with the unusual looks (including software), but if you are, this is a package that’s hard to beat for just £219.

The Samsung Galaxy A17 is another solid budget phone from Samsung, offering a sleek design, long software support, and a large, punchy screen. The phone is available for £234.99, a 22% discount.

The Motorola Edge 60 Fusion is a great option for on-the-go entertainment enthusiasts who need a great screen on the cheap. The phone is available for £299.99.

The OnePlus Nord CE 5 is a great budget phone that looks like a more premium device. The phone is available for £299.

The Samsung Galaxy A25 is a great option for those who want a solid experience across the board. The phone is available for £249.

The Motorola Moto G85 5G is a great budget phone that offers a luxurious design and a great screen. The phone is available for £199.99.

The Motorola Moto E15 is a great option for parents who need a cheap yet functional smartphone for their kids. The phone is available for £69.98.

The Moto G56 5G is a great budget phone that offers long battery life and a great screen. The phone is available for £199.99.

The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G is another solid budget phone from Samsung, offering a great design and a punchy AMOLED display. The phone is available for £199.99.

The TCL 50 Pro Nxtpaper is a great option for avid readers who enjoy accessing their Kindle books from their smartphone. The phone is available for £299.99.

Other budget phones worth considering include the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 5G, the Moto G86 5G, and the Moto G06 Power.

Budget phone news that could affect your buying decision As we’re now a decent way into 2026, there’s plenty of budget phone-related news that’s starting to pop up, potentially swaying your decision over which handset to buy.

For instance, Samsung recently pulled back the curtain on the wallet-friendly A07 5G, but so far has only mentioned a release in certain parts of Asia, so we’re still awaiting confirmation of a UK debut.

The Samsung Galaxy A27 is also expected to arrive soon, with a possible launch in Q3 2026. The phone is expected to offer a big design overhaul, with a hole-punch alternative to the traditional teardrop notch, and a more uniform look around the screen.

How to choose the best budget phone Unlike shopping at the premium or even mid-range sector of the market, buying a budget phone in 2026 comes with a different set of expectations. While you can get some high-end features on affordable handsets, their presence does tend to come at the expense of other facets.

With that in mind, it’s worth deciding ahead of time which features you prioritise the most before buying. For example, you can get amazing displays like with the Moto G85 or the Redmi Note 14 Pro, but that might come at the cost of battery life or software experience, so it’s a case of weighing up the compromises and deciding which type of give and take you’re happy with.

Others might have great cameras or features you typically see in more expensive phones, like a good IP rating for dust and water resistance. The problem is you won’t find a budget phone that does it all.

It’s also worth considering long-term software and security support for the phone you intend to buy. This isn’t the type of thing you have to worry about at the premium end as there’s a higher standard across the board, but in the budget sector, some phones won’t be supported by the manufacturer for more than two years, which could lead to issues further down the road.

Companies like Samsung and Nothing do a better job at offering long-term support with their budget phones, which might be more appealing if you’re buying for a child or an elderly relative and you don’t plan on providing them with an upgrade for quite some time.

When it comes to contracts, we recommend buying the phone outright as a SIM-free device, and then picking up one of the best SIM-only deals separately. While this practice might sound a bit more laborious than getting everything together in one fell swoop, it will save you more money in the long run as you won’t have to worry about any mid-contract price rises.

Budget phones buying advice Should you buy a budget phone outright? In our experience, the ideal way to get a cheap phone is to buy it SIM-free and then grab a great-value SIM deal.

Should you buy a locked phone? You’ll quickly find that some of the best deals on cheap phones are sold via mobile operators (also known as carriers). What you need to watch out for is whether these phones are sold locked to that operator’s network.

What’s the best phone for a child? Most children want to make up their own minds about choosing a phone when entering young adulthood, but if they’re a little younger, you’ll probably want to decide for them.

Which phone is best for students? We’d recommend a more affordable phone here too, but many of the options in this chart may be within reach.

What will you get for your money? If you’re looking for a cheap phone, you have to accept the fact that the manufacturer is going to make sacrifices to achieve that low price and you aren’t going to get the same performance, features or display quality as a phone costing two, three, or four times the price.