Best cheap smartphones 2012
Price: £99.95
The Blackberry Curve 9320 builds on the features and style of its predecessors – keeping the familiar candy-bar form factor with a wide screen and full QWERTY keyboard.
You aren’t going to find the latest and greatest on this handset, but with a 3.2 megapixel camera, a battery that lasts a week with moderate usage, Wi-Fi and GPS as well as 3G connectivity – the Blackberry Curve 9320 is a solid phone for the email obsessed user.
And for just under £100 from The Carphone Warehouse – it won’t break the bank either.
Price: £99.95
The HTC Wildfire S is the successor to the highly popular Wildfire that came out in 2010. The original Wildfire had some features that we really liked, such as full Android OS and a decent 5-megapixel camera. The one thing that let it down was the very low-resolution screen.
The Wildfire S has fixed this issue with an increased pixel density, now clocking in at a respectable 320×480 pixels. As well as this, the design has been refreshed.
The handset still runs Android (2.3) and has the same 5-megapixel camera – however with a faster processor – this really is one of the cheapest fully smart mobiles available.
The only downside is you might find that the similarly-priced HTC Desire Cis a better buy, with Ice Cream Sandwich running out of the box, so be sure to try both if you’re after a cheaper phone from HTC.
Price: £69.95
The LG Optimus L3 is the entry-level model in the L series, and while the feature set won’t set your heart on fire, the looks, build quality and most of all, price might!
The handset features a 3-megapixel camera that performed decently in our tests, 3G data connectivity, a respectable 1GB of internal storage and a micro SD card for expandability up to 32GB.
For just under £80, this is a device that looks and feels much pricier. If you are looking to make your first move up the smartphone ladder – the LG Optimus L3 could be the handset for you.
Price: £69.95
The Nokia Asha 300 is a lightweight phone that’s perfect for keeping up with your friends on the go. Featuringconnections to the top social networks as well as easy to use SMS features, this humble handset is brilliant for chatting.
The Nokia Asha 300 packs both a touchscreen and numerical keypadmeaning it is simple to use, and with a 1GHz processor it is quick to respond too.
If you need a simple device with a few added extras the Nokia Asha 300 delivers well.
Price: £129.95
The Nokia Lumia 610 is the cheapest Windows Mobile handset on the market and features great build quality, an impressive battery life for a smartphone and all the benefits of the Windows Phone OS.
The Lumia 610 has no expansion slot, however the internal memory is a meaty 8GB, meaning you can store your favourite albums, maybe a movie and still have room for all your apps and games.
It brings a lot of the similar things we’ve seen on the likes of the Nokia Lumia 900 – namely Nokia Music, Maps and MIx Radio for some really stellar offerings on a budget.
It isn’t the cheapest handset available, but if you really want in on the Windows Phone hype – the Nokia Lumia 610 can be a brilliant starting point.
Price: £119.95
While it’s not the most cutting-edge of devices on Samsung’s budget repertoire – that honour goes to the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2, although that costs almost twice as much – this cheaper mobile is still insanely popular.
The Samsung Galaxy Ace features Android 2.2, which may be a bit antiquated for some smarpthone snobs, but it’s still a decent OS – plus it’s got Samsung’s custom TouchWiz UI over the top.
Combine that with a decent camera and S2-esque design and it’s easy to see why this model has endured… plus a strong ad campaign from Samsung didn’t hurt either.
It might not be the newest design in this list, nor the cheapest – but it’s still a strong contender for the best PAYG mobile.
Price: £149.95
The Sony Xperia U oozes style and sophistication. Featuring a well-built form and traditional black Sony style, it will help you get the look on a budget.
As well as it’s fashionista tendencies, the Xperia U doesn’t disappoint on specs either. A large 3.5 inch touch screen give good access to all your apps, and Android 2.3 (with Ice Cream Sandwich on the way) offers plenty of choice when it comes to games and productivity – plus a meaty dual core 1GHz processor is impressive for the price.
A front facing camera will let you video call at VGA resolution, whilst on the back you will find a decent 5-megapixel camera for your snaps.
The Xperia U doesn’t offer any expansion slots, and comes with a slightly meagre 4GB storage. This is plenty for day-to-day use, but you might still need a standalone media player if music or video is your thing.
For £150, this device offers a lot, and is clearly one of the best pay-as-you-go handsets around.
Price: £99.95
Back in 2010, the original Orange San Francisco was one of the best pay as you go devices available – and its successor, the uninspiringly named – San Francisco 2 does not disappoint either.
It’s not that the handset builds hugely in features on the original San Francisco, however it has neatened up quite a few loose ends to create a brilliant budget handset.
The device offers a crisp 480×800 pixel display, speed-bumped processor and upgraded 5-megapixel camera – all packaged into an aesthetically pleasing shell.
A decent battery life is also useful, especially for those taking their first steps into the smartphone world, as the ‘less than a day’ lifespans of some mobiles can be a bit of a jarring experience if you’re upgrading from an unstoppable Nokia.
Price: £99.95
The HTC Desire C builds on the features of the Wildfire S, offering improved camera features, integrated Beats audio – giving crisper definition to your MP3s and a solid battery life.
Taking a cue from its Beats Audio partner styling – the HTC Desire C offers an urban rubberized finish with metallic red accents. It’s a great-looking device that performs well and is tough enough to take a few bumps.
It’s good to see a budget handset rocking Android Ice Cream Sandwich, which puts the likes of the Huawei Ascend G300 to shame, and especially the LG Optimus L3 which won’t even get an update to ICS.
The HTC Sense 4.0 overlay makes the Desire C an easy to use handset, especially for those who are new to the smartphone game.
This handset is designed for those who want more from a device than simple phone calls, but still want to keep their budget in check. For under £100, it won’t break the bank either.
Price: £39.95
The Galaxy Europa i5500 is another small format Android handset, running Android 2.1 that comes in at the pocket-friendly price of £40. The i5500 features Wi-Fi, 3G and GPS and allows for media expandability through the microSD card slot.
The handset is well built and features a unique asymmetrical design that allows for comfortable handling, and its 102g weight is not going to tear a hole in your pocket either.
Samsung gives you access to nicely integrated versions of Facebook and Twitter – meaning that your friends will always be with you.
If you are looking for a compact Android device for under a £50, you can’t go wrong with the Galaxy Europa. It’s definitely the oldest in the list, but it’s still selling well for a basic phone without too many bells and whistles… although we suggest you check out some others on the list too if you’re not sure about a phone from yesteryear.
Price: £89.99
The HTC Explorer is one of the most popular handsets around at the moment. It’s cheap, but doesn’t disappoint on the features.
It features a 3.1 megapixel camera, Android 2.3 OS with HTC Sense UI, a 600 MHz processor and microSD expanision slot – giving potential storage of 32GB.
The pebble shaped device is well built with a sturdy frame and confidence giving weight. The only downside is that the 240×320 screen might be a bit too low-res for some eyes, but on the whole, it is a pleasing and useful entry-level smartphone.
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