Here we take a look at the best affordable phones you can buy for £200 or less. If you’re looking for a cost-effective, contract free option order your free Asda Mobile SIM here.
- Motorola Moto G6 - Large Screen
- Samsung Galaxy J6 2018 - Best Display
- Apple iPhone 6 - Best for Apple Lovers
- Huawei Y7 - Best Camera
- LG Q6 - Unofficially the LG G6 mini
Motorola Moto G6 - Big Screen
The Motorola Moto G6 is widely recognised as one of the best mobile phones for the price of £180 for a 32GB model. The screen on the G6 is fantastic value for money, the large 5.7” display has minimal bezels (space between the edge of screen and frame) and is enhanced with Dolby Audio, making this a great phone for video, TV and movie streaming.
The phone's exterior is toughened with 3D Gorilla Glass and a P2i coating, which protects against splashes or rainfall. Further features include a fingerprint reader that supports tap and swipe gestures and the Android Oreo operating system which brings with it the Google Assistant.
The 12MP + 5MP dual camera is incredible at this price point and you can do some pretty cool things with photos such as blurring the foreground or the background. You can really make your photos pop by making the background black and white or by just keeping one colour in the image. The 8MP wide-angle selfie camera supports group selfies and beautification mode.
The Moto G6 comes with 32 GB or 64 GB of memory and has the battery life of a marathon runner, thanks to it’s fast charging TurboPower Charger.
Samsung Galaxy J6 2018 - Super Display
You might be surprised to find a branded Samsung phone on this list of cheap phones. The Galaxy J6 2018 is Samsung’s best offering in this price range and the 5.6” Super AMOLED display is stunningly vivid while energy efficient. This great budget phone is perfect for those who want a full HD experience without the high price tag.
Samsung is determined to give you a visual treat, so that you can enjoy every type of media, with various screen modes such as AMOLED Photo and AMOLED Cinema.
Just like the Moto G6, the Samsung Galaxy J6 2018 has a fingerprint sensor. However, Samsung trumps Motorola with facial recognition as an alternative way of unlocking your phone. There are loads of features to explore on the Oreo version of Android, including Samsung Health, Bixby, Dolby Atmos Surround Sound, and Game Launcher. Game Launcher in particular lets you block notifications, hide navigation buttons, and adjust performance for high-end gaming or for saving the battery.
The main 13MP camera has a special Night Mode that takes pictures without the flash. This is a great way to capture those difficult low-light photos because image noise and distortion are minimised. The 8MP portrait camera has shooting modes that include Selfie Focus, Wide Selfie Mode, and live beauty effects.
The all-important battery does not disappoint. You should be able to get up to 17 hours of video playback, 76 hours of music playback or up to 13 hours of internet browsing.
Apple iPhone 6 - Apple Lovers Cheap Alternative
There are still retailers selling the Apple iPhone 6 within our £200 budget. If you are an Apple-centric family then this is one of the best ways to get an iOS-powered phone and although the phone is a flagship model from previous years, you can still upgrade your iOS to the latest version for free.
The Apple iPhone 6 is made from a mix of premium materials such as glass, stainless steel and aluminium. It is palm and pocket-friendly with a compact 4.7” display. The Touch ID fingerprint sensor allows you to securely enter the device or make payments through Apple Pay.
The 8MP iSight rear camera captures wonderful results and the FaceTime HD camera lets you make video calls.
The iPhone 6 has the Siri digital assistant and preloaded health and fitness apps. The fitness app links to the barometer, which measures inclines when you are climbing staircases. The battery performs well offering up to 11 hours of internet browsing or up to 50 hours of audio playback. The best part is this handset supports the old headphone jack, which has now been erased from Apple’s latest models.
With the iPhone 6, you will need a Nano-SIM Card. When you order a free SIM from Asda Mobile you will receive all 3 types of SIM card; Standard, Micro and Nano. No matter what phone you get, you don’t have to worry about knowing which SIM will fit.
Huawei Y7 - Great Design
If you prefer android phones here’s another phone for less than £200. Huawei is the second most popular phone brand and they have overtaken Apple in the number of global phone sales. This makes the Huawei Y7 a firm favourite in our list of affordable phones and it can be picked up for the least amount of money.
The experience is still rich and fun, demonstrated perfectly by the Karaoke Mode that has real-time sound feedback. This phone has a 5.9” Full View Display which is fairly big. The phone comes in multiple colours including a 'Blue Mirror' version which really makes a statement with its highly reflective surface.
There is more fun to be had with the 13MP main camera and 8MP selfie camera. The selfie camera has an AR Lens and cosplay feature. The editing tools are fantastic, enabling you to add studio-grade lighting effects to portraits, swap out the background altogether and use background blur on both front and back cameras; which is something Apple has only just introduced with their iPhone XR! Premium features include the Android Oreo OS, 3, and Fingerprint Unlock.
This device can be found on offer for around £180, which is a great deal cheaper than their latest smartphone release - the Huawei P30 Pro which starts at £899.
LG Q6 - Unofficially the LG G6 mini
Last but not least the LG G6 often referred to as the LG G6 mini, this device can easily be mistaken for a flagship phone. It features the tall, sleek design, and commendable build quality of the G6, but doesn't have the fingerprint scanner and obviously isn't as quick; but it is £150 cheaper!
This budget phone comes in 16, 32 and 64GB models with the option to add up to 256GB extra storage space using the MicroSD card slot.
It is similar in many ways to the other phones mentioned with its 5.5” FullVision Display, aluminium frame, and facial recognition. The camera is the standout feature because it has plenty of different shooting modes. SnapShot is one of these modes, which allows you to review a photo that you have recently taken while lining up the next photo on the other half of the screen. The 13MP main camera also has Steady Record for those who prefer to shoot video. The 5MP portrait camera has a 100-degree wide-angle lens for taking the best group selfies.
Get Your Free SIM with Asda Mobile
If you are buying a handset then you might want to consider Asda Mobile's money-saving Sim Only Bundles. With Asda Mobile, you never sign a contract and get the option to choose a different 30 day bundle each month - depending on how many calls, data allowance and texts you need.
Haven't found what you’re looking for?
If you’re looking for a phone that's easy to use or for the elderly try reading our Doro 1360 Review, if you want to expand your phone budget then we suggest our Samsung or iPhone guides.
