Stocking-filler smartphones: 10 phones for under £150 this Christmas
Moto G 4G, £149.99
Widely hailed as one of the greatest budget smartphones of recent years, the Moto G’s upgrade to 4G LTE only reinforced its credentials. This basic but slick KitKat handset comes in black or white, has a 4.5-inch HD screen, a 1.3MP front-facing camera and 5MP main, and 8GB of internal storage to store all those photos. Plus, of course, you can use it with a 4G SIM for extra-fast browsing and gaming in conjunction with the quad-core processor.
[/nextpage] [nextpage title=”Next”]EE Kestrel, £99
Another impressively affordable 4G phone, the £99 Kestrel is built by Huawei and given a lick of EE branding. Unsurprisingly, it’s locked to that network, but offers a sharp quarter-HD screen, 5MP main camera and 1MP front-facing in a premium-looking body. Battery performance is good and the 8GB internal storage is generous. Take a look at our full EE Kestrel review here.
[/nextpage] [nextpage title=”Next”]ASUS ZenFone 5, £149.99
The colourful ZenFone 5 is the star of ASUS’s ZenFone range, providing a hand-friendly 5-inch HD screen with Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It’s got an impressive 8MP main camera and 2MP selfie cam, and the screen even works with gloves on – handy for those chilly Christmas days. It runs Jelly Bean rather than KitKat, so if you’d rather have KitKat and 4G, it’d be worth looking at the slightly more expensive 4G version (see review). The 3G edition is £180 from ASUS themselves, but you can find it for under £150 elsewhere.
[/nextpage] [nextpage title=”Next”]Alcatel OneTouch Pop S3, £70
This adorable Jelly Bean phone is the epitome of ‘cheap and cheerful’. It comes with extra cases so you can change up how it looks, has a 5MP main camera, quad-core Snapdragon processor and 4G. The screen and front-facing camera leave a bit to be desired, but at this price, it’s still great value. Check out our full Alcatel OneTouch Pop S3 review here.
[/nextpage] [nextpage title=”Next”]Vodafone Smart 4 Mini, £40
Unbelievably cheap for a touchscreen Android, the Vodafone Smart 4 Mini comes in a choice of black or white. It’s basic but not lacking: it has a dual-core processor, Android Jelly Bean, and a colourful 4-inch screen. The 3.2MP fixed-focus camera isn’t amazing but it’s fine for quick shots, and the battery lasts well. For the price of a meal out, this is impressive. See our full review of the Vodafone Smart 4 Mini here.
[/nextpage] [nextpage title=”Next”]Microsoft Lumia 530, £74.99
Microsoft’s Lumia range is well-known for its bright, likeable phones. They run Windows Phone, which isn’t for everyone, but if you can deal with a smaller app selection then this is excellent for the price. With a quad-core Snapdragon processor, bright 4-inch LCD screen, choice of 4 slightly Tic Tac-esque colours and a 5MP main camera, this low-end Lumia offers an attractive package for under £75.
[/nextpage] [nextpage title=”Next”]ASUS Zenfone 4, £99
If you don’t fancy shelling out £150 for the next model up, ASUS has you covered with the £99 Zenfone 4. It runs Android KitKat and includes extra-tough Gorilla Glass 3 over the screen. The 5MP main camera can shoot in HD and comes with a whole range of fun functions, including the ability to make GIFs on the fly. There’s a rather fetching range of ceramic-effect colour options, too. Read our full review of the ASUS ZenFone 4 here.
[/nextpage] [nextpage title=”Next”]Motorola Moto E, £89.99
Another outstanding phone from budget kings Motorola, the Moto E offers more than you’d expect for just £90. It’s got Android KitKat, a 4.3-inch quarter-HD screen with Gorilla Glass 3 protection, 5MP main camera (although no front facing) and a range of stylish snap-on covers to make it your own. If £150 for the Moto G 4G is looking like a bit of a stretch, ask Santa for this instead.
[/nextpage] [nextpage title=”Next”]Sony Xperia E1, £99.99
Available in black, white and stylish purple, this cheap-as-chips Sony is a great introduction to the well-liked Xperia range. Running Android KitKat on a dual-core processor, it’s got a 3MP camera that can record in HD and a 4-inch TFT screen. It comes bundled with all the extras you’d expect from Sony, like PlayStation and Walkman apps, and pulls off a premium look at a budget price. The speakers pack a punch, too.
[/nextpage] [nextpage title=”Next”]Microsoft Lumia 635, £119
Continuing its beloved tradition of offering phones in lurid colourways, the Lumia 635 is a good option for fans of both Windows Phone and orange (or lime green, or if all else fails, black). The 4.5-inch screen offers 24-bit TrueColour and is protected by Gorilla Glass 3, while the 5MP main camera will help you fill the 8GB of internal storage. A strong battery and quad-core processor round out this affordable Windows 8.1 handset.
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