While expensive flagship smartphones grab all the headlines, there’s a booming market for budget phones in the UK, which are great if you want to save some cash. While you won’t receive all the latest bells and whistles, cheap phones still offer competitive performance, camera quality, and extra features without breaking the bank.
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If you’re sick of forking out a small fortune for every phone, or you’re looking for an inexpensive first foray into the world of Android, you’re in luck. Here are some of the best phones under £200 you can buy in the UK.
Best phones under £200:
Editor’s note: We will update this list of the best phones under £200 as new phones launch.
1. Realme 5 Pro
Realme is a relatively unknown brand in the UK but the Oppo offshoot has been quietly crafting some of the best budget phones in recent years. That includes the Realme 5 Pro, which is easily one of the best phones under £200 to date.
The Realme 5 Pro runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 712 SoC which puts it ahead of most of the other phones on this list in terms of raw power. It also has a large, near bezel-less 6.3-inch Full HD+ display with a waterdrop notch, a meaty 4,035mAh battery with VOOC 3.0 fast charging, a rear fingerprint sensor, up to 8GB of RAM, and expandable storage.
Related: Xiaomi and Realme: A tale of a pot and kettle
That’s all without mentioning the quad camera (that’s right, four cameras!) on the rear — a 48MP main sensor, 8MP ultra wide-angle lens, 2MP macro camera, and 2MP depth sensor.
The only potential deal breaker is the software. Realme’s ColorOS skin leaves a lot to be desired with confusing menus and bloat. If you can put up with it though, the Realme 5 Pro is pound for pound easily the best value phone on this list.
At the time of writing the Realme 5 Pro is retailing for £209. You could technically import it and pay in Euros or wait for a sale to get it under that magic £200 mark, but honestly, this is one case where I’d suggest bending the rules and just paying the extra £9. It’s worth it.
Realme 5 Pro specs:
- Display: 6.3-inch, FHD+
- SoC: Snapdragon 712
- RAM: 4/8GB
- Storage: 128GB
- Cameras: 48, 8, 2, and 2MP
- Front camera: 16MP
- Battery: 4,035mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
2. Redmi Note 8T
The Redmi Note 8T is the latest in Xiaomi’s budget Redmi line, and it delivers solid performance at an attractive price point. Coupled with a quad-camera setup, headphone jack, microSD card slot, great battery life, and fast charging, it’s a welcome addition to the increasingly crowded sub-£200 market.
The Redmi Note 8T is no slouch either with a decent Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC, 4GB of RAM, and a large 4,000mAh battery.
Like the Realme 5 Pro, the Redmi Note 8T also has a 48MP main camera, an ultra wide-angle lens, a depth sensor, and a macro camera. It also has a similarly divisive software skin, with Xiaomi’s MIUI being something of an acquired taste.
However, for just £169, the Redmi Note 8T is one of the best cheap phones in the UK by a wide margin.
Redmi Note 8T specs:
- Display: 6.3-inch, FHD+
- SoC: Snapdragon 660
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 64GB
- Cameras: 48 and 5MP
- Front camera: 13MP
- Battery: 4,000mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
3. Motorola Moto G8
Motorola
Motorola’s G-series phones have been a mainstay of the UK’s mid-range for years now and the Moto G8 is another winner for the venerable budget family.
The low-resolution 6.4-inch display isn’t the best out there and the Snapdragon 655 won’t win any speed tests, but the Moto G8 does come with a few unexpected perks like a triple camera (standard, ultra-wide, and macro), a fingerprint sensor, and a clean software experience.
For £179 it’s hard to argue that the Moto G7 Power isn’t one of the best phones under £200.
Moto G8 specs:
- Display: 6.4-inch, HD
- SoC: Snapdragon 655
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 64GB
- Cameras: 16, 8, and 2MP
- Front camera: 8MP
- Battery: 4,000mAh
- Software: Android 10
4. Honor 9x
There are plenty of great Honor phones available in the UK, but the Honor 9X is the best you can get under £200.
The selfie camera is also a pop-up shooter which leaves the 6.59-inch display uninterrupted by notches or punch holes. There’s also a microSD slot, a USB-C port, and a headphone jack, as well as a sizeable 4,000mAh battery.
There’s technically an upgraded version available in the form of the Honor 9X Pro, however, the Pro variant lacks Google Mobile Services and so doesn’t officially support the Play Store or Google apps. Stick with the original.
Honor 9X specs:
- Display: 6.59-inch, Full HD+
- SoC: Kirin 710F
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 128GB
- Cameras: 48, 8, and 2MP
- Front camera: 16MP
- Battery: 4,000mAh
- Software: Android 9 Pie
5. Samsung Galaxy A20e
Samsung
Samsung’s entry-level phones have been fairly average for years, but the A series has offered some great devices recently. Case in point: the Galaxy A20e.
The phone’s 5.8-inch display, which is mostly uninterrupted except for a small waterdrop notch, makes it one of the more pocket-friendly options on this list.
Related: The Samsung Galaxy A series coming to the US is bigger deal than you may think
On the camera front you get standard and ultra-wide shooters on the back and an 8MP selfie snapper. It also runs Samsung’s One UI software, which is about as feature-packed as they come
There are more powerful options on this list, but for £169 or below there’s plenty to like about Samsung’s cheap phone.
Samsung Galaxy A20e specs:
- Display: 5.8-inch, HD
- SoC: Exynos 7884
- RAM: 3GB
- Storage: 32GB
- Cameras: 13 and 5MP
- Front camera: 8MP
- Battery: 3,000mAh
- Software: Android 9 Pie
6. Nokia 6.2
It’s hard to choose just one phone from Nokia‘s increasingly confusing portfolio of mid-range and entry-level phones, but the Nokia 6.2 just about edges out the competition right now.
The Nokia 6.2 may not have the raw power of some other phones under £200, but it looks far more premium thanks to its high-tech polymer build. You also get a Zeiss triple-camera with a 16MP main shooter, 5MP depth sensor, and an 8MP wide-angle camera.
Throw in 64GB of expandable storage, 4GB RAM, and the near-stock Android One software and you’ve got yourself a great phone for £179.
Nokia 6.2 specs:
- Display: 5.71-inch, HD
- SoC: Snapdragon 439
- RAM: 3GB
- Storage: 32GB
- Cameras: 13 and 2MP
- Front camera: 8MP
- Battery: 3,000mAh
- Software: Android 9 Pie
There you have it, our best picks for phones under £200. If you want to spend a bit more, check out our guide to the best phones under £300 and the best phones under £500. We’ll add more great budget phones to this list as more hit the market.
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