Some new Samsung phones can cost well over £1500, and even more if it’s on contract with interest paid. Naturally, at that end of the scale, you’re going to get the latest and greatest tech packed inside, including 5G, upgraded chipsets, and ground-breaking displays. However, many smartphone users simply want a budget phone that will make calls, play simple games, and scroll social media. With this in mind, we’re going to discuss the best budget Samsung phones.
What Makes a Good Budget Phone?
Budget phones are made with the lower price tag in mind, and they’re often instantly recognisable because of the poorer quality of materials, displays, and overall specs. However, even at the budget price point, some phones are made to a poorer standard than others. Typically, a good budget phone is noted through reputation and online reviews, like the highly popular Samsung A series.
What is the Cheapest Samsung Phone?
The cheapest Samsung phones are only going to set you back around £130, which isn’t bad when you consider that they’re still built over Android. Right now, the Samsung Galaxy A03 is the cheapest Samsung phone you can get, and this one comes in at under £100 if you’re searching in the right place.
When it comes to features, there’s no getting around the simplicity of this phone. There are many great features of this phone including the impressive battery life, a fingerprint reader, high storage/RAM, and long-term support availability. However, there are negatives to contend with including a high lag rate, a cheap feel, extremely slow charge speed, and poor camera quality.
Why Are Some Samsung Phones Cheap?
Samsung understands that not all its customers are searching for the latest generation in smartphone technology, so they make sure to cater to those looking for simplicity. Keeping on the theme of the A series (discussed above), they’re able to keep the prices down because they use cheap materials and the worst spec components they can get away with. This isn’t because Samsung is in the business of manufacturing poor-quality phones; it’s because they understand how to tap into all walks of life within their market.
The Best Cheap Samsung Phones on Contract?
When people are searching for a budget phone, they’re not always looking at the upfront cost. In many cases, they want to pay a low monthly rate in comparison to other manufacturers. For example, paying around £20-£30 a month for an A series or low-spec S series phone is much cheaper than paying well over £60 for the likes of the iPhone or the latest Samsung models.
The deals you can get depend on the network you’re with, but they currently start at around £9.99 a month. Although this is an A series phone, that price isn’t bad considering the £130 benchmark for a cheap Samsung phone.
What About Buying Refurbished Samsung Phones?
If you’re looking for a Samsung phone that has higher specs than the A series but doesn’t cost a fortune, you can look into buying a refurbished model. You can get these from various mobile network providers, and they allow cheaper access to higher-spec phones. Alternatively, you can buy a refurbished Samsung smartphone from a hardware store. The best part about buying a refurbed phone is that they’re 100% guaranteed because they are fully tested and cleaned by the provider before they are put up for sale.
Buying Through Online Marketplaces for Budget Samsung Phones
Platforms like eBay, Gumtree, and Facebook marketplace allow people to sell their pre-loved items, including mobile phones. If you’re lucky, you may find a non-budget phone for a budget price. However, you need to be extremely careful when buying a phone online, as you will have zero guarantees that the phone is in the condition it’s listed. As well as this, you may be buying a stolen phone, so always practice due diligence.
If you’ve bought a phone online from a random seller, it’s a good idea to take it to a phone specialist and have them run a few scans and completely clear the system. After all, you may have bagged a bargain-budget Samsung phone, but it could come at a pretty heavy price. For example, if the phone was previously used for criminal activity, the footprint would still be buried on the phone, and you may come under fire for it.
What Are the Cheapest Samsung Phones for Gaming?
Mobile gaming has become a hot commodity in the smartphone industry, but not everyone can afford Samsung phones designed for modern gaming. However, they have a fantastic budget entry in their A series – the Galaxy A53 5G. Prices for this phone start at around £269, which isn’t bad when you consider how relatively powerful it is. Designed with an infinity-0 AMOLED display measuring 6.5 inches, this device is perfect for playing games. This phone is never going to give you gaming performance like the Asus ROG, but that’s where you get the enormous price difference.
Budget Samsung Phones Compared to Sony
Samsung is often considered the king of Android because they create so many incredible phones, but that doesn’t mean they’re the only option to consider when searching for a budget phone. When it comes to competitors, Sony is one of the top contenders with its extensive range of Xperia devices.
The Xperia comes in several different model numbers and versions within a given model set – like the Xperia 10 and the Xperia 10 II. Figuring out which Sony phones are budget isn’t as clear-cut as Samsung because they have the distinct A range, which stands apart from the top-tier S range.
When you put the prices of budget Samsung and Sony phones together, you’re looking at around the same prices. Typically, it comes down to finer details like Sony prioritising its speaker quality because of its roots with the Walkman.
Budget Samsung Phones Compared to Apple iPhones
Apple is a competitor to Samsung and all Android manufacturers, so it sits in a class all of its own. iPhones are built using a completely different infrastructure and they don’t communicate well with other devices that aren’t Apple. When it comes to the price of new iPhones, you’re looking at a pretty high cost because they’re deemed a designer phone and fans can’t get enough of the latest models.
You can get your hands on budget iPhones that cost just over £100 – just like you can with Samsung phones and other notable manufacturers. However, Apple doesn’t design phones with the budget market in mind; they simply sell their older models at a lower price point. On the other hand, Samsung designs cheaper phones on purpose, as seen with the A series. With this in mind, buying a budget Samsung phone will always be more beneficial than opting for the iPhone. After all, once the new model comes out, last year’s iPhone isn’t even “cool”.
Samsung is one of the best Android smartphone manufacturers around, and with good reason. Even though their latest models cost a small fortune, they’re extremely accommodating when it comes to the lower price point. In particular, the entire A series is made with the budget in mind, which is why you have to sacrifice some specs and design features.