Think you can’t afford a smartphone? Think again. Here are five phones for £30 and under.
Putting down a few hundred pounds for a high-spec smartphone isn’t always going to be affordable. Fortunately, there are other options, especially if you stop by your local supermarket.
This budget smartphone’s battery can handle up to 7 hours of non-stop chatter, or last for an eternity – 393 hours – if you forget to charge it. With a 4-inch screen, the Android apps should be nice and clear, which means you’re not going to miss the latest antics of your sister’s pet cat on the pre-installed social media apps.
On the downside, the camera struggles along with its 2 megapixel limit for photos or video, and it doesn’t have 4G capability, which means you’ll lose out on high-speed connectivity. Still, it does have 3G, which does well enough to keep you in contact along with Bluetooth and wi-fi.
With up to 6 hours of talk time available – or a standby time of 325 hours – the Pixi 3 can hold its own with the rest of the budget smartphones. Android apps such as Whatsapp, Facebook, and other social media come as standard. If those aren’t enough, other apps can be downloaded via 3G or wi-fi.
The 3.5 inch screen is big enough for you to get a good look at video or photos from the phone’s 2mp camera, although the videos may take a while to upload with no 4G connection.
Moving out of the territory of full-screen smartphones, Doro are a brand who focus on creating easy-to-use phones for the elderly and less technologically able. With a large keypad, loud and clear sound, and a sharp display, the PhoneEasy 508 can keep going for up to 14 hours of continuous use before needing to be recharged. Or, if you prefer, you can leave it for up to 370 hours before it runs out of battery.
With no camera, no wi-fi, and no 3G, this isn’t a phone for those who prefer pocket computers. It is, however, a good one for those who prefer the simple approach and simply want something that makes calls and sends text messages.
The Nokia 108 is a phone for narrower budgets or throw-away use. The hefty 13.8 hours of talk time means that you won’t have to worry about running out of battery mid-sentence, and the 760 hours of standby time (that’s a full month of ignoring it) gives you the ability to simply pick it up whenever you need it.
The colour screen allows you to view picture messages, but taking your own is a little trickier with the 0.3 megapixel camera, and there’s no video function. Toddling along on 2G and Bluetooth, this basic phone is best simply used to talk with.
Let’s face it, at this stage the good points are the breathtakingly cheap price and the battery life. Still, if you want something to take camping that won’t matter if you drop it in the mud, or you’ve lost your phone and need to make a call now, the VM585 is the phone for you. It gives you around three hours of talk time, or up to 300 hours on standby – more than enough for that week in the forest. And, if you get bored while hiking, it even has an FM radio.
With no camera, no bluetooth, and no wi-fi, this 2G phone is exactly what it says on the tin. A phone.
