My last two phones have been absolutely abysmal, with my main issue being lag. I rarely use my phone since I have a great tablet for use at home, and even when I'm out, I'm not much of a browser, so I don't want to pay more than 150, with around 100 being ideal. I'll be buying from Argos or Very so I can pay it off over the year, so nothing second hand.
What's most important to me is startup time, performance, and for apps not to crash in the background constantly. With my current phone, sometimes when I receive a verification code while my phone is off, it takes on average 15-20 minutes for the phone to boot up and receive the text. So that's the main issue I'm trying to fix with my replacement. I'm not too fussed about the camera, and I won't be using it for gaming.
Any suggestions appreciated.
Edit: Went with the Honor x6c. Lots of people saying don't bother at that price obviously didn't read the brief. Really, I just need it for texting and calls. As long as it doesn't take 10 minutes to boot with barely any apps installed outside of authenticators, I'm happy.
I think you're going to be disappointed buying new at that budget. I got a renewed pixel on amazon which has been amazing compared to the £150 brand new nokia I had from argos prior to it. Pixel 7 is around your budget right now https://amzn.to/4qfqMEj
Seconding this.
Two problems with oldish phones: - Battery will probably die more quickly than that on a new phone. - No updates soon (security ones + new Android versions) unless the second hand phone is a relatively recent Samsung/Pixel/iPhone.
We covered the update issue further down the thread, my 2021 pixel is guaranteed to be updated until oct 26 and the battery is going strong (I bought refurbed from amazon June 2024). I did make sure I bought from a reputable vendor though with a decent return policy just in case
Really, as long as the performance isn't complete rubbish, I don't mind that much. Like I said I rarely use my phone. I just want something that functions.
Phones haven't got much better in the last 5-7 years. So an older phone will have adequate performance for your needs.
Just make sure you get something which will keep getting security updates for as long as you want to use the phone for banking.
Looks like pixel 6 is covered until Oct 26 minimum so I'd expect the 7 to be at least the year after that. Might treat myself to the 8 for next xmas, should be under £200 by then https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1oy3mfa/no_november_2025_security_update_for_pixel_6/
Pixel 8 came out with 7 years promised updates. Get an 8 pro if you can and like big screens. 5x zoom is nice, as well as satellite comms, local AI and possible a few more things my 8 is missing but the wife's 8 pro has :)
I've had a pixel 7 since new, still feels snappy today.
If you really don't mind, cheap Nokia's are definitely usable and battery time is great. I upgraded to nothing cmf now, which is great, but Nokia's were completely not a problem.
The biggest problem is always the camera. If you don't care about quality of photos you can pretty much buy anything.
my cousin loves his "Nothing" phone - although i imagine he has a more expensive version
CMF is £179 at the moment, looks like it has a decent battery and camera
Ooh, I have the answer for this!
I have done a lot of research, as a frugal phone buyer who hates slow performance. The Honor x6c is amazing value and performance for around £90. We have 2 in our house already. I actually use the model before this one myself, and it's still going strong a couple of years later.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0FBBLGN87?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
Honor has really improved. I'm impressed with my phone & have just bought a tab. No more big brands for me, they're just not worth it.
Yeah using an Honor 200Lite at the moment. I have given up chasing flagship phones and performance. Sure I wouldnt mind Esim and wireless charging but at that pricepoint I don't even bother with a screen protector. If it breaks just use a second one.
Honor was my last two phones and really cannot complain about them at all. Slightly wishing I had need for a new phone right now, seeing how cheap it is! Swapped out to an Oppo for my current phone, they have a couple 150ish range too.
Secons this, unbelievable value
I have a X6b and think it's really good. The thing that I like about it that's often overlooked in my experience, is that the unlock button is on the side. I use fingerprint unlock, and the button being on the side makes it really easy. My previous phone had the fingerprint scanner on the back, and in a position that just wasn't how I held my phone (I hold my phone by the sides), plus I had a wallet type phone case and when I had it open, the flap from the case was covering the scanner. With this phone, the button and scanner is exactly where I place my thumb when picking it up.
How is the camera quality please
Looking through my gallery, some are pretty blurry but that's probably due to skill issue rather than the camera, and I do have some pretty good ones to my inexperienced eye. The specs say 50MP main camera(f/1.8)+2MP depth camera(f/2.4). Day lighting tends to be better, night/dark isn't good, at least not on the default settings.
Thank you, very helpful
GSM Arena is great for comparing phone specs. If you Google GSM Arena Compare it'll take you right to the comparison page
X6c camera is poor, but otherwise it seems an ok phone for the price.
It's the buying from argos that's going to be the biggest issue hitting that price point. There's a few options with the chinese manufacturers at that price point that would be fairly responsive but you'd have to wait for a deal.
Love that no one is actually answering the question you asked. Ignore people saying you can't get anything at your budget - that's nonsense given you mentioned having a decent tablet that you will use as your main device. You can get a perfectly usable option for day-to-day use when you have that tablet for heavier lifting.
Best choice from Argos would be the Moto G56 though it's a touch over budget at £160. My mum has the Moto G35 and gets along fine with it, that's only £100. The extra £60 is worth it for the G56 though as it has double the storage and RAM (256+8GB vs 128+4GB) and is scheduled to get security updates until May 2029 (vs August 2027).
I agree with other posters that a refurbished phone might be a better option but you specified new from Argos.
Yeah, I was surprised how common that answer was despite me really just using my phone for texting and calls. Seems like people just read the title 😂
Cheers for the suggestion mate
My poco m6 4g is great think I paid 130 for mine
Agree, the £200-£225 bracket is typically best bang for buck. Often double+ performance of the £150 band
The M7 Pro 5G 8/256GB is currently £119 on Amazon.
Used to have a Poco. Loved everything about it. Great interface.
I had two Xaiomi phones and went back to Samsung.
Their OS Bloat was dreadful. Although your mileage may vary.
Phones are one of those things where it doesn't always pay to be ultra frugal. Both of mine broke, one of them the buttons fell out so I couldn't turn it on or off and the other got a bloated battery.
Samsung offer extended security updates and their mid range are not that much more than the budget brands.
There are EU requirements for software support now, so even something like the Poco M7 Pro has support until 2031. I have previously found a spare parts store hidden away on their site too, you could order new buttons or cameras etc to fix it yourself.
Also, I was checking the Samsung A36 yesterday, it's very similar overall spec to the M7 Pro, but the Poco 8/256GB is £119 on Amazon and the Samsung 6/128GB is £221.
I've had Xiaomi, my wife uses a Redmi, and I'm waiting for the Poco F8 Ultra to come back into stock, so I'm familiar with their software and find it fine myself.
Used samsung a55. For not much more be able to get a new one.
I agree with other comments echoeing that you should buy a second hand or refurbished phone from a year or two ago rather than new - super cheap new tech is e-waste waiting to happen.
That being said, potentially free option if you have some technical knowhow / can follow a tutorial - you could install lineageOS (https://lineageos.org/). It's an open-source fork of android made to support older devices for longer and my phone is now coming onto its seventh year and since I installed lineage a few months ago battery and speed are significantly better than the 3 years unupdated stock operating system. However not available for all phones so mileage may vary.
Note I had the problem a few years back that some mobile banking apps didn't like lineage - I had to switch back to stock on my next phone because of it
good point! you can check here, thaankfully mine work but a lot dont.
https://community.e.foundation/t/list-banking-apps-on-e-os/33091
I think anything you might get for £100-£150 you’re going to end up disappointed with one way or another.
Some of the issues you describe I think you may come across on many low spec or old phones. If not straight away, within a very short space of time.
I would suggest being most frugal in this would be to up the budget to £300-£500 and get a phone which will last a few years at least.
£150 buys a respectable spec phone! That's the pricepoint I've bought at for ages, averaging at least two years with each model and I can't even imagine why a slightly faster phone would be needed
One example that OP provided was that they didn’t want background apps crashing or closing out, which is usually caused by insufficient RAM. Just a few tabs left open in a web browser on an old device can cause this.
Motorola g54, 8gb ram, 256gb storage. I run multiple tabs with no issues.
The fact that they’ve only been lasting two years is why
I've just wanted to upgrade the tech in order to get newer features. Last time it was 5g and esim compatibility. Sheesh
Apps and websites get more and more bloated though, it’s not sufficient for performance and reliability (which OPs cites) just to get older phones with required hardware (eg 5G) that was new ‘back then’, they also need OS updates and latest apps which will quickly bog down older/slower models and those with low RAM.
Perhaps the fact you are buying a phone for under £150 is the problem here? I paid £300 for my Pixel 6 years ago and it's still going strong with none of the issues you describe.
Ha me too. Got mine refurbished like 3 years ago from backmarket and it's still going. The battery is a bit shagged but its not been a huge issue yet.
My battery still lasts for 24+ hours in battery saver mode. The screen is cracked after I dropped it but that's the only issue with it.
people don't realise that performance costs money when it comes to tech lol
can you not buy second hand from backmarket and pay using a payment plan? Pixel 7 2nd hand £128 - https://www.backmarket.co.uk/en-gb/p/google-pixel-7-128-gb-black-unlocked/8d69c306-9413-47bd-80be-f4b593fb4e4f?l=12
Motorola E15, I do a physical job so rough on phones. Really impressed with this for the price point
https://www.currys.co.uk/products/motorola-moto-e15-64-gb-denim-blue-10278621.html
I have a Motorola G55. It cost 120 pounds and I can't fault it at all. Does everything well.
Motorola
I don't think you'll get a new phone that isn't a potato for £150, I'd advise saving up the money whiles keeping an eye out for a second hand one on eBay.
what phone do you have that is that bad? are you sure its not an issue with the software? maybe do a full reset and delete some apps if its memory/storage is full?
Nokia C2 2nd edition. It's been pure shite straight out of the box.
Have a look at Motorola phones, edge 50 fusion for example.
Startup time is an unusual one, I guess keeping it turned on isn’t an option?
Love my honor phone two years and still strong. If I need to upgrade I'll be getting this one next, and it's only £100 https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7689345?clickPR=plp:39:294
Had a Samsung few years ago and wanted to burn the thing it was awful. Had Sony as well liked the older sons but when I upgraded hated that one too.
I have the exact same model in black and found it cheaper on amazon
look at the POCO range, you can by direct from them, was sceptical, when they was recommend to me, got my 1st one 4 years ago, still fine, but battery was not lasting all day anymore, and I'm a heavy user, and now its my only internet via hotspot so that's a power drain, everyone I've recommended them to have been very happy.
I have a Poco x7 pro. It's absolutely great, i got it on the release date, 12gb ram and 512gm hard drive, with a free charger. Was about £280 and i don't know of another phone with those specs for the same price. I told my dad about it, he got the POCO M7 for about £90 at the same time and although it's a lot more basic, he's had no issues with it at all.
I've got the X7 pro 12GB 256GB on SSD and with exiting customer discount was under £200.00 and 6800MA battery, old one was good, but the X7 is amazing did not say as slightly over budget, but if you can stretch to 200 it's worth it. Benchmark its only just slower than the top of the range Samsung that about 1k
You are really limiting your options as there is not much to choose from on Argos in that price range.
You could easily get something like Xiaomi Redmi 14c on Temu and it would probably be enough to do basic things and not take forever. Phone is still well made and definitely a contender with a price tag of £65 for the 4GB RAM version, but maybe worth considering the higher ram/storage for £90.
If you can use some of the coupons or promos, you might get it even cheaper.
Check out the Moto G56 5G
The teenager & I both have Motorola g75s, over a year old & no issues, breakages or complaints! Should be about that price range now.
Motorola g84 5g
Had it as a work phone for a while. Works very well, good display, great battery... Camera is okayish.
I think they have newer versions as well but they're underrated.
Xiaomi phones always the best budget ones usually
Motorola. I think I got g5 or something, idk, years ago. Still a great back up phone. Only one at this price point I'd consider.
Look on John Lewis price match, I think comes with extended warrenty maybe (nine also came with a Google photo display, but that was a deal af the time)
Used iphone se 2022
Updates until 2028
Isn't too old so battery should be good. Go on eBay and sort by newly listed, you should see some pop up with offers
PayPal offer payment options, I personally would say if you can't afford to pay for it outright save up first.
I buy budget phones for my company, and Motorola seem to provide the best value for money
I was amazed at the quality of the Nokia's for around £120. Big screens, good cameras. Real eye opener.
Currently using an Honor 200 lite that I got back in March from Argos for £150. Absolutely love it, got about 48 apps downloaded on it and it runs fine. Would definitely recommend.
Xiaomi Redmi note 15
Buy refurbished iPhone iPhone 11-12 Se 2020 or 2022
You might have a misbehaving app on your current phone so try going a virus scan.
I don't want to pay more than £100 for a phone and my current one is a Motorola which is better than my previous phones. My current model is discontinued now but there newer ones in the right price range and better than my current one.
Look on ebay for an older flagship phone
backmarket oneplus 10t
My go-to is old flagship phones that still have security updates currently on a s21 ultra, but for less, oneplus is a good option.
The oneplus nord 3 is a good phone that around £150 on ebay 16gb ram 256gb storage.
You can pay through Klarna on eBay to split the payment, but you should really avoid new phones at this price point they are all garbage regardless of how new they are.
https://www.giffgaff.com/mobile-phones/refurbished
Recommend checking this out.
Get the best redmi you can for that amount
Refurb on Back Market
I would seriously consider financing a used phone in your situation. Higher end phones tend to last a lot longer.
https://amzn.eu/d/berQt2w
I bought this for my daughter to replace a Google pixel 8 she broke playing football with it in her pocket. She loves it. No complaints so far.
Say camera is decent. Runs multiple apps without issue and she can play Roblox on it with no issues.
POCO X7
I have an OPPO Reno, and I love it.
Go on back backmarket and filter by your price range. You will be surprised by what you find there. On that price, and if you are willing to accept only cosmetic defects, you are in for a treat
I got a Nokia C10 for £80 and it's... fine.
I bought a cheap smart phone at Argos. Was about £80 and the cheapest thing running android.
Big mistake. Was the slowest piece of tech I've ever owned. For your budget go second hand market.
Still using a Samsung s20 plus, have no desire to change. Excellent used will be in budget.
Buy a second hand iPhone 12
Don't know if you saw my reply to a comment, but if you can buy from Amazon (there's a 6 month interest free option on it) the Poco M7 Pro 5G 8/256GB is currently £119. It's pretty good for the money, normally more like £200.
Decent performance, fairly big battery, good screen, software support until 2031.
I have a poco x6, had it about 18 months and still going strong, still plays all my games without lag, the camera is mid and it's android, so you can get pretty much anything for free on the seas.
It's only £120 now.
I'm currently using a Poco X4 Pro 5G, I've had it for years and it's still going strong. Only downsides are the camera is a bit shit and it gets very warm if you quick charge it but I can live with that.
I think they're now up to X7, I would upgrade but i don't need to, I'll probably switch it up if they stop updating it but until then I'm fine. The phone has taken a beating too.
You can get a used Pixel 8a on eBay for about £150, which I think would be great for your needs. Pixel 7a is also good if you want around £100.
Allie express
If you are looking for a good phone that will last a long time, then maybe consider something like the Fairphone.
It is £500 so a lot more than your £150 budget. However I still think it is worth considering because it could work out cheaper in the long run…and that is what being frugal is all about!
Pretty much all of the components are replaceable and affordable. A new battery costs £27 and can be replaced by yourself in just a few minutes without the need for any specialist tools.
Being able to replace the battery in your existing phone is far cheaper than having to buy a new phone a few years down the line when the battery degrades. So you could see it as a long-term investment.
https://www.fairphone.com
I'm waiting for my second phone off AliExpress to turn up
I've got an iiiF150 B2 ultra which was £200 has lasted over 2 years of abuse and being dropped out hiking been soaked battered is quite heavy has a battery that lasts a week tho Tho a drop from height has made the camera no longer focus
So I've ordered a newer model of theirs b3 pro £191
Honestly.........best phone I've had and I've always had new flagship phones on contract........never again I'll stick to trying out the cheap unknown in future it's definitely been worth the risk
You're in luck, check out Marques Brownlee's smart phone awards he posted on YouTube
Go for something refurbished mate, something like oppo, that's all I do now, great nick,at least a yrs warranty, honestly,go and have a look.
Referb is the way.
I have a similar budget for my phones. I've had either Xiaomi or Motorola at that price level for the last 10 years at least. Never had a problem with either.
Samsung A series is the best option at that price point.
Sorry. Google Pixel 9a details at 349 and that's as cheap as you're gonna get it. They do have payment plans. Giffgaff occasionally has them when in stock for £249.
Maybe look for a few hundred quid first
Sorry yeah I'll just go be more successful really fast
Glad I could help
You need a refurbished phone. A refurbished S25 or other flagship will be great
Motorola with the replaceable battery.
Fire a new genuine battery in it.
They're fast, no bloatware.
Cheap as chips used.
I had poco x3 had it for 4 years great phone upgraded to x7 its been great so far. I think u can find a deal to buy x7 for around 150 or slightly more
Got my son an Honor phone and it was just over £100.
120hz screen, great cameras, latest android version, zero problems.
I have a Nokia G21 which was about £80 bought from Jeff. Does everything you want a smartphone to do.
I'm 52, my first phone was nokia 5210, I had a Razr and a blackberry but the G21 is still the worst phone I've ever owned lol
What was wrong with your G21?
Slow to start up and shut down, overheated randomly and shut down, low storage space, apps opened really slowly, gps for navigation almost unusably slow and the battery swelled pushing the back cover off
So you got a duff device, presumably you took it back to get a replacement?
Glad you're happy with yours, I wasn't the only person with these issues though https://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_g21-reviews-11356.php In comparison to the samsung I had before it, and the pixel I had afterwards, it's a bad phone
I've had good results with refurbished phones from gifgaff. My last phone was off ebay for £220: a Galaxy S 23 with one dead pixel in a completely inperceptible location which has worked out wonderfully.
You're not going to get high performance and zero lag new phone with £150 sadly. Also, keeping your phone switched off is bad for any phone. (I work in the industry)
If Android, get the best Pixel you can afford. My Pixel 6 Pro is now more than 4 years old, and the software is still smooth and fast.
You're not going to get any good (new) phone for £150.
I suggest Buy a used iPhone XS Max and replace battery if needed
I always had high end phones until a few years ago. I'm now on my second Motorola. Absolutely great phones . I've got a two year old g82.
Just my 2 cents but when I was 16 I bought my iPhone 11 brand new. It wasn’t the newest one at that point however it was still £600 which was months of saving for me at that time. Now 6 years later i still have the same iPhone 11 and it’s been through 3 screens by now and still works incredibly well. Albeit it is getting slower now however the saying buy it right or buy it twice isn’t a saying for nothing. I’d get a iPhone. You can get 0% deals on the apple website and the phone will last forever if you are hardly Using it.
If you are okay with refurbished ones try something like back market. You can find iPhone 7/8/SE starting around £80 onwards. I brought an iPhone SE refurbished for £90. It’s been almost 6 months and no issues.
For 100 there isn't much choice
Seems like your main issue could be fixed by simply not switching your phone off? You might have to pay a little bit more to keep it charged, but even for years and years of use that's going to be a lot less than £100.
Buy refurbished from Giffgaff and it's 0% over 3 years. Argos will be ripping you off to hell and back.
Get a used iPhone on eBay, I paid £40 for an iPhone SE 2020 a year ago and it’s been great and still works well.
For £100 you can get an even newer model used. Just test the phone when it arrives with an app for testing all the functionality and you’re good.
A new phone for £100 isn’t going to be better than that
Refurbished on amazon is your best bet. I asked Grok to filter the best of them...
https://x.com/i/grok/share/l9GXGRwm4Kjg3ZHanJxvXH82T
You're going to struggle on that budget, everything in that range is going to have an awful processor and 4GB RAM and just won't last so you'll end up in the same situation over and over. If you can stretch a little to £200ish you can pickup significantly more phone for your money, something like a Motorola edge 50 neo at £199 or a oneplus nord CE at £229 will serve you very well.