Starting from the bottom

It's a good time to buy a budget smartphone. High-end features are cheaper than ever and some, like TCL's wallethugger, look pricier than their tags would suggest.

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R2 600 / tcl.​com

■ The TCL 505’s 6.75in IPS LCD screen might be its very best feature. It’s bright enough for most usage and offers an excellent picture despite a mere 720p resolution. Colours are vivid and it excels as a media device.

■ This is partly thanks to its 5 000mAh battery that combines with a relatively low-end processor to provide lengthy uptime. If you’re facing a long outage, this is one smartphone you’ll want loaded with media. Unless, that is, you’re running low on charge. 10W wired charging isn’t conducive to speedy top-ups, no matter what you’re plugging into the USB-C charge port.