THE BEST PHONES YOU CAN BUY UNDER £500

You don't have to spend big to get a great new mobile device

- David Nield

While the newest and shiniest flagship smartphones will set you back a serious amount of money - the sort of money that could actually get you a spectacular TV, for example - there's a lot to be said for setting your budget a little lower for your next phone purchase. And here, we're setting that budget at exactly £500.

To continue the comparison, you'd struggle to get a TV with a high-end panel or decent audio for that money, but on the other hand you can get a very good smartphone. As the years have gone on, budget and mid-range phones have continued to raise the bar in terms of design, performance, features and materials it's no longer the case that spending less means making a lot of trade-offs and compromises with the device you end up getting.

The six phones we've highlighted here all excel at giving you a lot of bang for your buck, and we've included pricier alternatives for each one, just in case you do have a bit more to spend.

Considering the quality that you get for your money, these handsets will make you seriously wonder why you would ever need to spend top dollar on a flagship.

JARGON BUSTER

CHIPSET

The chipset (or the chip or processor) is like the brains of the phone, and it keeps everything running. A newer, faster chipset means your phone is speedier in use.

RAM

The Random Access Memory or RAM is your phone's thinking space. More RAM means quicker app launching and smoother switching when you've got multiple apps open.

IP RATING

The Ingress Protection rating will be followed by a number telling you how well the phone can keep out water and dust. IP68 is the highest level of protection.

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