The best phones under £200 in the UK (November 2019)
While expensive flagship smartphones grab all the headlines, there’s a booming market for budget phones in the UK, which are great if you want to save some cash. While you won’t receive all the latest bells and whistles, cheap phones still offer competitive performance, camera quality, and extra features without breaking the bank.
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If you’re sick of forking out a small fortune for every phone, or you’re looking for an inexpensive first foray into the world of Android, you’re in luck. Here are some of the best phones under £200 you can buy in the UK.
Best phones under £200:
Editor’s note: We will update this list of the best phones under £200 as new phones launch.
1. Realme 5 Pro
Realme is a relatively unknown brand in the UK but the Oppo offshoot has been quietly crafting some of the best budget phones in recent years. That includes the Realme 5 Pro, which is easily one of the best phones under £200 to date.
The Realme 3 Pro runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 712 SoC which puts it ahead of most of the other phones on this list in terms of raw power. It also has a large, near bezel-less 6.3-inch Full HD+ display with a waterdrop notch.
Related: Why Realme won’t be making a gaming phone soon
Combine that with a meaty 4,035mAh battery with VOOC 3.0 fast charging, a rear fingerprint sensor, up to 8GB of RAM, and expandable storage and you’re getting a lot for €249 euros (~£196) for the top model.
That’s without mentioning the quad camera (that’s right, four cameras!) on the rear — a 48MP main sensor, 8MP ultra wide-angle lens, 2MP macro camera, and 2MP depth sensor.
The only potential deal breaker is the software. Realme’s ColorOS skin leaves a lot to be desired with confusing menus and bloat. If you can put up with it though, the Realme 5 Pro is pound for pound easily the best value phone on this list.
Realme 5 Pro specs:
- Display: 6.3-inch, FHD+
- SoC: Snapdragon 712
- RAM: 4/8GB
- Storage: 128GB
- Cameras: 48, 8, 2, and 2MP
- Front camera: 16MP
- Battery: 4,035mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
2. Motorola Moto G7 Power
Motorola’s G-series phones have been a mainstay of the UK’s mid-range for years now. Unfortunately, the regular Moto G7 crept slightly over the £200 mark for the seventh generation, but for those that want a cheap Motorola phone with incredible battery life we at least have the Moto G7 Power.
The “Power” in the phone’s name is a reference to its humongous 5,000mAh battery, which Motorola says will last up to 60 hours on a single charge. It also refills super fast thanks to Motorola’s 15W TurboPower fast charge technology.
Full specs list: Motorola Moto G7, Moto G7 Play, and Moto G7 Power specs
That huge battery means the Moto G7 Power is quite a large phone, but the slick design hides its bulk fairly well. The low-resolution 6.2-inch display isn’t the best out there, but the Moto G7 Power does come with a few unexpected perks like a fingerprint sensor and a clean software experience.
If you want to save even more money and aren’t bothered about losing the Power’s monster battery, the Moto G7 Play is a good alternative for just £149, but for £179 it’s hard to argue that the Moto G7 Power isn’t one of the best phones under £200.
Moto G7 Power specs:
- Display: 6.2-inch, HD
- SoC: Snapdragon 632
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 64GB
- Cameras: 12MP
- Front camera: 8MP
- Battery: 5,000mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
3. Redmi Note 8T
The Redmi Note 8T is the latest in Xiaomi’s budget Redmi line, and it delivers solid performance at an attractive price point. Coupled with a quad-camera setup, headphone jack, microSD card slot, great battery life, and fast charging, it’s a welcome addition to the increasingly crowded sub-£200 market.
But what really sets the Redmi Note 8T apart from its competitors is support for NFC. If you’re someone who likes to use Google Pay, the Note 8T is one of very few devices in its price range that supports it.
Want Google Pay? Get the Redmi Note 8T.
The Redmi Note 8T is no slouch either with a decent Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC, 4GB of RAM, and a large 4,000mAh battery.
Like the Realme 5 Pro, the Redmi Note 8T also has a 48MP main camera, an ultra wide-angle lens, a depth sensor, and a macro camera. It also has a similarly divisive software skin, with Xiaomi’s MIUI being something of an acquired taste.
However, for just £169, the Redmi Note 8T is one of the best cheap phones in the UK by a wide margin.
Redmi Note 8T specs:
- Display: 6.3-inch, FHD+
- SoC: Snapdragon 660
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 64GB
- Cameras: 48 and 5MP
- Front camera: 13MP
- Battery: 4,000mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
4. Motorola One Macro
Not interested in the Motorola G7 Power? Then why not check out one of Motorola’s other mega-affordable phones.
The Motorola One Macro is part of the growing Motorola One family which runs Google’s stock-like Android One software.
It’s also got an interesting camera set-up. As per its moniker, the One Macro sports a 2MP macro camera, in addition to a standard 12MP lens and a 2MP depth sensor.
The One Macro is powered by a strong MediaTek Helio P70 SoC, has expandable storage, a headphone jack, and a large 4,000mAh battery.
You’ll find better Motorola One series phones at higher budgets, but the One Macro is a solid device for the price.
Motorola One Macro specs
- Display: 6.2-inch, HD
- SoC: Helio P70
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 64GB
- Cameras: 13, 2, and 2MP
- Front camera: 8MP
- Battery: 4,000mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
5. Honor 10 Lite
The Honor 10 Lite’s big selling point is its design, which thanks to its glossy reflective design could easily be mistaken for a top-end flagship.
The Full HD+ 6.21-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio also stands out with minimal bezels and a waterdrop-style notch. The Honor 10 Lite packs in the very capable Kirin 710 chipset, paired up with 3GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack and a fingerprint sensor too.
Read more: The best Honor phones in 2019: budget, mid-range and flagship models
The camera combination of a 13MP shooter and 2MP depth sensor delivers satisfying results even if it can’t quite compete with the Realme 5 Pro. Likewise, the 3,400mAh battery isn’t as large as other phones on this list.
However, if you like Honor’s style there aren’t many phones under £200 that can compete in the looks or display department. The Honor 10 Lite retails for £199 as standard but can be found for as low as £169 in sales.
It should be noted that the Honor 10 Lite launched before Huawei, its parent brand, became embroiled in a legal dispute in the U.S. that threatens Honor’s future use of the Android platform. That means you should still receive updates, but make sure you read up on the situation before buying an Honor or Huawei device for the time being.
Honor 10 Lite specs:
- Display: 6.21-inch, FHD+
- SoC: Kirin 710
- RAM: 3GB
- Storage: 64GB
- Cameras: 13 and 2MP
- Front camera: 24MP
- Battery: 3,400mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
6. Nokia 6.2
It’s hard to choose just one phone from Nokia‘s increasingly confusing portfolio of mid-range and entry-level phones, but the Nokia 6.2 just about edges out the competition right now.
The Nokia 6.2 may not have the raw power of some other phones under £200, but it looks far more premium thanks to its high-tech polymer build. You also get a Zeiss triple-camera with a 16MP main shooter, 5MP depth sensor, and an 8MP wide-angle camera.
Throw in 64GB of expandable storage, 4GB RAM, and the near-stock Android One software and you’ve got yourself a great, Carphone Warehouse-exclusive phone for £199.
Nokia 6.2 specs:
- Display: 5.71-inch, HD
- SoC: Snapdragon 439
- RAM: 3GB
- Storage: 32GB
- Cameras: 13 and 2MP
- Front camera: 8MP
- Battery: 3,000mAh
- Software: Android 9.0 Pie
There you have it, our best picks for phones under £200 If you want to spend a bit more, check out our guide to the best phones under £500. We’ll add more great budget phones to this list as more hit the market.
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