"What's the best value phone?" has no single answer: it depends on how much you want to spend. So we've sorted it by budget, mixing new and refurbished.
What we look at
- Years of updates left. That's what extends a phone's life the most.
- Battery, plus the new-battery option on refurbished phones.
- Camera and screen for everyday use.
- Real price vs what you get, not the flashiest spec sheet.
Under about £175
About £175 to £350
Over about £350
Prices are approximate and change daily: each product page has a button to the current price.
Common traps
- Loads of RAM and megapixels aren't everything. A phone with years of updates and a good camera beats a flashy spec sheet.
- Be careful with very cheap phones from unknown brands that don't get security updates.
- On refurbished phones, check the grade and battery before you pay: see refurbished grades explained.
Summary
Tight budget: Galaxy A54 or Pixel 7a. Best balance: refurbished Pixel 8, iPhone 13 or Galaxy S23. To buy new: Pixel 9 or Galaxy S25.