Good all-around value for the money
If you don't mind the sketchy call quality, Nokia has hit the nail on the head with its most affordable Windows Phone handset to date. It runs the newest version of Microsoft's mobile OS, has a zippy processor, expandable storage, and produces decent pictures and video.
Cheap, compact, capable Windows Phone device
The pay-as-you-go Nokia Lumia 520 is a solid introductory smartphone on AT&T's Go Phone prepaid service, provided photography isn't a priority.
Super cheap, Large, expansive screen
Budding photographers might find the lack of a flash prohibitive and if you're a power user you might want to consider the Huawei Ascend W1 for its superior battery life, but for everyone else the Nokia Lumia 520 comes heartily recommended.
Delivers on budget but looks classy
Nokia is busy gaining even more ground in the entry level smartphone market. The Lumia 620 was already easy to like, and the Lumia 520, which is essentially the same package at a lower price point, is even harder to resist.
Least expensive handset in the Lumia line-up
If you're looking for a cheap smartphone, you may have just found it. The Nokia Lumia 520 doesn't tick all the boxes on our features wishlist, but it capably handles those that are most important. Windows Phone 8 is a beautiful operating system, but it still lacks apps. If you can get past this and don't mind sacrificing some performance and connectivity, the Lumia 520 is a strong budget buy.
Mostly good components and construction
This phone just can't hold its own against the Lumia 620, and we don't think the modest savings are worth it.
Excellent value for money, Great build quality and design
A very well rounded package for the price which goes well beyond other devices in this bracket. Ideal if you're looking for something simple, straightforward and affordable.
Build, design, price
The Nokia Lumia 520 is a great little smartphone. It delivers what Nokia is known for, with good design and build quality, despite the affordable price point. A few hardware shortcuts have been made, knocking out the flash, front camera and NFC, for example, which the slightly more expensive Lumia 620 offers.
But at this price there's little to criticise.
Great design, Excellent feature set, Affordable
Nokia's new baby Lumia offers an incredibly refined package for a sub-£160 price tag.
A better camera and more software features than you might expect for its price tag
Though it lacks 4G LTE support, the AU$179 Nokia Lumia 520 still gives you quite a bit for your money. Pricing is absolutely this phone's primary value proposition, but the essentials all seem to work, the hardware is sturdy and the camera is better than average.
This is a good buy for someone seeking a wallet-friendly smartphone off-contract.
High build quality, Great price-to-performance ratio
The Acer Liquid Z3 won't win any beauty awards, but it feels refined and dependable - it's certainly capable of carrying its own weight if you're looking for a primary device on the cheap, though it would also make a perfect work/secondary phone, especially the dual-SIM version.
User friendly Quick Mode, Dual SIM capabilities
While the Acer Liquid Z3 has its moments of value, overall the sub-£100 phone doesn't do enough against rivals. The Nokia Lumia 520 or Vodafone Smart 3 would make a better purchase.
Good battery life, Dual SIM, Storage can be extended
The performance is not great, but it is sufficient for everyday use with the Google Android OS, which is available in an updated version. Price-conscious buyers, who are satisfied with the most basic of smartphone qualities, should pick this smartphone up without a second thought.
Good camera, Vibrant Display, Ergonomic build
To cut it short, the Acer Liquid Z3 could have and would have been an amazing phone if it was released probably a year ago. It offers a great balance of things from the vibrant display, the good camera & the solid build quality along with the flip cover. The big catch with that however is - for Php4,490, you can get much better options with the competition - ones that don't run on low-resolution displays & ones that are using quad-core MediaTek chips instead of the dual-core kind.
Large, pretty screen, Snappy performance
While not perfect, the LG Optimus L9 II is definitely among the better-made mid-range Androids that we've come across lately. Sure, it might seem like a pretty humble smartphone at a glance, but trust us, once you take it for a spin, you realize that it is a device with plenty of potential. Or if we have to be more specific, it is a sleek and compact handset with a pretty screen and good performance - traits that make it a phone worthy of attention.
Clear call quality, a decent 5-megapixel shooter
Competitively priced and stocked with respectable hardware specs, the LG Optimus F6 is a worthy buy for T-Mobile customers who are big on value.
Exceptional call quality, Good fit and finish
As you would expect LG has made some compromises to keep the Optimus F6 affordable, but for a mid-range device they have put together an overall nice package. The device is well-built, has a good display for its class and incorporates many of the software features from LG's higher end devices. While the camera performance wasn't great, it was acceptable for Instagram and Facebook shots, and the call quality was outstanding.
Inexpensive given its feature set, Excellent battery life
The LG Optimus F6 is a value-priced Android smartphone that cuts corners on storage and camera capabilities to hit its price mark. Better T-Mobile values can be found.
Large and bright screen, Affordable, Lightweight and comfortable design
The lightweight LG Optimus F6 is a dependable budget smartphone with a big screen and handy apps.
Calls routed to the speakerphone were scratchy and prone to distortion
For $49 down, the LG Optimus F6 offers T-Mobile customers a lot of value. The phone's hardware may be a bit boring, but it is well put together and all the buttons and controls function without issue. The screen is very good for this class of device, and the network performance was among the best I've seen on a T-Mobile device in recent memory. It's a shame that call quality was at best average, and that the battery didn't seem to last past dinner.
The software all works well.
Sturdy build, DLNA streaming and NFC
If it sticks with its attractively low price point, the Huawei Ascend G510 could be a winner at the budget end of the market, offering up a screen that's larger than most in its bracket.
The Emotion UI overlay may not be to everyone's taste, but we can see it helping those who are new to Android and to smartphones in general.
Core IPS tech is decent enough
We like the Huawei G series. It has provided the cash-strapped with some great, and affordable, Android phones. However, the Huawei Ascend G510 will need to sell at a bargain price to seem worthwhile. Some of its core specs are worse than those of its direct predecessor and we're not all that convinced by the Huawei Emotion UI. We'll be back with more in our full review, assuming the dual-SIM G510 comes to the UK.
Cheap, solid, works as you'd hope and expect
It might sound as if we don't like the G510. In fact, we think it's a capable enough phone, and that's reflected in its score. The problem for us is really just that we've seen it all in this price range. Each year, or even more frequently, there's a new low-cost handset from Huawei that fills a need, but it's nothing to get really excited about.
Large IPS display, Good camera performance
At just £130, the Huawei Ascend G510 crams in a 4.5-inch screen, dual-cores and a 5-megapixel camera.
Unpleasant, bloated Huawei software
The Huawei Ascend G510 has one of the biggest screens you'll find in a phone under £150, but it's really let down by Huawei's awkward software, which seriously saps the dual-core processor's power. Its outward design isn't going to win you any style points either.
Apps generally run well, excellent battery life
Huawei's Ascend G510 is a bargain smartphone for those on a tight budget. Packing in decent dual-core performance, a surprisingly crisp and colourful 4.5-inch screen and capable five megapixel camera, it�s far from a budget experience. Only the lacklustre design detracts from a great value package.
Good performance, Low temperature, Decent battery runtime
Huawei does not make promises it cannot keep for its Ascend G510. Despite a budget price of currently 160 Euros (~$209), the entry-level device includes everything that can be expected from a good smartphone. This is the high-quality build, the very big and bright 4.5-inch LC display and numerous communication modules on the hardware side.
A bargain handset that is full of features, but not that smart
For the price the Asha 503 is a reasonable compromise, but I'd recommend spending a little extra cash on a Moto G or Lumia 520.
The Nokia Asha 503 brings a more robust 5MP camera (be it fixed-focus) and 3G to a package we already liked, and that's what we can safely call a good start.
The Nokia Asha 503 brings a more robust 5MP camera (be it fixed-focus) and 3G to a package we already liked, and that's what we can safely call a good start. Emerging markets are the most likely destination as usual but, yet again, the Asha series look capable of transcending borders. The Asha 501 looked like a good first phone for you kid or a decent second phone that won't break the bank and the 503 is bringing even more value.
Display look smaller than it actually is
Nokia Asha 503 leaves a lot to be desire, it lacks performance, apps and reliability, but what it does have is affordability. The 502 really is an entry level smartphone that should only be considered if you are desperate to get your hands on a smartphone for as little money as possible - even then we'd suggest looking at the refurbished 2nd hand market first as using this phone on a day-to-day basis would drive you bananas.
Good performance, Low temperatures, Enhanced sound via DTS
Huawei describes the Ascend G525 as an entry-level smartphone, but the review unit offers more quality than the low-end term would suggest. This starts with the good case: Even though it is only made of plastic, it accommodates the good 4.5-inch display, a 5 megapixels camera with decent picture quality as well as two slots for SIM cards.
Good display, Adequate performance
There was a time when cheap smartphones were slow and clunky, which made them frustrating to use, but it looks like things are now changing for the better. Of course, the LG Optimus L5 II is far from a benchmark record holder, but it offers performance that is satisfactory and very adequate for its class. Furthermore, it has a screen that is better than what you'd see on similarly priced devices - one of its best advantages over the competition.
Handy Quick Key, MicroSD support
The Optimus L5 2 is a decent device. In a less crowded market, or against less of its siblings, we could see the L5 2 carving out a bit of a name for itself. However, it's up against Samsung's Galaxies in a very crowded market.
Camera shutter can be voice activated
The LG Optimus L5 II is a neat and compact little handset, with a vibrant screen and good battery life. It has some neat features too, including its Quick Memo app and the voice activated shutter for the camera. However, we wish LG had given it a bit more grunt in the performance department, as it can feel a little bit underpowered at times.
Cheap, plastic build, Weak camera
LG's new mid-range Android device, the Optimus L5 2 offers a 4-inch IPS LCD panel and Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean.
Affordable price, Bright screen, Decent battery life
The LG Optimus L5 II is cheap, has a decent screen and pleasing battery life, making it a fair choice for recent smart phone converts. Unfortunately, it's let down by unimpressive performance, and its tiny storage will likely cause a few problems.
Excellent tweaks to Android, Capable 5MP camera
The LG Optimus L5 II is a feature-packed and personable Android smartphone that costs a little over £100, but proves itself with decent performance and a respectable 5MP camera
Bright display with good viewing angle stability
The LG Optimus L5 II meets the requirements of a mainstream smartphone: It does not really stand out in one category. Inside the pretty simple case is a SoC with a weak processor and limited memory equipment. The internal storage is just too small and the quality of the camera is tolerable at best. The touchscreen with the sticky surface attracts dirt, at least it does not affect the functionality.
Very inexpensive for an unlocked smartphone
We're giving the unlocked ZTE Open with the Firefox OS huge points for its very reasonable price, but the software needs more polish before it's consumer-ready.
Very low price point
Firefox OS isn't even in its infancy yet, but it's clear that Mozilla, operators and manufacturers have one thing in mind for the OS - budget handsets for developing markets and the ZTE Open is a colourful, cheap option. We probably won't see the OS on high end handsets any time soon, but that's no bad thing - while Firefox OS is likeable and flexible, it's hardly iOS or Android-beating in terms of feature set.
Web-based Firefox OS platform easy to create apps for
The ZTE Open itself has some notable flaws, and Firefox OS still needs developing, but it's still a clear statement that Mozilla is starting to take the Mobile Internet seriously.
Cheery and colourful little smartphone
The ZTE Open combined with Firefox OS will make for a cheap and cheerful option for users in emerging markets looking for a first smartphone. However, in the UK Mozilla will be up against serious competition so will need a different approach to succeed.
Very simple interface, Affordable price, Long battery life
ZTE's first Firefox OS device hits the right notes for developers and some first-time smartphone owners, but others will want a more advanced handset.
Dynamic, rich and open smartphone experience
The Open is colourful, fun-looking, and clearly aimed a very lucrative demographic of users currently catered for by Nokia's Asha and Samsung's newly launched REX range of smartphones.
Extremely economical, Factory unlocked, Well built for the price
The ZTE Open is basically a smartphone for people who don't really need most of the bits of a smartphone. If you want to just check the weather report, maybe look up a factoid or news story on the go, the ZTE Open is a useful and economical way to do that, while still being able to take advantage of those cheap prepaid plans. For the more tech-savvy people and smartphone enthusiasts, it's probably too limited to be worthwhile even once the software side catches up.
Takes a long time to capture an image
It's a simple-looking OS, and anyone with Android experience will pick it up in an instant.
Comes with a good set of headphones, Good call quality
The HTC Desire 200 has some perks going for it, like the decent audio and call quality, packing the same set of headphones that comes with the HTC One, and sporting strong loudspeaker and clean earpiece. It also flaunts a very fast camera, but its less-than-impressive entry level specs hinder the impression from the handset's advantages.
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