Top 10 phones under £200 this summer
I haven't gone on holiday yet and clearly had too much time to spare, so I went through every phone we've got for under £200 and picked the ten I'd recommend if you're shopping on a budget this summer.
This list is about real-world use: camera, battery, screen and whether it’ll annoy you. And we'll go from "worst" to "best" (IMO).
10. Motorola Edge 30 NEO - £147.32
'Reliable daily companion.'
The Motorola Edge 30 Neo we've got in stock is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor, paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It features a 6.28-inch Full HD+ pOLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, while the rear camera setup comprises a 64MP main sensor and a 13MP ultra-wide camera. Battery capacity? 4020 mAh (great for the price, actually).
9. Realme 10 Pro+ - £159.30
'Outstanding value for money.'
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor, paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage. It features a 6.28-inch Full HD+ pOLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, while the rear camera setup consists of a 64MP main sensor and a 13MP ultra-wide camera. Battery is 5,000 mAh, which competes with better models on this list.
8. Huawei P30 Pro - £165.35
'Photography legend.'
Powered by the Kirin 980 chipset, P30 Pro comes with 8GB of RAM alongside 128GB of storage for the price. It has a 6.47-inch OLED display and one of the strongest camera systems of its generation, featuring a 40MP main camera, 20MP ultra-wide, 8MP periscope telephoto lens and a ToF depth sensor. The 4,200 mAh battery will get you through a milder use throughout the day.
7. Sony Xperia 5 - £158.10
'Premium compact phone.'
The Sony Xperia 5 has a Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 processor with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It also features a compact 6.1-inch OLED display and a versatile triple camera setup consisting of three 12MP sensors covering standard, ultra-wide and telephoto photography. The battery's capacity - 3,140 mAh - is quite small but don't let it fool you.
6. Google Pixel 6A - £182.30
'Compact camera champion.'
Run by Google's Tensor processor, the Pixel 6A includes 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Its 6.1-inch OLED display delivers excellent colour accuracy, while the dual rear cameras combine a 12.2MP main sensor with a 12MP ultra-wide lens, producing photos that compete with much newer smartphones. The battery, 4,410 mAh, could be better at this price, but it's a flagship, so...
5. Samsung Galaxy A52s - £148.52
'Brilliant mid-range choice.'
Equipped with Snapdragon 778G, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, Samsung Galaxy A52s features a 6.5-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a quad-camera setup headed by a 64MP main sensor. Also, supported by a 12MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro and 5MP depth camera. Combined with a 4,500 mAh battery, it makes a good case for the price.
4. Honor 70 - £178.46
'Everyday over-achiever.'
Our Honor 70’s Qualcomm's Snapdragon 778G+ chipset,comes with 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. It boasts a 6.67-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a capable triple camera system comprising a 54MP main camera, 50MP ultra-wide camera and 2MP depth sensor. All that and the 4,800 mAh battery goes head to head with pricier flagships.
3. LG V60 ThinQ - £183.85
'Powerhouse for too litle.'
In this LG V60 ThinQ, the flagship Snapdragon 865 processor pairs with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It has a large 6.8-inch OLED display and a high-quality camera system featuring a 64MP main sensor, 13MP ultra-wide camera and ToF sensor. It also remains one of the few flagship phones to retain a 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD card support. The 5,000 mAh battery will get you through the day comfortably.
2. Samsung Galaxy S20 FE - £188.04
'Flagship favourite.'
This Samsung Galaxy S20 FE runs on Snapdragon 865 with 6GB RAM and 128GB of storage. It offers a 6.5-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a flagship triple camera system made up of a 12MP main sensor, 12MP ultra-wide and 8MP telephoto camera. I won't lie, the 4,500 mAh battery is still a good deal with all the other specs in this flagship.
1. Google Pixel 6 - £186.85
'Photographer's wet dream.'
Taking the top spot is the Google Pixel 6. Powered by Google's Tensor processor, it comes with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage. This phone has a vibrant 6.4-inch Full HD+ OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and an excellent dual-camera system – a 50MP main sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide camera. Even though the battery isn't great at 4,614 mAh, several years after launch, it remains one of the strongest camera phones available for under £200.
There you have it. Ten phones I'd happily recommend if your budget tops out at £200. If you're still not sure which one to go for, feel free to get in touch. We'd rather help you find the right phone than sell you the wrong one.
