Even at the budget end of the smartphone market there are plenty of great handsets. Many now have excellent camera tech combined with large, sharp screens for easier viewing and typing. With a bit of careful shopping it’s now possible to save a packet while delivering a great phone experience for any of the personalities in your household.
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Beyond basics
Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro, R5 295
The market leader provides solid phones at all price points, and is considered something of a safe bet, if somewhat unexciting. The J series is Samsung’s lower mid-tier (between the A and Z series) and the new J7 Pro is the top-specced model with the biggest screen, a fingerprint sensor and a generous 3GB of RAM to keep things fast and smooth. The battery life is impressive, as is the screen technology, and it certainly looks up to date in the style department, so it’s good value all round. FEATURES: 5,5″ screen, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, 13/13MP front/rear cameras, fingerprint sensor
Complete package
Nokia 7 Plus, R6 999
Nokia is a rare comeback success story in the phone world, and this new model proved to be our best handset on test. The sturdy, slender frame is milled from solid aluminium and the rear panel is specially coated to give it a soft-touch ceramic feel. The dual rear cameras use top-notch Zeiss lenses. One sensor even has 2x optical zoom and the pictures look fantastic. It has a generous 4GB of RAM, which makes everything fly, and with the large, sharp 6-inch screen it’s unbeatable at this price. FEATURES: 6″ screen, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, 16MP/12 + 13MP front/rear cameras, fingerprint sensor
Multimedia viewer
Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra, R6 500
Sony phones are known for their great build quality and solid multimedia. The XA1 Ultra is all that, with a quality 6-inch screen on the front, ideal for screen reading and video, and hard-wearing aluminium on the back. Unfortunately, it’s not the most svelte design, being noticeably thicker than other phones with big screens and blocky corners. But the 23MP camera works well and the battery life is excellent (true of most Sony phones, plus Sony’s power-saving modes are also tops). FEATURES: 6″ screen, 4GB RAM, 32GB storage, 16/23MP front/rear cameras
Hard-knock life
Hisense C30 Rock, R4 499
This is a rare pairing of beauty and the beast. This phone has stylish metal accents, but it’s all wrapped up in a lightly ruggedised body designed to take life’s knocks. The corners have special shock-absorbent bumpers rated to survive proper drops, and the back plate is textured for a secure grip. It’s one of the only phones on our list that’s properly waterproof. Despite all this it looks like a high-style phone with its metal sides and copper-coloured bevels. FEATURES: 5,2″ screen, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, 5/16MP front/rear cameras, IP68 waterproof
Tough as nails
CAT S31, R9 000
If you’re working industrial sites, or spending time in nature, or if you’re just all thumbs all the time, then this is the phone for you. It’s unfashionably chunky, and you are paying a little more, but then you can drop this phone nearly two metres on to solid concrete, or into the swimming pool, or drive over it with your car because it’s designed to military specifications (known as 810G). It also has physical buttons for navigating Android, a large and long-lasting battery and a screen you can read in full sunlight. FEATURES: 4,7″ screen, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, 2MP/8MP front/rear cameras, IP68 waterproof
Low-price hero
Huawei P smart, R3 999
Probably the best phone under R5 000, this Huawei has a lot going for it. Its large 5,6-inch screen is bright and sharp (and bigger than that of the iPhone 8 Plus, costing about R18 000!) but it’s presented in a taller, more user-friendly shape. It has a smart dual-camera arrangement on the back, with the second sensor used mostly for applying clever photo effects. We’re delighted to find a quick fingerprint sensor and 32GB of storage on such an affordable phone, plus the build quality is tops. FEATURES: 5,6″ screen, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, 8/13MP + 2MP front/rear cameras, fingerprint sensor
Buyer’s guide
Treasured memories
There are two kinds of memory in the phone. Get at least 3GB of RAM to keep the phone feeling ‘fast’ or ‘smooth’ even as apps get increasingly bigger. For storing data and apps get at least 16GB of ROM, or storage space. All phones (except the iPhone) can store multimedia on a removable MicroSD memory card.
World view
Screens have become more energy efficient, but they still use around 60% of your battery. Almost all our budget models are bigger than 5 inches, so don’t settle for less. The latest phones use an 18:9 screen ratio (twice as tall as they are wide), which makes them easy to hold and more pocket-friendly.
Building materials
Plastic- and metal-bodied phones are far more durable than glass-backed ones. Despite the fact that glass is fragile, phone makers continue to use it for its premium look, its minimal impact on radio-wave signals and for wireless charging. In the mid range, metal and plastic bodies are far more practical.
Base of operations
When it comes to phone operating systems it’s now strictly a two-horse race. Google’s Android OS is used on nearly 90% of phones worldwide, while iOS, used on the iPhone, accounts for the rest. Many budget Android phones don’t come with the latest version (called Oreo), but the differences are small and only matter to serious phone geeks.
Touch the future
More budget phones now include fingerprint sensors, which have become much more useful. It’s still the most convenient and secure way to unlock an Android phone. You can now log in to some banking and social-media apps this way, and soon we’ll be able to touch the sensor to pay at till points.
PHOTO: iStock/Nomad
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