Are smartphones under £100 worth buying?
Smartphones under £100 can be worth buying if the goal is basic tasks like calls, texts, WhatsApp, light browsing, and simple apps, but they carry clear trade-offs in speed, cameras, display quality, storage, and software support.
They suit first-time users, kids, or as backup devices, and they work fine for social media in lite mode, email, banking apps, navigation, and streaming at lower resolutions.
Expect 3–4GB RAM, entry-level chipsets (Helio A22/G36, Unisoc T606, or older Snapdragon), 32–64GB storage with microSD support, and Android Go or lean Android builds, so you should keep background apps few and clear cache often. Battery life usually impresses because of 5,000mAh cells and low-power screens, so a full day is realistic with moderate use.
The best available smartphones under £100 (with the highest overall score) are as follows:
- vivo T4 Lite 5G (4GB + 128GB) Overall score: 6.64
- realme 12 4G (8GB + 128GB) Overall score: 6.52
- ZTE Blade A76 4G (4GB + 128GB) Overall score: 6.5
Smartphone brands making top-rated models under £100 are compared in the following chart.
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