Top 5 Best Budget Smartphones 2017 (<300$)

Moto G5
$200
There’s plenty of competition in Android’s budget market, but the Moto G5 is the best around right now. The build quality alone feels like it belongs on a much more expensive phone, while the fingerprint gesture controls genuinely improve the Android experience. The benchmarks and battery hold it back, but they're not unreasonable given the price - and you won't find a much better looking phone at £169.

Lenovo P2
$250
The Lenovo P2 is really being sold on the strength of its battery, and the great news is that it lives up to the company’s hype, offering you days of usage and a power bank in a pinch. Throw in the premium design and build quality, and you have a phone that delivers tremendous value for money. It may not boast flagship performance, but by the time you hit your third day without charging, you’re not likely to care that much.

Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus
$220
Overall, we enjoy the Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus. It's an all-rounder, with features you'd expect from a flagship such as its fingerprint sensor and gorgeous design. But when you dig deeper you notice the flaws that better reflect its price tag, which is a bit of a shame. Closer inspection of its design shows that it's a bit rough around the edges, and the screen quality and battery life are beaten by similarly priced rivals. Therefore it's a tricky one to offer a solid verdict on. For the price, you're getting a good phone that looks deceivingly premium, but you could opt for the Moto G5 for a better screen and similar overall features at a lower price.

UMI Z
$240
The UMI Z is an excellent-value Android phone with a large battery, a decent screen, the most powerful MediaTek processor you can get and a very good selfie camera. Unfortunately the primary camera doesn't quite live up, but it's otherwise difficult to fault. With full UK 4G connectivity it's a great buy.

Elephone S7
$220
The Elephone S7 is a very good-looking phone at an affordable price, with decent performance and a generous helping of storage. On the down side the cameras are disappointing and the rear panel is plastic. Even at this price you don't need to compromise so heavily.