Best Budget Phones (Summer 2026) | Top 10 Tested & Reviewed

Overall topic

A review/roundup of the best budget smartphones for £300 or under (Summer 2026), focusing on what you get for the money. The speaker highlights key strengths—especially battery and display—and the main compromises: performance, software limitations, and camera constraints. Models compared heavily come from Xiaomi/Redmi, Honor, and Motorola.

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Unique product points mentioned (by phone)

1) Xiaomi / Redmi Note 15 (base)

Main features

• ~6.8-inch “curvy” display design
• AMOLED display; stereo speakers
• 6000 mAh battery (major highlight)
• MediaTek Helio chipset (noted for efficiency)

Software

• Runs HyperOS
• HyperOS described as “clunky”
• Xiaomi promises multiple years of software support, but updates may be untimely

Performance / limitations

• Weak for gaming: suitable mainly for simple/optimized titles (example: Call of Duty)
• Base model is 4G-only (no 5G) at time of filming

Pros

• Strong battery life
• Bright AMOLED + stereo speakers
• Solid everyday experience for basic use

Cons

• HyperOS clunkiness
• Mediocre gaming performance
• 4G-only on the base version

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2) Xiaomi / Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G

Main features (upgrade over base)

• Improved water resistance: water-proof / submerge-safe (not just splash resistance)
• 6580 mAh battery
• Faster charging
• Slightly larger ~6.83-inch crisper display
• Beefier speakers

Performance

• Better chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 7400
• Gaming described as much smoother, including more demanding titles
• Everyday use less “juddery/sludgy”

Camera

• 200 MP sensor (vs 108 MP on base)
• Pro sensor is larger, better for night photography
• Includes an ultra-wide camera

Pros

• Better gaming performance
• Proper water resistance
• Better battery + faster charging
• Stronger camera hardware

Cons

• Still involves tolerating HyperOS
• Higher cost than the base model

Price comparison mentioned

• Found under £300 at the time of filming
• Recommended as a highly recommended upgrade if budget allows

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3) Honor 400 (regular) — budget bargain (discounted)

Availability/price

• Typically over £300
• At time of video: £299 on discount
• Plus £50 voucher → about £249 total

What’s known (speaker didn’t personally review regular model)

• Speaker reviewed Honor 400 Pro, not the regular
• Regular lacks the Pro telephoto camera
• Slower charging
• Still offers solid specs and a more compact/lighter design

Pros

• Great value with discount + voucher
• Compact and lighter
• Solid overall specifications

Cons

• Missing telephoto camera
• Slower charging vs Pro

Verdict tone

• Called a “bonafide… bargain” at the discounted price (~£249)

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4) Honor Magic 8 Lite

Main features / durability

• Tempered glass construction
• “Ultra-bounce” anti-drop tech (joked it should bounce back; clarified it doesn’t)
• Survives drops up to 2.5 m
• IP68 + IP69 dust/water/spurt resistance
• Screen stays responsive even when wet

Display

• “Large, sharp, and poppy” for movies/games

Performance

• Uses Snapdragon 6 Gen 4
• Can run demanding games like Wuthering Waves, but not silky-smooth
• Better with optimized titles like PUBG

Battery / charging

• 7500 mAh (best-in-roundup level)
• 66W fast charging

Camera / software

• Camera described as not meaningfully upgraded this generation (only okay)
• MagicOS described as bulky and potentially annoying

Pros

• Excellent durability + wet-screen usability
• Very strong battery life
• Fast charging
• Good screen quality

Cons

• Bulky MagicOS
• Camera only okay
• Performance isn’t smooth for the most demanding games

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5) Motorola Edge 60 Fusion

Price

• Usually £299
• Discounted to £229 during the video

Design / build

• “Supremely slimline” design
• “Soft rear end” and framed as one of the standout phones aesthetically

Display

• POLED screen with curved edges

Performance & features

• Performance described as decent
• Battery life described as absolutely stellar
• Adds AI features (speaker claims they’re “less bollocks” than Apple’s attempts)

Caveats

• Less-than-timely updates
• Mention of a “perfume” quirk (described as a weird obsession with coating/dousing phones)

Pros

• Great value at £229
• Premium-looking display
• Excellent battery life
• Surprising camera capability across conditions

Cons

• Update timing issues
• Odd “perfume” practice / quirk
• Not framed as a performance champion

Comparison

• Mentioned successor: Edge 70 Fusion (described as an “absolute banger”) but not compared in detail

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6) Motorola Moto G77

Price

• £250

Strengths

• Bright AMOLED
• “Stock Android vibe”
• Feels like a standout bargain

Weakness

• No major standout features beyond display/OS vibe

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7) Motorola Moto G06 Power

Price

• Just under £100

Main features

• Massive 7000 mAh battery
• Big 6.9-inch display
• Similar slick design mentioned

Pros

• Best extreme-budget battery/display value

Cons

• No advanced differentiators mentioned (implied basic tier)

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8) Poco M8 Pro (and Poco M8 base)

Price

• M8 Pro: £279
• M8 (regular): under £200

Design differences

• M8 Pro: more “slab-like finish” and more heft
• M8: more rounded for better hand feel

Water resistance

• M8 Pro: full water resistant
• M8: only splash resistant

Software

• HyperOS again (speaker notes it’s Xiaomi-like)

Storage

• Starts at 256 GB
• MicroSD support on the non-Pro model

Display

• Both have AMOLED
• Pro adds higher resolution + HDR

Performance

• Pro chipset upgrade: Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 → 7S Gen 4
• Gaming examples:
  • Pro runs fairly demanding games like Wuthering Waves and Genshin Impact
  • Optimized titles (example: Call of Duty) play more nicely

Battery

• Pro: 5500 mAh → 6500 mAh
• Speaker says even the regular M8 has excellent endurance

Camera

• Pro has more capable camera tech:
  • Larger “light fusion” sensor for finer detail (example: low light)

Pros (overall)

• Huge value for money
• Strong AMOLED experience
• Pro model better gaming + camera + battery + water resistance

Cons

• HyperOS expected in both
• Regular M8 likely weaker on durability (splash vs full water resistance)

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9) OnePlus Nord 5 (not recommended)

• Used to be a favorite, but can’t recommend anymore
• Reason: OnePlus no longer sells smartphones in the UK
• Still possible to buy refurbished/third-party, but that’s outside the recommended route

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10) Nothing Phone 3 (refurbished)

• If you can find it refurbished, it’s still a “proper banger”
• Claimed considerably cheaper than Nothing Phone 4
• Likely obtainable under £300

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11) Nothing Phone 4B

• Mentioned as a temptation, but the speaker says it wasn’t one of their favorites
• “Few flaws,” but specifics weren’t detailed in the subtitles

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Pros/cons themes across the lineup (from the video)

• Recurring pro: consistently strong battery life across multiple models (Redmi Note 15, Honor Magic 8 Lite, Motorola Edge 60 Fusion, Moto G06 Power, Poco M8 line).
• Recurring con: budget phones often bring software quirks/bloat
  • HyperOS on Xiaomi/Poco
  • MagicOS on Honor
• Recurring performance compromise: gaming ranges from fine for optimized titles to acceptable with better chipsets, with Pro/5G models (notably Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G and Poco M8 Pro) clearly stronger.

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Comparisons explicitly made

• Redmi Note 15 vs Note 15 Pro 5G: Pro is recommended due to better water resistance, better battery/charging, better chipset performance, and better camera hardware.
• Honor 400 vs Honor 400 Pro: regular is cheaper but missing telephoto and has slower charging.
• Motorola lineup positioning:
  • Edge 60 Fusion is discounted and positioned as a value pick
  • Moto G77 is a bargain but less distinctive
  • Moto G06 Power is extreme-budget focused on battery/display
• Poco M8 vs M8 Pro: Pro wins on water resistance, display (resolution + HDR), chipset, battery, and camera.
• OnePlus Nord 5: recommendation withdrawn due to market availability, not necessarily specs.
• Nothing Phone 3 vs Phone 4B vs Phone 4: refurbishment value vs a “less-liked” 4B variant.

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Speaker-specific views (contributors)

• Single primary speaker provides all evaluations and comparisons.
• No other speakers appear in the provided subtitles.

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Concise verdict / recommendation

If you want the best value under £300, the video pushes upgrades where they matter:

• Best “buy-up” pick: Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G (performance + water resistance + camera upgrades)
• Best bargain value deal (non-Pro): Honor 400 at ~£249 (discount + voucher)
• Best rugged/durable + battery: Honor Magic 8 Lite (IP68/IP69, wet-screen usability, 7500 mAh)
• Best discounted premium feel: Motorola Edge 60 Fusion at £229 (POLED + excellent battery)
• Best low-cost performance/value bundle: Poco M8 Pro / Poco M8
  • Pro if you want water resistance + stronger chipset/camera
  • Regular if you want the cheapest price

Overall recommendation: choose a Pro/5G model when the upgrade improves water resistance, chipset performance, and camera—otherwise prioritize battery and display within the deal prices shown.