Reviewed: The best phones for less than £20

For anyone who has bought an iPhone recently, it might come as a surprise that you can buy perfectly decent handsets for less than £20 in 2013.

At last week's Mobile World Congress, Nokia launched a 'back to basics' handset which cost just £13, with a battery that lasts a month.

It became one of the most talked-about phones of the show - beating dozens of high-powered smartphones.

But there are other handsets available for £20 or less - although geeks might be horrified by the fact that some of these 'Feature Phones' - the word for non-smartphones - don't offer internet or email.

Some do, along with texts, pictures and games.

All are available on Pay As You Go with no long-term contract, a breath of fresh air when smartphone contracts often last two years.

[Related: Get the best prices on new smartphones here]

Alcatel OT 228
Price: £2.95 (plus £10 top-up)
The Alcatel OT 228 is the cheapest feature phone we’ve seen.  The simple design and large keys make it easy to call and send texts and the 1.45-inch screen ensures it’s small enough to slip into a pocket or handbag.
The design isn’t as eye-catching as the Nokia 105 and features are limited to an FM radio, selection of games and a torch, but for less than the cost of a glossy magazine, there’s very little to complain about.

Nokia 100
Price: £4.95 (+ £10 top-up)
Nokia’s entry-level feature phone is light enough to slip into a pocket, with large keys for quickly sending texts and 1.8-inch screen. Inside there’s an FM Radio, music player for catching up with your favourite music, alarm clock and calendar.
For £5 this is a great option for first time smartphone users, although it may be worth waiting for the Nokia 105 (below), with its month-long battery life.


Samsung E2121B
Price: £5.95 (plus £10 top-up)
A candy bar phone with a numerical keyboard, the Samsung E2121B offers more features than most phones at this price.  Built-in GPRS means you can browse basic internet websites and send email (although it’s pretty slow) on the 1.5-inch screen and share using Bluetooth. There’s a basic camera for grabbing snaps and video, while the microSD card expansion slot means there’s ample storage space.  An FM radio and music player round off a simple and affordable phone for people who want more flexibility than simply staying in touch.

[Related: Get the best prices on new smartphones here]

Nokia 105
Price: €15 (UK price TBC)
Announced at Mobile World Congress, with a candybar design and numerical keyboard the 101 is reminiscent of the Nokia phones of old. But with a dust and scratchproof keyboard, eye-catching Lumia-inspired cyan chassis and 1.4-inch colour screen, it’s very much a phone for 2013. Inside an FM radio, music player and five games (including Snake Xenzia) provide entertainment on-the-go and there’s even a torch.
The standout feature is undoubtedly the battery, which lasts an incredible 35 days, making the Nokia 105 the perfect back-up phone.


Alcatel OT-358
Price: £9.95 + £10 PAYG
Many people find typing on a numerical keyboard too fiddly, the Alcatel OT-358 offers a full QWERTY keyboard, where each letter has its own physical key. To accommodate the keyboard, the OT-358 is slightly wider than the other phones here, but has a bigger 2-inch colour screen for browsing simple web pages. Inside there’s a microSD expansion slot for storing photos taken using the VGA camera and mp3s - for when you are fed up with the FM radio. Available in cherry red, white and black, the Alcatel One Touch 358’s keyboard makes the phone a good choice for messaging and emailing.

[Related: Get the best prices on new smartphones here]

Samsung E1190
Price: £14.99
The Samsung E1190 has a 1.43-inch screen and numerical keyboard, but utilises a compact clamshell design, whereby the screen flips down over the screen to protect it. The embossed pattern not only looks stylish, but ensures the phone feels comfortable in the hand too. Other features include an mp3 player, alarm clock and a couple of games.

[Related: Get the best prices on new smartphones here]

Vodafone 155
Price: £15 

Mobile phone requirements for elderly phone users, those with poor eyesight or hearing difficulties are slightly different. The Vodafone 155 has a series of accessibility features designed to meet such needs, including oversized keys with large numbers, a 1.7-inch screen and loud calls even with a hearing aid. 
700 hours standby time means the battery will last around 29 days and the phone comes with a dock, so it can be easily and conveniently charged. Most useful of all is a dedicated SOS button to which an emergency number can be assigned - when pressed it makes a loud noise and calls and texts the number.