The best phone under £300 isn't the one everyone buys
Ten phones on sale in the UK today, all between £150 and £300. Ranked on the chip, the RAM, years of updates and what's in the box.
The verdict
| Award | Phone | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Best value over the years | Samsung Galaxy A27 5G | £259 |
| Fastest for the money | Nothing Phone (3a) Lite | £249 |
| Best deal right now | TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro | £189.99 |
What to look at first
The ranking
Motorola moto g67 5G
£219.99ARGOS · 7 NOV 2026 · 128GB · UK- MediaTek Dimensity 6300 · 4 GB RAM
- 5,200 mAh · 30 W
- 50 MP main camera
A big battery for the money, but only 4 GB of RAM — fine today, tighter in two years.
Samsung Galaxy A17 5G
£249.00ARGOS · 7 NOV 2026 · 128GB · UK- Exynos 1330 · 4 GB RAM
- 6.7" 90 Hz AMOLED
- 5,000 mAh · 25 W
- 6 Android upgrades
The most-reviewed phone at this price on Argos, with nearly 500 reviews. Six years of updates is excellent, but 4 GB of RAM and a 90 Hz screen at £249 is poor value — Samsung launched it at £199.
HONOR 400 Lite 5G
£167.49ARGOS · 7 NOV 2026 · 256GB · UK- MediaTek Dimensity · 8 GB RAM
- 108 MP main camera
- 5,230 mAh · 35 W
The cheapest phone on our list, and it still gets 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage.
HONOR Magic7 Lite 5G
£200.00ARGOS · 7 NOV 2026 · 512GB · UK- Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 · 8 GB RAM
- 6,600 mAh silicon-carbon battery
- 66 W charging
- Security updates to 2027
Launched at £399, now £200 for 512 GB, with a screen built to survive a two-metre drop. The catch: it is a January 2025 phone with an older chip, and security updates end in 2027.
Motorola moto g77 5G
£279.99ARGOS · 7 NOV 2026 · 128GB · UK- Dimensity 6400 · 8 GB RAM
- 6.78" 120 Hz AMOLED
- 5,200 mAh · 30 W
- IP64 · 3 OS upgrades
One of the best battery results we found — over 27 hours of video in Expert Reviews' test. But Argos is £30 above Motorola's own £249.99, so shop around.
HONOR 600 Lite 5G
£239.99ARGOS · 7 NOV 2026 · 128GB · UK- Dimensity 7100 · 8 GB RAM
- 6,520 mAh · 45 W
- 108 MP main camera
- IP66
Down from £259.99. A strong all-rounder: newer chip, big battery and proper water resistance.
Samsung Galaxy A26 5G
£299.99ARGOS · 7 NOV 2026 · 256GB · UK- Exynos 1380 · 8 GB RAM
- IP67 water resistance
- 6 Android upgrades
- 5,000 mAh · 25 W
256 GB and 8 GB of RAM, survives a dunk, and six years of Android upgrades — right at the top of the budget.
TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro 5G
£189.99ARGOS · 7 NOV 2026 · 256GB · UK- Dimensity 7300 · 8 GB RAM
- 6.9" matte NXTPAPER display
- IP68
- 5,200 mAh · 33 W
Launched at £269.99; at £189.99 it is the bargain of the list. A matte screen made for reading and IP68. The one weak spot: TCL has not said how long updates last.
Nothing Phone (3a) Lite
£249.00ARGOS · 7 NOV 2026 · 128GB · UK- Dimensity 7300 Pro · 8 GB RAM
- 6.77" 120 Hz AMOLED
- 5,000 mAh · 33 W
- 3 OS upgrades · 6 years security
Joint-fastest chip on our list — around 900,000 on AnTuTu in two separate reviews — and it held 93% of its peak under sustained load. Downsides: only splash-proof (IP54) and three Android upgrades.
Samsung Galaxy A27 5G
£259.00ARGOS · 7 NOV 2026 · 128GB · UK- Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 · 6 GB RAM
- 6.7" 120 Hz Super AMOLED
- 6 Android upgrades · security to 2032
- IP64 · 5,000 mAh
Not the fastest today, but the best value over the years you will keep it. And Argos has it £70 below Samsung's own store (£329).
Five things the shop won't tell you
- Same name, different phone. The Galaxy A17 comes as a 4G model at £199 and a 5G model at £249 at Argos. Check the box.
- No plug in the box. Most of these phones come with just a USB-C cable.
- 4 GB of RAM is the cheap bit. It's fine today, and slow in two years.
- Add up the full 24 months. SIM-free plus a SIM-only deal often costs less than a contract.
- Prices move, and the maker isn't always cheapest. The Galaxy A17 5G launched at £199; today it's £249 at Argos and £259 at Samsung. Check three shops before you buy.
What you actually need with it
A USB-C PD charger that matches the phone's top speed — 25 to 66 W on this list — plus a case and a screen protector. Buy one good charger and it will serve the whole family.
Sources
Prices: Argos UK listings, 7 Nov 2026; Samsung UK and Motorola UK stores, 7–8 Nov 2026. Specs: manufacturer spec sheets. Battery: Expert Reviews video-playback test. Performance: two independent AnTuTu reviews (Japan, Romania). Images: Argos / manufacturers. FORTIAY accepts no payment or free products from the brands in this ranking.