Best phone under £500 in the UK

the Samsung Galaxy A56 at £459 is the best phone under £500 we sell. If you want to spend less, the Galaxy A36 at £359 does most of the same job. Both are new, sealed and unlocked.

We sell Apple and Samsung phones only, so this guide covers those. If you want to compare against other brands, check an independent review site for those.

The picks

Galaxy A56: the best all-rounder

A 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED screen, a 5000 mAh battery, 45W charging, IP67 water resistance, and a faster Exynos 1580 chip. It has a 50MP main camera and a 12MP ultrawide. It is the closest thing to a flagship in feel at this price. Samsung supports it with six generations of Android updates, which is a long time at this price.

Galaxy A36: the sensible saver

The same screen, battery and charging as the A56 for £100 less. The chip is a notch slower and the ultrawide camera is lower resolution, but for ordinary use you will not feel either. If you do not play demanding games, this is the better value. The full comparison is in our A56 and A36 guide.

Just above £500

If you can stretch, two phones are worth a look. The iPhone 16e at £599 is the cheapest current iPhone, with the A18 chip. The Galaxy S25 FE at £649 adds a bigger screen, faster charging and a telephoto camera. See the iPhone 16 and 16e comparison if you are weighing an iPhone.

What to check before you buy

• Software updates. Look for at least five years of promised updates. It matters more than a faster chip on a phone you will keep.
• Storage. 128GB is fine for most, but there is no memory card slot on many of these, so see our storage guide.
• The charger. Many phones no longer include one. Check what is in the box.
• 5G. All the phones here support it, which matters if your network has it in your area.
• The seller. Warranty, returns and delivery times are part of the price. Ours are on the delivery and returns page.

Common questions

Is £500 enough for a good phone?

Yes. Mid-range phones now have screens, batteries and cameras that were flagship features a few years ago.

Should I buy an older flagship instead?

Sometimes, if it is new and sealed, still supported with updates, and clearly cheaper. Check how many update years remain before you decide.