An affordable smartphone is much better these days than it was a few years ago. What do you get for a maximum of 200, 400 and 600 euros? PC-Active tests nine smartphones, 3 in each price range.
Rens Blom and Rob Coenraads
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In this test we have used the recommended retail prices as |
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The ongoing fierce competition on the smartphone market motivates well-known and lesser-known brands to keep improving their phones. As a consumer, you benefit from this. Thanks in part to technological developments, devices are getting better specifications and a longer update policy. These improvements can be seen in the expensive segment, where brands such as Samsung and Google give their most expensive phones updates for no less than seven years, but also in lower price ranges.
The cheaper segment in particular is therefore becoming increasingly attractive. For a few hundred euros you can buy one of the many good smartphones that you can use for years. Of course there are still reasons to pay more for a device that costs hundreds of euros more, but it is certainly not necessary.
No BKR registration
A cheap smartphone also offers advantages that do not apply to an expensive model, such as lower monthly costs if you take the device in combination with a subscription. If you choose a phone with a sales price below 250 euros with a subscription, this also saves you from having to register with the Stichting Bureau Kredietregistratie (BKR). This is desirable because a BKR registration is consulted by credit providers such as banks. For example, someone who wants to take out or transfer a mortgage can borrow less money if there is an open BKR registration, also with a private lease-contract. If you choose a smartphone that costs more than 250 euros, you can avoid the BKR registration by paying the additional price of the device immediately when you take out the subscription. If you buy a device separately, for example because you have a sim only-subscription, a BKR registration will not apply in any case.
Prices
The editors of PC-Active test smartphones in all price ranges almost every week. In this test you will find 9 (affordable) devices. Please notewe have the recommended retail prices chosen as a guideline, the street prices are often tens to almost hundreds of euros lower. Eight of the nine smartphones are Android smartphones and only Samsung has 2 models in our test, because Samsung is the absolute market leader in Android smartphones. Furthermore, the most recent affordable Apple iPhone SE (2022) was also tested again.
Improvements
You may be surprised by the amount of RAM and storage you see in some smartphones. For example, three years ago it was impossible to find a cheap phone with 256GB of storage for apps, photos and other files, now it is easy. Many brands have also improved their update policies and give tested smartphones three, four or five years of updates.
Tests
– Price range up to 200 euros
– Price range up to 400 euros
– Price range up to 600 euros