Best phones for photography, 5G, and budget
If you want a top-quality camera, speedy 5G or you're on a budget, we’ve got plenty of great options.
- Step 1 of 3 - Budget - active1
- Step 2 of 3 - Brands - incomplete2
- Step 3 of 3 - Storage - incomplete3
What's your budget?
Select the price ranges you want to see (you can choose more than one).
Shop by brand
From phones with privacy, battery life, and ecosystem benefits of Apple devices and a wide range of features from Samsung to impressive AI and camera development from Google, discover top smartphones in our collection. Explore phones by Honor, Nokia, and more for a smooth and user-friendly experience.
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Popular smartphone operating systems
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iOS
Which phones use iOS? Exclusively used by Apple to power their iPhones.
Which apps are pre-installed? Apple Maps, Apple Music, FaceTime, Safari and more.
How do I get more apps? The Apple App store has over 1m downloadable apps.
Do they include cloud storage? You get 5GB free iCloud storage, but you can pay for more space.
Will it sync with other devices? Yes, you can sync an iPhone with your iPad, iPhone, Apple Mac and Apple TV.
Anything else I should know? Newer models often come with free trials for Apple Pay and Apple TV.
Android
Which phones use Android? Samsung, Google, Nokia, Sony (to name a few) use Android to power their devices. Also older Huawei models are on the Android system.
Which apps are pre-installed? Google Maps, Google Chrome, Google Drive, YouTube, Google Docs and more.
How do I get more apps? The Google Play store has over 1m downloadable apps.
Do they include cloud storage? You can get 15GB Google Drive storage with your Google account.
Will it sync with other devices? Yes, Android tablets and Google smart tech.
Anything else I should know? Android phones have a customisation friendly interface.
Processors, battery, and mobile phone storage
We’ve simplified the in-depth features and specs that mobile phones offer. From battery and charging, storage and processors, we’ve demystified the nitty gritty details to help make your decision easier.
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Mobile phone processors
What is a processor? - The processor is your phone's brain. The better the processor, the smoother and faster your phone will run.
Processor specs - Every process has a number of cores, dual (2), quad (4), hexa (6) or octa (8), and the more it has, the smoother it can do more things at one time.
Processor speed is also important. This is measured in GHz and a faster processor is a more powerful processor.
RAM is the final piece of the processor puzzle and once again, more of it means better performance. More RAM will provide a much smoother transition when using multiple applications at once.
To get the performance you want, you need a phone with enough cores, speed and RAM to satisfy your usage.
Battery & charging
Battery size - A bigger battery often means more battery life. Battery size is measured in mAH (milli-amp hours) and is included on most of our product pages.
How do screen quality and processing power affect battery life? Screen brightness and fast performance can sometimes place a greater demand on the battery. This means that mid-range models often have better battery life than top-of-the-range phones.
Battery saving tips
- Use Wi-Fi instead of 4 or 5G.
- Use power-saver mode.
- Turn down screen brightness.
- Close background apps.
- Turn off your location.
If you're going away or find yourself always running out of battery, a portable power bank is a great way to make sure your phone can last all day.
Mobile phone storage
Internal storage - Internal is the amount of physical storage space on your phone. With 8-32GB you may find that space fills up quickly if you take lots of photos and videos. 64-128GB phones provide ample space, with more room for apps, games and podcasts too. Devices with 256-512GB have more than enough space for all the essentials, as well as high-quality video files.
Cloud storage - Cloud storage enables you to store your files on the internet, on a host server. Most Android and Apple phones come with a set amount of free cloud storage, through either Google Drive or the iCloud. Storing items in the cloud frees up physical storage and lets you access your files from other devices.
SIM free, SIM only, digital SIM & pay as you go phones
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What is a SIM free phone?
A SIM free phone doesn’t come with a SIM card. You buy the phone and SIM card separately. The benefit of a SIM free phone is that you pay for the phone upfront, with the only monthly cost coming from your SIM card. It's ideal if you want to upgrade your phone but keep your number or contract package.
What is a SIM card?
A SIM card is a small chip that inserts into your phone to give your phone its identity – its identifier being your mobile phone number. Without a SIM card you can’t make calls, send texts or connect to the internet (3G, 4G, 5G).
Digital SIM card top ups
Found an EE Pay As You Go SIM card that you love? Unlocking the benefits of it has never been easier with our digital top ups for EE.
What is pay as you go?
With a pay as you go phone, you buy bundles of minutes, texts, and data which last 7 or 30 days depending on your network and which bundle you choose. You can set up direct debits or top up your credit before your pack runs out. If you don’t use all your texts and minutes by the expiry date, you will lose them, however some networks rollover the data you didn’t use to your new bundle.
Phone screens
The size and quality of screen you need often depends on how you'll be using your phone.
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Screen size
Over time, mobile phone screens have gotten bigger to improve video watching experience. And if you regularly use your phone for watching YouTube, TV shows or movies, then a big-screen is a must-have.
The benefits of a more compact design is that it's likely to fit more comfortably in your hand and pockets.
Screen quality
Resolution and pixel density are the best way to determine screen quality. The higher the resolution and the more pixels per inch, the sharper the screen will appear.
For increased immersion and a greater viewing experience, choose a model with a curved or infinity screen.
Screen protection
There's nothing worse than a cracked screen, so look out for devices with toughened glass which provides extra protection against drops.
Some phones are also shock resistant, water-resistant or waterproof. But before you make a choice, do check the specs for the depth and distance it can handle.
Best camera phones - our favourites
The camera has become one of the defining features of any smartphone. We’ve picked out some key features to look out for and top brands making waves with their camera phones.
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Apple
iPhone 17 Pro Max:
- Featuring the most powerful A19 pro chip by Apple, iPhone 17 Pro Max comes with an aluminium unibody design and ceramic shield.
- All rear cameras with 48MP.
- Capture stunning selfies with an 18MP front camera and take photos with smart HDR 5.
- Shoot videos with adaptive True Tone Flash and auto image stabilisation.
Samsung
Galaxy S25 Ultra:
- AI-powered, triple rear camera with wide and ultra-wide lenses of 50MP and 200 MP respectively.
- Capture every detail studio-style with enhanced zoom and 8K video quality.
- Use night mode and Nightography features for perfectly boosted colours and clarity.
- Click stunning selfies with its 12MP front camera.
Google
Pixel 10 Pro:
- Triple camera with Pixel's most advanced features - a 50 MP wide lens, a 48 MP ultra-wide lens, and a 48 MP telephoto lens.
- Capture details with up to 100x Pro res zoom and make cinematic videos in 8K video quality.
- Get perfect pictures with Google's AI imaging. Use Camera Coach for best results.
- Take confident selfies with its 42MP dual PD front camera.
Compare specifications
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Types of phones
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Touchscreen phones
Smatphones are used for several forms of interactions in today's world. Touchscreens are a user-friendly and convenient option that make for an immersive experience.
SIM free feature phones
Go the traditional route with button phones that last long and are great for multiple uses or for when you need a spare phone for work calls.
Flip and fold AI phones
Classic nostalgia meets modernity. These SIM free phones can be folded into compact versions of themselves or be opened up for wider displays when watching videos.
AI phones
Choose phones with in-built AI technology that can help with taking and editing photographs, translating languages, and much more.
Phone accessories
FAQs
Is it cheaper to buy a mobile phone outright?
Buying a mobile phone outright can be cheaper in the long run, especially if you choose SIM free phones and pair them with an affordable monthly SIM. Contract phones spread the cost over time, which can help with budgeting, but you may pay more overall. It really comes down to whether you prefer a lower upfront cost or long‑term savings.
How often should you replace your phone?
Most people upgrade their smartphone every two to three years, usually when performance slows down or battery life declines. You might upgrade sooner if you want better cameras, faster processors or new features. Brands like Samsung, Apple, and Google release improved models regularly, so the right time often depends on how your current device is handling your daily apps, storage and speed needs.
Will moving my SIM card to a new phone transfer my files and contacts?
No—photos and files aren’t stored on a SIM card, so they won’t transfer automatically. Instead, they’re usually saved to your phone’s internal storage or cloud services like iCloud or Google Photos. When switching to a new device, make sure your photos are backed up digitally. Many modern smartphones, including Google and Apple models, offer automatic cloud backup options to make this process easier. Some also offer transfer technology allowing you to transfer files seamlessly.
While some contacts might be stored, this is not always the case. Ensure your contacts are backed up to your Samsung, Google or Apple cloud account to ensure you don't lose any. Similarly, apps aren't stored to your SIM card, so be sure to sign in to your new device using the same account as your old one, and your apps should transfer. Check with the manufacturer for full instructions.
What should I do before switching phones?
Before moving to a new phone, it helps to:
- Back up your photos, apps and messages to the cloud
- Sync contacts to your cloud account
- Sign out of accounts on your old device
- Move files or notes you want to keep
Once that’s done, simply log in to your new device and restore your data. Check with the manufacturer for specific advice and instructions for your device.
