Nowadays, you don’t have to spend much money to buy a decent phone in the UK. Today, we are presenting you with the best phones under £500 pounds right now in the United Kingdom. The phones listed below have a combination of great software and hardware. They bridge the gap between flagship phones and budget phones.
Some of them can even be rated as flagships because of the features they come with. If you are in the UK and have a budget of around £500, I promise you will find a phone for yourself here. The phones below are from the best smartphone brands. We have Apple, Samsung, Google, and OnePlus all competing within the price category. In case you have a lower budget, check out 10 Best Phones Under £400 Pounds in the UK [August 2022]
Before coming up with the list, we analyzed many competing smartphones. We decided to pick the 10 best that deserved to be here. The post will also be constantly updated anytime we find a device worth being added to the list. Let’s get into it, and I will show you the best phones under £500 in the UK.
Top 10 Best Phones You Can Get Under £500 Pounds
1. Pixel 7a
The Pixel 7a is a budget-friendly device from Google with excellent cameras and decent performance. It is one of the best phones under 500 pounds, and it comes with a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. The phone has a plastic back with aluminum frames and an IP67 water and dust resistance rating. It is an Impressive phone running on Android 13 and powered by the second-generation tensor chipset. The phone has 8GB RAM and 128GB storage space with a 64MP primary camera and a 13MP selfie camera. It has a 4385mAh battery that supports 18 watts of fast charging and 7.5 watts of wireless charging.
Pixel 7a Specifications
- Display Size: 6.1 inches (1080 x 2400)
- Display Type: OLED, 90Hz
- RAM and Storage: 8GB RAM & 128GB Storage
- Operating System: Android 13
- Chipset: Google Tensor G2
- Camera: 64MP + 13MP Selfie: 13MP
- Battery: 4385mAh
- Price: £499.00
2. Samsung Galaxy A54
The Samsung Galaxy A54 closely competes with the Pixel 7A regarding specs and price. It has a glass build with a plastic frame and an IP67 water and dust resistance rating. The display is super AMOLED with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1080p resolution. It has slim bezels and a camera cut out at the top center of the display. The phone runs on Android 13, and One UI 5.1 is the user interface. It is powered by the Exynos 1380 with 6 or 8GB RAM and up to 256GB storage space. The primary camera is 50MP, and it has a 32MP selfie camera. It has a 5000mAh battery, and it supports 25 watts fast charging.
Samsung Galaxy A54 Specifications
- Display Size: 6.4 inches (1080 x 2340)
- Display Type: Super AMOLED, 120Hz
- RAM and Storage: 6 or 8GB RAM & 128 or 256GB Storage
- Operating System: Android 13, One UI 5.1
- Chipset: Exynos 1380
- Camera: 50MP + 12MP + 5MP Selfie: 32MP
- Battery: 5000mAh
- Price: £480.99
3. Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus 5G
The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus 5G is another excellent device with a complete glass build and an IP53 splash and dust resistance rating. It comes with an OLED display and 120Hz with a 1080p resolution. The device runs on Android 12 and MIUI 13, and the MediaTek Dimensity 1080 is the processor. The primary camera is 200MP, with a 16MP selfie camera up front. It has a 5000mAh battery and 120 watts fast charging support. The phone charges from zero to a hundred in less than 30 minutes.
Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus 5G Specifications
- Display Size: 6.67 inches (1080 x 2400)
- Display Type: OLED, 120Hz
- RAM and Storage: 8 or 12GB RAM & 256GB Storage
- Operating System: Android 12, MIUI13
- Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 1080
- Camera: 200MP + 8MP + 2MP Selfie: 16MP
- Battery: 5000mAh
- Price: £469.00
4. Google Pixel 6
The Google Pixel 6 is one of the best phones released by Google that you can get for under £500 pounds. The Google Tensor chipset powers it, as Google tries to build its own Silicon like Apple. The device has an exceptional camera and software. We have an optical under-display fingerprint scanner that is fast and responsive.
The design is unique, and the camera bar at the back gives me some Daft Punk vibes. It comes with an IP68 dust and water resistance rating. The phone has an AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. There is also a punch hole cut out for the selfie camera on the display. It is already running on the latest version of Android, which is Android 13. The phone will also receive two major Android updates.
The primary camera is 50MP, and we have an 8MP selfie camera. It also has a 4614 mAh battery with 33 watts fast charging support. The phone also supports 21Watts fast wireless charging and USB power delivery.
Pixel 6 Specifications
- Display Size: 6.4 inches (1080 x 2400)
- Display Type: AMOLED, 90Hz
- RAM and Storage: 8GB RAM & 128 or 256GB Storage
- Operating System: Android 13
- Chipset: Google Tensor
- Camera: 50MP + 12MP Selfie: 8MP
- Battery: 4614mAh
- Price: £499.00
5. Apple iPhone 12
The Apple iPhone 12 was released in 2020 but is still one of the best phones under 500 pounds. You can buy the 64GB storage space model within that price category. The phone looks and feels premium, and it has the best camera within the price bracket. It is powered by the Apple A14 Bionic chipset, which performs excellently.
The level of optimization of apps on the iPhone makes everything so enjoyable to use. It is a compact phone at 6.1 inches with an XDR OLED display. The phone has a set of 12MP cameras at the front and back with a 2815 mAh battery that can last a whole day. It also supports 20 watts of fast charging.
Apple iPhone 12 Specifications
- Display Size: 6.1 inches (1170 x 2532)
- Display Type: Super Retina XDR OLED
- RAM and Storage: 4GB RAM & 64GB Storage
- Operating System: iOS 16
- Chipset: Apple A14 Bionic
- Camera: 12MP + 12MP Selfie: 12MP
- Battery: 2815mAh
- Price: £499.00
6. Xiaomi 12 Lite
The Xiaomi 12 Lite is a portable phone weighing less than 180 grams. It has a glass front and back, but the frames are made of aluminum. The phone has a flat display with an optical under-display fingerprint scanner. It comes with an AMOLED display that supports a 120Hz refresh rate. The display is also protected by gorilla glass 5.
The Snapdragon 778G 5 G powers it and has 6 or 8GB RAM. The phone runs on Android 12, and MIUI 13 is the user interface. It has a 108MP primary camera and a 32MP selfie camera. The battery is 4300mAh, and it supports 67 watts fast charging. The phone has excellent features and must be one the best phones under 500 pounds.
Xiaomi 12 Lite Specifications
- Display Size: 6.55 inches (1080 x 2400)
- Display Type: AMOLED, 120Hz
- RAM and Storage: 6 or 8GB RAM & 128 or 256GB Storage
- Operating System: Android 12, MIUI 13
- Chipset: Snapdragon 778G 5G
- Camera: 108MP + 8MP + 2MP Selfie: 32MP
- Battery: 4300mAh
- Price: £449.00
7. Vivo V25 5G
The Vivo V25 5G is another excellent device within that £500 pounds price category. It has a color-changing back made of glass that is amazing to look at when the sun hits it. The phone is boxy and it feels comfortable to hold in the hand, the fingerprint scanner is also under the display. It comes with a 6.44-inch AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate support.
The phone runs on Android 12, and Funtouch OS 12 is the user interface. Funtouch OS doesn’t have many differences from stock Android. It is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 900 with 8 or 12GB RAM. It has excellent cameras with a 64MP primary and 50MP selfie cameras. The battery is 4500mAh and it supports 44Watts fast charging.
Vivo V25 5G Specifications
- Display Size: 6.44 inches (1080 x 2408)
- Display Type: AMOLED, 90Hz
- RAM and Storage: 8 or 12GB RAM & 128 or 256GB Storage
- Operating System: Android 12, Funtouch OS 12
- Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 900
- Camera: 64MP + 8MP + 2MP Selfie: 50MP
- Battery: 4500mAh
- Price: £499.00
8. Honor 70 5G
The Honor 70 5G is the latest budget phone from Honor and it has two unique camera bars at the back. It also has an OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The fingerprint scanner is also under the display and it is fast. I love how the bezels around the display are thin. It has a 4800mAh battery and it supports 66Watts fast charging.
The main camera is 54MP and we have a 32MP selfie camera. It runs on Android 12, and magic UI 6.1 is the user interface. We have the Snapdragon 778+ 5G powering the phone with 8GB or 12GB RAM and up to 512GB storage space. The phone is unique and has to be on the list of best phones under 500 pounds.
Honor 70 5G Specifications
- Display Size: 6.67 inches (1080 x 2400)
- Display Type: OLED, 120Hz
- RAM and Storage: 8 or 12GB RAM & 128, 256 or 512GB Storage
- Operating System: Android 12, Magic UI 6.1
- Chipset: Snapdragon 778+ 5G
- Camera: 54MP + 50MP + 2MP Selfie: 32MP
- Battery: 4800mAh
- Price: £479.00
9. Poco F4
The Poco F4 is another excellent budget device with high-end flagship specs. If you are a gamer and want something on a budget then the Poco F4 is highly recommended. The phone has a premium glass build with an IP53 dust and splash resistance. There is a side-mounted fingerprint scanner on the phone.
It comes with an AMOLED display and a 120Hz refresh rate. The display is sharp and crispy and it gets up to 1300 nits of brightness outdoors. The Snapdragon 870 5G chipset powers it with up to 12GB RAM. We have android 12 and MIUI 13 for Poco serving as the software. We have to add it to the best phones under 500 pounds
The battery 4500mAh and it supports 67Watts fast charging. Charging from 0 to hundred takes slightly over 30 minutes. The main camera is 64MP and the selfie camera is 20MP.
Poco F4 Specifications
- Display Size: 6.67 inches (1080 x 2400)
- Display Type: AMOLED, 120Hz
- RAM and Storage: 6, 8, or 12GB RAM & 128 or 256GB Storage
- Operating System: Android 12, MIUI 13 for POCO
- Chipset: Snapdragon 870 5G
- Camera: 64MP + 8MP + 2MP Selfie: 20MP
- Battery: 4500mAh
- Price: £459.60
10. OnePlus Nord 2T
The OnePlus Nord 2T is among the most affordable phones on this list of best phones under 500 pounds. It has an exceptional design, but it is typical of OnePlus always to give us premium-looking phones. The phone has an AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. It also has an optical under-display fingerprint sensor. The display is bright and sharp, even outdoors.
It runs on Android 12, and Oxygen OS 12.1 is the user interface. The phone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1300 with 8 or 12GB RAM. It comes with a 50MP primary camera and a 32MP selfie camera. The battery is 4500mAh, and it supports 80Watts fast charging. It is affordable and must be on the best phones under 500 pounds.
OnePlus Nord 2T Specifications
- Display Size: 6.43 inches (1080 x 2400)
- Display Type: AMOLED, 120Hz
- RAM and Storage: 8 or 12GB RAM & 128 or 256GB Storage
- Operating System: Android 12, Oxygen OS 12.1
- Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 1300
- Camera: 50MP + 8MP + 2MP Selfie: 32MP
- Battery: 4500mAh
- Price: £350.00
A Quick Recap:- The List of the Best 10 Phones Under £500 in the UK:
- Pixel 7A
- Samsung Galaxy A54
- Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus
- Pixel 6
- iPhone 12
- Xiaomi 12 Lite
- Vivo V25 5G
- Honor 70 5G
- Poco F4
- OnePlus Nord 2t
