Right, I did the top 5 pay as you go phones earlier, and in that post, I split them up into categories, to make it easier for me to judge which was best. Well, now, it’s time to expand on that idea, and dig down into each category, to look at the top 5 of each particular class, and let’s begin with the top 5 uber-cheap, uber-simple phones.
I’ll be honest, for this category, you already know the winner. It was the Nokia 1661, ‘cos it only costs 90p. I mean seriously, come on, do you really reckon anything else is going to beat it, when it costs less than a quid to buy (yes, I know you have to buy it with credit, but that’s the same for any PAYG phone, so relatively speaking, it all works out the same in the end, right)?
Oh, and as you may have guessed (if you’ve ever looked on our PAYG pages), this list is made up almost exclusively of Nokia and Samsung phones. And one LG. And be aware, with all of these, you have to buy them with credit, which brings the price up, but it’s the same amount for all of them. Sorted? Good. Therefore, let’s begin with…
Right, this won the uber-cheap category when I did the general top 5 PAYG thingie, so it seems only natural it’ll come out on top as the best value uber-cheap phone out there, right? Well, yes it does, and I know I’m harping on about this, but come on: it only costs 90p!
The Nokia 1661 just perfectly fits the definition of uber-cheap and uber-simple that it was always going to be the winner in this category, even though I’m not doing this top 5 countdown in any kind of order. But I say again: 90p!
Told you it was going to be mostly Nokia and Samsung phones in this list, didn’t I? Well, next up, we’ve got the Nokia 1800, which is going for £4.95, plus credit. But like all cheapo Nokias in the past, it has some key features that make it stand out.
No, I don’t mean a camera, who expects a camera on a phone it costs a fiver? No, the key features are these: it’s bleedin’ reliable, and it’s bleedin’ simple to use.
Right, let’s mix it up a bit. Let’s stop talking about Nokia phones, and move on to Samsung, and the second cheapest phone on this list: the Samsung E1120. Or, as I called it in May, “the best phone for people who can’t use phones”.
What I said back then applies here, too, as this is the only phone on this list that has a raised keypad (well, alright, the E1170 does too, but it has silly sculpted keys), and therefore, is the best choice for people who have trouble with flashier phones. And it’s dirt cheap, so you can’t really go wrong!
Next up, the second Samsung on our list, the E1170, and this one has a silly sculpted keypad, compared to its brother from another mother, the E1120. However, that’s fine, because while that one does the regular keypad (for users with trouble using a phone), this one does pretty.
Other than that, they’re both virtually identical, but yes, this is the designer version, if you will, while the other one is the more functional version. But they’re both ace. And they’re both dirt cheap. So win, all round, really.
Here we go, the last one on the list, and since I’m bored of writing about Nokias and Samsungs, it’s an LG. The LG GB102, in fact, and it’s on here because it’s probably the prettiest of these uber-cheap phones (in my opinion, anyway), ‘cos it’s all shiny and sculpted and suchlike.
Others have called it dull as ditchwater, but I prefer to call it subtly understated. Not that I’m saying I’m right and they’re wrong or… no, actually, that is what I’m saying. It rocks. And it costs less than two quid.
And there you have it! That’s the top 5 uber-cheap, uber-simple phones on the market, just in time for Chrimbo. Well, in my opinion, anyway. If you’re after a dirt cheap phone that is just a phone, with none of this fancy, bourgeois “functionality” or “connectivity” rubbish, then these five are the beasties to have serious look at.
And I’m still shocked that Nokia 1661 only costs 90p…
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