The best basic smartphones
Not everyone needs the latest and greatest mobile. Some people are just looking for a simple phone that won’t break the bank.
We've found the best models for calling, texting and battery life, priced at $600 or less.
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The best at the basics
For some people, their mobile is their social hub. They chat to friends, work, and connect to the rest of the world from it. For others a phone is a necessary evil and all they want to do is call and text.
Considering only that, which phones come up best? From our full test to discover the best overall phones, we took the scores for battery life, calling, and texting (weighted evenly) to calculate a simplified score.
We also capped the price at $600, then chose the top 11 using that system (without a price cap the $1200 Huawei Mate 10 Pro topped the list). The average price of these phones is $465.
These mid-range phones will do what’s written on the box – they’re good at making calls and texting but don’t expect them to be amazing at complex tasks, like playing music or games. The cameras aren’t always the best either.
| Model | Price ($)[sort;asc] | Simplified score (%) | Simplified score (%)[sort;asc;hidden] | Calling[sort;desc] | Texting[sort;desc] | Battery[sort;desc] | Camera[sort;desc] | Reception[sort;desc] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) Dual SIM | 488 | 83 | 1 | 6.9 | 8.6 | 9.4 | 4.6 | 7.2 |
| Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Dual SIM | 344 | 82 | 2 | 6.8 | 8.8 | 9.1 | 4.9 | 3.5 |
| Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge (32 GB) | 589 | 81 | 4 | 6.5 | 8.6 | 9.1 | 6.7 | 8.1 |
| Samsung J7 Prime | 549 | 81 | 5 | 6.3 | 8.8 | 9.1 | 4.3 | 5.7 |
| Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) | 549 | 79 | 9 | 6.4 | 8.8 | 8.5 | 4.9 | 4.7 |
| BlackBerry DTEK60 | 580 | 77 | 10 | 6.5 | 7.7 | 8.9 | 5.3 | 7.7 |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo SM-903F | 495 | 75 | 15 | 6.6 | 8.4 | 7.5 | 3.6 | 7.0 |
| Huawei P9 | 600 | 74 | 16 | 6.7 | 7.6 | 8.0 | 5.8 | 3.0 |
| Xiaomi MI A1 | 378 | 74 | 17 | 6.3 | 7.8 | 8.1 | 4.7 | 5.4 |
| Nokia 2 | 169 | 73 | 18 | 6.4 | 7.3 | 8.3 | 3.4 | 8.3 |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4 | 379 | 73 | 19 | 6.8 | 7.8 | 7.3 | 3.4 | 7.0 |
Top 4
These are the 4 best mid-range mobiles listed in order of their simplified score.
Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) Dual SIM
- Simplified score: 83%
- Full test score: 69%
- Price: $488
Bottom line: This Samsung Android phone is good for calling – and its reception is good. It comes with an only just OK camera and is very good for texting.
Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) Dual SIM
- Simplified score: 82%
- Full test score: 68%
- Price: $344
Bottom line: This Samsung Android phone is good for calling and excellent for texting. It comes with an only just OK camera and its battery life is excellent.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge (32GB)
- Simplified score: 81%
- Full test score: 69%
- Price: $589
Bottom line: This Samsung Android phone is OK for calling – and its reception is very good. It comes with a good camera and is excellent for texting.
Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime
- Simplified score: 81%
- Full test score: 64%
- Price: $549
Bottom line: This Samsung Android phone is OK for calling – and its reception is OK. It comes with an only just OK camera and is excellent for texting.
More on mobiles
Compare test results and specifications for all our tested phones, plus find out about features to consider, shopping tips, reliable brands and more.
