Best Value Phone Right Now? Our #1 Picks For 2022…


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If you want a good phone but you don’t want to break the bank, what’re the best options right now? Here’s our pick of the best value phones money can buy right now…


The phone market is a strange place. You have a myriad of different price brackets from ultra affordable to ultra expensive, topping out at close to $2000 for a 1TB foldable phone. But what if you’re not interested in that kind of stuff? What if you just want a reliable phone that works great, has a decent camera and battery life, and doesn’t cost the earth? Is that too much to ask?

Not at all. In fact, when it comes to value for money and phones, there has never been a better time to be in the market for a new phone. Thanks to things like COVID and rising inflation, phone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung are practically crawling over one another to offer more bang for your buck – although they’d still prefer you to buy their most expensive models.

A good value phone is a phone that doesn’t cost too much, has all the functionality you’ll need, is relatively future-proofed, has a decent camera and battery life, and gets good software support. If you can get all of these things for less than $700, I’d argue you’ve got yourself a good value phone. But what are the best value phone options on the market right now?

Best Value Phones 2022

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Why These Phones?

The simple reason is that they’re all really, really good phones. The second is that they get great support in the form of software and security updates. And third, they all cost less than $700 which is currently the new sweet spot for value for money in the US phone market. Of course, there are much cheaper options out there but what you gain in savings, you often lose in performance and capabilities.

Obviously, $700 for a phone is a lot of money. But the thing with these phones, and modern phones in general, is that they’re immensely powerful, so providing you look after it, the phone should last you a good three years or more. With an iPhone, you’ll get iOS updates for 7-8 years, so you could technically buy the iPhone 13 today and still be running it in 2028. Sadly, you cannot do this with Android phones; Samsung and Google currently only offer three major Android updates and four years of security updates.

If you plan on using your phone for the long run, or simply don’t want to have to think about upgrading it for at least the next five years, Apple’s iPhone is the way to go. You’ll get iOS updates and security updates in a timely and reliable fashion for many, many years to come. This means you can buy today and not have to worry about anything pertaining to support while you’re running the phone.

Are They Future-Proofed?

For the most part, all of the phones included in our Best Value Phones table at the top of this post are future-proofed. They all run 5G, have large batteries, beautiful OLED or AMOLED displays, and enough power under the hood to keep the phone running seamlessly for years to come. In my own experience, Samsung phones and iPhones tend to last longer than Pixel phones. I guess Apple and Samsung’s QC is just better.

I cannot vouch for the Pixel 6, as it is the only Pixel phone to date I haven’t owned. But the reason I do not own one is that all of my other Pixel phones tended to die or get faulty after a couple of years’ worth of usage, so I switched over to an iPhone 13 in 2022 and I will probably run this phone until the iPhone 15 launches in 2023. I could easily hold on until 2024’s iPhone 16, but I’m a sucker for new features.

Updates & Support

We touched on this subject earlier. The short story, with respect to support, is that Apple is currently the market leader by a considerable margin: it supports its iPhones for twice, sometimes three times as long as the best Android phone makers on the market. Google and Samsung both guarantee three years’ worth of Android updates which is decent enough but it still pales in comparison to Apple’s 7-8 years of iOS updates.

Of course, this could change in the coming years. Samsung could push for five years of support, and so too could Google.

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But I do not think they will and the reason relates to money: Samsung is not interested in you using one of its phones for five or six years; it wants you to update, ideally, every couple of years – three at the most. It makes all of its money on its hardware sales. Google is different, being more like Apple in how its business works. It could offer better support, matching Apple, but for some reason, it doesn’t seem interested in doing this.

Still, most people only tend to run their phones for 2-3 years, the average length of a phone plan and/or finance agreement, so I guess there is logic to Samsung and Google only doing three years’ worth of Android updates. Why do more when you don’t have to?

Still, for me, Apple’s support is one of the main reasons why people that use iPhones tend to stick to using iPhones over the long haul. They might not be the best or more innovative phones on the market, especially the base models, but you know exactly what to expect with respect to updates and security patches.

Wrapping Up – What’s The Best Value Phone?

Taking all of the above into account, I’d have to say that, right now, the best value phone for most people would be the iPhone 13. It is a solid performer across the board, it is simple to use, it’ll get iOS updates until the late-2020s, it is well priced, and it has a brilliant camera system. For 99.9% of users, it is all the phone you’ll ever need.

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If you hate Apple and everything it stands for, the Galaxy S22 or Pixel 6 are just about the best value Android phones you can buy right now. Both pack in a plethora of amazing specs and hardware, gorgeous designs, brilliant camera systems, and you’ll get three major Android updates with both models. Which is the best? Personally, I’d go with the Pixel 6 – but I’m a sucker for Google’s stock Android software.

The Galaxy S22 is arguably the more accomplished phone of the two, so if you’re into your specs, and performance, and want more bells and whistles, it is probably worth paying a little extra and getting the Galaxy S22. For me, though, the Pixel 6 serves up way more value for money – it’s a brilliant phone and it is very aggressively priced. If you want the absolute most bang for your buck, the Pixel 6 is impossible to beat right now…

Latest Smartphone Releases


  • Xiaomi 15S Pro

    The Xiaomi 15S Pro didn’t come with a flashy launch, but it brings some seriously heavy hardware to the table. A custom 10-core chip, Leica-engineered cameras, and one of the brightest displays on the market

  • Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge

    At just 5.8mm thick, it’s one of the thinnest Android phones ever made—but don’t let the slim profile fool you. This phone is all flagship under the hood.

  • Nothing Phone (3a) Pro

    It’s got the same slick design and OLED display, but adds a periscope zoom camera and a 50MP front-facing shooter.

  • Nothing Phone (3a)

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  • Motorola EDGE 60 Pro

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  • Google Pixel 9

    I’ve been using the Pixel 9 for a few weeks now, and honestly? It nails all the basics—and a bit more. Killer stuff all round!

  • Google Pixel 9 Pro

    I’ve used the Pixel 9 Pro as my daily device, and it’s hands-down the best balance of power, practicality, and photography you’ll find on Android right now.

  • OnePlus 13

    I’ve been using the OnePlus 13 as my daily driver for a few months now—and I’ve got to say, it’s easily one of the best Android phones I’ve tested this year.

  • Xiaomi 15 Ultra

    After using the Xiaomi 15 Ultra for over a week, I can confidently say: this phone is an absolute beast. It’s made for camera nerds, power users, and creators.

  • iPhone 16 Pro Max

    If you’ve been holding out for a truly complete iPhone, the 16 Pro Max delivers—hard. After using it daily, I won't be going back…

  • Google Pixel 9 Pro XL

    Big screen, big battery, and even bigger brains—this is the Pixel to get if you want Google’s best hardware and longest support.

  • Google Pixel 9a

    The Pixel 9a brings Google’s flagship-level smarts to a budget-friendly package, and it’s easily one of the best-value Android phones of 2025.

Best SIM-Only Plans & Deals


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  • iD Mobile 1 Month SIM-Only: 20GB

    The lowest price option. 20GB for £6 with all the same perks as pricier plans. Great if you don’t use much data and want to save every penny.

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    Data: 20GB

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    Data: 60GB

  • iD Mobile 1 Month SIM-Only: 40GB

    Perfect if you want full flexibility. You get 40GB and all of iD Mobile's perks with no lock-in, annual increases, or setup fees. Great for short-term users.

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    Data: 40GB

  • iD Mobile 12 Month SIM-Only: 60GB

    One of the best pound-per-GB plans around. You get 60GB for £8 with £25 cashback, which means you’re effectively paying closer to £6/month. Includes roaming and data rollover.

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    Data: 60GB

  • iD Mobile 12 Month SIM-Only: 108GB

    This deal gets you a healthy 108GB of 5G data for less than a tenner, with no upfront costs and £24 cashback. All the perks are included too: data rollover, roaming, and loyalty rewards.

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    Data: 108GB

  • iD Mobile 12 Month SIM-Only: Unlimited Data

    This iD Mobile plan doesn’t just compete on price, it’s up there with the best of them. Unlimited everything, a year-long lock-in with no price rises, and £42 cashback straight to your pocket. It’s like getting nearly 3 months free.

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    Data: Unlimited, No Speed Caps

  • Mint Mobile 20GB Plan

    If you're looking to save some cash on your bills, this plan is an awesome option. You'll get 20GB of data per month and 20GB hotspot data allowance. For moderate to heavy users, that should be more than enough. I seldom use more than 10GB of data a month, and I'm always using my phone

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    Data: 20GB