Best Cheap Phones in Singapore (Oct 2023) Under $700 to Get Instead of a $2,639 iPhone

Phones are getting more and more expensive.

The premium devices from Apple, Samsung and other big phone manufacturers now cost as much as a laptop.

Case in point: the most expensive Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max with 1TB of storage will set you back an eye-watering $2,639

There’s so much you can do with $2,639. Think of all the plates of chicken rice you can get (we counted, that’s 660 plates of $4 Hainanse chicken rice).

Thankfully, there is no need to sell your kidney to get a phone now. Cheap phones have become so much better.

Phone manufacturers are all fighting to make the best cheap smartphone, with the cheap end of the mobile phone market being arguably the most competitive price segment.

Manufacturers are doing their best to squeeze more features and specifications than their competitors while keeping the price of the phone low.

As such, there are a dizzying amount of options to choose from.

But at this price point, getting the balance right between price, performance, and specifications is not easy.

Low Price Mobile in Singapore to Get

That’s where this list comes in.

We have created a guide to phones that aren’t just affordable and great for the price. They also have a signature feature that sets them apart from their peers.

Not to mention, all of the phones are really affordable as most of the phones cost less than $500, with $700 as a cut-off point due to the inclusion of options from Apple and the Google Pixel lineup.

However, do note that these phones do not have certified dust and water resistance and wireless charging.

P.S. We have excluded Huawei devices from this list due to a lack of Google services. Additionally, we have added only phones with local warranties and are newer for device longevity. 

TL;DR: Best Budget Phones in Singapore From $189 – $700 — A Cheap Phone Singapore Guide

Cheapest Apple Phone: Apple iPhone SE 2022 ($699 – $939)

If you are firmly in the Apple ecosystem, there is only one ‘budget’ iPhone for you.

That phone is the iPhone SE (2022):

Here are the phone’s specs.

iPhone SE (2022) Specs

Release Date: 18 March 2022

Network: GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G

Screen Size:4.7 inches, 60.9 cm2 (~65.4% screen-to-body ratio)

Screen Type: Retina IPS LCD, 625 nits (typ)

Resolution: 750 x 1334 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~326 ppi density)

OS: iOS 15.4, upgradable to iOS 17.1

Processor: Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm)

Storage & Ram: 64GB+4GB RAM, 128GB+4GB RAM, 256GB+4GB RAM (NVMe) | No SD card slot

Battery: 2,018 mAh 

Charging: 20W (wired) | 7.5W (Qi wireless)

Main Camera: 12 MP, f/1.8 (wide), PDAF, OIS

Selfie Camera: 7 MP, f/2.2

SIM: Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM and eSIM)

Weight: 144g

Dimensions: 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm

NFC: Yes

Dust and Water Resistance: IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min)

The iPhone SE 2022 is good but has some downsides. It looks a lot like older iPhones, which might not excite everyone. Its 4.7-inch screen is smaller than most new phones, so watching videos or playing games might be less fun. Although it works fast with its A15 Bionic chip, the small 1,821 mAh battery doesn’t last very long, so you might need to charge it more often. The camera is okay in good light but struggles to take great pictures in the dark. It doesn’t have as much storage as some other phones, and it doesn’t have Face ID, which is a cool way to unlock your phone.

So, if you want a basic iPhone, it’s fine, but if you want something fancier at this price range, you might want a refurbished iPhone or look at the options below.

iPhone SE (2022) Price and How to Buy

The phone starts from $699 for the 64GB version, $779 for 128GB of storage and $939 for 256GB of storage.

Also, you can get the Apple iPhone SE (2022) from Apple.

Best Overall Budget Phone: Samsung Galaxy A54 5G ($415 – $479)

Next up, we have a Samsung device.

Fun fact: Samsung actually makes the screens for the majority of the phones on the market. Even Apple, their closest competitor, use Samsung OLED screens for their iPhones.

Arguably, Samsung makes the best OLED panels for smartphones, and the company usually reserves the best for its own smartphone line.

Even though the Samsung Galaxy A54 is a budget device, it has many premium features found in more expensive Samsung phones like the S lineup.

This makes the phone a pretty solid device overall.

To help you get a feel for the phone, here are its specifications.

Samsung Galaxy A54 (5G) Specifications

Release Date: 15 March 2023

Network: GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G

Screen Size: 6.4 inches, 100.5 cm2 (~82.9% screen-to-body ratio)

Screen Type: Super AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM)

Resolution: 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~403 ppi density)

OS: Android 13, One UI 5.1

Processor: Exynos 1380 (5 nm)

Storage & Ram: 128GB+4GB RAM, 128GB+6GB RAM, 128GB+8GB RAM, 256GB+6GB RAM, 256GB+8GB RAM | Has SD card slot

Battery: 5,000 mAh 

Charging: 25W wired

Main Camera: 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS | 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1.12µm | 5 MP, f/2.4, (macro)

Selfie Camera: 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8″, 0.8µm

SIM: Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)

Weight: 202g

Dimensions: 158.2 x 76.7 x 8.2 mm

NFC: Yes

Dust and Water Resistance: IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min)

Samsung Galaxy A51 Singapore Price

For $415, Samsung has created a near-flagship device that is relatively affordable.

Many of the features from their more expensive flagship phones, like the in-display fingerprint, have trickled down to the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G.

The phone’s highlight would be the bright and vibrant 6.4-inch Super AMOLED screen that will elevate your Netflix viewing experience.

The cameras also hold up pretty well, as you get three different zoom focal (zoom) lengths with decent performance.

Cheapest Android Phone: Xiaomi Redmi 12 ($189 – $239)

Next up, we have the budget Xiaomi Redmi 12, one of the cheapest phones you can get in Singapore

Xiaomi has made a name for itself for its great hardware at affordable prices and the Redmi 12 is no exception.

For context, here are the phone’s specs.

Xiaomi Redmi 12 Specifications

Release Date: 15 June 2023

Network: GSM / HSPA / LTE

Screen Size: 6.79 inches, 109.5 cm2 (~85.1% screen-to-body ratio)

Screen Type: IPS LCD, 90Hz, 550 nits (peak)

Resolution: 1080 x 2460 pixels (~396 ppi density)

OS: Android 13 MIUI 14

Processor:  Mediatek Helio G88 (12nm)

Storage & Ram: 128GB+4GB RAM, 256GB+8GB RAM (eMMC 5.1) | Has SD card slot

Battery: 5,000 mAh 

Charging: 18W wired, USB Power Delivery

Main Camera: 50 MP, f/1.8, (wide), PDAF | 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚ (ultrawide) | 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro)

Selfie Camera: 8 MP, f/2.1, (wide)

SIM: Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)

Weight: 198.5g

Dimensions: 168.6 x 76.3 x 8.2 mm

NFC: Yes

Dust and Water Resistance: IP53, dust and splash resistant

Xiaomi Redmi 12 Singapore Price

For just $189 for the 128GB+4GB RAM version, Xiaomi has created a great budget device. But personally, I would pay $50 more for the $239 256GB+8GB RAM version.

Best Android Camera Phone: Google Pixel 7a ($650)

If you want a budget phone with the best camera, you must, unfortunately, spend a bit more on the Pixel 7a. 

Simply put, it has the best smartphone camera in this price range and even competes with phones two or three times its price.

Pixel 7a Specifications

Release Date: 10 May 2023

Network: GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G

Screen Size: 6.1 inches, 90.7 cm² (~81.8% screen-to-body ratio)

Screen Type: OLED, HDR, 90Hz

Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~429 ppi density)

OS: Android 14

Processor: Google Tensor G2 (5 nm)

Ram: 8GB

Storage: 128GB (UFS 3.1) | No SD card slot

Battery: 4,385 mAh

Charging: 18W, USB Power Delivery 3.0 (wired) | 7.5W (wireless)

Main Camera: 64 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/1.73″, 0.8µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS

Selfie Camera: 13 MP, f/2.2, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1.12µm

SIM: Dual SIM – Nano-SIM and e-SIM

Weight: 193.5g

Dimensions: 152 x 72.9 x 9 mm

NFC: Yes

Dust and Water Resistance: IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min)

As a Pixel device, the phone benefits from running a clean version of Google’s software, which elevates the experience of using the smartphone.

The phone also receives prompt updates from Google.

The phone is not perfect either. The fingerprint scanner is iffy and the phone’s digital camera zoom is not the best.

However, despite the compromises, the phone still delivers a great experience. If you want one of the best cameras in a phone that’s not a flagship, the Pixel 7a is best for you.

Pixel 7a Price (128GB/64GB) and How to Buy 

$650 on OnePhone with one year Google Singapore Warranty.

Best Budget Phone for Gaming: Poco X5 Pro 5G ($339 – $369)

Next up, we have the Poco X5 Pro 5G, the best phone on this list for gaming.