WHAT TO BUY INSTEAD OF THE iPHONE

The best cheap iPhone alternatives

With one of the best mobile phone cameras, the Microsoft Lumia 930 could be the best value phone on the market. Source: Supplied

DON’T have the money to throw down $1000 on a brand new iPhone 6 or
Samsung Galaxy S6? No worries, you still have plenty of options.

With the continued dominance of Apple’s iPhone in the high-end phone market, other manufacturers are trying to battle at lower price points, offering more bang for your buck than ever. These are the phones you should consider if you’re on a budget.

BELOW $500
The $400-$500 mark is arguably the sweet spot for phone value. These devices are almost as feature-packed as their expensive rivals, whether they be last year’s flagship or a lesser-known brand.
LG’s 2014 flagship, the G3, was one of the best phone’s of 2014, if not the best. You can pick it up from Kogan for $439. It has a great camera, quad-HD screen (four times high-definition quality) and a battery life that will keep you going all day. With it being a flagship device, it’s also likely to receive another big Android software update in the next 12 months to keep it feeling fresh.

LG G3 is the pick of the bunch under $500. Source: Supplied

Chinese brand Huawei’s flagship handset, the Ascend Mate 7, is also one of the best on the market. It has a huge six-inch screen, has a battery that lasts longer than just about any other phone and has a fingerprint scanner that actually works. You might have to shop around to find it for less than $500, but it’s there and well worth your money.
If you like smaller screens, Sony’s Xperia Z3 Compact for about $470 is a killer device.

BELOW $400
This is another good price range for bang for your buck, with solid mid-range handsets that won’t leave you disappointed. This is also where Windows Phone starts to appeal, with the Microsoft Lumia 930 available for as little as $385. It includes one of the best cameras available on any phone.
The OnePlus One is also a device to consider, however it is only available online. For about $389, get a tech fanatic’s dream with super-high specs and the ability to tinker with the software.
Another phone worth considering is Google’s Nexus 5 for a little less than $400.

For under $400, Google’s Nexus 5 is great value. Source: Supplied

BELOW $300
This is where you’re looking at entry-level devices, so you can’t expect much more than a reliable device that does the basics. Windows Phone is again your best option in the cheaper price ranges, with the Lumia 640 available for $179 from telcos. With that, you get a 4G device that packs a five-inch HD screen, eight-megapixel camera and quad core processor.
If you must have an Android device, the Alcatel One Touch Idol 3 will be priced about $300, when it is released. (The date is still not locked in.) It packs a 13-megapixel camera and 5.5-inch Full-HD screen that looks much better than the price suggests. It’s a serious bargain and easily feels like a device worth closer to $500.
But if you’re on a serious budget, the Microsoft Lumia 532 is the pick of the bunch. It has 3G data, a usable five-megapixel camera and Windows Phone works well without making the device feel laggy and bogged down.

The Microsoft Lumia 640 is a surprisingly great phone for the price. Source: Supplied