Finding a good mobile phone for under £100

In a world of iPhone's and BlackBerry's, it's easy to forget that you can pick up a good mobile phone for a small amount of cash. What are some of the most impressive and feature filled handsets available on the market for under £100?

A mobile contract might be a great option for some people, but if you want a greater control over your phone and the amount of money you spend using it, it can be smarter to simply buy a handset outright rather than worrying about monthly bills. Many PAYG contracts now offer some of the advantages of contract phones too, providing you top up a certain amount each month. Of course, you have to pay for the phone up front, so what are some good options when looking for mobile phones under £100?

Alcatel OT-808: Alcatel have made a name providing interesting and innovative phone designs for phone users on a budget, and the OT-808 is certainly different. Its clamshell design makes it look like a really small netbook computer, and its full keyboard makes it great for people who love sending messages. The phone supports a 2MP camera and comes with ready installed social networking applications.

LG KP500 Cookie: The Cookie name has been used by LG for the last two years, but now the range has dropped in price, but not in quality and can be found for under £100 Sim free. The 3 inch display makes it look more like a smartphone than a regular handset, and it's fully touch screen enabled. However, despite having a nice 3 MP camera the phone doesn't have many networking options, so if you need a phone that’s useful online, the Cookie isn't the best choice.

LG KS360 - It looks a little like a more feminine and compact version of the Cookie, but the KS360 is designed with texting and emailing in mind. The phone uses a sliding keyboard for quick typing and incorporates threading text messaging features usually only found in more expensive phones. Its other features such as its screen and control system are a little average, however.

Samsung C3300 Libre - The libre is both a compact phone and a capable touch screen device. Most touch screen phones at a low price range tend to use larger screens or have poor response, but the libre uses a smaller, very responsive touchscreen as its main control system making it very compact and portable. The phone also comes with a stylus for people with larger hands, and a range of social networking features. However, this isn't one for people who like taking pictures, as the 1.3 MP camera isn't very impressive.

Samsung Genio QWERTY - The name should be a clue, but this phone is all about the keyboard. In fact, while you won’t find a BlackBerry in the sub £100 price range, this phone is the next best thing, with a very high quality front facing keyboard designed for people who love texting and sending emails. The phone even has a multi-IM feature that lets you chat to several people at once for those people who just can't stop talking.

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