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Owning a smartphone is essential for modern students, but this is made tricky by the fact that the most desirable, high-end handsets available today are also prohibitively expensive if you are on a tight budget.
Thankfully if you shop around and see through the marketing hype, you can actually find seriously good smartphones that are affordable enough to invest in even if you want to have enough spare cash for food, accommodation and partying.
To point you towards the right device to buy, here are just a handful of the best smartphones for college students at the moment.
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Apple iPhone SE
If you simply have to be tied into the iOS ecosystem, but you do not want to shell out for one of Apple’s range-topping and eye-wateringly expensive mobiles, then the iPhone SE is the obvious choice.
There are a few compromises made to bring it down to a more affordable price point, such as the middling battery life and the somewhat lackluster screen capabilities.
However, all of these minor faults are easy to overlook thanks to the raw power of the phone’s A13 Bionic chipset. This allows it to blast through everything from productivity-focused tasks to video streaming, photo editing and even gaming, whether you want to play casual titles, fast-paced shooters or at a casino online on the go.
Google Pixel 4a
If you prefer Android and want to experience it as Google intended, with no unnecessary add-ons from third party manufacturers, the Google Pixel 4a is the budget smartphone of choice.
You can get this phone with 5G connectivity onboard, but the standard 4G model is significantly cheaper and is still just as capable in every other respect. With a 5.8 inch screen, a class-leading camera, up to 128GB of storage space and the much-requested presence of a classic 3.5mm headphone socket, it brings everything you need and nothing that you don’t to the table.
Samsung Galaxy M31
If you are sick of having to recharge your mobile phone at least once a day, then Samsung has the answer in the form of the inexpensive yet generally well specced Galaxy M31.
The main advantage it offers over its budget rivals is a 6000mAh battery, which should be enough for anywhere up to 3 days of standard use. You could effectively leave this playing video clips for over 24 hours in a row and it would still have juice left at the end of the session.
The rest of the hardware components are decent without being mind-bendingly good, so this really is one for battery fiends.
OnePlus Nord
Sporting the same camera as the one found in the flagship OnePlus 8, which costs twice the price of this entry level device, the Nord is an ideal choice for students who want to take as many excellent pictures as possible during their studies.
Other specs include a 6.5 inch screen, a solid Snapdragon 765G chipset and up to 256GB of storage for images, videos and files.
Motorola Moto G 5G Plus
If 5G connectivity is something you crave but you do not want to pay a premium for the privilege of accessing it, then this wallet-friendly smartphone from Motorola should be added to your wish list.
Its 5G networking compatibility is not the only thing to write home about; it also has a responsive 6.7 inch display, a pair of front-facing selfie cameras and the latest version of Android onboard, with a minimally adjusted interface from the manufacturer to avoid it feeling over-cluttered.
As you can see, there are a multitude of student-friendly smartphones to consider, so the world really is your oyster!
