This cheap Samsung Galaxy phone just got a great free software upgrade

We'd all like to own one of the best phones, but sometimes that's not possible. Fortunately, here at T3, we've also collated a list of the best cheap phones, putting them through rigorous testing to ensure they make the grade.

Recently, cheap phones have gotten a lot better. Handsets like the Google Pixel 6a and the Nothing Phone (1) prove that you can have a quality phone without breaking the bank. And, if you're up to date with all of the best Black Friday deals – or you've checked out our Black Friday deals live blog – you'll know that phones often get a chunky discount.

This means that devices which traditionally would have been out of reach, are made affordable. Such is the case with the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. This stripped back version of the full-fat Samsung Galaxy S21 was priced slightly too high for inclusion in our cheap phones buying guide.

But now, Very have a stripped £200 from the price in their Black Friday sale, meaning you can pick one up for just £499! That is very definitely in cheap phone territory, so let's take another look at what it offers.

Grab the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE at Very

For starters, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has just got the One UI 5 update. As Samsung's version of Android 13, One UI 5 brings a host of cool updates, including Routines and Bixby Text Call, which uses AI to translate speech into text and back on phone calls.

Elsewhere, it packs a 6.4-inch AMOLED display, with a 120Hz refresh rate for super smooth scrolling. It has a 4,500mAh battery, which will help keep you going for longer, and a stereo speaker setup with Dolby Atmos sound for top-tier audio.

And for less than £500? That's a superb package that will comfortably handle all but the most extreme use cases.