5 of the best budget smartphones

Orange Monte Carlo
Bang-for-buck is the main theme here. Despite the silly name, the spec sheet of this ZTE handset is akin to the kind of features you'd find on more high-end smartphones: Gingerbread 2.3, 5MP camera, 800MHz CPU and a huge 4.3in display. Throw in Orange's Signal Boost/smart Wi-Fi app and HD Voice and you're looking at one of the best value smartphones around that will not only satisfy your frugal side, but also your desire to have a brilliant smartphone experience.