December 28, 2021, 7:20 am | Read time: 11 minutes

Whether as a smartphone for kids, a second device, or simply out of conviction–customers don’t have to spend a fortune to get a decent phone. Nowadays, smartphones under 100 euros not only offer solid performance but also impress with a modern look featuring a full-view display, appealing multi-camera design, and–if desired–vibrant colors.

Realme C21

Realme is a subsidiary of Oppo, whose smartphones have been known in Germany for some time. The Realme C21 is an affordable model that still offers good features. Released in 2021, the smartphone runs Android 10 out of the box and has a 6.5-inch HD+ display. The Helio G35, a solid octa-core processor with 2.3 GHz typical for this price range, provides the performance. The standout feature of the Realme C21 is the triple camera with its 13-megapixel wide-angle lens, a macro lens, and another 2-megapixel lens. Additionally, the device has a hefty 5000 mAh battery for long-lasting power. The 32 GB storage is expandable, there are 3 GB of RAM, and a fingerprint sensor on the back is also included with the Realme C21.

Realme C21 Features at a Glance:

• Display: 6.5-inch full-view with notch, LCD, 1600 x 720 pixels
• Processor: Mediatek Helio G35, octa-core with 2.3 GHz
• Storage: 32 GB expandable, 3 GB RAM
• Front Camera: 5 MP
• Main Camera: Triple camera with 13 MP wide-angle + 2 MP macro + 2 MP
• Connections: Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n, LTE, USB C
• Battery: 5000 mAh
• System: Android 10
• Other: Dual-SIM (hybrid), headphone jack, fingerprint sensor on the back
• Price: from 90 euros

Wiko Y82

The French manufacturer Wiko is known for its smartphones in the mid and low price segments. The latter includes the 6.1-inch Wiko Y82, which already runs Android 11. The smartphone is powered by the Unisoc SC9863A processor, which is not particularly well-known here but has proven itself in Asia. The octa-core chip consists of eight cores with a maximum clock rate of 1.6 GHz and is accompanied by 3 GB of RAM, which is quite a lot in this price range. The internal storage is also large enough at 32 GB and can be expanded further. The battery has a good capacity of 3600 mAh and is even replaceable. However, users have to do without a dual camera, fingerprint sensor, and NFC.

Wiko Y82 Features at a Glance:

• Display: 6.1-inch full-view with notch, IPS, 1560 x 720 pixels
• Processor: Unisoc SC9863A, octa-core with 1.6 GHz
• Storage: 32 GB expandable, 3 GB RAM
• Front Camera: 5 MP
• Main Camera: 13 MP wide-angle
• Connections: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi b/g/n, LTE, USB C
• Battery: 3600 mAh, replaceable
• System: Android 11
• Other: Dual-SIM (hybrid), headphone jack
• Price: from 99 euros

Alcatel 1S (2021)

The Alcatel 1S in the 2021 version immediately stands out with several features. For one, the smartphone runs Android 11, a current Google system. It also comes with a decent 3 GB of RAM. A triple camera with 13, 2, and 2 megapixels is part of the package, as well as a well-proportioned 4000 mAh battery.

The Alcatel 1S operates with the Helio P22 processor. Thanks to the larger RAM, the Alcatel phone has a bit more reserves than many other models in this price range, offering slightly faster performance. A 32 GB storage is available for personal data. With a display diagonal of 6.52 inches, the Alcatel 1S (2021) is among the larger smartphones under 100 euros. It features a full-view format with a notch. A fingerprint sensor is also integrated on the back for system security.

Alcatel 1S (2021) Features at a Glance:

• Display: 6.52-inch full-view with notch, IPS, 1600 x 720 pixels
• Processor: Mediatek Helio P22, octa-core with 1.8 GHz
• Storage: 32 GB expandable, 3 GB RAM
• Front Camera: 5 MP
• Main Camera: Triple camera 13 MP wide-angle + 2 MP macro + 2 MP depth sensor
• Connections: Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n, LTE, USB C
• Battery: 4000 mAh
• System: Android 11
• Other: Dual-SIM (hybrid), headphone jack, fingerprint sensor
• Price: from 99 euros

Xiaomi Redmi 9

The Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi has established itself in Germany and offers smartphones with a good price-performance ratio. Buyers get a lot of features for relatively little money. This also benefits smartphones under 100 euros. One of them is the Xiaomi Redmi 9, which the manufacturer introduced in June 2020. The device is available in two versions: with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage and 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage. However, the latter is more expensive than 100 euros.

With a display diagonal of 6.53 inches, the Redmi 9 is a fairly large smartphone, but thanks to its narrow display edges, it is relatively compact. The screen has a Full-HD resolution–2340 x 1080 pixels, to be precise. Three things make the Xiaomi Redmi 9 special: the large 5020 mAh battery, Android 10, and the quad camera. This is not a given in this price range and consists of a 13-megapixel wide-angle, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle, a 5-megapixel macro lens, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The smartphone is powered by a Mediatek Helio G80, an eight-core chip with up to 2.0 GHz. Mediatek uses six energy-saving but low-performance Cortex-A53 cores and two powerful A75 cores to boost performance. Wi-Fi ac (dual-band) and NFC are also included. Overall, the features for a smartphone under 100 euros are very solid.

Xiaomi Redmi 9 Features at a Glance:

• Display: 6.53-inch full-view with teardrop notch, IPS, 2340 x 1080 pixels
• Processor: Mediatek Helio G80, octa-core with 2.0 GHz
• Storage: 32 GB expandable, 3 GB RAM
• Front Camera: 8 MP
• Main Camera: Quad camera 13 MP wide-angle + 8 MP ultra-wide-angle + 6 MP macro + 2 MP depth sensor, f/2.2, f/2.4
• Connections: Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, LTE, USB C
• Battery: 5020 mAh, 18 watts
• System: Android 10
• Other: Dual-SIM (hybrid), headphone jack, fingerprint sensor
• Price: from 99.99 euros

Motorola Moto E7i

The Moto E7i is one of the cheapest smartphones Motorola offers. Equipped with an octa-core processor, 2 GB RAM, and 32 GB storage, it provides reasonable performance for a smartphone under 100 euros. Noteworthy on the Moto E7i is the fingerprint sensor on the back and the IP52 water-repellent housing. The smartphone also comes with a dual camera. The 6.5-inch IPS display has a resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels and covers the entire front. A 5-megapixel front camera is housed in the teardrop notch. It’s also nice that the Motorola Moto E7i is already delivered with Android 10. The 5000 mAh battery is also impressive, offering long battery life.

Motorola Moto E7i Features at a Glance:

• Display: 6.5-inch full-view with notch, IPS, 1600 x 720 pixels
• Processor: Unisoc SC9863A, octa-core with 1.6 GHz
• Storage: 32 GB expandable, 2 GB RAM
• Front Camera: 5 MP
• Main Camera: Dual camera 13 MP wide-angle + 2 MP depth sensor
• Connections: Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi b/g/n, LTE, USB C
• Battery: 5000 mAh
• System: Android 10
• Other: Dual-SIM (hybrid), headphone jack, fingerprint sensor, water-repellent according to IP52
• Price: from 99.90 euros

Nokia 2.4

The Nokia brand, now under the umbrella of HMD Global, remains a classic in the mobile and smartphone sector. The devices usually impress with a balanced hardware-software system and reliable updates. The Nokia 2.4, released in October 2020, already comes with Android 10 out of the box. The interface is completely free of Nokia’s customizations–pure Android, in other words.

The Nokia 2.4’s data sheet includes many features familiar from smartphones under 100 euros. For example, the Nokia phone comes with 32 GB of storage and 2 GB of RAM, has a 6.5-inch HD+ display, features a dual camera with 13 and 2 megapixels, and is powered by a 4500 mAh battery. The processor is the Helio P22, which consists of eight cores clocked at up to 2 GHz. Thus, the Nokia 2.4 offers solid performance. Nokia has also not skimped on a fingerprint sensor.

Nokia 2.4 Features at a Glance:

• Display: 6.5-inch full-view with notch, IPS, 1600 x 720 pixels
• Processor: Mediatek Helio P22, octa-core with 2 GHz
• Storage: 32 GB expandable, 2 GB RAM
• Front Camera: 5 MP
• Main Camera: Dual camera with 13 MP wide-angle + 2 MP
• Connections: Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n, LTE, USB C
• Battery: 4500 mAh
• System: Android 10 out of the box (Android One)
• Other: Dual-SIM (hybrid), headphone jack, fingerprint sensor, splash-proof
• Price: from 99.00 euros

Samsung Galaxy A01

Samsung also offers smartphones under 100 euros. One of these affordable models is the Galaxy A01. With its 5.7-inch full-view display and dimensions of 146.3 x 70.9 x 8.3 millimeters, it is almost compact. It has a dual camera with 13 and 2 megapixels on the back and a 5-megapixel front camera in the front notch. The features are typical for a budget smartphone in this price range, and even Android 10 is installed. An octa-core processor with up to 1.95 GHz and 2 GB of RAM provide the drive. The internal storage has a capacity of 16 GB and is expandable, and the battery has a capacity of 3000 mAh. However, users will have to do without NFC, 5 GHz Wi-Fi, and a fingerprint sensor on the Samsung Galaxy A01.

Samsung Galaxy A01 Features at a Glance:

• Display: 5.7-inch full-view with notch, IPS, 1560 x 720 pixels
• Processor: Snapdragon 439, octa-core with 1.95 GHz
• Storage: 16 GB expandable, 2 GB RAM
• Front Camera: 5 MP
• Main Camera: Dual camera 13 MP wide-angle + 2 MP depth sensor
• Connections: Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi b/g/n, LTE, USB C
• Battery: 3000 mAh
• System: Android 10
• Other: Dual-SIM (hybrid), headphone jack
• Price: from 99.99 euros

Also read: This secret setting makes Android smartphones faster

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What to Consider When Buying a Smartphone Under 100 Euros

With smartphones under 100 euros, it’s clear that manufacturers have cut costs somewhere. For example, the casing of these affordable phones is often made of plastic; buyers won’t find high-quality metal or glass here. However, plastic is also more flexible and better absorbs minor drops. Buyers in this category also can’t expect expensive OLED displays, plenty of RAM, top processors, and the latest camera developments. Instead, manufacturers often focus on the essential features of a smartphone: calling and web browsing, the occasional Android game, and streaming short videos, such as on YouTube.

For these tasks, the models listed in our overview of the best smartphones under 100 euros provide sufficient performance. All have a modern design, at least 2 GB of RAM, and 16 GB, in most cases even 32 GB, of internal storage. NFC is rarely found in smartphones under 100 euros. All the devices listed here are Android phones. In our selection, we ensured that at least Android 10 is installed. Since manufacturers rarely update the budget segment, you should never buy a device with an older operating system version.

Android Go–What’s Behind It

In some cases, the so-called Android Go is also used. This is a stripped-down version of Google’s firmware, which the company developed specifically for affordable and thus often less well-equipped smartphones. Android Go guarantees stable performance even with weak hardware and ensures that the system runs smoothly. Even 512 MB of RAM is enough for the firmware. At the same time, Android Go takes up significantly less storage on the smartphone, as it requires only about half the capacity of regular Android. To achieve this, Google has adapted its services and moved many functions to the cloud. Despite these adjustments, the user experience of the apps is hardly different from conventional applications.

Conclusion: Smartphones Under 100 Euros Are Very Similar

Our selection reveals one detail in particular: smartphones under 100 euros offer few unique features. Instead, their equipment is very similar. Only a few devices stand out with special features, and if they do, these are usually a better camera, a bit more RAM, or a larger battery. With such low selling prices, manufacturers often simply have no room for extras. If you miss these, you’ll have to dig a little deeper into your pocket. We’ve compiled more smartphone lists for you to browse:

More Selected Smartphones

• Smartphones under 200 euros
• Smartphones under 400 euros
• The best smartphones for 5G networks
• The best outdoor smartphones
• Smartphones with the best cameras
• Smartphones for kids
• The best smartphones for seniors

However, if you’re satisfied with occasional web browsing and calling, smartphones under 100 euros are a good choice. Due to their low price, these devices can be given to children to keep them reachable on their way to school, for example. Or you can use an affordable smartphone as an emergency or secondary device. Visually, the models don’t need to hide–most don’t look their low price.