Not everyone wants or can afford the best phones which is just fine as budget phones have made great strides when it comes to features and performance. In this guide, we’ve selected the best phones under 1000 AED. More than being just cheap phones, these are good phones that offer great value for your hard earned money.
In this list, we’ve included phones that have been around for a little while as well as the new phones launched in 2022. We keep updating the prices for these phones on a daily basis and sometimes, they might go north of AED 1,000. If they do, you should wait it out and you’ll surely find an offer where they are priced below the AED 1,000 mark.
While you have a good selection of phones in this guide, you can find much better phones if you can raise your budget slightly. In fact, phones under 2,000 Dirhams can be found in our list of top Android phones as well. If you like the best camera on your phone, then check out our list of best camera phones.
Agian, this isn’t a list of the cheapest phone in the world. These are all good, affordable phone- the best budget phones 2022 in the UAE that cost under AED 1,000.
Best phones under 1000 AED
This list was first created in Nov 2022 and we crowned the Samsung Galaxy A33 5G as the best phone under 1000 AED for 2022.
1. Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
Specs & Features
Weight: 186g | Thickness: 8.1mm | OS: Android 12 (OneUI 4.1) | Screen: 6.4 FHD, AMOLED, 90Hz | Processor: Octa-core Exynos 1280 | RAM: up to 8GB | Storage: up to 256GB | Cellular: 5G, Hybrid Dual SIM | Rear camera: 48MP Quad Camera | Front camera: 13MP | Battery: 5000mAh, 25W Wired charging
- Simple and elegant design
- Good screen
- Cameras don't impress much
- Not the fastest phone in this roundup
2. Poco X4 Pro
Specs & Features
Weight: 205g | Thickness: 8.1mm | OS: Android 11 (MIUI 13 for Poco) | Screen: 6.67" FHD+, AMOLED, 120Hz | Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G (6nm) | RAM: up to 8GB | Storage: up to 256GB | Cellular: 5G, Hybrid Dual SIM | Rear camera: 108MP Quad Camera | Front camera: 16MP | Battery: 5000mAh, 67W Wired charging
- Affordable gaming phone
- Great battery life and fast charging
- 5G support
- MIUI is a bit sluggish
- Not the best processor
3. Huawei Nova Y90
Specs & Features
Weight: 195g | Thickness: 8.4mm | OS: Android 10 (EMUI 12) | Screen: 6.7" FHD+, IPS LCD, 90Hz | Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G | RAM: 6GB | Storage: 128GB | Cellular: LTE, Dual SIM | Rear camera: 50MP Triple Camera | Front camera: 8MP | Battery: 5000mAh, 40W Wired charging
- Massive display
- Big battery
- Triple cameras
- Doesn't support 5G
- Lacks Google services
4. OnePlus CE 2
Specs & Features
Weight: 173g | Thickness: 7.8mm | OS: Android 11 (OxygenOS 12) | Screen: 6.43 FHD+, AMOLED, 90Hz | Processor: Octa-core Dimensity 900 | RAM: up to 8GB | Storage: 128GB | Cellular: 5G, Dual SIM | Rear camera: 64MP Triple Camera | Front camera: 16MP | Battery: 4500mAh, 65W Wired charging
- Very fast 65W charging
- Slim and light weight
- Not a speed demon
- Cameras are mediocre
5. Poco M4 Pro Power
Specs & Features
Weight: 195g | Thickness: 8.8mm | OS: Android 11 (MIUII 12.5) | Screen: 6.76 FHD, LCD, 90Hz | Processor: Octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 810 | RAM: up to 8GB | Storage: up to 256GB | Cellular: 5G, Dual SIM | Rear camera: 50MP Dual Camera | Front camera: 16MP | Battery: 5000mAh, 33W Wired charging
- Huge battery
- Good display
- Not the best camera
- Size isn't too comfortable
6. Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
Specs & Features
Weight: 202g | Thickness: 8.1mm | OS: Android 11 (MIUI 13) | Screen: 6.67" FHD+, AMOLED, 120Hz | Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G | RAM: 6GB | Storage: 128GB | Cellular: 5G, Hybrid Dual SIM | Rear camera: 108MP Quad Camera | Front camera: 16MP | Battery: 5000mAh, 67W Wired charging
- Big battery with fast charging
- Good cameras
- Bloated software
7. Honor X8
Specs & Features
Weight: 190g | Thickness: 7.5mm | OS: Android 10 (MagicUI 4.2) | Screen: 6.7" FHD+, IPS LCD, 90Hz | Processor: Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G | RAM: 6GB | Storage: 128GB | Cellular: LTE, Dual SIM | Rear camera: 64MP Quad Camera | Front camera: 16MP | Battery: 4000mAh, 22.5W Wired Charging
- 90Hz display
- Multitasking
- Slim modern body
- No 5G support
- Software could be more polished
8. Motorola Moto G82
Specs & Features
Weight: 173g | Thickness: 8mm | OS: Android 12 | Screen: 6.6 FHD+, AMOLED, 120Hz | Processor: Octa-core Snapdragon 695 5G | RAM: up to 8GB | Storage: up to 256GB | Cellular: 5G, Hybrid Dual SIM | Rear camera: 50MP Triple Camera | Front camera: 16MP | Battery: 5000mAh, 30W Wired charging
- Good display tech
- Bloat-free software
- Large battery
- Cameras aren't the best
- Slightly weak hardware
Best budget phones FAQs
Are cheap phones bad?
Not necessarily. While there can be some cheap phones that are badly constructed, all phones on this list are good phones.
How much do cheap phones cost?
You can get cheap phones for under 300 Dirhams or US$ 100.
Which mobile is best to buy in UAE?
Go with bigger brands such as Samsung, Huawei or Xiaomi when buying an affordable phone as you’ll get much better support in case something goes wrong.
Which Android phone is best under 1000?
The Samsung Galaxy A33 sits on the top of our list of best phones under AED 1000.
Which Android phone is best in UAE?
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is currently the best Android phone available in the UAE.
Which phone is best in UAE 2022?
The iPhone 14 Pro Max is the best phone available in the UAE. It’s expensive but it tops our list.
