2013 was the year of the budget smartphone, with affordable Android devices ruling the roost, and managing to tip the global feature phone versus smartphone sales balance.
Here are the top 10 value for money offerings of 2013
Considered by many to be the most exciting value for money Android smartphone to be unveiled in 2013, the Moto G will according to Motorola offer superlative performance and a sublime Android experience.
Perhaps the most-awaited phone launch of 2013, apart from the iPhone 5s, the Nexus 5 features the hardware of a top-end smartphone, in a relatively affordable package, apart from of course, the latest version of Android.
One of the best budget smartphones released this year, the Zen Ultrafone 701 HD ticks all the right boxes, with very capable hardware, a modern Android version, and a smooth overall experience. It was our pick over in terms of overall experience over phones with similar specifications and price range the Micromax Canvas HD.
The Xolo Q700 is a great value for money proposition, offering an excellent Android smartphone experience on a budget, with solid build quality, and a great display to round off the package.
The Nokia Lumia 720 is the best mid-range Windows Phone 8 device in the perfect, complete with top-notch Lumia build quality, and a well-rounded feature-set and specifications.
Despite being a dual-core phone in segment littered with quad-core offerings, the Sony Xperia SP is a great Android smartphone, with excellent build quality, a solid feature-set, and a strong battery life.
At its price, the Gionee Elife E6 offers surprisingly good hardware, putting Android smartphones from other major manufacturers in the same segment to shame. It also has an attractive design and solid build quality, rounding off the E6's USPs.
The Huawei Ascend Mate may just be the best 6-inch phablet this side of the Rs. 30,000 mark, offering great performance, a vivid display, and solid build quality to edge out the competition.
The Lenovo P780 is known as the battery phone, simply because of its massive 4000mAh battery, however, its well-rounded feature-set, good overall performance, and tough build quality make it a strong contender in the segment.
The Lava Iris 504q is a great budget Android smartphone offering that has a premium design, a good feature-set, and a great camera, apart from some rather capable hardware.
BONUS: The Nokia Lumia 520 is hands-down the best budget Windows Phone 8 device in the market, and not just because it has virtually no competitors in the segment. Its solid overall performance and full-fledged feature-set make it stand out over Android offerings at the price - this makes it our special pick, at number 11.
Also see, our Top 10 smartphones of 2013 list.