With a new year beginning, many smartphone contracts may be due for renewal – and that means a lot of people are looking for the best deal on a new device. Of course, many of us are still watching our finances, and if you don’t need a flashy phone there are plenty of budget handsets out there that do the job without costing too much. Here’s our run-down of some of the best budget smartphones on the market:

HTC Wildfire S

This small handset from HTC may be lacking in power and screen resolution, but it’s a reliable phone with a surprisingly decent camera for the price. Don’t expect to run a lot of apps and games: the internal memory is tiny and allows little more than the basics, but for simple texting, calls and social networking it does the job. An easy-to-use interface and solid construction make this a good choice for anyone seeking a durable, no-frills phone.

BlackBerry Curve 9320

Research in Motion’s low-res Blackberry model – which, as usual for the brand, features a keyboard – still holds up pretty well against newer smartphones, and at an affordable price. The Curve 9320 is chunky and sturdy, with well-placed and responsive keys, and despite the low-power processor it all runs quite slickly. For a budget-friendly Blackberry with a small screen, this is probably your best option.

Sony Xperia U

Sony’s Android offering, the smallest in the Xperia series (which also includes the S and P), is one of the cheapest Sony smartphones you’ll find – but is it worth your money? With a 3.5-inch display, it fits easily in one hand and boasts a front-facing camera, good integration with social networks like Facebook and, as you’d expect from Sony, a good music player. Poor video and low storage space are the points against, but if that doesn’t bother you, this is a cheap and cheerful choice.

HTC Desire C

The Wildfire S’s slightly larger cousin, the Desire C’s 3.5-inch screen size makes it more attractive to those who find bigger phones more convenient, although it does retain the relatively low resolution of the Wildfire S. It’s well-designed and light in the hand, and features Beats Audio technology that makes it double up pretty well as a music player. It’s a good alternative to similarly-proportioned models like the Samsung Galaxy Y and LG Optimus L3.

Nokia Lumia 710

The Lumia 710 seems to be aimed at the younger end of the budget market, with features like a swappable back cover and integration with Xbox Live sure to appeal to the kids. The removable battery, which is usually a feature of Nokia handsets, is also a nice touch and allows you to carry a backup battery around should you need it. Meanwhile, the access to cloud-based services to back up contact lists and the like will also surely come in handy.

Motorola Motosmart

Another compact device at a low price, the Motosmart fits a 3.5-inch touchscreen into a small package, as well as a 3MP camera and support for up to 32GB of storage space. Clever Android widgets like Activity and Social Graph round out a very affordable phone. It’s solidly built and handles everyday tasks well enough, making it a good choice if you just want to text and call.

Author Bio:- This article was written by Gavin Johnson. Gavin is a freelance writer who writes on various topics including technology and the internet. Currently, he is writing for E2Save, a specialist in refurbished and refinished mobile phones.