Nokia Lumia 530

Specs here put this squarely in budget territory, even for 2014. A Snapdragon 200 quad-core chip at 1.2GHz pairs with just 512MB of RAM, which was tight even at launch, and internal storage is capped at 4GB, so you'll want that microSD slot (up to 128GB) from day one. The 4.0-inch TFT display is compact by any measure, and this runs Windows Phone 8.1, an OS Microsoft has since discontinued.

Camera-wise, there's a single 5MP rear shooter capturing 480p video and no front camera at all, so selfies and video calls are off the table. The 1430 mAh battery is small too, though it's matched to a low-power setup and a tiny screen. Nokia Lumia 530 price in Malaysia starts from RM199.

Connectivity covers the basics: Wi-Fi b/g/n, GPS with GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.0, and a micro-SIM slot. It's a phone built for calls, texts, and light browsing rather than anything demanding, and its age and dropped OS support are worth factoring in before comparing it against newer budget options.