An absolute cracker, the Kestrel not only proves that own-brand phones aren’t to be sniffed at, but it also sets the benchmark for all budget 4G phones to follow. Where the Alcatel (cut from £99 to £79 as we went to press) offers 4G for even less, the Kestrel offers affordable superfast internet, but doesn’t compromise elsewhere.
Our editors hand-pick these products using a variety of criteria: they might be direct competitors targeting the same market segment, or they could be devices that are similar in size, performance, or feature sets.
High-spec smartphones are getting cheaper by the day, and there are lots of cheap-as-chips models that can deliver power and quality where you need them. We've rounded up our favourites.Built by Chinese manufacturer Huawei, the Kestrel is impressively...
An absolute cracker, the Kestrel not only proves that own-brand phones aren’t to be sniffed at, but it also sets the benchmark for all budget 4G phones to follow. Where the Alcatel (cut from £99 to £79 as we went to press) offers 4G for even less, the Kestrel offers affordable superfast internet, but doesn’t compromise elsewhere.
The EE Kestrel is a reliable handset that boasts good usability and Huawei’s superior design-work and UI. Unfortunately, the EE Kestrel’s entry-level specs don’t do justice to the 4G-LTE they came bundled with. Therefore, we would advise sticking to...
So far, consumers have acknowledged that own-brand devices are okay – they might be a bit cheap and cheerful and if you can spend a little more cash you're better off buying something else. But the Kestrel from EE aims to change everyone's minds by...
It is interesting that EE has chosen to take the low cost route with its first own-brand handset. Opening up access to 4G for those of us on modest budgets is a smart move, and at present there aren't many low cost 4G phones to rival the Kestrel. That...
If ultra-fast data speeds are of the utmost importance to you, but you don't really care about having the biggest, brightest screen or fastest processor, the EE Kestrel is worth checking out. It's not going to impress with its specs and the bundled...
The EE Kestrel does what it says on the box: delivers 4G connectivity at a budget price point. Its plasticky design might not thrill us, and the headphone jack is in a stupid position, but for the £100 asking price the Kestrel is worthy of a...
The Kestrel is a decent budget phone with plenty going for it.It's built to last, has a splendid screen and reasonable battery life means you get plenty of phone for your £99.It doesn't look as flash as the Motorola Moto e or Nokia Lumia 630, but...
We like the Kestrel, we really do. We don't like its design and build quality, and we hate its user interface, but in other respects the Kestrel has a lot going for it. Whereas network operators haven't yet been able to make 4G connectivity available UK-wide, at least the hardware on which to enjoy it is now available even to those on tight budgets.
EE's Kestrel, a rebranded Huawei handset, is the UK's cheapest 4G smartphone, available for £99 on PAYG (with a £10 top-up), or free on a £13.99/month contract with 500MB of data, 500 minutes and unlimited texts. So what do you get for such a tiny amount...
Smartphones cost a fraction of what they used to. But inevitably to reduce price manufacturers have had to cut costs and, therefore, features. The first element to be left out is often 4G. So EE 's new phone is a big change – the first budget-priced 4G...
Open Gallery 4G for this price is incredible value. It's not just the SIM only price that we're impressed with either. At £14 a month, 4G is no longer a luxury - in the UK at least. The good battery life, expandable storage and front...
EE has achieved with the Kestrel exactly what it wanted to. It offers good value for the money, warts and all. The camera isn't great; the display resolution may leave some wanting; and there's nothing special about its design apart from the poorly...
When it comes to finding a super cheap handset that is actually worth the money, it is all too easy just to opt for an older handset or a handset from an unknown manufacturer. With the budget market being one of the most hotly contested handset markets,...