Smartphones on a budget

Yeah, yeah, yeah we've all heard it before. The fancy screens, flashing lights, amazing camera quality, state of the art technology and innovative displays. The launch of the new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and most recently the iPhone 6s is enough to make most smartphone lovers around the world weak at the knees, drooling at the very idea of the launch of some of the world's most anticipated smartphones.

As much as we would all love to have a new Galaxy or iPhone come Christmas time, there is a small hurdle standing in our way... price. Not everyone is able or willing to spend over $1,000 on a new smartphone. There are bills to pay, shopping to buy, and well, those new pair of shoes you've been planning on surprising yourself with come Christmas aren't going to buy themselves. The simple matter is many (who can't necessarily afford it) will indeed go out and spend between $1079 - $1379 for the iPhone 6s, or $1,149 - $1,299 for the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge... burning a massive hole in their back pockets.

So what are your option? Take out a small bank loan? Go on an uncompromising phone plan? Or, maybe, just maybe, you could look at some of the other more budget-friendly alternatives on the market today. Mobile options that give you the same technology, power and innovation at a fraction of the price.

Put together by Katie Cincotta from The Age Technology Team, here are five smartphone alternatives for under $700 with impressive specs that you should definitely consider before you make your next big smartphone purchase. Each smartphone represents incredibly good value, with some even possessing more innovative technology than there more highly profiled and priced market leading competitors.