2014 introduced scores of smartphones to the world. Although the premium-specced handsets dominated the field, there are mid-range ones that rose above the rest in the showground. Various budget smartphones emerged this year and they made users realize that good performance is not necessarily determined by the price. As the New Year looms in, here's a look back at the smartphones that did not vacuum money purses and still performed satisfactorily. 

The first smartphone to come to mind is the second generation Moto G. At merely $200, users can snag the 5-inch device that features an improved 8-megapixel camera and an 8 GB memory, expandable to 32 GB with a microSD card (a feature absent in its predecessor). IB Times adds that the handset, which packs an unchanged RAM of 1 GB, has a speedier performance than some smartphones that cost more.

The HTC Desire 816 is also a must-have phone for the budget-conscious who are looking for a handset that will deliver. Its Qualcomm MSM8928 Snapdragon 400 is more than enough for its 1.5 GB RAM. It is loaded with 8 GB storage capacity that can be upped to a whopping 128 GB, thanks to its microSD support. Users would not ask for more with its camera, as the smartphone sports a 13-megapixel front-facing shooter that allows video recording in 1080p at 30 frames per second. Also, a front camera at 5 megapixels will give users their selfie fix. Interestingly, the HTC offering has a variant called HTC Desire 816G, which comes with a dual-slim slot. The HTC Desire 816 costs about $275.

Before Nokia was taken over by Microsoft, the mid-range phones that bore its name were major players in the turf. One is the beasty phablet known as the Lumia 1320. With a gargantuan screen that measures 6 inches and a decent 5-megapixel shooter, shedding a good $400 for the phone will be worth it. Its 1.7GHz dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Processor paired with 1 GB RAM makes the phone all the more capable. Its juice can last for more than a day, which is already awesome. Add to that the 8 GB storage capacity that can go up to 64 GB with a memory card.

A Samsung entry in the list comes in the form of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo. The 5.7-inch device generates a 720 pixel resolution. It packs a 1.6 GHz quad-core processor, 2 GB RAM and a sizeable 16 GB memory inbuilt. The 8-megapixel camera infused with imaging necessities like image stabilization, panorama, LED flash and autofocus comes in handy along with a 2-megapixel front-facing snapper. All that costs no more than $350.

Lastly, there's the well-loved Google Nexus 5. The device continues to take over the field even a year after its rollout. At $350, users can score this 4.95-inch device, which houses a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 clocked at 2.3 GHz coupled with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB storage capacity. Users would love it more for the 8-megapixel camera onboard its sleek body.