As long as you don’t expect absolutely everything in a budget phone, chances are you can be pretty happy with a phone that costs $500 or even less.
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Best Budget iPhone
Because the only truly affordable iPhone SE is so outdated, we suggest buyers consider the pricier, $600 iPhone 13 instead (Image Credit – PhoneArena)
Unfortunately, that phone was released way back in March 2022, making it nearly two years old and even when it launched it felt outdated, so we cannot recommend it in good conscience to most people today. It has a tiny, 4.7-inch screen which uses the older LCD screen technology which is nowhere nearly as vibrant and good-looking as an OLED screen, and its battery life is quite poor. It is an iPhone and it runs on a fast processor, but that’s about the only thing it has going for it.
Instead, if you want an iPhone that you will be happy with in the long term, we recommend going a bit over the typical budget for this article and getting the iPhone 13 instead.
The iPhone 13 has a much larger screen than the SE and a more modern design
Unlike the iPhone SE, it also uses Apple’s new gesture navigation and Face ID, which are also very convenient. Additionally, it has substantially better battery life and it has both a main camera and an ultra-wide camera, while the iPhone SE only has a single camera on its back. It is just the better phone all around and you won’t regret spending a bit more to get it instead of the iPhone SE 3rd gen.
Best Android budget phones under $500
#1. Google Pixel 7a
MSRP $500 | Released in May 2023 | *New Pixel 8a model expected in May 2024
Pixel 7a remains our top pick for a budget Android phone
It combines a nearly flagship-grade Tensor G2 chipset and a similarly good camera system, and it runs on clean Google software with a guarantee to receive Android updates on day one. Compare this to a waiting period of a few months on most other Android phones.
#2. OnePlus 12R
MSRP $500 | Released in January 2024
OnePlus 12R beats the Pixel 7a in terms of performance and charging speed, but it’s a slightly less good a camera
OnePlus is back making budget phones in 2024 with the $500 OnePlus 12R.
And it is back with a bang!
The OnePlus 12R has the fastest chipset in the $500-ish price class, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and its performance is faster and smoother than rivals. It also has the largest screen: a 6.8-inch OLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate.
On top of all that, it has a massive, 5500mAh battery AND an insanely fast 80W charging speed (a full charge takes merely 25 minutes!).
The one area where it falls a bit short of the Pixel is the camera performance, and that is the only reason why the Pixel still manages to hold on to the top spot in this ranking. However, if you place more value on the performance, battery life and screen size, the OnePlus 12R should probably be your top pick.
#3. Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
MSRP $450 | Released in March 2023 | *New Galaxy A55 5G model expected in March 2024
The Galaxy A54 5G will soon be replaced by a newer model, but it is still a good budget phone (Image Credit – PhoneArena)
At a slightly lower, $450 price, you have the popular Samsung Galaxy A54 5G.
The Galaxy A54 comes with a larger screen than the Pixel and with a bigger battery too, so it lasts longer. The camera system has been upgraded so it delivers adequate performance, but keep in mind that images have those typical larger-than-life Samsung colors.
The reason why the Galaxy A54 5G is behind the Pixel 7a and OnePlus 12R in this list is mostly about the performance. While this phone is no slouch, the Exynos 1380 chipset is clearly a mid-range processor, and not quite as zippy as, say, the Tensor in the Pixel and not even close to the Snapdragon chipset on the OnePlus 12R.
On the flipside, the Galaxy will get four major software updates, compared to the three on the Pixel, and it also charges faster than the Pixel (it takes 1 hour and 20 minutes for a full charge compared to 2 hours on the Pixel). The Galaxy, however, does not support wireless charging, which the Pixel does.
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Best budget phones under $400
#1. OnePlus Nord N30 5G
MSRP $300 | Released in June 2023
The Nord N30 5G is a fast phone with a very capable main camera, and at a great price too
Another good option for budget shoppers is the OnePlus Nord N30 5G.
The main advantages here are the clean and smooth performing UI, and the typical for OnePlus super-fast charging. The Nord N30 5G supports 50W wired charging speeds, meaning a full charge takes around 55 minutes.
The 108MP main camera also does a great job in even more challenging conditions.
The compromises you have to take here are the lack of an ultra-wide camera and the somewhat average battery life. Another big downside is you only get ONE major Android update (and three years of security updates), which is less than the competition.
#2. Nothing Phone (2a)
MSRP $350 | Released in March 2024
The Nothing Phone (2a) is a phone with pretty design and clean UI that will help you be more mindful when using it
Nothing released its first smartphone just two years ago, but despite being a young company, its new Nothing Phone (2a) is a very good budget phone at $350.
It has the stand-out design that Nothing is known for with an LED light “glyph” on the back, so it is probably the best looking budget phone around. But it is not just about the looks: it has a decent chipset and a good enough camera system at this price. Additionally, it has the biggest battery on a Nothing Phone at 5,000mAh and you have very fast 45W charging, so you in just 20 minutes you can get a 50% top-up.
#3. Moto G Stylus 5G (2023)
MSRP $400 | Released in June 2023
A unique phone at a reasonable price
While not a mobile powerhouse, the Moto G Stylus (2023) has enough firepower for day-to-day tasks like browsing the web and streaming videos. In addition to that, the phone takes decent photos for a smartphone in the budget segment and can capture videos in up to 4K at 30fps.
Battery life is also good here. This handsome fellow packs a big 5000mAh battery cell, which has enough juice to get you through the day without any top-ups.
#4. Moto G Power 5G 2023
MSRP $300 | Released in April 2023
Another Moto phone, makes the cut, but this one focuses on battery life
As the name suggests, the focus here has been on battery life with a 5,000mAh battery size and you do have 5G connectivity too. Performace is also quite good for the price, but not exceptional.
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Best budget phones under $300
#1. Samsung Galaxy A15 5G
MSRP $200 | Released in December, 2023
The Galaxy A15 5G costs $200 and it is the cheapest phone with acceptable performance, but acceptable certainly does not mean fast in this case
The Galaxy A15 5G is not the most stylish phone around, but it offers a lot for its dirt cheap $200 price.
It all starts with a gorgeous 6.5-inch AMOLED screen that supports 90Hz fast refresh rate and gets up to 800 nits of brightness (but reflections are quite noticeable outdoors).
The Galaxy A15 is powered by the MediaTek 6835 chipset with 4GB of RAM. It’s okay if you haven’t heard about this processor, but it gets the job done well for basic tasks. You also have a generous 128GB of storage.
With a 5,000mAh battery on board, you get good battery numbers and you also have 25W fast chargin support, so a full charge takes around an hour and a half (no wireless charging on board, but we don’t expect it at this price).
One downside is video capture maxes out at just 1080p, but again, this is expected for the price.
Finally, the Galaxy A15 ships with Android 14 and Samsung promises an incredible FOUR years of software updates. More expensive phones we have listed above only support one year, so this is great.
There are other cheap phones around like the Moto G 5G (2023), but they don’t come close to the capabilities of the Galaxy A15 5G, and that’s why it remains our top and only choice for budget phones under $300.
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