It might be modern to spend $1,000 on the newest flagship smartphone once they first get launched, nevertheless it’s not obligatory. You do not even should spend $500 at this time to get an honest handset, whether or not it’s a refurbished iPhone or an reasonably priced Android telephone, as there are many choices as little as $160 that might suit your wants.
However navigating the finances telephone market might be tough; choices that look good on paper is probably not in follow, and a few handsets will find yourself costing you extra when you think about many include restrictive storage. Whereas we at Engadget spend most of our time testing and reviewing mid- to high-end handsets, we have examined numerous the newest budget-friendly telephones available on the market to see which are literally price your cash.
What to search for in an affordable telephone
For this information, our prime picks value between $100 and $300. Something much less and also you would possibly as effectively go purchase a dumb telephone or high-end calculator as an alternative. Since they’re meant to be extra reasonably priced than flagship telephones and even midrange handsets, finances smartphones contain compromises; the cheaper a tool, the decrease your expectations round specs, efficiency and expertise needs to be. For that motive, the very best recommendation I can provide is to spend as a lot as you possibly can afford. On this worth vary, even $50 or $100 extra can get you a dramatically higher product.
Second, you need to know what you need most from a telephone. When shopping for a finances smartphone, you might have to sacrifice an honest important digital camera for lengthy battery life, or commerce a high-resolution show for a quicker CPU. That’s simply what comes with the territory, however realizing your priorities will make it simpler to seek out the appropriate telephone.
It’s additionally price noting some options might be laborious to seek out on low cost handsets. As an example, you gained’t want to go looking far for a tool with all-day battery life — however if you would like an amazing digital camera telephone with glorious digital camera high quality, you’re higher off shelling out for one of many suggestions in our midrange smartphone guide, which all are available in at $600 or much less. Wi-fi charging and waterproofing additionally aren’t straightforward to seek out on this worth vary and overlook concerning the quickest chipset. On the intense facet, all our suggestions include headphone jacks, so that you gained’t have to get wireless headphones.
iOS can be off the desk, because the $400 Apple iPhone SE is probably the most reasonably priced iPhone within the lineup. That leaves Android OS as the one choice. Fortunately at this time, there’s little to complain about Google’s OS – and you might even desire it to iOS. Lastly, have in mind most Android producers usually supply far much less sturdy software program options and assist for his or her finances gadgets. In some instances, your new telephone might solely obtain one main software program replace and a yr or two of safety patches past that. That applies to the OnePlus and Motorola suggestions on our record.
For those who’d wish to hold your telephone for so long as potential, Samsung has the very best software program coverage of any Android producer within the finances house, providing four years of security updates on all of its gadgets. That stated, if software program assist (or system longevity general) is your important focus, take into account spending a bit extra the $500 Google Pixel 7a, which is our favourite midrange smartphone and has deliberate software program updates by mid-2026.
Finest low cost telephones
Display dimension: 6.72 inches | Storage capability: 128GB + microSD | SIM card kind: Nano-SIM | Entrance digital camera decision: 16MP | Rear digital camera decision: 108MP important, 2MP macro | Weight: 6.8 oz | Battery life: 12 hours, half-hour
The $300 OnePlus Nord N30 5G affords the very best worth of any of the smartphones on our record. No different telephone within the worth bracket contains a processor as quick because the N30’s Snapdragon 695 5G chipset. Furthermore, OnePlus has specced the N30 with 5G connectivity along with a beneficiant 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, that means you most likely gained’t have to finances for a microSD card or cloud storage. It additionally comes with a 120Hz IPS show, a characteristic that’s nice for each gaming and on a regular basis use. Better of all, the N30 ships with a 50W energy adapter for quick charging, letting you get a full day of battery life in half-hour. The N30 could be virtually good if it had waterproofing and OnePlus had dedicated to pushing a couple of main Android OS replace to the telephone. — Igor Bonifacic, Contributing Reporter
SAMSUNG
Display dimension: 6.5 inches | Storage capability: 128GB/256GB + microSD | SIM card kind: Nano-SIM | Entrance digital camera decision: 13MP | Rear digital camera decision: 50MP important, 5MP ultrawide, 2MP macro | Weight: 7.05 oz | Battery life: 2 days
For simply $200, the Galaxy A15 5G is a fairly exceptional system. It has a 6.5-inch show with a barely slower 90Hz refresh fee the Nord N30. Nevertheless, as a result of it options an AMOLED panel as an alternative of an LCD show, it boasts higher brightness and richer colours than principally all of its rivals. It will also be configured with as much as 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and its 5,000 mAh battery delivers lengthy battery life. Its digital camera system is stable for its worth, providing a important digital camera that handles on a regular basis pictures effectively and a selfie digital camera for video calls. And whereas its design isn’t too thrilling, the polycarbonate Samsung makes use of on the again has a pleasant matte end that feels extra like glass than low cost plastic. Lastly, the A15 comes with 4 years of safety updates and three years of OS upgrades, which is longer than most handsets on this worth vary. — Sam Rutherford, Senior Reporter
Motorola
Display dimension: 6.5 inches | Storage capability: 64GB + microSD | SIM card kind: Nano-SIM | Entrance digital camera decision: 8MP | Rear digital camera decision: 50MP | Weight: 6.53 oz | Battery life: 46 hours
For these on a extremely tight finances, the 2024 Moto G Play covers all of the bases effectively. It has a speedy Snapdragon 680 processor together with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. And whereas that final quantity may appear small, the telephone has a microSD card slot so you possibly can add extra space if and while you want it. Its 6.5-inch LCD display screen can be surprisingly sharp with a 90Hz refresh fee. The Moto G Play even has an IP52 ranking for mud and water resistance. That isn’t a lot, nevertheless it’s adequate to guard towards an errant splash or two. Positive, the G Play is primary, nevertheless it’s primary in a great way. — S.R.
Motorola
Display dimension: 6.5-inch | Storage capability: 64GB | SIM card kind: Nano-SIM | Entrance digital camera decision: 8MP | Rear digital camera decision: 50MP | Weight: 6.9 oz | Battery life: 20 hours
The $200 Motorola Moto G Stylus affords one thing not one of the different picks on this record do: a built-in stylus. For those who love doodling and jotting down notes, then that is a budget telephone to purchase. Fortunately, it has a number of different issues going for it too. The Moto G Stylus sports activities an enormous and responsive 6.5-inch show and a long-lasting 5,000mAh battery. Plus, it’s out there in two beautiful colours: midnight blue and glam pink.
As with different choices on this worth vary, it might be good if the Moto G Stylus got here with a extra succesful digital camera, a quick charger and higher safety towards water. One phrase of recommendation: keep away from Moto G Stylus 5G. It doesn’t supply sufficient of an improve to justify costing $400. — I.B.
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