Best cheap phone: five smartphones for under $500

A few of us take a sort of “I eat to dwell” relatively than an “I dwell to eat” strategy to devices. They’re instruments that aid you get issues achieved, not one thing you need to make investments a number of time or cash in. If that’s you — and there’s no judgment right here from a certifiable gadget nerd — then you’ll be able to most likely consider extra worthwhile methods to spend $1,000 than on a telephone.

Price range telephones to the rescue. These units are roughly $500 or below, they usually’re extra succesful than ever earlier than. You received’t get all of the bells and whistles, however you’ll save a little bit cash to spend on, I don’t know, precise bells and whistles. It’s your world.

Lots of our picks run about $400 or $500, however there are nice choices for $300 and below, too. You could find a shiny, high-definition OLED display or a battery that lasts for days. If you happen to can hone in on the one or two options which might be most essential to you and also you’re keen to compromise elsewhere, you may get a telephone that fits your wants for half the worth of a flagship.

What compromises are you able to count on from a funds telephone? Some mixture of the next: slower processors, much less storage, and lousier cameras than flagship telephones, nearly throughout the board. Many have lower-resolution screens, and most lack official water-resistance scores, wi-fi charging, and NFC chips for contactless cost.

Display: 4.7-inch, 1334p LCD / Processor: A15 Bionic Cameras: 12-megapixel f/1.8 with OIS, 7-megapixel selfie / Charging: 20W wired, 7.5W wi-fi / Climate-resistance score: IP67

In case your funds has a strict $500 cap and also you’re on the lookout for a brand new iPhone, the selection is straightforward. The 2022 iPhone SE is the solely new iPhone below $500. It’s the least costly approach to get into the iOS ecosystem and it’ll do the job, however I might strongly encourage anybody trying on the SE to think about whether or not it’s doable to spend a bit extra on an iPhone 13, now priced at $599.

The essential factor to know in regards to the SE is that it comes with a really small, very dated 4.7-inch display. It’s the identical dimension because the one on the iPhone 6, and it’s beginning to really feel cramped in an age when apps and internet pages are designed for larger screens. The SE’s large bezels make the machine look dated, too, however the usability of a small display will likely be a much bigger issue over time to come back.

That’s the most important knock in opposition to the SE — and it’s an essential one. However in the event you’re not nervous a few cramped display, then the SE has a number of upsides. Its A15 processor is identical because the one within the iPhone 13 Professional Max, so efficiency is superb.

There’s IP67 waterproofing and wi-fi charging — each unusual on this worth vary — and despite the fact that it makes use of an older 12-megapixel digicam, it takes very good pictures and high-quality video clips. The digicam has no evening mode, which is a curious omission — mainly each different midrange telephone gives some form of low-light photograph mode, and the telephone’s processor is actually as much as the duty. Apple gonna Apple.

Learn my full evaluation of the Apple iPhone SE (2022).

Display: 6.1-inch, 1080p OLED, 120Hz / Processor: Tensor G3 Cameras: 64-megapixel f/1.89 with OIS, 13-megapixel ultrawide, 13-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,492mAh / Charging: 18W wired, 7.5W wi-fi / Climate-resistance score: IP67

Google gives some superb high-end telephones within the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Professional, but it surely’s the corporate’s funds telephone that makes essentially the most sense. For $500, the Pixel 8A gives an entire lot of what makes its pricier siblings good, however at roughly half the price.

It’s a modest replace over the Pixel 7A, which you’ll be able to nonetheless purchase, however the 8A comes with one large improve over the earlier era: seven years of OS and safety updates. If you happen to’re the sort of one who likes to hold onto their machine for a very long time, that’s enormous — particularly within the funds class the place different telephones may solely include one or two platform upgrades.

The 8A can be Google’s first funds telephone to come back with a 120Hz show, so scrolling and animations look tremendous {smooth}. You additionally get wi-fi charging and an IP67 score for defense in opposition to water immersion. The digicam system is dependable, but it surely’s the obvious place the place Google needed to make some compromises to maintain the worth low. It’s a tremendous all-around digicam, however stepping as much as the Pixel 8 or 8 Professional will get you higher low mild and zoom efficiency.

Learn my full evaluation of the Google Pixel 8A.

Display: 6.78-inch, 1264 x 2780 120Hz OLED / Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.8 with OIS, 8-megapixel ultrawide, 2-megapixel macro, 16-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,500mAh / Charging: 80W wired / Climate-resistance score: IP64

The OnePlus 12R is $500, but it surely might simply trick you into pondering it prices twice as a lot. It comes with a really large, very good display, with refresh charges that go as much as 120Hz and all the best way right down to 1Hz, making for a {smooth} scrolling expertise whenever you want it and financial savings on battery life whenever you don’t. It’s a function not often seen on a telephone below $800.

The 12R is supplied with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which is a era behind 2024’s processor du jour, the 8 Gen 3. However the 8 Gen 2 nonetheless whips — it’s arduous to throw something at this telephone that it may’t deal with. Much less good: the 12R’s IP64 score, which implies it’s splash resistant however not absolutely water immersible, just like the Pixel 8A.

Quick charging is sort of OnePlus’ trademark, and the 12R stays true to the model with as much as 80W quick wired charging within the US (it’s as much as 100W in different areas). It’s good if you wish to cost your telephone on a extra compressed schedule, like throughout your morning routine relatively than at evening.

Personally, I’d relatively have slower wired charging if it meant I might have a function that’s not current on the 12R: wi-fi charging. That’s, as soon as once more, one thing the Pixel 8A gives. However that’s the great thing about the 12R — it is aware of what it’s and what it isn’t. And if a low-cost telephone with an enormous, high-quality display and glorious efficiency is what you’re after, then the 12R is it.

Learn my full evaluation of the OnePlus 12R.

Display: 6.1-inch, 1080p OLED / Processor: Tensor Cameras: 12-megapixel f/1.7 with OIS, 8-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,410mAh / Charging: 18W wired / Climate-resistance score: IP67

The Pixel 6A most likely isn’t lengthy for this world. It was introduced in 2022, Google now not sells it new, and with the arrival of the Pixel 8A it’s now two generations behind. However the 6A is hanging round at third-party retailers like Amazon, and in the event you can rating one for $300, it’s a heck of a deal. It’s scheduled to get yet one more OS improve and three extra years of safety updates, which is an honest return on that funding.

The telephone’s largest asset is Tensor, the custom-built chipset Google used within the firm’s 2021 flagships, the 6 and 6 Professional. Not solely does it allow good general efficiency now, but it surely additionally signifies that the 6A will sustain for a few years to come back — it’ll obtain safety patches till no less than July 2027. The 6A additionally comes with an IP67 water-resistance score, so it’s nonetheless an excellent all-around wager if you’d like a funds telephone that can final.

The 6A’s 6.1-inch 1080p OLED gives an ordinary 60Hz refresh price. It wasn’t too spectacular for the telephone’s authentic $449 retail worth, however for below $400, it’s one of many higher screens on the market. Sadly, the fingerprint sensor below the show can be on the sluggish facet. It’s not unusable, but it surely’s noticeably a beat slower than one of the best fingerprint sensors on the market.

The 6A makes use of the identical 12-megapixel normal extensive digicam as many Pixel telephones earlier than it, which remains to be an excellent digicam — particularly for the midrange class. The telephone’s 4,410mAh battery is on the small facet, however general battery efficiency is best than its dimension would counsel. 

Learn my full evaluation of the Google Pixel 6A.

Display: 6.6-inch, 1080p decision, 120Hz OLED / Processor: Exynos 1380 Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.8 with OIS, 8-megapixel ultrawide, 5-megapixel macro, 13-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,000mAh / Charging: 25W wired / Climate-resistance score: IP67

The Samsung Galaxy A35 5G comes with surprisingly sturdy specs for its $399 worth. They’re the sort of options you received’t actually spot from the skin, however they’re essential, significantly its IP67 score for mud and water resistance. In contrast to just about each different telephone at this worth, the A35 5G is constructed to resist water immersion, so that you don’t must sweat it in case your telephone lands in a bathroom bowl or puddle.

Right here’s one other unexciting spec: 4 years of OS updates and 5 years of safety updates. That’s not the perfect within the funds class — the Pixel 8A takes that honor with seven years of updates — but it surely’s a lot better than the 2 or three years we usually see in telephones nicely below $500.

The digicam is lackluster; it’s tremendous in shiny mild however struggles in dim and blended indoor lighting. It doesn’t have the strongest processing efficiency yow will discover below $500, both, and the Samsung-made Exynos processor often stutters when rapidly bouncing between duties. I used to be horrified — horrified! — once I unintentionally texted my husband one of many routinely generated replies as a result of it popped up on the final second as I used to be attempting to faucet on one thing else. These items don’t occur when every part hundreds rapidly.

However general, it’s a compelling package deal — particularly with an enormous, crowd-pleasing OLED show and robust battery efficiency. If you happen to’re a light-weight person and never fussy about digicam high quality, the A35 5G gives some upgrades that make an actual distinction in the long run.

The 2024 Motorola Moto G Energy has all of the makings of an excellent funds telephone, together with a beautiful vegan leather-based exterior and wi-fi charging. But it surely’s loaded with bloatware of the worst sort, and that alone disqualifies it from our suggestions.

We additionally examined the OnePlus Nord N300, which doesn’t make an look amongst our suggestions. The N300 may be very inexpensive at $228 however cuts too many corners to incorporate quick charging. The pricier 12R that snags our advice above gives a lot better general efficiency.

In case your funds has some wiggle room, there are a few $600 telephones value contemplating which might be simply exterior the scope of this information. The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is a late addition to the S23 lineup that provides a telephoto lens and an awesome display. And for one thing fairly totally different, the Nothing Cellphone 2 is an choice with its glossy look and flashy interface (actually, it flashes) — simply know that it’s not absolutely appropriate with Verizon’s community.

Replace June 14th: Eliminated the Google Pixel 7A and added the Pixel 8A as our general Android choose.