Top budget cell phones

The list in brief 2. Best cheap Samsung 3.

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more. High-end Android phones may come with all the bells and whistles, but if you temper your expectations you can get an excellent phone for much less. The Google Pixel A series is now known for offering some of the best bang for the buck in the smartphone market. In , Google took its budget series to a new level that gets even closer to high-end territory. For starters, it has a few notable upgrades the community has long been asking for.

Top budget cell phones

It's an exciting time for smartphones. Thanks to increasingly powerful new chips, we're long past the days when you had to choose between spending a bundle on a premium phone or settling for sluggish performance on a budget model. As the most expensive flagship smartphones strive to deliver console-quality gaming and advanced computational photography experiences, more affordable phones have benefited from a healthy range of powerful mid-range processors that can now easily handle all the daily tasks that most smartphone owners need and won't need to be left behind when the next Android update comes along. Some of these even cross over onto our list of the best Android phones. Of course, you'll still have to make some compromises to get a phone in this price range, but the good news is that we know where those lines are drawn, and we've applied our years of experience reviewing Android phones of all shapes and sizes to round up some of the best picks to get you started. Google's Pixel 7a is the most expensive A-series device yet, but that price bump comes with all sorts of big improvements. With a 90Hz display, a new camera lineup, and wireless charging, it's basically a Pixel 7 with a cheaper price tag. Just be prepared for some mediocre battery life alongside the usual heat produced by Tensor-powered phones. The Pixel 7a is Google's latest A-series phone, essentially combining the legacies of the Pixel 6a and Pixel 7 into one device. With a near-identical design to that of even the Pixel 8, some shoppers may find that Google's most recent flagship phone is a bit redundant now. Still, with a slimmer camera bar, a durable back made of plastic, and some colorful new options not available in the rest of the lineup, the 7a might be an easy choice.

Cheap plastic frame.

The Quick List 2. Best overall 3. Runner up 4. Longest-lasting phone 5. Best design 6. Bigger Pixel savings 7. Best cheap iPhone 8.

Best overall 2. Best value flagship 3. Best design 4. Best for Galaxy fans 5. Best stylus phone 8. How to choose.

Top budget cell phones

The list in brief 2. Best cheap Samsung 3. Best cheap iPhone 4. Best cheap Pixel 5. Best cheap camera phone 6. Best cheap phone for durablity 7.

Mass lottery online

All that said, the Galaxy A54 is far from a perfect device. It has an all-plastic build, which might sound unappealing, but it keeps the weight down. Improved battery life. Good performance. We were a bit sad to see that Samsung has returned to its highly saturated color profile for the A54 5G, although the results might not bother you if you want a little extra punch. There's a fierce battle for the best cheap phones title, and who you pick comes down to how much you want to pay for your phone. Smooth, feature-rich software. Long battery life. OnePlus includes a super fast 50W charger with the N30, a rare inclusion nowadays. In head-to-head shots, the Galaxy A54 holds its own, even surpassing the output of the Pixel 6a in some cases, particularly when it comes to low-light shots. The main camera is a megapixel sensor that shrinks the image down to a megapixel size. As the most expensive flagship smartphones strive to deliver console-quality gaming and advanced computational photography experiences, more affordable phones have benefited from a healthy range of powerful mid-range processors that can now easily handle all the daily tasks that most smartphone owners need and won't need to be left behind when the next Android update comes along. The Pixel 7a may be here, but that doesn't mean the Pixel 6a has to go away. Check out our list of the best cheap Samsung phones for more options from the South Korean giant.

Looking for a new Android phone for cheap? We've got your back!

Nothing is giving this phone a global launch, though U. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Battery life? Mike also keeps an eye out on the movie and toy industry, and outside of work enjoys biking and pizza making. Built-in stylus. Superb battery life. The best of the rest: 7 other cheap phones worth considering We recommend the Pixel 7a for most users, but it might not be right for everyone under the sun. Related Google Pixel 7a vs. I test 4K Blu-ray players for a living and here's the difference between premium and budget. Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G The entire phone feels a bit sturdier in hand, and the ingrained pattern on the back is pretty eye-catching for a phone in this price range. Soon to launch should be the next ZenPhone 7 plus a higher-end they claim option in their Logic line I believe they call it? The phone is also thicker and heavier than it seems like it should be, especially compared with the Pixel 7, which has high-end hardware and construction. It also has pretty nice battery life and OK specs.