Best Buy Cheap Android Phone
The Samsung Galaxy S23+ currently strikes the best balance of power, connectivity, and price among Android phones. With an excellent camera, a bright screen, a fast processor, and stellar 5G reception, it's the mainstream leader.
best buy cheap android phone
If you want a larger phone, the best-possible mobile camera, and demand the pure Android experience offered by Google Pixel phones, this is the one to buy. While the base Pixel 7 provides a better value, the Pixel 7 Pro takes everything to the nth degree.
Folks whose taste outpaces their budget. Google's Pixel phones aren't the best-selling Android models (Samsung models are more popular), but many people still prefer these phones because of the speed and elegance of their software.
Samsung leads the way in the foldable phone space and its excellent Galaxy Z Fold 4 offers the best experience yet. It has fantastic specs, the biggest screen, and the latest 5G connectivity, all of which propel it to the top of the market.
If you have trouble operating a big phone, this is our favorite small Android model with flagship specs. It isn't actually a small phone like the iPhone 13 mini, but it's still your best bet if you want something pocketable.
Speaking of bands, if you want the best network speeds, look for a phone with C-band (band n77). On T-Mobile and Verizon, C-band offers several times the speed of 4G. The number of phones with C-band support is growing quickly, but you should confirm that the particular phone you're considering supports it. We detail whether a phone supports C-band in each of our reviews to make the process easier.
You should also make sure your carrier (especially if you're using an MVNO) supports a phone fully before buying it. While you can always switch from MVNO to MVNO without penalty, if you're happy with your current carrier, it's best to make sure the phone you buy works fully.
With all that in mind, choosing Android as your mobile operating system is only half the battle; you still need to pick the right phone. If you're still on the fence, check out our list of the best phones, regardless of OS.
It can be tempting to buy the absolute cheapest phone you can find, but doing so may give you a phone that needs replacing every year. Buying a good phone with a solid update promise will save you money in the long run, even if it does mean an initial hit to your pocketbook.
It wasn't long ago that buying a budget smartphone meant you were probably in for a bad time: crummy performance, paltry update support, and maybe even Micro-USB charging (the horror!). These days, not so much. Some of the best cheap Android phones start under 200 bucks, and they're not that different from the absolute best Android flagship phone we recommend.
If all of that sounds a little boring for our Premium Pick, you're not off base; the A53 is practically the same phone as last year's A52 5G, which it's replacing on this list. The interesting part is that while the A52 5G costs $500, the A53 is 50 bucks cheaper at $450. It's also slated to get four years of OS updates and five years of security patches, which means it'll stay up-to-date and secure into 2027. That's positively wild for a mid-range Android phone and significantly better than Google's update commitment for the similarly priced Pixel 5a.
It might sound like a small batch of changes, but it makes the A14 a pretty undeniable deal, especially at this price. By keeping the specs sheet relatively unchanged, Samsung was able to drop the price by $50. It might not be as exciting as foldables or $1,200 phablets, but if you're looking for a cheap smartphone that gets the basics right, this is the device for you.
Taylor was an amateur phone nerd for the better part of a decade prior to joining Android Police in 2018, where he's since authored more than a thousand articles about all things Android. Taylor serves as Gadgets Editor, and you'll see his byline on editorials, reviews, comparative buyer's guides, and technical explainers, as well as the occasional piece of breaking news. He's got soft spots for personal audio, wearable tech, smart lights, and mobile photography. There's a good chance he's carrying a Pixel phone right now. In his time away from AP, you'll probably catch Taylor hanging out with his two dogs, playing Xbox, or out shooting with his beloved Fuji X-T20. Send him memes and fan mail at taylor@androidpolice.com.
Choosing the best budget smartphone for you is deciding which aspects are most important to you and what you can live without. Even the best cheap phones don't have it all - that low price means there are almost always weaker elements.
The iPhone 14 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra may get all the media attention, thanks to being some of the best phones around, but cheaper handsets are often better value for most people. And, while companies typically only have one or two flagships, they often release a larger selection of affordable handsets, which means there are many models to choose from.
We've tested and reviewed a huge number of smartphones over the years, so we know exactly which cheap phones are the best value and which ones aren't worth your money. We gathered all the best cheap phones for you below, along with the best phone deals available.
If you're looking for the best cheap Samsung phone, the Samsung Galaxy A53 is certainly the one to beat. Hardly cheap-looking despite its affordable price, this attractive budget phone boasts an impressive screen and even more impressive cameras. Trust us; during our tests, we found it to take such bright and vibrant images that there's very little need for editing before rolling them out on social media.
Apple's best cheap iPhone is as budget as you can get if you're an iOS fan. With the launch of the iPhone 14, Apple is still selling some older iPhones cheap, but the iPhone SE (2022) is still the best bargain for iPhone fans, and it's still available at Apple's store.
If you're looking for better cameras and a bigger screen, this might not be the right phone for you. However, if you prefer a smaller screen and are not big on taking photos anyway, this is the best value choice for you.
Once in a while, you come across a smartphone that punches above its weight. For those who are looking for something that's less than $300, that phone is the OnePlus Nord N20, which we found to be an easy recommendation for budget-minded consumers looking for a cheap Android phone.
Google's latest flagship phone, the Pixel 7 Pro, isn't a huge overhaul from the already excellent Pixel 6 Pro Google launched last year. But it's taken that winning formula and made some key tweaks to almost every element, resulting in a superb phone that's bliss to use. The refreshed camera can take stunning images too, earning its spot among the best flagship phones around. It typically sells for $899, but Google currently has it on sale for $150 off.
The $700 OnePlus 11 is a powerful phone that's well equipped to handle gaming, video streaming and other common tasks. In typical OnePlus fashion, this phone is also cheaper than the $800 Galaxy S23 and $900 Pixel 7 Pro. The cameras aren't the best, but they're fine for casual photographers who just want to capture their next vacation or a night out. What sets the OnePlus 11 apart from many of its rivals is its blazing 100-watt fast charging, which can replenish the battery in just 25 minutes. (The US version only supports 80-watt charging, but that's still an improvement over the Galaxy S23 Ultra's 45-watt charging). Overall, the OnePlus 11 is ideal for people who want a powerful phone that charges quickly and won't break the bank. Read our full review of the OnePlus 11.
Foldable phones haven't really hit the mainstream, remaining instead only in the reach of those willing to spend top dollar on the latest in mobile innovation. Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the best folding phone around, offering top-notch performance, a great camera setup and a variety of tweaks to its folding technology that make this Android smartphone more desirable than its predecessor.
As premium devices have become more expensive over the years, there has been a conscious push by manufacturers to provide more capable cheap phones. A lot of the tech that was previously limited to mid-range devices has since trickled down to the cheapest phones. Features such as 5G connectivity, ultra wide cameras, four years of security updates and more are now offered with entry-level devices.
Many of the best budget phones cost less than $500. As the leading global Android smartphone vendor, Samsung provides the best selection. The company wants to offer the best value for money with its budget devices. Customers can rest assured that they will get the most bang for their buck.
The Galaxy A53 5G ranks on top of this list of the best budget phones in 2023 with good reason. In addition to these respectable specs, it also comes with a guarantee of four years of Android OS upgrades, unmatched by any other device in this price range.
This is a great inexpensive device with decent specs and support for 5G. Its successor has since been launched globally but Samsung is yet to make it available in the US. Till that happens, the Galaxy A32 5G remains the best bet for customers who need a smartphone in this price range.
Samsung wants the Galaxy A13 5G to take over as the best cheap android phone from its predecessor. The upgrades it has made to this device certainly make it an enticing prospect for customers in the US and across the globe.
Samsung keeps up the trend with the Galaxy A53 5G, a refresh of the A52 with improved performance thanks to the Exynos 1280 CPU octa-core CPU, which has two cores running at 2.4GHz and the remaining six running at 2.0GHz. This is paired with a solid 6GB RAM and powered by a large 5,000mAh battery. And unlike some cheaper phones, charging is fast at up to 25 watts. 041b061a72