Nowadays, cheap Android phones are everywhere, proving that you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg to get an excellent smartphone experience. Sure, there have been a few disappointing releases — the OnePlus N300 comes to mind — but most recent devices have left us excited for the future of affordable smartphones. Suffice to say, no matter what you’re looking for in a smartphone, the best cheap Android phones that money can buy can be found below.
Ultimately, we settled on the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G as our top pick. This reliable device comes in at under $500 and offers loads of flagship-level features, such as a gorgeous 120Hz AMOLED display, four rear cameras (that are actually quite good), a large 5,000mAh battery that’ll easily last a full day on a single charge, and software support for years.
At a glance
Best stylus phone
Relatively unheard of in this price range, the Moto G Stylus (2022) features a massive 6.8-inch 120Hz display with a built-in stylus, plus a big battery and a headphone jack.
Best overall
The Galaxy A Series continues to be one of Samsung’s greatest achievements with solid specs and nice designs on mid-range and low-end phones. We were massive fans of the Galaxy A53, and its follow-up does not disappoint, delivering flagship-level specs at half the normal flagship price.
The Samsung Galaxy A54 boasts a typically vibrant 6.4-inch AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, alongside the ultra-efficient octa-core Exynos 1380 processor, a large 5,000mAh battery, and 6GB of RAM with 128GB storage capacity. The camera software is excellent here as well, with a 50MP primary lens and a 32MP selfie shooter. Plus you get a lot of the camera features found in Samsung’s latest flagship series, such as Nightography capabilities and Object Eraser.
As with all of the best Samsung phones, device longevity is the focus of the Galaxy A54. The phone is set to receive four OS upgrades and up to five years of security updates, so you can plan to use the A54 for years to come. The phone is expected to retail for around $449.99 when it hits store shelves on April 6th, but look around for Samsung Galaxy A54 preorder deals to see if you can save some extra cash.
Best alternative
As we found in our Nord N20 5G review, this affordable phone from OnePlus consistently performs like a phone twice its price, thanks to specs like a Snapdragon 695 5G processor, 6GB of RAM, and even 128GB of fast UFS 2.2 storage On top of that, it’s got an AMOLED display on the front, which is almost never seen in phones in this price range. As you would expect from an AMOLED panel, the colors are gorgeous, black levels are perfect, and everything just looks great. It could be a little brighter and it’s “only” got a 60Hz refresh rate, but it’s hard to argue with AMOLED quality when most phones in this price range are stuck with a bland LCD.
The cameras are also above and beyond the level of quality of most phones in this price range. It really only has a 64MP main camera on the back — the 2MP monochrome and 2MP macro cameras are mostly useless on their own — but that main camera produces some seriously great photos with wide dynamic range, impressively smart AI-powered multi-frame software that automatically picks the best shot after you take it, and even takes quality 1080p video.
Best camera
Oftentimes, when you spend less than $500 on a phone, you have to compromise on the processor and the build of the phone. But Google is doing things differently with the Pixel 6a which, as we said in our Google Pixel 6a review (opens in new tab), is a phone of few compromises.
It all starts with the excellent Google Tensor processor, the exact same chipset included in the more expensive Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Then, of course, are the cameras Pixel phones are so well known for. Tensor takes a standard 12MP sensor and adds in some AI magic including intelligent object recognition that helps keep objects in motion perfectly clear. Great features like call screening, instant Google assistant text-to-speech, real-time on-device translation, and plenty more combine to make a phone that only gets better with time, not worse.
The downsides? The screen is only 60Hz, which is on par with what you’d get from any older phone you’re likely upgrading from. That means the Pixel 6a won’t look as smooth as phones with 90Hz or 120Hz displays. Personally, I don’t think this is a huge deal, and didn’t find that it bothered me at all when reviewing it, even coming from phones with higher refresh rates. It doesn’t have a headphone jack or support for wireless charging. Even with these negatives, however, it’s hard to argue with the value Google brings with the Pixel 6a, and there’s no real competition with the cameras. They’re the very best you’ll get on any phone under $500.
Best under $300
Samsung’s lineup of mid-tier Android phones has gotten a lot better in recent years, with one of the latest examples being this one as shown in our full Galaxy A32 5G review (opens in new tab). This is at the mid-range of Samsung’s more affordable Galaxy phones, and it should absolutely be on your shortlist.
The heart of the Galaxy A32 5G is its 48MP primary camera, and photos taken with it look excellent despite what you might expect at this price. There’s a lot of detail, good dynamic range, and vibrant colors. To help expand the types of pictures you can take, the A32 5G is also equipped with an 8MP wide-angle camera, a 5MP macro camera, and a 5MP portrait camera.
Outside of the camera department, the Galaxy A32 5G is just as impressive. It delivers a quality 6.4-inch TFT display at 720p, decent performance in day-to-day tasks thanks to its MediaTek MT6853 Dimensity 720 5G, and a beefy 5,000 mAh battery that allows for long endurance. Tie all of that together with USB-C charging and a headphone jack, and you end up with quite the package.
Best under $200
Samsung offers great phones at just about any price point, and the Galaxy A13 5G is no exception. Many U.S. carriers offer this phone for free or just a few dollars per month, so picking one up when you’re on a very tight budget is practically a no-brainer.
As with any phone under $200, you shouldn’t expect the world from the Galaxy A13 5G. While the processor is just fine for scrolling through social media, browsing the web, or chatting with friends, it’s not going to do much for gaming. Sure, simple 2D games like Angry Birds are just fine but anything more graphically intense won’t run very well (or at all).
The display is also a bit dim and it charges slowly compared to more expensive phones, but you won’t have to worry about charging often thanks to the huge battery inside. That, combined with the low-power processor means you’ll have no trouble getting two days of battery life out of the A13 5G. I’ve seen the phone last nearly a week on a charge with very light use, so there’s potential here for longer than 2-day battery life depending on usage. If you can believe it, that 50MP camera will also get you some pretty impressive pictures during the day, which isn’t always expected in this price range. Low-light photos leave a lot to be desired but at least there’s a flash on the back to help make up for that.
Best stylus phone
It can be challenging to keep track of all the value phones Motorola has in its lineup, but one that manages to stand out is the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) (opens in new tab). Along with being one of the few Android phones that comes with a built-in stylus, it’s also just a perfect combination of specs, features, and value.
You’re getting a large 6.8-inch display that looks great, and thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate, this one will feel a lot more expensive than it is because of the smooth presentation. There’s also ample performance thanks to the Snapdragon 695 processor, along with 128GB of built-in storage and a very large 5,000 mAh battery. Given the affordable price of the G Stylus, these are all impressive specifications.
As the name implies, the main draw to the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) is its built-in stylus experience. It’s certainly not the most premium stylus we’ve ever used, but it works well enough for drawing, note-taking, etc. It can also be stored seamlessly at the bottom of the phone when you aren’t using it, which is a nice touch that ties the whole experience together.
What is the best cheap Android phone to buy?
Most people have a budget to stick to, and that’s where deciding the right budget-minded phone comes into play. You want to pick a phone that’s not just in your budget, but one that will last a while, too. That way you’re not spending even more on yet another phone down the road.
But before you ever think about a phone’s processor, cameras, or storage space, you need to think about connectivity. All modern phones support Bluetooth earbuds and Wi-Fi, but not all phones support all cellular networks. Make sure the phone you’re looking for supports your network of choice, especially if choosing an unlocked phone from the list.
The quickest way to end up with a phone that feels sluggish and old is to undersell yourself on the phone’s chipset.
Next, keep a phone’s processor in mind before pressing that buy button. The quickest way to end up with a phone that feels sluggish and old is to undersell yourself on the phone’s chipset.
Lots of phones feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors, but that doesn’t mean all of them are worthwhile. Unless your budget absolutely doesn’t allow for anything faster, you probably want to avoid any phone powered by a Snapdragon 400-series or lower chipset. Those phones are really only good as communication devices and for browsing the web or social media.
Likewise, MediaTek’s Dimensity series of processors are the only ones you want to consider from the company. Phones like the TCL Stylus 5G (opens in new tab) — which is only available at T-Mobile — sport the excellent MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G chipset, which is speedy enough for just about anything you throw at it.
Storage isn’t much of a concern these days thanks to excellent cloud storage services like Google Photos.
You’ll also want to make sure your new phone has at least 4GB of RAM if you’re ever planning on doing more than one thing at a time on it. Less RAM means the phone has less operating space for apps, creating a scenario where apps take a long time to load and often have to reload if you switch back and forth between apps.
Storage isn’t much of a concern these days thanks to excellent cloud storage services like Google Photos (opens in new tab), which can offload the photos and videos you’ve taken to a safe and secure cloud drive. That means they not only won’t be taking up precious space on your phone but they’ll also be backed up in case something happens to your phone.
Services like Google Photos also archive your photos and make it easy to search for even the most minute details, like your old black and white cat, or the blue shoes you wore to that wedding several years ago.
With a few exceptions, the camera on the phones above will all deliver a good experience in most lighting conditions.
Cameras on smartphones have become increasingly important over the years and, with a few exceptions, the phones above will all deliver a good experience in most lighting conditions. As these are less expensive phones, you’ll need to be aware that most models will only take great pictures in adequate light. Phones like the Google Pixel 6a or Samsung Galaxy A54 5G offer great low-light support, and that function is becoming more common on phones even under $300 these days.
No phone on this list has poor battery life, but some folks might have a unique need for a smartphone to last more than a single day on a full charge. We’ve noted that several options above will offer that but specifically highlight one phone as having the best battery life of them all.
The bottom line on cheaper Android phones
Most Android phones these days are pretty good, but a few stand above the rest. We’ve outlined many of our favorites here but if you want a few more options and are on a tighter budget, we’ve got picks for the best phones under $300 (opens in new tab) and the best phones under $100 (opens in new tab) . Each of these categories comes with a few concessions but, if you’re looking for a specific niche — like a stylus — you’ll find a few more options there.
Just remember, though, that you’re paying hundreds less than what it costs to buy a Samsung Galaxy S23 or Pixel 7 Pro (opens in new tab). While those phones might offer faster processors, better cameras, or brighter screens, they’re extremely expensive to replace if they accidentally get broken. Splurging on the best overall phone that throws in everything and the kitchen sink isn’t always the ideal solution — especially when you’re looking to cut costs.
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