The list in brief
1. Best cheap iPhone
2. Best cheap Android
3. Best under $500
4. Best under $400
FAQs
How we test
The best cheap phones are a bargain, not cheap. You can find a great phone for less than $500 that gives you the durability, the features, and even the power of the best phones, as long as you know where to compromise. You can even get better battery life (and snazzier colors) with a bargain phone than you can with a stodgy old flagship device.
Do you want AI on your next phone? The Google Pixel 8a is the least expensive phone you'll find with all the latest AI features, like generative writing and AI wallpapers. Want to skip AI on your next phone? The Apple iPhone 13 will never get Apple's Intelligence AI features, so if you want to miss the AI boat, get aboard Apple's bargain iPhone.
We've got our top options for the best cheap phones, but many new phones have been launched this year, and once we've tested and reviewed those models we'll consider them here. We're currently testing the Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2024), as well as the Galaxy A15 from Samsung, so check back soon if you need an even cheaper option than these.
We also track prices of all these phones over time, so we'll let you know how much each phone costs, and also the lowest price we've seen. You'll know precisely when to give that purchase a green light.
Quick List
Apple still sells the iPhone 13, and the newer iPhone SE, both with an A15 Bionic chip that makes them plenty powerful against even the strongest Androids. The iPhone 13 is a much better value, with a big screen, more cameras, and all the latest iOS features.
Read more below
The Google Pixel 8a is a real winner. It gets seven years of Android updates, plus all of Google's latest AI features. It also takes great photos and is totally durable, for less than $500.
Read more below
For less than $500, the OnePlus 12R gives you speed and the best battery life on any smartphone, with super-fast charging. It's not very durable, but the trade-offs may be worthwhile.
Read more below
The Galaxy A35 is a great phone for the price, with a beautiful screen, satisfying performance, and lots of personality. It looks like Samsung's most expensive phones, even though it's a fraction of the price.
Read more below
The best cheap phones in 2024
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Below, you'll find full write-ups for each of the best cheap phones in our list. We've tested each model extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.
The best cheap iPhone
Don't be fooled by the iPhone 13's age. Sure, it launched in 2021, but Apple supports phones for five years, so it's up-to-date on all the latest iOS 17 features. With an Apple A15 Bionic processor inside, it's powerful enough to take on even today's fastest Android phones, let alone the bargain models here.
The iPhone 13 starts at $599, which is more expensive than we'd like for a phone that's three years old, but if you need to buy a new iPhone, this is the most affordable model we'd recommend. The iPhone SE also has an A15 Bionic inside, and it was launched in 2022, but that phone is much more basic than the iPhone 13.
The iPhone 13 has a larger, OLED display, compared to the dinky LCD screen on the iPhone SE. The iPhone 13 also gives you two 12MP cameras, including an ultra wide that also handles close-up photography, as well as a better selfie camera. Plus, you won't look like the person carrying the terrifically old iPhone with a Home button if you pick the iPhone 13 over the iPhone SE.
Read our full iPhone 13 review
The best cheap Android
The Google Pixel 8a is one of Google's best A-series bargain phones in a while, and it keeps up with the fancier Pixel 8 family in all the best ways. Most importantly, the Pixel 8a will get Android OS updates for the next seven years, an unheard-of promise for a phone in this price range. That means you can keep it longer and it will still be totally up to date.
The Pixel 8a also has all of Google's cool new AI features, including the generative writing tools to help you write text messages and emails in Gmail. You can load Google Gemini to replace the older Google Assistant. Google Photos gets the Magic Editor tool that helps you restyle your photos, and Best Take to perfect your group shots. You really get everything with this bargain model.
If you are looking for an absolute steal, keep a close eye on this phone. Google A-series phones get great deals on Amazon throughout the year, and you may find this one priced even lower than $499. The Pixel 7a dropped to $349 on the regular.
Read our full Google Pixel 8a review
The best under $500
The OnePlus 12R finally brings the winning OnePlus R-series phone to more markets, including the US, where it's available for $499, but in classic OnePlus fashion almost everybody will get at least $100 for any phone you can trade, so it's effectively a $400 phone.
For that price, you get an amazingly bright display, larger and brighter than the iPhone 13 and Google Pixel 8a by far. You also get blazing performance with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor that was the crown of the best Android phones in 2023. OnePlus knows how to kill your desire to spend a lot of money on flagship phones, with a great display and fast performance.
The OnePlus 12R also has the best battery life of any smartphone we've tested in Future Labs in the past couple years. With a huge 5,500mAh battery inside, a cell normally reserved for hardcore gaming phones, this phone lasted 18 hours in our rundown tests, while most phones die before 12 hours is up.
Unfortunately, the OnePlus 12R isn't water resistant, it can only handle a light splashing. It also gets a respectable four years of Android updates, but Samsung, Google, and Apple all offer more than that. This phone won't likely drop in price, so if you can find a trade to help you knock the cost down, go for it.
Read our full OnePlus 12R review
The best under $400
The Samsung Galaxy A35 5G gives you impressive features and a great Samsung display for less than $400. It is packed with Samsung's OneUI software features, which give you plenty of useful tools, customizations, and shortcuts, especially compared to more basic Android software from Google and Motorola.
Compared to other phones at this price, the Galaxy A35 5G gives you more camera options, with a 5MP macro camera lens in addition to the 50MP main camera and an 8MP ultra wide. It also has solid battery life with a 5,000 mAh battery, the same size you'll find in Samsung's big flagship Galaxy S phones.
Samsung's Exynos processor is no slouch, but this phone won't be mistaken for a Galaxy S24. Still, you'll have no trouble playing your favorite games and browing the web with this Galaxy device. If you need a serious work phone, you'll have to spend more, but for less than $400, the Galaxy A35 5G is the best phone to buy.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy A35 review
FAQs
What is the best cheap phone?
The best cheap iPhone is the iPhone 13, because it offers a larger, OLED display than the iPhone SE, and an extra ultra wide camera. The best cheap Android is the Pixel 8a, because it gives you all of Google's Pixel AI features, plus great photos, on a phone for less than $500. The OnePlus 12R is also a great option, especially if you have a phone to trade.
How to choose the best cheap phone
If you are looking for a cheap phone, you'll need to first decide on your price range. Our bargain phones cost less than $500, but there are plenty of options that are even cheaper. Once you have your price range, choose a reputable manufacturer so that you know the phone will last, and so you can get it repaired if anything goes wrong. A cheap phone isn't cheap if you have to buy it twice.
How we test
We test cheap phones the same way we test all smartphones, by using them as our primary device over a period of weeks. We judge these phones based on what they deliver for the price, so we aren't expecting top performance and professional photographs, but we do expect high quality, because even a cheap phone is an expensive investment.
We use these phones for messaging, phone calls, listening to music and audio, and browsing the web. We watch videos, play games, and use these phones in our cars for navigation and music. We use these phones for work and personal business.
We also test these phones in Future Labs, where they undergo rigorous and scientific testing for performance, display quality, battery life, and much more.
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