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The Best Affordable Phones
(Image credit: SleekMart)
The best affordable phones will make you wonder why you would spend more on a phone. Based on our testing and reviews, you can get a very good smartphone for under $400 with all the features most buyers need, whether you prefer iPhone or Android.
Those on a budget will find that the best affordable phones offer capable cameras, big-enough displays for watching video and playing games and enough battery life to get you through most of the day.
- Best phones: The best smartphones for every budget
You do need to make some trade-offs in this price range, as you won’t always find the most powerful processors or the biggest screens or features like 5G and 120Hz displays, but overall you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what affordable phones deliver.
What are the best affordable phones?
The best affordable phone you can buy right now is the Google Pixel 4a. It has one of the best cameras you’ll find on any phone, and it’s cheaper than the iPhone SE 2020. The Pixel 4a also features a larger display and night mode for its camera.
If you want to spend even less on your phone, get the Moto G Power, which features the longest-lasting smartphone battery we’ve tested for less than $300. The phone’s other features are pretty impressive for a budget model, too, with three rear cameras and good-for-the-price performance.
Another phone to keep an eye on is the rumored OnePlus Clover, which packs a huge 6,000 mAh battery and 6.5-inch screen.
See all the best Affordablephones you can buy below.
1. Google Pixel 4a
The best affordable phone you can buy
Display: 5.81-inch OLED (2340×1080) | CPU: Snapdragon 730G | RAM: 6GB | Storage / Expandable: 128GB / No | Rear camera: 12.2MP (ƒ/1.7) | Front camera: 8MP (ƒ/2.0) | Weight: 5.04 ounces
Best-in-class camera
Attractive design
Low price
Subpar battery life
Performance lags iPhone SE
You won’t find better value than the Google Pixel 4a. Google’s latest budget phone recaptures all the things that made the Pixel 3a such a hit.
There’s just the one 12.2-megapixel rear camera as before, but Google augments that with some software smarts such as Super Res Zoom and Live HDR+. Many of the photographic features you’ll find in the more expensive Pixel 4 are on display here, and the result is some of the best photos you’ll see from a phone at any price.
The Pixel 4a can’t match the performance of the iPhone SE, but for most smartphone users, Google’s phone has enough processing power from its Snapdragon 730G chipset to handle most tasks. Throw in an attractive design, a bright OLED screen and 128GB of storage, and you’ve got a phone in the Pixel 4a that delivers a lot for a low price.
Read our full Google Pixel 4a review.
2. iPhone SE
The best affordable iPhone
Display: 4.7-inch LCD (1334×750) | CPU: A13 Bionic | RAM: Unknown | Storage / Expandable: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB / No | Rear camera: 12MP (ƒ/1.8) | Front camera: 7MP (ƒ/2.2) | Weight: 5.22 ounces
Fast A13 Bionic performance
Supports wireless charging
Big bezels
No camera night mode
The iPhone SE 2020 is what happens when you make a cheap phone that isn’t cheap. This iPhone offers the same fast performance as the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro, thanks to is A13 Bionic processor. And that same chip gives the iPhone SE photography capabilities that most budget Android phones lack. This includes Portrait Mode for the front and rear cameras, Smart HDR and extended dynamic range when shooting videos.
With its 4.7-inch display, the iPhone SE is best for those who prefer smaller phones, but the screen is bright and colorful. You also get a Touch ID button for unlocking the device, Apple Pay and entering passwords, as well as a water resistant design. The new iPhone SE supports wireless charging as well.
The new iPhone SE is well made with its glass and aluminum chassis, but the bezels are on the big size. Plus, you don’t get the Night mode for the camera offered by the iPhone 11. But overall this is easily the best affordable phone yet.
Read our full iPhone SE review.
A really long-lasting phone endures for over 11 hours on our battery test. The Moto G Power blows them all away with a runtime of 16 hours and 10 minutes. It’s the best phone battery life we’ve ever seen and is really remarkable. But that’s not the only reason this Android phone made our best affordable phone list.
The Moto G Power also features a large 6.4-inch display with full- HD resolution, pretty good performance from its Snapdragon 660 processor and a solid 64GB of storage. And while the triple rear cameras aren’t best in class, we appreciate that there’s an ultra-wide shooter on board here.
At 7 ounces, the beefy 5,000 mAh battery inside the Moto G Power certainly contributes to its weight. And the screen on this phone could be more colorful. But overall the Moto G Power more than lives up to its name.
Read our full Moto G Power review.
4. Moto G Stylus
A cheap Galaxy Note alternative
Display: 6.4-inch LCD (2300×1080) | CPU: Snapdragon 665 | RAM: 4GB | Storage / Expandable: 128GB / Yes | Rear camera: 48MP main (ƒ/1.7); 16MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2); 2MP macro (ƒ/2.2) | Front camera: 16MP (ƒ/2.0) | Weight: 6.8 ounces | Battery life (Hrs:Mins): 12:13
Comes with a stylus
Long battery life
Triple rear cameras
Colors aren’t very vibrant on screen
No optical zoom or ultra wide angle lens
You don’t have to spend big bucks for a phone like the Galaxy Note 10 to get a stylus with your handset. The Moto G Stylus has a handy stylus tucked right into the bottom right corner of the phone. While you won’t get S Pen levels of functionality, you will be able to remove the stylus and start jotting down notes on the Motorola phone’s screen, all without having to unlock your device. The stylus also can help you take screenshots and edit photos.
In many ways, the Moto G Stylus is exactly like the Moto G Power. They’ve got the same screen size and processor, though the G Stylus comes with more storage and a bigger main camera sensor. The biggest tradeoff, though, is battery, where the Moto G Stylus makes do with a 4,000 mAh power pack. Even with the smaller battery, the G Stylus still lasted more than 12 hours on our battery test, making this a long-lasting phone for people who want a productivity-boosting stylus.
Read our full Moto G Stylus review.
5. Samsung Galaxy A51
A good cheap Samsung phone
Display Size: 6.5-inch OLED (2400×1080) | CPU: Exynos 9611 | RAM: 4GB | Storage / Expandable: 128GB / Yes | Rear camera: 48MP wide (ƒ/2.0), 12MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2), 5MP depth (ƒ/2.2), 5MP macro (ƒ/2.4) | Front camera: 32MP (ƒ/2.2) | Weight: 6.07 ounces | Battery Life (Hrs:Mins): 9:16
Sleek design
Versatile quad-lens camera
Underwhelming performance
Camera struggles in low light
After last year’s successful Galaxy A50, Samsung’s new Galaxy A51 adds even more value, with its 6.5-inch AMOLED display, quad-lens camera that includes ultrawide, depth and macro shooters, as well as a generous 128GB of storage built in. We especially like the A51’s design; it’s made of plastic, but feels well built, and its full-screen proportions and slim bezels make for a more attractive midrange offering than even the new iPhone SE.
Well, at least until you try to use those cameras to take shots in low light. The Galaxy A51 is a very pretty looking phone, though it suffers with camera quality and performance. Apps can sometimes take too long to open, and the device can get flustered when you’ve got a lot of things going on at once. Samsung’s latest budget offering isn’t quite as compelling all-around as the iPhone SE, Pixel 3a or Moto G Power, but it is a respectable choice nevertheless, especially if you want a large AMOLED screen. Its a great buy and makes our the best affordable phones list.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy A51 review.
6. TCL 10L
A cheap phone with a great display
Display: 6.53-inch LCD (2340 x 1080) | CPU: Snapdragon 665 | RAM: 6GB | Storage / Expandable: 64GB / Yes | Rear camera: 48MP (f/1.8) main; 8MP (f/2.2) ultra wide; 2MP (f.2.4) macro; 2MP (f/2.4) depth sensor | Front camera: 16MP | Weight: 6.3 ounces
Good design
Cameras struggle with color
Won’t work on CDMA networks
A cheap phone doesn’t have to look cheap. The TCL 10L features a design that plays down its bargain price while also sporting one of the better displays you’ll find on any phone.So, it makes our the best affordable phones list. The TCL 10L’s 6.53-inch LCD panel showcases a wide array of colors, and TCL’s Nxtvision technology enables welcome features such as dynamic adjusting the screen’s color temperature and brightness.
Other parts of the TCL 10L don’t live up to the stellar example set by its display. Performance is about what you’d expect for a phone powered by a Snapdragon 665 chipset and battery life is average. That would be all right, but the similarly priced Moto G Power lasts more than 6 hours longer in our test. The TCL 10L’s four rear cameras also struggle with color.
Still, this is a very good looking phone, especially if you can get the TCL 10L in Mariana Blue. You won’t have to pay big bucks to add a little style to your smartphone.
The ZTE Blade 10 Prime delivers a surprising amount of phone for very cheap. You get a dual-lens rear camera, a big 6.3-inch display with slim bezels and a water drop notch, 64GB of storage and a microSD card slot that supports up to 2TB. The MediaTek’s Helio P60 processor combined with 3GB of RAM keeps things running smoothly on this Android phone.
The biggest strike against the Blade 10 Prime is the short battery life; this handset lasted just over 7 hours on our web surfing battery test. But overall this is one of the best affordable phones you can buy.
The Samsung Galaxy A20 gives you pretty good features for the money. This includes a 4,000 mAh battery that lasted a very impressive 13 hours and 46 minutes our battery test, a roomy 6.4-inch AMOLED display and solid dual rear cameras with Live Focus mode. Another plus is 15-watt fast charging; the Galaxy A20 got to 30% in just 30 minutes.
The Samsung Galaxy A20 is available through multiple carriers, including Verizon, Boost and Republic Wireless. However, there are some drawbacks at this price, including a design that can scratch easily and somewhat laggy performance from the Samsung Exynos 7904 CPU.
It won’t be out until this summer, but keep an eye out for the Galaxy A21, which will feature a 6.5-inch screen and quad-lens camera system.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy A20 review.
How to choose the best affordable phone for you
Picking the best affordable phone can be tricky, because it’s really all about figuring out which trade-offs you’re willing to live with. But it’s important to start with the basics. Do you prefer a bigger screen? Opt for a affordable phone with a display over 5.5 inches. Those who want to use a phone comfortably with one hand will likely prefer a phone under 5 inches.
Next up is the camera. Budget phones will typically feature one or two lenses, but that’s starting to change. The megapixel count doesn’t matter that much; pay more attention to the capabilities of the camera. See if the phone can shoot ultra-wide shots, which is becoming more common on cheap phones. But don’t expect optical zoom; digital zoom is the norm in this price range.
As for storage, 32GB is okay but 64GB is preferred for budget phones. And if possible see if that handset offers a microSD card slot for expansion. Battery life is a huge concern regardless of price, so check the battery capacity on the phone. In general, anything above 4,500 mAh is preferred.
Do not expect 5G speeds on phones. For now, these handsets will be 4G LTE only. But that’s pretty reasonable.
How we test affordable phones
We evaluate budget-priced phones the same way we do flagships. We perform real-world testing and synthetic benchmarks over several days to evaluate it’s performance and value. This includes our own battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over cellular at 150 nits of screen brightness. The devices that make our best phone battery life list tend to last over 11 hours.
In terms of performance, we use Geekbench 5 to measure overall speed and compare versus phones in the same price range. And the same thing goes for GFXBench for graphics testing. We also perform our own video editing/transcoding testing using the Adobe Premiere Rush app to gauge real-world speed.
For evaluating cameras on cheap phones, we will take multiple photos in different conditions and will use other affordably priced phones in the same scenarios in order to make side-by-side comparisons.