Best cheap phones 2024 | Tom’s Guide

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. The Google Pixel 8a delivers premium features in a sub-$500 phone, costing just the same as its predecessor. And with the OnePlus 12R also offering a top experience for under $500 as well, it’s hard to deny that phone’s appeal to budget-minded shoppers. There are also other recently announced phones, like the $200 priced CMF Phone 1 by Nothing, that could be in the running after it’s properly tested.

After testing multiple phones that cost less than $500, I believe that most shoppers can find everything they need in these lower-cost devices, whether you’re looking for an affordable iPhone or an inexpensive Android handset. No matter the model, no one needs to spend upwards of $800 on a flagship device when you can easily find a handset that delivers comparable features while costing hundreds of dollars less.

You’ll need to make some trade-offs to get a cheap phone — forget about the most powerful processors or versatile zoom cameras — but in many cases, you’ll find cameras that are good enough to get the job done and even big displays with adaptive refresh rates. And 5G connectivity is basically a given these days.

Even though I reviewed my fair share of affordable phones, my other colleagues also contribute collectively as a group for our picks for the best cheap phones under $500. If that’s still too much to pay, check out our guide on the best cheap phones under $300.

Of course, there are also other unreleased cheap phones that could make our list, like the Nothing Phone 2a Plus most recently, which could rearrange things once it’s properly put through our benchmark testing and review process.

The Quick List

The best cheap phones you can buy today

Best cheap phone overall

Google did everything right in making the Pixel 8a better than the Pixel 7a before it. Most notably, it’s getting a tremendous boost over on the software side with its slew of AI features — like Magic Editor and Best Take — which it inherits from the more expensive Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro models.

If that’s not enough, it sets the benchmark for all other cheap phones with its unbelievable software support. Whereas other phones barely get three years worth of software updates, the Pixel 8a goes the distance with its 7 years of major Android update, including security updates.

Over on the hardware side, the Pixel 8a benefits from a much brighter, more vibrant display that offers a 120Hz refresh rate. It battery life is also extended thanks largely to its bigger battery and the power efficiency of its Tensor G3 chip. While its camera improvements are minor, it’s still one of the best in its class.

Add all of this up, while still coming up at the same $499 cost as its predecessor, the Pixel 8a is without question the best cheap phone money can buy,

Read our full Google Pixel 8a review.

Longest-lasting phone

The OnePlus 12R is the first R series phone from OnePlus to get a global release, and it’s a welcome addition to the world of smartphones. The phone draws its design cues from the OnePlus 12 flagship, while scaling back some features for a lower price tag. For instance, the OnePlus 12R runs on last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, but this isn’t really a hardship — the Qualcomm silicon delivers outstanding performance and long battery life, with the 12R lasting more than 18 hours on our battery test.

Cameras don’t perform as well as the ones on the Pixel 7a, so turn elsewhere if you want a low-cost camera phone. Also be aware that the $499 model of the OnePlus 12R is not available in Europe — there, you’ll have to buy the more expensive 256GB version of the 12R. But if you can get your hands on the sub-$500 model, you’ll find that the OnePlus 12R excels at performance and staying power — two things that are good to have in any phone.

Read our full OnePlus 12R review.

Best cheap phone design

Who says that you have to sacrifice looks for a cheaper price? The Nothing Phone 2a still delivers the stylish translucent look and helpful Glyph interface found on the Nothing Phone 2, but for hundreds of dollars less. We’re also impressed by the big, bright 6.7-inch display, which offers an adaptive refresh rate, as well as how long this phone lasted on our battery test.

Nothing is giving this phone a global launch, though U.S. shoppers will need to order it through the phone maker’s developer program. With a price of $349, that phone may be worth tracking down, even with some disappointing low-light camera performance and choppy graphics. The Nothing Phone 2a looks good enough to overcome those flaws, and it delivers in some other key areas like battery life, fast charging and value.

Even though the OnePlus 12R is the longest lasting phone on our list, the Nothing Phone 2a’s time of 15 hours on our battery benchmark test is pretty impressive.

Read our full Nothing Phone 2a review.

Bigger Pixel Savings

The Pixel 8a may be here, but that doesn’t mean the Pixel 6a has to go away. You can still find the phone for around $349 through other retailers, which makes for a better case than how the Pixel 7a is still being sold by Google for $499. For that cost, we recommend going with the Pixel 8a.

The Tensor G1 chipset inside the Pixel 6a adds to its appeal. That’s the same silicon inside Google’s more expensive Pixel 6 flagships. As a result, the same AI-powered tricks Google’s flagship phone can pull off are available to the Pixel 6a, too, including the photo-editing Magic Eraser tool and on-device translation.

Even as an older device, the Pixel 6a provides excellent photos that measure up well against other budget devices. Android OS support will continue to run until 2025, so this phone won’t have the shelf life of the Pixel 8a, but it’s still a viable option among the best cheap phones.

Read our full Google Pixel 6a review.

Best cheap iPhone

The iPhone SE 2022 takes cheap phones to the next level of performance by including Apple’s powerful A15 Bionic chip. This is the same processor found in the iPhone 13 series and the iPhone 14, and it blows all Android phones away, whether you’re playing games or editing video on the go. 

This chip also gives the new iPhone SE 2022 a number of photography powers that the previous model lacked, including Smart HDR 4, Magic Fusion for better detail and Photographic Styles. In fact, in some scenarios the iPhone SE takes better pics than the Google Pixel 6a, as you can see in our Pixel 6a vs. iPhone SE 2022 face-off. Unfortunately, Apple didn’t include Night mode for low-light situations. 

The latest iPhone SE features the same design as before, so that means a small 4.7-inch display and big bezels, but some may prefer the old-school Touch ID button for quickly unlocking the device. Despite some trade-offs, the iPhone SE 2022 is a great choice for people who like small phones. With rumors circulating that an iPhone SE 4 likely won’t ship until 2024, it may be your best option for a cheap iPhone for the foreseeable future.

While it’s one of the older phones on the list, we have to hand it to Apple for ensuring it’s still a processing powerhouse. In fact, it pulls in better results on Geekbench than most of the newer phones with its multicore score of 4,482.

Read our full iPhone SE 2022 review.

Best phone under $200

At a certain threshold, phones often have more compromises as they get cheaper. That’s expected, but thankfully the Moto G 5G (2024) proves otherwise because for a phone that’s priced under $200, you’re still getting good stuff with it.

Starting off with its design, the vegan leather casing gives the Moto G 5G (2024) this level of sophistication that phones in this price range never get treated to. Not only does it make the phone look and feel a bit more premium than its price would reveal, but it makes holding it much better.

What’s more impressive about the Moto G 5G (2024) is now it manages to record an impressive time of 14 hours and 36 minutes on Tom’s Guide’s battery benchmark test. That’s an amazing feat, which is largely the result of the power efficiency of its Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 chip and large 5,000 mAh battery.

The only downside its that it has a really dim screen, which makes it tough to see under direct sunlight. Plus, it’s only guaranteed one software update.

Read our full Moto G 5G (2024) review.

Best phone under $300

The OnePlus Nord N30 5G isn’t as capable as the phones we’ve ranked above it, but it also isn’t as expensive, either. At $299, this is the phone to get for people with a hard budget of $300, as OnePlus’ budget phone nails the important details people look for in a mobile device.

You get a big screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, and while the OnePlus Nord N30 isn’t a performance powerhouse, it does manage power efficiently. The Nord N30 lasted 12.5 hours on our battery test, with its display in adaptive mode, which is a very impressive result.

The 108MP main lens looks good on paper and captures more detail than you may be used to from a budget camera. But it’s inconsistent camera performance that keeps us from being more enthusiastic about the OnePlus Nord N30. Nevertheless, for less than $300, you get a very capable phone that delivers more value than you might imagine.

Read our full OnePlus Nord N30 5G review.

Best for note-takers

Both the Moto 5G Stylus 5G (2023) and Galaxy S23 Ultra ship with a built-in stylus. The difference is that Motorola’s phone costs $800 less than Samsung’s flagship. And while the stylus that comes with the Moto 5G model isn’t as feature-rich as Samsung’s S-Pen, it’s still good for jotting down notes and editing photos more precisely. If you’re looking for a way to boost your productivity on a budget, this year’s edition of the Moto G Stylus 5G fits the bill.

You’ll get some inconsistent camera performance, and we wish Motorola provided more than one guaranteed Android OS update, but we were pleased with how long the Moto G 5G Stylus lasts on a charge. It’s also a pretty slender design that’s much easier to type on than a lot of today’s phones. Be sure not to confuse this 5G-capable model with the regular (and less expensive) Moto G Stylus (2023).

Battery life is also impressive, reaching a time of 12 hours and 12 minutes in our testing.

Read our full Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) review.

Also consider

Last year’s Galaxy A55 held on to the top spot, but this year’s Galaxy A55 falls a little short — mainly because it’s not available for purchase in the U.S. Meaning, if you intend on picking one up, you might pay extra to import it.

Still, the Galaxy A55 is a contender in the best cheap phones space — aided by it gorgeous looking display. In addition to its adaptive 120Hz rate, it shines brightly under the toughest conditions. However, the more satisfying part about the A55 is how its cameras continually deliver sharp photos and videos.

While it’s unfortunate that Samsung’s not making it available stateside, there’s always the Galaxy A35 to consider instead. We haven’t properly put the A35 through its paces yet, but it’s certainly a strong contender because of its price.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy A55 review.

What to look for in the best cheap phones

After you’ve found a phone at the right price for your budget — that’s why you’re considering one of the best cheap phones in the first place, after all — consider what features one of these devices has to offer and which ones you’re sacrificing for a lower price tag. Battery life, the number and types of cameras, display refresh rate and the type of chipset powering the phone are all ways that cheap phones can distinguish themselves.

In some cases, you’ll be able to compare phones to more expensive options to help crystalize what compromises you’re making for a lower-cost model. 

Generally, one area in which phone makers cut back for budget models is materials. They’ll use plastic for the phone’s case instead of metal and glass. Cheaper phones may also turn to LCD panels instead of OLED screens, though that’s becoming less frequent among some of the best cheap phones running Android.

One other area to consider is software updates and support. We’ve seen cheaper Android phones either ship with older versions of Android or promise very few upgrades to future versions. Samsung has one of the better upgrade policies with its Galaxy A lineup, and the iPhone remains a standout for usually supporting five years of iOS updates.

How we test the best cheap 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 3DMark’s Wild Life Unlimited 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.

For more information, check out our how we test page for Tom’s Guide.