A few of us take a sort of “I eat to reside” fairly than an “I reside to eat” strategy to devices. They’re instruments that assist you get issues accomplished, not one thing you need to make investments a number of time or cash in. If that’s you — and there’s no judgment right here from a certifiable gadget nerd — then you may most likely consider extra worthwhile methods to spend $1,000 than on a cellphone.
Price range telephones to the rescue. These gadgets are roughly $500 or below, and so they’re extra succesful than ever earlier than. You received’t get all of the bells and whistles, however you’ll save just a little cash to spend on, I don’t know, precise bells and whistles. It’s your world.
What I’m on the lookout for
Sturdy software program help
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At the least a few years of OS upgrades and, ideally, three years of safety updates. There’s no level in shopping for even an affordable cellphone if it’s a must to change it after simply a few years as a result of it stopped getting safety patches.
A very good display screen
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Because you take a look at it roughly two thousand occasions a day, your cellphone’s display screen is one place you shouldn’t compromise. An OLED has richer distinction and shade than an LCD, and the massive screens on right now’s telephones really want at the very least a 1080p decision. Quicker refresh charges like 90Hz and even 120Hz have gotten extra frequent on finances cellphone screens, however for my cash, a smooth-scrolling LCD doesn’t look as good as an OLED with a regular refresh charge.
Serviceable cupboard space
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In case you plan to hold onto your cellphone for some time, you’ll need sufficient cupboard space to accommodate all of the system recordsdata, images, and movies you’ll accumulate over time. Ideally you’ll get at the very least 128GB inbuilt, however at a minimal I search for 64GB with the choice to develop house by way of a MicroSD card.
One good rear digicam, not 4 mediocre ones
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Upgrades like telephoto cameras and optical picture stabilization are uncommon within the under-$500 class, however you may nonetheless anticipate good, fundamental efficiency in good lighting from any fashionable smartphone. Low mild is trickier. Telephones on this class ought to supply an evening mode to assist with non-moving topics in very dim mild. And there aren’t any bonus factors awarded for including further macro and depth cameras to pad out the rear digicam array — these 2- and 5-megapixel sensors are just about ineffective.
Lots of our picks run about $400 or $500, however there are nice choices for $300 and below, too. You’ll find a brilliant, high-definition OLED display screen or a battery that lasts for days. In case you can hone in on the one or two options which can be most vital to you and also you’re keen to compromise elsewhere, you will get a cellphone that fits your wants for half the worth of a flagship.
What compromises are you able to anticipate from a finances cellphone? Some mixture of the next: slower processors, much less storage, and lousier cameras than flagship telephones, virtually throughout the board. Many have lower-resolution screens, and most lack official water-resistance scores, wi-fi charging, and NFC chips for contactless fee.
One of the best iPhone below $500
$430
The 2022 iPhone SE was as soon as Apple’s entry-level smartphone, however its tiny 4.7-inch display screen feels cramped now and could also be powerful to make use of in an age the place apps and webpages are designed for greater screens.
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Display: 4.7-inch, 1334p LCD / Processor: A15 Bionic Cameras: 12-megapixel f/1.8 with OIS, 7-megapixel selfie / Charging: 20W wired, 7.5W wi-fi / Climate-resistance score: IP67
In case your finances has a strict $500 cap and also you’re on the lookout for a brand new iPhone, the selection is simple. The 2022 iPhone SE is the one new iPhone below $500 — that’s, assuming you may even discover it. Apple not too long ago discontinued the third-gen SE and iPhone 14 with the introduction of the iPhone 16E, which begins at $599 with 128GB of storage. Apple’s newest “finances” iPhone is kind of like an iPhone SE successor that takes after the iPhone 14, with USB-C, a Face ID-enabled notch, and a 6.06-inch OLED show; it additionally has a customizable Motion Button and helps Apple Intelligence due to Apple’s newest A18 chip.
All that being mentioned, the last-gen iPhone SE stays the least costly technique to get into the iOS ecosystem. It’ll do the job, however I’d strongly encourage anybody wanting on the SE to think about whether or not it’s doable to spend a bit extra on the iPhone 16E, which launches on February twenty eighth (keep tuned for our full evaluate).
The vital factor to know concerning the SE is that it comes with a really small, very dated 4.7-inch display screen. It’s the identical dimension because the one on the iPhone 6, and it’s beginning to really feel cramped in an age when apps and internet pages are designed for greater screens. The SE’s huge bezels make the system look dated, too, however the usability of a small display screen shall be a much bigger issue over time to come back.
That’s one of many largest knocks in opposition to the SE — and it’s an vital one. However for those who’re not fearful a couple of cramped display screen, then the SE has a number of upsides and may nonetheless be discovered at third-party retailers. Its A15 processor is identical because the one within the iPhone 13 Professional Max, so efficiency remains to be zippy sufficient for many duties.
There’s IP67 waterproofing and wi-fi charging — each unusual on this value vary — and though it makes use of an older 12-megapixel digicam, it takes very good images and high-quality video clips. The digicam has no night time mode, which is a curious omission — mainly each different midrange cellphone provides some kind of low-light picture mode, and the cellphone’s processor is actually as much as the duty. Apple gonna Apple.
One of the best Android cellphone below $500
$399
Google’s newest midranger touts a whopping seven years of software program help and numerous small upgrades, together with Google’s speedy Tensor G3 processor, a 120Hz show, and loads of new AI options.
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Display: 6.1-inch, 1080p OLED, 120Hz / Processor: Tensor G3 Cameras: 64-megapixel f/1.89 with OIS, 13-megapixel ultrawide, 13-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,492mAh / Charging: 18W wired, 7.5W wi-fi / Climate-resistance score: IP67
Google provides some superb high-end telephones within the Pixel 9, 9 Professional and 9 Professional XL, but it surely’s the corporate’s finances cellphone that makes essentially the most sense. For $500, the Pixel 8A provides an entire lot of what makes its pricier siblings good, however at roughly half the associated fee.
It’s a modest replace over the Pixel 7A, which you’ll be able to nonetheless purchase, however the 8A comes with one huge improve over the earlier era: seven years of OS and safety updates. In case you’re the sort of one who likes to hold onto their system for a very long time, that’s big — particularly within the finances class the place different telephones may solely include one or two platform upgrades.
The 8A can be Google’s first finances cellphone to come back with a 120Hz show, so scrolling and animations look tremendous {smooth}. You additionally get wi-fi charging and an IP67 score for cover in opposition to water immersion. The digicam system is dependable, but it surely’s the obvious place the place Google needed to make some compromises to maintain the worth low. It’s a effective all-around digicam, however stepping as much as one of many newest Pixel fashions will get you improved low mild efficiency, an up to date ultrawide digicam, and an entire lot of AI-powered options.
In case you can maintain out for a bit, it’s additionally value flagging the closely rumored Google Pixel 9A, which is able to reportedly arrive on March twenty sixth. Android Headlines says the cellphone will begin at $499 with 128GB of storage and ditch the digicam bar totally, permitting it to lie flat on a desk. Earlier rumors additionally level towards a 5,100mAh battery, a 6.3-inch display screen with a 120Hz refresh charge, a Tensor G4 chip, and 8GB of RAM.
One of the best finances cellphone that performs like a flagship
$500
The OnePlus 12R comes with a superb display screen and a top-notch processor, making it really feel rather more costly than its $500 price ticket.
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Display: 6.78-inch, 1264 x 2780 120Hz OLED / Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.8 with OIS, 8-megapixel ultrawide, 2-megapixel macro, 16-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,500mAh / Charging: 80W wired / Climate-resistance score: IP64
The last-gen OnePlus 12R is $500, but it surely might simply trick you into pondering it prices twice as a lot. It comes with a really huge, very good display screen, with refresh charges that go as much as 120Hz and all the way in which all the way down to 1Hz, making for a {smooth} scrolling expertise once you want it and financial savings on battery life once you don’t. It’s a characteristic not often seen on a cellphone below $800.
The 12R is provided with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which is a era behind 2024’s processor du jour, the 8 Gen 3 (the latter could be discovered on the $599.99 OnePlus 13R). However the 8 Gen 2 nonetheless whips — it’s onerous to throw something at this cellphone that it may well’t deal with. Much less good: the 12R’s IP64 score, which implies it’s splash resistant however not totally water immersible, just like the Pixel 8A.
Quick charging is sort of OnePlus’ trademark, and the 12R stays true to the model with as much as 80W quick wired charging within the US (it’s as much as 100W in different areas). It’s good if you wish to cost your cellphone on a extra compressed schedule, like throughout your morning routine fairly than at night time.
Personally, I’d fairly have slower wired charging if it meant I might have a characteristic that’s not current on the 12R: wi-fi charging. That’s, as soon as once more, one thing the Pixel 8A provides. However that’s the fantastic thing about the 12R — it is aware of what it’s and what it isn’t. And if a low-cost cellphone with a giant, high-quality display screen and glorious efficiency is what you’re after, then the 12R is it.
$400
The Galaxy A35 5G comes with a great 6.6-inch OLED panel, a strong IP67 mud and water resistance score, and a powerful software program replace coverage for its class.
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Display: 6.6-inch, 1080p decision, 120Hz OLED / Processor: Exynos 1380 Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.8 with OIS, 8-megapixel ultrawide, 5-megapixel macro, 13-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,000mAh / Charging: 25W wired / Climate-resistance score: IP67
The Samsung Galaxy A35 5G comes with surprisingly robust specs for its $399 value. They’re the sort of options you received’t actually spot from the surface, however they’re vital, notably its IP67 score for mud and water resistance. Not like just about each different cellphone at this value, the A35 5G is constructed to face up to water immersion, so that you don’t have to sweat it in case your cellphone lands in a rest room bowl or puddle.
Right here’s one other unexciting spec: 4 years of OS updates and 5 years of safety updates. That’s not the perfect within the finances class — the Pixel 8A takes that honor with seven years of updates — but it surely’s significantly better than the 2 or three years we sometimes see in telephones properly below $500.
The digicam is lackluster; it’s effective in brilliant mild however struggles in dim and blended indoor lighting. It doesn’t have the strongest processing efficiency you could find below $500, both, and the Samsung-made Exynos processor sometimes stutters when shortly bouncing between duties. I used to be horrified — horrified! — after I unintentionally texted my husband one of many robotically generated replies as a result of it popped up on the final second as I used to be making an attempt to faucet on one thing else. These items don’t occur when all the things hundreds shortly.
However general, it’s a compelling bundle — particularly with a giant, crowd-pleasing OLED show and robust battery efficiency. In case you’re a lightweight consumer and never fussy about digicam high quality, the A35 5G provides some upgrades that make an actual distinction in the long run.
Different finances telephones we examined
The 2024 Motorola Moto G Energy has all of the makings of a great finances cellphone, together with a beautiful vegan leather-based exterior and wi-fi charging. However it’s loaded with bloatware of the worst variety, and that alone disqualifies it from our suggestions. Learn our impressions.
We additionally examined the OnePlus Nord N300, which doesn’t make an look amongst our suggestions. The N300 may be very inexpensive at $228 however cuts too many corners to incorporate quick charging. The pricier 12R that snags our suggestion above provides significantly better general efficiency. Learn our evaluate.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is one other completely succesful cellphone that doesn’t fairly earn a suggestion right here. It’s just a little exterior the scope of this information at $649 anyway, however you do get a telephoto lens and a pleasant, huge display screen for that value. Nonetheless, you’re higher off saving a bunch and selecting up the Pixel 8A or making an attempt to attain a trade-in promo for the brand new Galaxy S25. Learn our evaluate.
Lastly, for those who’re on the lookout for one thing fairly totally different, the Nothing Telephone 2 is an possibility with its glossy look and flashy interface (actually, it flashes) — simply know that it’s not totally appropriate with Verizon’s community.
Replace, February twenty second: Adjusted pricing and added a point out of the rumored Google Pixel 9A and Apple’s forthcoming iPhone 16E, which launches on the finish of February.
