Best prepaid cell phones 2024

Prepaid carriers have come a long way over the last few years, and now just about any unlocked phone will work with these wireless networks, from the most budget devices to feature-packed foldables. However, if you're looking to get the best value for money when shopping for the best prepaid cell phones, Android devices priced around $400 or less are the right place to start.

The Samsung Galaxy A25 5G has all of the right features with fast hardware, good cameras, and support for 5G. Samsung has promised years upon years of updates for the Galaxy A25, you get a lovely 120Hz Super AMOLED screen, the 5,000mAh battery easily lasts for two days, and you get Android 14 out of the box. All of that for a mere $300 is an unbeatable deal. We also suggest checking out the Moto G Stylus 5G 2024, which offers a gorgeous vegan leather back panel, an integrated stylus, and even wireless charging, all at very good price of just $400.

At a glance

Best overall

When most folks are trying to pick a prepaid smartphone for less than $400 (or even $350), they often come down to older OnePlus, Motorola, or Samsung phones. After spending a long time at the top, OnePlus has been knocked down by Samsung in the sub-$350 category thanks to the Samsung Galaxy A25 5G. The OnePlus Nord N30 5G follows close behind, thanks to some outstanding hardware and an accessible price tag.

The Samsung Galaxy A25 5G has the same Exynos 1280 processor as the Galaxy A53, which is a great phone. The Galaxy A25 sports a vibrant 6.5-inch 120Hz Super AMOLED display and a large 5,000 battery that’ll easily last a full day to two days on a single charge. It comes with 6GB to 8GB of RAM, expandable storage (to 1TB) and a headphone jack. You’ll also get the benefits of Android 14 OS with support with four upgrades, which means you could be using your A25 5G for years before it becomes obsolete.

Typically priced at $300, the Galaxy A25 5G is a bit more expensive than the OnePlus Nord N30 5G, but it’s important to note again that the phone is set to receive updates for years to come, with five years of guaranteed security updates. If device longevity is important to you, the Galaxy A25 is a great phone to pair with a prepaid carrier.

Best runner-up

The OnePlus Nord N30 5G feels like a return to form for the company with hardware specs that exceed expectations for the price. Build quality also feels strong, with an attractive utilitarian design that makes it look like it costs more than it really does. The AMOLED display refreshes at a snappy 120Hz and has a high 1080x2400 resolution, making it look sharp and vibrant.

The Snapdragon 695 CPU feels like the perfect fit, with enough power to keep things running smoothly, although gaming isn't the best. Still, its 5,000mAh battery lasts all day with ease and then some. Like Google's low-cost Pixels, the N30 5G reminds us that a cheap phone can still have excellent cameras with its 108MP main shooter, 2MP macro camera, and 2MP depth sensor. We were thoroughly impressed by the photos in our OnePlus Nord N30 5G review.

Even if you're a proficient phone photographer who can put a battery through its paces, you can top up the battery in a snap with support for 50W SUPERVOOC ultra-fast charging with a charger in the box. Beyond that, this phone ships with Android 13 with the promise of an Android 14 release down the road, to keep it feeling modern for a bit longer. It supports sub-6 5G on T-Mobile's network which includes the vast majority of its coverage including the faster band 41.

Best with stylus

Motorola's smartphones are renowned for offering exceptional value for money, and the Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 is no different. It packs in a truckload of features, many of which are usually found in phones that are much more expensive. Priced just under $400, it offers significant upgrades over the last-gen model.

As the name suggests, the biggest highlight of the Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 is its integrated stylus, which lets you take notes, doodle, or simply interact with on-screen UI elements with effortless ease. The smartphone's 6.7-inch pOLED screen comes with a resolution of 1080x2400 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate, which make it ideal for multimedia consumption, gaming, and much more. Under the hood, the 2024 version of the Moto G Stylus 5G features Qualcomm's Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 SoC, complete with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage, and there's even an expansion slot that can take up microSD cards of up to 2TB in size. Sure, this is not top-tier hardware, but it's more than enough for handling everyday tasks. You get a very capable dual-lens rear camera setup with a 50MP primary sensor and a 13MP ultrawide unit, as well as a 32MP front-facing camera.

Running Android 14 out of the box, the Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 offers all major connectivity options such as Wi-Fi, multi-band 5G, and even NFC for contactless payments. Among other features are stereo speakers, a 3.5mm audio port, and a gorgeous vegan leather back panel that's available in two funky colors. The whole package is backed by a 5,000mAh battery with 30W wired charging, and even 15W wireless charging support.

Best under $200

The Samsung Galaxy A15 5G is exactly a penny shy of $200, and it hits the mark on nearly every spec, making it the top pick in this price range. Starting with a great 90Hz Super AMOLED display. This phone is powered by the same MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ chipset found in other phones at this price range, so it will have enough power for most Android apps outside of 3D games.

It comes with a large 5,000mAh battery though its 25W charging speed is a bit lacking. The A15 5G's main 50MP camera can take some decent images in good lighting but will struggle in low-light conditions.

Where this phone starts to make up some ground is in software. Samsung has promised four OS updates for this device, so your A15 5G will be good for years as long as its chipset can handle the new software. Perhaps more important are the four years of security updates and the Knox security platform. Samsung Knox security can keep sensitive information safe with multi-layered security in the event of theft or loss. This cheap phone punches above its weight in software and performance and can be a great pairing for a prepaid carrier.

Best entry-level

It's nice that Nokia doesn't get carried away with changes to Android and opts to stick much closer to a stock experience. The Nokia C210 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 SoC and while it isn't going to top any benchmarks, it has enough power to handle most Android apps with ease and can even do a bit of gaming if you keep your expectations in check. This CPU also sips less power, thus making even the small 3,000mAh battery that easily lasts all day, though the 15W charger means you'll need a bit of patience getting it up to 100 percent.

This phone will have Android 13 out of the box but can and should be upgraded to Android 14 eventually. Nokia sticks to a clean build of Android and that's a good thing. However, given the low price, we're not sure if this thing will get much in terms of software and security updates.

This phone does not support 5G, unfortunately. However, it's nice to see a phone with such a large 6.3-inch display and decent battery be supported for so long software wise. The price tag sits at around $100, give or take $10 based on ongoing discounts and where you buy it from. That's mega affordable given the cost of acquiring one.

Best budget stylus

While the Moto G Stylus 5G is a solid value, it still may be out of the budget for some shoppers. The Moto G Stylus (2023) sticks to LTE and if you don't need 5G speeds, the savings are passed right back to you. Don't make the mistake of thinking that's the only difference between this and the 5G model. In fact, there are quite a few hardware differences starting with the SoC. This phone uses a MediaTek Helio G85, which is adequate for most messaging, social media, and web browsing needs, but will struggle with 3D games. The screen is also different with this 6.5-inch IPS panel only offering 90Hz refresh rate and a fairly low 720x1600 resolution.

Camera performance from the 50MP sensor isn't stellar, but you can still get some decent shots with enough light. What does impress is the battery life with our Moto G Stylus (2023) review noting easily over a day of battery life. Charging isn't terrible at 15W, but it will still take a while to top up.

Carrier support is solid with the most important LTE bands supported for the big three carrier networks. LTE won't be as fast as 5G, but for most people, 5G speeds aren't needed outside of large downloads or uploading large files like videos. One thing to keep in mind is that, like most budget Moto phones, software support is a disappointment with only one OS update planned.

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How to choose

What prepaid phone is best?

More and more people are looking to leave contracts behind, especially if they know how to switch carriers, and prepaid carriers offer a lot of value. In fact, most of the best cheap Android phones will work on just about any prepaid carrier. Most of these phones here will work on any carrier with LTE, but 5G compatibility can be a bit less predictable. Even so, the software has gotten a big boost on cheap phones, thanks to more manufacturers committing to multiple years of updates.

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy A25 5G delivers the best overall experience with very little meaningful compromises. While it's not the best Galaxy A series phone, it's still an incredible value. This phone supports 5G on all US carriers and the mix of specs beats other phones at this price. The Galaxy A25 5G will get major OS updates until Android 18 and five years of security updates, which means you can keep on using it with confidence. You can also take a look at the OnePlus Nord N30 5G, which is powered by a very good Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chipset and offers goodies like a big IPS LCD panel, stereo speakers, and super-fast 50W charging support.

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