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It’s so easy to fall in love with the shiniest and fanciest premium phones on the market. That makes sense, as they have the best features and most robust specs. However, we don’t always have the $1,000+ to buy those devices, and we sometimes need to set our sites just a little lower. This is where budget Android smartphones come in handy.
The Android platform is home to a myriad of budget-friendly phones that pack more power than their puny prices project. If you’re looking for a new phone that breaks expectations (and NOT the bank), then continue reading. Here’s a list of 10 great budget Android phones.
Most affordable
TCL 40 X 5G
This phone sits lower on the price spectrum, but it doesn’t mean that it’s a weak performer. In fact, TCL is a company that makes some solid performers for an affordable price. The overall experience that its budget-friendly phones provide is typically really good, and a good example is the TCL 40 X 5G. This is one of the company’s 2023 phones, and it’s a steal at just $179.99. At that price, you’re going to be getting your money’s worth and then some.
Let’s start off with probably the most notable part of the phone, the screen. Most people who know TCL are familiar with its TVs. TCL, just like Samsung and formerly LG, uses its superior display technology in its phones as well. This is why you’re getting an incredible video-watching experience with the TCL 40 X 5G.
It’s not quite premium quality, as this is a budget phone, but it’s much better than any other phone’s display in this price range. The colors are super nice and punchy with some nice contrast. If you’re planning on watching movies, TV shows, or other videos, you’re going to have a fun time. Also, when you activate the NXTVISION mode, you’ll see the colors and contrast get a boost whenever you start a video.
All of this is wrapped in a sturdily built body. The TCL 40 X 5G is built to survive several drops without breaking or cracking. While this phone is affordable, it’s not cheap. So, you won’t need to baby it.
Along with that, there’s also a set of nice cameras. They won’t give you flagship-quality pictures, but they’re actually pretty good. The images they produce have some nice colors, contrast, and overall sharpness.
All in all, the TCL 40 X 5G is a phone that deserves a look if you’re looking for a great phone at a low price. You’re getting an overall good experience for just under $200.
Best software
OnePlus Nord N30
OnePlus has a track record of making stellar devices that cost much less than the competition, and that extends to its Nord series of phones. The OnePlus Nord N30 is one of the company’s most recent mid-range phones, and it weighs in at only $299. While this phone is inexpensive, it’s quite an amazing performer, gaining a 5-star rating in our review.
OnePlus isn’t treating its cheaper phones like cheaper phones, in that it’s not offering a diminished experience. While it had to make some cuts to keep the price down, OnePlus still managed to provide a fantastic all-around experience with the Nord N30. From the moment you turn it on, you’re going to have yourself a great time using it.
Smoothness is the keyword for this phone. Starting off with the performance, this phone is a smooth performer. Navigating the software, you won’t see any lag or stutters. You’ll fly through your apps, games, and your daily tasks without skipping a beat.
Moving onto the screen, it’s an absolutely beautiful screen regardless of the price point. OnePlus doesn’t skip on the displays with its cheaper phones. While not as good as its more expensive phones, it’s still incredible. The colors are punchy, the contrast is nice, the brightness is really good, and it’s extremely fluid. This is one of the best aspects of this phone.
However, we can’t forget about the speakers. OnePlus fitted this phone with a set of amazing speakers that just make everything sound great. If you’re going to use this phone as a Bluetooth speaker replacement or just to watch some movies, there’s no doubt that everything will pop.
If you take all of this with the great battery performance, solid build quality, and really good camera, you’re looking at an amazing all-around smartphone experience that’s worth more than the price.
Best display
Vivo V40
A phone’s display can greatly impact the overall experience. You’re likely to use your phone to watch all sorts of content like movies or TV shows. As such, you’ll want a phone with a great display if you’re really into watching content. We’re no longer in the dog days of mid-range phones with horrible displays. Nowadays, you can find phones under $500 with displays that rival those of phones over $1,000.
Vivo recently launched its V40 series of phones, and the base model comes to about $430. Even though the price is so low, the display you get with this phone is spectacular. It’s a big, bright, and beautiful curved OLED panel. Vivo calibrated the colors to give you just enough saturation while not going overboard. The panel is similar to the one in the much more expensive Vivo X Fold3, and that phone has one of the best displays on the market today.
This display’s beauty goes beyond the colors. It’s a notably crisp display, so you’ll be able to watch high-definition content. While not the sharpest on the market, you’ll still see a super-detailed picture when watching content.
If you’re stuck outside, you won’t have to worry. This phone’s screen gets bright enough to see comfortably in direct sunlight. In our testing, everything from text to games to videos was perfectly viewable in the sun.
When it comes to performance, this phone is not just a pretty face. The Vivo V40 is a smooth performer. It navigates the interface without any issue and that goes for using different apps. It doesn’t slow down at all. This also goes for gaming as well. It ran all of the most powerful games like Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero without breaking a sweat. You’re going to love playing games on that beautiful screen!
The Vivo V40 is a full package complete with great performance, a nice camera, and a great battery. However, it’s the display that really puts this phone over the top.
Best design
Tecno Camon 30 Premire
Tecno isn’t a company that’s well-known in the U.S., but it’s been making waves around the world. The brand specializes in mid-range and budget phones, but its Camon series of phones sits at the top of the company’s offerings. This is besides its Phantom line of foldable phones. The Camon phones have the company’s most premium designs, best screens, best specs, and most fleshed-out software.
If you’re looking for the best slab phone that Tecno has to offer, then you’ll want to look into getting the Camon 30 Premier. This phone brings a complete design overhaul compared to the Camon 20 series. It has a metal frame, and that adds to the premium feeling of it. There’s a large circular camera bump on the back of the phone that almost reminds you of the OnePlus 12. Around that, there’s this soft-touch material that feels nice and it keeps the phone from slipping around. Near the right edge of the phone, there’s a small section of the body that has a different texture.
Aside from the looks, this is a pretty powerful phone. It’s not running the most powerful silicon on the market, but it still has a capable chip. The MediaTek Dimensity 8200 gives the Camon 30 Premier a very smooth experience. The beautiful Hi OS looks stunning, and the powerful processor keeps it running smoothly. It’s able to play games like Genshin Impact very smoothly without any hiccups.
Moving onto the display, this is one of the best displays that you can get on a phone in this price range. It’s a gorgeous OLED panel that gets plenty bright in the sun. This is an amazing phone, and the beautiful design only makes it better.
Best 5G phone
T-Mobile Revvl 6 Pro 5G
T-Mobile wanted to get into the smartphone game, and the company has done a decent job at it. The Revvl phones are good competition in the budget phone space. These phones are rather affordable, and they have decent specs. The Revvl 6 Pro 5G is one of the better options from this line, and you can get it at an affordable price from either T-Mobile or Metro by T-Mobile.
$139.99 gets you a pretty compelling device, and that says a lot. Phones in this price range are typically low-quality, but this phone offers a pretty nice experience for the price. It has a VERY large display that looks rather nice when in hand. If you’re looking for a phone with a nice cinematic aspect ratio, then the Revvl 6 Pro 5G is the one for you. The display has a 20.5:9 aspect ratio. The screen is also good for scrolling through social media because it’s so tall.
In terms of performance, the company optimized the software to work well with the hardware. This means that you can expect a smooth and fluid experience while using this phone. You’ll be able to use all of your favorite apps without skipping a beat. Also, you’ll be able to play most games without any issues.
If you’re a shutterbug, there’s a decent camera package on this phone. It’s obviously not as good as with more expensive phones, but you’re still able to get some pretty nice results with the camera. Also, you’ll be able to store a lot of pictures and videos on this phone because of the 128GB of onboard storage.
The T-Mobile Revvl 6 Pro 5G is a great option if you’re a T-Mobile customer and you want a solid smartphone experience for an affordable price.
Most affordable foldable
Nubia Flip 5G
Remember the old days when clamshell foldable phones cost nearly $1,400? Those weren’t great times, but companies have been working to bring that price down over the years. Nowadays, there are plenty of budget-friendly options out there for those looking to make their foray into the foldable market. While we’ve seen some affordable options from the likes of Tecno and Motorola, Nubia swooped in and shook the world with its $500 foldable phone.
This is the first foldable phone from the company, and it really made waves in the tech world. Obviously, it’s not going to give you the sort of experience that you’ll get from more expensive foldable phones. So, you’re not getting AI features like the Galaxy Z Fold 6 or a truly fullscreen experience like the recent Motorola Razrs.
However, this phone isn’t for power users. It’s for people who have been pining for a foldable phone and are looking to try one out. This phone has a nice design with a pretty good build. It has a nice textured back that gives it an almost glittery look to it.
There’s a circular camera bump on the front of the phone that has a small display. You can use the display to check notifications, time, date, and other things at a glance. It’s a good way of keeping from opening the phone all the time.
When you do open the phone, you’ll be met with a large 6.9-inch AMOLED display. While this is an affordable phone, you won’t be able to tell by the display. It’s a nice-looking panel with a 120Hz refresh rate.
Nubia has crafted a nice device for the price, and it’s a great phone to get if you’re curious about trying on a foldable phone. There are better foldable phones out there, but this phone is half the price of several flagship slab phones. So, it will introduce you to a whole new type of experience for not much money.
Best Stylus phone
Moto G Stylus 2023
Aside from Samsung, Motorola is one of the only other companies making phones with built-in stylus pens. The G Stylus series got an update in 2023, and the standard Moto G Stylus 2023 this year brought a really good experience as it does every year. It weighs in at only $199.99, so you’d expect a pretty low-quality experience. However, it’s a pretty good performer for the price.
When it comes to the overall performance, you’re able to use the phone without needing to worry about too many stutters or lag. Under a heavy load, you can expect the phone to drop a frame here and there, but it’s nowhere near what you would call slow. You’ll have a smooth experience in general.
In terms of the display, Motorola fits its phones with some pretty nice panels. This one isn’t as impressive as the display on its more expensive counterpart, the Moto G Stylus 2023 5G. However, it still looks really nice. You’ll enjoy watching all sorts of content on it from movies to TV shows. It can definitely be your primary video-watching phone.
As for the stylus itself, Motorola did a good job of implementing the pen into the overall experience. When you take the pen out of the silo, you’ll see a menu show up with some apps and functions that capitalize on the stylus. You’ll see the notetaker, screenshot tools, and more pop up for you to access. This is the perfect device to get if you like to jot down notes, draw, or sign documents.
As for the software, Motorola has a very specific take on Android. It’s close to the stock Android that you get on Pixel phones, but it adds its own special Motorola flair. You’ll like it in general, but you’ll love it if you’re a Motorola fan.
Best camera
Sony Xperia 10 V
Seeing a Sony Xperia phone on this list is a bit odd seeing the approach the company took a while back. Most of the Xperia phones are now almost $2,000. However, the company took pity on us and granted us some affordable phones. The Xperia 10 V is the model of the phone meant for a budget market, and it’s definitely one of the best that you can buy at just $359.88.
The Sony Xperia line of phones focuses on camera technology, and this one is no exception. This phone comes with an impressive camera setup that uses Sony’s own technology. The shots taken from this phone are all nice with pleasant colors, a ton of details, and nice contrast. The camera experience is one of the best that you can get at this price
Not only is the camera good, but Sony offers a great camera software experience. When you’re using the camera app, you’ll have access to a clean and intuitive experience with the option to use additional professional tools. This is for people who love photography and for those who just want to point and shoot.
As for other aspects of this phone, there’s a lot to love. The Xperia 10 V has a gorgeous display with a cinematic 21:9 aspect ratio. This makes it great for watching movies and TV shows. Also, the taller aspect ratio makes it great for scrolling social media.
Along with the screen, there’s a set of amazing front-firing speakers, so the video-watching experience is made that much better. So, feel free to watch all of the movies and shows you want.
You can also watch them for as long as you want, as the Xperia 10 V has really good battery life as well. It’s able to last you more than a day on a single charge. This is an all-around great phone, and it’s more than worth the price.
Best for gaming
Expecting a phone that costs under $500 to be a great gaming phone is expecting a lot. Obviously, if a phone costs that little, then gaming is not it’s priority. However, there are certain phones out there that can tackle most of today’s most advanced games. Nowadays, games like Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail pretty much look like PS3 and Xbox 360 games. So, you shouldn’t rightfully expect a phone to be able to run these games.
Then, we have phones like the Xiaomi Poco F6. This is an affordable phone that comes in at $399, and it’s a great phone in many respects. In fact, you can read our Poco F6 review to see why it got five out of five stars. One of the high points of this phone’s review had to do with its gaming performance.
When we reviewed this phone, it was able to play every single game you play on it extremely smoothly. This included simple 2D games and mid-range 3D games like Dragon Ball Legends, Asphalt 9, and Sky: Children of the Light. Not only that, but this phone was able to tackle Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail without so much as a stutter. This phone breezes through those games with no issues, and we were all surprised.
It has a boosted gaming mode that pushes the performance of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 to its limits. So, you know that you’re dealing with some serious power. The amazing gaming performance goes along with the rest of an incredible experience, and we highly recommend that you give this phone a try.
Best rugged phone
Nokia XR21
Nokia’s phones used to be praised for their superior durability, but things changed a bit in the 2010s. However, the company never lost its roots, and it’s still bringing a new meaning to the term “durable phone”. The Nokia XR21 is a $499.99 rugged phone that will survive a ton of abuse and keep working. So, if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t want to baby their phone, then it’s the device for you.
It’s water-resistant enough to be submerged in freshwater, and you won’t have to worry about any sort of solid matter getting into it. So, you can take it on the job, around water, or anywhere most phones can’t go. Also, if you drop it, you won’t have to worry about it getting damaged at all. The company made this with very thick and sturdy materials.
Along with being tough, this phone also has a pretty decent screen. This isn’t quite the kind of phone for movie-watching, so the screen isn’t the best on the market. However, it’s still pretty nice and smooth. You won’t have a bad time with this screen.
Along with that, you also have a really good battery and a decent camera. This is the kind of phone to get if you want a study phone that covers all of the bases.