Forget the spendy flagship smartphone. Every year, I test a dozen or more devices to find the best cheap phones that perform where it counts and aren’t annoyingly slow. Wireless carriers in the US go out of their way to make expensive smartphones seem affordable. AT&T will advertise a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra for just $36 a month, but don’t let that fool you. With over 36 monthly installments, you spend over a thousand bucks on a phone. Your pricey device may also keep you locked into the network, unable to switch wireless carriers until the phone is paid off.

Get a seriously great, affordable smartphone instead. That’s especially important in today’s tariff-rich environment. Our top pick, the Google Pixel 9a, costs $499 and is as good as almost any flagship device. Our other recommendations strike a great balance between price and luxury. There’s even a folding phone in this guide!

Check out our many other mobile guides, including Best Android Phones, Best Samsung Phones, Best Phones With a Headphone Jack, Best Google Pixel, Best Moto Phones, and Best iPhones.

Updated November 2025: We’ve added the Motorola Moto G Play 2026, Samsung Galaxy S25 FE, and mentioned the Nothing Phone (3a) Lite.

The Google Pixel 9a (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is the best smartphone you can buy for the money. At $499—half the price of an iPhone 16 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus—you get a little of everything, from Qi wireless charging to top-of-the-line performance. It’s powered by Google’s Tensor G4 processor, the same one inside the flagship Pixel 9 series, which means this midrange phone gets seven years of software support—a rarity at this price.

The 6.3-inch OLED screen is bigger and brighter than before, with a 120-Hz refresh rate so that all the animations on the screen look buttery smooth. The bezels are a bit thick around the screen, but it’s hardly a problem. On the back, you’ll notice Google has introduced a new, simpler design. Gone is the iconic Pixel camera bar in favor of a floating dual-camera module that sits completely flush with the back of the phone. It doesn’t have as much character, but at least the phone still looks good in the iris or peony color options.

I’ve had zero problems with performance in my testing, even when I live-posted for an hour on Bluesky during the Nintendo Direct announcing the Switch 2. The only thing to know is that because the Pixel 9a comes with only 8 GB of RAM, it omits two features from the flagship Pixel 9 series: Call Notes and the Pixel Screenshots app. Those are handy features, but it’s no huge loss.

Battery life is finally better than before. The massive, 5,100-mAh cell inside comfortably lasts a full day with average use—I usually ended a day with 30 to 40 percent in the tank. Heavier days will drain the phone quickly, though, so you may need a power bank to be safe if your screen-time numbers are north of six to seven hours.

The cameras are the highlight of the Pixel series, and the Pixel 9a lives up to this legacy—it’s easily the best camera system at the sub-$500 level. It has a 48-megapixel main camera that snaps detailed, colorful, sharp photos in any lighting condition. Joining it is a capable 13-MP ultrawide, and the 13-MP selfie camera is solid. Even the few videoclips I shot in dim conditions at 4K 60 frames per second looked pretty good.

The top reason why I heartily recommend Pixel phones is because of the smart software features you won’t find on many other sub-$500 smartphones. I’ve detailed many of them here, but you can use Add Me to make sure everyone is in the group photo, including the photographer. Audio Magic Eraser lets you strip out unwanted sounds from your videos, like sirens. And Google’s Call Screen technology nips spam calls in the bud.

Other perks include secure face unlock and fingerprint unlock—both work with sensitive apps that require biometric authentication, so you have multiple unlocking options. Secure face unlock is virtually nonexistent for every other Android phone at this price. There’s also NFC for contactless payments and an improved IP68 rating that protects it from the elements.

The iPhone 16e (7/10, WIRED Review) is Apple’s cheapest iPhone, and well, it’s not cheap. At $599, it’s $170 more than the iPhone SE it replaced. I try to focus on sub-$500 smartphones in this guide, but unfortunately, if you want to buy a new iPhone from Apple and spend the least amount of money, this is your only choice.

It’s a perfectly functional handset with great performance thanks to the A18 chipset, meaning it’s now the cheapest iPhone with Apple Intelligence. Note that it lacks one graphics core compared to the A18 found in the iPhone 16, meaning slightly lesser gaming performance, but I didn’t run into too many issues playing demanding titles like Genshin Impact.

The best feature of this phone is its battery life. Despite the relatively small 6.1-inch screen, it delivers a longer run time than the same-sized iPhone 16, even coming close to matching the longevity of Apple’s larger iPhones. On one intensive day, I hit nine hours of screen-on time, and the iPhone 16e had 15 percent left by bedtime. It’s excellent. This is thanks to the new C1 chip, Apple’s first custom modem in an iPhone that maintains good (sub-6) 5G cellular performance but is more power-efficient than modems in older devices.

That’s just about all this iPhone brings to the table. The 48-megapixel camera is capable and can produce pleasing images even in low light, but it’s the only camera on the phone. There’s no Dynamic Island; instead, the notch is back. Apple chose to cut MagSafe from this device, so you cannot attach magnetic accessories without using a MagSafe case, and even then, you won’t be privy to faster wireless charging speeds. There’s no ultra-wideband chip, so you can’t precisely track AirTags—this iPhone will only give you the general vicinity of the tag’s location.

Even if you don’t care for these omissions, the iPhone 16e doesn’t feel like it should cost $599—other phones in this guide around that price offer more capabilities and features. It’ll do the job, but it’s not the best bang for your buck. I suggest picking up a used iPhone 15 Pro instead, usually available for around $650 in good condition on sites like Swappa, Gazelle, or Back Market. It supports Apple Intelligence and packs way more features.

If you must buy new, consider the iPhone 15, available directly from Apple for $699. It has all of those missing features, but doesn’t support Apple Intelligence. That might not be a big deal, considering Apple’s AI features aren’t that useful right now.

Want a Samsung phone but don’t want to pay the flagship prices? The Galaxy S25 FE is exactly that (FE stands for Fan Edition). It’s very similar to the Galaxy S25 series, but think of it as a ”lite” version. Certain elements are just a few notches below what you’d find in a flagship, like the screen, which doesn’t get as bright, and doesn’t feature an adaptive refresh rate that can go from 1 to 120 Hz. This phone’s MSRP is $650, but I’ve already seen it dip as low as $475—that’s the price that makes it worthwhile (and also makes it worthy of consideration for this guide).

You still get a sharp 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with a 120-Hz screen refresh rate, a 4,900-mAh battery that generally lasts a full day with average use, and a triple-camera system with a 3X optical zoom lens. The results from the camera are surprisingly strong, though I did find that the phone has trouble autofocusing in low light, and these nighttime images can be a little blurry if there’s a lot of movement. Like the two phones above, this Android phone will get some of the longest software support compared to competitors in this bracket.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

I used it for more than a week, and the Exynos 2400 chipset didn’t cause me any strife. I booted up the very demanding Genshin Impact mobile game and maxed out the graphics—there certainly were stutters during gameplay, but it was totally playable. Almost all the Galaxy AI features are available on this phone, if that’s something you care about, too. (Read our Best Samsung Phones guide for more details about that.)

It maintains all the other flagship perks you’d want, from Qi wireless charging (Qi2 Ready if you have a magnetic case) and IP68 water resistance. It may look a little plain, but it’s a great all-rounder—just make sure you catch it on sale.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Nothing

Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro

$379

Nothing

$459

Nothing (Pro)

$430

Amazon

$545

Amazon (Pro)

Nothing’s Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are some of the best cheap phones you can buy. They’re stylish, unique, and check off almost all the boxes.

The devices are identical in all areas except cameras. The 50-megapixel main sensor on the Pro has slightly larger pixels than the one in the Phone (3a), meaning it can capture a little more light for better nighttime photos. It also has a 3X periscope telephoto sensor that lets it zoom in closer, whereas the cheaper 3a makes do with a 2X optical camera. If you use the cameras on your phone a lot, get the (3a) Pro, which commands a slightly higher price, though the phone’s bulky camera module causes a design imbalance that makes it a bit unwieldy. The Phone (3a) looks better, and the cameras get reasonably close in image quality.

Performance, driven by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, is speedy, the 5,000-mAh battery cell can last a full day of heavy use (two days with lighter activities), and the display is smooth, sharp, and bright. The phones are IP64-rated, so just be careful around the pool.

The main caveats are the same as their predecessor. Nothing is selling these phones through a beta program in the US, meaning connectivity isn’t a strong suit. The Phone (3a) series works best on T-Mobile. 4G will work on AT&T and Verizon; however, you’ll need to contact the two carriers to whitelist your device for 5G access, which can be an annoying process (and may not even work).

Barring that flaw, it’s hard to find much better at these prices. Nothing’s software layer over Android is slick and looks unique, and the new Essential Key offers up a more thoughtful approach to artificial intelligence. This physical button lets you store notes via voice or text and have them summarized by AI—it’ll even automatically generate tasks on your behalf.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Motorola

Moto G Stylus 2025

$400 $285 (29% off)

Amazon

$400 $300 (25% off)

Motorola

$400 $285 (29% off)

Best Buy

I’d pick Nothing’s Phone (3a) series over Motorola’s Moto G Stylus 5G. However, if you don’t want to risk network connectivity and want a phone that will work on any carrier in the US, no questions asked, this Motorola is the best choice under $400.

It’s the best Moto G smartphone because the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset delivers the smoothest performance. Seriously, I rarely saw a choppy animation with this phone, even when playing games like Kingshot. The 6.7-inch AMOLED screen is large and sharp and has a 120-Hz screen refresh rate, and I didn’t find its peak brightness lacking on sunny days. And this slim phone has a 5,000-mAh cell—with average use, I managed to keep it going for a full day with around 35 percent leftover by bedtime.

I love the beautiful blue color on the back, and paired with the vegan leather texture, it looks smart. This is the only smartphone with a built-in stylus—except for the $1,300 Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra—and it’s handy for doodling, signing documents, or jotting some quick notes if you prefer handwriting input.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Speaking of uncommon features, the Moto G Stylus has a headphone jack, an extremely rare find in 2025, not to mention a microSD card slot if you want to expand on the already-generous 256 GB of internal storage. Motorola has also improved water resistance; there’s now an IP68 rating, meaning this Moto G can survive water submersion. Wireless charging is still present, a feature not common on sub-$400 phones. I prefer using it versus fishing for a USB-C cable before bed.

The primary camera delivers solid results, even in low light, though the usual failings apply: You need to be very still for nighttime shots. It’s a noticeable step up from the rest of the Moto G lineup, and I think most people will be happy with the camera quality.

Lastly, we have the improved software update policy. For the first time, all 2025 Moto G devices will get two Android OS upgrades, alongside three years of security updates. It’s not much compared to its peers above, but this is a big step for a company with historically poor software support. The key thing is that Motorola phones go on sale all the time, and this model has dipped as low as $285. It’s a great budget phone at its MSRP, but it’s even more sensible on sale.

CMF is back at it again. After debuting its first phone last year and successfully trouncing every other phone within the $239 price bracket, the new CMF Phone 2 Pro (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is doing the same at a slightly higher $279 price. CMF is the low-cost sub-brand of Nothing, and you’ll find the company’s playful and unique design aesthetic in this handset.

Performance, powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 7300 Pro chipset, is excellent, far outpacing the somewhat sluggish Moto G Power 2025. (Frankly, my benchmark results put it ahead of Motorola’s pricier Moto G Stylus, too.) CMF has stuffed a 5,000-mAh battery cell inside despite the phone’s slim frame, and it’ll last you more than a day, maybe two with light use. Also in tow is 256 gigabytes of internal storage, with the option to expand it via the microSD card slot.

The 6.77-inch screen is a bright spot. It’s rare to find an AMOLED panel on a sub-$300 phone, but here we are, and you can relish in the deep blacks and punchy colors. There’s also a 120-Hz screen refresh rate for smooth animations, and the phone itself gets plenty bright, so I never had to squint on sunny days.

Here’s another thing you won’t find on many budget phones: a real triple-camera system. By real, I mean the third camera is not some paltry 2-megapixel macro lens or depth sensor. You get a 50-MP main camera, a 50-MP 2X optical zoom camera, and an 8-MP ultrawide. The overall results are quite satisfactory, though the cameras can struggle with exposing high-contrast scenes. You also have to stay very still in low light to avoid a blurry image.

CMF employs Nothing OS, the same Android layer on Nothing’s smartphones. It’s gorgeous, slick, and well-designed with zero bloatware. I also like the physical Essential Key button, which lets you press and hold it to trigger a voice memo, after which the Essential Space app will transcribe and extrapolate helpful information and create tasks. A single press takes a screenshot, and the app will suggest helpful details about what’s on the screen. Better yet, CMF promises three Android OS upgrades and six years of security updates, which is much better than its main competitor, the Moto G Power.

There are a few weird quirks, though. First, CMF has a fun accessory system that lets you attach modular camera lenses, different colored back plates, and even a magnetic wallet/kickstand combo, but none of these will be sold in the US. They’re exclusive to Europe and the UK and only in limited quantities. Why make a phone designed to be accessorized, then have no accessories available? It’s perplexing.

More importantly, 5G might be a little spotty. I had zero issues using this phone on Google Fi—powered by T-Mobile’s network—but like the Phone (3a) series above, you may need to contact AT&T and Verizon to whitelist the Phone 2 Pro for coverage. Even then, your mileage may vary. I also want to note that stock seems to be wildly fluctuating for the Phone 2 Pro.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

OnePlus

13R

$600 $550 (8% off)

Amazon

$600 $550 (8% off)

OnePlus

$600 $550 (8% off)

Best Buy

Note: OnePlus just teased the OnePlus 15R, which will launch in December. I recommend holding off on the OnePlus 13R, unless you see a really great sale.

The OnePlus 13R (8/10, WIRED Recommends) got a small price bump from its excellent predecessor, so it’s not as value-packed, but this is still a nice phone. The 6.78-inch AMOLED screen is near perfection, with a sharp resolution that gets plenty bright, plus a 120-Hz refresh rate. And it’s powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, the flagship chip inside all the top phones of 2024. That means you won’t have trouble running the latest games, even demanding titles.

What makes this device special is its 6,000-mAh silicon-carbon battery cell—a relatively new technology that lets companies stuff higher-density batteries without making them thicker. This phone is a smidge thinner than the prior model despite a 500-mAh increase in battery capacity, an impressive feat. In general, I hit an average of two days on a single charge. On more taxing days, I comfortably reached the day’s end with 25 percent remaining. If it’s running out of juice, you can use the included cable and charging adapter to bring it from zero to 100 percent in roughly 54 minutes. It’s a shame there’s no wireless charging support.

The 13R cuts corners in a few areas. It’s rated for only IP65 water resistance, so it’ll be OK in the rain but not if you drop it in the pool. Its triple-camera setup is solid but doesn’t deliver as good results as its peers. OnePlus doesn’t issue as many software updates as well, though things have improved on this front—the company promises four Android OS upgrades with six years of security updates.

If you want a snappy phone with relatively top-end specs—from the display to performance to battery life—and can make do with an OK camera system, the OnePlus 13R is worth a look.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Motorola

Razr (2025)

$700 $600 (14% off)

Amazon

$700 $600 (14% off)

Best Buy

$700 $600 (14% off)

Motorola

Motorola’s 2025 Razr folding flip phones are here, and the most improved award goes to the base Razr 2025 (8/10, WIRED Recommends). There’s finally no sluggish performance anymore, and it remains one of the cheapest folding phones on the market. It also comes in several fun styles. Like most Motorola phones, it’s always best to wait for a sale, and this Razr has often dipped to $600. That’s still a crazy low price to pay for a folding phone!

The exterior screen is still large enough to see widgets, notifications, and even to look at a few apps without opening the whole thing up. Flip phones are great because they’ll feel like normal handsets once opened up, but they fold down to be super compact. There are some slight improvements to durability on this Razr, and you get a nice, bright screen with battery life that lasts a full day with average use.

The cameras can take some decent photos, but they’re not a strong point of the base Razr (for better cameras, look at the Razr Ultra). Still, the ultrawide is handy for taking group shots, and you can use the external screen as a viewfinder so everyone can make sure they’re in the frame.

We highly recommend you stick with the phones above, but here are some alternatives worth considering.

Samsung Galaxy A36 (left) and Galaxy A26 (right).

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Samsung Galaxy A26 for $300: If you want a Samsung phone but don’t want to spend much, I think the Galaxy A26 (6/10, WIRED Review) is the best bang for your buck. Performance is solid, battery life lasts a full day, there’s an IP67 water resistance rating, and the camera is OK. It even has expandable storage (though no headphone jack), and Samsung promises 6 years of software updates, which is unparalleled at this price.

Samsung Galaxy A36 for $400: With a higher price, you’d think the A36 would be even better than the A26, right? Wrong. The Galaxy A36 (6/10, WIRED Review) hits many highs, including a brighter display, good battery life, and solid cameras, but storage is not expandable, and performance was bizarrely more choppy. The 6 years of software support is nice, but if the phone is already annoying to operate, I can’t imagine what it’ll be like in 6 years. It’s an OK phone, but you can do better.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

TCL 60 XE Nxtpaper 5G for $250: TCL’s 60 XE (7/10, WIRED Recommends) has an anti-reflective matte screen called Nxtpaper to limit the blue light entering your eyes for better sleep and reduced eye fatigue. There’s no evidence to suggest that blue-light blockers work, but if you ignore those claims, this is still a great budget phone with a pleasing matte screen. There is a switch on the side that lets you flip between different display modes that turn the screen closer to a monochrome or color E Ink experience, great for fans of e-readers. Performance is good, the camera is decent, and there are extras like a headphone jack and microSD card slot. The only problem is that the screen is hard to read in direct sunlight.

Moto G Power 2025

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Motorola Moto G Power 2025 for $300: The Moto G Power (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a rung below the Moto G Stylus 2025 above, and while I think it’s a good smartphone, performance is more sluggish than competitors like the CMF Phone 2 Pro. You do get some of the same perks as the Stylus, like an IP68 water resistance rating, headphone jack, microSD card slot, and wireless charging, but it sports an LCD panel, and the starting storage is 128 GB.

Moto G Play 2026

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Moto G Play 2026 for $180: Motorola’s new Moto G Play 2026 adds 5G connectivity for the first time. However, performance is still quite sluggish, with apps and webpages taking several seconds to load. If you want to pay very little money, this will do the job, but I think you should buy the Moto G Power 2025 instead, because it’s often on sale for nearly the same price. While the Power’s performance isn’t amazing, it’s much better than the Play, and has stronger cameras and more features.

Motorola Edge 2025

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Motorola Edge 2025 for $400: The Edge has a waterfall display, which is a cool effect where the glass edges of the phone bleed into the sides, creating a bezel-less effect. It’s a dying breed of phone because, turns out, glass edges can interrupt the touchscreen and can make phones annoying to use. It’s not as much of a problem here, but my main issue is that performance is a little too stuttery for a phone at this price. The lackluster software update policy also just makes it hard to recommend over competitors like the Pixel 9a.

Minimal Phone

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Minimal Phone for $499: Want to reduce your reliance on a smartphone? The Minimal Phone (6/10, WIRED Review) has an e-paper touchscreen and a physical keyboard, but it runs Android. That means you can still access every app you’d want via the Google Play Store, but the experience is going to be inferior, due to the phone’s low refresh rate (good luck watching videos on this thing) and the tiny monochrome screen. Still, this is a decent alternative (or maybe even a second phone) if you just want to get away from doomscrolling.

Galaxy A16

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Samsung Galaxy A16 for $200: Samsung’s Galaxy A16 still doesn’t reach the highs of the Galaxy A14, and that’s largely due to sluggish performance. Sure, Samsung is promising six years of software updates, but that remarkable update window doesn’t matter when the phone is frustratingly slow, and you want to throw it out the window. If you barely plan on using this device but want something from a reliable brand that will stay secure, the Galaxy A16 is OK. Its performance just isn’t competitive with other similarly priced phones.

Nuu N20

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Nuu N20 for $130: Right after I tested the Galaxy A16, I moved on to the cheaper Nuu N20. Color me surprised. Yes, it can still be sluggish, but performance on this nearly $100 phone is far better and manageable. I used it for a week with no major problems. Well, except one: GPS on this device isn’t great. The few times I used it for car navigation, it struggled to find my location, and it was slow to update the map. The other big problem? The N20 currently runs Android 14, so it’s already out of date, and the company tells me there is no “exact schedule for software updates.”

Sonim XP Pro

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Sonim XP Pro 5G for $550: This rugged phone is sold through Verizon only, but I tested it on Google Fi and didn’t have any connectivity issues. (Fi is powered by T-Mobile’s network.) I have dropped this Android phone multiple times on the sidewalk (on purpose), and the screen has not cracked. It’s quite durable, and that’s largely the reason to buy it. On its own, it’s not wholly impressive—you can buy more powerful, feature-rich phones for the money. The camera is especially bad, consistently delivering blurry shots unless you stay as still as a statue. But performance is decent, it comes with 256 GB of storage with a microSD card slot, and there’s a customizable button you can set to trigger a shortcut or open an app.

Nothing Phone (3a) Lite

Photograph: Simon Hill

Nothing Phone (3a) Lite for £249: Nothing’s Phone (3a) Lite (6/10, WIRED Review) is a confusing smartphone in its lineup. The CMF Phone 2 Pro exists and is similar in price (CMF is Nothing’s sub-brand), and in general, there are better phones you can buy for the money. The cameras are lackluster, and there’s a lot of bloatware, which feels like the opposite of Nothing’s philosophy. Performance is decent, as is its battery life, but this phone also isn’t launching in the US.

HMD Vibe

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

If you’re eyeing a cheap phone, try to stick to name brands. There are several smartphones you’ll find for dirt cheap on Amazon, but you’re about to load up whatever you buy with your personal information and photos—it’s important to make sure it’s a reputable brand with good security practices (or at least some kind of record that it does issue security patches).

Outside of that, I generally recommend avoiding the previous generation (unless otherwise mentioned above). It may not get updates for much longer (if any), and prices aren’t usually that different. That’s why I don’t recommend Motorola’s Moto G series phones from 2024 or older—you may want to skip some of the 2025 models too, like the Moto G 2025, since its successor was already announced.

I also don’t recommend you buy any HMD devices anymore. Sadly, the company has ceased its operations in the US market.

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