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HomeBest of9 Best Budget Phones: You Can Buy Now (March 2023)

9 Best Budget Phones: You Can Buy Now (March 2023)

Here you can find out the best cheap phones, for almost every budget (Under 200$ to 500$). In this guide, I ranked and reviewed the 9 Best Budget Phones, along with our top 3 choices, so you can pick the best one for you.

  • Best Overall
    Google Pixel 4a

    Google Pixel 4a

      Best for camera performance.
  • Good Choice
    Moto G Power

    Moto G Power

      Best for monster battery life.
  • Don’t Miss
    Apple iPhone SE 2020

    Apple iPhone SE 2020

      Best budget iPhone with an A13 chip.

This decade is more outstanding for the tech industry than the previous one, technology increased so rapidly.

Over the last few years, the mobile industry also changed fully. Many smartphone companies launched many mind-blowing phones, many are budget-friendly (but heroes), and many may be very expensive.

So there are so many people that cannot afford expensive mobile phones and wants the best smartphone in their budget, don’t worry we are here to help those.

Here you can discover our top picks of the best budget phones right now – Almost for every budget.

As Marques Brownlee says:

Good Phones Are Getting Cheap And Cheap Phones Are Getting Good.!

Marques Brownlee

Without wasting time, let’s take look at the list!

What Are The Best Budget Phones In 2023?

Our recommendations are carefully curated through rigorous research and testing to guarantee that only the top products reach you. Learn more about how we test everything.

1. Google Pixel 4a

If camera performance is your main focus, so the Google pixel 4a is a great cheap phone for 119$.

Google Pixel 4a
Google Pixel 4a

Price: $119 | Check Latest Price

OS: Android 10 | Display: 5.81-inch OLED (2340×1080) | CPU: Snapdragon 730G | RAM: 6GB | Storage: 128GB | Rear camera: 12.2MP (ƒ/1.7) | Front camera: 8MP (ƒ/2.0) | Battery: 3,140 mAh | Battery life: 9 hours | Size: 5.7 x 2.7 x 0.3 inches | Weight: 143 g

Google Pixel 4a is Google’s top-budget camera phone. It comes with a mind-blowing camera, great dynamic range, and colors, and everything in the camera is remarkable. Google Pixel 4a is the best budget phone with the best camera around and it shoots great photos at night too with the dedicated nightside mode.

It’s small, light, and great. Pixel 4a comes with an OLED screen that is colorful, crisp, and big enough for most tasks. It has a Snapdragon 730G chipset which delivers great performance. There’s no card slot and has 128 GB of built-in storage and 6 GB of RAM. Google Pixel 4a runs a clean android that performs very smoothly plus there is no bloatware.

So, finally, with a good performance, the battery lasts a solid 31 hours, with 18W fast charging, and a great camera for the price, it’s the best budget smartphone at the moment. The only con we feel is the uninspiring plastic design but for anyone, this phone is an amazing deal.

What’s in the box?

Pixel 4a phone, SIM tool, Quick Switch Adapter, Power adapter (USB Type-C 18W), and, USB-CTM cable (USB 2.0).

What we liked:

  • Great display
  • Comfortable, compact size
  • Plenty of RAM and storage
  • Headphone jack
  • Smooth, snappy software
  • Still images nearly indistinguishable from Pixel 4XL, astrophotography

What we disliked:

  • Not much of an upgrade over the Pixel 3a and Pixel 5 launch is imminent
  • Battery life is average
  • The selfie camera’s focal plane is too far

2. Moto G Power – A best cheap phone with Monster Battery

The best cheap phone with Monster Battery Life (Up to 3 days of power on a single charge).!

Moto G Power
Moto G Power

Price: $89 | Check Latest Price

OS: Android 10 Screen size (Resolution): 6.4-inch LCD (2300 x 1080) CPU: | Snapdragon 665 RAM: 4GB Storage: 64GB Expandable: Yes, up to 512GB | Rear Cameras: 16MP main (f/1.7), 8MP ultra-wide angle (f/2.2), 2MP macro (f/2.2) Front Camera: 16MP (f/2.0) | Battery Size: 5,000 mAh Battery Life: 16:10 hours Size: 6.3 x 3 x 0.38 inches Weight: 198 g

Another best affordable smartphones on the spot’s Moto G power. It’s a brilliant phone with tons of pros but it comes at a very surprising price (89$ only). So, if we move to its specs, it comes with a monster battery, you can run this mobile without the fear of recharging because you can get Up to 3 days of power on a single charge. Motorola Moto G Power is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor and has 4GB of RAM.

Moto G power comes with a 6.40-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1080×2300 pixels. You get a triple camera system at the back, so here’s a 16-megapixel main sensor, you can get an ultrawide lens, and a macro camera. The phone has a fingerprint sensor on the back. It also runs clear android too with just a few useful additions by Motorola.

Finally, this is a highly value-focused device, with multi-day battery life, enough big screen, good performance, and a well-modern design, overall it’s the best budget phone for its price tag.

What we liked:

  • The best battery life
  • Cheap price tag
  • Nice performance and photos for the price
  • Works on all networks

What we disliked:

  • The screen isn’t very colorful
  • No optical zoom

3. Apple iPhone SE 2020 – The Best budget iPhone

Apple iPhone SE has a great performance by featuring an A13 Bionic chip that is used in iPhone 11 pro.

Apple iPhone SE 2020
Apple iPhone SE 2020

Price: $141 | Check Latest Price

CPU: A13 Bionic Storage: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB Display: 4.7 inches (1334 x 750) Rear camera: 12MP (f/1.8) Front camera: 7MP (f/2.2) Video recording: 4K video up to 60 fps Water resistance: IP67 Battery life: Up to 13 hours video playback Wireless charging: Yes (Qi) Fast charging: Yes via optional 18W adapter Size: 5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 inches Weight: 147 g

If you are passionate about having an iPhone. So the Apple iPhone SE 2020 is the best budget iPhone you can buy now. Apple’s iPhone SE 2020 edition just looks like iPhone 7, 8, or 6 but under the hood, it packs a powerful A13 Bionic chip that is on flagship iPhones like the iPhone 11 Pro, and with 3GB of RAM, the phone provides a brilliant performance.

The iPhone SE has lots to love but less to spend, starting at $140. It comes with an Excellent 4.7” Retina HD display, and a Durable glass, and aluminum design. While it has only one 12-megapixel camera on the back and a 7-megapixel selfie camera on the front. The camera quality is very good for the price. It shoots great photos and an industry-leading 4k video. The iPhone SE comes with a touch id and big bezels on the front but it’s a thin and lightweight device.

Finally, Unfortunately, the battery life of the iPhone SE was not impressive, lasting an average of 9 hours. But if you are not a heavy user you are just fine with it. At last our verdict about the phone’s if you are an iPhone lover, so it’s the best budget iPhone with great performance for you.

What we liked:

  • Affordable
  • Fast performance
  • Small, Lightweight frame

What we disliked:

  • No camera night mode
  • Battery life could be better
  • No headphone jack

4. One Plus Nord – The best All-rounder Phone outside the US

One Plus Nord
One Plus Nord

Price: $300 | Check Latest Price

OS: Android 10 | Display: 5.81-inch OLED (2340×1080) | CPU: Snapdragon 730G | RAM: 6GB | Storage: 128GB | Rear camera: 12.2MP (ƒ/1.7) | Front camera: 8MP (ƒ/2.0) | Battery: 3,140 mAh | Battery life: 9 hours | Size: 5.7 x 2.7 x 0.3 inches | Weight: 143 g

Thanks One Plus offered the best budget phone, which is comparable to one plus 8 but the price is very affordable. The phone is called Oneplus Nord, it has all the pro features that are in top-class mobiles. The mobile is not available in the US market at this moment. It features a modern-day design with a gorgeous big AMOLED screen that supports a 90-hertz fast refresh rate for super-smooth moves. The phone has three colors, Blue Marble, Gray Onyx, and Gray Ash.

One plus Nord has four cameras on the back and comes with the same 48 MP primary sensor as the OnePlus 8. The cameras feature 8 MP 119° ultra-wide-angle, 48 MP Sony IMX586 with OIS, 5 MP Depth camera, and 2 MP Macro camera. Nord has two cameras on the front, one is 8 mp 105° ultra-wide angle, and a 32 mp main camera. There’s no card slot but storage is up to 256GB.

The phone is powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 765G and up to 12 GB of ram. Nord has an in-screen fingerprint reader. The phone has a powerful battery (4115mAh) with 30-watt fast charging, it can refill from 0 to 70% in just 30 minutes.

So verdicts, with a clean and modern interface, a very capable camera, great performance, with smoothy experience and a powerful battery with super-fast 30-watt charging.

What we liked:

  • 90Hz display
  • Long battery life
  • 5G device for less than $300
  • Solid performance for a midrange device

What we disliked:

  • Monochrome and macro lenses don’t impress
  • So-so design

5. Google 4a 5g – Cheap 5g phone with great camera performance

Google 4a 5g
Google 4a 5g

Price: $429 | Check Latest Price

Screen size: 6.2-inch FHD OLED (1080 x 2340); 60Hz refresh rate CPU: Snapdragon 765G RAM: 6GB Storage: 128GB Rear cameras: 12MP main (ƒ/1.7 ); 16MP ultra-wide (ƒ/2.2) Front camera: 8MP (ƒ/2.0) Battery size: 3,885 mAh Charging: 18W wired Size: 6.1 x 2.9 x 0.3 inches (153.9 x 74 x 8.2 mm) Weight: 168 grams

Another of google’s best budget phones with 5g connectivity is here. It’s certainly not a cheap phone under 500$ but you get most of the benefits that are in flagship handsets. Google Pixel 4a 5G comes with a 6.20-inch touchscreen OLED display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels – 413ppi but with a 60Hz refresh rate, google has only model that has a higher refresh rate is Pixel 5. It is powered by a 1.8GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor and has 6 GB of ram. Again there’s 128 GB of storage and no card slot.

The Pixel 4a 5G comes with two rear cameras. You get a 12.2MP Sony IMX363 main sensor and a 16MP ultra-wide lens. There’s only one 8-megapixel camera on the front. The google pixel 4a does not have a 16MP ultra-wide lens but the 4a and 5G both have great performance. The phone has a 3,800mAh battery with 18W fast charging, and a USB Type-C 3.1. Pixel 4a 5g battery is good but not great.

So overall as compared to Google Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G has a better processor, a pretty good battery, a big screen size, a 16MP ultra-wide lens, and 5G enabled, it’s the best google pixel for value.

What we liked:

  • Large, colorful display
  • 5G phone for less than $500
  • Excellent cameras
  • Google’s latest software

What we disliked:

  • Poor battery life
  • The Verizon version costs more
  • Subpar performance relative to similar phones

6. Moto G Stylus – Good mid-range stylus for taking notes

Moto G Stylus
Moto G Stylus

Price: $148 | Check Latest Price

OS: Android 10 Screen size (Resolution): 6.4-inch LCD (2300 x 1080) CPU: Snapdragon 665 RAM: 4GB Storage: 128GB Expandable: Yes, up to 512GB Rear Cameras: 48MP (f/1.7) main; 2MP (f/2.2) macro; 16MP (f/2.2) Action Cam Front Camera: 16MP (f/2.0) Battery Size: 4,000 mAh Battery Life (Hrs:Mins): 12:13 Size: 6.2 x 3 x 0.36 inches Weight: 192 g

The Moto G Stylus is one of the very few phones with a built-in stylus. Moto G Stylus is the best phone for people on a tight budget. It covers all the pro features well enough at a cheap price. It has 6.4 inches IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 2300 – 297 PPi. It’s framed by thin bezels all around. The back is made of plastic and the glossy one catches fingerprints like a magnet.

In terms of durability, it’s very solidly put together. The Moto G stylus triple camera System is the best in class, there’s a 48 MP primary sensor, 16 MP ultra-wide lens, 2 MP macro camera, and Laser Autofocus. Their ultra-wide camera is only for video, you can’t take wide photos with it.

The quality of sound is very great, there are stereo loudspeakers that are absolutely insane. It’s powered by a Qualcomm SDM665 Snapdragon 665 (11 nm) processor and has 4GB of RAM. Moto G Stylyus has 128GB of storage and a microSD slot. There’s again a good thing, the battery life. It has a 4000 mAh battery with a 15W fast charge. You can go Longer with it, in a single charge for up to 2 days as Motorola says but if you are a heavy user it can go for 1 or half days.

So at last, It’s a good mid-range phone with a big, bright screen, long battery life, and a built-in stylus for taking notes.

What we liked:

  • Handy stylus for note-taking
  • Decent photos and performance for the price
  • Long-lasting battery

What we disliked:

  • The screen isn’t very colorful
  • Limited functionality for stylus
  • Night mode isn’t great

7. Moto G Fast – Not better than G Power but best in budget

For anyone on a tight budget, it’s a better phone all around.

Moto G Fast
Moto G Fast

Price: $175 | Check Latest Price

Display: 6.4-inch LCD (1560×720) CPU: Snapdragon 665 Storage: 32GB; expandable up to 512GB RAM: 3GB Battery: 4,000 mAh Rear camera: 16MP main (ƒ/1.7); 8MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2); 2MP macro (ƒ/2.2) Front camera: 8MP (ƒ/2.0) Colors: Pearl White Weight: 189 g Dimensions: 6.37 x 2.98 x 0.35 inches

Moto G Fast is the best phone for under 200$. The front of the phone is dominated by a 6.4-inch touchscreen display Lcd with a resolution of 720×1560 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19:9 – a density of 268 PPi. The display is bright with excellent color accuracy. Motorola Moto G Fast is powered by a Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 665 octa-core processor and it has 3GB of RAM.

There is 32GB storage and an SD card slot. It has a powerful triple camera system, with a 16MP main camera with an f 1.7 aperture, 8MP ultrawide (118˚) with an f 2.2 aperture, and a 2MP macro lens with an f 2.2 aperture. The front camera is 8MP with an f 2.2 aperture. As Motorola says, you can get plenty of power for today and tomorrow with a 4000 mAh battery.

In the end, The moto g fast is a great choice for those who can’t spend more than 200$ on a new smartphone but if you spend a little bit more we recommend going with moto g power, a great battery life, a stronger speaker, more storage, great performance, and a significantly sharper display.

What we liked:

  • Great battery life
  • Bright, big display
  • Respectable cameras
  • Solid performance
  • Works on all carriers

What we disliked:

  • Drab design
  • Poor selfie camera
  • Murky update schedule

8. TCL 10L – Excellent display at this price

TCL 10L
TCL 10L

Price: $229 | Check Latest Price

OS: Android 10 with TCL UI Display: 6.53-inch LCD (2340 x 1080) CPU: Snapdragon 665 RAM: 6GB Storage: 64GB, expandable via microSD Rear cameras: 48MP (f/1.8) main, 8MP (f/2.2) ultra wide, 2MP (f.2.4) macro, 2MP (f/2.4) depth sensor Front camera: 16MP Battery: 4,000 mAh Size: 6.4 x 3 x 0.33 inches Weight: 6.3 ounces

The next solid phone for the price is the TCL 10L. You might be familiar with TCL’s affordable TVs but TCL also offers affordable phones. the TCL 10L comes with a 6.53-inch touchscreen IPS LCD and HDR display with a resolution of 1080×2340 pixels. It has two colors Arctic White and Mariana Blue. TCL 10L is powered by a Qualcomm SM6125 Snapdragon 665 (11 nm) processor and it has 6GB of ram. The storage is up to 128 GB and a microSDXC slot.

There are four cameras on the back, one’s 48 MP Primary Camera, 8 MP (ultrawide) lens, 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro) lens, 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth) sensor, and with dual led flash. On the front, there’s one 16 MP, f/2.2, 28mm (wide), 1/3.06″, 1.0µm selfie camera. The phone has Li-Po 4000 mAh, a non-removable battery with proprietary fast charging. It runs Android 10. The design is pretty good but scratches ‘easily. It has USB Type-C 2.0 support.

At last, TCL 10L is a good phone for the price but as compared to Motorola Moto G power or Moto G stylus it’s the loser.

What we liked:

  • Great display
  • Impressive camera array
  • Slim bezel, good looks

What we disliked:

  • Occasional performance hiccups
  • No telephoto lens
  • No stereo speakers

9. Samsung Galaxy A51 – Samsung’s good mid-range phone

Samsung Galaxy A51
Samsung Galaxy A51

Price: $200 | Check Latest Price

OS: Android 10 with One UI Display: 6.5-inch OLED (2400×1080) CPU: Exynos 9611 RAM: 4GB Storage: 128GB; expandable up to 512GB Rear camera: Quad-lens: 48MP wide (ƒ/2.0), 12MP ultrawide (ƒ/2.2), 5MP depth (ƒ/2.2), 5MP macro (ƒ/2.4) Front camera: 32MP (ƒ/2.2) Battery: 4,000 mAh Size: 6.24 x 2.90 x 0.31 inches Weight: 172 g

The Samsung Galaxy A51 is another great choice for budget users. This phone costs less in Europe where you get the 4g version of this phone but in the united states, you have the 5g version of the phone that sells for 500$. While that is a higher price than what you pay in other markets but having 5g makes your phone future-proof.

The phone comes in smooth and elegant pastel shades including Prism Crush Black, White, Blue, and Pink. It features a large 6.5 inches Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels (~405 PPI density). It lacks modern features like a fast refresh rate screen or super fast charging. We really appreciate to Samsung One UI interface.

The phone is packed with Exynos 9611 (10nm) chipset, Octa-core (4×2.3 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4×1.7 GHz Cortex-A53) processor and has up to 8GB of RAM. There are up to 128 GB of storage with a microSDXC (dedicated slot). There are four cameras on the back, one’s 48 MP main camera, 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide) lens, 5 MP, f/2.4, (macro) lens, and 5 MP, f/2.2, (depth) sensor.

In terms of selfie cameras, there are 32 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8″, 0.8µm cameras. There’s an (under display, optical) fingerprint reader. It has Li-Po 4000 mAh, non-removable battery with 15W fast charging.

What we liked:

  • Excellent display
  • Sleek design
  • Versatile quad-lens camera
  • Low price
  • 128GB of storage

What we disliked:

  • Underwhelming performance
  • Camera struggles in low light

How to choose the best smartphone (Buying Guide)?

Many people are confused to choose the right mobile phone. So the answer to those confusers is, there are tons of buying guides you can find on the internet everyone has their own opinions.

So here we tell you the truth, What really matters? It’s What you care about the most. It totally depends on you what is your main concern like a good camera, Battery life, performance, big size, or something else, everyone has different needs.

In terms of features, the most expensive phone is going to have all of the extras, like the best camera, and fastest processor, and when you go down at mid-range phones you’re not gonna see everything on there but they’re gonna have pretty good cameras and the most important part is that you’re gonna get good performance.

When you drop down to the budget spectrum, you are not going to be spending a lot but they’re going to provide you with all the basics and essentials that you need.

Anyway, before buying, here’s a complete guide on how to buy the best mobile phone? By digit.in.

Final Thoughts!

The list of best budget phones is ending up now!

So, it’s time to wrap up. All the cheap phones listed here are great for everyone who is on a tight budget. This list is nearly for every budget. We put a tagline with each mobile to know which thing makes this mobile phone the best.

Again, everyone has different needs, so we are not sure which is a fit for you. It totally depends on you which type of concern you have. If you need a budget camera phone or have a monster battery, or anything else, you can easily get an idea from the tagline we provided with each mobile phone.

This article was originally published on March. 5, 2021

HA Staff
HA Staffhttps://thehabytes.com/
HA Staff is a team of writers that work together, researching new products everyday, buyer's guides, fact-checked, and daily life problem solving toturials.

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