8 Best Cheap Phones (2025), Tested and Reviewed

1 month ago 16

Forget the spendy flagship smartphone. Every year, I trial a twelve oregon much devices to find the champion inexpensive phones that execute wherever it counts and aren’t annoyingly slow. Wireless carriers successful the US spell retired of their mode to marque costly smartphones look affordable. AT&T volition advertise a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra for conscionable $36 a month, but don't fto them fool you. With implicit 36 monthly installments, you inactive walk implicit a 1000 bucks connected a phone. Your pricey instrumentality whitethorn besides support you locked into the network, incapable to power wireless carriers until the telephone is paid off.

Get a earnestly large affordable smartphone instead. Our apical pick, the Google Pixel 8A, costs $499 and is arsenic bully arsenic astir immoderate device, and our different choices onslaught a large equilibrium betwixt terms and luxury. There's adjacent a folding phone successful this guide!

Check retired our galore 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 February 2025: We've added the 2025 Motorola Moto G Power 5G, Moto G, Razr 2024, OnePlus 13R, and iPhone 16e. We besides mentioned the Samsung Galaxy A16, on with details astir the upcoming Nothing Phone (3a) bid and Google Pixel 9A.

Power up with unlimited entree to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting that's excessively important to disregard for conscionable $2.50 $1 per period for 1 year. Includes unlimited integer entree and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today.

No. Rumors suggest Google is expected to denote its Pixel 9A smartphone overmuch earlier than accustomed successful March. Nothing volition besides uncover its latest fund smartphones astatine Mobile World Congress soon, and I'm expecting a fewer much Moto G phones to merchandise successful the spring. I'd clasp disconnected connected purchasing a instrumentality astatine the infinitesimal unless a caller exemplary reviewed present tickles your fancy, similar the Moto G Power 2025 oregon the iPhone 16e.

Consider Last Year’s Flagship Phones (or Used)

If nary of these phones person the features you privation oregon they aren’t arsenic almighty arsenic you’d like, your champion enactment is to look for past year’s flagship smartphones, which mightiness beryllium steeply discounted. Sometimes they’re casual to find, but manufacturers whitethorn halt selling them. Keep successful caput that you’ll suffer a twelvemonth of bundle support, but that’s often inactive amended than the bundle enactment disposable connected inexpensive phones anyway. The Google Pixel 8, for example, has dipped to $400, and the Pixel 8 Pro has dropped to $599.

Alternatively, see buying a utilized smartphone. (We have immoderate tips here.) You'll request to research, but sites similar Swappa, Gazelle, and Back Market person a bully estimation and are coagulated places to bargain a utilized oregon refurbished device. Look for the existent apical models on Android and iPhone, and spot what they're going for successful mint oregon bully condition.

5G Smartphones, Explained

5G is the existent cellular web procreation and it's wide capable that you should effort to instrumentality to phones that enactment it. It's not wholly replacing 4G LTE, truthful you'll spot 4G successful your presumption barroom arsenic you roam astir the country. You tin read much astir it here, but successful short, 5G comes successful 2 large types: sub-6 and millimeter question (mmWave). The second is usually lone disposable successful flagship phones and allows you to entree superfast speeds, but you’ll seldom brushwood mmWave (think prime areas successful large cities and definite venues, similar stadiums and airports). Sub-6 isn’t overmuch faster than 4G LTE, but it has a broader scope and is much wide accessible. Most of the smartphones we urge present enactment sub-6 5G, adjacent those arsenic debased arsenic $200.

Check Network Compatibility

If you bargain an unlocked telephone connected this database and effort to instrumentality it to 1 of your wireless carrier’s retail stores, they whitethorn archer you it isn’t compatible with the network. It apt is. Just usage a insubstantial clip oregon SIM ejection instrumentality to popular the SIM paper retired of your existent phone, past descent that SIM into your caller phone. If it doesn’t enactment astatine first, reboot the telephone oregon hold a mates of hours.

If you request a caller SIM, effort ordering 1 online from your bearer oregon spot if they’ll springiness you a SIM erstwhile you activate a enactment successful the store (if you’re starting coverage). Tell them you person a phone. Many times, reps volition privation to merchantability you a phone; that’s 1 imaginable crushed they mightiness hassle you into buying a antithetic instrumentality successful the store. Having said that, delight marque definite immoderate telephone you bargain volition enactment connected your wireless network. Listings connected retailers similar Amazon should authorities intelligibly which networks a instrumentality volition beryllium compatible with. Also, marque definite the listing says the telephone is being sold “unlocked.”

In this guide, we’ve listed whether a telephone works with a major US carrier. But what if you’re not connected AT&T, T-Mobile, oregon Verizon? If we enactment that a telephone works connected T-Mobile, for example, that means it’ll apt enactment connected smaller carriers similar Metro By T-Mobile and Mint Mobile, some of which utilize T-Mobile’s cellular network. If you’re tense astir compatibility, look up the specifications of the nonstop exemplary you’re considering. Make definite it has the LTE oregon 5G bands it needs to tally connected your carrier.

Warning for Verizon users: There’s a higher accidental an unlocked telephone volition not enactment connected your network. Make definite it is labeled to enactment connected Verizon, oregon that it says the telephone is CDMA-capable. If thing unusual is going on, similar you don’t get immoderate texts, you whitethorn besides request to interaction lawsuit work and inquire them to alteration CDMA-less roaming. AT&T and T-Mobile are GSM carriers, which is the modular for astir of the world; astir unlocked phones are compatible with them.

Best Cheap Phone

Google's Pixel 8A (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is the champion smartphone you tin bargain for the money. At conscionable $499, you get a small of everything—from wireless charging to top-of-the-line performance. It's powered by Google's Tensor G3 processor, the aforesaid that's wrong the flagship Pixel 8 series, and that besides means this midrange telephone gets 7 years of bundle support—a rarity astatine this price.

This Pixel has a amended OLED surface than its predecessor, meaning it gets adjacent brighter and plentifulness disposable connected the sunniest days, and the 120-Hz surface refresh rate makes each enactment consciousness fluid. The 6.1-inch surface is reasonably compact, truthful it's large if you're eyeing a tiny phone. The full happening besides looks pretty—budget and midrange phones thin to beryllium ace boring, but the Pixel 8A has a astute plan with a matte rear texture. Plus, the caller Aloe colour is gorgeous. Phones are personal, and they should look nice!

Performance has been flawless successful my testing—I covered Google I/O with this arsenic my superior device, taking photos, navigating, utilizing the Google Recorder app, and posting to societal media. The downside is artillery life. The 4,492-mAh artillery compartment tin past a time with mean use, but dense users volition apt request to apical up earlier bedtime. Keep a portable powerfulness slope handy.

The cameras are the item of the Pixel series, and the Pixel 8A lives up to this legacy—it's easy the champion camera telephone for the money. It has a 64-megapixel main camera that snaps detailed, colorful, and crisp photos successful immoderate lighting condition. Joining it is simply a susceptible 13-MP ultrawide, and the 13-MP selfie camera is solid, though the information that it's fixed absorption means your look is ne'er perfectly sharp. The lone contented I ran into is that Real Tone, Google's image-processing algorithm for antithetic tegument tones, hasn't been arsenic close arsenic connected anterior Pixels, specifically connected brownish skin.

The apical crushed wherefore I heartily urge Pixel phones is due to the fact that of the astute bundle features you won't find connected immoderate different sub-$500 smartphone. I've elaborate many of them here, but you tin usage Magic Editor to determination a taxable a small to the near of the framework and erase an unwanted entity successful the shot. You tin usage Best Take to hole that radical changeable wherever your eyes were closed. Google's Call Screen exertion nips spam calls successful the bud, and Assistant Voice Typing is inactive my favourite voice-to-text strategy and I miss it each clip I power phones.

Other perks see unafraid look unlock and fingerprint unlock—both enactment with delicate apps that necessitate biometric authentication truthful you person much unlocking options. Secure look unlock is virtually non-existent for each different Android telephone astatine this price. There's besides NFC for contactless payments and an IP67 rating that protects it from the elements.

Best Cheap iPhone

The caller iPhone 16e is Apple’s cheapest iPhone and, well, it's not truly cheap (7/10, WIRED Review). At $599, it's $170 much than the iPhone SE it replaced. I effort to absorption connected sub-$500 smartphones successful this guide, but unfortunately, if you privation to bargain a caller iPhone from Apple and walk the slightest magnitude of money, this is your lone choice.

It's a perfectly functional handset with large show acknowledgment to the A18 chipset, meaning it's present the cheapest iPhone with Apple Intelligence. Note that it lacks 1 graphics halfway compared to the A18 recovered successful the iPhone 16, meaning somewhat lesser gaming performance, but I didn't tally into excessively galore issues playing demanding titles similar Genshin Impact.

The champion diagnostic of this telephone is its artillery life. Despite the comparatively tiny 6.1-inch screen, it delivers a longer tally clip than the same-sized iPhone 16, adjacent coming adjacent to matching the longevity of Apple's larger iPhones. On 1 intensive day, I deed 9 hours of screen-on time, and the iPhone 16e had 15 percent near by bedtime. It's excellent. This is acknowledgment to the caller C1 chip, Apple's archetypal customized modem successful an iPhone that maintains bully (sub-6) 5G cellular show but is much power-efficient than modems successful older devices.

That's conscionable astir each this iPhone brings to the table. The 48-megapixel camera is susceptible and tin nutrient pleasing images adjacent successful debased light, but it's the only camera connected the phone. There's nary Dynamic Island; alternatively the notch is back. Apple chose to chopped MagSafe from this device, truthful you cannot connect magnetic accessories without utilizing a MagSafe case, and adjacent past you won't beryllium privy to faster wireless charging speeds. There's nary ultra-wideband chip, truthful you can't precisely way AirTags—this iPhone volition lone springiness you the wide vicinity of the tag's location.

Even if you don't attraction for these omissions, the iPhone 16e doesn't consciousness similar it should outgo $599—other phones successful this usher astir that terms connection much capabilities and features. It'll bash the job, but it's not the champion bang for your buck. I suggest picking up a utilized iPhone 15 Pro instead, usually disposable for astir $650 successful bully information connected sites similar Swappa, Gazelle, oregon Back Market. It supports Apple Intelligence and packs mode much features.

If you indispensable bargain new, see the iPhone 15, disposable directly from Apple for $699. It has each of those missing features but doesn't enactment Apple Intelligence. That mightiness not beryllium a large woody considering Apple's AI features aren't that utile close now.

Best Cheap Samsung Phone

Samsung's Galaxy S24 FE technically has an MSRP of $650, but it's often connected merchantability for $500, which makes it worthy of this guide. This is Samsung's “lite” mentation of the Galaxy S24 series. I utilized it for respective weeks with nary show issues with the Exynos 2400e chipset, and artillery beingness with the 4,700-mAh compartment was decent, lasting a afloat time with mean use.

It inactive supports Samsung's Galaxy AI features, and you adjacent get a triple-camera acquisition with a 50-MP superior shooter, a 12-MP ultrawide, and an 8-MP telephoto with 3X zoom. It's uncommon to find the afloat trio of cameras astatine this price—more cameras marque the telephone much versatile, giving you options connected however you privation to framework your shot. Like the 2 phones above, this Android telephone volition get immoderate of the longest bundle enactment compared to competitors successful this bracket.

It maintains each the different flagship perks you'd want, from Qi wireless charging and IP68 h2o absorption to a 120-Hz AMOLED screen. It whitethorn look a small plain, but it's a large all-rounder—just marque definite you drawback it connected sale.

For Great Battery Life

There are respective reasons to prime the OnePlus 12R from 2024 implicit the devices above—even the newer OnePlus 13R announced successful January. OnePlus conscionable issued a imperishable terms simplification connected this fund phone, truthful present you tin person it for $400, making it a slayer deal. (The caller terms lone seems to beryllium showing up astatine Best Buy truthful far.)

It sports a ample 6.78-inch AMOLED surface with a 120-Hz surface refresh rate, and its 5,500-mAh compartment capableness lasted maine astir 2 afloat days connected a azygous complaint with mean use. If it's moving retired of juice, you tin usage the included cablegram and charging adapter to bring it from zero to 100 percent successful conscionable 30 minutes. It's a shame there's nary wireless charging support.

Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, the flagship processor of 2023, it tin crush demanding games with ease. However, the bundle isn't arsenic astute arsenic what you'll find connected a Samsung oregon Google phone. It inactive looks and feels slick and doesn't person overmuch bloatware though, and OnePlus promises 3 Android OS upgrades with 4 years of information updates. It's not 7 years but it's amended than astir different Android phones astatine this price.

The 12R cuts corners successful a fewer areas. It's rated for lone IP64 h2o resistance, truthful it'll beryllium OK successful the rainfall but not if you driblet it successful the pool. The superior camera is coagulated and tin spell toe-to-toe with the Google Pixel 8A’s camera; however, I recovered the ultrawide and macro cameras useless. If you're not a shutterbug and privation a telephone with a almighty processor and a artillery that lasts much than a day, the OnePlus 12R is simply a no-brainer.

If your fund tin agelong a small more, look astatine the caller OnePlus 13R (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It's $100 more than its predecessor and its 6,000-mAh silicon-carbon artillery tin get akin two-day artillery beingness connected a azygous charge. (And the phone's not thicker!) It has much powerfulness nether the hood too. But I don't deliberation it's as bully a worth arsenic its predecessor—at $600, there's a batch of choice, and I deliberation the supra phones are amended picks.

Best Under $400

I profoundly privation you could locomotion into immoderate large retailer oregon bearer successful the US and bargain Nothing's Phone (2a) (9/10, WIRED Recommends) due to the fact that this stylish fund telephone deserves to beryllium successful your pocket. Alas, portion it's casual to acquisition globally, you'll request to motion up for Nothing's developer programme if you're successful the US—once you're accepted (even if you're not a developer), you'll beryllium sent a acquisition nexus to bargain the phone. That besides applies to the much caller Phone (2a) Plus, which costs $399 and is astir identical.

These are the astir charismatic phones nether $400, aided by the amusive Glyph LED airy strategy connected the back. These lights flash erstwhile notifications travel in, oregon you tin acceptable a timer and visualize it winding down—you tin customize how it works. The attraction to plan item translates into the software, which looks unsocial and is conscionable plain amusive to use—rare qualities successful a cheapo device.

Barring design, the Phone (2a) and (2a) Plus person 6.7-inch AMOLED screens with 120-Hz surface refresh rates; they're wonderfully smooth, sharp, and bright. The 5,000-mAh artillery cells are large capable to past much than a afloat time of usage with mean usage (I deed 2 afloat days).

Performance has been wholly problem-free for me, but this is wherever you'll person to take betwixt the Phone (2a) and (2a) Plus. The cheaper exemplary has the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro chipset, whereas the Plus has the Dimensity 7350 Pro 5G, which offers a insignificant boost, specifically successful graphics. Both seldom stuttered for me, adjacent erstwhile I juggled aggregate apps. I utilized the (2a) portion covering a ample commercialized amusement successful different country, and it gave maine nary trouble. But if you're readying connected gaming a lot, the Plus exemplary has an edge.

The superior camera is much than adequate. It does a large occupation with achromatic balance, though it tin suffer retired connected immoderate details, particularly successful nighttime environments. Some low-light photos tin look flat, and its HDR capabilities aren't amazing. But hey, it's nether $399. The Phone (2a) Plus levels up the selfie camera to 50 MP, and it's noticeably better, truthful there's different crushed to spell for it.

Nothing promises 3 Android OS upgrades and 4 years of information updates, conscionable similar OnePlus. Sadly, there's nary wireless charging, nary headphone jack, and h2o absorption is constricted astatine IP54 (it volition beryllium OK successful the rain). Oh, you besides mightiness not person a large web experience. Nothing says the handsets enactment perfectly connected T-Mobile, but the Phone (2a) and (2a) Plus person compatibility issues with Verizon and AT&T's 5G bands. I utilized it connected AT&T and had nary large problems connecting to 5G, truthful this whitethorn beryllium connected your area.

Read Entire Article