The most effective low-cost telephones for 2025

It could be trendy to spend $1,000 on the most recent flagship smartphone after they first get launched, but it surely’s not obligatory. You do not even need to spend $500 right now to get a good handset, whether or not it’s a refurbished iPhone or an inexpensive Android telephone, as there are many choices as little as $160 that would suit your wants.

However navigating the funds telephone market might be difficult; choices that look good on paper is probably not in apply, and a few handsets will find yourself costing you extra when you think about many include restrictive storage. Whereas we at Engadget spend most of our time testing and reviewing mid- to high-end handsets, we have examined quite a lot of the most recent budget-friendly telephones available on the market to see which are literally price your cash.

What to search for in an affordable telephone

For this information, our high picks price between $100 and $300. Something much less and also you would possibly as properly go purchase a dumb telephone or high-end calculator as a substitute. Since they’re meant to be extra inexpensive than flagship telephones and even midrange handsets, funds smartphones contain compromises; the cheaper a tool, the decrease your expectations round specs, efficiency and expertise needs to be. For that motive, the very best recommendation I may give is to spend as a lot as you may afford. On this worth vary, even $50 or $100 extra can get you a dramatically higher product.

Second, you must know what you need most from a telephone. When shopping for a funds smartphone, it’s possible you’ll must sacrifice a good predominant digital camera for lengthy battery life, or commerce a high-resolution show for a sooner CPU. That’s simply what comes with the territory, however understanding your priorities will make it simpler to search out the best telephone.

It’s additionally price noting some options might be exhausting to search out on low-cost handsets. For example, you received’t want to look far for a tool with all-day battery life — however if you’d like an awesome digital camera telephone with glorious digital camera high quality, you’re higher off shelling out for one of many suggestions in our midrange smartphone guide, which all are available at $600 or much less. Wi-fi charging and waterproofing additionally aren’t simple to search out on this worth vary and neglect in regards to the quickest chipset. On the intense aspect, all our suggestions include headphone jacks, so that you received’t must get wireless headphones.

iOS can also be off the desk, for the reason that $400 Apple iPhone SE is essentially the most inexpensive iPhone within the lineup. That leaves Android OS as the one possibility. Fortunately right now, there’s little to complain about Google’s OS – and it’s possible you’ll even favor it to iOS. Lastly, have in mind most Android producers usually supply far much less sturdy software program options and assist for his or her funds gadgets. In some circumstances, your new telephone might solely obtain one main software program replace and a yr or two of safety patches past that. That applies to the OnePlus and Motorola suggestions on our listing.

In the event you’d prefer to hold your telephone for so long as attainable, Samsung has the very best software program coverage of any Android producer within the funds area, providing four years of security updates on all of its gadgets. That mentioned, if software program assist (or system longevity general) is your predominant focus, contemplate spending a bit extra the $500 Google Pixel 7a, which is our favourite midrange smartphone and has deliberate software program updates by way of mid-2026.

Greatest low-cost telephones

OnePlus

The $300 OnePlus Nord N30 5G provides the very best worth of any of the smartphones on our listing. No different telephone within the worth bracket contains a processor as quick because the N30’s Snapdragon 695 5G chipset. Furthermore, OnePlus has specced the N30 with 5G connectivity along with a beneficiant 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which means you most likely received’t must funds for a microSD card or cloud storage. It additionally comes with a 120Hz IPS show, a function that’s nice for each gaming and on a regular basis use. Better of all, the N30 ships with a 50W energy adapter for quick charging, letting you get a full day of battery life in half-hour. The N30 could be virtually good if it had waterproofing and OnePlus had dedicated to pushing a couple of main Android OS replace to the telephone. — Igor Bonifacic, Contributing Reporter

$230 at Amazon

SAMSUNG

For simply $200, the Galaxy A15 5G is a fairly outstanding system. It has a 6.5-inch show with a barely slower 90Hz refresh fee the Nord N30. Nonetheless, as a result of it options an AMOLED panel as a substitute of an LCD show, it boasts higher brightness and richer colours than mainly all of its rivals. It will also be configured with as much as 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and its 5,000 mAh battery delivers lengthy battery life. Its digital camera system is strong for its worth, providing a predominant digital camera that handles on a regular basis pictures properly and a selfie digital camera for video calls. And whereas its design isn’t too thrilling, the polycarbonate Samsung makes use of on the again has a pleasant matte end that feels extra like glass than low-cost plastic. Lastly, the A15 comes with 4 years of safety updates and three years of OS upgrades, which is longer than most handsets on this worth vary. — Sam Rutherford, Senior Reporter

$173 at Amazon

Motorola

For these on a extremely tight funds, the 2024 Moto G Play covers all of the bases properly. It has a speedy Snapdragon 680 processor together with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. And whereas that final quantity may appear small, the telephone has a microSD card slot so you may add more room if and while you want it. Its 6.5-inch LCD display screen can also be surprisingly sharp with a 90Hz refresh fee. The Moto G Play even has an IP52 score for mud and water resistance. That isn’t a lot, but it surely’s adequate to guard in opposition to an errant splash or two. Positive, the G Play is primary, but it surely’s primary in a great way. — S.R.

$110 at Amazon

Motorola

The $200 Motorola Moto G Stylus provides one thing not one of the different picks on this listing do: a built-in stylus. In the event you love doodling and jotting down notes, then that is a budget telephone to purchase. Fortunately, it has just a few different issues going for it too. The Moto G Stylus sports activities an enormous and responsive 6.5-inch show and a long-lasting 5,000mAh battery. Plus, it’s accessible in two pretty colours: midnight blue and glam pink.

As with different choices on this worth vary, it might be good if the Moto G Stylus got here with a extra succesful digital camera, a quick charger and higher safety in opposition to water. One phrase of recommendation: avoid Moto G Stylus 5G. It doesn’t supply sufficient of an improve to justify costing $400. — I.B.

$178 at Amazon

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