The perfect low-cost telephones for 2025

It might be trendy to spend $1,000 on the newest flagship smartphone after they first get launched, however it’s not mandatory. You do not even should spend $500 in the present day to get an honest handset, whether or not it’s a refurbished iPhone or an reasonably priced Android telephone, as there are many choices as little as $160 that might suit your wants.

However navigating the funds telephone market might be tough; choices that look good on paper might not be 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 a lot of the newest 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 prime picks price between $100 and $300. Something much less and also you may as properly go purchase a dumb telephone or high-end calculator as a substitute. Since they’re meant to be extra reasonably priced than flagship telephones and even midrange handsets, funds smartphones contain compromises; the cheaper a tool, the decrease your expectations round specs, efficiency and expertise must be. For that cause, the perfect recommendation I can provide is to spend as a lot as you possibly can afford. On this value vary, even $50 or $100 extra can get you a dramatically higher product.

Second, it’s best to know what you need most from a telephone. When shopping for a funds smartphone, you could must sacrifice an honest most important digicam for lengthy battery life, or commerce a high-resolution show for a quicker CPU. That’s simply what comes with the territory, however understanding your priorities will make it simpler to seek out the correct telephone.

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

iOS can be off the desk, for the reason that $400 Apple iPhone SE is essentially the most reasonably priced iPhone within the lineup. That leaves Android OS as the one choice. Fortunately in the present day, there’s little to complain about Google’s OS – and you could even choose it to iOS. Lastly, take into account most Android producers sometimes provide far much less sturdy software program options and help for his or her funds units. 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 checklist.

In the event you’d wish to maintain your telephone for so long as attainable, Samsung has the perfect software program coverage of any Android producer within the funds house, providing four years of security updates on all of its units. That mentioned, if software program help (or machine longevity general) is your most important focus, take into account spending a bit extra the $500 Google Pixel 7a, which is our favourite midrange smartphone and has deliberate software program updates by mid-2026.

Finest low-cost telephones

OnePlus

The $300 OnePlus Nord N30 5G provides the perfect worth of any of the smartphones on our checklist. No different telephone within the value bracket includes 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, that 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 can be virtually excellent if it had waterproofing and OnePlus had dedicated to pushing multiple main Android OS replace to the telephone. — Igor Bonifacic, Contributing Reporter

$230 at Amazon

SAMSUNG

For simply $200, the Galaxy A15 5G is a reasonably exceptional machine. It has a 6.5-inch show with a barely slower 90Hz refresh price 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 principally 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 digicam system is strong for its value, providing a most important digicam that handles on a regular basis pictures properly and a selfie digicam 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 value vary. — Sam Rutherford, Senior Reporter

$173 at Amazon

Motorola

For these on a very 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 might sound small, the telephone has a microSD card slot so you possibly can add more room if and whenever you want it. Its 6.5-inch LCD display can be surprisingly sharp with a 90Hz refresh price. The Moto G Play even has an IP52 ranking for mud and water resistance. That isn’t a lot, however it’s ok to guard towards an errant splash or two. Certain, the G Play is fundamental, however it’s fundamental 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 checklist 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 a couple of different issues going for it too. The Moto G Stylus sports activities a giant and responsive 6.5-inch show and a long-lasting 5,000mAh battery. Plus, it’s accessible in two beautiful colours: midnight blue and glam pink.

As with different choices on this value vary, it will be good if the Moto G Stylus got here with a extra succesful digicam, a quick charger and higher safety towards water. One phrase of recommendation: keep away from Moto G Stylus 5G. It doesn’t provide sufficient of an improve to justify costing $400. — I.B.

$178 at Amazon

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