The best cheap phones for 2025

[ad_1] It could be trendy to spend $1,000 on the most recent flagship smartphone once they first get launched, nevertheless it's not crucial. You do not even need to spend $500 at the moment to get an honest handset, whether or not it’s a refurbished iPhone or an inexpensive Android cellphone, as there are many choices as little as $160 that might suit your wants.

However navigating the price range cellphone market might be difficult; choices that look good on paper will 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 numerous the most recent budget-friendly telephones in the marketplace to see which are literally price your cash.

What to search for in an inexpensive cellphone For this information, our high picks price between $100 and $300. Something much less and also you may as effectively go purchase a dumb cellphone or high-end calculator as a substitute. Since they’re meant to be extra inexpensive than flagship telephones and even midrange handsets, price range smartphones contain compromises; the cheaper a tool, the decrease your expectations round specs, efficiency and expertise needs to be. For that purpose, the perfect recommendation I can provide is to spend as a lot as you'll be able to afford. On this worth vary, even $50 or $100 extra can get you a dramatically higher product.

Second, it is best to know what you need most from a cellphone. When shopping for a price range smartphone, you might have to sacrifice an honest major digicam for lengthy battery life, or commerce a high-resolution show for a sooner CPU. That’s simply what comes with the territory, however realizing your priorities will make it simpler to search out the appropriate cellphone.

It’s additionally price noting some options might be laborious to search out on low cost handsets. As an example, you gained’t want to look far for a tool with all-day battery life — however in order for you a terrific digicam cellphone with wonderful digicam high quality, you’re higher off shelling out for one of many suggestions in our midrange smartphone information, which all are available in at $600 or much less. Wi-fi charging and waterproofing additionally aren’t straightforward to search out on this worth vary and overlook in regards to the quickest chipset. On the brilliant facet, all our suggestions include headphone jacks, so that you gained’t have to get wi-fi headphones.

iOS can 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 at the moment, there’s little to complain about Google’s OS – and you might even choose it to iOS. Lastly, take note most Android producers usually provide far much less sturdy software program options and help for his or her price range gadgets. In some circumstances, your new cellphone could solely obtain one main software program replace and a 12 months or two of safety patches past that. That applies to the OnePlus and Motorola suggestions on our listing.

In case you’d wish to preserve your cellphone for so long as attainable, Samsung has the perfect software program coverage of any Android producer within the price range area, providing 4 years of safety updates on all of its gadgets. That mentioned, if software program help (or system longevity total) is your major focus, think about spending a bit extra the $500 Google Pixel 7a, which is our favourite midrange smartphone and has deliberate software program updates by means of mid-2026.

Finest low cost telephones <img alt="" class="mx-auto my-0 size-full bg-white @xl/p:transition-transform @xl/p:duration-300 @xl/p:ease-in-out @xl/p:group-hover:scale-110 @xl/p:motion-reduce:group-hover:transition-none object-cover" src="https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/Lp5YJh4TrMoCaho1UrOteg--~B/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2023-06/dfcecc10-14fc-11ee-af8a-f85520f64bcd" loading="lazy" height="720" width="1280" role="img"/> OnePlus

The $300 OnePlus Nord N30 5G presents the perfect worth of any of the smartphones on our listing. No different cellphone 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, that means you in all probability gained’t have to price range 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 cellphone. — Igor Bonifacic, Contributing Reporter

$230 at Amazon <img alt="" class="mx-auto my-0 size-full bg-white @xl/p:transition-transform @xl/p:duration-300 @xl/p:ease-in-out @xl/p:group-hover:scale-110 @xl/p:motion-reduce:group-hover:transition-none object-cover" src="https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/8qEpdS41t1J25mZqg2FdWg--~B/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u/https://media-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-03/fb9eb290-dfcf-11ee-9faf-f58030c650b1" loading="lazy" height="720" width="1280" role="img"/> 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 charge 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 may 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 worth, providing a major digicam that handles on a regular basis photographs effectively 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 worth vary. — Sam Rutherford, Senior Reporter

$173 at Amazon <img alt="" class="mx-auto my-0 size-full bg-white @xl/p:transition-transform @xl/p:duration-300 @xl/p:ease-in-out @xl/p:group-hover:scale-110 @xl/p:motion-reduce:group-hover:transition-none object-cover" src="https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/GR3c._7M0pJeBqlobC9T2A--~B/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-03/c92bb320-dfd0-11ee-bc4f-93a92e73b2a4" loading="lazy" height="720" width="1280" role="img"/> Motorola

For these on a very tight price range, the 2024 Moto G Play covers all of the bases effectively. 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 cellphone has a microSD card slot so you'll be able to add more room if and while you want it. Its 6.5-inch LCD display can be surprisingly sharp with a 90Hz refresh charge. The Moto G Play even has an IP52 ranking for mud and water resistance. That isn’t a lot, nevertheless it’s adequate to guard in opposition to an errant splash or two. Positive, the G Play is primary, nevertheless it’s primary in a great way. — S.R.

$110 at Amazon <img alt="" class="mx-auto my-0 size-full bg-white @xl/p:transition-transform @xl/p:duration-300 @xl/p:ease-in-out @xl/p:group-hover:scale-110 @xl/p:motion-reduce:group-hover:transition-none object-cover" src="https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/x0192DWh1kqkZsZQitP_GA--~B/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u/https://media-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com/creatr-uploaded-images/2023-06/bb12ede0-14ff-11ee-bffe-aa157f7b54bc" loading="lazy" height="720" width="1280" role="img"/> Motorola

The $200 Motorola Moto G Stylus presents one thing not one of the different picks on this listing do: a built-in stylus. In case you love doodling and jotting down notes, then that is a budget cellphone to purchase. Fortunately, it has a number 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 obtainable in two beautiful colours: midnight blue and glam pink.

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