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, nevertheless it’s not crucial. You do not even must spend $500 right now to get an honest 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 tough; 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 a variety 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 prime picks value between $100 and $300. Something much less and also you would possibly as nicely 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 ought to be. For that motive, 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, you must know what you need most from a telephone. When shopping for a funds smartphone, you could have to sacrifice an honest 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 realizing your priorities will make it simpler to search out the proper telephone.

It’s additionally price noting some options might be onerous to search 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 an incredible 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 in at $600 or much less. Wi-fi charging and waterproofing additionally aren’t simple to search out on this value vary and overlook in regards to the quickest chipset. On the brilliant facet, all our suggestions include headphone jacks, so that you received’t have to get wireless headphones.

iOS can also be off the desk, because the $400 Apple iPhone SE is essentially the most inexpensive iPhone within the lineup. That leaves Android OS as the one choice. Fortunately right now, there’s little to complain about Google’s OS – and you could even desire it to iOS. Lastly, consider most Android producers usually supply far much less strong software program options and help for his or her funds units. In some circumstances, your new telephone could 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 record.

When you’d prefer to maintain your telephone for so long as attainable, Samsung has the perfect software program coverage of any Android producer within the funds area, providing four years of security updates on all of its units. That mentioned, if software program help (or system longevity total) 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 via mid-2026.

Greatest low-cost telephones

OnePlus

The $300 OnePlus Nord N30 5G gives the perfect worth of any of the smartphones on our record. 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, which means you in all probability received’t have to funds for a microSD card or cloud storage. It additionally comes with a 120Hz IPS show, a characteristic 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 nearly 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 reasonably outstanding system. 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 digital camera system is stable for its value, providing a predominant digital camera that handles on a regular basis pictures nicely 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 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 nicely. 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 possibly can add extra space if and while you want it. Its 6.5-inch LCD display can also 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, nevertheless it’s adequate to guard in opposition to an errant splash or two. Positive, the G Play is fundamental, nevertheless it’s fundamental in a great way. — S.R.

$110 at Amazon

Motorola

The $200 Motorola Moto G Stylus gives one thing not one of the different picks on this record do: a built-in stylus. When you love doodling and jotting down notes, then that is a budget telephone 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 value 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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