These smartphones are selling like hotcakes because consumers want to ensure that their smartphone is future-proof and that they will not need to purchase a new device once 5G is commercially available in the country. The best budget phones are also more appealing in the long run due to lower contract prices, though you may prefer to buy these smartphones outright and then pay only for your minutes, texts, and data if you can afford it. This is also where the majority of people in full-time education will shop. Check out our student-specific buying advice below the chart if you’re a parent looking for your child’s first smartphone or looking for an upgrade before you leave for university or college. Below, we have mentioned Best Budget Phones.
Here is the list of Best Budget Phones
OnePlus Nord N20 5G
Easily one of the best Budget Phones available on the market, The OnePlus Nord N20 5G is more powerful than Samsung’s budget phones, and its 1080p OLED screen is sharper than those found in other phones in this price range, which typically have lower-resolution LCD screens with poor contrast. The N20 5G even has an in-display fingerprint sensor, which is uncommon in low-cost phones. Though it ships with Android 11, it will receive Android 12 along with three years of security updates. It does not, however, work on Verizon’s network.
Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro
The Poco X3 Pro isn’t without flaws. The large battery makes it bulky, the cameras could be better, and MIUI 12 leaves a lot to be desired, but these flaws don’t prevent this phone from being an outstanding value for money. In contrast, the phone has a plethora of strengths, including strong specs that lead to exceptional performance, a stunning display, and an absolutely fantastic battery life. The fact that you can get all of that for the price Xiaomi is asking is almost unbelievable, and like the Poco X3 NFC in 2020, we named the X3 Pro ‘Best Budget Phones of the Year 2021’ last year.
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
The Galaxy A53 provides an abundance of Samsung features and power at a fraction of the price of the S-series. It has a much larger screen and a more versatile camera cluster than the iPhone SE, but Apple’s budget model performs better. Nonetheless, given the low price, Samsung fans will appreciate what they’re getting here. The Galaxy A53 5G has an ultrawide lens for taking photos with a wider field of view, as well as night-mode photography capabilities. The image quality isn’t as good as that of a more expensive Samsung phone, such as the Galaxy S21 FE or Galaxy S22, but it’s certainly clear and colorful enough for basic shots. A long-lasting battery, four guaranteed generations of Android operating system updates, and a microSD card slot for expandable storage are also highlights.
Motorola Moto G31
The Moto G31 has a 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED display as well as a punch-hole camera. The MediaTek Helio G85 processor powers it. In terms of cameras, the G31 has a triple rear camera setup with a main 50-megapixel sensor. It is flanked by an 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. The phone has a headphone jack, a dedicated Google Assistant button, a fingerprint scanner on the back, and a 13-megapixel front-facing camera. A 5,000mAh battery with 20W fast charging is also included. Currently, this is one of the best Budget Phones that you can buy right now.
Samsung Galaxy A03s
The Samsung Galaxy A03s is the best Budget Phones in Samsung’s current lineup, priced at $160, but it doesn’t perform like a bargain-basement phone. The A03s is capable of browsing the web, sending messages, and playing simple games. Despite the phone’s low price, Samsung isn’t skimping on updates: the A03s will receive updates until early 2026, a full four years of support from launch, which is unprecedented for a phone this low. The build quality is a step down from the Galaxy A13 5G, the camera isn’t as good, and this model lacks 5G support, but the battery life is fantastic.
iPhone SE
The iPhone SE 2022 raises the bar for low-cost phones by including Apple’s powerful A15 Bionic chip. This is the same processor found in the iPhone 13, and it outperforms all Android phones when it comes to gaming or video editing on the go. This chip also provides the new iPhone SE 2022 with photography capabilities that the previous model lacked, such as Smart HDR 4, Magic Fusion for improved detail, and Photographic Styles. In fact, in some situations, the iPhone SE takes better photos than the Google Pixel 6a, as evidenced by our Pixel 6a vs. iPhone SE 2022 comparison. Sadly, Apple did not include a Night mode for low-light situations. The latest iPhone SE features the same design as previous models, which means a small 4.7-inch display and large bezels, but some users may prefer the old-school Touch ID button for quickly unlocking the device.
Xiaomi Redmi 10
The Redmi 10 is a solid budget phone powered by Qualcomm’s dependable Snapdragon 680SoC. It is one of the few smartphones in this price range to use a Qualcomm SoC, whereas the majority use MediaTek or UNISOC processors. The performance is adequate for most daily tasks such as texting, calling, web browsing, social media, and so on. The phone has a large 6,000mAh battery and a large 6.7-inch HD+ screen, making it a good phone for content consumption as well. Thus, this product is one of the best Budget Phones available right now.
Google Pixel 6a
The Google Pixel 6a is difficult to beat as the best budget phones overall. Credit goes to the cameras, which have always stood out on Google’s low-cost devices. The Pixel 6a, like its predecessors, relies on computational photography to produce some of the best images in this price range — its photos can even compete with those produced by much more expensive phones. In addition, unlike the iPhone SE (its closest competitor in the low-cost camera phone market), the Pixel 6a has a night mode. The Pixel 6a is also powered by a Tensor chipset. That’s the same chip found in Google’s Pixel 6 flagships, which start $150 higher than the Pixel 6a. As a result, the Pixel 6a can perform the same AI-powered tricks as Google’s flagship phone, such as the photo-editing Magic Eraser tool and on-device translation.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
The Redmi Note 10 Pro is essentially a more advanced Poco X3 NFC with a better display and camera. The 6.67in 120Hz panel uses AMOLED technology, which means it has excellent contrast and vibrant colours. Meanwhile, the 108Mp primary camera performs admirably and is accompanied by a pair of secondary cameras that outperform expectations. When you consider what Xiaomi has included here, fun extras like 33W fast charging, a headphone jack, and even an IR blaster elevate the Redmi Note 10 Pro from a good to a great budget offering.
Motorola Moto G62
The Moto G62’s cons are similar to those of all best Budget Phones: they’re cheap! To save money, you forego performance, camera quality, and faster charging. What you get with the Moto is a solid plastic built quality that outperforms other phones at this price, a clean version of Android 12 with changes made only where Moto can improve, rather than adding things for the sake of adding things. Despite having an LCD rather than an OLED panel, there’s a fantastic always-on display that lets you quickly view and open notifications that no other phone brand has. If the performance occasionally stutters, you’ll be able to forgive it because the software on this phone is so appealing, and it’s a great alternative to Xiaomi’s cluttered UI, despite the strength of that brand’s budget phones.
Final Words
If you’re looking for the best budget phones, you have to accept that the manufacturer will cut some corners to reach that low price point, and you won’t get the same performance, features, or display quality as a phone costing two, three, or four times the price. Nowadays, for £250/$250 or less, it’s entirely possible to buy a phone with a full HD display, a slim body and a camera that takes photos that you might want to share.
