10 Best Budget Phones

The Samsung Galaxy S21+ is a budget-friendly phone with a glass body and released in January 2021. It operates on Android, featuring a sizable 6.7-inch OLED display with a high refresh rate of 120Hz for smooth visuals, though it doesn't have a curved screen edge. With a battery capacity that allows for around 8 hours of battery life, it should last most users a full day on a single charge. Photographers will appreciate its good-quality triple camera setup including a 12MP main, 64MP telephoto, and a 12MP ultrawide lens; it also supports HDR10+ video, captures still photos well, and can record video at high resolutions, including 8K at 24fps. The phone offers solid performance with the Snapdragon 888 processor and 8GB RAM, ensuring apps and games run smoothly. It does not have a headphone jack, but it supports NFC, 5G connectivity, and wireless charging, including reverse wireless charging. Lastly, while it does not support SD cards, the internal storage of 128GB should be adequate for most users.

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is a budget-friendly option with a plastic body, and it operates on Android. Launched in 2020, it features a 6.5-inch screen without curved edges, a high 120 Hz refresh rate, and a Full HD resolution display. Battery life is substantial, and it also supports wireless charging. Photo enthusiasts may find its camera capabilities adequate, with fair photo quality and good video quality, while its camera setup includes a 12 MP main, 8 MP telephoto, and 12 MP ultrawide camera. It lacks a headphone jack but has NFC, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.0. It's equipped with 128 GB of storage and 6 GB of RAM, and it can connect to 5G networks. If you're looking for a durable phone with solid performance and moderate camera quality without breaking the bank, the Galaxy S20 FE is a considerable choice.

The Google Pixel 6 is a budget-friendly phone with a glass body and Android operating system. Its camera setup offers very good photo and fair video quality overall. The primary camera has 50 megapixels, and there's a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. It doesn't have a telephoto or periscope camera, but it does include Google's exclusive camera features like Magic Eraser. The battery capacity is decent and it supports wireless charging. With a 6.4-inch OLED display having a 90Hz refresh rate, you get a smooth and vivid experience. The phone lacks a headphone jack and an SD card slot but comes with dual SIM support and an under-display fingerprint sensor. It's powered by Google's custom Tensor processor and has 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. If you're looking for a phone with strong photographic capabilities, a smooth screen, and exclusive software features at a more accessible price, the Pixel 6 could be a compelling choice.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 is a budget-friendly phone with a plastic back, released in 2021 with Android OS. It features a 6.2-inch OLED screen without curved edges. The camera system includes a 12MP main, 64MP telephoto with a 29mm focal length, and a 12MP ultrawide lens, offering good photo and video quality. The phone supports HDR10+ for videos and RAW output for photos. Its 4000mAh battery can last up to around 6.7 hours. It is equipped with the SD888 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage, but does not have expandable memory via an SD card. The S21 has 5G capability, under-display fingerprint sensor, wireless charging, and is rated IP68 for dust and water resistance, but lacks a headphone jack and front-facing stereo speakers. Its screen supports a 120Hz refresh rate and has a punch-hole design for the selfie camera. The device offers a solid performance, and is a suitable choice if you are looking for a modern smartphone without breaking the bank.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is a premium device with a high-quality camera setup, including a 108-megapixel main camera and a 10x optical zoom telephoto lens. Its large 6.8-inch curved OLED screen offers a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth visuals. The phone supports 5G connectivity and has a long-lasting 5000mAh battery. It runs on Android with the powerful Snapdragon 888 processor and comes with 128GB of storage. If you often take photos or videos, its camera capabilities are impressive, but if you're looking for something more budget-friendly, consider other models as this one is on the higher end of the price spectrum. The S21 Ultra lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack but does offer Wireless DeX for desktop-like functionality. It is built with glass and provides both face unlock and an under-display fingerprint sensor for security, but it doesn't include a stylus or offer an expandable storage option.

The Google Pixel 7a is positioned at a budget price, offering some compelling features for its cost. With a plastic body, it has a more modest look and feel but comes with a decently sized OLED screen at 6.1 inches with a 90Hz refresh rate, which is good for smooth scrolling and video playback. Google's TensorG2 processor and 8GB of RAM ensure good performance. The camera setup, with a 64MP main and a 13MP ultrawide, delivers very good photo and video quality, and includes Google's exclusive features like Magic Eraser. The 4385 mAh battery offers nearly 7 hours of life. There is no support for 5G, and no headphone jack, but it does have NFC and wireless charging capabilities. If you prioritize camera quality and exclusive software features over the latest network speeds and premium materials, this phone could be a suitable choice.

The Samsung Galaxy A53 has a budget-friendly price and offers a balance of features that cater to general use. It sports a plastic body, runs on the Android operating system, and has a decent storage capacity of 128 GB. Released in March 2022, it comes with a 5000 mAh battery capacity that's conducive for extended use, delivering up to 8 hours of battery life. The screen is a 6.5-inch OLED display with a high refresh rate suitable for smooth scrolling and animation. Its camera system includes a main 64MP camera and 12MP ultrawide, with photo and video quality rated as very good and good, respectively. While it supports 5G for faster internet speeds, it lacks certain features such as the 3.5mm headphone jack and wireless charging capabilities. If you're looking for a handset with solid performance, a good camera, and a long battery life without breaking the bank, the Galaxy A53 is worth considering.

The Google Pixel 6a is a budget-friendly smartphone with a plastic body, and it runs on Android. It offers a modest screen size of 6.1 inches with an OLED display that is not curved. The camera system is capable, providing very good still photo quality and good video quality, including 4K video recording. For those prioritizing photography, the Pixel 6a has exclusive camera features like Magic Eraser. It has decent battery life and comes with 128GB of storage. However, it lacks features such as a high refresh rate screen, and it does not support expandable storage with an SD card. Despite its plastic construction, it has a quality build and supports 5G connectivity. The Pixel 6a uses Google's own Tensor processor, and with 6GB of RAM, it performs well for everyday tasks. It offers classic Pixel features such as call screening and "Hold For Me" for user convenience.

The Apple iPhone 11 is a budget-friendly option with a glass body and an LCD screen measuring 6.1 inches. It runs on iOS and is powered by the A13 processor with 4GB of RAM. The iPhone 11 was released in September 2019 and offers 64GB of storage without the option to expand via SD card. Its battery capacity is decent, offering around 7 hours of life, and it supports wireless charging at 7.5 watts. The camera setup includes a 12-megapixel main camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, delivering fair photo and video quality. It is capable of recording 4K video at 60fps and does not support 5G. For security, it comes with Face Unlock but no fingerprint sensor. This model is also resistant to dust and water, and it charges through a Lightning port.

The Samsung Galaxy A54 is a midrange phone with a glass back and a 6.4-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, giving you a smooth display experience. Its camera system is decent with a 50 MP main camera and a 12 MP ultrawide lens. It captures fair quality still photos and videos. Battery life is substantial with a 5000mAh capacity, offering extended use between charges. The device runs on Android and packs an E1380 processor with 6GB of RAM, which should provide good performance for everyday tasks. It features 128GB of storage, a fingerprint sensor under the display, IP67 water and dust resistance, and supports 5G connectivity, giving you fast internet speeds. Notably, there's no 3.5mm headphone jack or wireless charging. If you're looking for a modern phone with a solid camera and screen at a midrange price, the A54 could be a good fit.