The best cheap phones you can buy
The best overall
The best for $300
Motorola's Moto G series has produced excellent budget phones year after year since it first launched. The competition may be fiercer and the Moto brand may have been bought by Lenovo, but the Moto G series is still great. The new Moto G7 is an impressive budget phone that ticks all the boxes and costs less than $300. It can also work on any major carrier network.
The Moto G7 isn't a showstopper in the looks department, but it is actually made out of glass and metal, which isn't something you can say about most budget phones. It looks and feels good in your hands, though some may find it a bit slippery and glass is fragile. We recommend you buy a case for it.
Its 6.2-inch screen is sharp and clear with a 2,270 x 1,080-pixel resolution, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 processor is fast when paired with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage is decent as is the option to expand it via a Micro SD card up to 512GB. The phone also has a fingerprint sensor and face unlock for security.
The G7 has an improved 12-megapixel and 5-megapixel dual-lens camera setup, which is quite good, and selfie-takers will be pleased with the 8-megapixel front-facing camera. The battery should last you a full day, and it charges up quickly with Motorola's TurboPower charging, which promises to give you six hours of use after 15 minutes of charging.
If you buy the Amazon version, just note that a few Amazon apps are pre-installed, including Amazon Shopping, Amazon Music, Audible and Amazon Alexa. You can get it Amazon-app free from Motorola if you prefer.
Pros: Amazing low price, decent cameras, metal design, fingerprint sensor for security, and quick Android updates
Cons: Glass is fragile and slippery, Prime Exclusive version has Amazon apps
The best with Stock Android
If you care about having Stock Android and regular updates on your smartphone, but you don't want to spend $300 or more, you're in luck: The Nokia 7.1 is the phone you seek. So long as your cellular network is GSM like T-Mobile and AT&T, you can use this phone. Verizon and Sprint won't work.
The Nokia 7.1 has a great 5.84-inch, Full HD screen with a 2,220 x 1,080-pixel resolution that looks great encased in the glass body of the phone. There's a fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone for security.
The Nokia 7.1 looks and feels high-end when you hold it, though the glass is fragile and we recommend getting a case. Inside, it has a decent Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor and 4GB RAM, as well as 64GB of storage, which is expandable up to 400GB with a MicroSD card. It charges up with a USB-C cable.
Finally, the 12-and-5-megapixel dual rear cameras take great photos, as does the 8-megapixel front camera.
However, the best thing about the Nokia 7.1 isn't its good spec sheet or even its low price — it's the promise of regular security patches and Android updates. Because Nokia has gone with near Stock Android and joined Google's Android One program, you can rest assured that your phone will always be up to date.
Before you buy, just make sure you have T-Mobile, AT&T, or another GSM carrier.
Pros: Pure Android, great screen, strong build, good battery, low price
Cons: Doesn't work on Verizon, Sprint, or other CDMA networks
The best for $250 or less
If you have been looking for a phone that costs $250 or less, you're in luck. The LG Stylo 4 costs just $139.99 at Best Buy if you activate it with Sprint or $189.99 if you activate it with another carrier. If you want the unlocked version, it's $214.99 on Amazon. The unlocked version will work with any major carrier network.
The LG Stylo 4 is a bit older, as it launched in 2018, but it's still a decent budget phone. It comes with a stylus, has a big 6.2-inch screen with a 2,160 x 1,080-pixel resolution. For added security, the phone has both facial recognition and a fingerprint sensor. It's a simple plastic-backed phone that looks nondescript.
On the back, you get a 13-megapixel camera that takes decent shots, and there's a 5-megapixel wide-angle selfie camera on the front. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 chip inside isn't the most powerful, but it will be able to handle most tasks, thanks to the 3GB of RAM inside.
The phone has 32GB of internal storage, which is low, but you can add up to 2TB of storage via a MicroSD card.
You should get at least a full day of battery life, as the Stylo 4 has a 3,300mAh battery inside. Once it runs out of juice, you can charge it up with USB Type-C fast charging.
As a Prime Exclusive phone, you'll get a few Amazon apps pre-installed on the phone if you buy it from Amazon.
Pros: Decent price, large Full HD screen, stylus, fingerprint sensor and facial recognition, okay cameras
Cons: Amazon apps pre-installed, boring design
The best for $550
If you have a little bit more to spend, the $549 OnePlus 6T is a great buy. Although it costs significantly less than other high-end flagship phones, it boasts nearly all the same features. It should work with T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon.
The OnePlus 6T boasts a beautiful 6.41-inch AMOLED screen with almost no bezels. It just has a small space on the front for the 16.megapixel selfie camera Inside, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chip and 6, 8, or 10GB of RAM power the phone.
The phone's battery life is impressive, and OnePlus' Dash charge tech will give you a full charge in just 30 minutes. But alas, there's no wireless charging.
The dual-lens camera on the back has two sensors — one 16-megapixel and one 20-megapixel — which take excellent pictures and produce the coveted blurred background effect in photos. The camera is on par with other great flagships in most settings, though Samsung's Galaxy S10 and the Pixel 3 XL still best it in low-light conditions.
The back of the phone is made from glass and a slick metal band runs around the phone's edges. It feels great in the hand, though it is fragile, so we recommend popping a case on it.
Pros: A 6.41-inch AMOLED screen, Face Unlock, dual-cameras, affordable, quick charge
Cons: More expensive than other budget phones
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