The 9 best affordable smartphones you can buy

As the price of top-tier smartphones continues to rise, it may feel like you need to pay over $1,000 to get a great smartphone.

But that's not the case.

For as many premium flagship phones you'll see dominating the market, there are just as many affordable devices that pack a beautiful display, great camera, and solid battery life into a package that's a fraction of the price. You'll find some excellent phones around the $400 mark, and some great options for much less than that.

To help you find the best of the bunch - especially during the holiday season - we've broken down the more affordable end of the smartphone market. Some of these phones are brand new; others are old favorites that stand the test of time.

Here are the nine best affordable smartphones you can buy right now:

Jeff Dunn contributed to an earlier version of this post.