One of the best low-cost telephones for 2025

It might 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 need to spend $500 as we speak 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 might suit your wants.

However navigating the finances telephone market will be difficult; choices that look good on paper might not be in follow, 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 quite a few the most recent budget-friendly telephones in the marketplace to see which are literally price your cash.

What to search for in an affordable telephone

For this information, our high picks value between $100 and $300. Something much less and also you may as properly 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, finances smartphones contain compromises; the cheaper a tool, the decrease your expectations round specs, efficiency and expertise must be. For that motive, the most effective 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 need to know what you need most from a telephone. When shopping for a finances smartphone, chances are you’ll have to sacrifice an honest most important digicam for lengthy battery life, or commerce a high-resolution show for a quicker CPU. That’s simply what comes with the territory, however understanding your priorities will make it simpler to seek out the correct telephone.

It’s additionally price noting some options will be exhausting to seek out on low-cost handsets. For example, you received’t want to go looking far for a tool with all-day battery life — however if you’d like an important digicam telephone with wonderful digicam high quality, you’re higher off shelling out for one of many suggestions in our midrange smartphone guide, which all are available at $600 or much less. Wi-fi charging and waterproofing additionally aren’t straightforward to seek out on this value vary and neglect concerning the quickest chipset. On the intense 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 possibility. Fortunately as we speak, there’s little to complain about Google’s OS – and chances are you’ll even favor it to iOS. Lastly, take into accout most Android producers usually supply far much less strong software program options and assist for his or her finances units. In some circumstances, your new telephone might 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 checklist.

In case you’d prefer to maintain your telephone for so long as attainable, Samsung has the most effective software program coverage of any Android producer within the finances house, providing four years of security updates on all of its units. That stated, if software program assist (or gadget longevity total) is your most important focus, think about spending a bit extra the $500 Google Pixel 7a, which is our favourite midrange smartphone and has deliberate software program updates via mid-2026.

Finest low-cost telephones

OnePlus

The $300 OnePlus Nord N30 5G provides the most effective worth of any of the smartphones on our checklist. 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, that means you most likely received’t have to finances for a microSD card or cloud storage. It additionally comes with a 120Hz IPS show, a function 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 virtually excellent if it had waterproofing and OnePlus had dedicated to pushing multiple 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 exceptional gadget. It has a 6.5-inch show with a barely slower 90Hz refresh fee the Nord N30. Nevertheless, as a result of it options an AMOLED panel as a substitute of an LCD show, it boasts higher brightness and richer colours than mainly all of its rivals. It can be configured with as much as 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and its 5,000 mAh battery delivers lengthy battery life. Its digicam system is stable for its value, providing a most important digicam that handles on a regular basis photographs properly and a selfie digicam 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 extremely tight finances, the 2024 Moto G Play covers all of the bases properly. 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 if you want it. Its 6.5-inch LCD display screen can also be surprisingly sharp with a 90Hz refresh fee. The Moto G Play even has an IP52 score 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 provides one thing not one of the different picks on this checklist do: a built-in stylus. In case you love doodling and jotting down notes, then that is a budget telephone to purchase. Fortunately, it has just a few different issues going for it too. The Moto G Stylus sports activities an enormous 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 will be good if the Moto G Stylus got here with a extra succesful digicam, 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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