If you don't feel like spending $1,000 on a new phone because you probably have a thousand better ideas on how to spend that cash, we won't judge you. Budget phones are here to save the day!
As long as you don't expect absolutely everything in a budget phone, chances are you can be pretty happy with a phone that costs $500 or even less.
And as of 2025, most good budget phones cost somewhere between $350 to $500. There are a few cheaper options that are still good, but they make bigger compromises. There are also a few slightly more expensive phones that we feel we need to mention.
So let us walk you through all the best affordable phones in 2025, explaining all their pros and cons along the way, so you know what you are getting into.
Apple has now discontinued the iPhone SE and its entry-level model is the iPhone 16e.
At $600, this model is not as cheap as the SE series, but it offers excellent value.
In fact, it's so good that most people should actually buy it INSTEAD of the more expensive iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models.
Why? Compared to the iPhone 15, it has roughtly the same design and display quality, but offers a much faster processor and supports Apple Intelligence (the 15 does not). And it actually has a longer battery life than the iPhone 15.
Compared to the iPhone 16, it has roughly the same processor and Apple Intelligence. While it lacks an ultra-wide camera, it beats the iPhone 16 in battery life, which is a far more important feature.
NOTICE: The next Pixel 9a model is expected to arrive in March of 2025! Unless you are in a rush, we recommend you wait for this newer model.
The Pixel 8a arrived in May 2024 and it was updated in a few key areas: it got the latest Tensor G3 chipset, the same as in flagship Pixels and much faster than most other Android phones in this price class.
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It also got a 120Hz screen, an upgrade from a 90Hz screen used on the previous generation, and that makes for a slightly smoother experience. And it has a slightly larger battery than before (but not by much), and the cameras don't seem to have changed, but they were excellent already. The price remains at a reasonable $500, great for a device that will get updates for the next seven years!
The Pixel 8a still has some shortcomings though. It only comes in one smaller, 6.1-inch size, and it has a chunky bezel around the screen. It also charges slowly, taking nearly two full hours for a full charge, plus, like other budget phones, you don't get a zoom camera on board.
OnePlus 13R has screaming performance and fast charging, but its camera is not quite best in class
OnePlus has a great budget phone in the OnePlus 13R.
While technically this phone costs $600, you can trade in any phone (probably even a rotary phone) for $100 off, so the price most people will pay is actually $500, so within our budget.
The OnePlus 13R has a super-fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset coupled with 12GB of RAM. Its performance destroys other Android rivals in this price range!
It also has a beautiful big screen: a 6.8-inch OLED display with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate.
On top of all that, it has one of the biggest batteries around at 6,000mAh capacity AND an insanely fast 80W charging speed (a full charge takes less than half an hour!).
The one area where it falls a bit short of the Pixel is the camera performance, and that is the only reason why the Pixel still manages to hold on to the top spot in this ranking. However, if you place more value on the performance, battery life and screen size, the OnePlus 13R should probably be your top pick.
The Galaxy A35 5G is a solid budget phone (Image by PhoneArena)
Samsung will not release the popular Galaxy A55 5G model in the US this year, but it has the more affordable, $400 Galaxy A35 5G and it offers good bang for the buck.
The A35 5G has a spacious 6.6-inch AMOLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate and a big, 5,000mAh battery. The camera system is also quite good for this price.
On the list of downsides is an adequate, but not exactly zippy Exynos 1380 chipset and only 6GB of RAM. If you are after a fast and zippy device, you'd probably need to spend a bit more.
UPDATE: A new Galaxy A36 5G model is expected to arrive in spring of 2025!
The Nothing Phone (2a) from March 2024 is a phone with unique design and a clean UI that will help you be more mindful when using it
You have to jump through some hoops to buy the Nothing Phone (2a) in the United States (you need to sign up at the Nothing.tech website, before you can order), but it is a phone that offers a lot of value for its $350 price. It works well on T-Mobile and AT&T, but it might not have full 5G band compatibility if you try using it on Verizon Wireless.
Nothing released its first smartphone just two years ago, but despite being a young company, its new Nothing Phone (2a) is a very good budget phone at $350.
It has the stand-out design that Nothing is known for with an LED light "glyph" on the back, so it is probably the best looking budget phone around. But it is not just about the looks: it has a decent chipset and a good enough camera system at this price. Additionally, it has the biggest battery on a Nothing Phone at 5,000mAh and you have very fast 45W charging, so you in just 20 minutes you can get a 50% top-up. Nothing is also known for its clean UI and monochrome themes that allow you to be more mindful about your smartphone usage.
The Nothing Phone (2a) is available in the United States, but you have to sign up at the Nothing.tech website, before you can order it.
Moto G Power (2025) offers clean software, but a dated LCD screen
The 2025 edition of the Moto G Power brings modest improvements to the popular budget phone.
You get a beefier processor and a slightly larger, 6.8-inch display, but contrary to the "power" in its name, the battery size is not exactly powerful at a quite average 5,000 mAh size.
The Moto G Power (2025) also uses an LCD screen while most other budget phones have switched to a more vibrant OLED panel.
Still, if you want the clean software, decent performance, 120Hz refresh rate, and an overall appealing design with a Motorola logo, the 2025 edition of the G Power is all of that.
#2. OnePlus Nord N30 5G
MSRP $300 | Released in June 2023
The Nord N30 5G is a fast phone with a very capable main camera, and at a great price too
Another good option for budget shoppers is the OnePlus Nord N30 5G.
The main advantages here are the clean and smooth performing UI, and the typical for OnePlus super-fast charging. The Nord N30 5G supports 50W wired charging speeds, meaning a full charge takes around 55 minutes.
The 108MP main camera also does a great job in even more challenging conditions.
The compromises you have to take here are the lack of an ultra-wide camera and the somewhat average battery life. Another big downside is you only get ONE major Android update (and three years of security updates), which is less than the competition.
Best budget phones under $200
#1. Samsung Galaxy A16 5G
MSRP $200 | Released in January, 2025
The Galaxy A16 5G is priced at just $200, so it is super cheap. Performance is adequate, as long as you don't expect too much out of it (Image by PhoneArena)
The Galaxy A16 5G is not the most stylish phone around, but it offers a lot for its super cheap $200 price.
It all starts with a big 6.7-inch AMOLED screen that supports 90Hz refresh rate and can reach 800 nits of brightness (but reflections are quite noticeable outdoors).
The Galaxy A16 5G is powered by the Exynos 1330 chipset, but it only has 4GB of RAM. That's the main compromise as the phone feels a bit slow. That just seems to be the reality in this price class. You do have a generous 128GB of storage, though.
With a 5,000mAh battery on board, battery life is solid and you also have 25W charging support, so a full charge takes around an hour and a half (no wireless charging on board, but that is expected).
You also get a 50MP main camera and a 5MP ultra-wide camera. Samsung also offers a 2MP macro shooter, but it could have easily skipped it as image quality is quite bad there. The main and ultra-wide camera perform surprisingly well at this price, just don't expect stellar performance in low light.
One downside is video capture maxes out at just 1080p, but again, expected for the price.
Finally, the Galaxy A16 ships with Android 14 / One UI 6.1 and Samsung promises four years of software updates, which is better than many other cheap phones.
The Moto G (2025) is cheap and has an appealing design (Image by PhoneArena)
The Moto G (2025) is a decent cheap phone, but it has not improved much from the previous generation.
It has got the stylish looks and a slightly bigger 6.7-inch display and a 120 Hz refresh rate. It also makes the jump to a slightly beefier MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset (from a Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 chip before).
But it still has 4 GB of RAM on board, which feels way too low, and you get an LCD screen with 720p resolution, so colors don't pop as much as on OLED screens and you can see some pixelization.
Victor, a seasoned mobile technology expert, has spent over a decade at PhoneArena, exploring the depths of mobile photography and reviewing hundreds of smartphones across Android and iOS ecosystems. His passion for technology, coupled with his extensive knowledge of smartphone cameras and battery life, has positioned him as a leading voice in the mobile tech industry.
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