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 roughly 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.
Launched in April, 2025, the Pixel 9a brings few key improvements: the newer Tensor G4 chipset, a new design with a camera that is flush with its back and, most impressively, a much bigger battery.
With a 6.3-inch screen, the Pixel 9a is also slightly bigger than previous models, which is a small but welcome improvement. You still get the excellent Google quality from the cameras, too.
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The huge borders around the screen are the only significant downside, making the phone appear very outdated and wider than it has to be. And if we had to nit-pick, we'd also mention the slow wired and wireless charging speeds, too. But overall, these are small compromises for an otherwise excellent mid-ranger.
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.
If you want a phone with a bigger size than the Pixel, bold looks and top-notch performance, the Nothing Phone (3a) Pro fits the bill perfectly.
The quirky looks are definitely what will grab your attention first, but it is Nothing's smooth and clean UI that really makes you fall in love with this phone.
We were not too impressed with the cameras at first, but a software update has improved the quality quite a bit, and while we are not at Pixel 9a level, it's looking much better now.
The Galaxy A36 5G is your best option for a phone that costs less than $400.
Samsung has not changed much from last year's model, but you still get a slightly faster chip and now, 8 GB of RAM (a very important upgrade considering the previous edition had 6GB).
On the list of pros you also have the promise for six years of OS updates, the solid camera performance, the latest Android 15 with One UI 7 on board, and even some AI features present. On the downside is probably the still not stellar performance and the lack of a microSD card slot (for those who care).
Nothing has multiple phones in this lineup just because... it's getting good at making budget phones!
The (3a) fits the under $400 price class perfectly and it keeps the shiny lights on the back of the phone that you might know (and love).
As all phones here, the (3a) balances features and price, but in a very good way. We like that Nothing gets even smaller details like the sharp haptics right.
As with the other Nothing phones, you need to go through the company's beta program in order to purchase this phone.
CMF Phone 2 Pro offers a lot more than other rivals in the $300 price class
Nothing's budget sub-brand CMF (did you know that stands for color, material and finish?) just took over budget phones with one fell swoop: the CMF Phone 2 Pro.
This phone not only looks distinct, but it also solves the biggest problem of cheaper phones — the sluggish performance.
It features an adequate processor, but the secret sauce is the well-optimized interface that looks clean and fast. Couple that with a solid 8GB of RAM on board and a generous 256GB of storage, and you have yourself a winner.
We also did not expect to see three rear cameras (including even a 2X optical telephoto one!), but they are all here and do a decent job. The phone also packs a 5,000 mAh battery with good real-world performance and 33W wired charging. The only struggle would be actually buying this phone as you have to purchase via Nothing's website and its beta program and check with your carrier for band compatibility.
#2. Samsung Galaxy A26 5G
MSRP $300 for 6/128GB | Released in April 2025
The Galaxy A26 5G is a small but welcome upgrade over the previous model
Samsung's $300 Galaxy A26 5G is an exercise in balance and restraint. It's a very good mid-ranger, but it doesn't innovate in the ways the CMF Phone 2 Pro does.
Still, those looking for the Samsung brand and its reliability will probably like the Galaxy A26, and we think that it's a much better choice than the $200 A16 model, which feels way too slow. The A26 5G is no speed demon either, but it's a big step up.
Everything else is... adequate. Decent camera quality, decent performance, decent battery life. And one big advantage over the Moto G Power rival — the Galaxy has a much prettier AMOLED display!
#3. Moto G Power (2025)
MSRP $300 for 8/128GB | Released in late February 2025
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.
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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