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In a world of $1000 phones, we often forget about the existence of cheap phones. They are very often overshadowed, which is understandable, but that does not make them bad in any way. The truth is, there are many good phones to be bought for under $200. Furthermore, these devices should not be underestimated, as they pack good features at a fair price, and a lot of people don't necessarily have thousands of dollars to spend on a smartphone.
Still, you have to choose the one that fits your needs the best, as these devices are far from perfect. So if you only have around $200 for a phone, but you do not want to end up buying a new one in a year, these are your best options.
If you're a Galaxy user in search of a new budget phone, the Galaxy A15 should definitely be on your radar, retailing at $199.99 and offering a lot for its price. For instance, this device features a gorgeous 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a 2340 x 1080 pixels resolution, 90Hz refresh rate, and peak brightness of 800 nits. Not bad for a budget phone, right?
Additionally, the handset boasts a capable 50MP main camera, which captures decent-looking photos. Samsung has also promised four years of software updates for the Galaxy A15.
However, it's not all perfect with the Galaxy A15. To maintain its budget-friendly price, Samsung had to make some compromises. The Galaxy A15 is powered by a Mediatek Helio G99 chipset and tends to be on the slower side. So, you may need some patience when using it. Nevertheless, the phone handles day-to-day tasks without issues, just takes a beat longer to respond.
TCL 40XL 2023
Starting at $179.99, the TCL 40XL 2023 is another under $200 phone you should definitely add to your shortlist. Despite its budget price, the TCL 40XL 2023 delivers decent performance, with some tiny hiccups from time to time. Moreover, the phone packs a 50 MP main camera, which takes decent-looking photos and can shoot videos at 1080p at 30fps.
Additionally, the phone sports a big 5000mAh battery, which has enough juice to get you through the day without any top-ups. Furthermore, the handset packs rare features such as a dedicated slot for a memory card and even a headphone jack.
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Overall, the TCL 40XL 2023 is a pretty nice phone. Granted, it has a lot of drawbacks as well, but it offers a lot for its pocket-friendly price. However, we should note that the phone doesn't have 5G or NFC and isn't compatible with some carriers in the US, like Visible and Boost Mobile.
The Moto G Play 2024 is another budget phone worthy of your attention. It retails at $149.99 and also offers quite the bang for your buck. It sports a 6.5-inch LCD display with a 1600 x 720 pixels resolution, 90Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness. Additionally, this bad boy packs a Snapdragon 680 chipset under the hood, coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage space (expandable via a microSD card), giving it decent performance and the ability to handle daily tasks like a charm.
Battery wise, the phone boasts a 5000mAh power cell, which should be able to last you at least two days on a single charge with regular usage. As for its camera capabilities, it comes equipped with a 50MP main shooter, which takes decent-looking photos when there is plenty of light. Otherwise, it's nothing to write home about, which is to be expected given the phone's budget price.
Released in 2023 with a sweet price tag of $139.99, the Nokia C300 is another phone worthy of entering your shortlist. Powered by a Snapdragon 662 chipset, coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage space (expandable via a microSD card), it delivers decent performance and handles daily tasks without issues. However, due to its modest hardware, you may notice some stutters when multitasking.
The modesty extends to the camera department as well. The Nokia C300 boasts a 13MP main camera, which, while not impressive on paper, can still capture decent-looking photos in well-lit conditions. As for battery life, the phone sports a 4000mAh power cell, which should last you a whole day without top-ups.
Conclusion
If you don't want to empty your pockets for a phone that you're going to change in two or three years anyway, you have plenty of good choices, as it looks like big smartphone manufactures have you covered. The phones on this list are far from bad. Actually, most of them are pretty good. Cheap phones are definitely better than ever before, with their modern design, big displays, amazing battery life, and best of all - accessible pricing. We also recommend these if you have a kid or an older relative, as these groups of people often need a phone that just works and lasts them long between charges, not a phone retailing for almost $1000 that has a 120Hz AMOLED display and a 108MP camera.
Preslav Mladenov is a News and Affiliate Content Writer at PhoneArena who started on his tech journalism journey in December 2021. With persistent knack for finding the best deals out there, he swiftly became a pivotal Affiliate Content Writer, guiding readers towards significant savings on a plethora of gadgets, including smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, Bluetooth speakers, and headphones. Mladenov's deep-seated knowledge of mobile tech, paired with a rich background in sales, empowers him to unearth the finest deals on the web.
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