With top-tier phones like the iPhone 11 Pro Max and Galaxy S20 Ultra starting at more than $1,000, it’s easy to feel like great phones are out of your budget and getting more expensive every day. But as some phones are getting pricier, budget smartphones are getting ever more advanced and packing premium features of their own. Now there are plenty of affordable devices to choose from that are fast, have an amazing camera setup and offer modern-day software features that won’t break the bank.
While many of our picks for the best phone under $500 are newer, some handsets in this roundup launched in 2019 or even 2018. That doesn’t mean they’re obsolete — most of them still have high-end processors, excellent screen resolution and a good camera that you can get for way less than when they first launched. Note that we’ve linked to the unlocked version of each phone, and they should run on most of the big four US wireless carriers, unless specified otherwise.
Also note that the following under-$500 phones have recently joined the ranks and will likely be added to this list soon, once we’ve given them full rated reviews:
- New iPhone SE ($399)
- Moto G Power ($250)
- Moto G Stylus ($300)
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Though it debuted in 2017, the iPhone 8 is still a solid phone, and it’s among the cheapest iPhones that you can still buy for new. The phone packs in plenty of great features like water resistance, a fingerprint scanner for unlocking your phone, 64GB internal memory, wireless charging, a more durable solid-state home button and still really good cameras. Note that while the iPhone 8 is technically discontinued, it will likely be available through third-party retailers for some time.
Read our Apple iPhone 8 review.
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The Galaxy A50 is part of Samsung’s A-series, which is much cheaper than Samsung’s latest top-tier S-series of phones. At around $300, this budget smartphone is one of your cheapest Galaxy smartphone options and features a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED screen, a triple camera setup, an in-screen fingerprint reader and a headphone jack. On the back, the three cameras include a wide angle lens as well as a “depth lens,” which is used to take portrait shots with blurry, dramatic backgrounds.
Read our Samsung Galaxy A50 review.
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The Moto Z4 launched in May 2019 without much fanfare, despite the fact that it’s one of the few phones that can connect to 5G. It works with a Moto Mod modular accessory, which attaches to the back of the smartphone using magnetic pins. The phone is $400 and the Mod costs extra, but even with the additional costs, the Z4 is one of the cheapest 5G phones available now.
Read our Motorola Moto Z4 review.
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Google’s Pixel 3A XL has everything you like about the Pixel 3A (which is also on this list), but in a larger package. Sporting a 6-inch OLED screen compared to the Pixel 3A’s 5.6-inch screen, the bigger counterpart also features a larger 3,700-mAh battery.
Read our Google Pixel 3A XL review.
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The often discounted Moto G7 Play is one of our favorite affordable Android phones. Like the pricier Moto G7 (which we’ll get to later), it has a Snapdragon chipset and a water-repellent coating. But the G7 Play features a smaller 5.7-inch display and a single 13-megapixel camera. For those who like to take a lot of selfies, on the front of the phone you’ll find a selfie camera flash to brighten up all those memorable moments.
Read more about the Moto G7 Play.
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The Pixel 3A shaves a few features off of 2018 models of Google’s Pixel phones: It’s not water resistant, doesn’t have wireless charging, and it maxes out at 64GB of storage. But it costs $399, adds a headphone jack and keeps the same amazing Night Sight camera that can shoot great photos in the dark. (Daytime photos and video recording look amazing, too.) The device is compatible with all the major US phone carriers as well.
Read our Google Pixel 3A review.
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It’s been three years since its launch, but the Galaxy S8 is still a phone worthy of consideration. It’s water resistant, has wireless charging, expandable storage and a headphone jack. Plus, its curved OLED display screen lends the phone a modern-day look that still endures.
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The Moto G7 may not be as cheap as its G7 Play counterpart, but at $300, it’s still a good deal. Though its single speaker doesn’t offer the greatest sound, and it takes mediocre low-light photos and video, the Moto G7 has a rear dual camera setup, an enduring battery life and a sleek design. It also charges quickly, which is useful when you need to juice up while on the go.
Read our Motorola Moto G7 review.
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While the LG G8 with Alexa is currently around $650, that’s still a big discount from its original $850 launch price, and you can often find it in the $500 range. As one of the last few high-end phones with a headphone jack, the G8 stands out as a rarity. But the device also has a bright, sharp screen, a second wide-angle rear camera, a fast processor and water resistance.
Read our LG G8 ThinQ review.
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Though it doesn’t have dual rear cameras like Motorola’s current flagship, the Moto G7 Power has a powerful battery. Its 5,000-mAh battery lasted 23 hours, 10 minutes, making it the option with the longest-lasting battery life. Keep in mind that Motorola announced this phone’s predecessor, the Moto G Power, in February.
Read the Moto G7 Power review.
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Originally published earlier and periodically updated as we review new products.
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