These days, flagship phones from Apple and Samsung can cost upwards of $1,000. But you can obtain a terrific phone for less than $500, without much concession. You can still obtain 5G, a big screen (or one small sufficient to utilize one-handed), finger print or face unlock– and perhaps even an earphone jack, long gone out of style on flagship phones. To find the best budget phones, we put 9 mobile phones– Apple’s newly revitalized apple iphone SE and two older iPhones, plus the leading budget-priced Android tools– via a battery of tests to see which ones offer greater than a low, low price.

The very best Android phone under $500: Google Pixel 5a with 5G

From $349 opened at Google

The Pixel 5a with 5G uses the very best worth of any phone Google has made yet. For under $500, you get the most up-to-date variation of Android, 5G assistance, IP67 water resistance, and even the typical convenience of a headphone jack. The Pixel 5a’s 6.34-inch OLED display is bright and clear and simply fulfills the test of permitting single-handed usage, depending on your hand dimension. It opens with a finger print sensor on the back, an older design that enables quick and slot reputable biometric verification. And unlike previous a-series Pixels, the 5a includes IP67 water and dirt resistance. The 5a’s 5G assistance is impressively extensive. It goes to home on T-Mobile’s rapid mid-band 5G, constantly yielding download rates around 400 Mbps in our D.C.-area screening. And the 5a has the best equipment to operate AT&T and Verizon’s C-band 5G, although it’s yet to appear on either provider’s checklists of supported C-band gadgets.

Our test 5a displayed strong battery life, lasting 10 hours and 49 minutes in our worst-case streaming-video examination. It was additionally the fastest phone to charge with its included 18W USB-C charger, going from no to 46% in half an hour and requiring only an hour and 39 mins to get to 100%. But wireless charging stays a function scheduled for upmarket Pixel phones. So is storage space over 128 GB, which– unlike nearly every other Android phone on our checklist– can not be increased with a microSD card. The 5a underperforms somewhat with its cameras. It ships with the exact same 12.2 megapixel video camera as previous models, plus the brand-new addition on the back of a 16-megapixel wide-angle electronic camera. Google’s computerized post-shot handling enable this aging hardware to beat the competition in low-light problems but left skin tones in selfies rinsed– and the lack of any optical zoom implies this can’t change a specialized camera with a good zoom lens.

The most effective apple iphone under $500: apple iphone SE (2022 )

From $429 opened at Apple

The 2022 iPhone SE is a genuine throwback, looking similar to the old apple iphone 8, right to the huge Home switch that allows Touch ID fingerprint authentication. And with a 4.7-inch display, it seems virtually comically tiny beside the various other phones we examined. Yet with the same A15 Bionic cpu as the front runner apple iphone 13, it carries out like a modern-day phone. Performance benchmarks are in line with the 13, and in operation we could not make the tool decrease with several intense apps. Like the Pixel, it has IP67 water resistance.

While the SE’s camera is an older style, with a single lens covering a 12-megapixel sensing unit, the new chip enables quicker focus and faster handling times, plus you obtain access to the machine-learning driven modes such as Photo Styles and Portrait Mode that we such as on Apple’s higher-end phones. And a larger battery than the old SE suggested it had a lot of power to obtain us via a full day of use.The iPhone SE even uses 5G support, though just in the sub-6 Ghz and C bands, which won’t provide you much of a speed bump over 4G LTE however need to provide some futureproofing.

While the SE begins at $429, that design only has 64 GB of memory, which will certainly fill quickly. The majority of people must get the 128GB variation, which still squeals in under $500.

If you’re considering an iPhone, you’re most likely currently set on iOS, but if you are thinking about exactly how it accumulates to Android devices, the SE falls short of the Pixel 5a. The SE offers both shorter battery life (by a couple of hours) and smaller sized display, and despite having the upgraded processing the camera still underperforms. The SE has no committed Night Mode for photos, so if you’re relying on your phone for event digital photography, the SE is not the most effective choice.

The apple iphone SE must much last longer than any kind of Android phone in software assistance. The Pixel 5a with 5G is just ensured updates for 3 years from release– putting it much ahead of any kind of non-Pixel Android phone– while iPhones can anticipate the most recent iOS updates for 5 or 6 years. Apple is still updating the very first apple iphone SE, which released in 2016. The iPhone SE fees using Apple’s proprietary Lightning cord and does so slowly on the included 5W battery charger, although it supports fee prices up to 18W along with Qi cordless charging, like the iPhone 11. And like other iPhones, the SE lacks a headphone jack; it doesn’t also feature a set of Lightning headphones or an adapter.

The best Android phone under $250: Samsung Galaxy A13 5G

$ 250 opened at Samsung

The A13 supplies an exceptionally small cost for a 5G mobile phone without calling for unreasonable concessions. It’s totally fluent in 5G, with equipment for T-Mobile’s mid-band regularities (and 400+ Mbps speed-test outcomes to show it) and AT&T and Verizon’s newer C-band. The previous has actually already added the A13 to its checklist of supported phones. The A13’s battery lasted for 10 hours and 34 mins in our worst-case streaming examination, adequate for fifth place and stone’s throw behind the Pixel 5a. It does not come with a charger in package, just a USB-C cable television. Samsung claims the A13 supports 15W quick charging, and when connected into a Pixel 5a’s 18W charger after being drained by that battery test, it got to 28% charge in 30 minutes and completely recharged in two hours and 14 mins.

The A13’s 6.5-in. screen features a 90 Hz refresh price that can smooth scrolling longer documents. The size of that display and the somewhat thicker account of this phone, however, make single-handed use even more of an obstacle. A finger print scanner conceals in the barely-recessed power button on the side that accurately unlocked the phone. On the back, a triad of cams can take typical and wide-angle pictures, however do not expect incredible outcome. The cpu within is also second best, yielding the second-slowest Geekbench outcomes of the phones we checked The A13 also does not have water resistance or cordless charging. The the very least enticing part of this phone is its preinstalled software program. The A13 arrived with Android 11 and did not have an upgrade to Android 12 waiting, although Samsung has made a public commitment to 3 generations of software program updates. The A13 did, however, come bloated by both Samsung (including different Galaxy Store and Galaxy Shop titles) and third-party applications, a software application lots that consumed 28% of the 64 GB of storage space after installing every readily available upgrade. You will intend to stand out a microSD card in to augment that storage.

How we tested.

We tested each phone by using it primarily as an application machine: selecting it up, unlocking it, and seeing exactly how enjoyable it was to make use of such apps as whatever web browser came constructed in, the camera, the email client … and of course, the phone app.We checked battery life on these phones with a worst-case examination: streaming the NASA television YouTube stream nonstop on every phone at the same time with screens set at maximum illumination, with each phone on WiFi (and with its cellular radio impaired through airplane setting) to ensure they would all have to take care of the exact same connectivity.

If they sustained 5G, we evaluated on T-Mobile in indoor and outside areas. In the Washington DC location, T-Mobile is the only provider that supplies both low-band and mid-band 5G, with AT&T and Verizon’s mid-band (” C-band,” to be specific) confined to a few other markets. We examined their video cameras’ efficiency by taking photos of the exact same series of topics– some inside your home, some outdoors, some with even worse light than others– making use of the front and back electronic cameras.

And we kept in mind exactly how each phone felt to use, both in handfeel( consisting of for single-handed use) and in the ease of browsing its integrated apps. With Android phones, we additionally inspected the preinstalled version of Google’s os, installed any type of updates, and noted if they were current with Google’s monthly protection patches.

What to know about buying a spending plan mobile phone

Testimonials targeted towards phone fanatics can leave you lost in benchmarks and acronyms that will not matter to lots of people, and only make good sense if you’re contrasting the very best smartphones around– which frankly are too much phone for many customers. Our guidance: don’t bother with the spec sheet competition. Right here’s what you ought to seek.

• Decide whether Android or apple iphone fits your demands: iPhones feature much longer software program assistance than Android phones, however less hardware alternatives: no removable storage, no earphone jack, etc. Android phones have a lot more hardware selection, yet it’s dismayingly unusual to see a phone that ships with Android 12, and many vendors only upgrade their phones for a couple of years. Google is an outlier; their budget phones obtain 3 years of support and the front runner Pixel 6 obtains five. You shouldn’t get an Android phone that doesn’t at the very least ship with Android 11, and you should make certain it features some guarantee concerning the number of years of Android updates it will get after acquisition.

• Don’t get carried away with display dimension: While large phones are impressive, the real concern is whether the dimension benefits you daily. Make a decision whether you can feasibly make use of the phone with one hand while you press a purchasing cart or a stroller, haul rolling luggage or hold on to a stanchion in a train. A screen smaller than 6.5 inches diagonally makes one-handed usage significantly simpler; individuals with smaller sized hands may want something also smaller sized.

• Do not skimp on storage space: A phone that’s low on storage space needs unlimited maintenance to remove pictures, clear app caches or uninstall apps temporarily– especially if the phone does not enable broadening that storage space with a microSD card. 64 GB is acceptable with microSD growth; otherwise, you’ll be better with 128 GB or more.

• Search for 5G support for the long term: A phone that can utilize the much faster mid-band 5G frequencies at AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon will certainly be far more helpful than one that’s constrained to low-band 5G. Below’s where you require to examine the fine print: Support for band “N41” implies it deals with T-Mobile’s mid-band 5G, while “N77” covers AT&T and Verizon’s just-launched C-band 5G.

Various other smartphones under $500 we evaluated

iPhone 11

From $359 (64GB) unlocked at Amazon

The apple iphone SE isn’t the only Apple phone for less than $500. If you desire a larger display and better camera performance and choose FaceID to TouchID, you can get the 64GB apple iphone 11, from 2019, for $489. Unlike the new iPhone SE, however, it does not have 5G support, and the SE’s A15 processor is faster than the A13 made use of in the iPhone 11.

The apple iphone 11 is about a fifty percent an inch taller and a 3rd of an inch larger than the iPhone SE, however its screen is a lot bigger (6.1 inches versus 4.7) because it does not have the thick bezels of the SE’s older style. It additionally takes much better photos: along with the 12MP cam the SE consists of, it additionally has a 12MP wide-angle lens, higher-resolution front electronic camera, and Night Setting, for far better low-light shots.

Acquiring a three-year-old iPhone is still more affordable than buying a three-year-old Android phone. A three-year-old Android has most likely seen the last of its software application updates (Google Pixels are typically the exemption) yet Apple generally sustains iPhones for 6 or more years, so the iPhone 11 needs to get the most recent version of Apple with 2025. Its cpu won’t feel stylish as long as the iPhone SE’s will, and instances and various other accessories are already more difficult to find than we would certainly such as. Unlike the 12 and 13, the iPhone 11 doesn’t support MagSafe.

In our battery test, the 11 ran out after 8 hours and 43 mins of video clip streaming, and because Apple ships it with the exact same fundamental 5W battery charger as the very first apple iphone, it took almost 4 hours to completely charge. It can bill at approximately 18W with a USB-PD battery charger and USB-C-to-Lightning wire, or approximately 7.5 W with a Qi battery charger.

Like various other iPhones, the 11 struggles with the twin design issues of counting on Apple’s exclusive Lightning cord– so you can not make use of the very same cable you ‘d utilize to bill your MacBook– and not including an earphone jack. And due to the fact that it just provides Face ID, it was extremely aggravating to make use of while using a mask, particularly with Apple Pay, which calls for a different Face ID authentication even if you already have the phone unlocked.

Samsung Galaxy A52 5G

$ 399 at Amazon

The A52 5G was the only various other phone after the Pixel 5a to have an upgrade to Android 12 readily available after arrangement, and it additionally excelled in our battery-life test by lasting 13 hours and 22 mins, the longest figure of any kind of phone we checked. Its 6.5-inch display screen, with a 120 Hz refresh rate, conceals an under-screen finger print sensing unit that kept asking us to keep a finger in position much longer before opening the phone. The side-mounted finger print visitor on the more affordable A13 was quicker and less fussier.

The A52 endures even more from the very same bloatware issues as the A13, plus some unnecessary secret concerning its 5G support. Samsung’s specifications only detail a part of the 5G bands this phone sustains– we understand, since we saw the A52 hit rates only possible on T-Mobile mid-band 5G and since FCC data (hat tip to Phone Scoop for linking to them) show that it’s obtained the ideal hardware for C-band. Yet when neither Samsung nor AT&T or Verizon supply any kind of hint regarding C-band support, acquiring this phone seems like even more of a threat.

TCL 20 Pro 5G

$ 285 at TCL

The “aquatic blue” shade of the loaner Pro 5G made this the easiest phone to pick of the schedule, and TCL additionally differentiates this model by consisting of 2x optical zoom on one of the 4 back cameras, Qi wireless charging, water and dirt resistance, and a generous 256 GB of storage space that make all the preinstalled applications a little much less objectionable.

But the way the 6.67-in, show contour past the edges makes it also easy to choose something on the display when you’re just attempting to get the phone. Battery life, at 9:23 in our streaming-video test, placed this in the bottom fifty percent of the pack. And the Pro 5G not only does not support C-band, its absence of a CDMA radio limits its compatibility on Verizon.

Moto G Power

$ 300 $250 at Motorola

Motorola’s sales pitch for this older version leads off with long battery life, and our G Power did produce the second-longest battery life in our worst-case test, at 11 hours and 12 minutes of continual YouTube streaming. However it additionally charged slower than nearly every other phone tested, remained months behind with Google’s safety spots after looking for updates, and, along with the TCL 20 SE, lacked both 5G and NFC for mobile payments.

OnePlus Nord N200 5G

$ 240 $150 unlocked at OnePlus

The N200 5G, like the TCL 20 Pro 5G, lacks both C-band assistance and a CDMA radio, and its total 5G assistance is so minimal that it’s a 4G phone on Verizon. The N200 did supply strong battery life, lasting 10:59 in our worst-case examination, a smoother-scrolling 90 Hz 6.49-inch. screen, and an abnormally restrained software program setup that left it with more totally free storage room than any other 64 GB Android phone. It likewise includes both fingerprint and face biometrics. The last functioned also when I put on a mask, which makes me suspect it’s not safeguard sufficient.

Nokia X100

Currently unavailable

The X100 is just available with T-Mobile, yet the lack of C-band 5G support should make it a non-starter for AT&T and Verizon customers anyhow. The review X100 delivered perhaps one of the most disappointing battery-life outcomes, lasting simply 7:20 in our streaming-video examination regardless of having one of the higher-capacity batteries among all the phones evaluated. Nokia does have a software-update policy posted– defining “2 years of month-to-month security updates”– and ships an Android arrangement happily near equip Android, however it’s yet to deliver Android 12 for the X100.