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Some of us take some kind of “I eat to live”, not “I live to eat” I approach the gadget. They are tools that help you make things done, not something you want to invest a lot of time or money. If this is you – and there is no judgment, and there is no judgment here from the certificate gadget nerda – then you can probably think about more valuable ways to spend $ 1,000 than on your phone.
Budget phones in rescue. These devices are approximately $ 500 or below, although not everyone and they are more capable than ever. You will not get all the bells and whistles, but you will save a little money to spend, I don’t know, really bells and whistles. It’s your world.
What I’m looking for
No shortcut to test the phone properly; I put my personal SIM card (physical or otherwise) in each phone I inspect and live with her at least one whole week. I set up every phone from zero, load my apps and live my life – stress testing battery, using GPS navigation on your bike during streaming radio, getting portraits portrait photos from a fast portrait portrait. Starting with a new phone each week or sounds like a dream or your personal hell, depending on how you are in phones. For me, switching has become so routine that is mainly painless.
At least a few years of OS upgrades and, ideal, three years of security updates. It doesn’t make sense to buy either a cheap phone if you have to replace it after just a few years, because it stopped getting security patches.
Since you look at it about two thousand times a day, your phone screen is one place that should not compromise. OLED is a richer contrast and color from LCD, and large screens on today’s phones are required at least 1080p resolution. Faster refresh rate such as 90Hz, and even 120Hz are becoming increasingly on the budget screens; However, for my money, lightly scrolling LCD does not look so beautiful as Olded with a standard refresh rate.
If you plan to hold on to the phone for a while, you want to want enough storage space to receive all system files, photos and videos that you will accumulate over the years. Ideally, you will be built at least 128 GB.
Upgrades such as telephoto cameras and optical image stabilization are rare in the $ 500 class, but you can still expect good, basic performance in good light from any modern smartphone. The low light is subjected. Phones in this class should offer a night regime to help themselves in a very muted light. And there are no bonus points assigned to add additional macrons and depth camera to the falling camera background – those sensors for 2- and 5 megapixels are quite useless.
What compromises can you expect from the budget phone? Some combination of the following: Slower processors, less storage and worse cameras made of water phones, almost across the board. Many have lower resolution screens, and water resistance is often less robust than on the price of the phone.
$599
Well
- Reliable performance
- Good, if limited, camera system
- It’s the cheapest new iPhone you can buy
Bad
- No magsafe
- $ 599 feels like $ 100 too much
- No ultra
Screen: 6.1 Inch, 1170p OLED / Processor: A18 Cameras: 48 megapixels f / 1.6 with OIS, 12-megapixel Selfie / Filling: 20V Wired, 7.5 V Wireless / Weather resistance assessment: IP68
If I had made you a face-to-face recommendation, you would hear a heavy sigh. Yes, this is the cheapest new iPhone Apple real. Yes, it comes with most things that iPhone make the iPhone. But comes with some significant comprominations – some make more sense than others – and not very Cheap. If you are favorable for last year’s model or restored iPhone 14, one of them can be a better option. But for an unsummary person who just wants a new iPhone for the least money, 16e will do the trick.
On the back is one 48 megapixel rear camera, which means that there is no ultra-uld in the ordinary 16. It is an understandable motels – as well as the use of older design “comma”, not a dynamic island. But it’s harder to understand why Apple left Magsafe here – it’s a ring Magnets built into the back of Practically Everyone of 2020. Years. 16E still supports wireless charging, but cannot use the ecosystem of magnetic chargers and accessories. You must add a magnetic case. This is a stupid omission, and the apple should feel bad for that.
Another heavy sigh: 16e supports Apple Intelligence, you will not get if you decide for iPhone 15 or 14. Should you be interested in? It’s really hard to say. What there is an intelligence for Apple so far is underlined and the most interesting bits will not arrive soon. If you want to resist your purchase as much as possible, 16e will be ready for Apple AI. But don’t buy now that you expect experience in the smell of life. It’s just an iPhone though, for better and bad and currently the best price you will find in a brand new.
The best Android phone below $ 500
$499
Well
- Robust IP68 Rating
- Seven years of software updates
- Lighter, larger screen
Bad
- Missing several AI functions
- AI is occasionally useful, usually strange
Screen: 6,3-inch, 1080p OLED, 120Hz / Processor: Tensor G4 Cameras: 48-megapixel F / 1.7 with OIS, 13-megapixel UltraVide, 13-megapixel Selfie / Battery: 5,100mAh / Filling: 23V Wired, 7.5 v Vireless / Weather resistance assessment: IP68
Google’s pixel phones series A-series are my examinations for a cheap Android phone for years, but there was still room for improvement. With 9a, Google has made several modest settings that make it even easier for recommendation – and $ 499, the price is correct.
The phone uses a Tensor G4 chipset that does not work so hot as some of its predecessors and performance are reliable. The 6.3-inch OLED screen is slightly larger and a little brighter than last year, which makes a noticeable difference when using the phone outside. Endurance also received a slight incentive for IP68, which means it can withstand a drop in deeper water from Pixel IP67 rated 8a.
The 9a camera is fine, even though it appears briefly with the rest of the PIKEL 9 series in the low light. Portrait mode could also be better, and if you care about the image quality, then it could be a good reason to pick up on a pixel 9. But it also works a trick for everyday snaps, and for the price, better quality 9a draws its shortcomings.
A favorable phone with a large, beautiful screen
$556
Well
- Excellent battery life
- Great Screen for price
- Six years of security updates
Bad
- No wireless charging
- Only the first-resistant
- Less OS updates than Google and Samsung
Screen: 6.78-inch, 1264 K 2780 120Hz OLED / Processor: SnapDragon 8 gene 3 Cameras: 50-megapixel F / 1.8 with OIS, 50-megapixel 2K telephoto, 8-megapixel UltraVide, 16-megapixel Selfie / Battery: 6,000mach / Filling: 80V wire / Weather resistance assessment: IP65
OnePlus 13R is not very rounded as my choice for the best overall budget Android phone, pixels 9a. It’s also a little price of $ 599 – though we saw him in sales for extended time in extended time periods – but for some people, 13r upgrades to do so with a better choice. Comes with one of the best large Screens in their class and many people like the big screen. 13R also offers very strong battery performance; Unless you are a user power user, you can probably manage two full days on one fee.
It is also very fast charging with the charger included, although you will not find wireless charging on any speed. 13R also lacks full water resistance; It should be kept fine from sprays and rain shower, but not rated to withstand full immersion. Many people will not find these omissions, but make it difficult to recommend general audience, especially at a higher price than pixel 9a.
Other budget phones for consideration
- The 2025 Motorola Moto G Power It offers many despite an initial price of $ 299.99. It contains a 6.8-inch LCD screen, 5,000 mom battery, wireless charging support and a 3.5 mm application connector, which is in 2025. years, which is in 2025. Years. In addition, the device combines IP68 and IP69 ratings, which means that it is evaluated and for subjecting to the jet jets of high pressure of water and exposure to watercourses and pairs.
- The Samsung Galaxy S24 Fe Is another perfectly capable phone that fails to earn a recommendation here. It’s a little outside the range of this guide anyway $ 649, but you get a telephoto lens and beautiful, big screen for that price. However, it is better to save the crowd and pick up pixel 9a or trying to achieve promotion in promotion Newer Galaxy S25. Read our review.
- The Samsung Galaxy A56 recently launched in the USA with an initial price of $ 499. The device has all the hard telephone phone designs, including a 6-inch OLED display, a 50 megapixel main camera, EKINOS 1580 CHIP and battery of 5,000 mom with 45V wire filling. Although we have not tested it yet, there are quite a fairly solid competition in the form of pixel 9a, which also has a $ 499 starting price.
- We have Our first sight the TCL 60 KSE NKSTPAR 5G Return to CES 2025. The device contains an NKTPaper matte LCD screen that should be easier on your eyes than traditional LCD, because it reduces your exposure to blue light. It also contains “maximum ink regimen”, which becomes monochrome and silence of monfire. This can, in turn can help to extend the phone battery life in several days. Read our initial impressions.
- The Samsung Galaxy A36 5G Is there another great choice that was recently launched in the US for $ 399.99. The device is located large OLED display, decent Midrange Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 Processor and IP67 Rating for water resistance and dust. Samsung is a promising six years of updating OS and security, which is much in this price range. Compared to the Galaxy A35 5G, which we previously included in this guide, but is no longer available, the A36 5G drops a microSD slot for another SIM card. Although we did not test A36 5G, its predecessor offered a good balance of hardware and prices and the latest release sounds as convincingly.
Update, 8. September: Updated prices / availability. Brandon Russell also contributed to this post.
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