US wireless carriers like T-Mobile and Verizon go out of their way to make expensive smartphones seem affordable. Why not buy a $1,400 Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra if you only have to pay $0 down and $58 a month for it? Whether you pay it all at once or in 24 monthly installments, you’re still spending more than a thousand dollars for your phone. Your pricey new device may also keep you locked to your network, leaving you unable to switch wireless carriers until the phone is paid off.
Here’s another idea: Forget the spendy option and get a seriously great, more affordable phone instead. We’ve tested dozens to find the best cheap smartphones that aren’t annoyingly slow. Our top pick is as good as almost any device, and our other picks strike a great balance between price and luxury.
Updated March 2020: We’ve replaced the LG G7 ThinQ with a newer model, tweaked pricing on a few options, and added some warnings about upcoming successors that will likely dethrone our top picks in the coming months.
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1. Google Pixel 3A ($320+)
Best Overall
If you can spend $320 (or $420 for the larger Pixel 3A XL), you cannot find a better phone than this (9/10, WIRED Recommends). The 3A is the first budget-minded phone that has topped our Best Android Phones because it manages to feel like a high-end $800 phone in the ways that matter most: It’s fast, it gets security updates directly from Google, and it has a camera that’s as good as the one on almost any other phone you can buy. It even has a Night Sight mode that makes night-time selfies and other shots in very dim lighting conditions possible. The phones were already great value when they launched, and at that time they were priced at $400 and $480 respectively. But now the base prices have dropped, and you can almost always find the phones discounted on Amazon.
Prepare to make a few sacrifices. The display doesn’t stretch as close to the edges as many flagship phones, it’s not waterproof, and there’s no wireless charging (just fast wired charging). It’s also covered in a classy polycarbonate shell instead of glass and metal—this actually makes it more durable, but if glass is your jam, take note.
The Pixel 3A has a headphone jack, something even the expensive Pixel 4 and 4 XL do not have. (Here are some other great phones with headphone jacks.) If you’re going to buy a Pixel, get this one, although do be aware there are reports (aka rumors) of a potential Pixel 4a arriving in May.
Works on AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, and more
2. Motorola Moto G7 ($200–300)
Runner-Up
A good buy for a teen, or anyone on a budget.
Photograph: MotorolaMotorola’s G-series phones kick-started the wave of affordable, decent Android phones when they first arrived several years ago. The Moto G7 continues that trend. It’s not the fastest or sexiest phone, but it’s incredibly cheap and performs every essential function well enough that you won’t go nuts taking a photo or waiting for an app to load.
If you’re on a tight budget, this is the phone to own. It’s more than adequate for a teenager or casual phone user. The Moto G7 can often be found for much less than its original $300 price, so make sure you catch it when it goes on sale, which happens frequently. There is also the more affordable Moto G7 Power, which has a massive battery, and the ultra-affordable Moto G7 Play that I don’t recommend unless you’re a very light phone user and are OK with a device that shows some lag.
Read our full review of all three Moto G7 models for more information. Motorola has also announced two new successors—the Moto G Stylus ($300) and the Moto G Power ($250)—which are set to arrive this spring, so you may want to wait for one of those if you want the most current phone and you’re OK with paying a little more.
Works on AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, and more
Moto G7 costs somewhere between $200 and $300 at Amazon or Motorola
3. Nokia 7.2 ($349)
Best for $350
Nokia’s phone receives software and security updates directly from Google for two years.
Photograph: NokiaThe Nokia 7.2 replaced one of our favorite cheap phones, the Nokia 7.1. It’s similar but has double the storage and a larger display—with a smaller notch cutout for the selfie cam. It’s a step up from some phones in its price bracket, with a reasonably fast midrange processor, dual rear cameras, and 128 GB of storage. It’s also an Android One device, which means it gets two