Do you need a phone but at a tight budget? Luckily, it’s possible to find a few great smartphone options that cost $300 or less. These devices range from offering an excellent battery life to an in-built stylus. Most of the budget devices we recommend are from Motorola, which isn’t surprising given that the company has come out with feature-rich budget phones for years now. We also recommend Samsung’s Galaxy A50 and Galaxy A32 5G, Samsung’s cheapest 5G phone.
A budget phone may be less expensive, but many of these options still offer features enthusiasts crave, including great cameras, fingerprint sensors and the elusive headphone jack. To see our top picks, check out the list below and read CNET’s reviews. We’ll update this list as we review new phones. Note that we’ve linked to the unlocked version of each phone, and unless specified otherwise, they should run on most of the big four US wireless carriers. If you’re looking for more budget picks, check out our recommendations for the best phones under $500 and best phones under $200, too.
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If you’re looking for a cell phone that serves as a cheaper Note 20 alternative, the Moto G Stylus device features a stylus that you can store inside the phone along with a built-in Notes app to help with productivity. The Android phone also has a triple-rear camera, 128GB of internal storage and a robust 4,000-mAh battery.
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Although the Galaxy A50 came out last year (and is the predecessor to the Galaxy A51), it’s still a great phone. The phone has a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED screen, an in-screen fingerprint reader and a headphone jack. On the back, the triple rear camera includes a wide angle lens as well as a “depth lens,” which is used to take portrait shots with blurry, dramatic backgrounds. The phone also has a 25-megapixel selfie camera.
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The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G offers a big screen, an attractive design and 5G connectivity for super fast data speeds — and tops it off with an affordable price of only $205, making it one of the cheapest 5G phones you can buy right now.
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The Moto G Power is currently $40 cheaper than the G Stylus, but it packs a robust 5,000-mAh battery for long battery life. During our testing, this mobile phone lasted an impressive four days without a charge. The phone has three rear cameras (one of which is a macro lens), a 6.4-inch display and expandable memory.