Cheap Android Phones Ranked From Least to Greatest

Time for an upgrade? Android has a lot of stellar phones for you to choose from. But what if you don't want to buy a new, expensive phone? Turns out, you can pick up a pretty good Android phone that doesn't break the bank but still does what you need it to, whether that's taking quality pictures or streaming media smoothly.

Today, let’s break down the best cheap Android phones ranked from least to greatest based on their prices and major features. And remember, if you're looking for the best phone deals, our free, unbiased Phone Deal Finder below can search through thousands of phone deal options to show you the top choices.

8 Cheap Android Phones Ranked

1. OnePlus Nord N20 5G – Best Phone for 5G Connectivity
2. Motorola One 5G Ace – Most Affordable Phone with Good Battery Life
3. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G – Best Sub-$500 Samsung Phone
4. Google Pixel 5A – Best Budget-Friendly Camera Phone
5. Samsung Galaxy A42 5G – Best Sub-$400 Samsung Phone
6. Samsung Galaxy A32 5G – Best Sub-$300 Samsung Phone
7. TCL 20S – Best Unlocked Affordable Phone
8. Moto G Stylus  – Best Overall Cheap Android Phone

There are lots of great Android phones to choose from. But the below eight phones are top-tier both for their affordability and other features.

1.   OnePlus Nord N20 5G – Best Phone for 5G Connectivity

The OnePlus Nord N20 5G is an excellent affordable Android phone for a variety of reasons. It has a good camera suite – boasting a 64-megapixel main camera and a 16-megapixel front camera – and is 5G ready. That means it'll benefit from connectivity and downloading speed improvements in the future.

Perhaps more important, it has a pretty good 6.43-inch AMOLED screen with a 60 Hz refresh rate. Whether you like to scroll through social media or watch Netflix, this affordable Android phone should allow you to do both without much of a hiccup.

2.   Motorola One 5G Ace – Most Affordable Phone with Good Battery Life

Motorola’s One 5G Ace is another quality affordable Android phone with a whopping 6.7-inch LCD full HD+ display. While this isn't quite as good as AMOLED displays, it's still great for the reasonable asking price.

This lightweight phone just weighs 212 g and has excellent battery life thanks to its 5000 mAh battery setup. It comes with a built-in headphone jack, and it is powered by a quality chipset: the Snapdragon 750G, plus 6 GB of RAM to ensure smooth performance. However, the cameras aren't the best compared to other budget-friendly phones.

3.   Samsung Galaxy A53 5G – Best Sub-$500 Samsung Phone

The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is a great Samsung phone you can purchase for under $500. In a nutshell, it offers a 6.5-inch AMOLED display with 2400 x 1080 P resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate. This is all thanks to its hardware, including an Exynos 1280 Octa-core CPU plus 6 GB of RAM.

Even better, this phone comes with four excellent cameras, which range from 60 megapixels down to five megapixels for the depth camera. Add to that a large, 5000 mAh battery, and you have an affordable Samsung phone that does a pretty decent job in most categories.

4.   Google Pixel 5A – Best Budget-Friendly Camera Phone

Also nice is the Google Pixel 5A, which has some of the best cameras for any budget-friendly phone. These include a 12.2-megapixel primary camera, a 16-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and an eight-megapixel selfie camera to boot.

It's all powered with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset. This also helps to power the large, 6.34-inch OLED display, with a 60 Hz refresh rate and 2340 x 1080 P resolution. Its battery life is some of the best in the industry, clocking in at well over 12 hours on average, and it is ready for 5G connectivity and support. It’s also much more affordable than the Pixel 6.

5.   Samsung Galaxy A42 5G – Best Sub-$400 Samsung Phone

Of course, we can't forget another Samsung phone: the Galaxy A42 5G. This is a better Samsung phone if you're looking for purchase of under $400. It features a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display with a 60 Hz refresh rate and a 1600 x 720 P resolution.

It only has 4 GB of RAM, but it has 128 GB of storage and a pretty good battery. The Snapdragon CPU gives it decent performance whether you are scrolling on the Internet or watching Netflix, and the inherent 5G support ensures that this phone should function well for years to come. It's an even better choice for long-term budget-friendliness since Samsung has announced it'll support the phone during an upcoming Android 12 upgrade.

6.   Samsung Galaxy A32 5G – Best Sub-$300 Samsung Phone

That's not all that Samsung brings to the table. The Galaxy A32 5G is a stellar Samsung phone for under $300, and it lets you choose between 4 GB and 8 GB of RAM. The camera setup isn't the best on the market, but it gets the job done, given the price point.

More importantly, the 90 Hz AMOLED display that comes with this phone is excellent. Purchasing this phone gets you three platform updates and long battery life, as well. Just keep in mind that it doesn’t charge very quickly, so you’ll usually need to plug it in overnight.

7.   TCL 20S – Best Unlocked Affordable Phone

TCL’s 20S phone is an unlocked mobile device you can get for less than $300 on average. It features a 6.67-inch FHD+ liquid crystal display with a 60 Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 2400 x 1080 P.

The primary camera, which is 64 megapixels, is pretty good. The phone also benefits from a large 5000 mAh battery, plus an NFC chip for further performance enhancements. We also like that this affordable phone comes with 64 GB of storage in total. That all said, it doesn't come with any water resistance out of the box, so it's certainly not the most durable phone on the market or even on this list.

8.   Moto G Stylus  – Best Overall Cheap Android Phone

Last but not least is the Moto G Stylus, which is arguably the best budget-friendly phone that comes with a stylus and the best affordable phone overall. It has a 6.7-inch LCD screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 2400 x 1080 P. As a result, viewing any media you desire will always be an enjoyable experience.

More important is the built-in stylus, which works well with the responsive Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chipset. The phone comes with a water repellent coating and a few decent cameras, including a 50-megapixel primary rear camera. You can further customize your phone purchase by choosing from 4 GB to 8 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of storage. It’s a well-rounded, versatile phone you can get without breaking the bank.

The Bottom Line

Overall, any of these budget phones could be right for your needs and your wallet, especially compared to pricy iPhones. Our advice? Review your budget limit, decide what you want to prioritize in your new phone, then pick up the phone that best meets your needs, whether snapping pictures, surfing the web, using apps, or staying ready for the upcoming 5G connectivity improvements. Try to find a phone that runs on Android 11, too!

Why not use Navi's Phone Deal Finder to make things even easier? With this helpful app, you can quickly browse through dozens of top-tier phone deals by price, features, and more. Then you can select the phone you want to purchase with a few button presses. Try it today!

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Android phone is best for price?

The Google Pixel 8a is often considered the best Android phone for its price, offering excellent camera quality, smooth performance, and regular software updates at a mid-range cost.

What is the average price for an Android phone?

The average price for an Android phone typically ranges from $300 to $800, with budget models available for less and premium models exceeding $1,000.

Which Android phone is the easiest to use?

The Samsung Galaxy A54 is often regarded as one of the easiest Android phones to use, thanks to its user-friendly One UI interface, good performance, and solid features, making it suitable for a wide range of users.