Best Phone Under $500 for 2024: Great Features at Lower Prices
Our favorite phone under $500 is so close to its more expensive sibling that there's no reason to pay more.
Our Experts
- Shortlisted for British Photography Awards 2022, Commended in Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022
What to Consider
iOS or Android
Size
Cameras
Software support
Our Picks
What to Consider
iOS or Android
Size
Cameras
Software support
Affordable phones previously offered dismal performance, resulting in a frustrating experience. Budget handsets are getting better each year, and you don't need to spend a ton of money to get a phone that's packed with great features. The best phones under $500 offer a good camera system, decent performance and a big display. Most of these phones include some features that you find on flagship devices that cost over $1,000. They even get several years of software and security updates to keep the phone going for longer.
These phones do make cuts that justify why they're cheaper than phones that cost more than $500, but those cuts are increasingly in areas that might not raise any particular flag when you just want a reliable device for everyday use. Apple's iPhone SE and Google's Pixel 8A and 7A phones, for instance, have smaller screens, but all run on newer processors and software. Samsung's Galaxy A series of phones often look just like the Galaxy S line but instead run on a less powerful processor. The Moto G Stylus 5G takes nice photos, provides a roomy 256GB of space and throws in a stylus, but Motorola doesn't provide software support for as long as its competitors. You can see the pros and cons of each of these phones below, with more details available in our full reviews.
What is the best phone under $500?
Google's $499 Pixel 8A compares so closely to the $699 Pixel 8 that it's now tough to recommend the more expensive option. The Pixel 8A includes the same Tensor G3 processor found in the 8 Pro that powers Google's Pixel-exclusive features. It gets wireless charging, a 120Hz refresh rate and a 64-megapixel main camera paired up with a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera. The Pixel 8A even gets AI-powered features like Circle to Search. The Pixel 8 does offer a marginally better camera system, a slightly larger display.
If you want to save even more money, last year's Pixel 7A has can be found on sale for around $400 and still has a lot to offer. It runs on the Tensor G2 chip, includes many of the same Pixel features like Real Tone for photography and Hold for Me for phone calls, and takes crisp and colorful photos for a phone of its price.
Best phones under $500
The Pixel 8A is so good it makes the regular Pixel 8 almost feel irrelevant. It shares so much in common with its pricier sibling, from its selection of AI-powered features like Circle to Search to its cool aesthetic and powerful Tensor G3 processor, that it’s hard to see why anyone would buy the Pixel 8 instead.
The Pixel 8 does offer a marginally better camera system, a slightly larger screen and the ability to charge other phones and accessories wirelessly on the back of the device. But those features don’t feel significant enough to impact the buying decision for most people. As I wrote in my review, the Pixel 8A raises the bar for what a $500 phone should be. That also means I’ll be expecting more from the Pixel 9 this fall.
Decent midrange phone with neat extras
OnePlus 12R
The $500 OnePlus 12R might not be the best phone you can buy, but it does offer solid overall performance for its reasonable price tag. Its older-generation processor still packs plenty of power for gaming, its camera setup is fine for casual snappers and it's got a similar design to its more premium sibling.
But you also get 80W fast charging which will take it from empty to full in a little over 30 minutes, while the screen has wet-touch tech that means you can still use it accurately in the rain. It's a shame this phone doesn't have longer software support, but it's otherwise a decent all-rounder if you're shopping on a budget.
Best for a smaller phone
Apple iPhone SE (2022)
The $429 iPhone SE is a mix of an older design with the latest smartphone features, including Apple's A15 Bionic chip and 5G support. It's also one of the few phones on the market that includes a smaller, 4.7-inch screen.
It's that throwback design that could be what you love or dislike most about this phone. If you want a larger iPhone in this price range, you can also consider a refurbished iPhone 12, and get a bigger screen and Face ID.
The phone also includes only one, 12-megapixel main camera, which doesn't support night mode. Most other phones in this roundup include multiple cameras along with features like night mode, making the omission noticeable. Photos make up for this by including the Deep Fusion photo-processing technique to enhance medium- to low-light photos, and Smart HDR4 processing for improving color and contrast. CNET Managing Editor Patrick Holland did find that video shot in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second is particularly good on the iPhone SE, but it won't include the Cinematic Mode seen on the iPhone 13.
Fast charging phone
Lenovo ThinkPhone by Motorola
Good news: the Lenovo ThinkPhone's price has dropped hundreds of dollars and can often be found for around $400. The 2022 Lenovo ThinkPhone by Motorola has a lot going for it, from its palatable regular $700 price to its unique aesthetic, easy compatibility with PCs and smooth 6.6-inch screen. But it's the ThinkPhone's incredibly fast charging that truly makes it stand out. It supports 68-watt fast charging and notably comes with a compatible power adapter in the box, making it one of the fastest-charging phones you can buy in the US. In CNET's testing, the ThinkPhone's battery went from empty to 92% in 30 minutes.
Every phone has its drawbacks. The cameras on the ThinkPhone struggle in low light, which means it may not take the best photos in dim restaurants and bars. Read our Lenovo ThinkPhone review.
Best Android phone when on sale
Google Pixel 7A
Editor's note: Google released the Pixel 8A, also $500. You can read our Pixel 8A review here. If you're buying a Pixel 7A make sure it's on sale.
Google's budget phone took a leap forward in 2023 with the Pixel 7A, which offers many of the same benefits as the Pixel 7 but at a cheaper price. Like the Pixel 7, the Pixel 7A runs on Google's Tensor G2 processor, meaning it has many of the same photo editing and language translation features as its pricier sibling. The Pixel 7A's 64-megapixel camera also takes excellent photos that rival the Pixel 7's in quality.
While we still like the Pixel 7, the Pixel 7A's lower price makes it a better deal for most people. Otherwise, the main differences between the Pixel 7 and 7A come down to the former's more durable build, slightly faster charging and its ability to wirelessly charge compatible accessories. The Pixel 7 also has a larger camera sensor that's more sensitive to light, according to Google, but CNET's Lisa Eadicicco didn't notice much of a difference.
Factors to consider when buying a cheap phone
End-of-year sales: Affordable phones usually get cheaper with holiday discounts and deals. Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Amazon Prime Day can help you save quite a bit.
Buy a case and screen protector: Protect your phone and peace of mind with a case.
Go to a store: The best way to know if a phone is for you is to actually hold it and use it.
Prioritize what you care about most: Trying to find a phone on a budget is tough but you'll have more success if you focus on what features matter the most. If you're looking for a cheap phone with great cameras, grab the $499 Pixel 7A, for example.
Team Android or iOS: If your family and friends are on Apple services like iMessage and FaceTime, stick with an iPhone. Otherwise, it's simple enough to switch platforms.
Last year's phones: They can often be a great deal, too. Wait for this year's launch to get last year's phone for less, when stores and carriers may be trying to offload their existing stock.
How we test phones
We test every phone in real-world scenarios, focusing on its features, design, performance, cameras, battery life and overall value. We document our findings in an initial review that is periodically updated when there are new software updates, or to compare it against new phones from competitors such as Apple, Samsung, Google and OnePlus.
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 largely has the same camera hardware as the Z Flip 4. But the new chip brings some image processing improvements.
Photography
Photography is a major focus for most phones these days, so we take pictures and videos of various subjects in a variety of settings and lighting scenarios. We try out any new camera modes, such as ProRes Log mode that debuted with the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max line, or the Magic Editor photo tool that launched with the Google Pixel 8 series.
Battery life
Battery testing is conducted in a variety of ways. We assess how long a phone lasts during a typical day of use and note how it performs during more focused sessions of video calls, media streaming and gaming. We also conduct a video playback test, as a simple, replicable measure of pure battery life, which isn't always included in the initial review but sometimes added later in an update.
Performance measuring
We use benchmarking apps to measure each phone's performance, alongside our own anecdotal experiences using the phone for our review. Of note are how graphics and animations look. Are they smooth? Or do they lag or stutter? We also look at how quickly the phone switches between horizontal and vertical orientations, and how fast the camera app opens and is ready to take a photo.
We perform processor-heavy tasks like editing photos, exporting videos and playing games. We evaluate whether a newer version of a particular phone includes enough features to make it worth upgrading from older models.
Read more: How we test phones
Other phones we tested
Although Apple's iPhone SE is the only iPhone under $500 that the company currently sells new, there are options for getting a cheaper iPhone with a more modern design. Apple often sells its iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini in its Certified Refurbished store, where both models go for roughly $500 depending on the storage option (as of this writing, the iPhone 12 Mini with 256GB of space sells for $509). Apple even includes a one-year warranty on these refurbished models, which is identical to what the company provides for brand-new devices. You can also find refurbished iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models that are under $500 on websites like Amazon or Gazelle, but warranty policies vary depending on the seller and condition.
Moving over to Android, The $300 OnePlus Nord N30 5G includes a lot of features for the money, but its 50-watt charging speed is the standout feature. The phone can charge from 0% to 100% in 45 minutes. Its large 6.72-inch 1,080p display runs at a 120Hz refresh rate, making apps, games, websites and streaming video animate smoothly. It's worth calling out that the 108-megapixel main camera -- despite having an astounding megapixel count -- takes photos that are only marginally better than those of other $300 phones.
Phones under $500 FAQ
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