With smartphone prices getting more and more expensive, it can be difficult to find affordable phones without sacrificing too much in terms of quality. That’s why you should consider these three cheap phones that won’t break the bank in 2022 as some of the best budget smartphones you can buy.
What are budget smartphones?
Budget smartphones have come a long way from their early, bare-bones incarnations. Smartphones under $500 offer capabilities that would have cost thousands just a few years ago, such as digital cameras and high-resolution displays. The best Android phones for under $500 can do much more than send texts and make calls.
All Rounder Smartphone: Samsung Galaxy A53
Samsung's latest release in the Galaxy A series is a great entry-level smartphone for anyone on a budget. There are plenty of other Android phones with screens below 5 inches, but this is one of the cheapest that offers a 6-inch screen which should make browsing the web and watching videos more enjoyable. The 3GB of RAM ensures there won't be too many frustrating loading times and its 1.4GHz octa-core processor will allow basic games to run smoothly. The phone has 32GB of storage as standard, but if you want to extend it then there's also a microSD card slot. Its battery life isn't fantastic, only giving around 12 hours between charges, so don't plan any long trips without bringing your charger.
Highest Performance Figure: OnePlus 9
If you're looking for a new Android phone and have a budget under $500, it doesn't get much better than the OnePlus 9. The device is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 mobile platform and has 8GB of RAM with 128GB of storage. It also features a 6.67-inch Quad HD+ OLED display, triple rear cameras, 12MP rear camera and 20MP selfie camera, among other great features. You'll find that this handset is one of the best performing phones around at this price point! Finally, while we did just list out our favorite devices under $500, if you are willing to go over your budget just a little bit, then there are plenty of excellent smartphones on the market as well. Take Apple's latest iPhone XR model or Samsung Galaxy S10 series to name two. Enjoy reading more about technology? Be sure to check out what else we've written here
Best Value for Money: OnePlus 8T
The OnePlus 8T is an excellent value-for-money option, costing as little as $499. The sleek aluminum design won’t win any awards for creativity, but it looks attractive and offers something that other sub-$500 smartphones don’t – a headphone jack. Yes, you read that right. What good is a smartphone if you can’t use your favorite pair of headphones? Furthermore, its edge-to-edge OLED display (complete with a notification slider at the side) and capable Snapdragon 845 processor make it one of the more dependable options on this list.
You receive a fantastic 6.55-inch AMOLED screen with FHD+ resolution, a refresh rate of 120Hz, and a broad color gamut of DCI-P3. The phone is compatible with 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 flash storage and 8GB or 12GB of RAM. Although the cameras are not of flagship quality, they are still far better than any other similarly priced mid-range device. You receive a 48MP main camera, a 16MP ultra-wide camera, a 5MP macro lens, and a 2MP black-and-white lens.
The 4,500mAh battery of the OnePlus 8T is sizable and supports 65W Warp Charge. However, wireless charging is absent. The phone comes pre-installed with Android 11 but is already capable of receiving an upgrade to Android 12 with OxygenOS 12.
Most Compact: iPhone SE 3
If you need a more compact smartphone with a reliable camera, the iPhone SE 3 is an excellent choice. It offers many of the same features as its larger counterparts, but at a much lower price point.
While it lacks newer features like wireless charging and waterproofing, those looking for performance will find they can get what they need from this handset. Plus, one of its key strengths is battery life. You'll be able to use it comfortably all day on one charge and even into the next morning if you want! The 12 megapixel camera allows for pictures and video clips that are comparable to certain flagships. We advise purchasing the 128GB model if you can deal with the tiny screen and aren't worried by the absence of night mode. When you use this phone for years into the future, you'll be happy you invested the additional $50 because the 64GB of storage in the standard model isn't quite enough.
Most Future Proof: Google Pixel 6A
For future-proofing, there is no better choice than Google Pixel 6A. This smartphone will be able to handle any form of Wi-Fi and you can use it on any major carrier. The device has an average thickness of 4mm, includes a 5.8 Full HD display, 8MP front and back cameras, 16GB storage (plus an external SD card), one USB Type-C port for data transfer and charging. In addition to a quad core Snapdragon 450 chip clocked at 1.8GHz, 3GB RAM and Android Pie operating system which offers more features than iPhones ever did but at an affordable price!
The biggest downside of this model is that it only has a battery life of around four hours when streaming video or using GPS navigation.
1 Comments
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