These days, you don't need to break the bank to find a reliable Android phone. In fact, you might even be able to buy a great device for less than 100 bucks, if you know where to look. Lucky for you, that's why we're here. Keep reading for the five best devices that offer reliable performance and useful features for less than a Benjamin.
We kick things off with a quick review of the Samsung Galaxy A03s, our choice for the best phone in this price range. If you think you can spend a little more than $100, it's also worth exploring our list of the best Android phones under $300.
These are the best Android phones under $100
Why you can trust Android Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
It's hard to believe that $100 can get you a phone like the Samsung Galaxy A03s, much less the $40-60 discount that's offered when buying it for carriers like Tracfone and Straight Talk. In addition to that, Samsung has already updated the phone to Android 13 with One UI 5.0, giving this phone the honor of being the only Android 13-powered phone on the list.
The phone's design itself is pretty standard fair for this price range — a full-plastic body and a small camera cut-out on the front display — but Samsung offers a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and cameras that are better than you might expect from just a $60 phone. The MediaTek Helio P35 processor inside is the same one that powers the Galaxy A12 — a phone that's nearly twice the price — and offers plenty of performance for everyday use. The $60 version of the phone sold at places like Best Buy includes 3GB of RAM, which is enough to run two apps at once in some cases, but the 4GB upgrade could be worth it if you think you'll be doing a lot of multitasking.
While the Helio P35 is a great everyday processor, it's not the best for 3D games. That's not different from most other phones on this list, but it's still worth noting that the phone will certainly struggle to deliver a smooth gaming experience in those cases. But the phone won't struggle with battery life, which is a huge advantage of phones in this category. A single charge could get you 2-3 days of use, which is good because the 7.5W charger included in the box will take several hours to juice things up. Best charge it overnight and just enjoy using it while you're awake!
Exquisite design isn't something you see with Android phones within this budget, and while "exquisite" isn't exactly the word we'd use to describe the BLU G51S, it certainly stands out from the rest of the phones on this list. The eye-catching textured blue design on the back is bold and bright. Joining that design is a great 6.4-inch HD display that is easily the best screen in any sub-$100 phone today. There's also an 8MP selfie camera, a 13MP rear camera, a fingerprint reader on the back, upgradable storage, and a sizable 4,000mAh battery. The octa-core processor and 2GB of RAM, along with 32GB of internal memory, are among the best options you'll find in this particular category.
This budget Android phone runs Android 11 (Go edition), so the performance is as smooth as can be hoped for in this price bracket. In other words, the lighter OS should almost always be better than the more full-featured OS found in Samsung's Galaxy A03, for instance. In addition to the phone itself, BLU also gives you all of the accessories you could need right in the box. Included at no extra cost are a screen protector, silicone case, charger, cable, and a BLU sticker for you to place wherever.
The Ulefone Note 8 cranks things up a notch in this segment, thanks to its vibrant 5.5-inch 720p screen with thin bezels. There's a waterdrop notch for the selfie camera and a relatively small chin at the bottom. The handset fits perfectly in one hand, which is something you won't find in modern flagships anymore.
Flip the Ulefone Note 8 over, and you'll find a 5MP primary camera along with 2MP portrait sensors to help you take decent-looking pictures. The entire setup is powered by a quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage (expandable up to 128GB), and a 2,700mAh battery under the hood. The battery size is all right, and the RAM is fairly adequate. The Ulefone Note 8 is a device with dual SIM slots, making it easy to rock two numbers simultaneously. Also, while there is a face unlock feature instead of a fingerprint sensor, it's only good for bypassing your lock screen. If you want to log into banking apps or password managers, you'll need to enter a PIN/password.
The Moto E6 has many exciting features, including a 5.5-inch 720p display, Snapdragon 435 chipset, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage with a microSD slot, 13MP camera, and a 3,000mAh battery. But the most significant advantage is that you get a clean Android interface, making the phone a delight to use. Another exciting feature is the splash-resistant coating, ensuring the Moto E6 can withstand the occasional splash of rain.
The unlocked variant of the Moto E6 is a bit more expensive. However, the Verizon model is available for under $100, making it a fantastic choice. Motorola is known for its trustworthy and consistently reliable budget phones, and the E6 delivers exactly what you'd expect.
The processor isn't the fastest out there — even in this category — so you might need a bit of patience to go along with the phone depending on what you do. It's got some of the worst battery life on this list, as it'll only last about one day on a single charge versus 2-3 days as other phones allow.
While the TCL A30 isn't as fancy of a phone as the newer TCL 20 Pro 5G, you could also buy about five of these phones instead. There's something to be said about simplicity, and though the TCL A30 is simple, it still has the core of a cheerfully cheap smartphone to keep you satisfied.
Running Android 11 (Go edition) out of the box, the TCL A30 sports an octa-core MediaTek processor, and pleasantly, it has 3GB of RAM. You get 32GB of storage onboard and it can be increased up to a whopping 512GB via microSD. The phone's 5.5-inch HD+ LCD panel is dwarfed by a thick forehead and chin.
There are dual cameras — an 8MP primary shooter and a 5MP front-facing sensor. Just don't expect much from the image quality, as TCL clearly spent the phone's manufacturing budget on other parts. Thankfully, you can expect excellent battery life from the 3,000mAh cell for all-day usage.
What is the best budget Android phone?
There are many junk Android phones that you can buy in this $100 price range, but there are also many great ones, as proven in this article. Overall, the Galaxy A03s stands out as the best cheap Android phone we've found under that $100 threshold.
While not perfect, the phone sports relatively small bezels compared to much of its competitors. Not only that, but it's back by Samsung's incredible software promise. After launching with Android 11, the phone has already been updated to Android 12, and is set to receive Android 13 in just a few months. Most phones at this price point maybe receive one OS upgrade and that's about it, so the fact that users will gain some One UI 5 goodies is quite impressive. Then it comes to buying cheap phones, you want to make sure the device will last, and Samsung's software promise will give you much more bang for your few bucks.
If none of these phones tickle your fancy and you're willing to stretch your budget a little, we've also gathered the best Android phones under $200.
