1. Best overall
2. Best with a discount
3. Best dumb phone
4. Best Verizon phone
5. Best value
6. Best for seniors
Searching for the best Android phones under $100 is no different than shopping for any other phone: you simply need to find the device that meets your needs at a price you can afford. Believe it or not, there are actually quite a few devices that fall within that price range, and we gathered the best of the bunch below.
The BLU G51S earned the top spot for looking premium at a less-than-premium price, but the Samsung Galaxy A03s easily beats that phone when you pair it with the right discount. Keep reading to see what else is available. If you think you can spend a little more than $100, go check out our list of the best Android phones under $300.
At a glance
Best overall
Designed to look like a phone that costs three times as much, the BLU G51S comes with a 6.4-inch display, fingerprint sensor, and a free case and screen protector.
Best with a discount
Although it technically retails for $160, the Galaxy A03s gets discounted a lot. The A03s boasts a bright display, solid cameras, and a big battery.
Best dumb phone
The Nokia 2780 offers the best of both worlds if you're looking to ditch your smartphone in favor of something simple, complete with a few apps, big battery, and a no-frills camera.
Best Verizon phone
Buy the Motorola Moto E6 through Verizon and you'll get a $99 phone with a reliable Snapdragon chip and clean Android interface.
Best value
If you're trying to keep things simple, the TCL A30 pairs a no-frills design with decent specs like an octa-core MediaTek processor and all-day battery life.
Best for seniors
For those of us who are less than tech-savvy, the Easyfone Prime A6 offers just what you need, including a built-in flashlight, FM radio, and large, easy-to-read buttons.
Best overall
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.
Best with a discount
It's hard to believe that $100 can get you a phone like the Samsung Galaxy A03s, which, you know, it can't — unless you can find a discount. Luckily, such a price drop is common when buying the phone 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. 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!
Best dumb phone
If you aren’t familiar, dumb phones are essentially just super simple devices that lack all of the bells and whistles found in modern smartphones. There are typically no apps, no touchscreen, and no high-tech camera software; just try to picture the phone you used in 2006. Durable, cheap, and long-lasting, these devices have been seeing a resurgence in popularity among people who are trying to disconnect from being constantly online. Others may be interested in a dumb phone for privacy reasons or to improve their work/life balance. No matter the reason, the Nokia 2780 is perhaps the best dumb phone on the market AND it costs less than $100.
Now, if you want to get technical, it’s worth noting that the Nokia 2780 cannot really be called a true dumb phone since it runs on the Linux-based KaiOS platform, but if you’re willing to ignore the semantics, you’ll get a great phone that comes complete with up to 18 days of battery life (in standby mode), USB-C charging, and a no-frills camera. You can even download some simple apps like Facebook and YouTube, and the phone comes with an FM radio and headphone jack.
Best Verizon phone
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.
Best value
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.
Best for seniors
Whether you’re less than tech-savvy or you just want something simple, the Easyfone Prime A6 is a great choice. This dumb phone may lack a camera and internet connectivity, but you get large buttons that are easy to see in any light and straightforward talk and text capabilities. Ideal for seniors and kids, the Prime A6 also comes with a built-in flashlight and SOS button for emergencies.
A simple processor also results in simply incredible battery life, and the Prime A6 should easily last over 80 hours on a single charge. When the battery does eventually die, you can juice the phone back up using the included charging dock. The Easyfone Prime A6 also comes with an FM radio, alarm clock, and hearing aid compatibility. With all of that being said, the biggest issue with this senior-friendly phone is that it only works with T-Mobile and T-Mobile MVNOs.
What is the best budget Android phone?
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.
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 BLU G51S stands out as the best cheap Android phone we've found under that $100 threshold.
Of course, if you can find a discount, the Samsung Galaxy A03s might be the top pick. While not perfect, the phone sports relatively small bezels compared to much of its competitors. Not only that, but it's backed 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.
