Best Android phones under $400 in 2023

Believe it or not, you don't need to sacrifice premium specs to get your hands on an affordable smartphone. Nowadays, there are a ton of options for tech lovers of all budgets, particularly if you're looking for an Android phone. After all, one of the core pillars of the Android experience is to deliver a great phone for a price you wouldn't expect. And if $400 is the max price for you, this is the place to be: we've got a list of the best Android phones in that price range below.  

Need something even cheaper? We've got you covered there too with our best Android phones under $300 buying guide. 

At a glance

Best overall

Now that the 7a is out, Google has officially dropped $100 off the price of the Pixel 6a, planting the phone firmly in sub-$400 territory. And this is excellent news, since the Google Pixel 6a is currently one of the best cheap Android phones that money can buy.

The Pixel 6a boasts a vibrant AMOLED display and the efficiency of the Google Tensor chipset, the same processor found in the more-expensive Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. You also get all of the exclusive camera features found in Pixel flagships, such as Magic Eraser and Face Unblur, alongside the Android 13 OS, adaptive charging, and the sleek design choices that the phone series is known for.

As we admit in our Google Pixel 6a review, the phone isn’t perfect. You don’t get a headphone jack or wireless charging, and the display only has a 60Hz refresh rate. But with these other specs and a $349 price tag, the Pixel 6a has just about everything you could ever need. 

Best for Galaxy fans

Samsung's Galaxy S series gets the most buzz and attention as the go-to lineup of Galaxy phones, but they're far from the only ones the company makes. If you're eager to get your hands on a robust smartphone that won’t break the bank, check out the Galaxy A23 5G. 

Typically selling for around $299.99, the Galaxy A23 boasts a bounty of specs that wouldn’t seem out of place on a modern flagship. I’m talking about a 6.5-inch FHD+ display with a smooth-as-butter 120Hz refresh rate, plus the still very decent Snapdragon 695 chipset and a large 5,000mAh battery that should last well over a day on a single charge. The 50MP quad-camera array on the back of the phone, accompanied by a 5MP ultrawide camera as well as depth and macro sensors, takes some surprisingly decent photos for a $300 smartphone, while microSD support can boost the meagre 64GB of storage all the way up to 1TB. 

Perhaps its biggest advantage when comparing the Galaxy A23 vs. the Nord N20 is that the former is guaranteed two OS upgrades beyond Android 12. For some folks, that fact alone could push the A23 5G into the top spot.

Best value

What makes the OnePlus Nord N20 5G so good? As the name suggests, it offers 5G connectivity on the T-Mobile network, including some seriously fast speeds that aren't common in this price range. It also has a much better main camera than we're used to seeing in phones that cost less than $400.

OnePlus has been honing the Nord style for a few generations now and has stuck to that tried-and-true design that folks love, including putting a gorgeous AMOLED panel on the front. It's not the brightest display of all time, but the rich colors and deep blacks will still make everything look good.

Inside is the Snapdragon 695 processor, which provides ample performance for nearly anything you can throw at it. OnePlus even included a 3.5mm headphone jack and NFC support, which are two more things not commonly found on phones in this price range. In total, that's a better processor, better display, 3.5mm jack, microSD card support, and NFC in a phone under $300. That's amazing, to say the least.

Best with a stylus

Motorola's Moto G phones often represent some of the best values the Android landscape has to offer, and that's no different with the Moto G Stylus (2022). Motorola updated this year's baseline Stylus model with a higher refresh rate display, a new design, and some seriously amazing battery life. To be clear, this is a different phone from the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022), which is a higher-end, more expensive phone with 5G connectivity.

The performance of the processor could be a bit better, but it's hard to argue with the price Moto sells this phone at. You'll also be getting a 90Hz display, which helps the phone feel smoother and a bit faster than it actually might be.

As always, Motorola packs the Moto G Stylus (2022) with its My UX features, including those fantastic gestures like double-chop to toggle the flashlight, or double-twist to launch the camera. It's also got a 3.5mm headphone jack and a surprisingly good main camera on the back. There's no NFC and only one Android OS update (to Android 12), but three years of security updates mean you should be covered from potential digital threats for the lifetime of the phone.

Best battery life

There's no denying just how good the Nord N20 and Galaxy A23 are, but they may cost more than you were hoping to spend; plus, plenty of people will want a larger phone. In either case, you owe it to yourself to consider the TCL 20S. Hands down, it has some of the best specs and features you'll find in this price bracket.

For starters, the TCL 20S has an excellent display. It's a 6.67-inch Full HD+ LCD panel, with its secret weapon being TCL's NXTVISION technology. This allows for a sharper image and more vibrant colors, creating a great canvas for games, movies, and more. The internals for the TCL 20S are just as great, with the phone offering good performance, 128GB of expandable storage, and a large 5,000 mAh battery. Its 64MP main sensor dramatically improves the 48MP shooter on the 10L, and the 20S is guaranteed to get updated to Android 12 with security updates through mid-2023. 

Our TCL 20S review praised the phone for its stylish design, long-lasting battery life, clean Android 11 software, and audio features. He was much less bullish on its 60Hz display, last-gen Snapdragon 662 chipset, and lack of 5G or water resistance. However, for the price these days, it's actually a great performer.

Best international phone

Xiaomi is a company that makes a lot of different models, but the end effect is that they often land on our list of favorite International phones. Case in point, we've swapped out the Redmi Note 10 Pro with the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, the latter portion of the name being an incredibly important thing to note before you buy. 

Why's that? For starters, opting for the 5G version of the Redmi Note 11 Pro will get you a better Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor in addition to faster network connectivity. But, as we noted in our Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G review, the company offers several different models that might be more budget-friendly items depending on the country in which you live.

Now, with that said, let's get the negative points out of the way. Harish wasn't thrilled with the design changes year-over-year, saying the boxier design of the Redmi Note 11 Pro was more difficult to hold than the Note 10's more rounded design. Additionally, the Snapdragon 695 processor is limited to recording at 1080p resolution, meaning this phone doesn't support 4K video recording at all.

While the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G launched with Android 11, it recently got the Android 12 update with MIUI 13. MIUI has long added a ton of great features to Android — even if it has always had a very heavy iOS-style theme — and is generally an excellent full-featured version of Android.

It's also got multi-day battery life and a 3.5mm headphone jack, two things that are typically pretty important to a lot of users. It's not worth upgrading if you've already got a Redmi Note 10 Pro but, if you're coming from an older phone or just need something newer, it's hard to beat Xiaomi's value at this price.

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What are the best Android phones under $400?

The sub-$400 market is both extremely competitive and a little confusing, but there have never been more options in this price point among the best Android phones readily available.

Overall, the OnePlus Nord N20 5G is the best Android phone under $400. It has feature-rich software with lots of features, and it's a great overall performer with solid battery life. The camera is better than most in its class, and it has a gorgeous AMOLED display, NFC support for mobile payments, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and even supports microSD cards. It's like a love note to fans who have been asking for these features in one phone without breaking the bank. It's just a shame it doesn't work on Verizon at all.

Instead, Verizon customers should seriously consider the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G. At a mere $299 (or less), it has great 5G connectivity, Samsung's feature-rich software, a Snapdragon processor that absolutely flies, and exceptional battery life. 

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