Times have changed, and it's now easier than ever for shoppers to find a great Android phone for $400 or less. If that's the budget you're working with, you're in luck: we've gathered all of the best options in that price range below.
You'd be surprised at some of the specs found in these phones. Vibrant 120Hz display? Check. Large 5,000mAh battery? You bet. Many of these devices even come with a 3.5mm audio jack, which is a rarity in phones these days. No matter what features you prioritize, there are a ton of options for tech lovers of all budgets.
At a glance
Best overall
With the Galaxy A25 5G, you get a vibrant 120Hz display (which is a rarity for this price point), plus a 5,000mAh battery along with four years of OS support and five years of security updates.
Best for Pixel fans
While the Pixel 7a's suggested price is still over $400, you can find it new for under that at multiple stores. With an excellent camera, strong performance, and 5G support, it's one of the best cheap phones you can buy.
Best value
Get the power of the Snapdragon 695 processor, plus an elegant design, great battery life, and NFC support, all for less than 400 bucks with the OnePlus Nord N30.
Best with a stylus
Get a massive 6.5-inch 90Hz display, multiple days of battery life, and yes, a built-in stylus for less than $400 with the Moto G Stylus.
Best battery life
If you're looking for battery endurance, the Moto G Power 5G is a great budget buy with a massive 5000mAh battery, a power-sipping MediaTek Dimensity 7020 SoC, and quick 30W charging.
Best international phone
The Nothing Phone (2a) is a unique and attractive phone for budget shoppers. The MediaTek SoC inside is powerful enough to breeze through most apps on Android without costing too much.
Best overall
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 A25 5G.
Typically selling for around $300, the Galaxy A25 5G boasts a bounty of specs that wouldn’t seem out of place on a modern flagship. I’m talking about a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a smooth-as-butter 120Hz refresh rate, plus the still very decent Octa-core chipset and a large 5,000mAh battery that should last well over a day on a single charge. The triple-camera array on the back of the phone is impressive for the price, taking some surprisingly decent photos for a sub $300 smartphone, while the microSD support can boost the meager 128GB of storage all the way up to 1TB.
You may want some better cameras overall, but for the price, this phone is an excellent choice and does everything needed for a budget smartphone.
Best for Pixel fans
The Pixel 7a carriers a $499 suggested retail price, but the phone can be found for under $400 from multiple retailed, including the Google Store. Compared to the Pixel 6a, this phone has several key upgrades including the main cameras sensor, a newer SoC, more RAM, and a responsive 90Hz display. This phone is powered by the Tensor G2 SoC with 8GB of RAM, so it's got plenty of power for the latest apps, including games. This high-end SoC also brings a few other features like strong 5G support and Wi-Fi 6E.
The Pixel series is known for its cameras and the Pixel 7a is well deserving of that reputation with a solid 64MP sensor turning out excellent images in a wide range fo conditions thanks to Google's camera software. There's also an ultrawide 13MP sensor to help with shots in tighter spaces. When it comes to power, the 4385mAh batter should easily make it to the end of the day, but the 18W wired and 5W wireless charging are starting to feel a bit dated.
This phone shipped with Android 13 but with five years of Pixel updates, you can upgrade to the latest OS out of the box, and you'll be among the first to get Android updates for years to come. With mid-band 5G support, this is a phone you can keep using for years.
Best value
Following the success of the N20, OnePlus had some seriously big shoes to fill with the Nord N30 5G. Lucky for us, they’ve delivered another great smartphone with a wee $299 price tag. The N30 picks up right where its predecessor left off, delivering excellent performance, some upgraded camera tech, and a stunning 6.72-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate.
Under the hood, you get the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695, a chip that’s proven to be a reliable performer in other cheap Android phones. You also get a large 5,000mAh battery with 50W SUPERVOOC fast-charging support. We’ve yet to try it ourselves, but according to OnePlus, this tech should fully juice your phone to 100% in as little as 30 minutes. You even get expandable storage up to 1TB.
To sum things up, it looks like this new mid-range device from OnePlus keeps everything that made the Nord N20 great and improves on it in a few key areas. New issues could still arise as we explore the N30’s capabilities — it’s only been out since early June, after all — but for the moment, it’s one of the best devices you can get in this price range.
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 (2023). Although it still lacks 5G connectivity, the newest Moto G Stylus comes with a surprisingly premium-looking design, a built-in stylus, and reliable, middle-of-the-road specs.
The performance of the MediaTek Helio G85 processor is respectable, 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.
The Moto G Stylus (2023) is also packed with a large 5,000mAh battery, Android 13, and, of course, Motorola’s My UX, the software interface that allows helpful gestures like a double-chop to toggle the flashlight or double-twist to launch the camera. The phone even comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is swiftly becoming a rarity in smartphones. All things said and done, the Moto G Stylus excels at being a budget phone that doesn’t look like a budget phone, and that’s worth celebrating.
Best battery life
Motorola has kept its eye on the ball with the Moto G Power 5G with a large battery, solid specs, and 5G support. This 2024 model gets upgraded to 8GB of RAM which helps the phone keep up with basic apps on Android 14. It's powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7020 SoC, which isn't winning any awards for performance, but is a good fit for endurance thanks to its low power usage.
Speaking of power, the Moto G Power 5G 2024 comes with a 5000mAh battery like the previous generation. Unlike the previous generation, this phone comes with fast 30W charging, though you'll need to supply your own fast USB-C charger. It also supports fast 15W wireless charging, which is rare at this price. It uses basically the same main 50MP camera sensor, with an upgraded 8MP ultrawide camera. Even if we weren't exactly blown away by the results in our Moto G Power 2024 review.
This phone supports 5G on the major U.S. carriers, so you should get strong network speeds in most areas. The phone ships with Android 14, which is nice, but Motorola isn't known for providing many updates for its cheaper phones.
Best international phone
Samsung, Apple, Motorola, and OnePlus have done a solid job covering most price points with safe solid options, but if you're looking for something unique with the right price, the Nothing Phone (2a) could be a great choice. This phone comes in at $350 retail, and is available in the U.S. if you're willing to join the US Developer Program, don't worry, there's no coding required. It's also worth noting that this phone lacks some common 5G bands used in the U.S., like T-Mobile's band n71 and n25, and Verizon's n2, so you'll likely see more LTE than a true U.S. phone would.
The phone is powered by a quick MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro, which our hand-on is 20% faster than a Snapdragon 778G+. Paired with 8GB of RAM in the 128GB version or up to 12GB in the 256GB version, this phone has plenty of power for Android 14, and even some light gaming. Speaking of power, there's a large 5000mAh battery with support for 45W wired charging.
The back still has some LED lighting, though it's not as cool as the Nothing Phone (2)'s Glyph lighting. You'll also find the lenses for main 50MP camera and the 50MP ultrawide camera which are solid performers in this price category.
What are the best Android phones under $400?
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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. Need something even cheaper? We've got you covered there, too, with our best Android phones under $300 buying guide.
The Galaxy A25 5G from Samsung is an excellent choice overall with solid camera performance for the price, wide carrier compatibility, and a large 5000mAh battery. This phone release with Android 14 and Samsung has promised four major OS updates, so you'll be up to date for years as well.
If you're OK pushing your budget a bit, the Pixel 7a's discounts put it high on the list of phones under $400. The Pixel 7a is powered by the Tensor G2 SoC, so it's fast enough for just about anything you throw at it. Google also promised updates for five years for this phone, so you can download Android 14 out of the box with the expectation for more updates for years to come.
