The best cheap Android phones to buy in 2025

I think it's safe to say that so far, in 2025, cheap Android phones have been way more exciting that premium ones. The sheer variety, features, designs, and long-term software commitment makes you really think twice on spending anything more than $500 for a new Android phone. Of course, cheap Android phones can't compete with premium phones in certain areas like raw performance or advanced camera capabilities, but they match up just fine for pretty much everything else.

Leading the pack is the Google Pixel 9a, our new favorite. Offering nearly everything the Pixel 9 does but with a much larger battery and sleeker design. Nothing and Samsung have new models for 2025 too, which have replaced some of our older recommendations. Check out the full list of the best cheap Android phones below.

Nick Sutrich

Nick grew up in a telecom-savvy household and has been reviewing phones since 2011. Whether it's waxing poetic about Nokia's glory days or flipping open the latest foldable phones, he knows what makes a good phone and can help you understand which one to pick.

At a glance

Best overall

If you're in the market for a well-rounded Android phone and don't want to spend more than $500, the Google Pixel 9a is the phone you should get. It comes with several meaningful improvements over the Google Pixel 8a, despite having the same $499 starting price.

The Google Pixel 9a features a refreshed design, highlighted by a flat frame and a dual-lens rear camera array that's also flat and no longer sits in a protruding camera bar-a first for any Pixel smartphone. Up front, you get a slightly bigger 6.3-inch P-OLED screen that can now reach up to 2700 nits of peak brightness. The result is a compact device that feels just as good to hold in the hand as it is to use, it not better.

Under the hood, the Pixel 9a comes with Google's Tensor G4, which is the same SoC that drives rest of the devices in the Pixel 9 family. The chipset, combined with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of onboard storage, is more than sufficient to handle whatever you throw at it without breaking a sweat. You get Android 15 out of the box, complete with Gemini and a boatload of AI-powered goodies, as well as Google's industry-leading (along with Samsung) promise of up to seven years of major OS and security updates.

As you'd expect from a Google smartphone (regardless of its price), the Google Pixel 9a has a dual-lens primary camera system that can take on some of the best Android camera phones out there. It's complemented by software-based tools such as Astrophotography, Face Unblur, and more. The whole package is backed by a much bigger 5,100mAh battery that can charge at up to 23W with the right charger, even if the 7.5W wireless charging leaves something to be desired.

Best value flagship

Dubbed the "definitive value flagship of 2025" by Android Central's Harish Jonnalagadda, the OnePlus 13R proves that a powerhouse smartphone doesn't have to cost a fortune. Yes, it does cost a bit more than its predecessor, but there are a lot of meaningful upgrades and improvements that make that price hike seem justified.

Featuring a flat 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED panel, the OnePlus 13R makes everything from watching movies to playing games a delight. In true "flagship killer" fashion, the phone is driven by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC and comes with at least 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage. As you'd expect, this hardware allows it to make quick work of even the most demanding of tasks with little to no effort.

You get a much better triple-lens rear camera setup this time, with a 50MP primary sensor, a 50MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom, and an 8MP ultra-wide module. Although the secondary cameras are not the best, the setup is generally capable of shooting decent photos, except when there's not proper lighting.

Packing a huge 6,000mAh battery, the OnePlus 13R is a phone that you can comfortably use for two days on a single charge. There's 80W fast wired charging included too, although still no wireless charging. Running Android 15 (with OxygenOS 15 overlaid on top), the phone is guaranteed four years of OS updates and six years of security patches, so you should be able to use it for quite some time.

Best on sale

Since it's no longer the latest and greatest model, the Google Pixel 8a can be had at a discounted price, especially during sales and festive-season promotions. And that makes it an even more fantastic value than before. If you want a feature-laden Android phone at a reasonable price, you should certainly keep it under consideration.

The Google Pixel 8a comes with a 6.1-inch OLED panel that can hit up to 2000 nits of peak brightness. The 120Hz refresh rate makes everything appear smooth, even if the display isn't good for users who are sensitive to PWM flicker. The Pixel 8a is powered by Google's Tensor G3 SoC, which is still a very capable chipset that can handle everyday tasks without any troubles. You also get 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage. The phone comes with Android 14 out of the box, but it's backed by Google's commitment of seven years of major OS and security updates. And yes, you can expect lots of AI-powered features (e.g., Gemini, Circle to Search) to make the user experience even better.

Cameras have always been a highlight of Google's smartphones, and this one's no different. During his Google Pixel 8a review, Android Central's Nicholas Sutrich found the dual-lens rear camera array to be comparable to flagship phones costing hundreds of dollars more. If you use your smartphone as your only camera, you're going to love this thing. Other noteworthy additions include an IP67 certification for dust and water resistance, NFC, and a 4,492mAh battery with 18W wired and 7.5W wireless charging support.

Best design

The Phone 3a is Nothing's second budget smartphone and carries the same quirky DNA as its predecessor. The fully transparent back panel, meticulous attention to detail, and the funky glyph lighting are some of the unique features that make it the best-looking phone in this segment. There's also a Phone 3a Pro this time, with a better telephoto camera.

In our Nothing Phone 3a review, we were mighty impressed at what the company has pulled off here. The 6.7-inch AMOLED display is pretty to look at, and colors and brightness levels are satisfactory. The see-through back panel looks classy and even though it doesn't have the same premium materials as you get with the higher-end models, it still maintains an excellent in-hand feel.

The Nothing Phone 3a has a big 5,000mAh battery with relatively fast 50W charging. The camera specs on paper are also quite good, and from what we tested, the triple-lens primary setup performs very well compared to the other phones in its class.

The only catch with the Nothing Phone 3a is that you can't buy it outright in the US. The company doesn't have any plans (yet) to put it on open sale. However, you can try your luck getting the 12GB RAM+256GB storage variant via Nothing's developer program for $379.

Best for Galaxy fans

The Galaxy A Series continues to be one of Samsung’s greatest achievements, with solid specs and nice designs on mid-range and low-end phones. A new entry for 2025 is the Galaxy A36 boasting of faster charging, improved specs, and much longer software support.

The Galaxy A36 has a vibrant 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with a fluid 120Hz refresh rate alongside the ultra-efficient Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 SoC. You also get a big 5,000mAh battery with 45W charging, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

The cameras include a 50MP main sensor, 8MP ultrawide, and a 2MP macro. If you're after camera performance in a $400 phone, you'll want to look for deals on the Google Pixel 8a, but the A36 should be able to do just fine for casual photography.

As with all of the best Samsung phones, device longevity and security are the main selling points of the Galaxy A36. Samsung has pledged six generations of Android OS upgrades, which is incredible. It's also among the first A series phones to get a few Galaxy AI features which Samsung calls 'Awesome Intelligence.'

Best under $300

The Samsung Galaxy A26 5G gets a much-needed upgrade from the Galaxy A25, and that's the addition of IP67 water and dust resistance. The phone is now powered by Samsung's Exynos 1380 SoC and is offered is various RAM and storage configurations (location dependent). It comes with a large 6.7-inch Full-HD+ AMOLED panel having a 120Hz refresh rate. You also get expandable storage, but the microSD slot is shared with the second SIM slot.

The Galaxy A26 5G runs One UI 7 which is based on Android 15, and Samsung has promised six years of OS updates for it. Although it has a large 5,000mAh battery, the charging speeds are limited to 25W. One big inclusion is optical stabilization for the main 50MP camera, which is good to see at this price point. You also get an 8MP ultra-wide module and a 2MP macro unit on the back, along with a 13MP lens for all those selfies and video calls.

Best under $200

Samsung offers a lot of smartphone for $200 with the Galaxy A16 5G, making it an amazing budget option for your kids' first phone. A couple of things have been improved from the Galaxy A15 5G which used to be on our list, such as a better waterproofing, the new version of Android, and longer software upgrades.

The 6.7-inch AMOLED screen on the Galaxy A16 has a Full-HD+ resolution, so icons and text end up looking decently sharp. Colors are also vibrant and punchy, making the panel great for binge-watching videos. The Exynos chipset can handle basic apps well enough, but the problem is the stingy 4GB of RAM, which tends to make app-launching and multitasking painfully slow. Thankfully, a microSD card slot is supported for expanding the 128GB of onboard storage.

The cameras on the Galaxy A16 5G are similar to the A15. You should expect similar performance from the main 50MP snapper and the ultrwide cameras. Battery life is one of the main highlights of this smartphone. The 5,000mAh battery can easily get you through one full day, and maybe more depending on the usage.

For more options in this price range, check out our guide to the best Android phones under $200.

Best stylus phone

It can be challenging to keep track of all the value phones Motorola has in its line-up, but one that manages to stand out is the new Moto G Stylus 2025. Along with being one of the few Android phones that come with an integrated stylus, it's also a near-perfect combination of specs, features, and overall value.

You're getting a large 6.7-inch pOLED screen that looks incredible, and thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate, feels a lot more premium to interact with as well. That premium feel is further enhanced by the vegan leather back which we love. There's also ample performance, thanks to Qualcomm's Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset, along with 128GB of internal storage and a big 5,000mAh battery. And given the phone's modest price tag, these are all impressive specifications.

As the name implies, the main draw for the Moto G Stylus 2025 is its integrated stylus. It's certainly not the most premium stylus we've ever used, but it works quite well enough for drawing, note-taking, and similar tasks. It can be stored seamlessly at the bottom of the phone when not in use, which is a nice touch that ties the whole experience together.

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Other products we tested

Between the tens and sometimes hundreds of devices we extensively test each year, the competition gets real tough, real fast. As such, there are several other affordable phones that we have tested but couldn't include here, simply because they didn't make the cut for our top rankings.

However, some devices still deserve shoutouts. These smartphones deserve at least honorable mentions because they're just that good, but didn't get ranked by us due to one or two small (but important!) reasons.

For example, Xiaomi, Vivo, Honor, and OPPO phones are so good, but very difficult to recommend to North American residents as they don't work on CDMA networks and aren't officially sold in the region. This doesn't take away from the fact that these brands still make awesome cheap Android phones!

How to choose

What is the best cheap Android phone to buy?

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.

Without a doubt, the Google Pixel 9a is the best phone under $500—but fortunately—we're living in the day and age that's full of excellent and affordable smartphones.

So, the question is, how should you choose a cheap Android phone?

Most people have a budget to stick to, and that’s where deciding the right budget-minded phone comes into play. You're going to want to pick a phone that’s not just in your budget, but one that will last a while, too. That way, you won't end up spending even more on yet another phone upgrade shortly down the road.

But before you even think about a phone’s hardware, cameras, or storage space, you need to think about connectivity. All modern phones support Bluetooth earbuds and Wi-Fi, but not all phones support all cellular networks. Make sure the phone you’re looking for supports your network of choice, especially if you are picking an unlocked phone from the list.

Next, keep a phone's SoC in mind before clicking that buy button. The quickest way to end up with a phone that feels sluggish and old is to undersell yourself on the phone’s chipset.

Lots of phones feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipsets, but that doesn’t mean all of them are worthwhile. Unless your budget absolutely doesn’t allow for anything faster, you probably want to avoid any phone powered by a Snapdragon 400-series or lower processor. Those phones are really only good as communication devices and for browsing the web or social media.

Likewise, MediaTek’s Dimensity series of processors are the only ones you want to consider from the company. Phones like the TCL Stylus 5G—which is only available with T-Mobile—sports the excellent MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G, which is powerful enough for just about anything you throw at it.

You’ll also want to make sure your new phone has at least 6GB of RAM if you’re ever planning on doing more than one thing at a time on it. Less RAM means the phone has less memory to store opened apps, creating a scenario where apps take a long time to load and often have to reload if you switch back and forth between apps.

Storage isn’t much of a concern these days, thanks to excellent cloud storage services like Google Photos, which can offload the photos and videos you’ve taken to a safe and secure cloud storage. That means they not only won’t be taking up the precious space on your smartphone, but they’ll also be securely backed up in case something happens to your smartphone.

Services like Google Photos also archive your photos and make it easy to search for even the most minute details, like your old black and white cat or the blue shoes you wore to that wedding several years ago.

Cameras on smartphones have become increasingly important over the years, and, with a few exceptions, the phones above will all deliver a good experience in most lighting conditions. As these are less expensive phones, you’ll need to be aware that most models will only take great pictures in adequate light. Phones like the Google Pixel 8a or OnePlus 12R offer great low-light support, and that function is becoming more common on phones even under $300 these days.

No phone on this list has poor battery life, but some folks might have a unique need for a smartphone to last more than a single day on a full charge. We’ve noted that several options above will offer that but specifically highlight one phone as having the best battery life of them all.

The bottom line on cheaper Android phones

Most Android phones these days are pretty good, but a few stand above the rest. We've outlined many of our favorites here but if you want a few more options and are on a tighter budget, we've got picks for the best phones under $300 and the best phones under $100. Each of these categories comes with a few concessions, but if you're looking for a specific niche—like a stylus—you'll find a few more options there.

Just remember, though, that you're paying hundreds less than what it costs to buy a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra or Pixel 9 Pro. While those phones might offer faster hardware, better cameras, or brighter displays, they're also extremely expensive to replace if they accidentally get broken. Splurging on the best overall phone that has everything, and the kitchen sink isn't always the ideal solution — especially when you're looking to cut costs.

How we test

We don't just turn on a phone, set it up, and make sure it works while testing it. Android Central goes the extra mile to properly review a device, whether that requires taking pictures in heavy rain or testing cellular reception in remote areas.

Our reviews involve putting a device to a proper test, recording performance benchmarks and making sure that those benchmarks and numbers translate to a matching real-world user experience. We're not just testing devices; we're using them as any other person would in their day-to-day lives.

This is why you can rely on us when we recommend a cheap Android phone that's priced below $500. You best believe that several of our team members have spent hundreds of hours using each of the phones that we recommend with all our hearts. We even check consistency, taking months to review a single phone if that's what it takes to fully understand the value of the device.

If you're more interested in finding out about how Android Central tests and reviews phones, you can read up on it

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