The best phones under $300: They exist, and are pretty good devices!

Flagship smartphone prices often push the $1,000 mark these days. That’s a lot of money to spend on a phone, and many folks worldwide might not be willing to shell that much money out. For some, $300 might seem more reasonable for a halfway decent device, but what are the best phones under $300?

We’re trying to stick to recently released phones that cost under $300 in new condition for this article. Of course, plenty of older devices can be had at a discount, but their prices often fluctuate, and we can’t promise they’ll cost $300 or less by the time you read this article. We’re also leaving used devices out of the list for the same reasons.

It’s always better to go with a newer handset, as they’re more likely to come with more recent versions of Android and get updates in the near future. Not to mention you’ll usually also get the benefits of a full warranty.

What to expect from phones under $300

Finding phones under $300 is no easy feat. That’s a very low price, so we deemed adjusting your expectations necessary. Of course, there is no way to compare a sub-$300 phone with those that cost $500, $1,000, or even more. Corners will be cut here.

Chances are displays on these devices won’t be of the best quality. Not to mention performance, which will likely see a significant hit. Smartphones usually use affordable chipsets at such low price ranges, but these might work fine for casual users. Additionally, you probably won’t get much RAM or storage. You should expect slowdowns when using more power-hungry apps, such as video/photo editors and games.

Other areas where you’ll see sacrifices are in design and build quality. Of course, affordable handsets aren’t likely to use premium materials like metal or glass, and they won’t look as good as more expensive handsets. Most of these phones are made of simple plastic. You’re also likely to miss an IP rating for water and dust protection (IP ratings cost money).

More: Here are more budget phones if you can spend more than $300

Furthermore, the camera system’s quality might suffer from price constraints. You might even lack cool features like wireless charging or NFC integration.

In short, phones under $300 will have lesser specs across the board. These should only be considered by users who aren’t very demanding. They’ll be great for simple things like browsing, checking social media, taking care of emails, watching YouTube videos, and other similar light tasks.

All that said, these phones under $300 are starting to become excellent value options. Some even have 5G support, large batteries, and acceptable performance. We’ve come a long way, so let’s get right to your options and see if any of these make the cut for you.

The best phones under $300

Editor’s note: We’ll regularly update this list of the best phones under $300 as new ones launch, and older ones are phased out.

Samsung Galaxy A33

Despite its super low price, the Samsung Galaxy A33 has multiple things going for it. All things considered, you get a lot for your cash. For starters, it comes from Samsung, one of the world’s most prestigious Android phone brands.

While it has no high-end build, the design is sleek and beautiful for a budget phone. Not to mention it comes with 5G support and a quad-camera set-up. The 6.4-inch display has a 1,080p resolution. What makes this screen special is a 90Hz refresh rate, a rare feature to see on phones under $300. Users will also love the 5,000mAh battery, which should offer excellent battery life, considering the device isn’t as resource-intensive.

Those who want to stick with a trusted brand will find this to be among the best phones under $300. You even get a fun array of color options to pick from, including black, white, blue, and peach.

Galaxy A33 specs:

Moto G Power (2022)

The Moto G Power line-up has led the market in terms of battery life for some years now, and these devices are also remarkably affordable. The 2022 Moto G Power still holds its own, promising up to three days of battery life on a single charge, making it one of the best phones under $300. While we’ve seen other manufacturers release budget phones with large batteries, different things make the Moto G Power an enticing alternative.

The MediaTek Helio G37 and 4GB of RAM make it a relatively snappy device for most simple tasks. The display is rather large at 6.5 inches too, and it has a 90Hz refresh rate, but you’ll have to settle with a 720p resolution. The addition of an IP52rating is also a welcomed addition.

As for the battery, it’s a 5,000mAh unit. It’s not the largest we’ve seen so far, but it’s a decent size and will last a very long time. This is due mainly because its specs aren’t as resource-intensive.

Moto G Power (2022) specs:

Moto G Stylus (2022)

Those looking for phones under $300 likely don’t want to splurge on something like a Galaxy Note or Ultra device, but a stylus sure would be nice! The next best thing is to go for the Moto G Stylus (2022), which also comes with a digital pen. This device will be great for taking hand-written notes on the go, but it’s also a pretty good device overall.

Specs include a MediaTek Helio G88 and 6GB of RAM, giving it enough power to perform simple everyday tasks. The screen is also pretty large at 6.8 inches, and this one comes with a 1080p resolution. It’s great to see the 5,000mAh battery being as large as the Moto G Power’s. The camera system won’t be excellent, but it has three sensors, giving you plenty of versatility.

If you’re looking for one of the best phones under $300, the Moto G Stylus (2022) can’t be ignored. It doesn’t have 5G support, but makes up for that downside elsewhere. And if you happen to get it, we also have a list of the best stylus apps.

Moto G Stylus (2022) specs:

Moto G Play (2023)

If you want to step down to the basics and save a bunch of cash, the Moto G Play is one of the best phones under $300. It actually costs well under $200! It’s a pretty sleek-looking device with a fun color. Honestly, the specs are underwhelming, but this is also one of the most affordable handsets on this list.

Users will get a MediaTek Helio G37 chipset and 3GB of RAM. This is nothing to write home about, but it should still perform moderately well for casual users. Everything else is pretty basic, but you get a 5,000mAh battery, one of the device’s most important highlights. It should last quite a bit on a single charge.

Moto G Play (2023) specs:

OnePlus Nord CE 2

OnePlus Nord devices are known for offering fantastic value. The OnePlus Nord CE 2 is an excellent 5G-capable phone under $300. This is a great feature to have on such an affordable handset. It also comes with an excellent 6.43-inch 1080p display with a 90Hz refresh rate. This phone also sports a pretty large 4,500mAh battery if you care about battery life. And it has pretty fast charging for a device at this price point, offering 65W fast charge.

Learn more: Who is BBK, the largest phone maker?

Like all other phones under $300, other specs aren’t that surprising, but they aren’t half bad, either. It has a MediaTek Dimensity 900 chipset, 6-8GB of RAM, and a triple camera system.

Of course, the phone is far from perfect. We aren’t fans of its secondary cameras, but the main camera is pretty good for a budget phone. It also has no stereo speakers, and the software is a bit outdated.

Nord CE 2 specs:

Nokia G50 5G

Nokia is great at making budget phones. In fact, they have plenty of options much cheaper than this one, but the Nokia G50 5G is the best you can get for under $300.

As you can expect, the specs are reasonably good, but nothing too exciting. It comes with a Snapdragon 480 processor, 4-6GB of RAM, and a large 6.82-inch 720p screen. There’s also a triple camera system and a 5,000mAh battery. As its name entails, you get 5G support too.

Nokia is also known for its simple UI, which is very close to stock Android. We know many of you love the vanilla Android OS experience.

Nokia G50 5G specs:

Palm Phone

This phone is getting older, doesn’t have impressive specs, and battery life is lacking. All that said, it’s also one of the coolest devices around if you’re looking to save some cash on your next device. This is mainly because it’s among the smallest Android devices around, and it also helps that it’s very well-designed.

The Palm Phone is so tiny it can fit in any pocket. It’s great if you plan to stay connected without carrying a massive handset. Not to mention it’s an amazingly effective conversation starter. It also costs significantly less than $300.

Palm Phone specs:

Google Pixel 6a

The Google Pixel 6a usually wouldn’t be listed here due to its $449 MSRP. That said, we’ve seen the budget Pixel’s price go down to $299 multiple times. If you can catch the $299 price, this is likely the very best phone you can get under $300. Even better, Best Buy often has it for $249 if you activate the phone through them.

The Google Pixel 6a comes with a great overall experience. The design is clean and follows the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 language. Performance is nearly as good thanks to the Google Tensor processing unit and 6GB of RAM. The OLED screen is gorgeous, and the camera system is worthy of the Pixel moniker. You really can’t go wrong with this one, as it offers a hear-high-end experience.

Pixel 6a specs:

POCO X5 Pro

If you’re looking for the best phones under $300, POCO phones can’t be ignored. The POCO X5 Pro usually floats right above $300, but that is only because it’s hard to get in the USA. That said, it can be imported for a little less than $300 if you look hard enough. Regardless, we feel it’s a very worthy competitor. It has bad secondary cameras, plenty of bloatware, and no update commitment, but everything else about this handset is excellent, considering the lower price.

Specs include a Snapdragon 778G processor, 6-8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery with fast 67W wired charging. Furthermore, it features IP53 splash resistance and a capable primary camera. The display is also outstanding, featuring a 6.67-inch Full HD AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate.

POCO X5 Pro specs:

POCO M5

If you don’t mind a few slight downgrades, the POCO M5 is a bit more affordable than the X5 Pro. Of course, this makes it another of the best phones under $300. In fact, it costs well under $200.

The device comes with a MediaTek Helio G99 chipset and up to 6GB of RAM. The screen is slightly smaller at 6.58 inches and comes with a 90Hz refresh rate, which is arguably still great. It also comes with a 5,000mAh battery, offering battery life for well over an entire day.

Good-looking ultra-affordable devices are hard to come by. The POCO M5 manages to catch looks thanks to its leather-style design and clean look.

POCO M5 specs:

FAQs

Those who can spare a bit more cash can also look at our list of the best budget smartphones available. It features devices that offer much more bang for your buck. Some of them can even provide a high-end experience at a mid-range price. We also have a list of the best budget camera phones, just in case you’re interested.