The best Straight Talk phones of 2023

Straight Talk is the prepaid, no-contract service that you find in Walmart locations. If you’re looking to grab the best Straight Talk phones possible, look no further. Not sure Straight Talk is right for you? Be sure to check out our guide to the best prepaid plans. In the past, we’ve stuck with Straight Talk’s more premium offerings, but the times, they are changing. Samsung and Motorola’s budget-friendly options have made significant strides, so we’ve included a few. We’ll work our way from flagships to affordable options, so let’s get to it. 

The best Straight Talk phones:

Editor’s note: We’ll be updating this list of the best Straight Talk phones regularly as new devices launch.

1. Samsung Galaxy S23 Series

Straight Talk doesn’t rush greatness, so we had to wait a while before the Galaxy S23 series made its debut. Samsung’s flagship series arrived in early 2023 as one of the first with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset on board, complete with special “For Galaxy” tuning.

The Galaxy S23 shares plenty of features with its middle sibling, both inside and out. The same processor powers all three, as well as Android 13 and Samsung’s One UI 5.1 skin out of the box. A durable IP68 rating for water and dust is just the icing on top. Their dynamic 2x AMOLED screens are among the best in the industry, and the 120Hz variable refresh rate is excellent — at least on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, where it’s truly variable.

The basic Galaxy S23 packs a triple camera setup this year, capped off by a 50MP primary shooter. With it comes a 12MP ultrawide lens and a 10MP telephoto camera for good measure. The larger Galaxy S23 Plus shares the same unit, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra truly deserves its name. It packs a brand-new 200MP primary shooter and a pair of 10MP lenses, and a 12MP shooter for good measure.

Samsung Galaxy S23 specs:

Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus specs:

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra specs:

2. Apple iPhone 14 series

You may be on an Android site, but there’s no denying that the new iPhone 14 series are a great bunch. These phones find a sweet spot that nicely balances performance and usability, but all of them come with stunning cameras, incredible performance, and a great ecosystem of apps and accessories.

iOS isn’t to everyone’s taste and requires a few compromises regarding file management and customization. But there is no denying the quality of many of the apps available. Editing video on your mobile device is fiddly but doable thanks to the insanely performant processors, and games fare exceptionally well.

There’s an iPhone 14 for everyone except for small phone lovers, and Straight Talk carries all four models. You can go reasonably pocket-friendly with the iPhone 14 or max things out with the powerful iPhone 14 Pro Max. If you go Pro, you’ll get the newer A16 Bionic chipset and a 48MP camera, but it doesn’t come cheap. You’ll just have to decide how much RAM and battery life you’re looking for.

Apple iPhone 14 specs:

Apple iPhone 14 Plus specs:

Apple iPhone 14 Pro specs:

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max specs:

3. Apple iPhone SE (2022)

Do you want the latest processor from Apple inside your next iPhone but don’t want to spend tons of money? Then check out the 2022 edition of the Apple iPhone SE. You are getting the same A15 Bionic processor found in the iPhone 13 models in this phone, but you’ll only have to pay $379.99 to get it from Straight Talk.

The catch is that you will be getting a much smaller 4.7-inch phone without a 1080p display. You will also get a single 12MP rear camera and a 7MP front-facing camera, along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. There’s also a tiny battery, but it does support wireless charging on the plus side. It’s still one of the best Straight Talk phones you can get for a much lower price than the more expensive flagships.

Apple iPhone SE 2022 specs:

4. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G

The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is one of Samsung’s most affordable mid-range entries for 2022. This is the follow up to Samsung’s first Galaxy A device with 5G, and brings an in-house Exynos chip to those who want a solid experience but don’t want to pay $1,000 to get one.

You can play all day with the large 5,000mAh battery and capture every shot with the quad-camera setup. Its massive 6.5-inch display highlights the impressive design, and you’ll find up to 8GB of RAM and an Exynos 1280 chipset inside.

Samsung Galaxy A53 specs:

5. Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G

The Motorola Moto G series has long been a favorite among budget-conscious shoppers. After all, there are three distinct models to meet just about any need. The Moto G Stylus 5G is perhaps the most unique, thanks to its built-in stylus support and 5G speeds. Since LG has ducked out of the smartphone race for now, this is your best bet to get an affordable phone with a stylus at Straight Talk.

It packs a solid Snapdragon 695 processor and a flexible triple-camera setup on the back panel. You’ll probably use the 50MP main shooter most of all, but the 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro lenses add room for some fun. Motorola also kept the headphone jack alive and well on its affordable phone, and the 5,000mAh battery should last you beyond a day without much trouble.

Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G specs:

6. Google Pixel 6a

Last but certainly not least, we have the Google Pixel 6a. Like Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S23 series, this mid-range masterpiece took its time coming to Straight Talk. It’s one of our favorite phones for less than $500, and it helps to bridge the gap between affordability and power like few others can.

For starters, the Pixel 6a kicked off the trend of mid-range phones adopting flagship design traits. It looks and feels like a slightly smaller Pixel 6, complete with a two-tone finish and the now-signature camera bar. However, Google’s budget-friendly camera bar is actually a blast from the past, pairing the tried and tested 12.2MP primary camera with the updated 12MP ultrawide shooter. Mix in a little bit of Google Tensor processing, and you’ve got a camera array that punches well above its weight.

Although there’s a lot to like about the Google Pixel 6a, you won’t find wireless charging, and the back panel is made of plastic. An aluminum frame helps to boost durability, and Google’s IP67 rating means you shouldn’t have to worry about water or dust.

Google Pixel 6a specs: