Smartphone deals of the week
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Phones that cost $300 or less, e.g Motorola Moto G Power 5G (2024) and Samsung Galaxy A25 5Goffering much more features and functionality than you might expect. Phones under $300 have NFC technology for contactless payments, high-refresh-rate 120Hz displays for smooth gaming and animation, support for wireless charging and years of software updates, making them more versatile than ever.
This does not mean that all phone Perfect in this category. Cameras are a mixed bag on all of these phones. When purchasing a Cheap phoneyou have A major choice: Do you want a fun phone or one that will last a long time? Unfortunately, you can’t have both. Fortunately for you, there are a number of great smartphones that cost $300 or less to choose from. We’ve tested and reviewed every phone on this list.
If you’re looking to save money on your next phone, check out our roundup Best Cyber Monday deals. Keep in mind that you may find some Cyber monday phone deals This holiday season brings these affordable models to a lower price.
What is the best phone under $300?
The best phone you can buy for under $300 is Motorola’s 2024 Moto G Power 5G. It comes with a colorful vegan leather back that adds to an eye-catching design that we don’t usually see in budget phones – the Pale Lilac color is definitely something to behold. The Moto G Power 5G also has great features like support for Google Pay contactless payments, 30W wired charging, and 15W wireless charging. We were able to take some great photos with the Moto G Power, and its multitasking capabilities make it a great choice for most everyday tasks. We only hope Motorola fixes its software and security update promises along with its design, as the phone will only receive one Android 15 update and three years of security updates.
The best phones under $300
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the Motorola Moto G Power 5G It’s the most versatile option in this roundup, offering wireless charging, a high 120Hz refresh rate display, Google Pay for contactless payments, and a gorgeous vegan leather design. Combine that with a camera that takes good photos in bright environments, and a processor capable of handling most everyday tasks, and you’ll have a phone that’s fun to use without being crammed with the extra bells and whistles we see on pricier phones.
Although this phone suffers from having a shorter software and security support timeline (one year of major Android OS, three years of security updates) compared to Samsung’s Galaxy A25 5G, it’s a more useful device. And it’s that appeal that makes the Moto G Power 5G our top recommendation for a phone that costs $300 or less.
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the Samsung Galaxy A25 5G The best feature is its commitment to getting four years of major Android OS updates and five years of security updates. If you’re buying a new phone to last as long as possible before you need to buy a new one, the Galaxy A25 is the cheapest phone you can get in the long run. No other phone in this price range comes close to this level of support.
The Galaxy A25 5G has a lot to offer in other ways, including a decent 1080p display and loud dual speakers for music. But I found that the phone had issues with some multitasking. Its cameras suffer from internal settings, and its plastic design coupled with the chunky camera notch feels dated compared to other phones in this price range. This makes Samsung’s $300 phone a good choice when all you need is a phone that will have years of support, but if you’re looking for stronger performance and features, you should consider other options.
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The OnePlus Nord N30 5G packs a lot of features for the money, but its 50W charging speed is a standout for this price range. The phone can be charged from 0% to 100% in 45 minutes, and most other phones that cost $300 or less need 90 minutes to two hours to do the same thing. Its large 6.72-inch 1080p display runs at a 120Hz refresh rate and keeps apps, games, websites, and video streaming moving smoothly.
It’s worth noting that the 108-megapixel main camera — while an impressive number on a phone — takes only marginally better photos than I typically see from phones in this price range. This means that it can take good, detailed photos outdoors with plenty of light. Photos taken in darker settings are a challenge for the N30, as indoor images appear washed out or blurry.
The phone will also only get one software update to Android 14 along with three years of security updates – an average timeline for this price range, but still disappointingly short.
Although OnePlus faces stiff competition from Google’s Pixel 6A — especially when the Pixel is discounted to $299 — it packs a lot of functionality for its price.
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Admittedly, I’m cheating by including this phone on the list, but Google Pixel 6A He was Discounted to $320 A lot lately and it’s an easy recommendation when discounted in a budget phone range.
At $349, the Pixel 6A won our Editors’ Choice award last year. In her review, CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco praised the phone for its great camera, Pixel-exclusive features like Magic Eraser, its colorful design, and being among the first to get new Android updates.
Although Google has since released $499 Pixel 7AThe Pixel 6A still gets two more years of software updates and four more years of security updates. This means it will continue to get new Android features and support from Google, and that remaining timeline is still more than you’ll see from new 2023 phones that cost between $200 and $300.
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These cheaper devices tend to be significantly downsized in one area or another in order to achieve those lower prices. Most often, these drawbacks include limited software support, carrier support, or bloatware (pre-loaded apps that you never asked for). These trade-offs often mean just that These devices should not be used After two to three years, especially after security update support ends.
It’s also worth noting that while these phones retail for $200 to $300, many of them are often available at a deep discount — or even free — as part of a carrier support deal. If you plan to stick with the same wireless carrier for two years, these phones may become part of the cost of your service.
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Every phone on this list has been thoroughly tested by CNET’s expert review team. We actually use the phone, test features, play games, and take photos. We evaluate any marketing promises the company makes about its phones. If we find something we don’t like, whether it’s battery life or build quality, we’ll tell you all about it.
We examine every aspect of the phone during testing:
- an offer
- Design and feel
- Processor performance
- Battery life
- Camera quality
- Features
We test all phone cameras (front and rear) in a variety of conditions: from outdoors in sunlight to dim indoors and night scenes (for any available night modes). We also compare our findings with similarly priced models. We have a series of real-world battery tests to see how long the phone lasts under daily use.
We take into account additional phone features like 5G, fingerprint, face, and stylus readers, fast charging, foldable displays, and other useful extras. We also weigh all our trials and tests against the price so you know if the phone represents good value or not.
He reads more: How we test phones
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This year, there aren’t many other phones in this price range that range between $200-$250, but if you want to go a little cheaper, our top pick under $200 is Samsung Galaxy A15 5G. Although I found this phone to be noticeably slower in performance than the Galaxy A25, it includes the same promise to receive four years of software updates and five years of security updates, making it an attractive option when all you need is a phone.
Motorola Moto G 5G for $200 (2024) It’s also a decent option that comes close to being a $200 premium phone thanks to a similar vegan leather design and the Moto G Power (2024), NFC inclusion, and decent cameras. However, I found the Moto G 5G to struggle with multitasking, which makes it difficult to recommend if you often find yourself switching between apps.
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What about the iPhone from Apple?
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