It may seem like your choices are slim to none if you’re looking for a reliable phone for $200 or less. But there are a few budget phones available that we do recommend — like handsets from Samsung and Motorola’s Moto G series.
To see our picks, check out the list below. A few of them have been fully reviewed by CNET editors, while others are ones we hope to get our hands on soon. (We’ll update this roundup once their reviews are up as well.) Note that we’ve linked to the unlocked version of each phone, and they should run on most of the big four US wireless carriers, unless specified otherwise.
Important: If the price of the phone shown here or at the vendor is more than $200, it’s because inventory and pricing (often from third-party resellers) has shifted since we originally published this story or the review linked herein.
Read more: 4 best phones you can get for $300 or less: Galaxy A50, Moto G Power and more
Angela Lang/CNETAs the cheapest of Samsung’s A series of phones, the Galaxy A01 surprisingly offers a lot for the price. That includes a fast-charging 3,000-mAh battery, a tear-drop camera design and a 5.7-inch display.
Read our Samsung Galaxy A01 review.
SamsungThe Galaxy A11 features a 6.4-inch display and three cameras: a 13-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 5-megapixel wide-angle shooter and a 2-megapixel depth camera. It also offers a sizable 4,000-mAh battery and expandable storage. It doesn’t have wireless charging, but it does have an oft-coveted headphone jack.
Read our Galaxy A11 first-take.
Patrick Holland/CNETThough it’s not as good as the aforementioned Moto G Fast, the Moto E’s even cheaper price tag makes it affordable. Motorola also packaged its 6.2-inch screen, Snapdragon 632 processor and dual-camera setup in a modern, sleek design. And for more information, read CNET’s Moto G Fast vs. Moto E comparison.
Lori Grunin/CNETLaunched in July 2019, the Moto E6 smartphone is now widely available for under $150. It features a 13-megapixel camera, a headphone jack and a 5.5-inch display. Oddly enough, it also has a Micro-USB port for charging (rather than the newer USB-C).
Read our Moto E6 first take.
Andrew Hoyle/CNETAvailable for under $200, the midrange LG K40 Android phone debuted in 2019 and features a 5.7-inch display, a fingerprint sensor and a 13-megapixel camera. The phone is powered by an octa-core processor and a 3,000-mAh battery.
Read our LG K40 hands-on.
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7 best phones under $200: Our picks for 2020 budget phones that work great – CNET
