The previous few years have been actually nice for smartphones because the know-how that goes into them has improved quite a bit. In consequence, even funds telephones have additionally gotten quite a bit higher now in comparison with what we had out there simply a few years again. We have reached some extent the place you may spend lower than half of what the finest Android smartphones value and nonetheless get a great strong telephone able to delivering years of trustworthy service. In fact, “low-cost” is a subjective time period, however you will see that superb choices on this listing that will not make you empty your wallets. Whether or not you are on the lookout for an amazing display, processing energy, and even the flexibility of a stylus, now we have choices for you that slot in on the decrease aspect of the smartphone pricing. Right here at XDA, we check virtually each telephone that involves market, so you may depend on this listing for a great suggestion if you happen to’re out there to purchase a brand new funds/low-cost Android telephone in 2023.
Our favourite low-cost Android telephones in 2023

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
Finest general
The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is without doubt one of the finest mid-range telephones you should buy within the U.S. proper now. There are many issues to love about this telephone, and it gives good worth for $450.
- Dependable day-to-day efficiency
- Lengthy-lasting battery
- Sluggish charging speeds
- Macro sensor is common at finest
Samsung’s new Galaxy A54 5G brings a number of enhancements over its predecessor to supply a extra well-rounded expertise. It comes with a brand new design that appears just like its flagship siblings within the Galaxy S23 vary. The Galaxy A54 5G additionally feels far more premium than most different telephones on this worth vary. It is also extra sturdy now, because of Gorilla Glass 5 on each the back and front.
Samsung is utilizing its in-house Exynos 1380 for the Galaxy A54, and it gives a lift in efficiency in comparison with the Exynos 1280 chip that was contained in the Galaxy A53. You possibly can study extra in regards to the Exynos 1380s efficiency in our Galaxy A54 evaluate. Samsung is simply promoting this telephone’s 6GB + 128GB configuration within the U.S., however that is not essentially a deal breaker as a result of 6GB of RAM is a lot for a funds telephone.
We additionally like that the Galaxy A54 5G comes with a hybrid SIM card slot that additionally accepts a microSD card to allow you to increase the storage. That is proper, you may increase the storage on this by as much as 1TB, which is fairly good as a result of not a number of telephones allow you to do this in 2023. Notably, you additionally get a great set of cameras on this telephone, and also you even have an enormous 5,000mAh battery that’ll comfortably you a whole day with none points.
All issues thought-about, the Galaxy A54 5G is a wonderful selection within the funds house proper now. It is exhausting to go flawed with this telephone for $450, so maintain this one on prime of your listing of telephones to take a look at.

Google Pixel 6a
Alternate finest funds choose
$299 $449 Save $150
The Pixel 6a is a superb funds smartphone that may serve you properly for a few years to come back. It packs a strong set of cameras, Google’s in-house Tensor chip, and a few different fascinating options for lower than $300 proper now.
- Dependable efficiency with Tensor chip
- Good digicam
- Sluggish charging
- The show tops out at 60Hz
In the event you’re on the lookout for the Android expertise and good digicam efficiency on a funds, it actually does not get higher than the Google Pixel 6a. That is Google’s funds smartphone that comes with the most recent model of Android obtainable, together with some dependable internals that can assist you get a great expertise with out emptying your wallets.
Below the 6.1-inch OLED show, the Pixel 6a runs Google’s Tensor processor, 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage, and 6GB of RAM together with a 4,410 mAh battery that simply lasts the day. The Pixel 6a carries the identical digicam as flagship Pixels as much as the Pixel 5 sequence. It will possibly simply stand toe-to-toe with telephones which are twice as costly. Google’s picture processing is second to none, and it exhibits in each shot you will take with this telephone.
The Pixel 6a shouldn’t be with out its flaws, although, so you will must comprise a bit if you happen to’re shopping for this telephone. The very first thing you have to know is that it comes with a 60Hz show, that means the panel on this isn’t going to be as easy and responsive because the one on, say, the Galaxy A54 5G. It additionally has a plastic again which may be off-putting in a world of aluminum and glass, and you aren’t getting wi-fi charging both.
None of those are deal-breakers, particularly when you think about its $299 price ticket. In the event you do not thoughts these compromises, you will discover the remainder of the telephone to be greater than succesful. You should definitely test it out if you do not have the funds to spend on different choices on this listing.

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G
Finest Worth
$260 $300 Save $40
The Samsung Galaxy A23 5G is without doubt one of the newest funds gadgets from Samsung, providing 5G and a well-rounded expertise at a worth that goes straightforward in your pockets.
- Good design and construct high quality
- Sharp show with 120Hz refresh charge
- No IP score
- The cameras may’ve been higher
The Galaxy A23 5G is at present one of the crucial reasonably priced choices in Samsung’s A-series, coming in at lower than $300. It is probably not as performant as another choices, however it’s nonetheless an amazing possibility to think about if you’re working with a low funds. It is also available to buy from varied carriers and retailers within the US, so you may simply get your arms on it.
One of many highlights of this specific telephone is that it comes with a 6.6-inch FHD+ LCD panel with help for as much as 120Hz refresh charge. That is an enormous benefit when you think about different telephones that value lower than $300. This additionally makes the Galaxy A23 5G higher than the Pixel 6a within the show class, which solely has a 60Hz panel.
The present $260 pricing can also be for the 5G variant of the telephone, which is nice. There’s additionally a 4G LTE variant of this telephone that prices much less, however you may need to stick to the one which helps the most recent connectivity. As for the specs, you’re looking at a Snapdragon 695 SoC with as much as 6GB of RAM. The bottom variant of the system solely comes with 64GB of storage, although.
The 64GB inner storage is not essentially a deal-breaker as a result of you can too add a microSD card to this telephone to increase the storage as much as 1TB. The Galaxy A23 5G additionally comes filled with a 5,000mAh battery, which suggests it ought to be capable of final you for a very long time between expenses. It additionally helps 25W charging, so it is on par with its dearer siblings, together with the Galaxy A54 5G, relating to charging velocity.

Motorola Moto G Energy (2022)
Finest battery life
$140 $250 Save $110
The Moto G Energy (2022) gives distinctive battery lifetime of as much as 3 days on a single cost. And the perfect half is that it is priced at simply $150 proper now.
- Glorious battery life
- Dependable 50MP fundamental digicam
- Sluggish charging
- No 5G connectivity
The spotlight of the Moto G Energy, because the identify suggests, is its battery life. This specific telephone packs a 5,000mAh battery that may final you for days on a single cost. Sure, it is not the one telephone on this assortment to have a 5,000mAh battery, however what makes it higher is that it does not have any power-hungry internals to empty the battery consistently.
The Moto G Energy has a 6.5-inch LCD show that tops out at 720p decision. It is not the very best decision, however until you are watching the tremendous high-quality video, you might not even discover. The low-resolution panel makes it extra energy environment friendly. The advantage of this specific show is that it refreshes at 90Hz, that means it is higher than the one you get on telephones just like the Pixel 6a that prime out at 60Hz.
Below the display, you get a MediaTek Helio G37 processor that — as soon as once more — sips much less battery. You additionally get 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage, which is analogous to a number of different telephones on this worth vary. As for the optics, you get a 50MP fundamental digicam on the again with two extra 2MP sensors for depth and macro photographs. The digicam is nice in good lighting circumstances however struggles in low mild due partly to its lack of optical picture stabilization. Once more, contemplating the value level, it is exhausting to be too important in regards to the digicam high quality.
On the entrance, you get an 8MP selfie digicam which can also be first rate but additionally not nice in low mild. So far as the software program expertise is worried, the Moto G comes with strong options with a clear Android expertise. The At all times-on show is without doubt one of the finest on the market, and Moto’s gestures for the digicam and flashlight are enjoyable and intuitive.

Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2022)
Finest for stylus customers
The Moto G Stylus is without doubt one of the choices to think about if you’re trying to purchase a telephone with a stylus. It is also highly effective sufficient to supply dependable efficiency for day-to-day workloads.
- Comes with a built-in stylus
- Lengthy-lasting 5,000mAh battery
- Sluggish charging speeds
- The cameras may’ve been higher
In the event you’re a fan of the stylus and do not need to spend prime greenback on a flagship just like the Galaxy S23 Extremely, then think about testing the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022). Motorola did the precise factor by placing the stylus contained in the physique of the telephone, so that you at all times have it with you. The stylus in query shouldn’t be an lively stylus which suggests it does not have Bluetooth performance or palm rejection, however it additionally does not require charging.
That is to not say it is a dangerous implementation since you nonetheless get a number of nice options. It does have low latency, and while you pull the stylus whereas the telephone is off, it permits you to take notes with out first unlocking the telephone. It is nice for jotting down fast notes like telephone numbers or figuring out points on a makeshift whiteboard.
In fact, to take full benefit of the stylus, you will need a big display, and the Moto G Stylus has that with a 6.8-inch 120Hz LCD show. The 20:9 side ratio is nice for holding the telephone and utilizing it one-handed whereas nonetheless being giant sufficient to make use of the stylus. You additionally get a headphone jack which is a pleasant bonus.
The Moto G Stylus has a Snapdragon 685 5G processor with Adreno 619 GPU, as much as 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery. On the again, you get a triple-camera setup, together with a 50-megapixel fundamental sensor, 8MP ultrawide sensor, and a depth digicam at 2MP. The digicam set is simply okay, actually nothing to put in writing house about, however they’re very serviceable at this worth level.
The software program is Motorola’s signature clear model of Android that it has carried because it, and Google briefly shared the identical tackle. Moto’s good gestures are right here, together with the chop-chop to activate the flashlight and the wrist twist to activate the digicam rapidly.

OnePlus Nord N300 5G
Finest carrier-locked possibility
The OnePlus Nord N300 5G is a fairly good possibility to think about if you happen to do not thoughts locking in with T-Cellular. There’s a lot to love about this telephone, together with its battery life and fast-charging help.
- Free if you happen to decide to a two-year contract with T-Cellular or MetroPCS
- Quick charging help with charger included
- Not the quickest efficiency
- No ultra-wide or zoom lens
The OnePlus Nord N300 5G may be had without spending a dime from T-Cellular or Metro if you happen to decide to a two-year contract. That’s in all probability the perfect deal you may get if you happen to do not thoughts locking in with T-Cellular’s community. There’s a lot to love in regards to the Nord N300 5G, so it is not like you’re shopping for a foul telephone that it’s a must to carry for the following two years.
One of many highlights of the OnePlus Nord N300 5G is that it comes with an enormous 5,000mAh battery, and it additionally helps as much as 33W quick charging. That is the one telephone on this assortment that helps as much as 33W quick charging, so it is already higher than most choices on the market. It is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 810 SoC that is coupled with 4GB of RAM and as much as 64GB of inner storage. It is not essentially the most highly effective chipset in the marketplace, however it’s sufficient to supply a dependable efficiency.
The Nord N300 5G comes with OxygenOS 12, which runs on prime of Android 12, and it additionally retains the three.5mm headphone jack. As for the optics, you’re looking at a dual-camera setup which features a 48MP large digicam and a 2MP depth sensor. It will’ve been good to have an ultrawide or telephoto lens as a substitute of the 2MP depth sensor, however it’s a serviceable setup general.
It is a nice deal general if you happen to do not thoughts locking in with T-Cellular’s two-year contract. Even with out that, the $228 price ticket is not that contemplating it comes with fast-charging help, a appropriate fast-charger within the field, a dependable SoC, and extra. Alternatively, you can too think about shopping for the N200 5G, which continues to be obtainable to buy from a number of retailers within the U.S. for a comparatively cheaper worth.
Finest low-cost Android telephones to purchase in 2023: Closing say
We have included a number of dependable choices on this put up, but when we had been to choose one, then we would go along with the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G. It is one of many latest reasonably priced telephones from Samsung, and it brings a number of nice options and specs to the system for $450. It is also one of many better-looking telephones on this assortment that comes with Gorilla Glass 5 on each the back and front. Add a strong 120Hz OLED panel to that, and also you get a superb bundle that appears and feels virtually like a high-end premium flagship. It additionally has improved internals and optics in comparison with its predecessor, so it gala’s properly in opposition to the competitors from the likes of Google and OnePlus within the funds house.

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
Finest general
The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is a superb mid-range telephone. It gives a modern design, a good looking 120Hz show, loads of energy beneath the hood, and a triple digicam setup on the again.
Google’s Pixel 6a can also be a great possibility to think about if you happen to do not need to splurge $450. It will value you $150 much less, however you solely get a 60Hz show, and it does not help issues like expandable storage, both. We’ll proceed to search for extra choices in the marketplace and replace this put up steadily, so you should definitely keep tuned.