Best cheap phones 2024
These are the best cheap phones under $500 based on our testing and reviews
![Samsung Galaxy A54 back in violet](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eEFKyvbkipQbGQ7y3hvK6b-320-80.jpg)
There's a fierce battle for the best cheap phones title, and who you pick comes down to how much you want to pay for your phone. The Google Pixel 8a delivers premium features in a sub-$500 phone, costing just the same as its predecessor. And with the OnePlus 12R also offering a top experience for under $500 as well, it's hard to deny that phone's appeal to budget-minded shoppers. There are also other recently announced phones, like the $200 priced CMF Phone 1 by Nothing, that could be in the running after it's properly tested.
After testing multiple phones that cost less than $500, I believe that most shoppers can find everything they need in these lower-cost devices, whether you're looking for an affordable iPhone or an inexpensive Android handset. No matter the model, no one needs to spend upwards of $800 on a flagship device when you can easily find a handset that delivers comparable features while costing hundreds of dollars less.
You'll need to make some trade-offs to get a cheap phone — forget about the most powerful processors or versatile zoom cameras — but in many cases, you'll find cameras that are good enough to get the job done and even big displays with adaptive refresh rates. And 5G connectivity is basically a given these days.
Even though I reviewed my fair share of affordable phones, my other colleagues also contribute collectively as a group for our picks for the best cheap phones under $500. If that's still too much to pay, check out our guide on the best cheap phones under $300.
Of course, there are also other unreleased cheap phones that could make our list, like the Nothing Phone 2a Plus most recently, which could rearrange things once it's properly put through our benchmark testing and review process.
The Quick List
Best for most people
No other phone can match the performance and features that accompany the Pixel 8a, with big improvement like a brighter screen, longer battery life, charming design, and AI features that no other cheap phone can match.
Long-lasting phone
The OnePlus 12R makes the most of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset powering the phone. Not only does this model outperform others in its price range, it also lasts longer than all but one phone that we've tested.
Best-looking cheap phone
Cheap phones don't normally look as good as the Nothing Phone 2a, which retains the distinctive design and Glyph interface of its more expensive siblings. Display and battery life are also strengths.
Save More
It may be over a couple years old, but you'll appreciate the additional savings by choosing Google's former top contender in the Google Pixel 6a.
Best cheap iPhone
Don't let its small size fool you because the iPhone SE (2022) packs a punch for what it can do. It's responsive, has good camera, and packs a lot of savings.
Best under $200
Just because it's ultra affordable doesn't mean there are huge compromises with the Moto G 5G (2024). It improves in nearly every category versus its predecessor.
View more products...
Best under $300
Impressively, it delivers outstanding battery life that rivals bigger phones with larger batteries. It also doesn't take long to charge either.
Best for note-taking
For that traditional paper meets pen experience, you won't have to spend a fortune on getting it with the Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2023).
Also Consider
Even though it's not getting a proper release in the U.S., the Galaxy A55 is a fantastic follow up to last year's Galaxy A54 — complete with outstanding cameras and battery life.
The best cheap phones you can buy today
Why you can trust Tom's Guide
Best cheap phone overall
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Google did everything right in making the Pixel 8a better than the Pixel 7a before it. Most notably, it's getting a tremendous boost over on the software side with its slew of AI features — like Magic Editor and Best Take — which it inherits from the more expensive Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro models.
If that's not enough, it sets the benchmark for all other cheap phones with its unbelievable software support. Whereas other phones barely get three years worth of software updates, the Pixel 8a goes the distance with its 7 years of major Android update, including security updates.
Over on the hardware side, the Pixel 8a benefits from a much brighter, more vibrant display that offers a 120Hz refresh rate. It battery life is also extended thanks largely to its bigger battery and the power efficiency of its Tensor G3 chip. While its camera improvements are minor, it's still one of the best in its class.
Add all of this up, while still coming up at the same $499 cost as its predecessor, the Pixel 8a is without question the best cheap phone money can buy,
Read our full Google Pixel 8a review.
Longest-lasting phone
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The OnePlus 12R is the first R series phone from OnePlus to get a global release, and it's a welcome addition to the world of smartphones. The phone draws its design cues from the OnePlus 12 flagship, while scaling back some features for a lower price tag. For instance, the OnePlus 12R runs on last year's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, but this isn't really a hardship — the Qualcomm silicon delivers outstanding performance and long battery life, with the 12R lasting more than 18 hours on our battery test.
Cameras don't perform as well as the ones on the Pixel 7a, so turn elsewhere if you want a low-cost camera phone. Also be aware that the $499 model of the OnePlus 12R is not available in Europe — there, you'll have to buy the more expensive 256GB version of the 12R. But if you can get your hands on the sub-$500 model, you'll find that the OnePlus 12R excels at performance and staying power — two things that are good to have in any phone.
Read our full OnePlus 12R review.
Best cheap phone design
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Who says that you have to sacrifice looks for a cheaper price? The Nothing Phone 2a still delivers the stylish translucent look and helpful Glyph interface found on the Nothing Phone 2, but for hundreds of dollars less. We're also impressed by the big, bright 6.7-inch display, which offers an adaptive refresh rate, as well as how long this phone lasted on our battery test.
Nothing is giving this phone a global launch, though U.S. shoppers will need to order it through the phone maker's developer program. With a price of $349, that phone may be worth tracking down, even with some disappointing low-light camera performance and choppy graphics. The Nothing Phone 2a looks good enough to overcome those flaws, and it delivers in some other key areas like battery life, fast charging and value.
Even though the OnePlus 12R is the longest lasting phone on our list, the Nothing Phone 2a's time of 15 hours on our battery benchmark test is pretty impressive.
Read our full Nothing Phone 2a review.
Bigger Pixel Savings
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Pixel 8a may be here, but that doesn't mean the Pixel 6a has to go away. You can still find the phone for around $349 through other retailers, which makes for a better case than how the Pixel 7a is still being sold by Google for $499. For that cost, we recommend going with the Pixel 8a.
The Tensor G1 chipset inside the Pixel 6a adds to its appeal. That’s the same silicon inside Google’s more expensive Pixel 6 flagships. As a result, the same AI-powered tricks Google’s flagship phone can pull off are available to the Pixel 6a, too, including the photo-editing Magic Eraser tool and on-device translation.
Even as an older device, the Pixel 6a provides excellent photos that measure up well against other budget devices. Android OS support will continue to run until 2025, so this phone won't have the shelf life of the Pixel 8a, but it's still a viable option among the best cheap phones.
Read our full Google Pixel 6a review.
Best cheap iPhone
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The iPhone SE 2022 takes cheap phones to the next level of performance by including Apple's powerful A15 Bionic chip. This is the same processor found in the iPhone 13 series and the iPhone 14, and it blows all Android phones away, whether you're playing games or editing video on the go.
This chip also gives the new iPhone SE 2022 a number of photography powers that the previous model lacked, including Smart HDR 4, Magic Fusion for better detail and Photographic Styles. In fact, in some scenarios the iPhone SE takes better pics than the Google Pixel 6a, as you can see in our Pixel 6a vs. iPhone SE 2022 face-off. Unfortunately, Apple didn't include Night mode for low-light situations.
The latest iPhone SE features the same design as before, so that means a small 4.7-inch display and big bezels, but some may prefer the old-school Touch ID button for quickly unlocking the device. Despite some trade-offs, the iPhone SE 2022 is a great choice for people who like small phones. With rumors circulating that an iPhone SE 4 likely won't ship until 2024, it may be your best option for a cheap iPhone for the foreseeable future.
While it's one of the older phones on the list, we have to hand it to Apple for ensuring it's still a processing powerhouse. In fact, it pulls in better results on Geekbench than most of the newer phones with its multicore score of 4,482.
Read our full iPhone SE 2022 review.
Best phone under $200
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
At a certain threshold, phones often have more compromises as they get cheaper. That's expected, but thankfully the Moto G 5G (2024) proves otherwise because for a phone that's priced under $200, you're still getting good stuff with it.
Starting off with its design, the vegan leather casing gives the Moto G 5G (2024) this level of sophistication that phones in this price range never get treated to. Not only does it make the phone look and feel a bit more premium than its price would reveal, but it makes holding it much better.
What's more impressive about the Moto G 5G (2024) is now it manages to record an impressive time of 14 hours and 36 minutes on Tom's Guide's battery benchmark test. That's an amazing feat, which is largely the result of the power efficiency of its Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 chip and large 5,000 mAh battery.
The only downside its that it has a really dim screen, which makes it tough to see under direct sunlight. Plus, it's only guaranteed one software update.
Read our full Moto G 5G (2024) review.
Best phone under $300
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The OnePlus Nord N30 5G isn't as capable as the phones we've ranked above it, but it also isn't as expensive, either. At $299, this is the phone to get for people with a hard budget of $300, as OnePlus' budget phone nails the important details people look for in a mobile device.
You get a big screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, and while the OnePlus Nord N30 isn't a performance powerhouse, it does manage power efficiently. The Nord N30 lasted 12.5 hours on our battery test, with its display in adaptive mode, which is a very impressive result.
The 108MP main lens looks good on paper and captures more detail than you may be used to from a budget camera. But it's inconsistent camera performance that keeps us from being more enthusiastic about the OnePlus Nord N30. Nevertheless, for less than $300, you get a very capable phone that delivers more value than you might imagine.
Read our full OnePlus Nord N30 5G review.
Best for note-takers
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Both the Moto 5G Stylus 5G (2023) and Galaxy S23 Ultra ship with a built-in stylus. The difference is that Motorola's phone costs $800 less than Samsung's flagship. And while the stylus that comes with the Moto 5G model isn't as feature-rich as Samsung's S-Pen, it's still good for jotting down notes and editing photos more precisely. If you're looking for a way to boost your productivity on a budget, this year's edition of the Moto G Stylus 5G fits the bill.
You'll get some inconsistent camera performance, and we wish Motorola provided more than one guaranteed Android OS update, but we were pleased with how long the Moto G 5G Stylus lasts on a charge. It's also a pretty slender design that's much easier to type on than a lot of today's phones. Be sure not to confuse this 5G-capable model with the regular (and less expensive) Moto G Stylus (2023).
Battery life is also impressive, reaching a time of 12 hours and 12 minutes in our testing.
Read our full Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) review.
Also consider
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Last year's Galaxy A55 held on to the top spot, but this year's Galaxy A55 falls a little short — mainly because it's not available for purchase in the U.S. Meaning, if you intend on picking one up, you might pay extra to import it.
Still, the Galaxy A55 is a contender in the best cheap phones space — aided by it gorgeous looking display. In addition to its adaptive 120Hz rate, it shines brightly under the toughest conditions. However, the more satisfying part about the A55 is how its cameras continually deliver sharp photos and videos.
While it's unfortunate that Samsung's not making it available stateside, there's always the Galaxy A35 to consider instead. We haven't properly put the A35 through its paces yet, but it's certainly a strong contender because of its price.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy A55 review.
What to look for in the best cheap phones
After you've found a phone at the right price for your budget — that's why you're considering one of the best cheap phones in the first place, after all — consider what features one of these devices has to offer and which ones you're sacrificing for a lower price tag. Battery life, the number and types of cameras, display refresh rate and the type of chipset powering the phone are all ways that cheap phones can distinguish themselves.
In some cases, you'll be able to compare phones to more expensive options to help crystalize what compromises you're making for a lower-cost model.
Generally, one area in which phone makers cut back for budget models is materials. They'll use plastic for the phone's case instead of metal and glass. Cheaper phones may also turn to LCD panels instead of OLED screens, though that's becoming less frequent among some of the best cheap phones running Android.
One other area to consider is software updates and support. We've seen cheaper Android phones either ship with older versions of Android or promise very few upgrades to future versions. Samsung has one of the better upgrade policies with its Galaxy A lineup, and the iPhone remains a standout for usually supporting five years of iOS updates.
How we test the best cheap phones
We evaluate budget-priced phones the same way we do flagships. We perform real-world testing and synthetic benchmarks over several days to evaluate it's performance and value. This includes our own battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over cellular at 150 nits of screen brightness. The devices that make our best phone battery life list tend to last over 11 hours.
Row 0 - Cell 0 | Battery Life (hours:minutes) | Recharge level at 15 minutes (%) | Recharge level at 30 minutes (%) |
Pixel 8a | 11:21 | 16% | 33% |
OnePlus 12R | 18:42 | 57% | 96% |
Nothing Phone 2a | 15:00 | 28% | 61% |
Pixel 6a | 6:41 | N/A | N/A |
iPhone SE (2022) | 9:05 | 31% | 61% |
Moto G 5G (2024) | 14:36 | 18% | 38% |
OnePlus Nord N30 | 12:42 | 16% | 33% |
Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) | 12:12 | 12% | 23% |
Galaxy A55 | N/A | 26% | 52% |
In terms of performance, we use Geekbench 5 to measure overall speed and compare versus phones in the same price range. And the same thing goes for 3DMark's Wild Life Unlimited for graphics testing. We also perform our own video editing/transcoding testing using the Adobe Premiere Rush app to gauge real-world speed.
Row 0 - Cell 0 | Geekbench (single-core / multicore) | 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited (FPS) | Adobe Rush Premiere (minutes, seconds) |
Pixel 8a | 1,581 / 4,093 | 53.7 | 0:56 |
Pixel 7a | 1,018 / 3,065 | 41.1 | 0:56 |
OnePlus 12R | 1,553 / 5,135 | 84.4 | 1:09 |
Nothing Phone 2a | 1,103 / 2,586 | 25.5 | 1:40 |
Pixel 6a | 1,057 / 2,918 | 41.73 | 0:49 |
iPhone SE (2022) | 1,718 / 4,482 | 50.03 | 0:27 |
Moto G 5G (2024) | 841 / 1,791 | 53.7 | 0:56 |
OnePlus Nord N30 | 904 / 2,077 | 7.2 | N/A |
Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) | 929 / 2,707 | 14.2 | 1:51 |
Galaxy A55 | 1,161 / 3,464 | N/A | N/A |
For evaluating cameras on cheap phones, we will take multiple photos in different conditions and will use other affordably priced phones in the same scenarios in order to make side-by-side comparisons.
For more information, check out our how we test page for Tom's Guide.
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John’s a senior editor covering phones for Tom’s Guide. He’s no stranger in this area having covered mobile phones and gadgets since 2008 when he started his career. On top of his editor duties, he’s a seasoned videographer being in front and behind the camera producing YouTube videos. Previously, he held editor roles with PhoneArena, Android Authority, Digital Trends, and SPY. Outside of tech, he enjoys producing mini documentaries and fun social clips for small businesses, enjoying the beach life at the Jersey Shore, and recently becoming a first time homeowner.
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WILL4REAL Z3 Play. Snapdragon 605, 6.01 inch super amoled screen, 4 gb ram, 12 mp rear, 8mp front, mods option, android 8 out the box, 9 update available now, 10 update in april. Universally unlocked (cdma or gsm) $150 bucks at bestbuyReply -
Don Norman The prices and links for the Galaxy J7 Prime are actually the prices and links for screen protectors for that phone. The cheapest prices vary widely for new J7 Prime phones, from around $100 to around $200. The phone was introduced quite a while ago too, around late 2016. You can get a Galaxy J7 Crown for less than $80 now. They were on sale for $40 during Black Friday sales time at Best Buy and Walmart.Reply -
Androidchap The mid range scene in the US is not very exciting, which may be why iPhone SE and Google Pixel 3A can get away with subpar specs they are offering.Reply
In UK, there are options like the Oppo Reno 2 Z, Huawei Nova 5T, Honor 20, Mi 9T. There are various excellent compilations on Youtube (i.e. for one, Tech Spurt's "Best Smartphones under 400 pounds (Spring 2020)") which set out the key features of each.
Excellent cameras, multiple cameras, long lasting battery, HD OLED screens, high screen to body ratio, high quality bodies (sometimes metal/glass) are par for the course now. Some have flagship chipsets, but others have fast upper mid range chipsets, but should be more than sufficient for everyday use.
Its clear that most of the phones on your above list will not be competitive in that space. Even 2 of my top picks in your list have big gaps i.e.
Apple SE has a great chipset and decent camera, but everything else is so 2015. Maybe if the antique look is coming back, it becomes stylish again ?
Pixel 3a has a good engine and camera, but in a $100 android phone body. -
HelloJelloFellow Ok Tom's Guide and @Mark Spoonauer... sorry to go negative here w/ my 1st and maybe only post, But I agree 100% with the words of Androidchap. The quality of choice and truly progressive "Good Looking" tech in phones in the mass USA market is boring, lame, uncreative and WAY overpriced. Maybe it's not totally your fault that you put together a list which is completely uneventful... you're only reporting what the major carriers are largely selling as well as retail chains.Reply
Rather, 'Tom's' could (and should starting soon) strive to separate your reviews of handsets and Smart devices by going outside the norm and telling 'The People' about lesser known brands and companies who are Truly putting fantastic value and major Bang for the buck into their devices and enlightening the people to these emerging options here in our market, and not just overseas.
Androidchap laid down some good examples, and noted the UK market also, and I would quickly emphasise other Asian companies who are putting out Beautiful designs with awesome specs for less than half the cost of even these "mid-range" value B.S models on the list.
Again, I'm not picking on you, your list is just like PC mags, cnet, techgurus, etc... you all have the same models but just in slightly different order as to your "best of-pick".
So piggybacking on the manufacturer's Androidchap noted, I would additionally offer up for 'the People' to check out: Xiaomi and their entire Mi line of electronics, such as the Mi 9, REDMi 9/Note 9s/9 Pro, 10 ... you get the idea. Add to that a newish player called Elephone (who's latest offering in the "value" space can now be had in pre-sale for the apsurd low cost of $130-$170 US and is spec'd more like a "flagship" phone in our market. Crazy.
Just look at the build quality, color choices, camera options galore (like 48 & 64 mp, 4 lens, with macro and good night vision capability) and you begin to see the vast differences out there. And did I mention the value? The bang for the buck that truly can be had if people just knew what to ask for? Oh yeah... I Did mention that.
Here's another- ASUS, who some should recognize for their Chromebooks, laptops, tabs, etc, ...well, turns out they make really killer phone designs too! Soon to launch should be the next ZenPhone 7 plus a higher-end (they claim) option in their Logic line I believe they call it?
Doesn't matter, the point is that you guys (Tom's) should be the ONES telling us about these alternatives, instead of just re-presenting the same year-over-year options which Anyone who's owned a Smartphone should already kinda have a feel for OR could get the same generic dialog from walking into a Verizon, AT&T, t-Mobile, or Sprint store and chatting it up with the sales kid. Just my opinion, but if I were you I would try to do something New to separate yourself from the other "big boys" in the Consumer Electronic Review space and make a name for yourselves AS PROGRESSIVE.
Your list sucks. The phones are ugly and mostly lame.
(sure, some of the Mi models I mentioned aren't 5G capable at the SUB-$350 range! (no duh), but who cares! Spend just a little more with them, like still under $500, $600, $700 and guess what- comes Standard with a Snapdragon 855 and All the bells and whistles to boot. That's a hell of a lot better than the stupidly ridiculous price that Apple & Samsung have "trained" most of us to expect for their "elite" models... give me a break. The iPhone hasn't barely had a 'sexy' or interesting design change in like... Forever!
Sadly, the phone scene in the States in largely boring and homogenized like most things.
Just take a moment to Go Look at the beautiful design Aesthetics of some models available in UK, Europe, and for certain Korea, Japan and China and you will see what I'm seeing...
America is sadly NOT a leader or out in front in the CE (electronics) marketplace at all.
We lag; big time.
Anyhow, that my 2 cents and a little more for you and some readers perhaps.
Take my suggestion and reinvent what you're bringing to the rest of us here in the USA and begin covering the "Cutting-edge stuff" and leave the lame re-runs and slow to change models and brands to others. (Obviously, you still need to cover Apple, Samsung, HTC, ONE, Moto, etc.,) but bring some new blood into the mix is all I'm getting at.
I'm off to order a totally KIck Ass Smart (and stylish) modern handset... it just isn't represented on Your or most anyone else's "Review" lists circulating here in the States.
It unfortunately crossed my mind that maybe you're promoting and writing about the 'regular' stuff because it helps drive your affiliate/partner advertising and links for readers to go purchase from the "Samsung's of the world" as their only or 'best' current option?
Maybe it would be a lot more fun and add A Lot more valuable to your audience if you covered the Latest and (Less well Known) Greatest, rather than just the same-ol', same 'ol brands and models.
Give it a thought?
Lastly, your site or blog or forum or whatever this is happens to way too busy with large flashy Ads, pop-ups and general distractions, which also under value your potential to be taken more seriously. I know it helps pay the rent and expenses, but maybe take back some control and tone down the mass advertising on-slaught here. Thanks for the consideration.
Take care and Best of luck starting to cover "The Good Stuff". See Ya boys and girls!
-Jeff -
HelloJelloFellow Saurabh jha said:Hello,
According to my personal experience, Samsung galaxy M30s is a best and cheap phone, as I use it personally, and I think it is the best phone at a cheap price.
I also suggest you go for that if you are looking for cheap and best.
Yeah, NO. That's not what i was saying AT ALL in my long post... maybe you didn't fully give it a read or failed to understand my points?
Please Forward my message to the author of the Article: @Mark Spoonauer. and CC Tom or anyone else in Upper Management please. I would like to know how they feel towards my actual points, which include Tom's Guide stepping out of the "box" and exploring and reviewing all the other emerging Brands and offering readers a much broader and more informative review of tech and our Best Value Buys.
I never said Cheap. The article has that title, but some of the phones I mentioned could compete as PHone of the Year in some cases, especially with OVerall Value is taken into consideration. Your list does NOT do that nearly as well as it could have if the author explored and dug a little deeper for All the options that are emerging.
- Have them write a comment if you can? -
_User1
Awesome post! It's by fair the best I've read (don't really read that many) in a long while. It would be nice to see something on how to get phones not normally available here in the US. I've been getting phones from amazon and ebay too. I've been happy with most phones purchased. It might be my first phone purchased at retail, as I'm gearing up to find something this Black Friday season.HelloJelloFellow said:Ok Tom's Guide and @Mark Spoonauer... sorry to go negative here w/ my 1st and maybe only post, But I agree 100% with the words of Androidchap. The quality of choice and truly progressive "Good Looking" tech in phones in the mass USA market is boring, lame, uncreative and WAY overpriced. Maybe it's not totally your fault that you put together a list which is completely uneventful... you're only reporting what the major carriers are largely selling as well as retail chains.
Rather, 'Tom's' could (and should starting soon) strive to separate your reviews of handsets and Smart devices by going outside the norm and telling 'The People' about lesser known brands and companies who are Truly putting fantastic value and major Bang for the buck into their devices and enlightening the people to these emerging options here in our market, and not just overseas.
Androidchap laid down some good examples, and noted the UK market also, and I would quickly emphasise other Asian companies who are putting out Beautiful designs with awesome specs for less than half the cost of even these "mid-range" value B.S models on the list.
Again, I'm not picking on you, your list is just like PC mags, cnet, techgurus, etc... you all have the same models but just in slightly different order as to your "best of-pick".
So piggybacking on the manufacturer's Androidchap noted, I would additionally offer up for 'the People' to check out: Xiaomi and their entire Mi line of electronics, such as the Mi 9, REDMi 9/Note 9s/9 Pro, 10 ... you get the idea. Add to that a newish player called Elephone (who's latest offering in the "value" space can now be had in pre-sale for the apsurd low cost of $130-$170 US and is spec'd more like a "flagship" phone in our market. Crazy.
Just look at the build quality, color choices, camera options galore (like 48 & 64 mp, 4 lens, with macro and good night vision capability) and you begin to see the vast differences out there. And did I mention the value? The bang for the buck that truly can be had if people just knew what to ask for? Oh yeah... I Did mention that.
Here's another- ASUS, who some should recognize for their Chromebooks, laptops, tabs, etc, ...well, turns out they make really killer phone designs too! Soon to launch should be the next ZenPhone 7 plus a higher-end (they claim) option in their Logic line I believe they call it?
Doesn't matter, the point is that you guys (Tom's) should be the ONES telling us about these alternatives, instead of just re-presenting the same year-over-year options which Anyone who's owned a Smartphone should already kinda have a feel for OR could get the same generic dialog from walking into a Verizon, AT&T, t-Mobile, or Sprint store and chatting it up with the sales kid. Just my opinion, but if I were you I would try to do something New to separate yourself from the other "big boys" in the Consumer Electronic Review space and make a name for yourselves AS PROGRESSIVE.
Your list sucks. The phones are ugly and mostly lame.
(sure, some of the Mi models I mentioned aren't 5G capable at the SUB-$350 range! (no duh), but who cares! Spend just a little more with them, like still under $500, $600, $700 and guess what- comes Standard with a Snapdragon 855 and All the bells and whistles to boot. That's a hell of a lot better than the stupidly ridiculous price that Apple & Samsung have "trained" most of us to expect for their "elite" models... give me a break. The iPhone hasn't barely had a 'sexy' or interesting design change in like... Forever!
Sadly, the phone scene in the States in largely boring and homogenized like most things.
Just take a moment to Go Look at the beautiful design Aesthetics of some models available in UK, Europe, and for certain Korea, Japan and China and you will see what I'm seeing...
America is sadly NOT a leader or out in front in the CE (electronics) marketplace at all.
We lag; big time.
Anyhow, that my 2 cents and a little more for you and some readers perhaps.
Take my suggestion and reinvent what you're bringing to the rest of us here in the USA and begin covering the "Cutting-edge stuff" and leave the lame re-runs and slow to change models and brands to others. (Obviously, you still need to cover Apple, Samsung, HTC, ONE, Moto, etc.,) but bring some new blood into the mix is all I'm getting at.
I'm off to order a totally KIck Ass Smart (and stylish) modern handset... it just isn't represented on Your or most anyone else's "Review" lists circulating here in the States.
It unfortunately crossed my mind that maybe you're promoting and writing about the 'regular' stuff because it helps drive your affiliate/partner advertising and links for readers to go purchase from the "Samsung's of the world" as their only or 'best' current option?
Maybe it would be a lot more fun and add A Lot more valuable to your audience if you covered the Latest and (Less well Known) Greatest, rather than just the same-ol', same 'ol brands and models.
Give it a thought?
Lastly, your site or blog or forum or whatever this is happens to way too busy with large flashy Ads, pop-ups and general distractions, which also under value your potential to be taken more seriously. I know it helps pay the rent and expenses, but maybe take back some control and tone down the mass advertising on-slaught here. Thanks for the consideration.
Take care and Best of luck starting to cover "The Good Stuff". See Ya boys and girls!
-Jeff
Was great reading your opinion and I agree with you pretty close to 100%. Thanks for posting. -
rbtrry HelloJelloFellow said:Ok Tom's Guide and @Mark Spoonauer... sorry to go negative here w/ my 1st and maybe only post, But I agree 100% with the words of Androidchap. The quality of choice and truly progressive "Good Looking" tech in phones in the mass USA market is boring, lame, uncreative and WAY overpriced. Maybe it's not totally your fault that you put together a list which is completely uneventful... you're only reporting what the major carriers are largely selling as well as retail chains.
Rather, 'Tom's' could (and should starting soon) strive to separate your reviews of handsets and Smart devices by going outside the norm and telling 'The People' about lesser known brands and companies who are Truly putting fantastic value and major Bang for the buck into their devices and enlightening the people to these emerging options here in our market, and not just overseas.
Androidchap laid down some good examples, and noted the UK market also, and I would quickly emphasise other Asian companies who are putting out Beautiful designs with awesome specs for less than half the cost of even these "mid-range" value B.S models on the list.
Again, I'm not picking on you, your list is just like PC mags, cnet, techgurus, etc... you all have the same models but just in slightly different order as to your "best of-pick".
So piggybacking on the manufacturer's Androidchap noted, I would additionally offer up for 'the People' to check out: Xiaomi and their entire Mi line of electronics, such as the Mi 9, REDMi 9/Note 9s/9 Pro, 10 ... you get the idea. Add to that a newish player called Elephone (who's latest offering in the "value" space can now be had in pre-sale for the apsurd low cost of $130-$170 US and is spec'd more like a "flagship" phone in our market. Crazy.
Just look at the build quality, color choices, camera options galore (like 48 & 64 mp, 4 lens, with macro and good night vision capability) and you begin to see the vast differences out there. And did I mention the value? The bang for the buck that truly can be had if people just knew what to ask for? Oh yeah... I Did mention that.
Here's another- ASUS, who some should recognize for their Chromebooks, laptops, tabs, etc, ...well, turns out they make really killer phone designs too! Soon to launch should be the next ZenPhone 7 plus a higher-end (they claim) option in their Logic line I believe they call it?
Doesn't matter, the point is that you guys (Tom's) should be the ONES telling us about these alternatives, instead of just re-presenting the same year-over-year options which Anyone who's owned a Smartphone should already kinda have a feel for OR could get the same generic dialog from walking into a Verizon, AT&T, t-Mobile, or Sprint store and chatting it up with the sales kid. Just my opinion, but if I were you I would try to do something New to separate yourself from the other "big boys" in the Consumer Electronic Review space and make a name for yourselves AS PROGRESSIVE.
Your list sucks. The phones are ugly and mostly lame.
(sure, some of the Mi models I mentioned aren't 5G capable at the SUB-$350 range! (no duh), but who cares! Spend just a little more with them, like still under $500, $600, $700 and guess what- comes Standard with a Snapdragon 855 and All the bells and whistles to boot. That's a hell of a lot better than the stupidly ridiculous price that Apple & Samsung have "trained" most of us to expect for their "elite" models... give me a break. The iPhone hasn't barely had a 'sexy' or interesting design change in like... Forever!
Sadly, the phone scene in the States in largely boring and homogenized like most things.
Just take a moment to Go Look at the beautiful design Aesthetics of some models available in UK, Europe, and for certain Korea, Japan and China and you will see what I'm seeing...
America is sadly NOT a leader or out in front in the CE (electronics) marketplace at all.
We lag; big time.
Anyhow, that my 2 cents and a little more for you and some readers perhaps.
Take my suggestion and reinvent what you're bringing to the rest of us here in the USA and begin covering the "Cutting-edge stuff" and leave the lame re-runs and slow to change models and brands to others. (Obviously, you still need to cover Apple, Samsung, HTC, ONE, Moto, etc.,) but bring some new blood into the mix is all I'm getting at.
I'm off to order a totally KIck Ass Smart (and stylish) modern handset... it just isn't represented on Your or most anyone else's "Review" lists circulating here in the States.
It unfortunately crossed my mind that maybe you're promoting and writing about the 'regular' stuff because it helps drive your affiliate/partner advertising and links for readers to go purchase from the "Samsung's of the world" as their only or 'best' current option?
Maybe it would be a lot more fun and add A Lot more valuable to your audience if you covered the Latest and (Less well Known) Greatest, rather than just the same-ol', same 'ol brands and models.
Give it a thought?
Lastly, your site or blog or forum or whatever this is happens to way too busy with large flashy Ads, pop-ups and general distractions, which also under value your potential to be taken more seriously. I know it helps pay the rent and expenses, but maybe take back some control and tone down the mass advertising on-slaught here. Thanks for the consideration.
Take care and Best of luck starting to cover "The Good Stuff". See Ya boys and girls!
-Jeff
I normally use forums to find answers to whatever hardware/software related problems I experience at that particular moment, rarely comment under articles and almost never reply to other comments. But, after having read this comment, I wanted to sign up & let the author know how much I appreciated what they've written - and not just in terms of its content, but also for the passionate tone that conveys that they really care. I do hope that tom's guide does also appreciate the fact that one of their readers put in the time & effort to write this well thought out, constructive criticism full of salient points & good, practical suggestions.
I had never heard of elephone before. Just checked & discovered that they are sold in my homeland. Would probably have skipped them without a second glance, had I not read your comment @HelloJelloFellow, but will research them now. So thanks & all the best. -
RudyTheNinja An article of phones under $500 in 2023Reply
I was looking at the Pixel 6a in it and saw a link to it being compared to the Pixel 7
That post talked about the 7 as if it wasnt out yet, no prices and other data. But had a link to 7 vs 7pro
Turns out the 7 is already out and the price has since been dropped to $499 (you can see this in the 7 vs 7pro article)
Thought I'd make my first reply letting them know that the 7 can replace the 6a on the list
But turns out the article was from 2020 and now locked