5 best budget smartphones under $200

Best budget smartphones
Best budget smartphones to buy now (Image via Samsung)

You don’t need to spend a hefty amount of money when you can get the best budget smartphones under $200. These devices offer a good balance between features, performance, and build quality while staying under this price tag. The price-to-feature ratio makes them highly desirable options among users who want a smartphone for day-to-day tasks or a secondary device.

Various companies offer plenty of devices to cater to different users' preferences. This means selecting the ideal device from the sea of options can be challenging. To help you out, we've curated a list of the five best budget smartphones under $200.

Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer


List of five best budget smartphones under $200

1) Samsung Galaxy A05

One of the best budget smartphones under $200 with four years of security updates (Image via Samsung/Amazon)
One of the best budget smartphones under $200 with four years of security updates (Image via Samsung/Amazon)

The Samsung Galaxy A05 comes with Android 13 out of the box. The Korean giant has also promised two generations of OS upgrades and four years of security updates for the device, making it one of the best budget smartphones under $200.

The Samsung Galaxy A05 runs on a Helio G85 processor paired with a Mali G52 GPU, delivering decent performance for your everyday tasks. The smartphone also has a decent camera setup.

Specifications

Samsung Galaxy A05

Processor

MediaTek Helio G85

Camera

Rear: 50MP + 2MP || Front: 8MP

Battery

5000mAH with 25W charging

Display

6.7 inches PLS LCD

RAM

Up to 6GB

Memory

Up to 128GB

Price

Starts at $129

The Samsung Galaxy A05 features a 6.7-inch PLS LCD to provide wider viewing angles. It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is rare in today’s smartphone line-ups. Moreover, it comes with 128GB of internal memory, which is expandable up to 1TB via microSD card.

Although the smartphone gets heated up and the battery drains very fast when multitasking, you will get a smooth experience in normal usage.

Feel free to check out our list of the best Samsung Galaxy phones.

Pros:

  • You get Android 13 out of the box and two generations of OS upgrades.
  • The battery life is good.
  • Expandable memory up to 1TB via microSD card.

Cons:

  • It does not have any IP ratings.
  • It has an LCD screen; the resolution is only HD at 720.
  • It does not support wireless charging.

2) Moto G Play 2024

One of the best budget smartphones under $200 with PDAF (Image via Motorola)
One of the best budget smartphones under $200 with PDAF (Image via Motorola)

Motorola's newest 2024 edition of the Moto G Play has some decent improvements from its predecessor. It still has the same 6.5-inch 720p LCD screen, but the refresh rate has improved to 90Hz for smooth video watching. The smartphone also boasts dual speakers with Dolby Atmos support, so it is a great pick for an immersive media experience.

The device runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 SoC paired with an Adreno 610 GPU. It has a 5,000mAh battery, which offers up to 46 hours on a single charge.

Specifications

Moto G Play 2024

Processor

Snapdragon 680

Camera

Rear: 50MP || Front: 8MP

Battery

5000mAH with 15W charging

Display

6.5 inches LCD

RAM

Up to 6GB (By RAM boost)

Memory

Up to 64GB

Price

Starts at $149

The Moto G Play 2024 supports HDR and Phase Detection Autofocus, or PDAF for short. For those who don’t know, PDAF works by splitting incoming light into pairs of images and using the difference between them to give more accurate focus. It is the same feature found on the best mirrorless cameras.

All these features make the Moto G Play 2024 one of the best budget smartphones under $200.

Pros:

  • Excellent performance. Thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 and Adreno 610 GPU.
  • It boasts a quad-pixel sensor with the camera.
  • Comes with an IP52 rating for dust and splash resistance.

Cons:

  • It only has 15W fast charging support.
  • Available only on sale for now.

3) Redmi Note 13

The Note 13 is one of the best budget smartphones under $200 (Image via Mi)
The Note 13 is one of the best budget smartphones under $200 (Image via Mi)

Redmi is known for offering the best budget smartphones, and the latest offering from the brand continues to uphold this reputation. The Redmi Note 13 looks like a high-end premium device, thanks to its 6.7-inch AMOLED screen.

The peak brightness of the device is up to 1,000 nits. The bezels are super-thin, and the screen-to-body ratio is 93.3%, currently one of the best in the market.

Specifications

Redmi Note 13

Processor

MediaTek Dimensity 6080

Camera

Rear: 108MP+8MP+2MP || Front: 16MP

Battery

5000mAH with 33W charging

Display

6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED

RAM

Up to 12GB

Memory

Up to 256GB

Price

Starts at $170

The Redmi Note 13 can run a whole day with its 5000mAh battery, which can get powered up quickly with 33W fast charging. It has the old MIUI 14 skin instead of the latest HyperOS.

The device is pre-loaded with plenty of bloatware. It also has small but handy features like a 3.5mm jack and an IR blaster.

Pros:

  • It has a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with 93.3% screen-to-body-ration.
  • 33W fast charging support.
  • It has a 120Hz refresh rate.
  • It gives exceptional camera performance with the 108MP setup.

Cons:

  • The latest HyperOS software is missing.
  • Pre-installed bloatware in the device.

4) Moto G54

One of the best budget smartphones under $200 (Image via Motorola)
One of the best budget smartphones under $200 (Image via Motorola)

The Moto G54 is an all-rounder with a decent display, impressive battery, powerful performance, and excellent cameras. However, what sets it apart is its RAM and storage. Even its base version has 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, providing ample space for smooth performance.

The device boasts an impressive 6.5-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Its 6000mAh battery can last up to two days. However, it takes a lot of time to get charged fully. The overall build quality is good, and the design looks premium.

Specifications

Moto G54

Processor

MediaTek Dimensity 7020

Camera

Rear: 50MP+ 8MP || Front: 16MP

Battery

6000mAH with 15W charging

Display

6.5-inch FHD

RAM

Up to 8GB

Memory

Up to 256GB

Price

Starts at $185

While Motorola does pre-install some apps that let you customize the fonts, layout, and themes, the Moto G54 offers a predominantly bloatware-free Android experience.

It comes with Android 13 out of the box, and the brand has confirmed an Android 14 upgrade for the device, making it one of the best budget smartphones under $200.

Feel free to check out our list of best phones by Motorola.

Pros:

  • It has one of the best processors for this price range.
  • It is powered by a massive 5000mAh battery.

Cons:

  • The camera performance is underwhelming.
  • The battery might take a long time to get fully charged.

5) Samsung Galaxy A14

One of the best budget smartphones under $200 (Image via Samsung)
One of the best budget smartphones under $200 (Image via Samsung)

Our last pick for this list of the best budget smartphones under $200 is the Samsung Galaxy A14. The best part about this product is the four years of software support (up to 2027). Another highlight is the Exynos 1330 processor, which delivers smooth performance in day-to-day tasks. The smartphone's big 5,000mAh battery with 15W fast charging also performs well.

The device lacks any rounded edges, giving it a blocky look that feels thick. Its camera performance is also a hit-or-miss.

Specifications

Samsung Galaxy A14

Processor

Exynos 1330

Camera

Rear: 50MP+ 2MP+2MP || Front: 13MP

Battery

5000mAH with 15W charging

Display

6.6-inch LCD

RAM

4GB

Memory

64GB

Price

Starts at $199

On the bright side, the Samsung Galaxy A14 comes with NFC for contactless payments and supports 5G. This makes it an ideal device for people who want an affordable device to use for several years.

Pros:

  • Four years of software upgrades promised by the brand.
  • The battery life is good.
  • Smooth daily performance.

Cons:

  • It features an LCD panel.
  • Not many upgrades from the previous models.

That concludes our list of the best budget smartphones under $200. You can pick any based on your preferences.


Check other great devices below:

Best budget Android phones with no bloatware || Best budget Samsung Galaxy phone || Best mid-range phones || Best budget 5G phones || Best Android phones with 4GB RAM

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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh
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