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Some of america instrumentality a benignant of “eat to live” alternatively than a “live to eat” attack to gadgets. They’re tools that assistance you get things done, not thing you privation to put a batch of clip oregon wealth in. If that’s you — and there’s nary judgement present from a certifiable gadget nerd — past you tin astir apt deliberation of much worthwhile ways to walk $1,000 than connected a phone.
Budget phones to the rescue. These devices are astir $600 oregon under, and they’re much susceptible than ever. You won’t get each the bells and whistles, but you volition prevention a small wealth to walk on, I don’t know, existent bells and whistles. It’s your world.
What compromises tin you expect from a fund phone? Some operation of the following: slower processors, little storage, and worse cameras than flagship phones, astir crossed the board. Many person lower-resolution screens, astir skip wireless charging, and h2o absorption is often little robust than connected a pricier phone.
The champion inexpensive iPhone
Apple iPhone 17E
Score: 7
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Where to Buy:
Screen: 6.1-inch, 1170p, 60Hz OLED / Processor: A19 / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.6 with OIS, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,005mAh / Charging: 20W wired, 15W MagSafe wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IP68
The iPhone 17E is the minimum viable iPhone — and I mean that successful a bully way. It has the aforesaid speedy A19 chipset arsenic the modular iPhone 17, starts with a decent 256GB of storage, and offers a afloat time of artillery life. It besides comes with MagSafe, dissimilar last year’s 16E, opening up faster magnetic wireless charging and a satellite of grips and accessories.
Still, determination are a fewer large omissions successful Apple’s cheapest iPhone. The astir evident is that it’s constricted to a azygous 48-megapixel rear camera, lacking adjacent an ultrawide. That’s thing plentifulness of buyers are apt to find limiting. Fewer radical are apt to beryllium bothered by the phone’s deficiency of an always-on display, its 60Hz refresh rate, oregon the information that it doesn’t enactment Apple’s Dynamic Island, which is simply a useful mode to support way of Live Activities.
For some, those volition beryllium bully reasons to walk $200 much connected the iPhone 17. For others, they won’t — my ma had ne'er adjacent noticed her aged iPhone 12 had a 2nd rear camera, truthful I don’t deliberation she’ll miss it connected her caller 17E. Android alternatives astatine this terms volition besides get you other lenses, smoother displays, and faster charging. But if you privation an iPhone, and $600 is wherever your fund stops, the 17E is the champion you’ve got without buying pre-owned.
Read our afloat iPhone 17E review.
The champion inexpensive Android phone
Google Pixel 10A
Score: 7
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Where to Buy:
Screen: 6.3-inch, 1080p, 120Hz OLED / Processor: Tensor G4 / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.7 with OIS, 13-megapixel ultrawide, 13-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,100mAh / Charging: 30W wired, 10W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IP68
You couldn’t telephone the Pixel 10A an ambitious phone; it’s fundamentally a c transcript of last year’s Pixel 9A with a somewhat flatter camera bump. Still, Google’s contention hasn’t precocious overmuch either, which means the 10A remains the champion inexpensive Android telephone you tin buy, abbreviated of picking up a discounted 9A portion it’s inactive connected merchantability (well, astatine slightest successful the US — buyers elsewhere should look to Poco and Realme for immoderate stiff competition).
The 10A is powered by the aforesaid Tensor G4 spot arsenic past year, though its 6.3-inch OLED surface is somewhat brighter. The artillery is the aforesaid size, but Google says it should past a small longer acknowledgment to optimization, and the 30W wired and 10W wireless charging is simply a fraction faster, too. The biggest summation implicit the 9A is outer connectivity, which is utile if you regularly find yourself disconnected the grid.
The 10A’s cameras stay 1 of its biggest strengths, with the 48-megapixel main camera (the aforesaid arsenic successful the regular Pixel 10) joined by an ultrawide. You won’t find galore phones with amended cameras astatine this price, though you volition find immoderate with much lenses.
Read our afloat Google Pixel 10A review.
The fund telephone with a big, beauteous screen
Nothing Phone 4A Pro
Score: 6
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Where to Buy:
Screen: 6.83-inch, 1260p, 144Hz OLED / Processor: Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 / Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.9 with OIS, 50-megapixel 3.5x telephoto, 8-megapixel ultrawide, 32-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,080mAh / Charging: 50W wired / Weather-resistance rating: IP65
The Phone 4A Pro is 1 of the fewer Nothing phones to get a existent US release. In a way, it’s besides 1 of the brand’s astir blimpish designs, with its transparent integrative mostly giving mode to opaque metal, extracurricular of the chunky camera module (which has the boon of a 3.5x telephoto lens but mixed show otherwise). The metallic plan besides means there’s nary wireless charging, though accelerated 50W wired charging helps marque up for that.
The 4A Pro volition mostly entreaty for its ample 6.83-inch display, which is brighter than rivals and features a faster 144Hz refresh rate. That pairs nicely with Nothing’s eye-catching bundle design, which makes the 4A Pro a looker successful conscionable astir each respect. That said, portion the bundle whitethorn look good, Nothing lone promises 3 OS updates, meaning the company’s latest handset won’t suit anyone looking for a telephone for the agelong run.
Read our afloat Nothing Phone 4A Pro review.
Other fund phones to consider
- The 2026 Motorola Moto G Power offers a batch contempt its starting terms of $299.99. It features a 6.8-inch LCD display, a 5,200mAh battery, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is progressively uncommon successful 2026. Additionally, the instrumentality combines some IP68 and IP69 ratings, meaning it’s rated for some submersion successful h2o and vulnerability to high-pressure h2o jets and steam, successful summation to afloat extortion from dust. Our biggest interest with Motorola’s fund phones is however overmuch bloatware they travel with — beryllium prepared to opt retired and uninstall a clump of worldly you ne'er asked for.Â
- The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE is different perfectly susceptible telephone that doesn’t rather gain a proposal here. It’s a small extracurricular the scope of this usher astatine $649 anyhow (although you tin sometimes prime it up astatine a discount), but you bash get a telephoto lens and a nice, large surface for that price. Still, you’re amended disconnected redeeming a clump and picking up the Pixel 10A oregon trying to people a trade-in promo for the newer Galaxy S26.
- The Samsung Galaxy A57 precocious launched successful the US with a starting terms of $549, up $50 from the twelvemonth before. The instrumentality has each the makings of a coagulated midrange phone, including a 6.7-inch OLED display, a 50-megapixel main camera, an Exynos 1680 chip, and a 5,000mAh artillery with 45W wired charging. It’s thinner than its A56 predecessor and has been upgraded to IP68 protection, too. Although we haven’t tested it yet, it faces stiff contention from the Pixel 10A, which starts astatine $499.
- The Samsung Galaxy A37 5G is different large prime that’s disposable successful the US for $449. The instrumentality sports a large OLED display, an Exynos 1480 processor, and an IP68 standing for h2o and particulate resistance. Samsung is promising six years of OS and information updates, which is simply a batch for a telephone successful this terms range. While we haven’t tested the A37 5G, its predecessor offered a bully equilibrium of hardware and price, and the latest merchandise sounds conscionable arsenic compelling.
- TCL’s Nxtpaper 70 Pro precocious went connected merchantability successful the US, though it’s exclusive to T-Mobile and Metro. Its main selling constituent is its 6.9-inch Nxtpaper 4.0 matte LCD screen, which is expected to beryllium easier connected your eyes than a accepted LCD. It besides features a “Max Ink Mode,” which turns the surface monochrome and silences notifications, positive somewhat higher specs than its predecessor.
Senior reviewer Allison Johnson besides contributed to this post.
English (US) ·