Smartphones have gotten a lot better over the years, and thankfully, not all of them will cost you an arm and leg now. That's right, you can buy some great Android phones for $300 or even less as long as you don't mind giving up on all the fancy features and sticking with the one or two that are most important to you. I recommend turning to Android phones if you're in the market to buy one of the top-rated phones without breaking the bank, as the budget Android space is constantly swarmed by a ton of options. In fact, there are plenty of good handsets to choose from, which is why I decided to shortlist some of the best Android phones under $300 for you.
The smartphones mentioned below may not be a part of our best smartphones list, but they offer good value for your money and are perfectly capable of handling most day-to-day workloads without a hitch.
Best Android phones for $300 or less in 2023
Samsung Galaxy A23 5G
Offers a well-rounded experience for $300
The Samsung Galaxy A23 5G is one of the latest budget devices from Samsung, offering 5G and a well-rounded experience at a price that doesn't hurt your wallet.
- Good design and build quality
- Crisp looking display with 120Hz refresh rate
- Reliable performance
- No IP rating
- The cameras could've been better
The Galaxy A23 5G is one of the most affordable offerings in Samsung's A-series, and it's perfect for this collection. It offers a decent set of internals with reliable software support for $300. It's also readily available to purchase from various carriers in the US, so you can easily get your hands on it.
The Galaxy A23 5G debuted as an LTE-only phone. The 5G version of the device didn't go on sale until recently, so it's still fresh off the line. Samsung is using a 6.6-inch FHD+ infinity-V LCD for this one with a resolution of 1080 x 2408 pixels. One of the best things about this particular display is that it supports up to 120Hz refresh rate. That makes it the only phone in this collection to have a 120Hz display.
The Galaxy A23 5G is powered by the Snapdragon 695 SoC and can be purchased with up to 6GB of RAM. The base variant of the device only comes with 64GB of storage, though. That's not particularly impressive, but thankfully it supports expandable storage via a microSD card. You can add up to 1TB of storage to this phone, which is great.
Samsung has also packed a 5,000mAh battery inside this particular phone, which means it should be able to last you for a long time between charges. And unlike the Moto G Power (2022), the Galaxy A23 5G supports 25W charging speeds to top up the battery quickly.
As for the optics, Samsung is offering a quad-camera system on the Galaxy A23 5G. The setup includes a 50MP f/1.8 sensor, a 5MP ultra-wide camera, and two 2MP sensors for depth and macro shots. Selfies are handled by an 8MP sensor, which is on par with what you get on most budget devices. Lastly, it's worth noting that the Galaxy A23 5G also has a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is still very important for phones in this price range.
OnePlus Nord N30 5G
The only phone on the list to support up to 50W charging
OnePlus Nord N30 is one of the best phones you can buy in this price range as it offers a reliable experience in a good-looking package. It also offers the fastest charging speed in this segment.
- Beautiful design
- 5,000mAh battery with up to 50W wired charging
- Reliable performance
- Underwhelming camera performance
- The build quality could've been better
The OnePlus Nord N30 isn't a significant departure from its predecessor, but it offers a compelling package for $300. The highlight of this particular phone — at least for me — is its charging speed. OnePlus has packed this phone with a 5,000mAh battery which is capable of charging at up to 50W. It's the only phone in this segment to offer a true fast-charging feature. What's also truly commendable is the fact that OnePlus bundles it with a compatible charger in the box, meaning you don't have to spend any more money to get the best experience.
Some other highlights of the OnePlus Nord N30 5G include a beautiful design that makes it stand out from the rest in its segment. It's powered by the same Snapdragon 695 SoC as the Galaxy A23 5G, and it comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. You also get a triple camera setup at the back with a 108MP main sensor, a 3.5mm headphone jack, support for NFC, and more. The only thing stopping me from recommending the Nord N30 as the best overall pick over the Galaxy A23 5G is its software support.
OnePlus is only promising a single Android OS update and up to three years of security patches for the Nord N30 5G. While that, technically, means it'll be supported for the same duration as the Galaxy A23 5G (as it debuted last year with Android 12), I believe OnePlus should've done a better job. Samsung is also known to be more reliable with its software updates than most manufacturers out there, which is why I'd recommend the Galaxy A23 over the Nord N30. You can't go wrong with either of them, though, so be sure to pick the one that suits your needs.
Samsung Galaxy A14 5G
The best $200 you'll spend on a smartphone in 2023
The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is an affordable smartphone with a beautiful display, plenty of power, and a compact design.
- Impressive performance for the price
- Nice looking, 90Hz display
- Great battery life
- No IP rating
- Macro and depth cameras could've been better
If you only have $200 to spare for a smartphone in 2023, then I suggest spending it on Samsung's Galaxy A14 5G. It's undoubtedly one of the best budget phones you can buy right now, and it offers great value for your money. XDA's Chris Wedel called it an "overachieving budget phone" in his review and added XDA's recommended badge next to its name. It outperforms many other phones in its price range and is an easy recommendation for those who are on a tight budget.
The Galaxy A14 5G is powered by Samsung's in-house Exynos 1330 chipset, which performs admirably to deliver a reliable day-to-day user experience. It's not going to win any race with its benchmark numbers, but it still performs better than any other phones in the sub-$300 segment. It also excels in the battery department thanks to its 5,000mAh battery, which should comfortably last you for up to two days on a single charge with moderate use.
There's nothing to write home about the Galaxy A14's cameras, but you can get some good-looking photos and videos from its main sensor. What I also like about this phone is that it ships with One UI 5.1 based on Android 13 out of the box and is slated to receive two major Android OS updates and up to four years of security updates. I suggest you read our Galaxy A14 5G review to learn more about it in detail.
TCL Stylus 5G
For those who want a budget phone with a built-in stylus
The TCL Stylus 5G is a budget smartphone with a garaged stylus. It also has a nice screen, great software, and a decent camera.
- Reliable performance for day-to-day usage
- Good battery life
- Good stylus implementation
- The overall software experience could've been better
- The cameras need some work
The TCL Stylus 5G is one of the best budget phones you can buy in the U.S. right now. It even trounces the Moto G Stylus to take the number spot in the list of budget phones that come with a stylus. I say that because it offers a better experience overall, that too for just $250. The stylus bundled with the TCL Stylus 5G is a passive one, meaning it doesn't have a battery of its own, nor does it support Bluetooth. But as mentioned in our TCL Stylus 5G review, it still works very well with minimal latency.
You'll also find it very comfortable to use the stylus on this phone's 6.81-inch LCD panel. It may not be the brightest display on the market, but it's sharp enough for crisp and clear visuals, and it'll let you navigate around the phone with the stylus. You're not going to notice any significant performance issues while using this particular phone on a day-to-day basis because it's powered by a decently powerful Dimensity 700 SoC and comes with 4GB of RAM.
The overall performance of the phone is mostly on-par with a lot of other budget phones in this segment, so there's not much to complain about. The same can be said about the battery life of this phone. It may not be on par with the big players in this space, but its 4,000mAh battery will get you through a day without any major issues. On the software side, it ships with Android 12 out of the box, and it's promised to receive the Android 13 update and up to four years of security updates.
You can also consider the Moto G Stylus (2023) model if you want a budget phone with a stylus, but keep in mind that it only comes with an HD+ display and dual rear cameras, and it also skips NFC and fast charging.
POCO M4 Pro
One of the best budget phones that's not readily available in the U.S.
The POCO M4 Pro is one of the best budget phones you can buy in other markets outside the United States. It offers a good set of features and specs for the price, making it a good option to consider.
- Good performance
- Excellent battery life
- IP53 splash resistance
- Lackluster camera performance
- The display could've been brighter
It's no secret that the US market doesn't get nearly as many budget phones as the Asian or European markets do. If you're open to the idea of importing a smartphone to the U.S. or if you have someone that can carry a phone while traveling back to the U.S., then it automatically unlocks a lot of options. The POCO M4 Pro is one such device that I think is worth considering if you don't mind putting in a little more work to get it in the US.
The POCO M4 Pro that debuted in Europe last year is essentially the global variant of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S with some minor changes and a fresh design. It features a 6.43-inch FHD+ 90Hz display on the front, meaning it's better than a lot of budget phones in the U.S. that only have a 60Hz panel.
As for the internals, you get a MediaTek Helio G96 chipset with up to 8GB of RAM. One of the best things about this phone is that it comes with both a headphone jack and a microSD card slot for expandable storage. Both of these features, as we mentioned earlier, are still crucial to phones in this price segment.
On the battery front, you get a 5,000mAh battery with support for up to 33W fast charging. The POCO M4 Pro also gets a triple camera setup at the back, which includes a 64MP main camera along with an 8MP ultra-wide and a 2MP macro sensor. Some other noteworthy features of the POCO M4 Pro include MIUI 12.5 software, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, an IR blaster, and more.
The only downside to buying this phone is the fact that it's not officially available in the U.S. That's not necessarily a deal-breaker as long as you are open to importing a phone because there are plenty of importers out there to help you facilitate your purchase. Even with the markup price to cover shipping and additional taxes, you'll still be paying less than $300 for this phone.
Google Pixel 6a
Frequently discounted to go as low as $300
The Pixel 6a is a reliable budget smartphone, packing powerful cameras and Google's in-house Tensor chipset. It's frequently discounted in 2023, so you'll often find it for $300 or less.
- Reliable performance with Tensor chip
- Good camera
- Great software experience
- Slow charging
- The display tops out at 60Hz
- Tensor tends to run hot in this phone
The Google Pixel 6a is a bonus pick that I wanted to highlight as it's frequently discounted and is often available for $300 or less these days. It may not be the newest smartphone out there, but it's hard to argue against the value it brings to the table. You can snag one for $330 from Amazon right now, which is an excellent price for a phone that offers a great overall experience with the stock Android experience.
One of the best things about the Pixel 6a is that it's powered by the Google Tensor, the same chip that's running the show inside the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro. You also get 6GB of RAM, 128GB storage, and 5G support to make it a well-rounded phone for day-to-day usage. It also sports a gorgeous 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED display, which is better than what a lot of other phones offer in this price range. It tops out at 60Hz, but that's not necessarily a deal-breaker, especially if you're coming from an older phone that used a 60Hz panel too.
The phone also more than makes up for it with its excellent cameras. Despite the lower price point, Google's A-series phones don't skimp out on the company's computational photography software. Although the lenses are the same ones from the Pixel 5 (and as a reminder, we're on the Pixel 7), you can still take great photos regardless of the lighting situation. Google's new Pixel 7a is definitely the better phone to buy if you have the budget for it, but don't let the Pixel 6a fly under your radar. It still holds up very well and is a solid purchase for $300 or less.
Best Android phones for $300 or less: The bottom line
The Samsung Galaxy A23 5G is the best smartphone you can buy in the U.S. overall with a $300 budget. The Snapdragon 695 SoC pulls a lot of weight to deliver reliable day-to-day performance, and it also comes with 6GB of RAM and expandable storage. The highlight of this particular phone has got to be its display because it's the only one on this list with support for up to 120Hz refresh rate. You also get a versatile set of cameras at the back, along with a 5,000mAh battery to keep the lights on for hours. There's a lot to like about the Galaxy A23 5G, and it's definitely worth buying if you're working with a limited budget.
The OnePlus Nord N30 is also a solid option to consider, especially if you care about your phone's charging speeds. I've also added some other reliable options to this ever-evolving list, including the Pixel 6a and the TCL Stylus 5G, so be sure to explore all the options before making a purchase decision.
Samsung Galaxy A23 5G
The Samsung Galaxy A23 5G is one of the latest budget devices from Samsung, offering 5G and a well-rounded experience at a price that doesn't hurt your wallet.