You can get a lot of phone for $300 or less these days. Motorola has been a leading name in midrange options for years, and that holds true with its excellent new Moto G7, but there are other great options to consider from brands like Huawei and Nokia, too.
Best overall
Moto G7
Staff pick
The Moto G7 has just about everything you could ask of a phone at this price. The software is clean yet clever with Moto Actions and Moto Display, and it’s quick to recharge with Motorola’s TurboPower charging. The G7 also has decent specs, including a Snapdragon 632, 64GB of expandable storage, and 4GB of RAM — and it finally charges over USB-C!
$300 at Amazon
Midrange done right
Samsung Galaxy A7
The Galaxy A7 packs a 6-inch display, 128GB of storage, and a triple camera array into a gorgeous glass and metal design. What more can you ask for at such an affordable price? You also get a 3,300mAh battery, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, Android Oreo, and face unlock. Oh, and did we mention it still has a headphone jack?
$285 at Amazon
Android One
Nokia 6.1
Nokia is back in the game with a refreshed Nokia 6 that offers far better performance and battery life. Because it runs Android One, the Nokia 6.1 runs delightfully barebones software with the promise of timely updates. The 5.5-inch 1080p LCD display looks fantastic, and it has one of the better cameras in its segment. On top of that, Nokia releases monthly security updates to keep its phones protected — a rarity for low-cost phones.
$219 at Amazon
Modern chic
Huawei P20 Lite
The P20 Lite has a gorgeous reflective glass-and-metal design with a high screen-to-body ratio and a notched display. It won’t work on CDMA carriers, but AT&T and T-Mobile customers can enjoy its speedy performance and eye-catching looks. The 3,000mAh battery provides excellent longevity, and while stock Android purists may not love its EMUI software, it runs well over Android Oreo, and it’s soon to receive an update to Pie.
$255 at Amazon
Great affordable option
Honor 7X
The Honor 7X may only be $200, but it feels like a flagship with its outstandingly sturdy aluminum design and zippy EMUI 8 interface overtop Android 8.0 Oreo. Its dual cameras take surprisingly good photos, and the specs are outstanding for the price — an octa-core Kirin 659 chipset and 4GB of RAM. The 3340mAh battery is long-lasting, and the rear fingerprint sensor can be conveniently used for accessing the notification shade.
$220 at Amazon
For tight budgets
Moto E5
The Moto E5 may not seem appealing at first compared to the Moto G7, but for less than half the price, it carries an enormous 5000mAh battery that provides multi-day battery life. It still runs fairly smoothly as well, with a Snapdragon 425 processor and a pared-back build of Android 8.0 Oreo, and its dual SIM capabilities make it great for international travelers.
$123 at Amazon
Phones are getting better for cheaper than ever before, and these are some of the best you’ll find under $300. Huawei, Nokia, Samsung, and Honor all have great options for users on GSM carriers, but for a great Android experience that will work on virtually any carrier, look no further than the long-lasting, widely available Moto G7.
