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?
$275 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 on a 5.5-inch 1080p LCD display that 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.
$229 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.
$224 at Amazon
Great affordable option
Honor 8X
The Honor 7X may only be $200, but it feels like a flagship with its head-turning glass design and zippy EMUI 9 interface overtop Android 9 Pie. Its dual cameras take surprisingly good photos, and the specs are outstanding for the price — an octa-core Kirin 710 chipset and up to 6GB of RAM. The 3750mAh battery is long-lasting, and the rear fingerprint sensor can be conveniently used for accessing the notification shade.
$210 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, a pared-back build of Android 8.0 Oreo, and its dual SIM capabilities make it great for international travelers.
$120 at Amazon
Why you don’t need to spend more than $300 on a phone
Affordable phones used to be a complete mess of cheap parts, slow performance, and nonexistent software updates, but thankfully, those days are long gone.
In 2019, premium materials and designs are no longer exclusive to top-dollar flagships. Displays in cheaper phones have gotten surprisingly dense and vibrant. Budget phones aren’t always loaded to the brim with bloatware anymore, and some of these phones even get software updates quicker than most flagships!
Put simply, affordable phones have gotten to be really great lately, with fewer compromises than ever before. Sure, a higher end phone will still have luxuries like certified water resistance, wireless charging, and better cameras, but most people don’t need those features. The things that really matter, like performance and longterm support, are finally all here in the affordable space.
The alternatives are good, too
The Moto G7 is great, but it isn’t the right choice for everyone. The Galaxy A7 has a glass and metal design that trounces the Moto G7’s polycarbonate shell and packs NFC, which allows for mobile payments and quick file transfers. Unfortunately, you’ll have to import it if you live in the U.S., and we’re not expecting it to get Android Q any time soon, if ever.
Likewise, you won’t find the P20 Lite or Honor 8X in stores Stateside, but they work great on GSM networks and have a lot to offer, from their gorgeous designs to their excellent battery life. The Nokia 6.1 is one of the only phones in this price range that’s already running Pie, and thanks to the Android One program, it’ll likely be one of the first to receive Android Q, too.
If you’re on an especially tight budget, the Moto E5 Plus is another great choice. While not quite as speedy as the G7, it comes in at less than half the price with equally clean software, dual SIM support, and a massive 5000mAh battery that all but guarantees you’ll never need to worry about your phone dying before the day’s over.
Why the Moto G7 is the right pick
The Moto G series has always been a staple of the affordable market, and with good reason. The Moto G7 is an outstanding value in every right; the design is sleek and modern, with trim display bezels and a rear fingerprint sensor, the camera is impressive for its field, and it’s even splash resistant (though bear in mind that that’s not the same as full-blown water resistance).
