When your budget maxes out at $400, the Google Pixel 3a is the best phone you can get. That’s because it offers the same core experience as the higher-end Pixel 3 that preceded it. You get the same software and features, and the exact same camera experience. The only shortcomings come in the hardware and a couple of the specs — a fine trade-off to save hundreds of dollars.
Best Overall: Google Pixel 3a
The Pixel 3a strikes a good balance between hardware, specs, and experience. Yes, it’s made out of plastic, but it’s really well executed. Yes, it has cut specs compared to the Pixel 3, but it fits right in with the phones at this price. Its features, too, match the competition, but unlike the other phones, the Pixel 3a has great Google software that’s filled with nice little features and guaranteed to get updates for years.
However, what sets the Pixel 3a apart from the competition at this price is its camera. Where it’s completely acceptable for a sub-$400 phone to have an “okay” or “capable” camera, the Pixel 3a has an outstanding camera — because it’s the exact same as the high-end Pixel 3. That means you’re not only getting far and away the best camera at $400, but you’re also getting one of the best cameras period. Even the selfie camera is directly comparable to the Pixel 3’s, which is one area where mid-range phones typically cut costs.
In preparation for the upcoming Pixel 4a, Google has since discontinued the Pixel 3a. The 3a is still an excellent phone and certainly one that’s worth picking up these days, but if you want to wait just a little bit longer, it may be worth seeing what the 4a brings to the table.
Pros:
- Flagship-level camera
- Simple and useful software
- Guaranteed software updates
Cons:
- Cheap feeling plastic build
- Weak battery life
Best Overall
Google Pixel 3a
$374 at Amazon
$400 at Best Buy
$393 at Walmart
A core Pixel 3 experience — and camera — for hundreds less
The Pixel 3a has the same core and camera experiences as the much more expensive Pixel 3 (and even newer Pixel 4) but at a more enticing price point.
Best Value: TCL 10L
There’s no denying just how good of a phone the Pixel 3a is, but we also understand if it’s a bit more money than you were hoping to spend. If you’re trying to keep costs even lower, you owe it to yourself to consider the TCL 10L. Hands down, it has some of the specs and features you’ll find in this price bracket.
For starters, the TCL 10L has a very good display. It’s a 6.53-inch LCD panel, with its secret weapon being TCL’s NXTVISION technology. This allows for a sharper image and more vibrant colors, resulting in a great canvas for games, movies, and more. The internals for the TCL 10L are just as great, with the phone offering good performance, 64GB of expandable storage, and a large 4,000 mAh battery.
We’re really glad that the TCL 10L includes an NFC chip, which allows for contactless Google Pay payments and is something you won’t find in our next pick. It also comes with a “Smart Key,” which is an extra physical button that you can customize to do whatever you want.
Pros:
- Crips and vibrant display
- 4,000 mAh battery
- Has an NFC chip
- Customizable Smart Key
Cons:
- Mediocre cameras
Best Value
TCL 10L
$212 at Amazon
$210 at Best Buy
$250 at B&H
Lots of features and specs for less
TCL’s 10L is a phone you don’t want to overlook, delivering everything you could ask for at a stellar price..
Best Software: Nokia 7.2
Nokia just keeps making great, affordable phones with the same basic formula. You get solid (if understated) hardware, capable specs with just a little extra, solid cameras, and Android One software that’s clean and regularly updated.
The Nokia 7.2 adds in some spice with neat color options and a new triple camera that brings a much higher resolution on the main sensor and supports it with a new ultra-wide lens for interesting shots. The processor, RAM, storage, and battery are all improved from the Nokia 7.1, and it was already no slouch.
Going back to the Android One software mentioned above, this is where the Nokia 7.2 really shines. The phone shipped with Android 9 Pie, has since been updated to Android 10, and should get an update to Android 11 in the future. Nokia promises two years of major OS updates and three years of monthly security patches for its phones, making them some of the best-supported you can find.
Pros:
- Android One software is clean and simple
- Guaranteed software update future
- Triple camera system
- Sleek hardware with interesting colors
- Big screen and suitably large battery
Cons:
- Not easy to use in one hand
- Snapdragon 660 processor is starting to get old
Best Software
Nokia 7.2
$349 at Amazon $350 at Best Buy
From $347 at Walmart
A great all-around phone
It’s tough to argue with Nokia’s formula. The 7.2 has great hardware, a big screen, solid specs, and a promising triple camera.
Best Battery: Moto G Power
Motorola’s Moto G phones often represent some of the best values the Android landscape has to offer, and that’s no different with the Moto G Power. The G Power is one of three Moto G phones that launched in the U.S. in 2020, and it easily stands out as the best of the best from the lineup.
Right out of the gate, the G Power impresses with its long battery life. Thanks to a massive 5,000 mAh battery, the Moto G Power gets up to three days of use on a single charge. That’s among the best battery life you can find on a phone right now, making the Moto G Power an excellent choice if endurance is a top priority for you.
There are plenty of other areas in which the G Power stands tall, including its fast performance, triple rear cameras, clean software, and the presence of a 3.5mm headphone jack. The lack of NFC is a bummer, as is Motorola’s policy of only delivering one major software update, but they’re not enough to diminish the overall package.
Pros:
- Up to 3-day battery life
- Reliable performance
- Triple cameras are good
- Clean software with great features
- Has a headphone jack
Cons:
- No NFC for Google Pay
- Only promised one software update
Best Battery
Moto G Power
$250 at Amazon
$230 at Best Buy
$230 at B&H
The phone that never dies
The Moto G Power has one of the largest batteries you can get, giving you up to three days of use before needing a charge.
Best Display: Samsung Galaxy A71
Samsung’s Galaxy S series gets the most buzz and attention as the go-to lineup of Galaxy phones, but they’re far from the only ones the company makes. If you’re eager to get your hands on a powerful and striking Samsung handset without going broke, check out the Galaxy A71.
The Galaxy A71 has just about everything you could ask for, starting with the design and display. While it is made out of plastic, the sturdy build quality and gorgeous pattern on the back make the A71 look and feel like a much more expensive phone. Further contributing to this is the 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a Full HD+ resolution. It’s large, vibrant, and offers great visibility in direct sunlight. Even better, it’s paired with slim bezels and a small hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera. The Galaxy A71 also delivers fast performance, a large 4,500 mAh battery, and four rear cameras that can take excellent photos.
There is a small catch with the A71, and it’s that this is the international version of it. The A71 is sold officially in the U.S., but it costs well over our budget for this article. You don’t get a warranty with this international model, but the phone should work perfectly fine on T-Mobile and AT&T in the country.
Pros:
- AMOLED display is stunning
- Sleek, modern design
- Huge battery
- Extremely capable camera system
Cons:
- International model
- Made from plastic
- In-screen fingerprint sensor
Best Display
Samsung Galaxy A71
From $375 at Amazon
$400 at Walmart
$380 at B&H
Flagship Samsung without the flagship price
If you want a top-tier Galaxy handset without spending over $1000, the Galaxy A71 is a fantastic purchase.
Best International: Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro
Speaking of international phones, another one we’d like to highlight isn’t officially available in the U.S. in any capacity. It’s the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro, and it’s a simply outstanding piece of tech that delivers a phenomenal experience at an even better price.
Looking at the spec sheet, there’s a lot going for the Note 9 Pro. The phone has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 720 processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 5,020 mAh battery — even bigger than the one found on the Moto G Power. It also has a large 6.67-inch LCD display with slim bezels, along with four cameras on the back.
Similar to the Galaxy A71, the Redmi Note 9 Pro has similar international quirks. Not only does it lack a U.S. warranty, but Xiaomi’s custom Android interface also takes some getting used to. Assuming you’re fine with those two things, this is one heck of a deal.
Pros:
- LCD display looks very good
- 5,020 mAh battery is ginormous
- Fast and reliable performance
- Tons of RAM and storage
Cons:
- Quirks of owning an international phone
Best International
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro
From $265 at Amazon
$272 at Walmart
Venture outside of the American market
Comfortable with buying international phones? The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro provides a killer user experience at a killer price.
Bottom line
The sub-$400 market is both extremely competitive and a little confusing, but there have never been more great Android phones readily available. The Google Pixel 3a clearly stands out as the best possible value for the money under $400, because it’s based on the same principles as Google’s higher-end Pixels. That means it has the same software, features, and camera as the Pixel 3 (and in many ways Pixel 4), but at a considerable discount.
Sure it’s made of plastic, and the screen isn’t as nice, but at this price point you kind of expect those shortcomings. When it comes to the actual experience of using the phone on a day-to-day basis, those missing specs and features fade away and you just experience Google’s fantastic software and flagship-level camera.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Joe Maring is Android Central’s News Editor and has had a love for anything with a screen and CPU since he can remember. He’s been talking/writing about Android in one form or another since 2012 and often does so while camping out at the nearest coffee shop. Have a tip? Reach out on Twitter @JoeMaring1 or send an email to [email protected]!
Daniel Bader is the Managing Editor of Android Central. As he’s writing this, a mountain of old Android phones is about to fall on his head, but his Great Dane will protect him. He drinks way too much coffee and sleeps too little. He wonders if there’s a correlation.
