Buying a smartphone in 2023 is no longer an expensive affair as there are a ton of great phones out there offering a solid experience for less. The Android space, as always, is buzzing with a lot of inexpensive devices that deliver good performance and best without breaking the bank. So if you are in the market to buy a new Android phone for $500 or less, then here are good options to consider right now.

Best Android phones under $500 right now:

Sea Pixel 7a on transparent background
Google Pixel 7a
Best overall

The best Android phone you can buy for $500 right now.

Google's latest mid-ranger brings several improvements over last year's model, making it a great option for the budget conscious. The Pixel 7a packs the flagship Tensor G2 chip, flagship-tier cameras, an improved 90Hz display, more RAM, better durability, and wireless charging support.

Pros
  • Looks and performs like a flagship
  • Offers the best camera in this price range
  • Great value for money
Cons
  • Slow charging speeds

Google's latest A-series phone is undoubtedly one of the best phones you can buy for under $500 in the U.S. right now. It comes as one of the most expensive A-series phones to date, but it goes toe to toe with its flagship sibling. In fact, it's so evenly matched with the Pixel 7 flagship that I think that you are better off buying the Pixel 7a and saving money on your purchase.

The best thing about the Pixel 7a is that it comes with a 90Hz display as opposed to the 60Hz panel that we saw on the Pixel 6a. Not only does this solve one of the biggest gripes I had with Google's A-series phones, but it also puts the Pixel 7a in the same league as the Pixel 7 and a few other top contenders in this segment. It's also powered by the same Tensor G2 chip that runs the show for the flagship Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro.

Some other noteworthy improvements that pretty much seal the deal in favor of the Pixel 7a include a clean Android experience with reliable software support, a solid set of cameras, a decently large battery with support for wireless charging, and more. I suggest you read our Pixel 7a review to learn more about the phone before buying it. Samsung's new Galaxy S23 FE is a solid option to consider if you don't mind spending a $100 more. It's almost on par with its more expensive siblings in the Galaxy S23 series. Stop by our Google Pixel 7a vs Galaxy S23 FE comparison to learn more about these differences between these phones.

A render of the Google Pixel 6a in Charcoal black color.
Google Pixel 6a
Best value pick

Can't go wrong with the Pixel 6a at these discounted prices

The Pixel 6a is a great budget smartphone that will serve you well for many years to come. It packs a powerful set of cameras, Google's in-house Tensor chip, and a couple of other interesting features for around $300 right now.

Pros
  • Reliable performance
  • Good camera
  • Great software
Cons
  • Only a 60Hz display
  • Slow charging speeds

The Pixel 6a is no longer the show-stopper in Google's A-series lineup, but it still stacks up very well against other phones in the budget segment. Google issued a price cut for this phone recently, making it the best affordable Pixel phone you can buy right now, coming in at $350. It's also frequently discounted, so you should be able to grab one for less than that. The Pixel 6a’s biggest strength is the flagship Tensor SoC, providing fast performance and enhancing features like voice dictation and Now Playing using on-device machine learning. The camera performance is excellent, as always, and I would still pick this over many other devices in this price range.

The display is one of the weakest links of the Pixel 6a. While the 6.1-inch OLED panel offers good saturation, deep blacks, and sufficient brightness, it lacks a higher refresh rate. If you’re coming from a phone with a 60Hz display, this is unlikely to notice this difference, but it is nevertheless an odd omission given every phone at this price point at least offers a 90Hz display.

The phone packs a 4,410mAh battery which will easily last a whole day. However, the 18W charging speed is nothing to write home about, and it also doesn’t help that Google doesn’t include a charger inside the box. Software is also a strong suit of the Pixel 6a. The phone runs a near-stock version of Android 13 with the Material You theme and is guaranteed to receive OS updates at least until Android 15.

Samsung A54 5G in black with transparent background, showing front and partial back panel
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
Best pick for display

A beautiful 120Hz AMOLED panel on a budget

The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is a great mid-range phone. It offers a sleek design, a beautiful 120Hz display, plenty of power under the hood, and a triple camera setup on the back.

Pros
  • Beautiful OLED panel
  • Reliable day-to-day performance
  • Long-lasting battery
Cons
  • Slow charging speeds
  • No charger in the box
  • Macro sensor is average at best

There's a lot to like about Samsung's Galaxy A54 5G, but one of the biggest draws for me is its display. Samsung has fitted this phone with a beautiful AMOLED panel with support for FHD+ resolution and up to 120Hz refresh rate. The Galaxy A54's display looks just as good as the one you get on the flagship Galaxy S23. It's also brighter than the one you get on the Galaxy A53 from last year, and it also supports Samsung's VisionBooster technology to deliver enhanced visuals overall.

The Galaxy A54 5G brings plenty of other improvements over its predecessor, the Galaxy A53 5G. It's powered by Samsung's updated Exynos 1380 chipset as opposed to the Galaxy A53's Exynos 1280 chip. It may not be the most powerful chipset out there, but it's enough to deliver a reliable day-to-day experience. It also sports a decent of cameras at the back that can churn out some solid photos and videos.

Another highlight of the Galaxy A54 5G is that it packs a 5,000mAh battery, which should be able to last you for more than a day on a single charge. It tops out at 25W charging speeds and doesn't support wireless charging, so keep that in mind. I've got more details about this particular phone in my Galaxy A54 5G review, so be sure to check it out.

Samsung_Galaxy_A14_5G
Samsung Galaxy A14 5G
Best affordable pick

The phone to beat at $200

The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is an affordable smartphone with a beautiful display, plenty of power, and a compact design. 

Pros
  • Solid performance for the price
  • Nice looking, 90Hz display
  • Great battery life
Cons
  • Macro and depth cameras are wasted
  • The back feels cheap and makes the phone feel hollow

Samsung's Galaxy A54 5G is one of the best budget phones you can buy right now, but it's far from the most affordable one. That crown goes to Samsung's Galaxy A14 5G, which I think is the cheapest phone you can buy without making huge compromises in the performance department. The Galaxy A14 5G, as we mentioned in our review, is an overachieving budget phone that excels with good hardware.

It sports a 6.6-inch FHD+ LCD with support for up to 90Hz refresh rate. It also offers reliable performance for day-to-day usage with Samsung's in-house Exynos 1330 chipset. It only comes with 64GB out-of-the-box, but you can expand the storage via a microSD card up to 1TB. It also packs a 5,000mAh battery, which can comfortably last you for more than a day on a single charge without a hitch.

What I also like about the Galaxy A14 5G is that it sports a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is still a crucial feature for phones in this price range. This phone also runs Samsung's latest One UI 5.1 software out of the box, and the company also promises two major OS updates and up to four years of security updates for it. There's nothing to write home about its camera performance, but you should be able to get some decent-looking photos and video from its main 50MP camera sensors. Samsung's Galaxy A03 also exists as the cheapest phone, but it skimps on a lot of essentials, including 5G, a high-resolution and high refresh rate display, and more.

moto g stylus 5g 2023
Moto G Stylus 5G (2023)
Best phone with a stylus

For those who want to experience stylus on a budget

This stylus-equipped Moto G has a long battery life, 5G connectivity, and a Snapdragon 600 series CPU.

Pros
  • Impressive battery life
  • Reliable day-to-day performance
  • Stylus support on a budget
Cons
  • The display doesn't get bright enough
  • The cameras could've been better

The Moto G Stylus 5G is one of the newest offerings in Motorola's G-series in 2023. The Moto G Stylus 5G is more expensive than the regular non-5G model, but it also delivers a more powerful package overall. It's also quite a bit better than its last year's counterpart, so the new Moto G Stylus 5G model is worth considering if you're shopping for a unique budget phone with a stylus.

One of the highlights of this particular smartphone is that it sports a big 6.6-inch FHD+ LTPS panel with support for up to 120Hz refresh rate. It's a great panel overall for media consumption, and it also supports a stylus, but it doesn't get bright enough to be comfortably used outdoors, especially under direct sunlight. The built-in passive stylus is great for things like note-taking and doodling, but keep in mind that it doesn't support smart features like the Galaxy S23 Ultra's S Pen. It's a bit limited in terms of what it can do, so keep your expectations in check.

The Moto G Stylus 5G has powerful internals, and it's good enough to handle all your day-to-day workloads with ease. Motorola is only selling the 256GB variant of this phone in the U.S., but you can have additional storage up to 1TB via a microSD card. I recommend reading our Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) review to learn more about the phone in detail before making a purchase decision.

Motorola G Power 2023 on transparent background, floating, showing off front and back of the phone
Motorola Moto G Power (2023)
Best for battery life

For those who want the best battery backup

The Moto G Power features impressive battery life, a great screen, and is priced just right. But it's lacking in areas like performance and cameras.

Pros
  • Excellent battery life with 5,000mAh battery
  • Good build quality
  • A good improvement over its predecessor
Cons
  • Mediocre performance
  • The cameras could've been better

The Moto G Power 5G is one of those phones that can comfortably last you more than a day on a single charge. This is the phone which you can carry on a weekend trip without a charger and be totally fine with it. In fact, my colleague Timi, who reviewed the phone a few months back for XDA, says it can even last up to three days on a single charge if you only use your phone sparingly throughout the day. The only downside to buying the Moto G Power 5G, however, is the lack of fast charging support.

That's right, the Moto G Power 5G tops out at 15W charging, and it's only bundled with a 10W charger in the box. It's not necessarily a deal-breaker, especially if you're not a power user, but don't expect quick turnaround times from this phone when you plug for charging. This particular phone offers decent performance thanks to the MediaTek 930 chip and 6GB of RAM, both of which are significant upgrades over the previous model's MediaTek Helio G37 and 4GB of RAM. It's not the most powerful phone on the market, but it should be able to keep up with all your daily usage.

The 50MP main camera will allow you to capture some good-looking photos, and you'll also have a great time interacting with Moto's software that comes close to stock Android. It's a decent budget phone overall that works reasonably well, and I highly recommend this to those who are chasing the best battery life on a smartphone.

OnePlus-Nord-N30-5G
OnePlus Nord N30 5G
Best for fast charging

Supports up to 50W charging and a compatible fast-charger in the box

The OnePlus Nord N30 5G brings the expected fast and smooth experience of a OnePlus phone along with an impressive 108MP camera at a great price. It's also the fastest-charging phone in this segment.

Pros
  • Affordable price tag
  • 50W charging with an included charger
  • Reliable day-to-day performance
Cons
  • The cameras could've been better
  • Good design, but mediocre build quality

OnePlus' newest device in its Nord lineup is the only phone in this segment to support up to 50W wired charging. That's quite impressive, considering the fact that even some flagship phones like the Galaxy S23 top out at 25W wired charging. What I also like about the Nord N30 5G is that it comes with a compatible fast charger in the box, meaning you don't have to spend more money to get the best charging speeds. The 5,000mAh battery itself is slightly bigger and better than the Nord N20's 4,500mAh unit, and it should be enough to last you for more than a day on a single charge.

The Nord N30 uses the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chip that was used in last year's Nord N20 5G, but it still delivers reliable performance, and you also get more memory. The phone looks and feels good in the hand, and it also sports a 6.7-inch LCD panel with support for up to 120Hz now as opposed to a 60Hz AMOLED panel. Some other noteworthy features of the new Nord N30 include a 3.5mm headphone jack, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, a hybrid SIM slot for secondary SIM and a microSD card, and more. You can read my colleague Ben's Nord N30 review to learn more about the phone in detail before making a purchase decision.

A render showing the OnePlus Nord N300 5G in black color.
OnePlus Nord N300 5G
Best carrier-locked option

Sign up for a two-year plan and get it for free

The OnePlus Nord N300 is a 5G-enabled budget phone that's exclusive to T-Mobile and Metro PCS in the U.S., and you can get it for free if you sign up for a two-year plan.

Pros
  • Can be had for free if you commit to a two-year contract
  • Reliable performance with 90Hz display
  • 5,000mAh battery with fast-charging support
Cons
  • No ultra-wide or zoom lens

Consider the OnePlus Nord N300 5G as a bonus addition to this roundup, as you can snag it for free from T-Mobile or Metro with a two-year contract. That essentially makes it the best phone for economical shoppers, provided you don't mind locking in with T-Mobile's network. I also think it goes head-to-head with Samsung's Galaxy A14 5G with all its features, so do consider this if you want to walk away with a new phone and some cash to spare.

One thing that the Nord N300 5G does better than the Galaxy A14 5G is that it comes with a massive 5,000mAh battery with support for up to 33W wired charging. Not only does it charge faster than the Galaxy A14 5G, but it also comes bundled with a compatible fast charger. The 33W charging speed is, in fact, faster than what some flagships offer in 2023. Day-to-day performance is handled by the MediaTek Dimensity 810 SoC, and it offers a smooth experience thanks to a 90Hz LCD panel.

I also like that the Nord N300 5G comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and a serviceable dual-camera setup at the back for photos and videos. It doesn't leave room for a lot of complaints, as you're getting a promotion worth $228 via 24 monthly bill credits. The Nord N300 5G wouldn't be my first recommendation for a budget phone, but it's hard to argue against the value it brings for those who don't mind signing a contract with T-Mobile.


Best Android phones under $500: The bottom line

Google's Pixel 7a is an easy recommendation for those who are looking to buy a reliable phone for under $500. It looks and behaves like a flagship phone. I even recommend picking it up over the regular Pixel 7 because of how closely it resembles a flagship with its performance and features. It's a no-brainer if you're chasing a premium Android experience on a budget. Samsung's Galaxy A54 5G comes close to matching the general performance and user experience of the Pixel 7a, but it misses out on a few things like wireless charging, a flagship chipset, and more.

Those who are after the best value pick, on the other hand, should consider buying the Pixel 6a. It may not have all the bells and whistles as the newer Pixel 7a, but it is hard to argue with the value it brings to the table for $350. A flagship-grade chipset, an excellent set of cameras, and a stock Android experience are just a few of the reasons why I would pick the Pixel 6a for $350 over many other options mentioned in this roundup. I've highlighted plenty of other devices, including the relatively new Galaxy A14 5G and OnePlus Nord N30 5G, so be sure to explore the entire list to make an informed decision.

Sea Pixel 7a on transparent background
Google Pixel 7a
Best overall

Google's latest mid-ranger brings several improvements over last year's model, making it a great option for the budget conscious. The Pixel 7a packs the flagship Tensor G2 chip, flagship-tier cameras, an improved 90Hz display, more RAM, better durability, and wireless charging support.