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A passenger on public transit uses a smartphone. Credit: YASUYOSHI CHIBA / Getty Images

The Best Phones Under $500 of 2023

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

A passenger on public transit uses a smartphone. Credit: YASUYOSHI CHIBA / Getty Images

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Editor's Choice Product image of Samsung Galaxy S8

Samsung Galaxy S8

From its astonishing camera to its long-lasting battery, the Galaxy S8 is the best Android phone of its generation. Read More

Pros

  • Top-of-the-line camera
  • Long battery life
  • Outstanding performance

Cons

  • Poor fingerprint-scanner placement
  • Useless virtual assistant
Editor's Choice Product image of Samsung Galaxy Note8

Samsung Galaxy Note8

The Samsung Note8 is a dazzling high-end mobile device with an easy-to-use stylus. But the cost of entry is a little steep. Read More

Pros

  • Top-of-the-line camera
  • Fun, intuitive stylus
  • Outstanding performance

Cons

  • Poor fingerprint-scanner placement
  • Useless virtual assistant
Editor's Choice Product image of Samsung Galaxy S9

Samsung Galaxy S9

The Samsung Galaxy S9 is one of the best smartphones ever made, but there's no real reason for S8 owners to upgrade. Read More

Pros

  • Top-of-the-line camera
  • Long battery life
  • A breeze to use

Cons

  • Some unnecessary bloatware
  • Useless virtual assistant
Product image of Google Pixel 4a

Google Pixel 4a

Given how affordable this smartphone is, it’s hard to believe what you get out of it. Read More

Pros

  • Small and lightweight
  • Decent camera
  • 5.8 in OLED display

Cons

  • Average battery life
Product image of Motorola Moto G Stylus 2022

Motorola Moto G Stylus 2022

This smartphone is known for having a strong battery life and pretty decent camera. Read More

Pros

  • Multiple color options
  • 5000 mAh battery
  • 50 MP camera

Cons

  • None that we can find

Many of the latest and greatest phones are going to leave your wallet feeling light. But the good news is that if you're okay with cutting some corners, there are plenty of good smartphones to choose from within your budget. Whether you’re an Android fan, loyal to the iPhone models, or want something completely different, this list includes all of these affordable phones and more.

We also put together a general roundup of the best smartphones, such as the iPhone 14 Pro Max that includes Dynamic Island and an A16 Bionic Chip, the Google Pixel 7 Pro, and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. These models are newer, more expensive, and more advanced with their features. With the holidays just around the corner, we also believe that a wireless charging dock would be a cool gift for anyone in your family who’s tech savvy.

To help you find the perfect phone under $500, we explored a variety of options available online below the $500 price range. Based on our research, these are some of the best phones you can buy for under $500 right now.

Editor's Note:
The recommendations in this guide are based on thorough product and market research by our team of expert product reviewers. The picks are based on examining user reviews, product specifications, and, in some limited cases, our experience with the specific products named.
Product image of Samsung Galaxy S8
Samsung Galaxy S8

The Samsung Galaxy S8 offers top-notch design, industry leading performance, and the best smartphone camera we've ever looked into. Like any smartphone, it's not perfect, but its successes are so numerous that the blemishes are easy to overlook.

To put it bluntly, the Galaxy S8 might just be the best Android phone under $500 on the market under $500. Read the full review here.

Pros

  • Top-of-the-line camera

  • Long battery life

  • Outstanding performance

Cons

  • Poor fingerprint-scanner placement

  • Useless virtual assistant

Product image of Samsung Galaxy Note8
Samsung Galaxy Note8

With a class-leading camera, strong battery life, intuitive stylus, and outstanding performance, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is one of the best Android smartphones money can buy.

If you're yearning for a big screen, stylus support, and a flexible camera experience, the Note 8 is well worth the cost. Read the full review here.

Pros

  • Top-of-the-line camera

  • Fun, intuitive stylus

  • Outstanding performance

Cons

  • Poor fingerprint-scanner placement

  • Useless virtual assistant

Product image of Samsung Galaxy S9
Samsung Galaxy S9

Dedicated Galaxy users might find the S9 to be nothing groundbreaking, especially if they're upgrading from last year's still-excellent Galaxy S8. That said, from a sheer performance standpoint, the Samsung Galaxy S9 could very well be the best smartphone Samsung has ever made. It's super fast and includes what might be the best smartphone camera available, which is all backed by a long-lasting battery. Read the full review here.

Pros

  • Top-of-the-line camera

  • Long battery life

  • A breeze to use

Cons

  • Some unnecessary bloatware

  • Useless virtual assistant

Product image of Google Pixel 4a
Google Pixel 4a

Google Pixel phones offer a variety of useful features without breaking the bank. Given how affordable the Google Pixel 4a is, it’s hard to believe what you get out of it. This smartphone lets you use your own data plan, meaning it’s compatible with a multitude of phone carriers, like Verizon and AT&T.

What customers seem to love is how compact and lightweight it is, along with the 48-megapixel rear camera, which has a variety of useful shooting modes. This smartphone even has a Titan M security chip to help keep your personal data secure.

What customers don’t love, however, is the battery life. It doesn’t last very long between charges, which can be a pain if you’re away from your charger most of the day. Overall, it’s hard not to bite on a phone like this when you’re on a budget.

Pros

  • Small and lightweight

  • Decent camera

  • 5.8 in OLED display

Cons

  • Average battery life

Product image of Motorola Moto G Stylus 2022
Motorola Moto G Stylus 2022

This smartphone is known for having great battery life and a pretty decent camera. It even includes a built-in stylus, which allows you to write notes and edit images with more precision.

What’s better: this phone has a smooth, 6.8-inch Max Vision FHD+ display, allowing you to stream videos in premium quality.

Pros

  • Multiple color options

  • 5000 mAh battery

  • 50 MP camera

Cons

  • None that we can find

Product image of Google Pixel 6a
Google Pixel 6a

If you want the newest Google Pixel phone that stays within that $500 range, then the Google Pixel 6a is your pick.​ Just like the Google Pixel 4a, this model comes unlocked and therefore works with any phone carrier.

With Google Tensor security and a Titan M2 chip, you’ll have that extra cushion that keeps your data safe and secure. This phone also has fast-charging capabilities and includes a battery that will stay at full charge all day long. Plus, the apps load pretty fast and the phone itself runs smoothly.

In addition, the Live Translate feature makes it easy to communicate with those who speak a different language. The phone can translate between 11 of them, such as Spanish, French, Italian, and Chinese.

As for the camera, it only includes 12 megapixels. There are certainly other phones out there with better cameras, but there aren’t many other negative things to say about it. Overall, we would recommend this phone because we believe it is pretty decent for the price.

Pros

  • Water and dust resistant

  • Strong security

  • Easy to unlock

Cons

  • Phone gets hot easily

Product image of Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G

The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is reliable, easy to use, and comes with all the basic features you need. It's known for having super fast 5G cellular service that allows the phone to load fast while you game, stream, and move through different apps.

Reviewers are happy with how strong the battery life is and also say that the camera quality is great. The camera allows for optimal color and clarity and even includes a multi-lens camera system for capturing high-quality photo and video content.

A few reviewers had some issues connecting their phone via bluetooth in their vehicles and said that it made a robotic sound. Otherwise, this standard smartphone provides all the basic necessities, meaning you really can’t go wrong with this one for the price.

Pros

  • Easy to use

  • Reliable

  • Strong battery life

Cons

  • Issues with connecting to car bluetooth

Product image of Apple iPhone 11 (renewed)
Apple iPhone 11 (renewed)

One of the best iPhones you can get under $500 is the Apple iPhone 11 (renewed). This model comes unlocked and can therefore work with multiple phone carriers, such as Verizon and AT&T. In the box, you’ll also receive a tool to remove the SIM card, a charger, and a charging cable.

The battery life arrives at 80% capacity, which is like-new condition. What’s better: the iPhone 11 comes with an A13 Bionic Chip and a dual-lens rear camera that can be shot in night mode. The screen itself also has a 6.1-inch display and is made of durable glass.

Pros

  • Comes unlocked

  • Affordable

  • Very good camera quality

Cons

  • Weaker battery than newer models

Buying a new phone

Before purchasing a smartphone, there are a few variables to look at. You should consider if the smartphone you want is compatible with your phone carrier, how great the camera and battery life are, the amount of storage space you want, the size of the phone, and which operating system it holds.

Android vs. Apple phones

For smartphones, you will find that Android and iOS are the two common operating systems. The main differences between these is that Androids are more customizable, while iOS is a closed source that allows for less flexibility.

If you have a particular game or piece of software that’s important to you, find out which ecosystem best supports it before you settle on a phone.

What is the best phone service?

If you purchase a smartphone that is unlocked, it will work with any phone carrier. For ones that aren’t unlocked, many of the common smartphones will still work with most phone carriers, such as Sprint and Verizon.

Either way, you should still find out which phone plans your phone carrier offers and if it is within the budget for the smartphone you want. Find out what carriers have service and brick-and-mortar locations near you, then ask about any special deals they might have.

Ask about prepaid plans; they can save you a lot of money.

Maximizing phone storage

Many people choose 128GB for their phone since it is the perfect balance between space and price.

Choosing how many GB you want for your phone depends on how much information you plan to keep on it. If you’re one to take lots of pictures, for example, you may want to consider buying more GB. The lowest option is 8GB, but that is a very uncommon pick since it doesn’t have much space. The highest you can find, generally, is about 512GB.

Finding the right size phone

The size of the phone really depends on personal preference. For those who love streaming and gaming, perhaps a larger screen display would be more ideal; but for those who like to keep their phone in their purse or pocket, one with smaller dimensions may be a better fit (no pun intended).

What phone has the best camera?

If you’re buying a used phone or older model, then you likely won’t be getting the best phone cameras on the market, since most of the newer models have the best cameras.

Camera quality is measured by the number of megapixels there are. The more megapixels there are in the camera, the sharper your photos will be. For example, the new iPhone 14 models have a 48MP camera system, which is the best camera iPhone has released so far. That is not the camera quality you’ll get in the iPhone 11, even though this model’s camera is still very, very good.

Battery life for phones

The most common battery seen in smartphones is the lithium-ion battery. The strongest batteries will charge fast and likely last all day.

A smartphone battery typically lasts anywhere between two to five years (about 300 to 500 charging cycles). But the more you charge your battery, the quicker it will weaken, which is why it is good to let your phone die or wait until it is almost dead to recharge it. Renewed smartphones will have batteries that are slightly less reliable than new smartphones.

Meet the tester

Lily Hartman

Lily Hartman

Staff Writer, Search

Lily Hartman is a staff writer who also enjoys writing magazine articles about health and outdoor recreation. In her free time, she likes to hike, camp, run, and lift weights.

See all of Lily Hartman's reviews

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