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Need a new phone, but on a tight budget? There are a few solid options that cost $300 or cheaper. Most of the budget devices we recommend are from Motorola, which is unsurprising given that the company has made feature-rich budget phones for years now. In addition to its latest phones, which include the Moto G Stylus and G Power, we also recommend Samsung’s Galaxy A50 and Galaxy A32 5G, Samsung’s cheapest 5G phone.
A budget phone may be less expensive, but many of these options for the best phones under $300 still offer features that enthusiasts crave, including fingerprint sensors, solid cameras and the elusive headphone jack. To see our top picks, check out the list below and read CNET’s reviews. We’ll update this list as we review new phones. Note that we’ve linked to the unlocked version of each phone, and they should run on most of the big four US wireless carriers, unless specified otherwise.
Read more: Check out the best phones under $500 and best phones under $200, too.
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If you’re looking for a cell phone that serves as a cheaper Note 20 alternative, the Moto G Stylus device features a stylus that you can store inside the phone along with built-in Notes app to help with productivity. The Android phone also has a triple-rear camera, 128GB of internal storage and a robust 4,000-mAh battery.
Read our Moto G Stylus review.
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Although the Galaxy A50 came out last year (and is the predecessor to the Galaxy A51), it’s still a great phone. Plus, you can find it cheaper than when it first launched, with current prices hovering around $200. The phone has a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED screen, an in-screen fingerprint reader and a headphone jack. On the back, the triple rear camera includes a wide angle lens as well as a “depth lens,” which is used to take portrait shots with blurry, dramatic backgrounds. The phone also has a 25-megapixel selfie camera.
Read our Samsung Galaxy A50 review.
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The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G offers a big screen, an attractive design and 5G connectivity for super fast data speeds — and tops it off with an affordable price of only $280 (£249, AU$480), making it one of the cheapest 5G phones you can buy right now.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The Moto G Power is currently $30 cheaper than the G Stylus, but it packs a robust 5,000-mAh battery for long battery life. During our testing, this mobile phone lasted an impressive four days without a charge. The phone has three rear cameras (one of which is a macro lens), a 6.4-inch display and expandable memory.
Read our Moto G Power review.
