Get a seriously great, affordable smartphone instead. Our top pick, the Google Pixel 10a, costs $499 and is as good as almost any flagship device. Our other recommendations strike a great balance between price and luxury. There's even a folding phone in this guide!
Check out our many other mobile guides, including Best Android Phones, Best Samsung Phones, Best Phones With a Headphone Jack, Best Google Pixel, Best Moto Phones, and Best iPhones.
Updated March 2026: We've added the Google Pixel 10a, the iPhone 17e, and mentioned the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro.
The Pixel 10a (8/10, WIRED Recommends) disappointingly may not change much from its predecessor, the Pixel 9a, but it remains the best smartphone on the market, especially for anyone trying to curb their spending.
It's not the cheapest phone, no, but it has the best suite of features for the price, from an excellent dual-camera system to a sharp, 120-Hz screen, and performance that can run most apps and games perfectly fine thanks to the Tensor G4 chip. It'll even get software updates for 7 years, and Google says the battery is slightly easier to replace than the older model.
The biggest changes from the Pixel 9a are a brighter screen, faster wired and wireless charging (still no Pixelsnap magnets for Qi2 charging), and a tougher glass protecting the display. The plastic ring on the camera module is also gone, so the back of the Pixel 10a is even flatter than before—great for anyone who hates bulky camera bumps. These updates are still fairly minor, so if you happen to catch the Pixel 9a on sale, it's still worthwhile if it means saving $100 or $150 bucks. However, the Pixel 10a will almost definitely also go on sale during major sale events like Prime Day this summer, if you can be patient.
It's nice to have faster charging speeds, but battery life overall is OK. It adequately lasts a full day with average use and then some, but folks who spend a lot of time on their smartphone during the day—whether it's for navigating, music streaming, or reading fan fics—will likely find themselves hunting for an outlet in the afternoon.
The dual-camera system is versatile. The main 48-MP camera can snap pleasing photos, in low light and daytime, whereas the 13-MP ultrawide lets you capture sweeping scenes or group photos. Even the 13-MP selfie camera is pretty reliable. Naturally, with all the smart software features that Google is known for on its Pixel phones, there are some new AI perks here. Camera Coach lets you ask Google's AI to give you suggestions on how to take a better photo, and Auto Best Take for group photos will automatically snap multiple pictures when you tap the shutter button and choose the best of each person, like fixing someone's blinking eyes.
Speaking of, software is the top reason why I heartily recommend Pixel phones. I've detailed many of them here, but you can use Add Me to make sure everyone is in the group photo, including the photographer. Audio Magic Eraser lets you strip out unwanted sounds from your videos, like sirens. And Google's Call Screen technology nips spam calls in the bud. I used the “Hold for Me” function to not have to listen to Delta's terrible hold music for 4 hours after my flight was canceled.
Other perks include secure face unlock and fingerprint unlock—both work with sensitive apps that require biometric authentication, so you have multiple unlocking options. Secure face unlock is virtually nonexistent for every other Android phone at this price. There's also NFC for contactless payments and an IP68 rating that protects it from the elements.
Processor and RAM: Tensor G4 with 8 GB RAM
Cameras: 48-MP main camera, 13-MP ultrawide, 13-MP selfie camera
Updates (from date of manufacture): 7 years
Extras: Qi wireless charging, IP68, fingerprint and secure face unlock, NFC
Carrier compatibility: Works on all three major US networks
Apple's cheapest iPhone—the iPhone 17e (7/10, WIRED Recommends)—is a better value than its predecessor, the iPhone 16e. MagSafe is the biggest addition here (one of the strangest omissions last year), so now you can take advantage of the large accessory ecosystem, whether you want to use a magnetic wallet that sticks to the back of your iPhone or a magnetic tripod to snap selfies on your travels.
Like the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup, the iPhone 17e also uses the same Ceramic Shield 2 glass mixture to protect the display, which is more durable and scratch-resistant, and matches what's on the pricier iPhones—always a plus. It's no iPhone Mini, but this is Apple's smallest phone in the lineup, which is nice for anyone who hates big-screen handsets, though you're stuck with the old-school notch design instead of the “Dynamic Island” found on the rest of the iPhones. (There's still Face ID!)
It's powered by the latest-generation A19 chip, like the iPhone 17, though there's one less graphics core, so there's a minor hit to performance. I still had no trouble running all my usual apps and games, even Genshin Impact at its max graphical settings. Battery life is also solid, comfortably lasting me a full day, though extreme users will likely need a top-up before bed. I suspect the improved and energy-efficient C1X 5G modem is what helps extend battery life despite the small size of the phone.
Where this iPhone doesn't quite feel like its $599 price is the camera. You can snap perfectly good photos with the 48-MP sensor, but that's it; that's the only camera on the back. Now compare it to the Pixel 10a and its dual-camera system, or the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE and its triple-camera module (often on sale for under $500). Apple should really have added an extra camera here for versatility, as the lone camera is too limiting.
Generally, camera performance is also a little lackluster in low light, especially if you're trying to capture a moving subject like a pet. It may sound like it has the same 48-MP camera as the iPhone 17, but the sensor is smaller, so you're not getting the same image quality. The selfie camera is also OK, but it can struggle with high-contrast scenes.
There's no ultrawideband chip on the iPhone 17e, so you can't precisely track AirTags—this iPhone will only give you the general vicinity of the tag's location. And the screen is still stuck on a 60-Hz refresh rate when nearly every phone that costs this much has moved on to 120 Hz.
These concessions make the iPhone 17e feel a little overpriced, but it's sure as heck better value than the iPhone 16e. If you don't find the flaws off-putting, and don't care much for the camera experience, this smartphone will satisfy anyone looking for a good, reliable, and price-friendly iPhone. Apple also sells the iPhone 16 for $100 more, but I don't think it's worth paying more for less storage and slightly lesser performance, even if it has perks like a dual-camera system.
Processor and RAM: A19 (4-core GPU) with 8 GB RAM
Cameras: 48-MP Fusion Camera, 12-MP selfie camera
Updates (from date of manufacture): Approximately 5 to 6 years
Extras: MagSafe/Qi2 wireless charging, IP68, Ceramic Shield 2, Apple Intelligence, Face ID (notch), Action button, C1X modem
Carrier compatibility: Works on all three major US networks
Want a Samsung phone but don't want to pay the flagship prices? The Galaxy S25 FE is exactly that (FE stands for Fan Edition). It's very similar to the Galaxy S25 series, but think of it as a “lite” version. Certain elements are just a few notches below what you'd find in a flagship, like the screen, which doesn't get as bright, and doesn't feature an adaptive refresh rate that can go from 1 to 120 Hz. This phone's MSRP is $650, but I've already seen it dip as low as $450—that's the price that makes it worthwhile (and also worthy of consideration for this guide).
You still get a sharp 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with a 120-Hz screen refresh rate, a 4,900-mAh battery that generally lasts a full day with average use, and a triple-camera system with a 3X optical zoom lens. The results from the camera are surprisingly strong, though I did find that the phone has trouble autofocusing in low light, and nighttime images can be a little blurry if there's a lot of movement. Like the two phones above, this Android phone will get some of the longest software support compared to competitors in this bracket.
I used it for more than a week, and the Exynos 2400 chipset didn't cause me any strife. I booted up the very demanding Genshin Impact mobile game and maxed out the graphics—there certainly were stutters during gameplay, but it was totally playable. Almost all the Galaxy AI features are available on this phone, if that's something you care about, too. (Read our Best Samsung Phones guide for more details about that.)
It maintains all the other flagship perks you'd want, from Qi wireless charging (Qi2 Ready if you have a magnetic case) and IP68 water resistance. It may look a little plain, but it's a great all-rounder—just make sure you catch it on sale.
Display: 6.7-inch, 60- to 120-Hz AMOLED
Processor and RAM: Samsung Exynos 2400 with 8 GB of RAM
Cameras: 50-MP main camera, 12-MP ultrawide, 8-MP telephoto (3X), and 12-MP selfie camera
Updates (from date of manufacture): 7 years
Extras: Qi wireless charging (Qi2 Ready with case), IP68, fingerprint unlock, NFC
Carrier compatibility: Works on all three major US networks
Midrange and budget phones usually don't experiment too much with design, and so they're rarely exciting, but London-based Nothing has been trying to fix that for a few years with its attractive, stylish, and unique handsets. The latest iteration is the Nothing Phone (4a) and Phone (4a) Pro, though only the latter will launch in the US on March 27 (exclusively on Amazon).
I haven't had a chance to test it yet, but it far and away looks nothing like its peers. The Pro has a fresh camera module with a unique camera layout and the “Glyph Matrix” that the company debuted last year on the Phone (3). This tiny display has some fun functionality, like seeing an outline of your head so you can snap a selfie picture with the rear cameras (and still be in the frame).
On paper, the Phone (4a) Pro is very competitive compared to the Google Pixel 10a, offering a triple-camera experience, a 144-Hz AMOLED screen, and speedy charging. However, software support isn't anything special, water resistance is a little lackluster, and carrier support can be a little wonky. But if you want a smartphone that will turn heads, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro will do it. Historically, we've really enjoyed Nothing's smartphones, especially the price-conscious A-series, so hopefully that rings true again with these latest models. Stay tuned for our review.
