It seems like your choices are small if you’re looking for a reliable phone for $ 200 or less. However, there are some inexpensive smartphone options that we wholeheartedly recommend – such as Motorola Moto G-series phones and an even cheaper E-series phone. Upcoming and recently announced devices from Samsung and Xiaomi look compelling not only because these phones come from well-known companies and cost less than $ 200, but also because they have decent specifications (hello, good camera) and an elegant design.
Check out the list below to see our tips. Some of them have been fully reviewed by CNET editors, and we hope to get our hands on others soon (and we will update this summary as soon as their respective reviews are available). Note that we have linked to the unlocked version of each smartphone and this should run on most of the four major U.S. mobile operators unless otherwise stated.
Important: If the price of the phone shown here or at the provider is more than $ 200, inventory and prices (often from third parties) have changed since we originally published this story or the review linked here.
Continue reading:: Best phones under $ 300: Moto G Power, Galaxy A50, LG K40 and more
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Best cheap phones to try now
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Samsung
For $ 180, the newly announced Galaxy A11 offers a 6.4-inch display and three cameras: a 13-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 5-megapixel wide-angle shooter, and a 2-megapixel deep camera. It also offers a large 4,000 mAh battery and expandable memory. It’s not wirelessly charged, but has a coveted headphone jack. Not too shabby for a cheap smartphone.
Read the Galaxy A11 first.
Sarah Tew / CNET
The often discounted Moto G7 Play is a popular, affordable Android smartphone. It costs $ 200 and currently only costs $ 150 when activated. It has a 5.7-inch display, a water-repellent coating and a single 13-megapixel rear-view camera. For those who like to take a lot of selfies, there is a selfie camera flash on the front of the phone that will brighten up all of these unforgettable moments.
Read more about the Moto G7 Play.
Samsung
As the cheapest of Samsung’s new A phones, the Galaxy A01 surprisingly offers a lot for $ 110. These include a quickly rechargeable 3,000 mAh battery, a 5.7-inch display and two reversing cameras. We are linking to a version on Amazon that comes with a microSD card for a total of $ 130.
Read the Galaxy A01 first.
Lori Grunin / CNET
The Moto E6 smartphone launched in July 2019 is now available for under $ 150. It has a 13 megapixel camera, a headphone jack and a 5.5 inch display. Oddly enough, it also has a micro USB port for charging (instead of the newer USB-C).
Read the Moto E6 first.
Andrew Hoyle / CNET
The mid-range LG K40 Android phone, available for less than $ 200, was launched in 2019 and features a 5.7-inch display, a fingerprint sensor and a 13-megapixel camera. The phone is powered by an octa-core processor and a 3,000 mAh battery.
Read the LG K40 at your fingertips.
Josh Miller / CNET
Our favorite budget phone from 2018 is now much cheaper. The $ 150 Moto G6 Android smartphone has an almost standard version of Android Oreo and solid dual rear cameras. It also charges quickly.
Read our Motorola Moto G6 review.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9
Xiaomi
Although Xiaomi has not yet released any information about the availability of the Redmi Note 9, the phone itself sounds promising. The device has four rear-view cameras, including a wide-angle lens, an elegant pinhole camera on the front, a robust 5,020 mAh battery and a nice selection of color options – all for $ 199.
Read the Redmi Note 9 first.