Buying a budget phone should be a perfect mix of quality features, specs and reasonable price. In fact, there are prominently feature-rich phones out there that pull their weight well. Companies have been making affordable mid-range level phones with features that you desire from a flagship phone. We have rounded up a list of the top 5 phones under $300 for you.
Moto G Power ($220)
Motorola has been surprising us lately with its mid-range budget phones like its Moto G Stylus and the Moto G Play. Previously released models such as Moto G Pure and Moto Edge started the wave of budget smartphones by Motorola encompassing both quality features and specs.
Moto G Power offers productivity and performance in what seems to be like a budget-oriented package. Its 5000 mAh battery has an estimated running time of 16 hours with web usage. A 9th generation Motorola smartphone with a 90Hz refresh rate making its display smooth and fluid. It has a fast-charging USB type-C 2.0 port. For the purpose of compatibility, it has a 3.5mm AUX jack.
The notable feature is its crisp 720p LCD on a 6.6-inch screen. Moto G Power has a powerful Octa-core and Snapdragon 662 chip with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage, making it fast and compatible with any major software or application.
Moto G Power was released in two variants and prices:
- Flash Grey, 64GB at $199.99
- Polar Silver, 32GB at $179.99
It boasts a 48 MP triple-camera to get the best of every shot. G Power has quad pixel technology that combines 4 pixels into one major pixel for better light sensitivity. A dedicated depth sensor tracks the depth of a particular scene, followed by a macro vision camera for 4x zoom. It is noticeable that the wide-angle lens is absent this year.
However, G Power has a standard resolution with its LCD and is not 5G enabled, but it still has good LTE bandwidth. Lastly, it is only allowed for one update from its existing Android 10. The lack of its Wide Angle lens leaves a lot to be desired out of its pictures but it still classifies in the category of best phones under $300.
Samsung A32 5G ($280, $205 with trade-in)
Samsung is closely incorporating budget smartphones into its product portfolio. The A32 is the cheapest 5G supporting the phone from Samsung, made with a handsome design. The durable 6.5-inch Gorilla Glass 5 display boasts a crystal clear resolution of 1600 by 720 and a smooth 90Hz refresh rate. That is why Samsung A32 5G is a clear winner for best phones under $300.
Depending on it’s usage, the Samsung A32 can last upto two days. The A32 has a fast-charging 15W port of USB type-C 2.0 and a 3.5mm AUX jack at the bottom.
It has good performance, partly thanks to its octa-core MediaTek processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB storage.
Cameras are often the chink in the armor for budget phones, but it’s not the case for the A32. Its 48 MP back camera is superior to many in the ‘budget’ category mentioned in this article. It also has an 8 MP ultra-wide camera, 2 MP depth camera, and a 5 MP macro camera, making it the best camera setup on our list. To add, It’s also bound for four patches of security updates, making it more secure.
It’s called a proper Renaissance phone due to its classic back-to-the-basic look and features. Although it has a low-resolution display and its plastic back makes it prone to scratches. It has lower capabilities performance-wise as it might slow down while doing intensive tasks and or switching between apps. Its speakers can also be rated mediocre at best.
OnePlus Nord N10 5G ($300)
OnePlus released its first budget-level phone, followed by a sleek design just when we needed it. A stunning 6.49-inch screen that flaunts an incredible 1080 by 2400 pixel resolution, with only a tiny bezel at the top of the screen.
N10 has a promising 4300 mAh battery, considerably lower than the others mentioned in this article. OnePlus Nord N10 has a fast-charging 30W port of USB type-C 2.0, and a 3.5mm AUX jack at the bottom. The Nord N10 is a candidate for peak performance thanks to its Snapdragon 690 processor and 6GB RAM, helping facilitate multitasking with its fast response rate.
The N10 has a stunning 64MP rear camera. Additionally, it has an 8MP ultra-wide sensor and a 2MP macro camera with a depth sensor resulting in eye-catching details in your pictures.
However, The Nord N10 offers solid performance only for a mid-range level phone and is only capable of one Android update. Its camera struggles with low lighting and has issues with exposure and toning down the saturation; aggressive noise cancellation and blurring are also observed. Its design also makes it less durable than the other options. Nevertheless it rightly deserves the position of best phones under $300.
TCL 20S ($249.99)
Another example of how much you can get out of your buck. The TCL 20S has a 6.67-inch curved LCD screen with a vivid 2400 by 1080 pixel resolution and a Li-Po 5000 mAh battery to match it. Its display is crisp, and the color accuracy is spot-on, making it hard to believe it is not AMOLED. Its entire screen only has one selfie camera punch hole. It has a lower refresh rate of 60Hz, which l deteriorates its performance
It has a powerful octa-core Snapdragon 665 processor backed up by 128 GB storage and 4 GB RAM. Making multitasking and app switching seem effortless. The 20S hosts a fast-charging USB Type-C 2.0 and USB On-The-Go.
The TCL 20S has 4 cameras on its rear, which consist of: a 64MP primary camera, an 8MP wide-angle camera, a 2MP macro sensor, and a 2MP depth sensor. All in all, the pictures had issues with oversaturation and noise, followed by low details of the pictures.
The TCL 20S is only bound for one Android upgrade to its existing Android 11. Despite that it falls in the category of best phones under $300.
Moto G Stylus ($279)
Another Motorola phone has made our list. The Moto G Stylus was released to compete with the LG Stylus but unfortunately left a lot to be desired. The G Stylus has a more aesthetically pleasing design than its predecessors, with a massive 6.8-inch, 1080 by 2400-pixel hole-punch display that delivers a crisp resolution but is often found dim and hard to see under sunlight. It has a 60Hz refresh rate making it less smooth than others on the list. Another notable fact is that it has a 4000 mAh battery making it less desirable out of our list.
The G Stylus has an octa-core Snapdragon 665 processor, stacked up with 128 GB storage and 4 GB RAM, making its performance fast and efficient.
Its camera has a 48MP primary lens, an 8MP wide-angle camera, a 2MP macro sensor, and a 2MP depth sensor. The camera has been downgraded from the previous model, but it still has impressive results with a good depth and color accuracy field.
The Moto G Stylus is only allowed one Android update from its Android 10. It is 5G compatible but with only a handful of networks; the hardware has not been updated from the previous model and still presents many prevalent issues. The G Stylus still has issues with its big screen, the display is dim, and shadows can be noticed. It is not scheduled for another update and has a mediocre result from its cameras.
You can compare the most important specs and pick out what works best for you:
| Display | Battery | Storage | Camera (Rear; to Front) | |
| Moto G Power | 1600 by 720 pixels with a 6.6-inch screen | 5000 mAh | 32/64 GB with 3/ 4 GB RAM | 48MP, 2MP, 2MP; 8MP |
| Samsung A32 5G | 1600 by 720 pixels with a 6.5-inch screen | 5000 mAh | 64 GB with 4 GB RAM | 48MP. 8MP, 5MP, 2MP; 13MP |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G | 2400 by 1080 pixels with a 6.49-inch screen | 4300 mAh | 128 GB with 6 GB RAM | 64MP, 8MP, 2MP, 2MP; 16MP |
| TCL 20S | 2400 by 1080 pixels with a 6.67-inch screen | 5000 mAh | 128 GB with 4 GB RAM | 64MP, 8MP, 2MP, 2MP; 16MP |
| Moto G Stylus | 2400 by 1080 pixels with a 6.8-inch display | 4000 mAh | 128 GB with 4 GB RAM | 48MP, 8MP, 2MP, 2MP; 16MP |
Our Verdict
An increase in the sales of mid-level and budget smartphones is seen in 2021, and we have curated a list of the best phones under $300. You are open to choosing and comparing specs from the five phones mentioned in this article. If you’re looking for a phone with the best battery timing, go with the Moto G Power. If you want to make the most out of your pictures, then the A32 will be the best option for you. Lastly, If you rate display clarity and performance the most, the Nord N10 5G and the TCL 20S will be a good fit.
Let us know in the comment section which phone attracts you the most!
You can compare the most important specs and pick out what works best for you:
