Finding a good smartphone can be a daunting task, with so many options available on the market. However, there are a few key factors to consider when looking for a good smartphone:
Performance: Look for a phone with a powerful processor and enough RAM to handle your everyday tasks and any apps you want to run.
Display: A good display is essential for a good smartphone experience. Look for a phone with a high-resolution screen, good color accuracy, and brightness.
Camera: If photography is important to you, look for a phone with a high-resolution camera and a variety of features such as optical zoom and low-light capabilities.
Battery Life: Look for a phone with a large battery capacity and efficient power management features.
Operating System: Pick an OS that meets your needs and that you feel comfortable using. The most common operating systems are iOS and Android.
Storage: Consider how much storage you need and look for a phone with enough storage or the ability to add more through a microSD card.
Price: Consider your budget and look for a phone that offers the best value for your money.
Brand and reputation: Look for a phone from a reputable brand that is known for producing high-quality, reliable devices.
Other features: Look for features that you think you'll need, like waterproof, Face unlock or Fingerprint unlock, a headphone jack or a 5G capability.
It is a good idea to do some research and read reviews from credible sources before making a decision. Checking the official website of the company, visiting the official retailer or e-commerce sites to see the product specs and pricing can also help you make an informed decision. Finally, you can also check for user's opinions and personal experience by visiting online communities like Reddit, or a discussion forum.
1. Samsung Galaxy A13
REASONS TO BUY
Large 5,000mAh battery+
15W fast charging+
Samsung's One UI software+
Expandable storage+
Android 12
REASONS TO AVOID
No 5G
Only 3GB RAM
When you think of the best Samsung phones, your mind probably drifts to devices like the Galaxy S22 and S22 Ultra — big, flashy, and expensive phones that are sure to break the budget. However, if you're eager to own a Samsung phone for yourself but need to keep costs low, the Galaxy A13 is a solid device.
For note, this is a different phone than the Galaxy A13 5G, which is a more expensive phone. That model adds 5G, more RAM and storage, and packs in a faster processor, but drops the display and camera quality.
That display is probably the most impressive thing about the A13 right off the bat. At 1080p+ resolution, it's twice as pixel-dense as what the more expensive A13 5G offers, and we definitely noticed the difference. It's also quite large at 6.6-inches, goes edge-to-edge with the phone's left and right frame, and has a teardrop selfie camera cutout with a small bottom bezel. So if you do a lot of media consumption, the A13 will make your movies and games stand out wonderfully.
Around the back, the A13 boasts a total of four cameras — consisting of a 50MP primary, 8MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth sensors. The image quality won't blow you away, but the cameras get the job done for social media and allow some image-taking (especially with the ultra-wide camera).
Other highlights of the Galaxy A13 include expandable storage — which helps make up for the lack of RAM thanks to Samsung's virtual RAM tech — a very generous 5,000 mAh battery, 15W fast charging, and Samsung's custom One UI software loaded with endless features and settings.
It even comes with Android 12 out of the box, which is an unfortunate rarity in this price category. Better yet? Samsung promises four years of security updates for the phone which is completely unheard of in this price category, making it the best phone you can possibly buy for under $200.
2. Nokia G20
REASONS TO BUY
Clean software with Android OneIPX2 splash proofing
Large 5,050mAh battery
Quad cameras
128GB Storage, expandable up to 512GB
No fast charging
Weak processor
Doesn't support all U.S. carriers
None of the phones on this list are considered expensive, but if you're trying to spend your money on something reliable, the Nokia G20 is for you. Sitting towards the upper limit of $200, it's the best budget phone in this range at the end of the day. You can get a lot of value from every dollar spent on the G20 instead of the cheaper G10.
The Nokia G20 is equipped with a 6.52-inch IPS LCD, making it larger than its cheaper predecessors. While it costs a bit more, you get an HD+ resolution of 720x1600, a MediaTek processor, 4GB of RAM, and an impressive 128GB of expandable storage (up to 512GB). Unfortunately, there's no fast charging, but you shouldn't have to mess with it too much, thanks to the generous 5,050 mAh battery.
The Nokia G20 is powered by Android One, which means you'll get two years of Android upgrades and three years of monthly security patches, which should get you through 2023. The phone ships with Android 11, but it's slated to get Android 12 and also 13 in the future. The software experience is delightful as there's no bloatware and Nokia sticks to stock Android.
The phone comes with a lovely textured back available in two colors, with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The Nokia G20 sports an IPX2 rating, making it splash-proof in nature. You also get a quad-camera setup, including a 48MP primary camera that is surprisingly decent. Nokia packed just the right features into this value-rich device, making the G20 our top sub-$200 recommendation.
3.Moto G Play (2021)
REASONS TO BUY
Large, bright HD display
Huge 5,000mAh battery
3.5mm headphone jack
Motorola's custom software
Works with every U.S. carrier
REASONS TO AVOID
No NFC or official IP rating
Only 3GB of RAM
Won't update past Android 11
Low res display
Moto has traditionally been the king of the sub-$200 category, and the Moto G Play (2021) is no exception to Motorola's rule here. Of course, it makes a few spec compromises to reach this price tag, but it's still a perfectly enjoyable piece of tech.
The display is a 6.5-inch, 720p HD+ LCD, but it does the job. You also benefit from respectable bezels and a small waterdrop notch, making this a decently good phone for watching videos or playing light games. You'll find more noticeable downgrades with the 13MP + 2MP dual rear cameras, but they're serviceable for quick uploads to your favorite social media app.
The Moto G Play (2021) has a fingerprint sensor on the rear in the Moto logo, which is every bit as fast and reliable as you could ask for. There's also a headphone jack and support for expandable storage, along with an awesome 5,000mAh battery and support for all U.S. carriers. Because of the lower power processor and lower resolution display, we found that Motorola's 3-day battery life claims were perfectly achievable, making this the best battery life pick of the bunch.
Perhaps the biggest downside to the Moto G Play (2021) is that Motorola has confirmed that it would only see one major platform update — and that is to Android 11! Motorola shipped the Moto G Play in 2021 with Android 10 (meaning it was already outdated) and didn't get around to updating it to Android 11 until 2022. At least Motorola will be providing two years of quarterly security updates for the phone, ensuring it's safe to run for another few years.
4.TCL 20 SE
REASONS TO BUY
Large, beautiful display
5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging
Robust internals
Plenty of onboard storage
Rear-mounted fingerprint reader
REASONS TO AVOID
Lacks NFC
No IP rating
No more OS updates
It may not have the most cutting-edge specs, but don't you sleep on the TCL 20 SE. Under $200, you won't find a more captivating display than this phone's 6.82-inch vivid LCD panel. The waterdrop notch looks a little dated, but it's the entire package as a whole that bolsters the worth of this phone.
TCL gives you a nice deal along with all that screen real estate. You get lots of memory, with 4GB RAM and 128GB of storage that can be increased up to 256GB. There's also a fingerprint scanner on the aesthetically pleasing backside of the phone. The TCL 20 SE has a generous 5,00mAh cell that tops up quicker than any phone in this category, owing to its 18W fast charging speed.
You get a nice set of quad cameras featuring a 48MP primary lens. On the software side of things, the TCL 20 SE is powered by Android 11. Under the hood, you will find a Snapdragon 460 chipset to keep the entire phone afloat. What prevents this phone from being our number one pick is the lack of any future platform upgrades or any manner of waterproofing. TCL does promise two years of security updates though.
5. Moto G Power (2022)
REASONS TO BUY
Excellent battery life
Expandable storage with a microSD card
Great camera performance
Large 6.5-inch display at 90Hz
REASONS TO AVOID
No 5G
Phone can feel sluggish
Slow charging
The 2022 version of the Moto G Power isn't a fast or powerful phone so if a sluggish UI and lag switching between apps is a deal breaker for you, consider something with a better CPU. The Moto G Power has a Mediatek Helio G37 chipset that was never going to break any records. Still, when it comes to sipping power, Motorola's decision may make a little more sense. Motorola advertises a 3-day battery life from its 5,000mAh battery.
The screen is relatively large at 6.5 inches and can even run at 90Hz if you're doing light enough work that the chipset can keep up. It runs Android 11, which isn't uncommon for this price point, but when you consider how many other phone makers are committing to updates on cheaper phones, like Samsung, it's definitely a weakness. Still, just about anything you need to do on this phone should work without issue on this older version of Android.
One surprise is the decent quality of pictures you can take with this phone. Sure, it's not matching the latest Pixel phones, but for the price, the pictures are sharp with plenty of color and contrast. Even the macro camera impresses with close-up shots.
6.Blackview BV4900
REASONS TO BUY
Military-grade durability ratingIP68 dust/water protection
Gigantic 5,580mAh battery
USB-C and NFC
Very affordable
No fingerprint sensor
Android 10 with no updates
Chunky and heavy with funky design
Putting a case on the phone is an excellent way to ensure it stays safe throughout your daily use, but some phones were designed to be rugged and durable right out of the box. One such phone is the Blackview BV4900, and if you're prone to clumsiness or work in a physically demanding environment, the BV4900 is a solid choice.
The design of the BV4900 makes its ruggedness unmistakable, and it has durability ratings to back it up. Not only is there an IP68 dust/water resistance rating, but you also get a MIL-STD-810G certification. This means the BV4900 was tested to survive drops of up to five feet.
Moving beyond its design, there are plenty of other highlights for the BV5900. It has a massive 5,580mAh battery, USB-C charging, NFC for contactless Google Pay payments. There's also 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage that can expand to 128GB. You miss out on any platform upgrades past the pre-installed Android 10 and there's no fingerprint sensor.
Blackview's design of the BV4900 certainly isn't for everyone, but if you're someone that knows you'd benefit from a ruggedized handset like this, it's certainly worth a good, hard look. The Blackview BV4900 makes a lot of compromises but its rock-bottom price tag is certainly very attractive.
7. Samsung Galaxy A12
Samsung Galaxy A12 is officially released on November 24, 2020.
Here are some additional details and specifications for the Samsung Galaxy A12:
Processor: The device is powered by the Mediatek Helio P35 SoC. This is an octa-core processor with a clock speed of up to 2.3GHz.
RAM and Storage: The device comes in two variants: 3GB + 32GB and 4GB + 64GB. The internal storage is expandable up to 1TB via a microSD card.
Rear Camera: The device has a quad-camera setup on the back. The primary camera is a 13-megapixel sensor with an f/1.8 aperture. The other cameras include a 2-megapixel depth sensor, a 2-megapixel macro sensor, and a 2-megapixel ultrawide sensor.
Front Camera: The device has a 5-megapixel front-facing camera for taking selfies and video calling.
Battery: The device is powered by a 5000mAh battery with support for 15W fast charging.
Operating System: The device runs on Android 11 with Samsung's One UI 3.1 on top.
Connectivity: The device supports dual SIM, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, and a Micro-USB port.
Other features: The device has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for biometric authentication, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
8.Xiaomi Redmi Note 11
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 is a budget smartphone that comes with decent specs and features. Here are some of the key specifications for the device:
Display: 6.43-inch Full HD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) IPS LCD display with a 20:9 aspect ratio.
Processor: The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 678 SoC. This is an octa-core processor with a clock speed of up to 2.2GHz.
RAM and Storage: The device comes in two variants: 3GB + 32GB and 4GB + 64GB. The internal storage is expandable up to 512GB via a microSD card.
Rear Camera: The device has a quad-camera setup on the back. The primary camera is a 48-megapixel sensor with an f/1.8 aperture. The other cameras include a 2-megapixel macro sensor, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and an AI ultra-wide-angle lens.
Front Camera: The device has a 13-megapixel front-facing camera for taking selfies and video calling.
Battery: The device is powered by a 5000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging
Operating System: The device runs on Android 11 with MIUI 12 on top
Connectivity: The device supports dual SIM, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, and a USB Type-C port.
Other features: The device has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for biometric authentication, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
In conclusion the Redmi Note 11 is a budget smartphone with a large 6.43-inch display, a good camera setup, and a large 5000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support. It runs on Android 11 with Xiaomi's MIUI 12 out of the box, it will work well for basic usage, social media, and calling purposes.