13 Of The Best Budget-Friendly Phones For Under $600

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The smartphone industry is worth hundreds of billions of dollars for a reason. Today, these devices are almost vital to the average person’s daily life thanks to their convenience and functionality. And with how often they’re replaced or upgraded, it’s easy for many people to spend nearly — or even over — $1,000 on one every couple of years. Even if you avoid Apple’s pricey products, the best Android phones you can buy will eat a massive chunk of change from your account.

Luckily, if you’re on a tight budget, there are still plenty of options. You can find at least 13 phones from major brands that are priced at or below $600, and they all offer something different. Even at the lowest price point, getting one of these phones is far better than having no phone at all. And if you’re replacing something that’s been in use for half a decade, it’s almost certainly going to feel like an improvement no matter what.

Not every review of the Moto G Play is extraordinarily positive, but if you aren’t relying on discounts and sales, there are few other modern smartphones — if any — priced below $200. We discussed an older model of this phone in our Motorola Moto G Play (2024) review, and while we weren’t entirely positive, the battery life was praised, and its display was seen as perfectly acceptable. Reviews of the newer model share this outlook, though the additions to its camera still leave a lot to be desired.

Interestingly, comparisons between this $180 model and the slightly more expensive Moto G lead to far more favorable outcomes for the Play. Both devices have impressively long battery life, but the Play manages to stay on for a little while longer in practice. Even negative reviews have given credence to the build quality, noting that it’s surprisingly durable for how cheap it is. Overall, the Moto G Play is a decent choice as your first phone or as a temporary replacement until you can afford something better.

There aren’t many fundamental differences between the overall design of the Moto G Play and the Moto G. They have the same features and options, and at first, it might seem like the Moto G performs worse in battery life (although some tests have put it above the Play in that regard). But the upgrades come in the form of a better camera and double the storage capacity, which can make a world of difference for any user.

The camera improvements aren’t anything to write home about, but going from the $180 Moto G Play’s 64 GB storage to the $200 Moto G’s 128 GB capacity is a fantastic boost to what you’re able to do with your device. The increasing price of microSD cards has made expandable storage more difficult to utilize, although it’s always appreciated to see. You can also see slightly faster charging with the Moto G, which should help make up for any shortcomings in its already impressive battery life. It’s not a wholly better phone than the Play, but it’s worth considering for an extra $20.

The Galaxy A17 is currently Samsung’s cheapest phone, offering very similar specs to the Moto G at the same price point. It falls just a bit short when it comes to battery life, but its camera is hard to beat at this cost, and it’s expected to have a much longer period of support from Samsung — six years instead of three from Motorola. It also helps that this is one of the cheapest ways to get into the Samsung ecosystem in general, which covers an incredible number of smart devices for your household.

Of course, this is the cheapest Galaxy phone currently available, so you aren’t going to get a whole lot out of it. 4 GB of RAM isn’t going to give you much to work with, and the 1080p resolution is really just a baseline, though it’s still higher than Motorola’s aforementioned offerings. Regardless, the A17 is a prime example of how far you can go on a tight budget.

It’s certainly not the most high-performance device out there, but the Bark Phone is unrivaled if you want to keep your kids safe and secure. Historically, base models of these devices have been repurposed from the cheapest Galaxy A phones, so it’s not too far from what you’d expect from a Samsung device. The real draw comes from its numerous parental controls, allowing you to monitor your child with very few restrictions. It even has alert functions to warn you about your child receiving dangerous texts, though it doesn’t completely cut them off from having their own freedom.

Many of the parental control functions come with a monthly subscription, so you’ll need to spend at least an extra $30 on top of its $240 base price. But there really aren’t any other choices that provide this level of protection. The biggest reason you’d purchase this is for child safety, and no other device can match the Bark Phone when it comes to that.

At the midrange level is the Samsung Galaxy A26, which has some pretty deep AI integration. But regardless of whether you’re a fan of that, it’s a perfectly fine device that offers a fast processor, a smooth 120 Hz display, waterproofing, and 4K video recording. It’s also a whole $100 more expensive than the A17, so you’ll have to use your own judgment as to whether that higher cost is worth it. Even so, those upgrades are substantial — and it’s the best you’ll get from Samsung while still retaining one vital feature.

If you decide to go with any more expensive Galaxy phone, you’ll lose microSD card compatibility. In other words, you’ll be unable to move past the basic 128 GB storage without buying an older device or a costlier version of the exact same model. Expandable storage has been gradually phased out of midrange and high-end phones, so if you’re already deep into the Samsung ecosystem, you’ll have to keep to a $300 budget if you want to make use of existing microSD cards you have lying around. Then again, there’s no guarantee that the upcoming A27 will provide expandable storage, either.

Despite its name (and its price), the Nothing Phone 3a is a phone that’s capable of pretty much everything. There aren’t many differences between it and the Pro model outside of the camera, so our Nothing Phone 3a Pro review should provide a good idea of what to expect. A fantastic processor for this price point, a great battery with fast charging, 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, and a great deal of customization all allow for something you wouldn’t expect to find at just $380. If anything, the biggest downside is actually finding one for yourself.

The Nothing Phone 3a isn’t fully available in the U.S. right now. It requires you to enroll in the company’s U.S. Beta Program, and the phone is currently out of stock on its website. The Nothing Phone 4a is expected to succeed it, so it’s hard to say if you’ll even get the chance to check this model out before then. Still, it’s worth keeping an eye out for whenever either the 3a or 4a is finally made available, as you’re unlikely to regret getting your hands on one.

The latest version of the Moto G Stylus can be had for $350, though its list price is set at around $400. It’s a bit less powerful and not quite as large as the Nothing Phone 3a, but it makes up for this with microSD compatibility and competitive specs all around. Of course, the biggest reason to get it is in its name: the stylus. You simply aren’t going to have much luck finding a phone with a stylus under $400 without relying on older or refurbished models.

Our Moto G Stylus (2025) review praised the phone’s battery, display, and the inclusion of a headphone jack — which, like the microSD card slot, isn’t so easy to find on modern phones these days. Granted, the stylus itself doesn’t have any additional features beyond its basic functionality, but no other device on this list is built to house one for that added convenience of storage. Besides, even outside of its discounted price, the specs of the Moto G Stylus have some very compelling value.

The Samsung Galaxy A36 competes decently well in its price range. It has a bit more battery life than the Moto G Stylus, and its hardware manages to either match or beat its capabilities. And, like Motorola’s offering, its list price of $400 is undercut by $50 at multiple official vendors. The catch is that this price applies to the 128 GB model, restricting the amount of storage available to you.

The Galaxy A36 does offer a 256 GB version for about $75 more than its base cost. It’s hardly the best deal, but it provides you with a bit more wiggle room for specific use cases. If you don’t need that extra storage, the A36 has the same price as the Stylus while being more powerful and offering more long-term support. It’s a good example of the sort of options you can expect at these higher price points without going too far above your $600 budget.

Our Oukitel WP300 review showed how rugged phones are built to handle anything, but they can also be quite cumbersome to use. The Oukitel WP210 splits the difference without sacrificing its durability, and it does this while offering some frankly incredible specs. You can find it for as low as $380, but even its base price of $500 isn’t so staggering when it provides 512 GB storage, 12 GB RAM, and some of the best resilience you’ll find from a smart device. And unlike the WP300, you won’t have any issue carrying it around.

Interestingly, there seem to be mixed reports about the phone’s compatibility with a microSD card. Your own mileage may vary, but there aren’t any other modern phones at this price point with this feature — and it’s not very relevant anyway with its immense storage capacity. Regardless, the WP210 offers the best balance of great features, low cost, and durability. It’s arguably the perfect sub-$600 phone for anyone spending most of their time in dangerous conditions outdoors.

As of the first quarter of 2026, the Galaxy A56 is the last non-refurbished Samsung phone under $600, coming in at just about $500 — or $550 if you get it with 256 GB storage instead of 128 GB. It’s also the most capable phone of the “A” lineup, especially when it comes to its camera. It handily beats out its predecessors with zoomed-in shots and dimmer pictures, and you won’t lose out on any features beyond what the A36 already cut from the cheaper phones (like the microSD card).

The next-cheapest Samsung phone is the Galaxy S25 FE at $650. It boasts a better screen, camera, and processor, but it doesn’t make the A56 irrelevant by any means. After all, that phone is over the $600 budget, just like the rest of the Galaxy series, and this $500 offering is still a strong alternative to today’s flagships. Even if you’re downgrading from a device that was originally double the price, your standards will have to be absurdly high to find yourself displeased with the A56.

Currently, your only choice for a Google phone under $600 is the Google Pixel 9a. Its successor will be available on March 5 this year (and might already be by the time this article is published), but this model is tried and tested — as we shared in our Google Pixel 9a review. Just know that you’ll have to get it with the basic 128 GB storage option if you want to truly stay under budget. The 256 GB option sits right at the $600 limit, while the base model is the same price as the A56.

It might not completely beat out Samsung’s offering, but it has plenty of benefits of its own. The processor is an absolute behemoth compared to nearly everything mentioned previously, and many would argue that the camera is even better than the A56 despite the fewer lenses. The upgrades of the 10a over its predecessor aren’t major, even sharing the same processor, so you can’t really go too wrong with either model. And if the release of the newer version brings the 9a to a deeper discount, that’s all the more reason to get this model over an alternative.

Of all Android phones on this list, the RedMagic 11 Air is the most powerful, with a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor that makes the Pixel 9a look almost laughable when it comes to gaming. Reviews place its price from $500 to $530, but if you care most about processing power, that’s a massive bargain when the not-so-old Samsung Galaxy S25 flagship can barely even match its scores. Sure, the S26 is another story, but the RedMagic 11 Air is still providing about 80% of the performance for under half the cost.

Even outside of a gaming or performance focus, the 11 Air still manages to impress. The inclusion of a power adapter is already going above and beyond what most budget or flagship phones provide, and its 144 Hz display is the fastest you’ll find on this list. The biggest shortcoming compared to other devices here is storage, and even then, the base model includes a decent 256 GB. Going up to the 512 GB option bumps the price to over $600, so you’ll have to stick to the lower amount if you aren’t able to stretch a few extra bucks.

While it might be pushing the limit, the iPhone 16e was, for a time, the only brand-new iOS phone you could get at $600 or less. But as of early March 2026, it’s been replaced by the iPhone 17e, which boasts the same base price while offering a few upgrades over its predecessor. These are your only choices if you’re not interested in an Android device, but our Apple iPhone 16e review shows that you aren’t limiting yourself too heavily if you settle on this model. There aren’t very many differences between it and the non-e iPhone 16 models, so there’s no need to feel too guilty about missing out on the “full” Apple experience.

Granted, as the closest thing Apple has to a “baseline” phone, there’s still a lot to be desired. It misses out on many modern iOS camera and display features, and for $50 more, the Galaxy S24 FE boasts a higher refresh rate alongside its bigger screen and better brightness. The 16e also only includes 128 GB of storage for its base model, but the 17e has 256 GB as its baseline, making it more worthwhile overall. Still, if you aren’t concerned about Apple’s ecosystem or special features, going with an Android device instead will give you a much bigger bang for your buck. 

All phones on this list were included as their latest brand-new iterations. For example, the Moto G only takes its 2026 model into account rather than a cheaper version like the 2024 model. If a device had a list price above $600 or was only sold by a third-party or unofficial seller, it wasn’t included even if the cost was below the limit. This is partially why Xiaomi phones weren’t included, as there are little to no official sellers in the U.S. for them.

As for which phones are the “best,” devices were chosen based on a number of factors, including price, relative value, features, and hardware. This article also accounts for reviews from various outlets, such as GSMArena, Tom’s Guide, CNet, PhoneArena, PCMag, and — of course — SlashGear. What constitutes the absolute best phone is subjective, but the devices listed here should provide a decent purchase for just about everyone with only $600 to spare.