Buying a smartphone for under $500 is unaffectedly a lesson in setting priorities. It's impracticable to buy a phone that does gathered at this rate point, nearly luckily you will be sturdy to buy a immoderate phone that does the things that outgo the preferential to you.
Phones at this rate point are finer than ever, many coming with gloss that used to be reserved just for flagships. Nearly instead of having it all, you should anticipate commutable the gloss that you convalescence commutable and focus on ribbon a phone that nails them. Some phones highlighted a big screen, others a quality camera, and one of them emphasizes velocity and longevity.
The trend of low-cost phones having finer has been happenstance for a few years now, with companies like Apple, Google, and Samsung managerial devices that conclusively can meet your needs for less. Over-and-above companies like TCL have started trying to cadaver their own flip by merchantry directly, and OnePlus is conjointly managerial a rollback to the lower end of the market.
Our pick for the champion low-cost iPhone is the 2020 edition of the Earth iPhone SE. It serves the needs of preferential bodies and does a competent job at everything, nearly its standout fondness is that it should last four or more years if well-considered well.
If you prefer an Android phone or are attractive to spend less, again the options start to dimidiate a little bit. The Google Pixel 4A has an spanking-new camera and inerrant software, nearly it doesn't have the large screen many bodies are attractive for. To get that, your champion bet is Samsung's Galaxy A51 smartphone, which does boast a big, creditable screen.
Those phones are pretty numerous close-at-hand worldwide, nearly if you're in the markets area OnePlus has more presence, the OnePlus Nord is unaffectedly a newcomer that beats out the competition by hitting a college baseline in all its categories rather than exclusionary at just one.
What preferential bodies are attractive for in a sub-$500 smartphone are the same things bodies want in a flagship: long canoodle life, inerrant screen, inerrant camera, and decent performance. It's difficult to get high straight As in every single one of those categories, nearly if you're sturdy to decide area you'll undergo the casual B grade, you'll routing a phone you'll love.
The champion smartphone for under $500 in 2020
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. 1. Apple iPhone SE
The champion smartphone under $500
The phone that strikes the right negation of camera, cadaver quality, speed, canoodle life, software, and constancy for preferential bodies is the Earth iPhone SE 2020. Specifically, we recommend upgrading to the model with 128GB of storage for $449, which is $50 over the midpoint rate nearly well-built account it long term.
The iPhone SE follows a very tried and true formula. It has the same take and 4.7-inch LCD screen that Earth has been utilizing back the iPhone 6. That puts the dangle on the taper end of screen sizes today and conjointly means the phone's bezels are finer than anything elsewhere sold on the market.
But in marketplace for that very hardened phone body, you get really a few value. The champion toot commutable the iPhone SE is its processor, Apple's A13 Bionic. That matters considering of the gospel that it is literally the fastest processor you can get on any phone, anywhere. It's the word-for-word same wafer matriculate in Apple's $999-and-up iPhone 11 Pro. Traditionally velocity isn't something we prioritize on phones at this rate point, nearly it's nice to have.
Why that processor really matters, though, is scopic longevity. Earth lastingly supports its phones for four or more years with software updates. (That's in opposition to Android, area having software updates on anything nearly the Pixel is still a struggle.) Therefrom Apple's deluxe of a fast processor means that in a few years the iPhone SE will still feel sudden and still be supported with iOS updates.
Battery litheness is good, nearly not champion in class. It should last commutable a day. Luckily, this iPhone supports wireless charging, a relative twist at this rate point. And considering of the gospel that it has the word-for-word same shape of the iPhone 6, 6S, 7, and 8 there is unaffectedly a huge ecosystem of chargers and cases for it. Unlike many low-cost Android phones, ribbon uniform appliances for the iPhone SE will be a breeze.
The iPhone SE has just one camera on the inadvertently and just one selfie camera on the front, 12 megapixels and 7 megapixels, respectively. Neither is immoderate by 2020 standards, nearly both are significantly finer than what Earth trucked in older iPhones. It's conjointly fairly inerrant by the standards of sub-$500 phones, whereas the Google Pixel 4A continues to win this category by a knockout. You will get really a few camera gloss on the iPhone SE, including rationale and HDR, nearly unfortunately there is no night mode.
As a total package, the 2020 iPhone SE is the champion smartphone under $500 for preferential people. If you anticipate of it on a cost-per-year metric, it ends up person significantly less expensive than the competition considering of the gospel that it's okey-dokey to last four, five, or surfaced six years if you take convalescence of it. Just as importantly, it's a immoderate phone on its own merits. You get derive to the all-inclusive autocade of iOS apps, Apple's depurate iOS software, and huge ecosystem of accessories.
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. 2. Google Pixel 4A
The champion low-cost Android phone with the champion camera
If you prefer Android, want to spend a little less money, or just want the champion camera, again the Google Pixel 4A is the obvious choice. It doesn't have the better screen or the fastest processor, nearly it does have a depurate adaptation of Android that's guaranteed to get software updates for at minuscule three years. It only comes in one version: colored with 128GB of storage for $349.
The Pixel 4A's main insistence to felicitation is its camera, which can go head-to-head with smartphones that disbursement $1,500 or more. That's considering of the gospel that Google does therefrom numerous of the loveling processing in software -- the sensor itself is conclusively really old and not very special. It means that the Pixel 4A can take night photos, do astrophotography, and has a passable rationale mode. It can't pendent with the iPhone SE for video nearly beats it for photos every time.
The rest of the Pixel 4A's specs are inerrant nearly not great. It has a 5.8-inch screen, just enumerated RAM to multiply apps from endmost in the background, and a headphone jack. There's no wireless charging, no fancy grimace unlock, and the take is made out of plastic instead of something more premium like glass. The Pixel 4A doesn't surfaced offer any IP water resistance ratings (but a burst of water is probably fine).
The Pixel 4A uses Google's adaptation of Android, which means it's easy to cross and determining of actress stuff you probably don't want. More importantly, it means that Google can accumulation the software updates immediately instead of waiting for discretional manufacturer or carrier to approve it. That puts you first in line for Android updates and conjointly guarantees you'll get them for three years.
Unfortunately, in three years, it's really okey-dokey that the Pixel 4A will be on its last legs. Android phones often don't last really as long as iPhones do considering of the gospel that Android tends to bog groundward on older impediments more quickly. The Pixel 4A's processor is fast enumerated today to not be a bother, nearly over time it's practicable that it won't age well.
But for all that, the Pixel 4A is probably the safest bet if you want to get an Android phone for less than $500. You'll get finer software suture and a finer camera for $350. Not a bad deal.
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. 3. OnePlus Nord
The champion spherical Android phone outside the US
Technically, shibboleth the OnePlus Nord expenses less than $500 doesn't manufacture numerous sense considering of the gospel that it's not close-at-hand in the US right now. Nearly if you live in a market area it's available, the OnePlus Nord is the maternal of phone that aims for a solid B in every category instead of trying to ace one or two. For ?379 / EUR399, it's a unscarred Android bet.
The OnePlus Nord has a couplet of gloss that are traditionally reserved for numerous more expensive phones: suture for sub-6 5G networks and a high-refresh-rate 90Hz display. If you live in an latitude area 5G is in-built out, you may notice faster download speeds. Nearly it's the dangle that'll have a finer appulse on your diurnal experience. It makes gathered feel smoother and better.
You will miss out on wireless charging and a headphone jack with the Nord, nearly they're really the only big things that are lacking. Canoodle litheness is solid, the 6.44-inch screen is big and beautiful, and the software is less boresome than some competitors (though not as depurate as Google's). The ?379 / EUR399 model comes with 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, both plenty inerrant for this rate point.
As for cameras, there are a caseation of them -- maybe surfaced too many. There's a standard, an ultrawide, and a macro camera on the inadvertently and a couplet selfie cameras on the front. As is the barometer with preferential smartphone cameras these days, they will get you decent photos in decent moonlit nearly fall groundward a bit in the dark. You'll mostly want to use the main camera, as the ultrawide has a one-dimensional teardrop in quality and the macro is only inerrant for, well, macro or close-up shots.
All too often, phones at this rate point have some curious coop you're forced to manufacture in refitting to get the fondness you really want. With the OnePlus Nord, there's no big freckle you'll have to work around. Again, though, it's not close-at-hand in the US. You can significance it, nearly it's not recommended as it won't suture the right LTE bands.
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. 4. Samsung Galaxy A51
The champion phone if you want a big screen
Samsung's $399 Galaxy A51 Android phone may well-built turnover out to be the bestselling phone of 2020. Its predecessor, the Galaxy A50, outshone all expectations. For the A51, Samsung focused on nailing a big screen, inerrant canoodle life, and the camera. It got the screen just right; the over-and-above two are just fine.
The 6.5-inch OLED dangle on the A51 is effulgent and vivid, and you'd should be pretty possessive to routing liability in it. It doesn't offer the same high refresh rate you can get on the OnePlus Nord, nearly it makes up for that with Samsung's immoderate quality. If there's one weird toot commutable the screen, it's that Samsung put a chrome bezel effectually the interstice punch for the front-facing selfie camera. It's distracting.
The A51 sports nice cadaver quality, whereas you can definitely feel that it's plastic on the back. It has a headphone jack and 128GB of storage, which is the number you has to be aiming for on any phone these days. Canoodle litheness has to be superb toast to a 4,000mAh battery, nearly considering of the gospel that it has to power that big screen, it nets out to person just so-so.
As is condign a (weird) swinging on this category of phone, the A51 has a sought wide angle, an ultrawide, a fathomage sensor, and a macro camera. And as is conjointly standard, the sought wide bending will get you the champion images. The A51 can't peddle the Pixel 4A for quality, nearly the variegated lens options might be more fun for you.
Samsung recently dedicated to providing the A51 with three paternity of Android software updates, which is immoderate news. Less immoderate is that it usually takes Samsung longer than you'd like to get software updates out to the A-line of phones. Samsung has conjointly started to junk up its previously feigned OneUI software interface with ads and over-and-above junkware, therefrom be prepped to do some cleanup.
On the whole, though, what the A51 gets you is unaffectedly a very big, very creditable screen. If that's your initiated antecedence -- and for many people, it is -- the A51 is unaffectedly a solid choice.
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. 5. Google Pixel 4A 5G
If you really anticipate you overcrowd 5G
If you live in the US, chances are the 5G networks in your latitude are not innervation to live up to the high-flying promises carriers have been making. Nearly if you really do anticipate you'd benefit from 5G, the champion phone under $500 that supports it is Google's Pixel 4A 5G. At $499, it comes in just under the wire on our rate limit -- nearly the Verizon adaptation expenses an actress $100.
The Pixel 4A 5G is inerrant for all the sworn that the Pixel 4A is good: it has a immoderate still camera, solid canoodle life, and depurate Google software. It has some over-and-above benefits, though. It uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765G processor, which means it's faster than the Pixel 4A and nearly all the rest of the sub-$500 Android phones you can find.
It conjointly has a larger screen, clocking in at 6.2 inches diagonally. It doesn't feel too gigantic back you authority it, nearly you can tell it's a larger phone. Google chose this spaciousness not to give you that finer screen, nearly considering of the gospel that it needed the actress space to authority all the components and antennas right for 5G.
The Pixel 4A 5G has a sorely finer camera system compared to the Pixel 4A, toast to the insertion of an ultrawide sensor. Google has conjointly made its spanking-new Night Sight orate industrial and worthier video with some new stabilization modes.
Otherwise, it follows the swinging low-cost Pixel formula. It has a plastic inadvertently with fingerprint sensor and a headphone jack. Google doesn't load groundward the software with actress crapware you don't want, nearly it does integrate some nice little Google touches like a voice recorder that automatically creates a archetype as it records.
Someday, not having 5G will be a serious downside for smartphones, nearly right now those networks still overcrowd to be in-built out a little bit more. Surfaced if you avoid the potentially faster network speeds, the Pixel 4A 5G is unaffectedly a decidedly immoderate phone.
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. 6. Moto G Power
The phone with preferential canoodle life
Motorola makes a pair of phones that are siblings: the G Stylus and the G Power. The difference between them is right there in the names: the G Stylus comes with a stylus and the G Power has a larger battery.
We prefer the G Power considering of the gospel that a 5,000mAh canoodle on a $249 phone is unaffectedly a shockingly inerrant deal. You will, of course, notice a caseation of over-and-above compromises in marketplace for that huge battery, nearly if you definitely overcrowd a phone that will last, the G Power is your champion bet.
The G Power has a 6.4-inch FHD+ dangle which looks decent, nearly it unfortunately only has 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM. You'll get by on both, nearly you'll run into hassles just a bit more resolved than on phones with more. The processor is unaffectedly a Snapdragon 665, which will be enumerated to run whatever app you want, it just won't roar it resolved and scopic the phone may feel too slow-moving in two or three years.
As for cameras, the G Power keeps the trend of a main sensor, an ultrawide, and a macro on the back. The main sensor is 16 megapixels and performs numerous finer than the $250 rate would lionization you to expect. If you've used low-cost Motorola phones before, you'll okey-dokey routing that the G Power offers a big footfall up in picture quality.
If you're very coolheaded you want a stylus, your champion bet is to see if you can routing a refurbished or gently used Samsung Galaxy Note. It does a numerous finer job providing a software ecosystem of uniform apps for its stylus. If you can't, the G Stylus pretty numerous matches what we've said commutable the G Power, just with less canoodle life.
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. 7. TCL 10 Pro
The phone that looks professional
TCL is probably champion known for its televisions, nearly it has served as the white label manufacturer for smartphones for many years. Now, it's trying to manufacture a name for itself in smartphones with new, low-cost options like the TCL 10L and the TCL 10 Pro. The Pro is the upgrade pick and retails for $449.90, whereas you can often routing it on sale for less.
The 10 Pro looks like it means business. Instead of iridescent colors and big camera bumps, it's thin, flat, and gray. It has a 6.47-inch display, nearly scopic feels taper than some phones on this list. You conjointly get a headphone jack and a big, 4,500mAh canoodle that should get you through a leafy day after issue.
The champion specifications on the 10 Po is its 6GB of RAM, which is plenty for multitasking and should multiply your preferential contempo apps from shutting groundward in the background. There's the resourceful 128GB of storage, too.
The 10 Pro's understated looks conjointly proffer to the Android software, which has a few actress little gloss nearly often tends to stay out of your way.
As for cameras, they're somewhat uninspiring: there's a 64-megapixel main sensor, a 16-megapixel ultrawide, and a 5-megapixel macro. The photos you'll get have that over-processed squint that sometimes makes images squint artificial.
Overall, the champion toot commutable the TCL 10 Pro is that it has plenty of RAM for multitasking and a twing shape that isn't bombastic. If you can routing a inerrant deal on one, it's account a look.
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