A budget smartphone can be a great choice for someone getting their first phone or as a backup for kids and teens. Look for phones that have multi-lens cameras, a bright display, and fast charging.
Picking a budget phone is a prioritisation exercise. What do you value most, such as speedy performance, a good camera, or long battery life?
Samsung Galaxy A56
Samsung has long had a good track record with mid-range and budget smartphones. Its latest Galaxy A56 — launched alongside the A36 and A26 this month at $499 / £529 / AU$699 — is its most premium offering, delivering seriously impressive showings on cameras, design, screen, battery and more.
The most eye-catching aspect is its display, which is a big step up from the outgoing Galaxy A54 in both brightness levels and size. Its 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED panel will be more than enough to satisfy most mobile users, and it’s backed up by a 5,000mAh battery that can keep pace with the longest of binge-watching sessions. Its fast 45W charging is also a welcome addition and isn’t far off the capabilities of pricier phones.
What separates the Galaxy A56 from most of its competition, however, is its promise of extended software support. It comes with Samsung’s One UI 7 pre-installed and is guaranteed to receive six years of major Android upgrades, which is significantly better than what other brands offer at this price point.
It’s not perfect — the lack of expandable storage and zoom camera are major disappointments — but if you’re on a tight budget, this is worth considering. It’s available in Awesome Pink, Awesome Olive, Graphite Black and Awesome Light Grey.
Nothing Phone 3a
The Nothing Phone 3a is a solid Android smartphone with an attractive design and good cameras for the price. But its inconsistent performance, measly IP64 rating and relatively short update schedule hold it back from true greatness.
Fortunately, the new Nothing Phone 3a and the slightly more expensive 3a Pro solve these issues with the introduction of a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor architected to handle on-device AI processing. That should make them better performers compared to devices with the same specifications.
Also, both phones have an optical in-display fingerprint sensor that works well. It is a slight drawback compared to ultrasonic sensors, but it is a more cost-effective option for the budget segment of the market.
Like the original Phone 2a, the 3a and 3a Pro run on Android 15 with a customized edition of Nothing OS that has a monochrome aesthetic. While it looks sleek, I found myself struggling to distinguish app icons with its stark style.
In terms of software, both the 3a and 3a Pro are fast and stable with very little bloatware. There are a few new features in the latest version of Nothing OS, including a customizable lock screen and the ability to re-arrange your quick settings menu. But the big addition is Essential Space, an AI-focused hub that can gather screenshots, photos and voice notes and recall them for easy access.
Moto G
The Moto G may not wow anyone with its performance, but it proves that you can have a decent Android phone for a fraction of the price. It features a decently bright display, solid speakers, great battery performance, and good gaming chops for the price.
It has a nice-looking design, too. You won’t confuse it with an iPhone or a Galaxy flagship, but it doesn’t look like a cheaply made phone that will fall apart the moment a stiff breeze hits it either. The vegan leather back helps the phone feel better in the hand and also doesn’t pick up fingerprints and smudges the way that cheap plastic might.
Motorola pushed the needle in a few areas with this year’s model, including adding an IP68 rating that will survive water jets and partial submersion. It also has faster and more extensive software updates than its predecessors, promising three years of bimonthly security upgrades.
Its 6.7-inch 120Hz screen is plenty bright for watching videos or playing games, and it has a nice high resolution to help images look sharper and more detailed. The camera is a bit of a mixed bag, but it’s still pretty solid for the price, especially in good light. The only thing missing is HDR, which is something that even some budget phones are starting to include now.
Samsung Galaxy A55
The Galaxy A55 is a great option for people who want a solid, well-rounded phone with a big screen, good camera performance and a reliable battery. It doesn’t have a telephoto lens or advanced AI features, but that won’t stop most people. The 6.6-inch screen is bright and sharp, with a 120Hz refresh rate. The design is a real upgrade over its predecessor, ditching plastic sidewalls in favour of aluminium and uprated Gorilla Glass Victus+. The choice of colours is also a nice touch, including the Awesome Navy we tested.
The Exynos 7870 SoC is fairly efficient and doesn’t heat up at all, even when running full loads. It’s not as frugal as the Snapdragon 7200 used in OnePlus’ latest phones, but still very acceptable for a budget phone. Battery life is also very good, with seven hours of Stranger Things using up just over 10% of the power. There’s also an in-display fingerprint sensor and facial recognition, plus the usual pin, pattern and password options.
The Galaxy A55 brings a premium design to the mid-range and delivers an incremental performance upgrade over its predecessor. It’s not perfect, though, with long-standing annoyances such as super-saturated cameras and slow wired charging still unaddressed. For those looking for a solid, reliable phone with a big screen, this is worth considering, but there are better options out there for similar money.
