22 Best Budget Smartphones in 2023
Not everyone can afford premium and mid-price smartphones. However, the market is full of budget mobile phones that have all the necessary functions: good call quality, quite acceptable images, rear and front cameras for photography and video, Internet access and a powerful battery that can handle games of varying complexity. Among the budget models there are also protected ones, with which you can dive to a depth of up to one and a half meters, and if struck from a height of human height, it will remain safe and sound.
The material contains the best models of budget smartphones according to the editors of the “Experts’ Choice” project. The article is advisory in nature and is not a guide to purchase or other actions.
Poco M4 Pro 5G
The brand quickly broke into the Russian market and holds a leading position among gadget fans in 2023. Initially, the company supplied its products only to India. I took it because for modest money the user received a mobile phone with top specifications: a capacious battery or a powerful processor. The rest of the indicators were simply satisfactory. But now the Chinese manufacturer has learned to do “good” on all fronts and has expanded its sales geography.
Rating of the top 3 best budget smartphones by price and quality
realme C11
This phone can easily be included in the class of “ultra-budget” smartphones. The same handset that parents buy for schoolchildren when they don’t want to spend money on an expensive gadget, and the child no longer wants to carry a push-button mobile phone. But even for undemanding adults, the model will be quite a working aid: a camera, instant messengers, simple games – the model has it all.
Itel Vision 2s
Another contender, for those who, when asked “What kind of smartphone do you need?”, first responds: “Cheap!” At the same time, a state employee cannot be called mediocre. It takes its place in the ranking of the best phones quite legitimately. The main market for this brand is African countries. There, its affordable price is especially important, but it also finds its buyer here.
Nokia G21
The Finnish brand is returning to the global smartphone market and by 2023 has introduced several variations of budget models. For our ranking of the best, we took the G21 model. From the box we get a protective case made of thick transparent silicone and screen protection with film. The back cover is lined with plastic in a fine mesh. So the smartphone does not slip in your hand.
Since the handset runs on pure Android, the manufacturer added to the standard volume and unlock buttons, also a Google button – you can use it to call a voice assistant. Screen refresh rate 90 Hz.
Main characteristics
Since the handset runs on pure Android, the manufacturer added to the standard volume and unlock buttons, also a Google button – you can use it to call a voice assistant. Screen refresh rate 90 Hz.
Main characteristics
Infinix Note 11
The body of this budget smartphone is made of plastic. The coating is matte (black, blue or green), so you won’t have to carry it without a case and constantly wipe the prints. If you look at the mobile phone from the display side, then in the rounded edges and colored edge of the case around the black display frame, you can read references to the IPhone XE – remember, Cupertino had such a budget phone? We are not hinting at plagiarism; in 2023, it is generally difficult to blame anyone for deliberate borrowing.
The manufacturer left slots for two SIM cards and a flash card. There is a jack for classic headphone conductor (3.5 mm). Charging – USB Type-C. So if you are switching from another budget smartphone to this one, then the previous mini-USB cords will not work. But the new wire made it possible to implement the fast charging function.
Main characteristics
Oppo A16
This is the youngest model in the Chinese company’s current line for 2023. The developers did not skimp on plastic with shimmer, which is why the smartphone looks decent without a case. There is a version with deep dark blue and light blue color. Let’s add here the current USB-C charging interface, an almost frameless screen (with an oleophobic coating that does not leave greasy marks), and a fingerprint sensor.
Daytime photos taken on a smartphone turn out well. They could add a little contrast – this can be done with a standard editor – and generally great. But the night mode is extremely useless. It’s even surprising that they made the most of such a budget camera for shooting in daylight, but did not work properly on the software component of shooting in low light.
Main characteristics
Rating of the top 3 best budget smartphones with a good battery
UMIDIGI Power 7 Max
The Chinese smartphone will appeal to all lovers of simple yet productive gadgets. The battery has a capacity of 10,000 mAh, due to which the smartphone will last 15 hours with intensive Internet use, and with less active use, one battery charge will last for three days. The Unisoc Tiger T610 processor has eight cores, two of which are responsible for device performance, and six for energy efficiency.
The built-in and RAM are quite sufficient – 128 GB and 6 GB, respectively, there is also a microSD slot with a maximum capacity of 256 GB. The 6.7-inch display refreshes at 60Hz. For taking photos and videos, three main cameras with a resolution of 48, 8 and 5 MP are built in, as well as a front camera of 16 MP.
The model is built on the Android 11 operating system. Users note that this smartphone can be used as a PowerBank to charge other devices. Of the minuses: the camera is buggy (freezes when opening and taking photos), and the gadget opens applications slowly.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.7″, 1650 x 720 |
| operating system | Android 11 |
| CPU | 8-core Unisoc Tiger T610 2xCortex-A75 6xCortex-A55, 1.8 GHz |
| RAM | 6 GB |
| Solid State Drive | 128 GB (there is a slot for microSD up to 256 GB) |
| Camera | main – 48 MP, ultra-wide-angle – 8 MP, macro – 5 MP |
| Front-camera | 16 MP |
| Battery | 10,000 mAh |
| Weight | 290 g |
Xiaomi Redmi 9
A fresh budget smartphone with a surprisingly capacious battery and excellent performance. Xiaomi has long established itself as a high-quality electronics manufacturer at very affordable prices with a reasonable approach to the filling. The phone’s large screen (6.53 inches), excellent memory (64 GB), the main 13-megapixel camera is equipped with artificial intelligence.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.53 inches, IPS, resolution – 2340×1080, pixel density – 395 PPI |
| operating system | Android 10 |
| CPU | MediaTek Helio G80 (8 cores, 2000 MHz) |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Solid State Drive | 64 GB (there is a memory card slot) |
| Camera | 13 MP main, 8 MP front, 5 MP, 2 MP |
| Battery | 5020 mAh |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 77.01×163.32×9.1 mm |
| Weight | 198 g |
realme C21
A smartphone with a powerful battery and fast charging will delight its owner with days of active use. In addition, according to the manufacturer, even with 5% of the remaining battery energy, you can use WhatsApp for up to 85 minutes. The 13-megapixel camera with artificial intelligence algorithms promises bright and clear photos. Also worth mentioning is the gaming processor with a maximum clock speed of 2.3 GHz, which guarantees smooth performance while gaming.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.5 inches, resolution – 1600×720, pixel density – 270 PPI |
| operating system | Android 10 |
| CPU | 8-core MediaTek Helio G35 (2000 MHz) |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Solid State Drive | 64 GB (there is a memory card slot) |
| Camera | 13 MP main, macro 2 MP, 2 MP |
| Battery | 5000 mAh |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 76.4×165.2×8.9 mm |
| Weight | 190 g |
Rating of the top 3 best budget gaming smartphones
TECNO POVA 5
A gadget with fast charging – 50% battery in 21 minutes, and 100% in one hour. It is worth noting that the battery is economical – after a five-minute charge, you can talk on your smartphone for five hours without interruption. The smartphone operates for 14 hours in video playback mode – all thanks to a capacious 6,000 mAh battery.
The device runs on an eight-core MediaTek Helio G99 processor and the Android 13 operating system. Built-in and RAM are 256 GB and 8 GB, respectively. The 6.8-inch display has a resolution of 2460 x 1080 pixels and a screen refresh rate of 120 Hz. There are two main (rear) cameras – 50 MP and 2 MP, and the resolution of the front camera is 8 MP. The video camera allows you to take 30 frames per second with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
Users note the high performance of the smartphone, large screen, high-quality main camera, good sound, interesting design, but the front camera illuminates the photo.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.8″, 2460 x 1080 |
| operating system | Android 13 |
| Processor and graphics accelerator | 8-core MediaTek Helio G992x Cortex-A76 2.2 GHz, 6x Cortex-A55 2 GHz, Mali-G57 MP2 |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Solid State Drive | 256 GB |
| Camera | main – 50 MP, 2 MP |
| Front-camera | 8 MP |
| Battery | 6,000 mAh |
| Weight | 210 g |
Infinix Hot 30 Play
A smartphone built on a quad-core MediaTek Helio G37 processor and the Android 13 operating system. This model also has a capacious 6,000 mAh battery, which lasts for 25 hours in video playback mode or for a month and a half in inactivity. The display is color, touch-sensitive with protective glass with a diagonal of 6.82 inches and a resolution of 1640 x 720 pixels.
Standard equipment includes: two slots for nanoSIM, main and front cameras of 16 MP and 8 MP, support for 2G, 3G, 4G LTE communications, Bluetooth, NFC, Wi-Fi wireless interfaces and a 3.5 mm mini-jack headphone jack . As for the amount of memory, it is quite enough for downloading applications, games and storing media files – 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of built-in memory. Users note the good functionality of the phone, but the glass from the cameras falls off because they are not glued, but simply inserted.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.82″,1640 x 720 |
| operating system | Android 13 |
| CPU | Quad-core MediaTek Helio G37, 2300 MHz |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Solid State Drive | 128 GB |
| Camera | main – 16 MP |
| Front-camera | 8 MP |
| Battery | 6,000 mAh |
| Weight | 205 g |
vivo Y35
A smartphone with a powerful eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor and the Android 12 operating system. The body of the gadget is made of glass and plastic and is protected according to the IP54 standard from impacts by foreign objects, moisture and small amounts of dust.
Touch screen color diagonal 6.58 inches. Photos can be taken from three main cameras of 50 MP, 2 MP, 2 MP and a front camera with a resolution of 16 MP. Video recording is possible in normal and slow motion at 30 and 120 frames per second and a single resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
RAM and internal memory are 4 and 128 GB, respectively, and the battery has 5,000 mAh, but you can watch videos continuously for 14 hours, and in standby mode, one charge lasts for 24 days. Users note not very high-quality shooting, a easily soiled plastic case and a loose power button.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.58″,2480 x 1080 |
| operating system | Android 12 |
| CPU | 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 680, 2400 MHz |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Solid State Drive | 128 GB |
| Camera | main – 50 MP + 2 MP + 2 MP |
| Front-camera | 16 MP |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh |
| Weight | 188 g |
Rating of the top 3 best budget smartphones with a good processor and high performance
TCL 30 SE
The device has a fast charging function (full charge in 3.5 hours), a 5,000 mAh battery and an eight-core MediaTek Helio G25 processor. The operating system is Android 12, the RAM and internal memory are only 4 GB and 64 GB (there is a 128 GB configuration), but if necessary, you can install microSD and expand the storage up to 512 GB. The 6.52-inch diagonal screen (1600 x 720 pixels) refreshes images at 60 Hz.
There are three main cameras (50 MP + 2 MP + 2 MP), the front resolution is 8 MP. Video recording on the main camera is carried out in Full HD format with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and a speed of 30 frames per second. Users note the proprietary firmware without unnecessary applications and good battery life, but often the smartphone gets very hot, especially during charging. There are no additional accessories included (headphones and power supply for charging).
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.52″, 1600 x 720 |
| operating system | Android 12 |
| CPU | 8-core MediaTek Helio G25 |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Solid State Drive | 64 GB (there is a slot for a 512 GB memory card) |
| Camera | main – 50 MP + 2 MP + 2 MP |
| Front-camera | 8 MP |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh |
| Weight | 190 g |
Itel Vision 3 Plus
A budget smartphone with acceptable characteristics: a 6,000 mAh battery, which is enough for 18 hours of continuous video viewing and 23 days of standby time, NFC, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The device is built on an eight-core Unisoc Tiger T606 processor and the Android 11 operating system. The HD display has a diagonal of 6.8 inches (1640 x 720 pixels) and an image refresh rate of 90 Hz. The cameras are rather weak, the resolution of the main ones is only 13 MP and 0.8 MP, and the front one is 5 MP. It shoots video with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a speed of 30 frames per second.
Built-in and RAM 64 and 4 GB, there is also a slot for microSD with a maximum capacity of 128 GB. Users are pleased with the presence of NFC and a capacious battery. Among the minuses, they note the easily soiled case and screen, as well as the outdated MicroUSB port for charging (therefore, there is no fast charging).
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.8″, 1640 x 720 |
| operating system | Android 11 |
| CPU | 8-core Unisoc Tiger T606, 1600 MHz |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Solid State Drive | 64 GB (there is a slot for a 128 GB memory card) |
| Camera | main – 13 MP + 0.8 MP |
| Front-camera | 5 MP |
| Battery | 6,000 mAh |
| Weight | 198 g |
Samsung Galaxy A32
The smartphone runs on an up-to-date operating system with convenient access to all necessary and not so necessary applications. It’s comfortable to view any data on the large screen; good viewing angles and no flickering allow you to spend a long time with pleasure with your phone. An impressive reserve of energy combined with a high-performance and energy-efficient processor will ensure long and productive operation of the device.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.4 inches, AMOLED, resolution 2400×1080, pixel density 270 PPI |
| operating system | Android 11 |
| CPU | 8-core MediaTek Helio G80, maximum frequency – 2 GHz |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Solid State Drive | 128 GB (memory card slot up to 1024 GB) |
| Camera | 64 MP main, 8 MP ultra-wide-angle, 5 MP depth sensor, 5 MP macro |
| Battery | 5000 mAh |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 73.6×158.9×8.4 mm |
| Weight | 184 g |
Rating of the top 3 best secure budget smartphones
OUKITEL WP5 Pro
A phone that has the potential to remain relevant for more than one year. High performance, updatable operating system and excellent level of protection against mechanical and thermal damage. Before purchasing, you should pay attention to the size of the smartphone – the protected case and capacious battery significantly increase the dimensions and weight.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 5.5 inches, IPS, resolution – 1440×720 pixel density – 293 PPI |
| operating system | Android 10 |
| CPU | 8-core MediaTek Helio A25, maximum frequency – 2 GHz |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Solid State Drive | 64 GB (there is a slot for a memory card up to 256 GB) |
| Camera | 13 MP main, 2 MP depth sensor, 2 MP secondary, 5 MP selfie |
| Battery | 8000 mAh |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 74.2×153.8×18.3 mm |
| Weight | 288 g |
DOOGEE S61
The smartphone is housed in a classic case, protected to IP68 and IP69K standards, so it can withstand prolonged immersion in pressurized water and high-temperature high-pressure washing. The gadget runs on an eight-core MediaTek Helio G35 processor and the Android 12 operating system. The battery capacity is 5,180 mAh. Built-in and RAM are 64 and 6 GB, there is also a slot for a memory card with a maximum capacity of 256 GB.
Color touch screen, six inches diagonal. There are two main cameras: regular and night vision with a resolution of 20 MP each, there is also a front camera of 8 MP, as well as autofocus and rear flash functions. Users note that the device opens applications slowly and generally freezes frequently.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6″, 1440 x 720 |
| operating system | Android 12 |
| CPU | 8-core MediaTek Helio G35 |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Solid State Drive | 64 GB (there is a slot for a 256 GB memory card) |
| Camera | main – 20 MP + 20 MP |
| Front-camera | 8 MP |
| Battery | 5 180 mAh |
| Weight | 266 g |
Ulefone Armor X5 Pro
The smartphone is “armored” – protected according to IP68, IP69K and MIL-STD-810G standards, so it is not afraid of dust, moisture, exposure to hot jets under pressure and falls from human height. Built on a MediaTek Helio A25 processor and Android 10 operating system. Built-in and RAM – 64 and 4 GB, there is a slot for microSD. The battery is capacious – 5,000 mAh, which is enough for 18 days in standby mode.
The main cameras are 13 and 2 MP, and the front camera is 5 MP. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GLONASS, BeiDou, GPS, Galileo and NFC are also installed. According to user reviews, the gadget looks very good, works flawlessly, and the charge lasts for several days. Cons: mediocre screen and camera.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 5.5″, 1440 x 720 |
| operating system | Android 10 |
| CPU | 8-core MediaTek Helio A25, 1800 MHz |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Solid State Drive | 64 GB (there is a slot for a memory card) |
| Camera | main – 13 MP + 2 MP |
| Front-camera | 5 MP |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh |
| Weight | 235 g |
Leaders of past years
vivo Y21
Compared to other best budget smartphones of 2023, this model stands out with its fresh design. The case is, of course, plastic, but there is a mirror substrate under the back panel. It shimmers so beautifully that from a distance it is unclear whether this is real glass? In general, the smartphone looks more expensive than its price.
“Not a flagship” it has a 3.5 mm headphone jack, although its presence will be a plus for many owners of wired headsets.
The company did not bother with the abundance of cameras on the rear panel, but made do with two. But they cope satisfactorily. And the 8 MP front camera is naturally a gift for fans of selfies and video calls.
Main characteristics
HUAWEI P40 Lite
A high-quality, convenient and fast smartphone with excellent cameras based on artificial intelligence from one of the world’s largest companies. A capacious battery allows the phone to work all day in active use mode. Google services are not available for the smartphone and the manufacturer recommends not using the phone at temperatures below -10 degrees.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.4 inches, resolution 2310×1080, pixel density – 398 PPI, |
| operating system | Android 10 |
| CPU | 8-core HiSilicon Kirin 810 |
| RAM | 6 GB |
| Solid State Drive | 128 GB (there is a slot for a memory card up to 256 GB) |
| Camera | 48 MP, 8 MP, 2 MP, 2 MP |
| Battery | 4200 mAh |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 76.3×159.2×8.7 mm |
| Weight | 183 g |
Xiaomi Redmi 9C
At one time, the Redmi line from a company from China was a breakthrough. The cases of the smartphones were made of metal, they held a charge for a record long time, and their processors were head and shoulders above those of their competitors. And all this is mega-budget.
In 2023, other companies learned to do this. Except for the metal body. But Xiaomi, unfortunately, has abandoned this practice, switching to utilitarian plastic. Still, the 9C is a solid model and truly budget-friendly.
You can buy such a phone for a child, an elderly person, or for yourself as a second or third handset for work. And if you are financially strapped, this will still be a great purchase.
Main characteristics
How to choose a budget smartphone
To choose the right inexpensive smartphone, you need to consider the following characteristics:
Screen and resolution
The display diagonal in the budget segment can be almost any – from five to more than six inches. The more expensive the phone, the greater the chances that its screen will be large and of high quality. The display resolution in the most budget models usually does not exceed HD or HD+ (from 1,200 pixels in screen height and 720 in width), but more and more often you can find smartphones with Full HD and Full HD+ displays (from 1,900 pixels in screen height and 1080 in width).
CPU
The cheapest models still have quad-core processors, but most budget smartphones have long switched to eight-core components. Four or six cores in them are responsible for performance and are connected under heavy loads (games, watching videos, taking photos), and the remaining ones ensure stable operation during basic tasks in normal use (calls, correspondence).
Most often, in inexpensive devices you can find chipsets from MediaTek, less often from Qualcomm. The most budget smartphones are equipped with Unisoc brand processors. And the most expensive ones are from Qualcomm.
Memory
As a rule, RAM in budget smartphones is only 2-6 GB, and there is no way to increase it, so choose memory of at least 6 GB. But the built-in storage can be 512 GB and there is a slot for a memory card, allowing you to expand the storage.
Camera
Of course, a budget device will not shoot at the same level as a flagship device, but when purchasing, you should look at the number of cameras and their resolution. For everyday shooting, a 5 or 8 MP camera is enough, but to take beautiful photos of nature, children or animals, it is better to have more modern sensors of 12 MP or higher. For evening or low-light shooting, models with cameras from 48 MP are suitable.
Battery
The main condition is that the battery does not run out during the day when actively using the gadget. Therefore, it is better to choose models with 5,000 or 6,000 mAh batteries. But no capacity can guarantee stable operation of the device throughout the entire working da
Expert review of budget smartphones
Anton Shamarin , moderator of the HONOR community, shares his personal opinion about modern budget smartphones :
“Modern budget smartphones have wide functionality and can perform not only basic functions (calls and surfing the Internet), but also take good photos and play most games. If your budget is minimal, you can consider a smartphone running Android Go OS. It was created for smartphones with 1-3 GB of RAM and is not much different from the full-fledged Android OS in terms of functions and external design of the shell.
Choose a smartphone based on your tasks. If the work involves frequent operation of the navigator, then models with a battery capacity of 5,000 mAh and more and a fast charging function are suitable. If you often watch videos, choose a screen resolution of at least HD+. For games, pay attention to a processor no weaker than the Tiger T606 and a RAM capacity of 4 GB or more.
Some models provide a function where the smartphone borrows permanent memory at the expense of virtual memory. This will be useful when you have a large number of applications open, but will not help with running a “heavy” program or game.”
Popular questions and answers
Anton Shamarin , moderator of the HONOR community, answers popular questions from readers about budget smartphones .
What should you not save on when buying a budget smartphone?
Which screen matrix is better to choose in a budget smartphone?
What is the minimum amount of RAM a modern budget smartphone should have?
Does the nominal battery capacity affect the operating time of a smartphone?
Devices with the same nominal capacity may show different autonomy. The discharge rate also depends on the power consumption of the processor and the load on it, the type of screen and the duration of its operation. Many smartphones use AI algorithms to optimize battery consumption, which also increases the autonomy of the device.
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