We all love mobile phones, but someone is ready to pay a thousand dollars for them, while someone approaches the issue of choosing a new mobile device more sensibly and is looking for the optimal balance of price and quality. Fortunately, modern technologies have reached a level where for relatively little money, you can buy a powerful and compact smartphone that will not regularly force you to compromise. So, I decided to help you save money and selected the best budget mobile phone under $500.
1. Google Pixel 4a – TOP PICK! (Purchase on Amazon: https://amzn.to/34O2I4I)
Google Pixel 4a is also one of the best budget mobile phone under $500. The Google Pixel 4a is unusually small. In a year in which mobile phones measuring 6.7 inches high are becoming a standard. It allows you to use it with one hand in a very comfortable way.
The dimensions of the smartphone are 144.2 x 69.5 x 8.2 mm, which is slightly smaller than the Pixel 3a. The back panel is made of polycarbonate, and in its center is a fingerprint scanner. The camera frame looks rather unusual because only one module is used. The Pixel 4a has a 5.81 ”display, OLED capacitive touchscreen with 1080p resolution. Google Pixel 4a keeps the 3.5mm audio jack.
For the 5G version of the smartphone, Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 will be used, so support for new generation networks will first appear in the younger version.
The choice fell on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 processor, which has eight processing cores with fairly high clock speed, but at the same time costs significantly less than the flagship model. It allowing the manufacturer to reduce the cost of the smartphone. The performance of the smartphone will be supported by 4 gigabytes of RAM, and the built-in memory is represented by a 64-gigabyte drive.
The set of interfaces and communications is exhaustive here – Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC. And the Type-C port here has USB 3.1 compatibility. Google pixel 4a price is $350.
Specification:
- Dimensions: 144 x 69.4 x 8.2 mm, 143g
- Display: 5.81 “, 1080 x 2340 pixels, FullHD +, OLED
- Processor: 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G
- Camera: 12.2 MP, f / 1.7, OIS, 77 ° (main); 8 MP, f / 2.0, 84 ° (front)
- Memory: 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage
- Battery: 3140 mAh, Fast charging 18W
- OS: Android 10
- 2. iPhone SE 2020 (Purchase on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3h0lAjD)
Apple iPhone SE (2020) is available in white, black, and red. At first glance, it is almost impossible to distinguish it from the iPhone 8. It is one of the best budget smartphones. The flagship with the best camera and display. This is a smartphone with a design from 2017 and hardware from 2019. This is iPhone SE (2020).
Specifications iPhone SE (2020):
- Dimensions: 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm, 148g
- Display: 4.7 “, 1334 × 750, IPS, HDR10 +, True Tone
- Processor: Apple A13 Bionic
- Camera: 12 MP, f / 1.8 (main), 7 MP, f / 2.2 (front)
- Memory: 3 GB RAM, LPDDR4, 64/128/256 GB constant, NVMe
- Battery: 1821 mAh, fast and wireless charging
- OS: iOS 13.4
- Communication: Lightning, Wi-Fi 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0, eSIM, nanoSIM, NFC
A 16: 9 screens with thick bezels in 2020? This is very daring. It’s also a reason to get ready, because Android competitors will soon start reviving old lines again. 4.7-inch display, iPS matrix with a resolution of 1334 by 750 pixels and 326 ppi. The maximum brightness is 625 nits, there is True Tone. There is only one improvement – added support for HDR10 +. Pixelation is noticeable, but only if you look closely. The fingerprint scanner is located on the Home button. The button is not mechanical, but the Taptic Engine simulates a click.
It has a 6-core Apple A13 Bionic processor with 3rd generation Neural Engine. The same in the fresh flagships of the iPhone 11 series. RAM 3 GB. Built-in 64, 128, or 256 GB are excellent options for you. It is unlikely that you will load heavy games here.
The iPhone SE 2020 costs $ 399, which means it is the best budget mobile phone under $500 at the moment.
3. Samsung Galaxy A51 (Purchase on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3jDNlzX)
Samsung Galaxy A51 model is an elegant smartphone that combines an extravagant design, unusual body colors, and a high level of technical equipment. It has a completely frameless design, and a 6.59-inch IPS display occupies almost the entire front surface. Front camera 32 MP. The proprietary Exynos 9611 processor is responsible for the hardware base, paired with the Mali-G72 MP3 graphics accelerator. The main camera has 4 lenses, including 48, 12, and two 5 megapixels. This combination allows you to shoot video in a resolution of 3840 by 2160 pixels at a frequency of 60 frames per second. The quality of the photo with the Bokeh effect should be noted separately. It’s worth emphasizing that the camera more than justifies the cost. Samsung Galaxy A51 price is $ 274.99. Samsung Galaxy A51 is also the best budget mobile phone under $500.
Specification Samsung Galaxy A51
- Dimensions: 158.5 x 73.6 x 7.9 mm, 172g
- Display: 6.5 “, 1080 x 2400 pixels, Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen
- Processor: Exynos 9611, Octa-core
- Camera: 48 MP, f/2.0, 12 MP, f/2.2, 5 MP, f/2.4, 5 MP, f/2.2, (Front): 32 MP, f/2.2
- Memory: 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM
- Battery: 4000 mAh, Fast charging 15W
- OS: Android 10
4. OnePlus 7T (Purchase on Amazon: https://amzn.to/31R13th)
OnePlus 7T is an improved version of the base model. It has an overclocked Snadragon 855+ chipset. It already operates at a frequency of 2.96 GHz, which, together with a video module overclocked to 700 MHz. It allows you to play the most demanding projects in ultra-graphics settings. Memory options are available for 8/128 and 8/256 GB. This is the only smartphone on today’s list (besides the OnePlus 7) with UFS3.0 permanent memory. The smartphone also has a Fluid AMOLED capacitive 6.55-inch touchscreen, and a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. The screen is notable for its 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10 + support. As in the previous case, a fingerprint scanner is integrated under the screen, and the front design spoils a waterdrop-shaped notch for a 16-megapixel front camera.
The smartphone is also notable for its stereo sound. The earpiece helps in reproducing audio content, creating a stereo effect. The disadvantages are the lack of a 3.5mm jack and a microSD slot.
The main 48MP sensor has an f / 1.6 aperture, aided by a 16MP wide-angle and a 12MP telephoto lens, which provides 2x optical zoom.
In terms of hardware, everything is pretty good here. The battery has grown to 3800 mAh, and fast charging is now at 30 watts with the brand name Warp Charge 30T. It will allow you to quickly recharge your smartphone in 30 minutes to 70%. It is available at $400, the best budget mobile phone under $500.
Specification:
- Dimensions: 160.9 x 74.4 x 8.1 mm, 190 g
- Display: 6.55 “, 1080 x 2400 pixels
- Processor: Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855+, Octa-core
- Camera: 48 MP, f/1.6, 12 MP, f/2.2, 16 MP, f/2.2, (Front): 16 MP, f/2.0
- Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM
- Battery: 3800 mAh, Fast charging 30W
- OS: Android 10