Best Cheap Phone of 2023: Most Value for Money

Samsung's Galaxy A03S at $160 (£139, roughly AU$240) includes great features and could be a fit for someone in need of a cheap phone that can handle essential tasks. The phone's 6.5-inch screen, capped at 720p resolution, is great for reading news, watching videos and playing games. Despite some performance lag during our review, the phone is good at multitasking. But the tiny 32GB of storage space could fill up fast, so if you're considering this phone, you might want to expand the storage with a microSD card.

Samsung also plans to support this phone with at least four years of security updates, which in this price range is as good as it gets. On the software side, it's less clear how many Android versions are scheduled, but the phone initially ships with Android 11.

Apple's new iPhone SE for 2022 is a mix of an older design with the latest smartphone features, including Apple's A15 Bionic chip and 5G support, for $429. It's also one of the few phones on the market that includes a smaller, 4.7-inch screen.

Its throwback design, which continues the general shape that Apple has used since 2014, could be what you love or hate about it. If you want a larger iPhone in this price range, you can also consider the $599 iPhone 12 for a bigger screen and Face ID.

The $349 Pixel 6A holds its value really well, even after Google's release of the $499 Pixel 7A. In her Pixel 6A review, CNET's Lisa Eadicicco called it the "best Android phone under $500," noting that it keeps the same Tensor chip as the $599 Pixel 6, and many of the 6's best features. Plus, the 6A is often discounted to $299, at which price it becomes an amazing phone for under $300, thanks to its excellent software support.

The phone is slightly smaller than the Pixel 6, featuring an 6.1-inch OLED display and a refresh rate of 60Hz. It also has a similar camera system as the Pixel 5A, which includes a 12.2-megapixel main camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. But the Tensor chip brings additional benefits you won't get with the Pixel 5A, such as Real Tone for more equitable skin tones, Face Unblur; Night Sight for low-light photography; and the Magic Eraser for removing unwanted elements from a photo.

Even if you're considering the $800 Samsung Galaxy S23, you should take a look at the $450 Samsung Galaxy A54 5G, since it might have all the features you want, for less money. It comes in a variety of bright colors and includes a vibrant 6.4-inch display that runs at a 120Hz refresh rate. Its screen is also a little bigger than what's offered on Google's Pixel 6A and 7A.

While we still give the Pixel phones the edge due to their better photography, the Galaxy A54 includes Android 13 skinned with Samsung's One UI. That menu design also comes with Samsung-specific apps, like Samsung Health, that are also included in the S23 line. If you wear a Galaxy Watch, this phone also allows you to make use of health sensors, like the watch's ECG.

The Galaxy A54 5G also includes one feature you won't find in the S23 series: a microSD card slot for expandable storage.

Google's budget phone took a leap forward in 2023 with the Pixel 7A, which offers many of the same benefits as the Pixel 7 but at a cheaper price. Like the Pixel 7, the Pixel 7A runs on Google's Tensor G2 processor, meaning it has many of the same photo editing and language translation features as its pricier sibling. The Pixel 7A's 64-megapixel camera also takes excellent photos, which rival the Pixel 7's in quality. 

While we still like the Pixel 7, the Pixel 7A's lower price makes it a better deal for most people. Only opt for the Pixel 7 if you really want a slightly larger screen and are willing to pay the extra $100 for it. Otherwise, the main differences between the Pixel 7 and 7A come down to the 7s more durable build, slightly faster charging, and ability to wirelessly charge compatible accessories. The Pixel 7 also has a larger camera sensor, which is more sensitive to light, according to Google, but CNET's Lisa Eadicicco didn't notice much of a difference.