Best Cheap Phone of 2024: Most Value for the Money

Samsung's Galaxy A03S at $160 (£126, roughly AU$244) 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 the news, watching videos and playing games. Despite some performance lag during our review, the phone is good at multitasking. 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.

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

It's that throwback design that could be what you love or dislike most about this phone. If you want a larger iPhone in this price range, you can also consider a refurbished iPhone 12, and get a bigger screen and Face ID.

The phone also includes only one, 12-megapixel main camera, which doesn't support night mode. Most other phones in this roundup include multiple cameras along with features like night mode, making the omission noticeable. Photos make up for this by including the Deep Fusion photo-processing technique to enhance medium- to low-light photos, and Smart HDR4 processing for improving color and contrast. CNET Managing Editor Patrick Holland did find that video shot in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second is particularly good on the iPhone SE, but it won't include the Cinematic Mode seen on the iPhone 13.

Even if you're considering the $700 Samsung Galaxy S23, you should take a look at the 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 leaped 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 7's 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.