The best phones under $300 – updated July 2021

The Nord N10 might be almost a year old, but it still doesn’t give in to the competition in any aspect. Currently retailing at $300, and with the device seeing discounts often, this phone is a solid choice. The Nord N10 rocks a 6.49-inch FHD+ 90Hz LCD display with a punch-hole 16MP selfie shooter located in the top left of its screen.

Power-wise, the OnePlus Nord N10 is equipped with a Snapdragon 690 5G processor, coupled with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. On the back is located a quad-camera system consisting of a 64MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide shooter, as well as a 2MP macro and a depth sensor.

A 4,300mAh battery unit with 30W fast wired charging is present. The Nord N10 5G is one of the few phones left with a 3.5mm headphone jack and expandable storage.

Motorola Moto G Stylus (2021)

This is another phone that retails for $299. In comparison with the Nord N10 5G, the Moto G Stylus is a newer and fresher take on the budget phone. It has a 6.8-inch LCD screen with FHD+ resolution. The processor is a Snapdragon 678, coupled with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The Moto G Stylus… of course has one – a stylus I mean, and it also has a 16MP punch-hole selfie shooter located in the left corner of the screen. On the back, there is a quad-camera system with a 48MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide shooter, and just like on the Nord N10, a 2MP macro and a depth sensor.

Like on the Nord N10 5G, the Motorola Moto G Stylus (2021) has kept the headphone jack and card slot. Battery-wise, the phone has a 4,000mAh unit.

Android 10 is present on the Moto G Stylus (2021), with an expected update to Android 11 soon.

TCL 20S

This is the newest phone on this list and also one of the best in terms of value. The TCL 20S retails at $249 and offers a big, 6.7-inch LCD display with FHD+ resolution and a punch-hole 16MP selfie camera located in the middle.

The 20S has a Snapdragon 665 processor, coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage for the base variant. On the back, there is a quad-camera system consisting of a 64MP main shooter, 8MP ultrawide camera, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth sensor.

Just like with the previous phones on the list, this one has a headphone jack and expandable storage as well. Another strong point the TCL 20S has going for itself is that it has a large 5,000mAh battery.

The TCL 20S runs Android 11 out of the box.

Samsung Galaxy A32 5G

This budget offering from Samsung retails for $279 and has a 6.5-inch HD+ TFT display. While the resolution of the Galaxy A32’s screen is a bit disappointing, it helps make this phone one of the best in terms of battery life, with its chunky 5,000mAh battery.

A quad-camera system is located on the back of the A32 5G, consisting of a 48MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide, 5MP macro, and a 2MP depth sensor. The front teardrop-style selfie shooter is a 13MP unit.

The Galaxy A32’s 5G capabilities are a strong point when considering which phone on this list to buy. The phone is powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 720 5G processor, coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage for the base version. Surprise, surprise, this phone also rocks a headphone jack and a memory card slot.

The A32 5G runs Android 11 out of the box.

Motorola Moto G Power (2021)

Last but not least, the Moto G Power retails for $199 for the 32GB version, making it the cheapest phone on this list. The 64GB version retails for $249. The Moto G Power features a 6.6-inch HD+ LCD display with an 8MP punch-hole selfie camera.

A triple-camera system is located on the back, with a 48MP main shooter, a 2MP macro, and a depth sensor. The Moto G Power’s power (see what I did there?) comes from a Snapdragon 662 processor coupled with 3 or 4GB of RAM depending on the storage version.

Just like the other phones on this list, this one has a headphone jack and expandable storage. A 5,000mAh battery with 15W fast wired charging keeps the lights on. The large battery unit and efficient processor of the Motorola Moto G Power makes it one of the longest-lasting phones on this list.

Android 10 is present on the Moto G Power (2021).