The Best Budget Phones of the Year, Tested for Three Months

We carried 14 phones under $400 for three months, through commutes, camping trips and one very long airport delay. Five stood out. They were not perfect, and none of them will win a spec-sheet battle with a $1,000 flagship. But every one of them made us question why anyone would pay that much for a phone they mainly use for messages, maps, photos and video calls.

The biggest surprise was battery life. Every phone on our list lasted a full day of heavy use, and two regularly made it to a second morning. That would have been unthinkable in this price range a few years ago, and it is the main reason we think budget phones deserve a serious look this year.

How we tested

Each phone spent at least two weeks as a reviewer’s primary device. We moved our SIM cards over, installed the same set of apps and used the phones for everything: work email, navigation, streaming, games, social feeds and a lot of photos. We did not rely on lab benchmarks alone. A phone that scores well on a chart but stutters while scrolling a long news feed does not belong on this list.

Here is what we measured and scored:

• Battery life over a typical day of mixed use, plus a standard video loop test.
• Camera quality in daylight, indoor light and at night, compared side by side.
• Screen brightness outdoors and smoothness while scrolling.
• Everyday speed when switching apps, opening the camera and loading maps.
• Length of promised software and security updates.
• Build quality, including how well each phone survived a few accidental drops.

We bought every phone ourselves at retail prices. No manufacturer saw this guide before it was published.

Best overall

Our top pick has a bright 120Hz screen, a main camera that handles low light far better than last year’s models, and five years of promised software updates. That combination is rare at any price, let alone under $400.

The screen is the first thing you notice. It is bright enough to read on a sunny sidewalk, and the high refresh rate makes everything from scrolling to typing feel fluid. The main camera produced natural colors and sharp detail in daylight, and its night mode pulled usable photos out of dim restaurants and campsites without the heavy, smeared look budget cameras used to have.

The weaker points are minor. The ultrawide camera is soft at the edges, the speaker is thin at high volume, and charging is merely average. None of those things bothered us enough to change our pick. If you want one phone to recommend to a parent, a student or yourself, this is it.

Best battery

If you never want to think about charging, our battery pick averaged 31 hours of mixed use in our tests. On lighter days, one reviewer went nearly two full days between charges while using it for maps, music and messages.

The trade-off is weight. This phone is noticeably heavier than the others, and its camera is a step behind our top pick in low light. But for travelers, delivery drivers, field workers or anyone who forgets to charge overnight, it is a relief to carry. During that long airport delay, it was the only phone on our list that still had more than half its battery when we finally boarded.

The gap between a $350 phone and a $1,000 phone has never been smaller.

Reviews editor Sam Turner

The rest of our top five

Best camera

One phone in our group simply took better pictures than the rest, especially of people. Skin tones looked natural, portrait mode handled hair and glasses well, and video was steady while walking. Its screen is a little dimmer outdoors, and its update promise is shorter at three years, so think about how long you plan to keep it.

Best small phone

Large screens are the norm, so a phone that fits comfortably in one hand stood out. It is easy to type on, fits in any pocket and still lasted a full day for most of our testers. Heavy gamers and video watchers will want something bigger, but if you miss the days of one-handed phones, this one is worth a look.

Best for under $250

Our cheapest pick makes the fewest compromises we have seen at this price. It is not fast at heavy multitasking, and its camera struggles at night. But it handles the basics smoothly, has a good battery and comes with four years of security updates, which matters more than most people realize.

What surprised us, and what disappointed us

Three months is long enough to get past first impressions. Some phones that dazzled in the first week faded by the second month, and a couple of quiet performers grew on us.

The good surprises were mostly about stamina and screens. Batteries held up well over the full test period, with no phone losing noticeable capacity. Bright, smooth displays are now common enough that we stopped treating them as a bonus. Fingerprint readers were fast and reliable on every phone, and face unlock worked well in good light.

The disappointments were familiar. Secondary cameras, such as ultrawide and macro lenses, were weak across the board, and we would happily trade them for a better main camera. Several phones shipped with preinstalled apps and games we had to remove one by one. And while most models now include a fast charger in the box, a few did not, which adds an extra cost to the real price.

We also tracked durability. Each phone survived at least one accidental drop onto pavement inside a basic case. Two picked up scratches on their plastic backs, and one developed a small crack near its camera bump after a fall from a picnic table. A $15 case and a screen protector remain the cheapest insurance you can buy.

What to look for when buying

Budget phones vary more than flagships do, so the details matter. Before you buy, check these points:

1. Software updates. Look for at least four years of security patches. A phone that stops getting updates becomes a security risk.
2. Carrier compatibility. Confirm the phone supports your carrier’s network bands, especially if you buy an unlocked model.
3. Storage. 128GB is the practical minimum if you take a lot of photos and videos.
4. Return policy. Buy from a store that lets you return the phone if it does not suit you.

We also suggest skipping models that are more than a year old unless the discount is large. Older phones often have fewer years of updates left, which shortens their useful life.

Key takeaway: Battery life and update promises matter more than raw speed in this price range. Most people will never notice the difference in processor performance.

The bottom line

You do not need to spend $1,000 to get a phone that lasts all day, takes good photos and feels quick. Our best overall pick is the easy recommendation for most people, and the battery champion is the one to get if you are always away from a charger. Prices were checked this week and change often. We update this guide every month, so check back before you buy, and let us know which budget phone has surprised you.