The $1000 price tag for a smartphone is pretty common this year, and for someone who wants to buy a new phone and doesn’t want to spend that much money, don’t worry; these affordable smartphones have got you covered.
Now you don’t have to save $1000 anymore for a flagship phone when you can get a good smartphone for one-fifth of the price, and you won’t even feel like you are missing out on anything.
Sure, you have to make some compromises in terms of specifications, but $200 is more than enough for a smartphone with a decent camera, a large screen, incredible battery life, and smooth day-to-day performance.
When you search the web, you will find lots of different options, but which of them are the best? Let’s find out with our list for the best smartphones under $200 you can buy right now.
Table of Contents
List of Best Phones Under $200
Note: These smartphones are not arranged in any order. Always buy the Unlocked version of a smartphone to make sure it will work with your carrier choice.
Some phones come with carrier locks such as AT&T and T-Mobile, and it will work only with those particular carries, whereas an Unlocked phone is free from such restrictions, and you can use them in any country, and with any SIM card it supports.
1. Blu G90 Pro
The Blu G90 Pro was launched in August 2020, and with this smartphone, Blu is offering the best value for your money; in fact, it is also the best gaming smartphone in this price range. The smartphone comes with a very affordable price tag, appealing design, great build quality, and decent specifications. Let’s talk more about this smartphone.
On the front, it has a 6.5 inches IPS LCD with Full HD+ resolution. The display quality here is great despite being a budget centric device. The brightness is great for viewing indoors. However, the screen will be barely visible under the sun. It also has a dewdrop shaped notch for the front camera and speaker grille.
The G90 Pro is powered by the Mediatek Helio G90T Processor, paired with Mali-G76 MC4 GPU. This is the best budget range chipset out there, performing between Snapdragon 835 and 845. In terms of memory, you get 4GB of RAM and 128GB of Internal Storage. Although the Gaming performance of this device is great, don’t expect heavy multitasking.
The cameras here are decent; you get a quad-camera setup with a 48MP Main sensor, 8MP Ultrawide, 2MP Depth, and a 2MP Macro Lens. The front camera is 32MP, which will also give you some decent selfies. Talking about battery backup, it has a 5100mAh battery along with 18W fast charging support and 10W Wireless charging.
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Unlocking options include a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and face unlock. If you are looking for an overall great budget device with not a lot of cons, this device deserves a closer look. You are getting a faster processor and a good build quality, stock Android experience, and amazing battery life.
Technical Specifications
| SoC | Mediatek MT6785 Helio G90T (12 nm) |
| RAM and Storage | 4GB RAM + 128GB |
| Display and Resolution | 6.5 inches (1080 x 2340 pixels) |
| Camera | Quad Rear 48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP | Front 32MP |
| Battery | 5100mAh |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n | Bluetooth 4.1 | USB Type-C 2.0 |
2. Moto G8 Plus
The Motorola Moto G8 Plus is the 2nd best value for money smartphone on our list. The device was launched back in October 2019, and the price for it is available now is really a great deal. Especially if you want a clean Android experience. The device features a plastic back with a gradient design and comes in two color variants Dark Blue and Dark Red.
On the front, it has a 6.3 inches LTPS IPS LCD with Full HD+ Resolution. It has three sizes of bezel-less design with a minor chin at the bottom. On the top, it has a dewdrop shaped notch design for the front camera and some basic sensors. The display quality here is similar to what you expect in this price range.
The Moto G8 Plus is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 Processor, the same as the Moto G Fast; however, you get 4GB of RAM and 64GB of Internal Storage, which will help you with better multitasking. Out of the box, it runs on Stock Android 9.0 (Pie) Upgradable to Android 10. There is no bloatware on this device except the Moto Action feature.
Coming to the optics, it features a triple-camera setup with a 48MP primary sensor with pixel binning tech, 16MP Ultrawide sensor, and 5MP depth sensor. On the front, it has a 25MP camera for taking selfies. The picture quality on this device seems great.
The device is backed up by a 4000mAh battery along with 15W fast charging support. It also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner inside the Motorola Logo. This is a great device with good build quality and decent specifications. The price is slightly higher than the Moto G Fast but offers better memory and a better camera setup.
Technical Specifications
| SoC | Qualcomm SDM665 Snapdragon 665 (11 nm) |
| RAM and Storage | 4GB + 64GB |
| Display and Resolution | 6.3 inches (1080 x 2280 pixels) |
| Camera | Triple Rear 48MP + 16MP + 5MP | Front 25MP |
| Battery | 4000mAh |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Bluetooth 5.0 | USB Type-C 2.0 |
3. TCL 10L
TCL recently entered the smartphone market; despite that, their offerings are very value for money and the best bang for your bucks. One of the main advantages here is the design and build quality. It features a shiny back with patterns that changes according to the angle you are holding it. It comes in two color variants Arctic White and Mariana Blue.
On the front, it has a large 6.53 inches IPS LCD with Full HD+ Resolution. The display quality on this device is great, and it is also HDR certified. You can easily enjoy HDR content on Youtube and other OTT platforms. It also has a punch hole notch for the single front-facing camera.
The TCL 10L is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 Processor paired with 6GB of RAM. You can buy this phone in either 64GB or 128GB Storage variant. We will recommend you to get the 128GB Storage variant as it is UFS 2.1, unlike the eMMC 5.1 with the 64GB Variant. In terms of software, it runs on Android 10 with TCL UI skin on top.
There’s a quad-camera setup on the back with a combo of 48MP main sensor, 8MP ultrawide sensor, 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. On the other hand, it has a 16MP camera for taking selfies. The device is secured by the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and face unlock.
The TCL 10L has a 4000mAh battery inside, which is enough to last you an entire day on a single charge. This smartphone has the upper hand in media consumption with its better screen quality compared to others; also, the speakers are great. So, if you are into movies and TV shows, then this deserves your bet.
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Technical Specifications
| SoC | Qualcomm SM6125 Snapdragon 665 (11 nm) |
| RAM and Storage | 6GB + 64GB | 6GB + 128GB |
| Display and Resolution | 6.53 inches (1080 x 2340 pixels) |
| Camera | Quad Rear 48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP | Front 16MP |
| Battery | 4000mAh |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Bluetooth 5.0 | USB Type-C 2.0 |
4. Moto G Fast
Motorola has some great options if you don’t want to spend a lot on your smartphone. The Moto G Fast is, in fact, you can call this device a toned-down variant of the Moto G8 Plus. The device was launched back in June 2020, and even today, it is an impressive deal. It features a plain plastic back design in only one Pearl White color.
On the front side, it has a 6.4 inches IPS LCD but with a 720P Resolution. Full HD+ Screen should have been a standard here, but a lower resolution screen will also save you some battery. It has a 3 side bezel-less design with a small chin at the bottom and a punch hole notch for the single front-facing camera.
Moto G Fast is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 Processor, Paired with Adreno 610 GPU. It runs on Stock Android 10 out of the box with some added features like Moto Actions and no other bloatware. This is very important in a budget device. The performance here is decent but don’t expect high-end gaming on this device.
The camera quality here is decent and gets the job done. On the back, it has a triple-camera setup with a combo of 16MP Main Sensor, 8MP Ultrawide, and a 2MP Macro Lens. On the front, it has a 2MP camera for taking selfies. In terms of security, you get a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner mounted inside the Moto Logo.
The battery life here is good enough; it will easily last you a full day on moderate usage with its 4000mAh battery. It has a standard 10W Charger, No Fast Charging Support. You can grab this device if you are looking for something decent, although keep in mind it only comes with 32GB of Internal Storage and a low-resolution display as compared to the G8 Plus.
Technical Specifications
| SoC | Qualcomm SM6125 Snapdragon 665 (11 nm) |
| RAM and Storage | 3GB + 32GB |
| Display and Resolution | 6.44 inches (720 x 1560 pixels) |
| Camera | Triple Rear 16MP + 8MP + 2MP | Front 8MP |
| Battery | 4000mAh |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Bluetooth 5.0 | USB Type-C 2.0 |
5. Nokia 5.3
Moving on the list, we have the Nokia 5.3 Smartphone from HMD Global. The device was launched back in March 2019 and has a very similar performance to the Moto G Fast. This is a beautiful looking device with its plain gradient back design and eye-catching color variants such as Cyan, Sand, and Charcoal.
On the front, the Nokia 5.3 features a large 6.55 inches IPS LCD with Full HD Resolution. It has a 3 size bezel-less design with a minor chin at the bottom. Although it is a 720P display, the quality here is good and is comparable to other displays in the same price range. It is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor paired with Adreno 610 GPU. You can expect great day to day performance out of this device as well as some lite gaming. One advantage this device has over others is the memory variants. It comes in three variants 3GB, 4GB, and 6GB RAM, and all of them have 64GB of Internal Storage.
The camera on this device is not so impressive, but it gets the job done. On the back, it has a quad-camera setup with a 13MP Main Sensor, 5MP Ultrawide Sensor, 2MP Macro Lens, and 2MP Depth Sensor. On the front, it has an 8MP selfie shooter. The 4000mAh battery inside is enough to last you a full day; there is no fast charging support.
The Nokia 5.3 is a great budget device, especially when it comes to the software experience. You can easily expect up to 2 years of Android Updates. If you want to pick between the Moto G Fast or the Nokia 5.3, it will be mostly based on your personal preference. Both of them are a value for money.
Technical Specifications
| SoC | Qualcomm SM6125 Snapdragon 665 (11 nm) |
| RAM and Storage | 3GB + 64GB | 4GB RAM + 64GB | 6GB + 64GB |
| Display and Resolution | 6.55 inches (720 x 1600 pixels) |
| Camera | Quad Rear 13MP + 5MP + 2MP + 2MP | Front 8 MP |
| Battery | 4000mAh |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Bluetooth 4.2 | USB Type-C 2.0 |
6. Samsung Galaxy A11
The Galaxy A11 is a very budget centric device from Samsung and a perfect fit for a secondary device or entry for you into the smartphone world. It has a very basic design, plain plastic back with Black, White, Blue, and Red options. It is a bonus that you are at least getting a modern design at such a low price tag.
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On the front, it has a 6.4 inches PLS IPS LCD 720p display (mediocre quality); however, it will save you some battery life. It has a 3 side bezel-less design with a minor chin at the bottom and a punch hole notch front camera.
The Samsung Galaxy A11 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 Processor paired with Adreno 506 GPU. You can grab this device in either a 2GB or 3GB RAM variant. We will recommend you get the 3GB Variant as it will have better Multitasking capabilities. On the software side, it runs on OneUI Skin based on Android 10.
The cameras here are not impressive. It is decent, and you can’t really complain about this price range. It has a triple camera setup on the back with a 13MP primary sensor, a 5MP ultrawide sensor, and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, it has an 8MP selfie camera. It is also a surprise that Samsung included a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.
It has a 4000mAh battery inside, which will easily last you a full day on a single charge; it also has 15W fast charging support. This device is great for everyday use, and you can also do some light gaming; make sure to buy the higher RAM variant.
Technical Specifications
| SoC | Qualcomm SDM450 Snapdragon 450 (11 nm) |
| RAM and Storage | 2GB + 32GB | 3GB RAM + 32GB | 3GB + 64GB |
| Display and Resolution | 6.4 inches (720 x 1560 pixels) |
| Camera | Triple Rear 13MP + 5MP + 2MP | Front 8MP |
| Battery | 4000mAh |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n | Bluetooth 4.2 | USB Type-C 2.0 |
Conclusion
Choosing the right smartphone is always a tough decision, especially when there are lots of options available. You should look for the things you need the most.
It would be best to consider a few things, like the display, cameras, battery, and processor. Also, don’t forget to read the review online to see if the smartphone you are going to buy is really worth it or not.
So this was our list for some of the best smartphones you can buy under $200. If you have a suggestion or missed something, don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below.
Our List of Best Smartphones (International Edition)
