Choosing a good smartphone is not a simple task anymore since there are many options available nowadays. You also don’t have to save 1000 bucks to buy a decent smartphone that can last you for years.
Forget spending that much of money when you can buy an affordable phone for less than half the price.
You have to look for many factors while buying a smartphone-like performance, display, battery, and many more.
We did all the hard work of researching and filtering through all the smartphones available in this budget to present you with the top 6 list of the best smartphones you can buy right now for $300 or less.
List of Best Phones Under $300
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 choice of carrier.
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 restriction, and you can use them in any country, and with any SIM card it supports.
1. Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro
The Redmi Note 9 Pro is the latest smartphone in the Note 9 Series, followed by two other smartphones. This one falls in the middle and packs some slight upgrades to design, camera, and battery. However, performance is a little downgrade from its predecessor. The device has front and back glass and comes in three color variants Tropical Green, Glacier White, and Interstellar Gray.
On the front, it has a 6.67 inch IPS LCD with a screen resolution of 1080×2400 Pixels. The screen has a 20:9 aspect ratio design with a punch-hole notch and minor bottom bezels. Although it is not an AMOLED display. The screen quality is great, and you get Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on both front and back.
The device is powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G chipset paired with Adreno 618 GPU. The performance here is top-notch, especially in this price range. It is great for all day to day tasks as well as heavy gaming. You get 6GB of RAM and 64/128GB of Internal Storage. On the software side, you get MUI 11 Skin on top of Android 10.
The Cameras on the device are also amazing in this price segment. You get a Quad rear-facing camera setup with a combo of 64MP Primary sensor, 8MP Ultrawide Sensor, 5MP Macro sensor, and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, you get a 16MP camera for taking selfies. Some other features of the camera include LED flash, HDR, Beauty Mode, and Night Mode.
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This device’s connectivity features include Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC, IR Blaster, USB 2.0, and Type-C 1.0 reversible connector. In terms of security, you get a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and face unlock. The device has a large 5020mAh battery inside along with 30W Qualcomm Fast Charging support.
Technical Specifications
| SoC | Mediatek MT6785 Helio G90T (12 nm) |
| RAM and Storage | 4GB RAM + 128GB |
| Display and Resolution | 6.5 inches (1080×2340 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. Sony Xperia XZ2
Sony Xperia XZ2 is a budget device from Sony which was launched back in February 2018. Although the device is a little old, it still packs some great features for the price. You have a front and back glass design with an aluminum frame, and the device looks and feels very premium. It comes in many different colors, such as Liquid Black, Liquid Silver, Deep Green, and Ash Pink. It is also IP65/IP68 Dust and water-resistant, which is amazing in this price range.
On the front, you have a 5.7 inch IPS LCD with a screen resolution of 1080×2160 Pixels. The screen has an 18:9 aspect ratio, and it is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 Protection. The display also features HDR BT.2020, Triluminos Display, and X-Reality Engine Support.
The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Processor paired with Adreno 630 GPU. This is a flagship processor from 2018 so that you can expect excellent performance out of this device. When it comes to software, the phone runs on Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. In terms of memory, you have two variants 4GB + 64GB and 6GB + 64GB.
On the back, you have a single 19MP camera along with features such as PDAF, Laser autofocus, LED flash, Panorama, and HDR support. On the front, you have a 5MP camera for taking selfies. Another important feature here is the Gyro EIS, which is present on both front and rear cameras.
Connectivity features include Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC, USB 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector; and USB On-The-Go. The back also has a fingerprint scanner for security. You have a 3180mAh battery inside along with 18W Quick Charge and Qi Wireless Charging Support.
Technical Specifications
| Soc | Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) |
| RAM and Storage | 4GB + 64GB and 6GB + 64GB |
| Display and Resolution | 5.7 inch (1080×2160 pixels) |
| Camera | Rear 19MP | Front 5MP |
| Battery | 3180mAh |
3. UMIDIGI S5 Pro
Umidigi is a not so popular Chinese Smartphone manufacturer but has some good options if you are looking for a decent mid-range smartphone. The Umidigi S5 Pro comes just under 300$, and for this price, the specs here are amazing. It packs all the modern features and makes a package that is definitely a bang for your buck.
The device has a 6.39 inch AMOLED display with a screen resolution of 2340×1080 Pixels. The screen is bezel-less and only has a minor chin at the bottom. There’s no notch or Punch Hole design on this device; instead, it has a 32MP Motorized Popup selfie camera. It also has an under-display fingerprint scanner.
Under the hood, the device is powered by the Mediatek Helio G90T, which is an excellent processor for the price. It can outperform most other smartphones on this list. Since it is also a gaming-oriented chipset, you can also play heavy games on this device. It comes with 6GB of RAM and 256GB of Internal Storage.
Flipping the phone, it has a Plastic back with gradient finish and color shift pattern design. It comes in two color variants Ocean Blue and Cosmic Black. It has a quad-camera setup with a combo of 48MP Primary, 16MP Ultrawide, 5MP Macro, and 5MP Depth Sensor. The battery capacity here is 4680mAh and will last you a full day.
Coming to the Software, It runs on Android 10 Out of the Box. It has a close to stock Android experience with only minor changes. If you are looking for a budget device with all the modern features and a great processor, this device is worth checking out. The only concern here is the brand authority.
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Technical Specifications
| SoC | MediaTek Helio G90T |
| RAM and Storage | 6GB RAM + 256GB |
| Display and Resolution | 6.39 inches (1080×2340 pixels) |
| Camera | Quad Rear 48MP + 16MP + 5MP + 5MP | Front 32MP |
| Battery | 4680mAh |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n | Bluetooth 5.1 | USB Type-C 2.0 |
4. Samsung Galaxy A51
The Samsung Galaxy A51 was launched in December 2019, but it is a great value-for-money smartphone to date. The prices have fallen, and it is now available for less than 300 bucks. The A51 has a plastic back with a geometrical pattern design. The color options are Prism Crush Black, Prism Crush White, Prism Crush Blue, and Prism Crush Pink.
On the front, the device features a notch-less design; instead, it has a 32MP punch hole selfie camera. Talking about the display, it has a 6.5 inches Super AMOLED display with Full HD+ screen resolution. The display quality on this device is among the best in this price range, and it is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection.
The Galaxy A51 is powered by the mid-range Exynos 9611 processor paired with Mali-G72 GPU. It comes in 4GB, 6GB, and 8GB of RAM, and we recommend you to get either 4GB or 6GB; it will be good enough for multitasking. It also has UFS 2.0 Internal Storage, which offers better read and writes speed.
On the back, it has a Quad Camera setup with a combo of 48MP Primary Sensor, 12MP Ultrawide Lens, 5MP Depth Sensor, and a 5MP Macro Lens. The camera clicks great images and one of the best in this price range, especially the selfie camera. You can check some camera samples online before making any decision.
When it comes to security, the Galaxy A51 got an under-display fingerprint scanner. Lastly, the battery has a 4000mAh capacity along with 15W fast charging support. What makes this device better than others is the camera performance and great after-sale service. If you are looking for the same, then this device deserves a look.
Technical Specifications
| SoC | Exynos 9611 (10nm) |
| RAM and Storage | 4GB RAM + 64GB/128GB | 6GB + 128GB |
| Display and Resolution | 6.5 inches (1080×2340 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 |
5. Nokia 7.2
The Nokia 7.2 is a camera-centric smartphone from Nokia which was launched in September 2019. The phone has an excellent looking design and decent specifications. The build quality here feels very premium; it has front and back glass and comes in three different color variants: Cyan Green, Charcoal, and Ice.
You have a 6.3 inch IPS LCD with a screen resolution of 1080×2280 Pixels. The quality here is great; you have a 19:9 aspect ratio with 400 PPI density. There’s a dewdrop shaped notch for the front camera and some sensors. You also have HDR10 Support, and the display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Processor paired with Adreno 512 GPU. You can choose from three different storage variants 4GB + 64GB, 6GB + 64GB and 6GB + 128GB. The Nokia 7.2 runs on Stock Android 9.0 (Pie) out of the box with Android One support, so you can expect faster and quicker android updates.
Talking about the cameras, you have a triple rear-facing camera setup with a 48MP primary wide-angle sensor, an 8MP secondary Ultrawide sensor, and a 5MP depth sensor. Some other features include Zeiss Optics, LED flash, and HDR support. On the front, you have a 20MP selfie camera also with Zeiss Optics and HDR support.
Connectivity features here include Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, aptX, GPS, NFC, FM radio, USB 2.0, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector, and USB On-The-Go. The phone has a fingerprint scanner for security and has a decent 3500mAh battery inside. You also have 10W fast charging support.
Technical Specifications
| SoC | Mediatek MT6785 Helio G90T (12 nm) |
| RAM and Storage | 4GB RAM + 128GB |
| Display and Resolution | 6.5 inches (1080×2340 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 |
6. Samsung Galaxy A21S
The Samsung Galaxy A21s is another Mid Range device from the brand and was launched in May 2015. This device doesn’t have great specifications like the Galaxy A51, but it is very affordable. The device has a plain plastic design and comes in several different color options such as Black, White, Blue, and Red.
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The smartphone has a 6.5-inch PLS IPS LCD with a screen resolution of 720×1600 pixels. It has a punch hole notch, which avoids any notch for the 13MP front-facing camera. Although a Full HD+ screen would have been appreciated, a 720p screen will definitely save some extra batteries.
Powering up the device is the company’s own Exynos 850 processor paired with Mali-G52 GPU. It runs on Android 10 out of the box with One UI 2.0 Skin on top. The performance here is not up to the mark; it will easily go through all day to day tasks but don’t expect high-end gaming.
Moving on to cameras, It has a Quad rear-facing camera setup with a 48MP main sensor paired with an 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth sensor. The picture quality here is decent; you can check out some of the camera samples here. The device also features a fingerprint scanner on the back to secure the device.
The battery backup on this device is amazing. It has a 5000mAh battery along with 15W fast charging support, good enough to last you an entire day on heavy usage. The Samsung Galaxy A21s is a great choice if you are looking for an affordable phone, decent specification, and full-day battery life.
Technical Specifications
| SoC | Exynos 850 (8nm) |
| RAM and Storage | 2GB/GB/4GB/6GB + 32GB/64GB/128GB |
| Display and Resolution | 6.5 inches (720×1600 pixels) |
| Camera | Quad Rear 48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP | Front 13MP |
| Battery | 5000mAh |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Bluetooth 5.0 | USB Type-C 2.0 |
7. Samsung Galaxy A31
The Samsung Galaxy A31 falls just between the Galaxy A51 and the Galaxy A21s and seems like a sweet spot if you are confused between the two devices. It was launched in March 2020 and still a great choice to buy. Starting with the design, it has a plain plastic back with a geometrical pattern.
There are many color options to choose from: Prism Crush Black, Prism Crush Blue, Prism Crush Red, and Prism Crush White. On the front, it has a 6.4 inch Super AMOLED display with Full HD+ screen resolution. The screen also has a U shaped notch for the 20MP front-facing camera and speaker grille.
Under the hood, the device is powered by the Mediatek Helio P65 SoC. The performance here is quite impressive and great for almost most of your needs. You can also play games, and multitasking won’t be an issue. Just make sure to grab either a 4 or 6GB RAM variant. On the software front, it runs on Android 10 with One UI 2.5 skin.
The device clicks excellent images, thanks to the Quad rear camera setup. It consists of a 48MP Main sensor, 8MP Ultrawide lens, 5MP Macro lens, and a 5MP depth sensor. One of the main selling points of this device would be the battery; it has a 5000mAh battery inside and 15W fast charging support.
The Samsung Galaxy A31 is a great choice for people looking for a decent budget smartphone that can fulfill all their needs without cutting a lot of corners. It has an excellent display, amazing battery life, decent performance, a great set of cameras, and all that in an affordable package.
Technical Specifications
| SoC | Mediatek MT6768 Helio P65 (12nm) |
| RAM and Storage | 4GB/6GB/8GB RAM + 64GB/128GB |
| Display and Resolution | 6.4 inches (1080×2340 pixels) |
| Camera | Quad Rear 48MP + 8MP + 5MP + 5MP | Front 20MP |
| Battery | 5000mAh |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Bluetooth 5.0 | USB Type-C 2.0 |
8. LG Stylo 6
LG doesn’t have a lot of choice for the mid-range price segment, but the LG Stylo 6 seems worth considering. The device comes just under 300 bucks, and with the specification it offers, it seems like a great deal. The design has a plastic back with a gradient color finish and comes in only the white color variant.
On the front, it has a large 6.8 inch IPS LCD with a screen resolution of 1080×2460 pixels. This device’s quality is good, and it also has a U shaped notch housing the 13MP front-facing camera and the speaker grille. One of the main selling points of this device is the Stylus.
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The name suggests that it comes with a stylus pen that comes in handy in taking notes and has some other perks. The device is powered by the Mediatek Helio P35 SoC paired with 3GB of RAM and 64GB of Internal Storage. A 4GB or Higher RAM variant would have been appreciated; 3 GB RAM is still great but not for heavy multitasking.
Talking about the camera, you get a triple camera setup with a 13MP Main Sensor, 5MP Ultrawide Sensor, and a 5MP depth sensor. It also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner to secure the device along with face unlock. The battery backup on this device seems great. It has a 4000mAh battery inside; however, there is no fast charging support.
The LG Stylo 6 is a great device for under 300 bucks; It has a large display and battery, great to fulfill your entertainment needs. The processor is decent and won’t be an issue for daily usage. You cannot forget the Stylus, which comes very handy to take handwritten notes, selective screenshots, and many other things.
Technical Specifications
| SoC | Mediatek MT6765 Helio P35 (12nm) |
| RAM and Storage | 3GB RAM + 64GB |
| Display and Resolution | 6.8 inches (1080×2460 pixels) |
| Camera | Triple Rear 13MP + 5MP + 5MP | Front 13MP |
| Battery | 40000mAh |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n | Bluetooth 5.0 | USB Type-C 2.0 |
9. LG V35 ThinQ
The LG V35 ThinQ was launched in May 2018. Initially, the phone was launched at a high price tag, but over time the price has fallen, and this is hands down the best phone if you are more into media consuming. The device has a great build quality with both front and back glass and an Aluminium frame. It is also IP68 dust and water-resistant, which is yet another advantage of buying this phone.
On the front, you have a 6.0-inch P-OLED display with a screen resolution of 1440×2880 Pixels. The display also features Dolby Vision and HDR10 Support. It is well protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Processor Paired with Adreno 630 GPU. It comes in two variants 6GB + 64GB and 6GB + 128GB. The phone runs on Android 8.0 (Oreo) out of the box and upgradable to Android 9.0 (Pie). As this phone has last year’s flagship processor, you can expect great performance out of it.
The camera’s on this phone are also great. You have a dual rear-facing camera setup with a 16MP primary sensor with Laser AF and OIS paired with a 16MP secondary ultrawide camera. On the front, you have an 8MP selfie camera, also wide-angle. It comes in a few different colors, such as New Aurora Black and New Platinum Gray.
Connectivity options here include Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.0, aptX HD, GPS, NFC, FM radio with RDS, USB 3.1, and Type-C 1.0 reversible connector. For security, it has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. Lastly, you have a 3300mAh battery inside along with 18W Quick Charge 3.0 Support and 10W Wireless Charging Support.
Technical Specifications
| Soc | Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) |
| RAM and Storage | 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM |
| Display and Resolution | 6.0 inch (1440×2880 pixels) |
| Camera | Dual Rear 16MP + 16MP| Front 8MP |
| Battery | 3300mAh |
10. Honor 9X
The Honor 9X is the successor to the Honor 8X and was launched in October 2019. Although the device was launched a while ago in China, it usually takes some time to get it available worldwide. The phone has a really interesting design upgrade and now features a glass back with a cool new pattern shifting design.
You have a large LTPS IPS LCD with a screen resolution of 1080×2340 Pixels. The phone is bezel-less from three sides and has a small chin at the bottom. As it is bezel-less, the phone has a motorized popup solution for the front camera.
The device is powered by the Company’s own Hisilicon Kirin 710F Processor and Mali-G51 MP4 GPU. You have three different variants to choose from: 4GB + 64GB, 4GB + 128GB and 6GB + 128GB. On the software side, the phone runs on Android 9.0 (Pie) out of the box with EMUI 9.1 skin on top.
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It is one of the best phones in this range if your priorities are taking pictures. On the back, you have a triple camera setup with a 48MP Primary Camera, 8MP Secondary Ultrawide Camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, you have a motorized 16MP pop-up selfie camera. The phone comes in Midnight Black, Sapphire Blue color variant, and both of them look great.
Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, FM radio, USB 2.0, and Type-C 1.0 reversible connector. In terms of security, you have the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The device packs a large 4000mAh battery inside along with a 10W fast charging support.
Technical Specifications
| Soc | HiSilicon Kirin 710F (12 nm) |
| Ram and Storage | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM |
| Display and Resolution | 6.59 inch (1080×2340 pixels) |
| Camera | Triple Rear 48MP + 8MP + 2MP | Front 16MP |
| Battery | 4000mAh |
Final Words
So, there you have it! Our top pick for the best smartphone you can buy under $300. For some people, the camera is most important, while for others, it’s battery life.
Picking the right smartphone for you totally depends on what feature you need the most.
If you like taking pictures, we suggest you go for the Redmi Note 9 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy A51. When it’s the battery life, you should go for the one which has a larger battery and fast charging support.
If it’s media consumption, you can go with the LG Stylo 6, Samsung Galaxy A51, or the Sony Xperia XZ2 as they have the best displays and speakers.
In case you have any difficulties picking the right smartphone for you or want to give a suggestion, don’t forget to let us know in the comments below.
Our List of Best Smartphones (International Edition)
