Smartphones are getting more and more affordable each year, and nowadays, you don’t have to spend 1000 bucks to get a decent smartphone. These mid-range smartphones are becoming really good whether it is the performance or the cameras. Also, if you don’t want to buy a mid-range smartphone, then you can get your hands on last year’s flagship device, and that will get most of your job done.
However, picking the right smartphone from the crowd is always confusing. We recommend you focus only on some of the important features you will use more and then make a perfect decision. So, in this article, let’s take a look at some of the best smartphones under $500 you can buy.
List of Best Phones Under $500
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. Apple iPhone SE (2nd Gen)
The Original iPhone SE was quite popular among the people who do not want to spend a lot of money but need something which lasts for a very long time and is very handy. Continuing that, Apple has updated the SE lineup with a new Smartphone. Although the look of it is the same as iPhone 8, now it packs new and improved internals.
You get a 4.7-inch Retina IPS LCD with a screen resolution of 750×1334 pixels starting with the display. The display supports a wide color gamut, and the quality here is excellent considering the screen size. It is protected by Ion-strengthened glass and oleophobic coating. Apart from this, the entire device is IP67 dust/water-resistant.
Talking about the performance, it packs the Apple A13 Bionic SoC with 3GB of RAM. This is the same chipset found on some of the flagship devices offered by the brand. You can quickly evaluate the performance here, and it is top-notch. On the software side, it runs on iOS 13, and you can expect at least five years of software updates.
Cameras are one of the main selling points of Apple devices. The iPhone SE features a single 12MP rear-facing camera with OIS, HDR, Stereo Sound Recording, and 4K Video Recording. On the front, it has a 7MP selfie camera also with HDR support. In terms of security, you get a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button.
The battery backup on this device is decent. It is 1821mAh incapacity, and you can squeeze a full day battery out of this with moderate usage. On top of that, it supports 18W fast charging and Qi Wireless charging. Lastly, there are a couple of color variants you can choose from Black, White, Red.
Technical Specifications
| SoC | Apple A13 Bionic (7nm+) |
| RAM and Storage | 3GB RAM + 64GB | 3GB RAM + 128GB | 3GB RAM + 256GB |
| Display and Resolution | 4.7 inch (750×1334 pixels) |
| Camera | Single Rear 12MP | Front 7MP |
| Battery | 1821mAh |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6 | Bluetooth 5.0 | Lightning |
2. Google Pixel 4a 5G
The Google Pixel 4a is a budget offering from the brand and was launched in September 2020. There are two variants of this device, one with 5G and a lower end Non 5G variant. The device is made from plastic and has a rubberized finish on the back. This device is only available in one color variant, which is Just Black.
On the front, it has a 6.2-inch OLED display with a screen resolution of 1080×2340 pixels. The display quality of this device is excellent. It supports HDR and features an Always-on display. It has a punch hole notch housing the single 8MP selfie camera, and it is well protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection.
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The Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset powers it with 5G support. It has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.1 Internal Storage. One of the main selling points of this device is the software. It runs on Stock Android 11, and you get to enjoy the pure Android experience. The performance is also impressive considering the price it comes with.
Another main selling point of Pixel devices is the ability to capture amazing still photos. This device comes with a dual rear-facing camera setup with a 12.2MP primary sensor paired with a 16MP ultrawide lens. Some other features of the camera include OIS, Auto-HDR, and 4K Video recording. A rear-mounted fingerprint scanner also secures the device.
The Pixel 4a has a 3885mAh battery along with 18W fast charging support. The phone will easily last you through the end of the day with mild usage. The Pixel 4a is a great package and very value for money. You get to enjoy a bloatware-free Android, excellent performance, fantastic camera, and future proof 5G support.
Technical Specifications
| SoC | Qualcomm SM7250 Snapdragon 765G (7nm) |
| RAM and Storage | 6GB RAM + 128GB |
| Display and Resolution | 6.2 inch (1080×2340 pixels) |
| Camera | Dual Rear 12.2MP + 16MP | Front 8MP |
| Battery | 3885mAh |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Bluetooth 5.0 | USB Type-C 3.1 |
3. TCL 10 Pro
TCL is a new competitor in the smartphone market. They have launched a lot of value for money smartphone in several different price range. The TCL 10 Pro perfectly fits our budget for this article. The device has an aluminum frame and features a gradient color finish at the back, and you can grab the phone in two different color variants Gray and Green.
On the front, it has a large 6.47-inch AMOLED display with a screen resolution of 1080×2340 pixels. TCL is well known for its display, and the same implies here. The display quality on this device is excellent, and it also supports HDR10. The display also has a dewdrop shaped notch solution for the front camera.
The TCL 10 Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 chipset paired with 6GB of RAM. It is a mid-range processor, but still, it offers excellent every day and gaming performance. It runs on stock Android 10 out of the box on the software side, and TCL has planned to release the Android 11 update very soon.
Talking about cameras, the device features a quad camera setup on the back with a combo of 64MP primary, 16MP ultrawide, 5MP macro, and 2MP depth sensor. Other features include Gyro-EIS, HDR, and 4K recording support. On the front, it has a 24MP camera for taking selfies. The device is well secured by the Under display optical fingerprint scanner and face unlock.
Since this is a large device and made for consuming media, battery backup is one of the most important things to consider. It has a 4500mAh battery along with 18W fast charging support. You can get around 6 to 7 hours of the screen-on-time quickly with this device on normal usage.
Technical Specifications
| SoC | Qualcomm SDM675 Snapdragon 675 (11nm) |
| RAM and Storage | 6GB RAM + 128GB |
| Display and Resolution | 6.47 inch (1080×2340 pixels) |
| Camera | Quad Rear 64MP + 16MP + 5MP + 2MP | Front 24MP |
| Battery | 4500mAh |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Bluetooth 5.0 | USB Type-C 2.0 |
4. Motorola Edge
The Motorola Edge is a top tier device from the brand and offer flagship-level design and build quality and some of the high ends features in an affordable value for money package. On the front, it has a bezel-less curved display that folds from both sides. It is a large 6.7 inch OLED display and has a punch hole notch for the 25MP front camera.
The display quality is impressive. It is HDR10 certified and supports a 90Hz refresh rate. It is protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and the rest of the phone has a water-repellent coating. Although the phone is gigantic at the same time, it is very lightweight. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset powers the Motorola Edge.
You can choose between 4 or 6GB of RAM and up to 256GB of Internal Storage. The performance here is fantastic considering the price of the [hone. It is a gaming-oriented chipset, so you can also enjoy high-end games. Out of the box, it runs on Android 10 (Stock) and is upgradable to Android 11.
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You get an under-display fingerprint scanner and face unlock for security. Turning the phone around, it has a nice gradient finish and comes in two color variants Solar Black and Midnight Magenta. It has a Quad camera setup with a combo of 64MP main sensor, 8MP telephoto lens, 16MP ultrawide lens, and a TOF 3D depth sensor.
It also offers other features like 2x Optical zoom, HDR, and 4K video recording. The phone has a large 4500mAh battery inside, along with 18W fast charging support. On lite usage, you can get this phone through the end of the day, while you can expect at least 5 hours of screen-on-time on heavy usage.
Technical Specifications
| SoC | Qualcomm SM7250 Snapdragon 765G (7nm) |
| RAM and Storage | 4GB RAM + 128GB | 6GB RAM + 128GB | 6GB RAM + 256GB |
| Display and Resolution | 6.7 inch (1080×2340 pixels) |
| Camera | Quad Rear 64MP + 8MP + 16MP + TOF 3D | Front 25MP |
| Battery | 4500mAh |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Bluetooth 5.1 | USB Type-C 2.0 |
5. Samsung Galaxy A51 5G
The next device on the list is the Samsung Galaxy A51 5G. This comes with a slight improvement from its predecessor. The main improvement includes the addition of a 5G supported chipset making the device future proof. The rest of the things are almost the same. It has a plastic back with a dual finish or texture design.
It comes in several different color options, such as Prism Cube Black, Prism Cube White, and Prism Cube Pink. On the front side, it has a large 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 1080×2400 pixels screen resolution. Samsung makes one of the best displays, and this device confirms that. It is also protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
The performance of this device is excellent. It is powered by the Company’s own Exynos 980 chipset paired with 6 or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.1 Internal storage. Samsung has really improved on the software experience; it runs on Android 10 based on One UI 2 skin on top. The new One UI is excellent for one-handed usage as it is a large device.
On the back, it has a Quad camera setup with a combo of 48MP primary, 12MP ultrawide, 5MP macro, and a 5MP depth sensor. The primary camera comes with a pixel binning technique to click 48MP shots. On the front, it has a 32MP selfie camera. Be it front or back, the camera quality on this device is excellent.
The Samsung Galaxy A51 has a 4500mAh battery inside along with 15W fast charging support. A large battery is especially needed when you have 5G support. You can quickly get full-day battery life. However, on a 5G network, you can barely squeeze through the day.
Technical Specifications
| SoC | Exynos 980 (8nm) |
| RAM and Storage | 6GB RAM + 128GB | 8GB RAM + 128GB |
| Display and Resolution | 6.5 inch (1080×2400 pixels) |
| Camera | Quad Rear 48MP + 12MP + 5MP + 5MP | Front 32MP |
| Battery | 4500mAh |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | Bluetooth 5.0 | USB Type-C 2.0 |
6. Google Pixel 3
Google Pixel 3 is the company’s flagship from last year. Although the smartphone is a year old, it is still a great choice to buy in this budget. The phone has a front and back glass with an aluminum frame and comes in Clearly White, Just Black, and Not Pink color variant. The phone is also IP68 dust and water-resistant, which is another plus point.
You get a 5.5-inch P-OLED display with a screen resolution of 1080×2160 Pixels. You have the regular bezels on top and bottom for the front camera and the dual front-firing speakers, and the display supports HDR contents. On top of that, it is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and Adreno 630. This is the last year’s flagship processor, so you can still expect great performance out of it. The device comes in two variants 4GB + 64GB and 4GB + 128GB. The phone comes with Android 9.0 (Pie) and has already received an Android 10.0 update.
Talking about cameras, you have a single 12.2MP selfie camera with dual pixel PDAF, OIS, and Dual LED flash. On the front, you have a dual selfie camera with an 8MP primary sensor and an 8MP secondary ultrawide sensor also with Auto-HDR feature. Pixel devices have excellent camera performance.
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Connectivity options in this phone include Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.0, aptX, GPS, NFC, USB 3.1, and Type-C 1.0 reversible connector. For security, the phone has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. Everything here is backed up by a decent 2915mAh battery along with 18W fast charging support and Qi Wireless Charging.
Technical Specifications
| Soc | Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10nm) |
| Ram and Storage | 64GB + 4GB RAM, 128GB + 4GB RAM |
| Display and Resolution | 5.5 inch (1080×2160 pixels) |
| Camera | Read 12.2MP | Dual Front 8MP + 8MP |
| Battery | 2915mAh |
7. Moto Z4
The Moto Z series brings the concept of modular smartphones to the budget. The Moto Z4 is one of the budget devices in this series and was launched in May 2019. The phone has a glass back and aluminum frame design and comes in Flash Grey, Frost White color variant. It is also Splash and dust resistant.
You have a tall 6.4 inch OLED display with a screen resolution of 1080×2340 pixels. The screen has minor bezels around and a water drop shaped notch for the front camera and speaker grille. The display here is very bright and is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor along with Adreno 612 GPU. You have 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It is a mid-range processor, so you will get decent performance with it. The device runs on Android 9.0 (Pie) onboard with close to the stock android experience.
When it comes to cameras, you have a single camera setup on the back with a 48MP sensor. The rear camera also features PDAF, OIS, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, and HDR. While on the front, you have a 25MP selfie camera also with HDR support. This phone supports Moto Mods, so you can attach different mods like Camera, Battery Bank, Projector, and a lot more.
Connectivity options on this phone include Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC, FM radio, USB 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector, magnetic connector, and USB On-The-Go. For security, you got a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner mounted in the Moto logo, and you have a decent 3600mAh battery along with 15W fast charging support.
Technical Specifications
| Soc | Qualcomm SDM675 Snapdragon 675 (11nm) |
| Ram and Storage | 128GB + 4GB RAM |
| Display and Resolution | 6.4 inch (1080×2340 pixels) |
| Camera | Rear 48MP | Front 25MP |
| Battery | 3600mAh |
8. Samsung Galaxy S9
The Samsung Galaxy S9 was launched in February 2018, although there is a newer variant which came out a while ago this is still a great device to buy in this budget. The design here is great, It has a glass back with aluminum frame and is also IP68 dust/water-resistant.
On the front, you have a 5.8 inch Super AMOLED display with a screen resolution of 1440×2960 pixels. The screen has an 18.5:9 aspect ratio and regular top and bottom bezels. The display quality here is amazing and it is also HDR 10 certified. On top of that, you have Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor paired with Adreno 630 GPU. The device comes in 4GB RAM a couple of different storage variants starting from 64GB and goes up to 256GB. When it comes to software you get Android 8.0 (Oreo) out of the box with OneUI Skin on top.
Moving on, you get a 12MP camera on the back with dual pixel PDAF, OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), LED flash, auto-HDR, and Panorama. On the front, you get an 8MP selfie camera with AF, Dual Video Call, and Auto-HDR support. This phone also has great speakers which are Tuned by AKG and has Dolby Atmos.
Connectivity features on this phone include Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.0, aptX, GPS, NFC, FM radio, USB 3.1, and Type-C 1.0 reversible connector. For security, you have an Iris scanner and fingerprint scanner. Talking about the battery you get a 3000mAh capacity along with 15W fast charging as well as Qi/PMA wireless charging support.
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Technical Specifications
| Soc | Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10nm) |
| Ram and Storage | 64GB + 4GB RAM, 128GB + 4GB RAM, 256GB + 4GB RAM |
| Display and Resolution | 5.8 inch (1440×2960 pixels) |
| Camera | Rear 12MP | Front 8MP |
| Battery | 3000mAh |
9. Huawei Mate 20 Pro
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is one of the best value for money phone you can buy in this budget. The phone packs some amazing specifications at a much affordable price. You have a back glass with aluminum frame and comes Emerald Green, Midnight Blue, Twilight, Pink Gold, and Black color variant. The device is also IP68 dust/water-resistant.
On the front, you have a 6.39 inch OLED display with a screen resolution of 1440×3120 pixels. The screen has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and a small bezel for the front camera, speaker and some basic sensors. The display is also HDR10 supported and is well protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
Powering up the device is the HiSilicon Kirin 980 Chipset paired with Mali-G76 MP10 GPU. It comes in three configurations, you can choose between 6GB and 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of Internal Storage. On the software front, you have Android 9.0 (Pie) based on EMUI 9.1 Skin.
Cameras are one of the main highlights of this device. You have a triple camera setup on the back with a combo of 40MP primary sensor, 8MP secondary telephoto lens and a third 20MP ultrawide sensor. The camera also features Laser AF, OIS, 3x Optical Zoom, Leica Optics, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, and HDR. On the front, you have a 24MP selfie shooter.
Connectivity options here consist of Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.0, aptX HD, GPS, NFC, IR Blaster, USB 3.1, Type-C 1.0 reversible connector, and USB On-The-Go. This device has an excellent battery life thanks to the 4000mAh battery and 40W fast charging support. When it comes to security you get Face ID and Under display fingerprint sensor.
Technical Specifications
| Soc | HiSilicon Kirin 980 (7nm) |
| Ram and Storage | 128GB + 6GB RAM, 128GB + 8GB RAM, 256GB + 8GB RAM |
| Display and Resolution | 6.39 inch (1440×3120 pixels) |
| Camera | Triple Rear 40MP + 8MP + 20MP | Front 24MP |
| Battery | 4000mAh |
10. Nokia 9 PureView
Here’s another excellent choice if you are looking for a phone with the best cameras in this budget. The Nokia 9 Pure View was launched in February 2019 and comes in a glass back and aluminum frame. The back has a plain design and comes in a single Midnight Blue color variant. The phone is also IP67 dust/water-resistant.
On the front, you have a 5.99-inch P-OLED display with a screen resolution of 1440×2880 pixels. The screen has an 18:9 aspect ratio with regular bezels on top and bottom. The display quality on this phone is great, it is also HDR10 supported. In terms of protection, you get Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor paired with Adreno 630. In terms of memory, you have 6GB of RAM and 128GB Storage. Out of the box, you get Android 9.0 (Pie) along with Android One Program so you get quicker Android updates. Is it a flagship processor from last year, the phone performs really well.
The best part about this phone is the cameras. On the back, you get 12MP Penta camera setup out of which there are 2x RGB camera & 3 B/W cameras. Camera features include Zeiss optics, dual-LED dual-tone flash, and HDR. On the front, you get a 20MP camera for taking selfies also with HDR support.
Connectivity features here include Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.0, aptX, GPS, NFC, USB 3.1, and Type-C 1.0 reversible connector. For security, you get an under-display fingerprint scanner and lastly you have a decent 3320mAh battery along with 18W fast charging support and 5W Qi wireless charging.
Technical Specifications
| Soc | Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10nm) |
| Ram and Storage | 128GB + 6GB RAM |
| Display and Resolution | 5.99 inch (1440×2880 pixels) |
| Camera | Rear 5x 12MP | Front 20MP |
| Battery | 3320mAh |
11. Huawei P30
The Huawei P30 is another amazing device you can get your hands on in this budget. The device was launched in March 2019 and offers some amazing specifications. On the back, you have Aluminosilicate glass with aluminum frames. It has a gradient finish and comes in Aurora, Amber Sunrise, Breathing Crystal, Black, and Pearl White color options.
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Coming to the display you have a large 6.1-inch screen with 1080 with a screen resolution of 1080×2340 pixels. The screen has minor bezels around and a water drop shaped notch for the front camera and speaker grille. The display quality here is great, it is also HDR10 supported. You also have some kind of protection on this device Probably Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
The P30 is powered by the HiSilicon Kirin 980 processor paired with Mali-G76 MP10 GPU. It comes in 6GB and 8GB RAM variant and 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB storage variant. On the software side, the device runs on Android 9.0 (Pie) based on EMUI 10 SKin on top.
Cameras on this phone are also amazing. On the back, you get a triple camera setup with a 40MP primary sensor, 8MP Secondary telephoto lens and a third 16MP Ultrawide sensor. Other features here include Laser AF, IOS, 3x Optical Zoom, Leica Optics, dual-tone flash, and HDR. On the front, you have a 32MP camera for clicking selfies.
Connectivity features on this device include Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.0, aptX HD, GPS, NFC, USB 3.1, and Type-C 1.0 reversible connector. There’s the under-display fingerprint scanner for security and a decent 3650mAh battery inside along with 22.5W fast charging support.
Technical Specifications
| Soc | HiSilicon Kirin 980 (7nm) |
| Ram and Storage | 64GB + 8GB RAM, 128GB + 6GB RAM, 128GB + 8GB RAM, 256GB + 8GB RAM |
| Display and Resolution | 6.1 inch (1080×2340 pixels) |
| Camera | Triple Rear 40MP + 8MP + 16MP | Front 32MP |
| Battery | 3650mAh |
Final Words
So, there you have it. Our best picks for the best smartphone you can buy right now under $500. Hopefully, after going through the article you have found what you were looking for and has made a good buying decision.
In case you have any doubt choosing the right smartphone then don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below and we will try to help you out. We will be back with another update soon!
Our List of Best Smartphones (International Edition)
