Phone-makers promise varying lengths of long-term software and security support ranging from just one year to as many as seven. These updates not only ensure you get many of the latest features but also keep your phone secure.
Phone cameras have gotten better over the past five years, but don’t be fooled by how many cameras a phone has; more is not necessarily better.
Phones are big in general with the smallest ones having a 6.1-inch screen and large models topping out at 6.8 inches. That makes visiting a store and trying a phone out before you buy it quite important.
If your family and friends are on Apple services like iMessage and FaceTime, stick with an iPhone. If you’ve been deep on Samsung, stay on Android. Know that switching between the two has never been easier.
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In 2026 affordable phones come brimming with features and options from companies like Motorola, Google, Samsung and Apple. After testing and reviewing dozens of cheap handsets, we found there are two pricing sweet spots: $300 and $450. Phones that cost $300 tend to have NFC (for Google Pay), wireless charging and good screen -- though cameras can be hit-or-miss, like the $300 Motorola Moto G Power (2024). In the $450 range are phones have solid cameras and features that rival pricier models like the $499 Google Pixel 8A, which won CNET's Editor's Choice Award. Out of everything we tested, here are our favorite cheap phones from both price ranges.
What is the best cheap phone?
James Martin/CNET
The Google's $499 Pixel 8A is our favorite cheap phone. Google delivers all the big features that matter on the Pixel 8A, like top-of-the-line cameras, a peppy processor and years' worth of software support. And it even has Google's new Circle to Search tool, which is a fast and fun way to trigger a search just by circling what's on your screen. Google makes smart compromises to keep costs low making the Pixel 8A a phone that packs an incredible amount of value. We should note that Google announced the Pixel 9A which launches in April. We look forward to testing it and if you're considering a Pixel 8A and can wait, it might be worth going for the new Pixel 9A instead.
Best cheap phones of 2026
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