5 reasons budget phones actually rule now

I’ve mentioned it elsewhere, but as a tech journalist, there’s an invisible pressure on me to buy the best possible smartphone I can afford. It’s not about status so much as credibility — it’s hard to speak with authority if you haven’t used the latest tech personally. That’s usually meant having to bypass budget phones in favor of high-end models like my iPhone 16 Pro, although for years, that wasn’t a hard sell — no one wants a phone with a noisy camera sensor or lethargic app performance.

The good news is that if you’re not a journalist, budget phones are a lot more exciting these days. In fact I’m a little jealous, since if you play your cards right, you can save hundreds of dollars without missing anything major. Products like the Nothing Phone 2a are arguably more interesting than something like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, despite the spec gap.

Decent performance is affordable now

From AI to playing Fortnite

It used to be that if you bought a budget phone, you were making a deep compromise on performance. You were limited to basic apps, and even those wouldn’t necessarily run well — Android phones in particular were infamous for slowing to a crawl after a few years. In terms of gaming, anything more than simple 2D games was probably out of the picture.

As the performance ceiling of smartphones has increased, though, so too has the floor. A Pixel 8a, for instance, should not only run most apps well for years, but even serve up many of Google’s latest AI features, such as Gemini, circle-to-search, and advanced photo editing. Even something like the Samsung Galaxy A55 is plenty capable. You might still end up wanting to upgrade in a few years, but only because of major industry advancements.

Google Pixel 8a

$449 $499 Save $50

Google’s latest midranger handset, with a 6.1-inch display, a 64-megapixel main camera, 8GB of RAM, and the Tensor G3 chip first found on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones.

Brand

Google

Display

1080×2400 OLED at 430 PPI, up to 120Hz, 1400 nits (HDR), 2000 nits (peak brightness)

RAM

8GB

Storage

28GB, 256GB

Budget camera tech is good enough

Just don’t expect miracles

As recently as a few years ago, buying a budget phone meant dealing with cameras that were adequate at best in daytime conditions, never mind shooting at night or in high-contrast lighting. You wouldn’t be fooling a pro photographer about where your images came from. If there was a secondary camera at all, its quality was so rough that you’d avoid using it unless there was no other choice.

The bar is higher now. I’m still not a fan of most secondary cameras, but you can get some excellent main camera shots on budget phones, mostly thanks to advancements in sensor tech and AI processing. It’s even possible to get decent night shots, though it’ll be a few years before any smartphone matches the low-light shooting of cameras by Canon, Nikon, or Sony.

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You don’t have to be stuck with boring bricks

Budget no longer means plain

While it’s true that most budget phones are still pretty nondescript, it’s becoming easier to find models with a little flair. The Nothing Phone 2a is arguably more stylish than my iPhone 16 Pro, especially if you make full use of its glyph lighting. The camera bar on the back of the Pixel 8a, meanwhile, makes it feel as “premium” as anything on the market.

Even foldables are beginning to enter the budget arena. If you’re willing to buy a 2023 model, you can get a Motorola Razr for as little as $350, and 2024 models aren’t that much more. Samsung has yet to produce a budget foldable, but it’s rumored to be working on a cheaper Z Flip device that could finally bring price tags to a reasonable level.

Nothing Phone 2a Plus

Brand

Nothing

SoC

MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro 5G

Display

6.7-inch Flexible AMOLED 1084 x 2412 pixel resolution, 120Hz, 1,300 nits peak brightness

RAM

12GB

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Flagship phones are offering diminishing returns

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The latest flagship phones are impressive feats of engineering, but ultimately just incremental improvements. When I bought my iPhone 16 Pro towards the end of 2024, I was upgrading from an iPhone 13 I bought in 2021. The main benefits I’ve experienced, however, are all Pro-related rather than generational — namely getting a telephoto camera, and a 120Hz, always-on display. Its faster processor isn’t that significant, usually, and I doubt any iPhone buyer was dying for Apple Intelligence or a Camera Control button.

There are often better uses of your money these days, unless you genuinely need the best possible camera and display tech. Pairing a Pixel Watch 3 with a Pixel 8a might actually improve your health and strength — if you use the watch to take up an exercise routine. On its own, a Pixel 9 Pro is mostly going to get you better family and concert photos.

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Budget phones can be more colorful

Expensive often means dull

This is related to my previous point about design, but it’s often taken for granted that high-end phones will only ship in subdued colors like black, silver, or some sort of pastel. Presumably, it’s because the companies are targeting a “luxe” or professional stereotype. It’s ridiculous if you think about it for a moment — there’s nothing inherently unprofessional about a brightly colored phone, and true style means standing out. Visually, it’s hard to get excited about something that’s less colorful than a Pepsi can.

If you’d like vibrant color, that’s probably going to mean considering a few budget phones, or at least some mid-tier options. Maybe Apple, Google, and Samsung will learn to mix things up someday.