Best Phone Under $300: 5G Phones at Starter Prices

$330 at Amazon

Google Pixel 6A

Best phone you should actually get — as long as it’s on sale

The best phones under $300 are getting noticeably better. They offer a taste of premium features, but in a device that still very much feels like a budget phone. These budget phones can make calls, send texts and run most apps and games for hundreds of dollars less than the iPhone 14 or Galaxy S23. They also provide access to 5G, which is important if you want to hold onto your device for a while, and some even come with a built-in stylus. 

But I’m going to level with you: We have yet to use a phone in the $200 to $300 price range that feels like an excellent value. The absolute best picks in this category tend to be more expensive devices that are frequently discounted to $299 when on sale. For instance, Google’s $349 Pixel 6A is among the best phones for under $500, and it’s often discounted to $299.

But there are some really nice perks that are now arriving to phones that are regularly between $200 to $300. These include more storage, faster charging and decent cameras. Many of these even come with a headphone jack and expandable storage — both of which are rarities in devices that cost $400 or more.

What is the best phone under $300?

The best phone you can buy for under $300, if the Google Pixel 6A isn’t on sale, is the OnePlus Nord N30 5G. The phone’s 50-watt charging is truly fast, able to refill its battery from 0% to 100% in 45 minutes. The phone comes with 128GB of storage with 8GB of RAM, and has a large 6.72-inch 1,080p display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The phone’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chip is capable enough to run most apps. However even though the phone does come with a 108-megapixel main camera, the photos it takes are decent but far from impressive. That latter point is a big reason why the Pixel 6A is tempting when it’s discounted, since its Tensor chip and photo processing make its 12.2-megapixel camera take sharp, detail-filled pictures.

But if the OnePlus Nord N30 5G ends up being what fits your budget, it’s one of the most feature-rich options you can get for under $300.  

Best phones under $300

The $300 OnePlus Nord N30 5G includes a lot of features for the money, but its 50W charging speed is a standout for this price range. The phone can charge from 0% to 100% in 45 minutes, and most other phones that cost $300 or less need 90 minutes to two hours to do the same thing. Its large 6.72-inch 1,080p display that runs at a 120Hz refresh rate also makes apps, games, websites and streaming video animate smoothly.

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The $300 Moto G Power 5G is currently the cheapest phone I’m aware of that has 256GB of internal storage space. It’s a lot of space, and is perfect for someone that downloads a lot of movies and music to enjoy when you don’t have a consistent internet connection. The phone’s 6.5-inch 1,080p display runs at a smooth 120Hz refresh rate too, making movies, applications, websites and games look especially nice.

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Reviewing the $258 TCL Stylus 5G was a journey for me last year. Specs-wise, it has a lot that I enjoyed. The phone’s TCL NxtVision HDR setting provided enhanced colors when I played games, TCL made minimal changes to Android 12 and I especially enjoyed the magnetic stylus that fits securely into its own slot on the phone.

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The Light Phone 2 is a very different kind of phone. It’s meant for people seeking freedom from the constant stream of notifications, but still want a phone that looks nice. But despite its somewhat limited functionality, this phone still costs $299..

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Admittedly I’m cheating by getting this phone into the list, but Google’s Pixel 6A has been discounted to $299 a lot lately and is an easy recommendation when it’s been discounted into a budget phone range.

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What are the trade-offs with phones that cost $300 or less?

These cheaper devices tend to scale back significantly in one area or another in order to achieve those low prices. Most commonly, these drawbacks include limited software support, carrier support or bloatware (preloaded apps that you never asked for). These trade-offs often mean that these devices should not be used after two to three years, especially after security update support ends.

It’s also notable that while these phones retail for $200 to $300, many of them are often available at a deep discount — or even for free — as part of a carrier subsidy deal. If you are planning to stick with the same wireless carrier for two years, these phones could just become part of the cost of your service.

How we test phones

Every phone on this list has been thoroughly tested by CNET’s expert reviews team. We actually use the phone, test the features, play games and take photos. We assess any marketing promises that a company makes about its phones. And if we find something we don’t like, be it battery life or build quality, we tell you all about it. 

We examine every aspect of a phone during testing:

• Display
• Design and feel
• Processor performance
• Battery life
• Camera quality
• Features

We test all of a phone’s cameras (both front and back) in a variety of conditions: from outdoors under sunlight to dimmer indoor locales and night time scenes (for any available night modes). We also compare our findings against similarly priced models. We have a series of real world battery tests  to see how long a phone lasts under everyday use.

We take into account additional phone features like 5G, fingerprint and face readers, styluses, fast charging, foldable displays and other useful extras. And we, of course, weigh all of our experiences and testing against the price so you know whether a phone represents good value or not.

Read more: How We Test Phones

Phones under $300 FAQs