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High-end best budget 5G phones may have all the bells and whistles, but you can get a great phone for a lot less if you lower your expectations. Over the years, our team has tried out a huge number of smartphones in all price ranges.
Now that 5G service is everywhere, it’s easier than ever to find the best budget 5G phones. T-Mobile has the biggest network, and its 5G service is available to 323 million people. However, AT&T and Verizon have also been growing their coverage.
With the arrival of 5G technology, connections should be faster, have less delay, and be more reliable. Since best budget 5G phones is now widely available in many countries and provides a better internet connection than 4G, people are looking to upgrade to 5G devices to take advantage of the benefits.
Best Budget 5G Phones Comparison Table
Product Name | Genre | Modes | Dimension | Weight | Price | Official Website |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
OnePlus Nord 3 5G | Smartphone | 5G, 4G, 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | 160.2 x 73.5 x 7.9 mm | 185 g | $499 (expected) | Visit Website |
Google Pixel 6a | Smartphone | 5G, 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | 156.2 x 73.2 x 8.8 mm | 168 g | $399 (expected) | Visit Website |
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G | Smartphone | 5G, 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | 160.6 x 73.9 x 7.7 mm | 173 g | $399 | Visit Website |
OnePlus Nord 2 | Smartphone | 5G, 4G, 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | 158.9 x 73.2 x 8.3 mm | 189 g | $399 | Visit Website |
Nokia G50 | Smartphone | 5G, 4G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | 164.4 x 75.85 x 8.5 mm | 190 g | $299 | Visit Website |
Samsung Galaxy A14 5G | Smartphone | 5G, 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | 164.2 x 75.9 x 8.7 mm | 190 g | $249 | Visit Website |
Asus Zenfone 9 | Smartphone | 5G, 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | 169.2 x 77.3 x 9.6 mm | 230 g | $699 | Visit Website |
Moto G Stylus | Smartphone | 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | 169.6 x 73.7 x 8.8 mm | 213 g | $299 | Visit Website |
OnePlus Nord 3 5G
Specifications | |
---|---|
Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
Display | Fluid AMOLED, 90Hz, HDR10+ |
Storage | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM |
CPU | Octa-core (1×3.05 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.85 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) |
Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
SOUND | Yes, with stereo speakers |
OS | Android 13, OxygenOS 13 |
The OnePlus Nord 3 5G is a phone that will be released soon. It is said that the phone will have a 6.70-inch touchscreen with a frame rate of 120 Hz and a resolution of 1080×2412 pixels. The OnePlus Nord 3 5G is likely to have a MediaTek Dimensity 8100 5G chip with eight cores.
When it comes to the cameras, the OnePlus Nord 3 5G is said to have a 50-megapixel main camera with an f/1.8 lens, an 8-megapixel camera, and a 2-megapixel camera on the back. Autofocus is built into the back camera.
The Good
- It has a beautiful design and a beautiful AMOLED screen.
- Good camera performance and a lot of storage space inside
- Large 4500 mAh battery that can be charged quickly
- With a fingerprint sensor, 5G is supported.
The Bad
- No charging without wires
- No jack for headphones
Google Pixel 6a
Specifications | |
---|---|
Processor | Snapdragon 765G |
Display | 6.2-inch, FHD+ (2340 x 1080 pixels), 90Hz |
RAM | 6GB |
Storage | 128GB |
Rear Camera | 12.2MP primary, 16MP ultra-wide |
Front Camera | 8MP |
Battery | 4000mAh, 18W fast charging |
OS | Android 12 |
Google started making best budget 5G phones not too long ago, and the cheaper Pixel 6a is a great deal. It has Google’s own Tensor chipset, which is also in the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro and is good at processing images.
It also has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. But you don’t buy a Pixel phone because of its list of specs. You’re getting it for the camera and the software features. Even though the hardware of the camera might not be as good as that of the Galaxy A53.
The Good
- Good camera quality
- Stock Android experience
- High refresh rate display
- Affordable pricing
The Bad
- Not the most powerful processor
- No wireless charging
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
Specifications | |
---|---|
Processor | Snapdragon 750G |
Display | 6.5-inch, FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 120Hz |
RAM | 6GB |
Storage | 128GB |
Rear Camera | 64MP primary, 12MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro, 5MP depth |
Front Camera | 32MP |
Battery | 4500mAh, 25W fast charging |
OS | Android 11 |
The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G can be a great choice if you’re on a tight budget but still want a best budget 5G phones capabilities. Aside from having 5G, the device has a 6.5-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 24001080 pixels and a refresh rate of 120Hz.
The device also has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G chipset, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage, which can be expanded to 1TB with a microSD card that can be taken out. The Galaxy A53 5G is also compatible with 4G and other cellular networks from earlier generations
The Good
- Good camera setup
- High refresh rate display
- 5G connectivity
- Large battery with fast charging support
The Bad
- Plastic build
- No wireless charging
OnePlus Nord 2
Specifications | |
---|---|
Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI |
Display | 6.43-inch, FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 90Hz |
RAM | 6GB/8GB/12GB |
Storage | 128GB/256GB |
Rear Camera | 50MP primary, 8MP ultra-wide, 2MP mono |
Front Camera | 32MP |
Battery | 4500mAh, 65W fast charging |
OS | Android 11, OxygenOS 11.3 |
A great follow-up to the best budget 5G phones, with great performance, OnePlus’s Oxygen OS, a main camera that’s almost as good as the best, and, of course, 5G. What the OnePlus Nord 2 really shows is that the company.
The Nord 2 doesn’t have flagship features like wireless charging or water resistance, but those are really the only things it lacks. It’s still our favorite mid-range phone right now, though.
The Good
- Powerful processor
- High refresh rate display
- Good camera setup
The Bad
- No wireless charging
Nokia G50
Specifications | |
---|---|
Processor | Snapdragon 480 |
Display | 6.82-inch, HD+ (1640 x 720 pixels) |
RAM | 4GB |
Storage | 64GB |
Rear Camera | 48MP primary, 5MP ultra-wide, 2MP depth |
Front Camera | 8MP |
Battery | 5000mAh, 10W charging |
OS | Android 11 |
A great follow-up to the best budget 5G phones, with great performance, OnePlus’s Oxygen OS, a main camera that’s almost as good as the best, and, of course, 5G.
The features that users want right now at the top of the list and put them in an attractive package with a good price. The Nord 2 doesn’t have flagship features like wireless charging or water resistance, but those are really the only things it lacks.
The Good
- Large display
- Affordable pricing
The Bad
- Display resolution is lower than some competitors
- No fast charging support
Samsung Galaxy A14 5G
Specifications | |
---|---|
Processor | Snapdragon 750G |
Display | 6.5-inch, HD+ (1600 x 720 pixels), 90Hz |
RAM | 4GB/6GB |
Storage | 64GB/128GB |
Rear Camera | 48MP primary, 5MP ultra-wide, 2MP depth |
Front Camera | 8MP |
Battery | 5000mAh, 15W fast charging |
OS | Android 11 |
Samsung’s Galaxy A14 5G might not be at the top of this list, but if you only have $200 to spend on best budget 5G phones, this is the one to beat. Compared to its predecessor, the A14 is a bit of an odd duck.
Instead of making improvements across the board, Samsung kept almost all of the same internals as the A13. It has the same MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor, the same 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM, and the same set of cameras on the back.
The Good
- Good camera setup
- 5G connectivity
The Bad
- Display resolution is lower than some competitors
Asus Zenfone 9
Specifications | |
---|---|
Processor | Snapdragon 888 |
Display | 6.67-inch, FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 120Hz |
RAM | 8GB/12GB |
Storage | 128GB/256GB |
Rear Camera | 64MP primary, 12MP ultra-wide, 8MP telephoto |
Front Camera | 24MP |
Battery | 5000mAh, 30W fast charging |
OS | Android 11 |
The Zenfone 9 shows that even small things can be great. The best budget 5G phones from Asus has a 5.9-inch screen and is powerful without being annoying. We think it’s a great 5G phone, with all the features you could want and a great battery life to match.
This phone would be even better if that happened. But you still get a great CPU, a battery that lasts a long time, and good cameras, even if the pictures can sometimes be a bit too warm.
The Good
- Powerful processor
- Good camera setup
The Bad
- No wireless charging
Moto G Stylus
Specifications | |
---|---|
Processor | Snapdragon 678 |
Display | 6.4-inch, FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) |
RAM | 4GB |
Storage | 128GB |
Rear Camera | 48MP primary, 8MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro, 2MP depth |
Front Camera | 16MP |
Battery | 4000mAh, 10W charging |
OS | Android 11 |
The Moto G Stylus stands out best budget 5G phones because it has a stylus that folds up into the phone like the Galaxy Note. A MediaTek chipset, six gigabytes of RAM, and a smooth 90Hz display give it good performance.
Unfortunately, the cameras aren’t very good, especially the selfie camera, which has a bothersome beauty filter that is always on. It also charges at a painfully slow 10 watts, so you’ll need to leave it charging overnight.
The Good
- Large storage capacity
- Includes stylus for note-taking and drawing
The Bad
- No fast charging support
FAQs
The phone starts at $420, making it the least expensive 5G option for iPhone fans. But, as we’ve talked about before, the third-generation iPhone SE doesn’t work with mmWave 5G services or the 3.45GHz band that AT&T plans to use for its future 5G expansion.
If you can afford it, buying a new 5G phone is usually the best thing to do because it will make your device feel fast and useful for years to come. But if you can’t afford a 5G phone or the ones on the market right now don’t meet your needs, you won’t miss out on much if you choose a 4G phone instead.