Looking for a new phone without breaking the bank? Well luckily you don't need to spend a fortune to get a good phone these days, despite the skyrocketing prices of flagship phones, and we're here to help you dig through the huge ecosystem of affordable Android devices under $300.
Let us lay out the best choices so you can make your next wallet-friendly phone one that you'll really love!
As cliché as it is, there has never been a better time to hunt for the perfect smartphone than in 2020; but the market is so bewilderingly rich with options that it is rather difficult to discern which device fits that bill. Well fear not!
In this guide we will look through every device worthy of your hard-earned cash that doesn't cost an arm and a leg; though it may sound insulting, the ‘budget' category of smartphones priced under $300US actually offers many a great phone and we have found the best options available – don’t worry! I’ve done the hard work so you don’t have to!
$100 Used: LG's G7 is an absolute steal
LG has toughed a few rough years of late, offering generally pretty good hardware let down by clunky outdated software and uncompetitive pricing. Fortunately, consumers' consistent overlooking of the brand has meant that LG's flagships drop in price almost immediately after release, and in the case of the LG G7 this drop has been insane, making used models readily available for only $100US on eBay.
The LG G7 launched in early 2018 sporting Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of ROM, a 1440p+ IPS display with a wide notch, a set of standard and ultrawide cameras, and a reasonably bezelless design with high build quality.
Though it couldn't compete with its competition at the time, the LG G7 was and still is a good phone with that set of very good cameras, a high quality display, a nice design, and good battery life. The G7 was and is only really let down by its software which can be a bit clunky and will not be seeing any further updates, but at such an insanely low price you could not possibly expect that on such a deal.
You can find one such used deal here, and hunt for other deals here.
$100 New: The Nokia 6 (2017) gets the job done
There are a surprisingly large swathe of new smartphones available at this price-point, but unfortunately almost all are not worth your time or money, suffering from various quality issues in both hardware and software. As a result, and though there are other devices out there that may be newer and boast far nearer to ‘bezelless' designs, I would primarily recommend the Nokia 6 (2017) for the general buyer in the category if buying used doesn't suit.
The Nokia 6 launched in early 2017 sporting the low-end Snapdragon 430 chip alongside 3GB of RAM and 32GB of ROM (with a microSD slot), all housed in a decently chunky device. The Nokia 6 is far from a spec-beast, but it does offer an unadulterated Android Pie experience, and is undoubtedly built well. Like every phone at this price though, it won't be receiving any OEM software updates.
The Nokia 6 is not a modern phone by any metric; with thick bezels, a middling display, midrange specs, and an older version of Android. The Nokia 6 is cheap, however, and is the best new phone out there at its price at the moment.
Nokia 6 (2017) | $110 | Amazon
$170: Xiaomi's Redmi Note 8 offers everything you need
The field narrows somewhat in this category, as many of the tiny brands drop out, leaving a few smartphones to choose from, and one that rises above the rest offering really everything the average user needs with Xiaomi's Redmi Note 8.
The Redmi Note 8 launched in late 2019 sporting a modern drop-notch design, a suite of standard, ultrawide, and macro cameras, a decently-powerful Snapdragon 665 (which is essentially a Snapdragon 660) alongside 4GB of RAM and 64GB of ROM (do not get the lower-spec'd model with 3/32GB), and Xiaomi's contentious – but in my opinion rather wonderful – MI UI Android skin with pretty lengthy battery life.
Xiaomi's Redmi Note 8 offers everything a modern phone should have in a nice chassis and at an incredible price new. As a bonus, the Redmi Note 8 is a pretty new phone, and will probably see an update to the upcoming Android 11… eventually. If you don't want a used LG phone, the Redmi Note 8 is the cheapest new device available that offers near as many features.
Redmi Note 8 | $170 | Amazon
$220 – LG's V35 ThinQ' is an incredible deal
If you liked the idea of the LG G7, but were put off by its IPS display technology or the potential ‘iffiness' of buying second hand at such a discount, but like the rest of the phone then the LG v35 is the best budget choice for you; , and only keep falling farther afterward. As a result, LG's spec refresh of their 2018 flagship V30 with the V35 is now unbelievably cheap.
Launched alongside LG's G7 in early 2018 and offering all the same specs plus a few improvements such as a gorgeous notchless POLED display and 24bit Quad-DAC for excellent audio quality out of the 3.5mm headphone jack, the LG V35 also sports Qualcomm's older but still excellent Snapdragon 845 with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of ROM, a duo of standard and ultrawide cameras, and a long-lasting battery in a sleek chassis.
The LG V35 features one of my favourite phone designs of all time, and at this price new, LG's V35 is an absolute steal and provides a step up from Xiaomi's Redmi Note 8 (especially with extras like waterproofing). Just don't expect wonderful software with any updates though.
The LG V40, which is much the same phone but with thinner bezels, a notch, and improved cameras can be had for only slightly more, but at that point we reach the next price category…
LG V35 ThinQ | $220 | eBay
$270 – Xiaomi's Mi 9T offers everything you want
Xiaomi is by far the most popular budget brand in the smartphone industry, and not for no reason; with an ever-growing portfolio of generally excellent-value devices it is unsurprising to see them pop up twice in guides like this one. Xiaomi's offering for this final budget price category with the Mi 9T (aka Redmi K20) is not only great for the price, but a legitimately excellent phone by nearly every metric, and thus it wins this sub-flagship category.
The Mi 9T launched in mid-2019 following months of anticipation featuring Qualcomm's excellent Snapdragon 730 chip which was on par with 2018's flagchip Snapdragon 845 while more efficient, alongside 6GB of RAM and 64GB+ of ROM, absolutely insane battery life, and Xiaomi's MI UI 11 Android skin which I rather enjoy, all housed in a gorgeous and high-quality chassis.
Xiaomi's Mi 9T (aka Redmi K20) rises above even LG's V35 due to its combination of excellent modern design, modern, supported software, and even better and more versatile cameras, and will give almost any user everything they want from a phone. The ‘Flame Red' colour option is gorgeous in person FYI.
You can read our review of the Mi 9T here
Xiaomi Mi 9T | $270| Amazon
So there you have it! These are the best phones under $300 worth looking at in 2020, laid out so you can figure out just what will suit you best so you don't waste your money. I hope you found us helpful!
