Best Android phones under $300 in 2021

Best
Android Phones Under $300
Android Central
2021

Best overall Android phone under $300: Moto G Power (2020)

Motorola launched a few different Moto G phones for 2020, but the one that stands out as the best pick for most people is the Moto G Power (2020). This phone nails all the basics, has a very affordable price, and a cool trick up its sleeve — battery life.

A 5,000 mAh battery is crammed inside of the Moto G Power, meaning you can get between two and three days of use out of the phone before needing to charge it up. In a world where a lot of $1,000 flagships need to charge every night, that’s darn impressive. In addition to the long endurance, the Moto G Power (2020) also shines with its 6.4-inch Full HD+ display, reliable performance, and three rear cameras that are a lot of fun to shoot with.

The cherry on top of the Moto G Power (2020) is its compatibility with all major U.S. carriers. So whether you rely on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or Verizon for your cell service, the Moto G Power will work without a hitch. A 2021 version of the Power is now available, but it has a lesser processor and screen for the same price as the 2020 model. Therefore, we recommend picking up last year’s version for the best Moto G Power experience.

You may be familiar with TCL for its low-cost televisions, but did you know the company also makes Android phones? The TCL 20S is part of the company’s second-generation of U.S.-bound handsets. It’s also one of the most well-rounded devices you can get in this price range.

Speaking of TVs, one of the best parts of the TCL 20S is its display. It features a 6.67-inch LCD panel with Full HD+ resolution, and thanks to TCL’s custom NXTVISION technology, you’re treated to increased sharpness, more vibrant images, and true-to-life colors. We also appreciate the slim bezels and hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera.

Under-the-hood, the TCL 20S has a Snapdragon 665 processor and 6GB of RAM, one of the most impressive setups on this list. The 5,000 mAh battery allows for outstanding endurance, you get an NFC chip for Google Pay support, and TCL’s software is clean and fun to use. There are also four cameras on the back for you to play with. Of course, there are tradeoffs with any phone at this price point. The most notable exemptions on the 20S are the lack of 5G support and any official IP rating for water or dust protection.

You wouldn’t expect to get a OnePlus device in the sub-$300 category these days. Thankfully, the uber affordable Nord lineup has made its way to the eager hands of North Americans. The OnePlus Nord N200 5G brings 5G to the masses, making it accessible for all. It may not look very impressive, but it has the right goods underneath that plastic hood.

The Nord N200 5G touts a generously large 6.49-inch Full HD+ LCD display. It has slim bezels all around, and the screen’s 90Hz refresh rate makes everything appear all the better. We love that the demure design has an air of grace about it. It may be cheap, but it doesn’t look or feel the part.

Powering this modest handset is the Snapdragon 480 5G with 4GB of RAM. There’s 64GB of onboard storage, but you can expand it via Micro SD. That and the 3.5mm jack are two things you don’t see in phones anymore. The triple camera setup is alright, with a 13MP primary camera on the back. What really impresses is the superb battery life delivered by the 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support. There’s a lot to love here, for very little money.

The TCL 20 SE is an interesting device, sitting a step below the better equipped TCL 20S. Apart from some minor differences, it’s actually similar to the TCL 20S in more ways than one, but it makes a few cuts to reach an even lower price.

You a lot of screen real estate with the 6.82-inch display powered by NXVISION, but the resolution is dropped from Full HD+ to just HD+. This means the TCL 20 SE’s screen isn’t as sharp or pretty to look at, but it still gets the job done. You also have the same 5,000mAh battery and fast charging support. Pop the hood, and you will find a Snapdragon 460 processor paired with 4GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. There’s a microSD slot for easy expansion if you still need more room.

You get a 3.5mm headphone jack and Android 11 out of the box, along with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor built into the power button. What’s cool is that you get reverse charge capabilities via an OTG cable. Somehow, they’ve thrown a 48MP primary sensor in the triple camera setup and still kept the price below $200.

Nokia has established itself as one of the market leaders for affordable Android phones, and one of its most compelling handsets is the Nokia G50. The Nokia G50 stands out for a few different reasons, but its strongest aspect is its software above all else.

The Nokia G50 ships with Android 11 right out of the box, and like all Nokia phones, it offers a clean and Pixel-esque user interface that’s fast and smooth thanks to its Android One implementation. What’s even better is that the Nokia G50 is backed by two years of major OS updates and three years of monthly security patches, offering a level of software support that’s far too rare in this price range.

As for the hardware side of things, the Nokia G50 gives you a 6.39-inch HD+ display, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 480 5G processor, a generous 5,000 mAh battery, 18W fast charging, and it even has NFC for Google Pay. Plus, it maintains the excellent cameras of the preceding Nokia 5.4, with a 48MP primary shooter, a 5MP ultra-wide, and a 2MP depth sensor.

For the most part, modern smartphones are generic slabs of glass or plastic. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it means that buying a case is a must for incredibly clumsy people. But what if there was a phone that was designed to not need a case in the first place? Enter the Blackview BV9100.

Blackview makes many rugged/durable phones, and the BV9100 is one of the best you’ll find in this price range. It’s drop-proof up to 5 feet, has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, and is protected against extreme temperatures. The other selling point of the phone is its massive 13,000 mAh battery, which is so big that you can use the BV9100 to charge your other devices by plugging them into it.

Other specs of the Blackview BV9100 won’t blow you away, but they get the job done. There’s a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display, a MediaTek processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of expandable storage.

The Galaxy Note series is super popular for making the most of a stylus-touting phone, but if you don’t have the cash for a flagship Note, the Moto G Stylus (2021) is worth a look. Just like the Note, it has an included stylus that you can hide inside the phone when you aren’t using it. However, unlike the Note, the Moto G Stylus (2021) is very affordable.

With the Moto G Stylus (2021), you can draw, take notes, and navigate the UI — something that’s quite handy when trying to tap small buttons on the screen. You also get a 6.8-inch Full HD+ LCD, Android 10, and 128GB of storage that can be expanded by another 512GB. There’s also a 4,000 mAh battery, which should last you all day and then some on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 678 SOC.

There is also now a quadruple-camera system with a 48MP standard shooter, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth/time of flight sensor. Unfortunately, you don’t get NFC or wireless charging on the downside, nor does the MotoG Stylus (2021) sport official IP water or dust resistance.

It’s worth noting that while the standard Moto G Stylus (2021) does not have 5G capabilities, there is a 5G version available, though we did not include it on this list because it costs over $300.

The U.S. smartphone market has plenty to choose from, but if you get a little bored with our options here or just live elsewhere, there are even more international phones you can buy — one of which is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10.

Looking at the price of the Note 10 and everything it brings to the table, it’s wild that it costs as little as it does. The 6.43-inch display is the first thing you’ll notice, featuring a crisp 2400×1080 resolution, a tall 20:9 aspect ratio, and slim bezels with a tiny hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera. You’re treated to a total of four rear cameras around the back — including 48MP primary, 8MP ultra-wide, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth cameras.

Under the hood, the Redmi Note 10 is packing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 678 processor, 4 or 6GB of RAM, 64 or 128GB of storage, and a massive 5,000 mAh battery. However, keep in mind that the Note 10 doesn’t have NFC, so you won’t be able to use it for contactless Google Pay payments.

This phone is an awesome deal, but you need to remember that buying an international phone comes with some quirks. Most notably, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 lacks a U.S. warranty and doesn’t work with CDMA carriers like Verizon. If you have AT&T or T-Mobile, it should work just fine.

Bottom line

Even when your budget is tight, you can get a great phone with the Moto G Power. It offers good performance with simple software filled with useful Moto features, and with good hardware, it doesn’t look or feel like a “cheap” phone. It’s also a great size with enough screen room to get things done without feeling too large.

Amazingly, plenty of the other best Android phones are available at affordable prices, but when you’re looking to save money, there are going to be compromises. When shopping for these phones, take a close look at the specs to ensure you’re not missing a feature you’d like to have. Many inexpensive phones will reduce display size, display resolution, extra cameras, or bonuses like stereo speakers. However, when you shop around, you’ll be able to get an excellent phone for just a few hundred bucks.

Buying a new Android phone can be a pretty daunting task, especially when keeping prices low. You want to buy something that’ll be able to do everything you need, but getting a quality handset without breaking the bank is no easy task. If you aren’t sure where to get started, here are a few pointers to consider.

First thing’s first, what features are a priority for you? Do you take a lot of pictures? If so, you’ll want a good camera. A high megapixel count translates to a more detailed photo, and some phones have multiple cameras that allow you to zoom in on subjects or capture more in the frame. The display is another factor to think about. A larger screen will be more challenging to use with one hand, but it’ll also be better suited for watching movies and playing games. Similarly, a higher screen resolution means everything on the phone will be crisper and easier on the eyes. Last but certainly not least, keep an eye on the battery capacity of the phone you’re looking at. The larger the mAh count it has, the longer it’ll last on a single charge.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Joe Maring has been talking/writing about Android in one form or another since 2012 and often does so while camping out at the nearest coffee shop.

Hayato Huseman is a recovering trade show addict and video editor. He can mostly be found complaining about the cold and enthusing about prog metal on Twitter at @hayatohuseman.

Daniel Bader is the former Managing Editor of Android Central. He drinks way too much coffee and sleeps too little. He wonders if there’s a correlation and can be found on Twitter at @journeydan

Jeramy Johnson is proud to help to Keep Austin Weird and loves hiking in the hill country of central Texas with a breakfast taco in each hand. When he’s not writing about smart homes and wearable devices, he’s defending his relationship with his voice assistants to his family. You can follow him on Twitter at @jeramyutgw.

Namerah Saud Fatmi is a freelance writer for Android Central. She has a passion for all things tech & gaming and has been an honorary Goodreads librarian since 2011. When she isn’t writing, she can be found chasing stray cats and dogs in the streets of Dhaka or slaying dragons in the land of Skyrim. You can reach her on her Twitter handle @NamerahS.