You can get a great phone for $300 as long as you answer one question

If you need new phone for less than $300there are a number of great options that could meet your most important needs. But there’s a big trade-off when it comes to phones in this more affordable range. A phone with advanced specs like an eye-catching design, improved multitasking and wireless charging can still only get one or two major software updates and three years of security patches. Some phones under $300 have longer terms of four years for software updates and five years for security updates. But these devices skimp on certain features, which may make you want to upgrade sooner.

That’s the dilemma I weighed after testing various phones that cost less than $300. We take software and security deadlines seriously in our reviews because these updates can dictate whether devices receive new software features and critical fixes. Now that premium phones like Samsung Galaxy S24 and on Pixel 8 seven years of software and security updates are promised, we’d like to see more affordable phones go to at least four to five years.

But we’re not there yet. Most phones that cost $300 or less come with a promise of one additional software update and three years of security updates. Although Samsung takes the opposite approach with its $200 Galaxy A15 5G and $300 Galaxy A25 5Gwhile both get four years of software updates and five years of security updates, both have dated designs and lack features found on comparable phones. New to Samsung $200 Galaxy A16 increases its commitment to software and security at six years, but I haven’t had the chance to test this phone yet.

That means buyers have to wrestle with the same decision I’ve been mulling over for the past few months: Do you choose a phone with more features, such as $300 OnePlus Nord N30 5Gthat has ultra-fast wired charging and a 108-megapixel primary camera? Or you’re better off opting for a more bare-bones phone like those in Samsung’s Galaxy A series, which will receive major software updates for years to come. And to make things even more confusing, what about an older device that is now available at a discount, such as Google Pixel 6A?

More features, but shorter updates

Motorola and OnePlus offer $300 phones that deserve your time and attention.

This year 2024 Moto G Power 5G is a looker, starting with the Pale Lilac vegan leather design. The whole Moto G line now uses this material, resulting in an easier grip if you choose not to use the phone with a case. Motorola also added 15-watt wireless charging, making it one of the cheapest phones to include this option. You’ll get faster, 30-watt speeds when you plug the phone in and charge it the old-fashioned way, but the flexibility to charge it wirelessly is pretty useful — and rare at this price. Motorola also announced 2025 editions of the $200 Moto G and $300 Moto G Power which continue this trend of colorful vegan leather design, durability and fast charging speeds.

The OnePlus Nord N30 5G has an attractive reflective design that highlights its 108-megapixel primary camera. It took decent photos when I reviewed it last year, but the real value feature was the 50-watt SuperVooc charger. Although it’s proprietary (meaning only the included charger achieves these speeds), it charges the battery to 75% in 30 minutes – a speed most other phones can’t achieve.

The cheaper phones from Motorola and OnePlus include super-smooth 120Hz refresh rates, NFC for contactless payments, and processors that are fast enough for multitasking along with playing games. But unfortunately, both phones have shorter update schedules. While the N30 is still on sale, it’s nearly two years into the three-year security support commitment. Meanwhile, Motorola’s 2025 Moto G phones get two years of software updates and three years of security updates, a slight improvement over the single software update the Moto G line received in previous years along with the same security commitment.

Long life, but a phone that isn’t that much fun

Samsung deserves credit for extending the life of its cheaper Galaxy A series phones. It’s absolutely wonderful that the $200 Galaxy A15 and $300 Galaxy A25 get four years of software updates and five years of security updates. And even better, the Galaxy A16 gets six years of each. No competitor even comes close to that promise.

Samsung has built the foundations for both phones with high-refresh displays, NFC contactless payments, and powerful enough processors.

But compared to other similarly priced phones, Samsung’s Galaxy A devices feel boring. The A15 and A25 are made of plastic and have a blocky notch, rather than the sleeker selfie camera notch found on most other competing phones. While Samsung’s cheaper phones can handle the essentials with no problem, they struggle with simple multitasking. The A15 in particular is consistently slow to charge. While the A25 handled most tasks better, it occasionally stuttered when loading games or playing music while using a web browser and password manager at the same time. I’m looking forward to testing the A16 to see if Samsung has managed to improve the phone’s performance for its lower-priced variant.

This makes the Galaxy A15 and Galaxy A25 a perfect fit if all you want is a communication phone that won’t need to be replaced anytime soon. But I’m worried you’ll hit a dead end as apps and services evolve in the coming years, especially if these phones are already easily overloaded.

Could Google’s Pixel 6A be the budget champ?

You may have noticed that I haven’t discussed the cameras on any of the aforementioned phones. That’s because even though they all have at least 50-megapixel primary cameras, none of them take particularly impressive photos. however Google’s Pixel 6A remains available for sale and often goes for under $300.

Thanks to a a recent extension given to the Pixel 6 and laterThe Pixel 6A will now receive software updates until July 2027. along with security updates for the same period of time. That’s a big boost to the usability of this cheaper phone, especially considering Google originally planned to stop software updates to the Pixel 6A in 2025.

The Pixel 6A’s 12.2-megapixel primary camera is still impressive for its price. It’s powered by Google’s first-generation Tensor processor and comes with many of Pixel’s flagship features like Magic Eraser for photo editing, Live Translation, and other longtime Pixel-exclusive features like Call Screening and Hold for Me. The Pixel 6A also features an AI-powered Search circle. Although the Pixel 6A will miss out on Google’s newer and more advanced Features of Gemini AIit’s still a promising option even two years after its release.

However, you won’t get wireless charging or a headphone jack on the Pixel 6A, and its screen is smaller and darker than the other phones mentioned in this story.

How to choose the best option?

Your priorities matter most when choosing a budget phone. If you want the most features at an affordable price wrapped in an attractive design, consider phones from Motorola, Google and OnePlus.

However, if the most important reason for buying a cheaper phone is to avoid upgrading for as long as possible, you should consider Samsung’s Galaxy A phones.

The irony is that you can’t have both. A phone that gets updated for four years may not necessarily be one you want to keep for four years.