What is the best cheap smartphone?

I know* ughhh

Google Pixel 4a $350

iPhone SE $399

This is more your speed, OP. Although I'm sorry you won't be able to dial it with a pencil, like you're used to doing.

Xiaomi

Mi 10t lite

Just how cheap are we talking??

Samsung A series of phones is reasonably good for the price. I had one the other year when I smashed my expensive one.

You kidding? Most these Eldergays here tout having land lines. If they have a cell phone it’s probably a jitterbug.

I signed up for Google fi. I got a Google Pixel 4a for 9 bucks a month and pay for service by the Gb. it comes to about $30 a month

I would recommend a Google Pixel, but buy it directly from Google, not through your carrier. You'll get the latest updates for Android for a couple of years.

Xiaomi - good specs, huge battery and cheap price.

I love the iphoneXR in red because nobody steals or asks to borrow it.

I have an iPhone and a xiaomi. Most times the xiaomi is better when I’m using it but I carry and use my iPhone more out of habit and its smaller size.

R7 is right. The Samsung A series of phones are fine for what the avg user needs - as long as you're not obsessed with tons of camera/video options and other features many people don't use very often.

It still takes good photos - it just doesn't have every bell and whistle, which, frankly, I never use anyway.

I love my LG V30 Thin.

Guys, please recommend a phone with sd card slot AND headphone jack and 5 G!!

please, no chinese phones.

Define CHEAP!!!

R15, I hope so, because you're not getting a "next generation" model.

Go to Boost Mobile and trade your phone in. Get an iPhone for $49.99

They have good phone service.

At $399 the iPhone is good value. Don’t be like me and spend $1,499 on an XS iPhone.

Xiaomi has a good range of medium to high end phones, I have had two one Redmi and the other one Mi series, both lasted for 3 years no problems, they update android constantly and MIUI is one of the best Android skins, it’s very similar to iOS for what is worth, if you come out of an iPhone it won’t be as jarring.

It depends if you are in the US, I believe is harder to get other phone brands over there.

Go with an iPhone....I have stock so you need to buy it and love it lots!

Ryan Reynolds owns a phone company called Mint

For $30 a month you get an iPhone SE and phone service is included

I love my iPhone SE. ( I'm not bothered by its large bezels)

no iphones for me. I want phones with headphone jack and sd media slot.

Another vote for the Google Pixel 4a. Look up the reviews; it's usually rated the best low cost phone and often rated the best phone at any price.

I had a Pixel 2 for 4 years(?) and never had the least trouble with it. Photos were exceptional, everything worked well and faultlessly smooth. The 4a is a mid-/economy-range model, a much better version of the old "2" but less than half the price with lots of significant improvements.

It's a pleasure with both Pixels whereas my 2 iPhones before started well but then each had some performance problems within a year and I replaced at 2 years each time. I was anxious to upgrade each whereas the Pixels I hesitated because there was really nothing t all wrong with the old phone.

The 4a is a fantastic phone for a great price.

[quote] I want phones with headphone jack and sd media slot

iPhone SE has a headphone jack and for $40 you can get a 128 gig flashdrive

so how many pictures can I store on the pixel 4a 5g phone? I stored my pictures in sd card in the past.

R28:. Not sure exactly, I have many 1000s of large photos (12MP and larger), plus videos, a ridiculous number of junk Whatsapp images, plus screen captures. Google was storing every photo for free for Pixel owners. Starting this summer they will enforce a 5G limit for images posted after June 2021. Still a lot, and it's inexpensive to upgrade storage.

I have had (Unlocked) Motorola's for 5 years. Very good price, highly rated, and never had a problem. They keep the cost down by not including NFC and couple other things that people never use.

I use Google Fi which uses T-Mobile's network. My cell bill is 25 bucks a month. Can't beat that.

LG Stylo is around $200.00 is great.

r30 People "never use" NFC? Google Pay is quite popular, especially in this "no contact" day and age.

I'm looking for a great Android phone that's (1) not a Pixel -- I've had bad luck with my last three Google phones, and (2) can take advantage of all of the Google Fi features. From what I've read, some of the new Samsungs can't even do Visual Voicemail on Fi.

Another vote here for Xiaomi-Mi-Redmi. The lower-end models in particular are really good value with good build. Pick one with the right specs for your needs, and if sourcing fron overseas, check the bands very carefully, especially for 5G.

As said, unlike so many other makers, Xiaomi doesn't dump you after you buy: you get about two years of system upgrades.

LG should be on sale soon

Nothing beats the quality of my pearl-white slimline telephone with automatic last number redial. It just screams good taste and it was quite expensive.

Android is ghetto

Are sony phones any good? I know they are android.

I had dropped a phone and cracked the screen, spent over 100 bucks to get it fixed but the screen isn't as responsive as the original. So next time, I will skip repairs and just buy new

I just bought this last week. I’m a Samsung fan but didn’t want to pay over $1000 for top of the line, so with a trade in it was around $400. So far, very happy with it.

r38, in my, phone lifetime, I have never loved a phone more than my sony Xperia. this was years ag7so I can't comment on the new versions unfortunately but they do get good reviews

Sony is practically a non-entity in the US market. And LG has now completely abandoned the mobile phone business.

Check out swappa.com you can get late model phones gently used for good prices.

iPhone SE or Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G which is a very cheap 5g capable phone.

R39, that's a really nice phone

Every Sony product I've had, has been a problem. They always break

samsung is coming out with new phones this month. targeted at people who don't want to spend 1000 on a phone.

Is that the Galaxy M Series, R46?

Samsung's newest $109 smartphone arrives, along with a 5G phone starting at under $300

Sure, they may not sport the premium technical features of Samsung's Galaxy S21 phones, released three months ago. But these more economically-priced offerings may do the job for many customers.

Samsung's lowest-priced new phone, the A02s (starting at $109.99) boasts a 6.5-inch HD+ display and an all-day battery.

The Samsung Galaxy A top-of-the-line smartphones, the Galaxy A52 5G (starts at $499.99) and A42 5G ($399.99), each include camera features such as Single Take and Super Steady. The A52 5G has a rear quad camera with 64MP lens and a 6.5-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED 120 Hz display, the first A series model to have the speedier refresh rate.

Samsung's lowest-priced smartphone to support 5G, the A32 5G ($279.99-up), also has a 6.5-inch display, while the A42 5G ($399.99) has a 6.6-inch HD+ Super AMOLED display – and 128GB of storage.

The Galaxy A12 ($179.99), like the AO2s, has a 6.5-inch HD+ display, but has a better camera.

The A42 5G model becomes available Thursday from Verizon Wireless and will be available later this spring on Samsung.com. The Galaxy A52 5G, A32 5G and A12 will be available starting Friday. Galaxy A02s will out April 29.

Android phones from OnePlus strike a great balance between affordable and high-end. I found this one used.

NEVER, EVER buy any Chinese branded items. they spy on you and collect information.

Chinese companies are beholden to the People’s Republic of China and collect sensitive information on behalf of the People’s Liberation Army--from US Official

I'm not the OP but I bought my Galaxy S7 used in 2017 for $400 and it's still working. It's a great phone but I'm thinking it's time to get another one. I've always bought Samsung but I'm thinking of getting a refurbished Iphone, the SE in particular. Does anyone have that model?

Get the iPhone SE. You don’t want people assuming that you’re suffering from penury, do you?

Here's one OP.

The Galaxy A51 certainly lags compared to top-tier phones such as the Galaxy S20, but also when held up against the A51's main rival. That's because Apple gave the iPhone SE the same A13 Bionic chipset as its most expensive iPhone 11, so Apple's budget device moves fast. The iPhone SE also leapfrogs the A51 when it comes to water resistance and wireless charging, both features that Samsung's cheaper phone lacks.

R55, it's waterproof. It just doesn't have a IP rating for it.

Here's some more info, OP.

From a few days ago.

Another vote for iPhone SE. But how much is cheap and what do you do with your phone OP?

Great link R58. Tom's guide is excellent. iPhone SE comes in at #2.

Galaxy A52 5G is coming out tomorrow. I think I will be getting this one for my dad, it has headphone jack, sd card slot, and 5G and decent camera. He's just mainly texting and using the camera, taking pictures and posting them on FB

Samsung Galaxy A70

R60, looks decent.

Also, if anyone cares, Samsung phones aren't made in China—cf. certain other brands.

Re R63, that could be a huge plus for many.

r64 aren't they made in south korea?

R65, they design them in Korea and manufacture in Southeast Asia. Vietnam mainly.

Wages are too high in S. Korea to manufacture stuff like that. Like Japan and Taiwan. PPP GDP per capita is the same now in those three.

Ask around. I work within a big box store and one of the fellow gays is a phone whore, who goes from phone to phone. I bought his mint condition T-Mobile Note 10 for $450. He says he used it all of 1 month. He also had another Samsung S Series he is trying to unload. He now uses the latest iPhone. Got the phone unlocked from T-Mobile, working on my Verizon Wireless. Just gotta figure out how to remove that low-class T-Mobile splash screen.

Aside from used, there are plenty of new affordable unlocked phones around. The New One-Plus, iPhone SE, Samsung A Series, etc. Motorola has a ton of selections, really too many, its confusing. I believe Motorola has the cheapest 5G phone. For used phones, I recommend buying from someone you know, friend of friend type thing. Those OfferUp/Craigslist type sites are ripe for fraud. Use Swappa App to buy a good, guaranteed phone. I bought my partners iPhone 8-Plus on Swappa, as he needs the Home button, cuz he's a technological idiot. If I have to explain one more time how to send a picture in a text, you may be reading about another gay on gay murder on DL.

I bought the Samsung A52 for my dad, set it up for him and he loves it so far. Everything is working fine, no problems.

Is R68 OP?

For me, the "not made in China" thing is a huge selling point. Other than Samsung phones, are there any others not made in China?

Does anyone here use Mint?

Check out Ting for a good cheap plan.

I have an iPhone 6 I bought through TracFone. It does everything I need, which is mostly phone, email, texting, camera, social media, Internet etc. I paid $249 for the phone several years ago and a years worth of service for $99; That's about $8.25 per month for service and if I need extra data I buy it online. I just bought another years worth of data for about $60.

I'm not poor but I hate wasting money.

What's Affirm?

I want to avoid both Google and the cloud; is the Samsung A52 a good fit for me? Current phone is an ailing iphone7.

I use phone primarily for texting, taking photos, datalounging, etc.

Finally, please explain locked and unlocked phones.

Thanks. Y'all are the best!

Thanks.

Locked phones are programmed to only work with one carrier. You have to complete your contract to get them unlocked.

I've had Google Fi (formerly Project Fi) since its inception and love it. Now there are lots of other similar low-cost MVNOs that only charge you for the data you actually use (which in my case, is rarely even 1GB/mo.) But NONE of them offer the great international coverage that Google Fi does. (Texts are free and data costs the same as is does in the US.) That has been important to me as I've traveled a lot internationally in the past. But maybe that's not going to be as big a part of my life in the future. So I guess I should consider one of the other low cost MVNOs, like Mint, Ting, or Consumer Cellular.

R75, I like the Samsung A52 (I'm switching to a Galaxy in the fall), but it's an Android phone so it's integrated with Google.

You kind of can't avoid the cloud with iOS or Android. I'm not sure there's an alternative to those two operating systems. If you're dead-set against Google, I think iPhone would be your pick. I would say the iPhone is more cloud-dependent than Android, however, but I may be incorrect.

The Samsung A52 would certainly do all those things you mentioned.

Unlocked means they're not tied to a particular phone service.

Agree with R7 and R14, the Samsung A series phones are great and good value for money - and not made in China!

I have had a Samsung A31 for over a year now, does everything I need of it, has a headphone jack 128Gb of storage and SD card slot that will take up to 512Gb. Camera is far better than I'll ever need. Hasnt given me a single problem yet

Prices start from around $250 US

I'm curious R75's criteria... anyone know of a phone like that?

Extremely hard to avoid Google on any phone.

R75 Google-free. If you're outside the US you can get it.

R68 is not OP.

I think you can refuse to back up your files, pictures to the cloud, your phone will ask you before doing it. if you put in a sd card, you can have your pictures stored there.

I do think you need an email account to download apps from the google drive store. I suppose you can always make a throwaway email for this?

samsung phone comes with their own samsung apps like their own version of Alexa/Siri called Bixby, samsung pay etc. just delete or disable those.

my friend downloaded firefox focus to use as the browser. more privacy, less tracking.

OP, what did you buy for your dad?

iPhone: made in China

Galaxy: made in Vietnam

Yeah that's important to me. And nice to know, when I upgrade.

Best phone value is the Motorola phones, on google Fi. You can get the phones for under $150. Only downside is no NFC. And no snob appeal.

I have had a Samsung a10e for a couple of years. You can pick them up now for $59. It's absolutely fine.

Just FYI, Motorola's phone division is owned by the Chinese company Lenovo.

All electronics are made in China.

R90, not Samsung phones. They're made in Vietnam.

Samsung's earbuds are also made in Vietnam. I have two pairs: 1 Galaxy+ set, and 1 Galaxy Live set. Both are made in Vietnam.

You don’t need to buy Chink crap.

r93 just gook crap or slope crap?

Pure class on display here.

R95 what do expect? People to coddle the chinky-chonks after they spread the plague?

Phones and most other electronic devices are multi-national. The design is usually in the US or another Western country. Components come from all over. Assembly is usually in a third-world Asian country.

Look, if you don't want something that says "made in China" on it, Samsung is your only option right now. Some care, some don't. I care.

I will not depart with my beloved landline. Only the finest in gentleman callers have the number.

Samsung Electronics is also majority-owned by American mutual funds as well.

Has anyone here used Mint or Ting?

China didn't spread the plague.

R101, no sorry.

R102 bullshit. It originated there and for months they lied and suppressed the details. They DID spread it initially.

R104

Facts are facts, though I am also boycotting Chinese products, but for other reasons.

I don't buy anything Chinese either...as far as I can help it. I know it's fucking impossible but I try.

They have a dog meat festival every year where tens of thousands of dogs are slaughtered and eaten....need I say more!?

FUCK CHINA!

Which company is the one Ryan Reynolds is involved with?

r`07 Mint. He owns it or part of it. Mint is an MVNO they run on the Tmobile network.

The new A52 5G is $499 so it's not that cheap. I don't see the 4G available on the Samsung site so I opted to buy the international version from Amazon for $370. Should work on GSM networks in US. The downside is that there is no warranty in the US since it's the international version. I'm going to Amazon book store to pick up today.

I bought it for my mom and honestly, she is such a luddite, I could have bought a cheaper phone. She's likely not going to use 95% of the A52. But since she's such a luddite, I wanted something higher end and hopefully, more reliable. I don't want hysterical weekly calls about the phone not working. The A52 is also supposed to get 2 Android updates and 4 years of security patches--again, don't have to worry about buying another phone for my mom for the next 3-4 years. I also had to stick with Samsung because I know Teamviewer works on it and that's what I use to provide remote access IT support for my mom.

She currently has a Huawei and they may be a CCP stooge but damn her Honor phone was about $250, good for 3 years, worked like a champ and Teamviewer-compatible. If they were still selling Huawei phones in the US, I would have bought another one for her. There's nothing my mom is doing on her phone that would interest the CCP.

t109 you can still get huawei phones try gear best or swappa.

R110, as I understand it, the issue isn't that I can't buy hauwei phones, it's that Google will not allow their system and apps to work on them. Pretty big deal if you are an android user.

I guess if it's an old hauwei phone, it would already have Google stuff on it. But I already have an old hauwei phone, I want a new phone.

Here's a better explanation of loss of Google mobile services and hauwei.

R27, the (current model) iPhone SE 2020 does NOT have an earphone jack.The earbud cable has a lightning cable connector and uses the same jack the charger does.

I bought a Oneplus 8 off of BH photo for 399 dollars. Dual sim, 5g,,865 processor, and 48 MP camerea. So far I love it. Has what they call warp charging. Charges the phone from 0 to 100 in 54 minutes.

Picked up the A52 yesterday and haven't done much with it but I was able to remote access it with my other phone. So it's 100% compatible with Teamviewer, which is imperative as my mom needs IT support on a weekly basis. Thankfully, usually very low level stuff along the lines of:

What happened to my messages to my friend? Why can't I hear anything? Why is my screen so dark?

The most recent "problem" is that she can't see her name in Messages. Why the hell do you need to see YOUR name, Mom? You only need to see the names of the people texting you.

R114, glad to hear your feedback, I've often wondered about the phones they sold there. I have never bought phones from them, only wireless headphones and mp3 etc.