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The best budget 5G phones in 2025 [Buyer's guide]

By Victor Hristov

Updated: Jan 23, 2025, 8:39 AM

The best budget 5G phones in 2025 [Buyer's guide]

The fast 5G connectivity - once reserved only for flagship handsets - slowly made its way through midrangers to budget phones now, as almost all handsets now have 5G support for T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T's networks, even in the prepaid category.

Which are the best budget 5G phones, though?

Best cheap 5G phones list:

Under $600:

iPhone 14 – The cheapest iPhone we can recommend.
Galaxy S24 FE – A flagship Android experience at a mid-range price.

Under $500:

Google Pixel 8a – PhoneArena's Top Choice. Strikes best balance of features for the price and has amazing camera, but comes in only one, smallish size.
OnePlus 13R – Great phone if you value performance and fast charging, but camera is one step below Pixel.

Under $400:

Samsung Galaxy A35 5G – Samsung's best budget phone.

Under $300:

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G – Best option for this dirt cheap price.

Avoid:

iPhone SE 2022 – This phone is more than two years old and has an outdated design. While it's the cheapest iPhone available, there are just too many compromises. A new iPhone SE is expected to arrive in March/April 2025, and it would be a massive upgrade.

Other buying guides:

Under $600:

iPhone 14

At $600, the iPhone 14 is not exactly cheap, but that is the price you have to pay if you want a modern iPhone in 2024. The cheaper iPhone SE (2022) is way too old and we cannot recommend it in good conscience.

The iPhone 14 is an excellent device overall. It has a solid camera, great performance, and it runs on iOS.

But it also has a few weaknesses. First, it does not support Apple Intelligence. Bummer! Also, at 6.1 inches it is on the smaller side (the iPhone 14 Plus is bigger but it also costs more). Finally, it uses the old Apple Lightning connector instead of USB-C. Very annoying when you travel and you have to carry yet one more cable!

Read more in our iPhone 14 review

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE

The Galaxy S24 FE was the surprise of the year when it launched.

With a large screen, big battery and a flagship grade chipset, it delivered most of the Galaxy S24 Plus flagship experience at a much lower price.

The S24 FE retails for $650, but you can often find it discounted to as low as $500, and at that price, it is very tempting.

Read more in our Galaxy S24 FE review

Under $500:

Google Pixel 8a

The Pixel 8a is our Editor's Choice for best budget 5G phone.

It packs a ton of value at a price of $500. It combines excellent performance, thanks to the Tensor G3 chip inside, with an outstanding camera.

The only downside? Well, it has a huge bezel which makes it look a bit ugly, but more importantly, it only comes in one, smallish 6.1-inch size.

Read more in our Pixel 8a review

OnePlus 13R

The OnePlus 13R is a bigger phone than the Pixel, so it has a bigger screen, bigger battery and stronger performance. And it charges super fast too!

If you don't obsess over the absolute best camera, it's an easy recommendation, but those who value the camera experience should probably go for the Pixel instead.

Read more in our OnePlus 13R review

Under $400:

Samsung Galaxy A35 5G

Samsung's $400 Galaxy A35 5G is a great phone for the money.

It doesn't quite have the fast performance of the Pixel 8a or OnePlus 12R, but it is more than adequate and it has a very decent camera. The screen quality, as always with Samsung, is great. You get a beautiful Super AMOLED screen on board.

Be advised that new Galaxy A series models are typically coming to the US around March or April, so if you want the latest, you might want to wait it out.

Read more in our Galaxy A35 5G review

Under $300:

Samsung Galaxy A16 5G

The Galaxy A16 5G is a $200 phone, so you cannot expect perfection, but if you want something super cheap, it's a good option.

It arrives with an Exynos 1330 chipset, but only has 4GB of RAM, so you can expect a bit of stutter here and there.

The battery life, however, is solid, and the camera performance is surprisingly good for such a cheap phone, thanks to a 50MP main camera sensor. Video quality is limited to 1080p resolution, but at least video stabilization is nice.

Read more in our Samsung Galaxy A16 5G review

Other buying guides:

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Victor, a seasoned mobile technology expert, has spent over a decade at PhoneArena, exploring the depths of mobile photography and reviewing hundreds of smartphones across Android and iOS ecosystems. His passion for technology, coupled with his extensive knowledge of smartphone cameras and battery life, has positioned him as a leading voice in the mobile tech industry.