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The best budget 5G phones in 2024 [Buyer's guide]

By Victor Hristov

Updated: Nov 22, 2024, 7:26 AM

The best budget 5G phones in 2024 [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 12R – 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:

Moto G Power 5G (2024) – Decent performance and solid battery life, but at that price you are making quite a few compromises.

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iPhone SE 2022 – This phone is more than two years old and has an outdated design.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.

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 12R

The OnePlus 12R 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 12R 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:

Motorola Moto G Power 5G (2024)

Despite its name, the Moto G Power 5G (2024) does not have an extraordinary battery size. It features a 5,000mAh battery, which is as big as most other phones of its size, but it does have a prettier design and now adds wireless charging.

It runs on a middling MediaTek Dimensity 7020 chipset, but it has 8GB of RAM, more than others in this price.

The big compromise here is the screen: it's an LCD screen, not as vibrant as OLED screens on most phones these days. Well, at least it runs at a smooth 120Hz refresh rate.

Read more in our Moto G Power 5G (2024) review

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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.