[APRIL 2022] The Most Affordable Phones You Can Buy for less than $250(US)/$300(Canada)/€200/£200/₹12,500

US and Canada

Best option

OnePlus Nord N200 – Manufacturers’s spec sheet, GSMArena spec sheet

The Nord N200 is the only 5G capable device at this price however it will only work on sub-6 frequencies. The Nord N200 has a massive 5000 mAh battery, additionally there’s a 6.49-inch FHD+ IPS LCD panel, 64 GB of UFS 2.1 internal storage (expandable via Micro SD) and 4 GB of RAM. Unlike OnePlus’s flagship phones, this one retains the 3.5 mm headphone jack. However, it’ll only get one Android version update. OxygenOS should provide a relatively clutter-free experience as well. Be sure to check if this device is compatible with your carriers before purchasing.

Note: Older flagships like the Pixel 3 may also be available at this price point on Amazon. They will certainly offer the best performance and cameras along with flagship features like water and dust resistance and wireless charging but bear in mind they may not get updates for much longer. Additionally, the Pixel 3 does not have a headphone jack and the battery life is average at best. The Pixel 3a may also be an option if you want a Pixel with a headphone jack and are willing to compromise on the performance (compared to the Pixel 3). Neither Pixel has a Micro SD card slot for expandable storage so look at the alternatives if that is an important feature. The Moto G Stylus (2020) is another option that may be considered if a Stylus is important, it has not been listed here because of the similarities with the G Power.

We’d recommend checking the prices at BestBuy, Costco and other retailers to get the best deal possible. Carriers may offer great deals that could get you a better phone for this price but that might involve an agreement to stay on their network for two or more years.

The used and refurbished market is a good option if you can find a gently used or mint condition flagship. It may be a better option than buying a new phone provided the buyer is ok with the lack of a manufacturers’ warranty or a warranty itself in some cases. Check out the page on used and refurbished devices in Canada here.

Europe

Best choice

Poco X3 Pro – Manufacturer’s spec sheet, GSMArena spec sheet

The best phone at this price overall with a feature set that puts more expensive phones to shame. It has the fastest chipset of any phone in this price segment the Snapdragon 860 along with a 120 Hz LCD panel, 128/256 GB of fast UFS 3.1 storage (expandable via Micro SD), a headphone jack, an IR blaster, dual speakers, NFC and a massive 5000 mAh battery. The cameras are also some of the best in the segment thanks to the computing power of the Snapdragon 860. Poco is an online brand so the phone can only be obtained from online sales channels. Xiaomi’s MIUI skin on top of Android also has a reputation for being buggy especially on Poco and Redmi phones.

Alternatives

1) Redmi Note 10 – Manufacturer’s spec sheet, GSMArena spec sheet The Note 10 is one of the only options that offers a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel making it one of the more compact options in this segment. The rest of the package is also competitive with other brands that aren’t Poco as it is powered by a Snapdragon 678 chipset paired with 4/6 GB of RAM and 64/128 GB of UFS 2.2 storage (expandable) along with a headphone jack, dual speakers and an IR blaster. It may be discontinued globally because of the chip shortage caused by the pandemic. Additionally, Xiaomi’s MIUI skin can be buggy on Redmi phones.

2) Realme 8 – Manufacturer’s spec sheet, GSMArena spec sheet

The Realme 8 is a great alternative to the Redmi Note 10 if MIUI is a dealbreaker or if someone wants a different brand. It has similar specifications with a 6.4-inch AMOLED panel, MediaTek Helio G95 processor, 4/6 GB RAM and 64/128 GB of UFS 2.1 storage along with a headphone jack, dual speakers and an in-display fingerprint reader. The Realme 8 does not have as many advertisements as the Redmi and the software is not modified as heavily, however the Redmi Note 10’s Snapdragon processor is more optimised than the Realme’s MediaTek in certain applications.

3) Realme 8 5G – Manufacturer’s spec sheet, GSMArena spec sheet

The Realme 8 5G is a 5G alternative in case that’s a requirement. It has a 6.5-inch FHD+ 90 Hz LCD panel paired with a Dimensity 700 chipset at this price point paired with 4/6 GB RAM and 64/128 GB of UFS 2.1 storage. Please note, the Realme 8 and Realme 8 5G are very different phones but Realme’s naming system leaves a lot to be desired. The Note 10 and Realme 8 have AMOLED displays and superior primary cameras while the Note 10 5G and the Realme 8 5G have a higher refresh rate screen and 5G connectivity. The Realme 8 will be a better device in most use cases but the 8 5G might be a better option for long term usage.

4) Redmi 9 – Manufacturer’s spec sheet, GSMArena spec sheet

The Redmi 9 is also a great value pick in case your budget is under or around 150€. It is one of the only options to have a FHD+ LCD panel at or around this pricepoint and the Helio G80 processor should be fast enough for most tasks. Since this is a Redmi phone you can expect a features like an IR blaster, expandable storage and a triple card slot.

Note: The Redmi Note 10 5G may be considered if someone wants a 5G phone from Redmi however it has not been recommended because it is very similar to the Realme in specs and we think the Realme has a better software experience. People experienced with custom ROMs may get the Redmi Note 10 5G over the Realme 8 5G since Redmi phones have better custom ROM support. The Poco X3 NFC may be considered if you want the best camera hardware at this price point.

Smartphone prices in Europe may vary from country to country and the storage configuration. It is difficult to maintain a list of the prices in all the countries so we’d recommend checking the price on the manufacturer’s website, Amazon or other retailers to find the best option.

India

Best option

Redmi 10 Prime – Manufacturer’s spec sheet, GSMArena spec sheet

The Redmi 10 Prime is the successor to the Redmi 9 Prime (also known as the Redmi 9 elsewhere and listed above) and is a standard evolutionary upgrade in 2020. Notable however is the presence of a 90 Hz FHD+ IPS LCD panel which is absent from other devices at this price point with a 6000 mAh battery. The whole package is powered by a MediaTek Helio G88 processor along with 4/6 GB RAM and 64/128 GB of storage (expandable). As is standard with Redmi phones an IR blaster is provided. Redmi claim to have upgraded the camera but the 50 MP number is mainly for marketing as the individual pixels are just 0.64 μm so they’ll only be 1.28 μm after pixel binning. Additionally, MIUI in India is buggy, has a lot of bloatware and advertisements. Some of the system apps can be uninstalled since it comes with MIUI 12.5 out of the box.

Alternatives

1) Micromax In 1 – Manufacturer’s spec sheet, GSMArena spec sheet and In Note 1 – Manufacturer’s spec sheet, GSMArena spec sheet

Both of these are fundamentally the same product with a slight change in the chipset used, the camera setup and in the RAM and storage configurations. The In 1 is powered by a Helio G80 chipset while the In Note 1 is powered by a Helio G85 chipset. Both phones have a 6.67-inch FHD+ IPS LCD display. Micromax do not have the best reputation for quality control. The software on these phones is close to Google’s version of Android.

2) Poco M3 – Manufacturer’s spec sheet, GSMArena spec sheet and Redmi 9 Power – Manufacturer’s spec sheet, GSMArena spec sheet

Like the In and In Note 1 these are the exact same phone but the Redmi 9 Power has an extra ultrawide-angle camera over the Poco M3 whereas the Poco has more RAM. The rest of the specifications are exactly the same with a Snapdragon 662 chipset and 64/128 GB of UFS 2.1 storage. There is a slight difference in software, Poco branded phones in India do not have ads in most system apps whereas Redmi branded phones do.