Over the last few months, every phone maker under the sun has refreshed its lineups, especially at the affordable end, with no major budget phone launches now expected until next year. That made it the perfect time to go back and reassess The Verge’s recommendations for the best budget phones you can buy right now.
You won’t be too surprised to hear that the iPhone 17E is now our recommendation for the best cheap iPhone, not least because it’s the only cheap iPhone. Still, this year’s addition of MagSafe charging makes it a much more well-rounded package than last year’s 16E, and with the same A19 chip as the flagship iPhone 17, you won’t find any phone with better performance for the price.
On the Android side, I may have bemoaned how same-y Google’s Pixel 10A is in my review, but last year’s 9A was great, and a carbon copy of that is still pretty great too. It’s still the best cheap Android option for most people, thanks to lengthy software support and a capable camera. There is competition, though; my favorite alternative right now is the Nothing Phone 4A Pro, a bigger phone with a beautiful display and original aesthetic — and unlike most previous Nothing phones, it’s available to buy in the US.