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The OnePlus Nord N20 5G has good performance and a sharp 1080p OLED screen with an in-display fingerprint reader, a feature that’s usually reserved for more expensive phones.

The OnePlus Nord N20 5G is more powerful than Samsung’s budget phones, and its 1080p OLED screen is sharper than those of other phones in this price range, which typically have lower-resolution LCDs with worse contrast. The N20 5G even offers an in-display fingerprint sensor, a rare feature on budget phones. Though it runs Android 11 out of the box, it’s slated to get Android 12, along with three years’ worth of security updates (through spring 2025). However, it doesn’t function on Verizon’s network.

The Galaxy A13 5G performs better than most phones in this price range, and Samsung offers an impressive four years’ worth of guaranteed software updates.

The Samsung Galaxy A13 5G has an understated design that won’t turn heads, but it’s faster and more responsive than you might expect for just $250. The screen picks up more fingerprints than those of phones that cost just a little more, but it’s big and bright, and the A13 5G runs Android 12. Samsung promises several more updates in the future, too, with an astonishing four years’ worth of update support (through early 2026). Most budget phones are lucky to see half that.

Like Google’s past budget-phone options, the Google Pixel 6a has great software—but it adds more powerful hardware. The Pixel 6a beats the budget competition in almost every way, and that makes it a terrific choice, provided you can spend a little more money. For $450, the Pixel 6a offers one of the best cameras on any smartphone, including phones that cost more than twice as much. In addition, the software experience is smoother and more pleasant than what you can find on OnePlus or Samsung phones, and the Pixel 6a has the same powerful Tensor processor as the more expensive Pixel phones do. Google guarantees security updates until summer 2027, as well. However, the Pixel 6a falls short of our other picks in battery life, and it has no headphone jack.

At a mere $160, the Samsung Galaxy A03s is the cheapest phone in Samsung’s current lineup, but it doesn’t perform like a bargain-basement phone. The A03s is fast enough to browse the web, send messages, and play simple games. And despite the phone’s low price, Samsung isn’t skimping on updates: The A03s will receive updates through early 2026, a full four years’ worth of support from launch, unheard of for a phone this cheap. The build quality takes a step down in comparison with the Galaxy A13 5G, the camera isn’t very good, and this model has no 5G support, but the battery life is excellent.

The Pixel 7 offers the best version of Android, with guaranteed security updates through fall 2027—plus the best Android smartphone camera we’ve ever tested. It also has excellent build quality and costs half as much as Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Google’s Pixel smartphones have always offered the best Android software experience, but the Google Pixel 7 proves that Google is taking the hardware seriously, as well. It has a crisp 6.3-inch OLED screen and a solid wrap-around aluminum frame. The Pixel 7 also offers the best camera performance of any Android phone save for its sibling, the Pixel 7 Pro, and Google’s custom Tensor G2 processor holds its own against the high-end chips in other phones. In addition, the Pixel 7 is more likely to remain secure for years longer than most Android phones thanks to its five years of guaranteed monthly patches. And at $600, it costs hundreds less than other Android phones that won’t last as long or perform as well.

The Google Pixel 7 Pro is similar to the Pixel 7 but adds a larger OLED screen with a higher resolution and refresh rate, more expansive 5G support, and a 5x telephoto camera. These improvements bump the price up to $900, so the value isn’t quite as strong as with the Pixel 7. But the Pixel 7 Pro is a more capable phone with the same excellent software and five years of update support.

For quite a bit less, the Pixel 6a offers the same excellent version of Android as the Pixel 7 with updates through 2027, and it has the high-end Tensor processor that debuted in the Pixel 6. The camera is a step down from those in new flagship Pixels, but it’s still better than those in some phones costing hundreds more.

The Google Pixel 6a is priced $150 lower than the Pixel 7 but still has almost every feature you might expect from a high-end phone. The Pixel 6a runs on Google’s clean, fast version of Android 13, with five years of guaranteed security updates. It also offers camera performance that surpasses what you can get from phones that may cost twice as much, though it’s not as good in that regard as the Pixel 7. On top of that, the Pixel 6a’s screen lacks the high refresh rate of the Pixel 7 and Samsung Galaxy S22 displays, so it doesn’t scroll as smoothly and isn’t as bright.

A fast processor, a huge screen, class-leading camera hardware, and even a stylus make the Galaxy S22 Ultra the most full-featured Android phone available. But you should buy it only if it’s on sale.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is essentially a Galaxy Note by another name. It has the biggest, brightest screen of any smartphone you can buy, and the included S Pen can help you take notes, mark up documents, and create art in ways you can’t do on any other phone. It offers the best build quality of any Android phone, with a custom aluminum-alloy frame that wraps around the edges, and the matte glass repels fingerprints. The S22 Ultra also has the best camera hardware in a phone, including a 10x “periscope” zoom lens and manual controls for more experienced photographers. Its primary drawback is its high regular price of $1,200—for $300 less, the Pixel 7 Pro is better at most things. While the S22 Ultra has better camera hardware, the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro’s camera software helps them produce great photos without the need for fine-tuning. The S22 Ultra is ideal if you demand maximum versatility from your phone, but you should buy it only on sale—we recommend purchasing when it’s closer to $1,000, or if you have an older Samsung phone to trade in.

The current state of inflation has a lot of us looking harder at price tags these days. While your grocery receipt may be full of bad news, we’ve actually got some good news for you: midrange phones are really good this year. The phones in this guide are already well-priced, and with Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals in full swing, you can save even more on some already inexpensive devices.

Many of our picks run about $400 or $500, but there are great options for $300 and under, too. You can find a bright, high-definition OLED screen or a built-in stylus or a battery that lasts for days. If you can hone in on the one or two features that are most important to you and you’re willing to compromise elsewhere, you can get a phone that suits your needs for half the price of a flagship.

What compromises can you expect from a budget phone? Some combination of the following: slower processors, less storage, and lousier cameras than flagship phones, almost across the board. Many have lower-resolution screens, and most lack official water-resistance ratings, wireless charging, and NFC chips for contactless payment.

And while we usually recommend buying unlocked phones to maximize flexibility, you might find better deals — and much lower up-front costs — by buying through a carrier and signing up for a wireless plan.

The 128GB iPhone SE is the best value on the smartphone market, period. It’s a great deal at $479 when you consider that it will continue receiving iOS updates for upwards of five, even six or seven years.

But before you pick up an SE expecting to coast through most of the next decade without buying a new phone: make sure you can live with its very small, very dated 4.7-inch screen. It’s the same size as the one on the iPhone 6, and it’s starting to feel cramped in an age when apps and web pages are designed for bigger screens. The SE’s big bezels make the device look dated, too, but the usability of a small screen will be a bigger factor over the years to come.

That’s the biggest knock against the SE. Otherwise, it’s a fantastic midrange device. Its A15 processor is the same as Apple’s top-tier iPhone 13 Pro Max, so performance is excellent. There’s IP67 waterproofing and wireless charging — both uncommon in this price range — and even though it uses the same 12-megapixel camera that iPhones have used since the dawn of time, it takes very nice photos and high-quality video clips. The camera has no night mode, which is a curious omission — many other midrange phones offer some sort of low-light photo mode, and the phone’s processor is certainly up to the task. Apple gonna Apple.

This generation SE offers 5G connectivity — just low- and mid-band, which is fine. You won’t get the fast millimeter-wave 5G you might encounter in an NFL stadium, but it’s nothing to lose sleep over. Battery life is also improved over the last generation, and it will generally last a full day unless you really push it with demanding tasks like gaming and streaming video.

If you can live with the small screen and you aren’t bothered by the lack of night mode, we recommend picking up the 128GB version. The base model’s 64GB of storage isn’t quite enough, and you’ll be glad you spent the extra $50 when you’re using this phone for years into the future.

The 2022 iPhone SE will last for upwards of five years if it’s taken care of thanks to Apple’s excellent track record of offering iOS updates to older devices. But its tiny 4.7-inch screen feels cramped now and may be tough to use in five years’ time while apps and web pages continue to be designed for bigger screens.

The $449 Pixel 6A’s biggest asset is Tensor, the custom-built chipset Google used in the flagship 6 and 6 Pro. Not only does it enable very good overall performance nowbut also it means that the 6A will keep up for many years to come. Google promises five years of security updates for the 6A, and with an IP67 water resistance rating, it’s a good all-around bet if you want a budget phone that will last.

The 6A’s least impressive feature is its screen — a 6.1-inch 1080p OLED with a standard 60Hz refresh rate. It’s not bad; it’s just not the best screen you can get for the money. The fingerprint sensor under the display is also on the slow side. Again, it’s not unusable but it’s noticeably a beat slower than the best fingerprint sensors out there.

And unlike previous Pixel A-series phones, the 6A doesn’t include the same cameras as the flagships, but that’s okay. It uses the same 12-megapixel standard wide camera as the Pixel 5A, which is still a very good camera — especially for the midrange class. The phone’s 4,410mAh battery is on the small side, but overall battery performance is better than its size would suggest.

The Samsung A53 5G offers an outstanding value for its $449 MSRP. It has one of the best screens in its class — no surprise from display maker Samsung — with a 6.5-inch 1080p OLED that provides richer contrast than the LCDs that are common in this category. It also uses a top refresh rate of 120Hz, which makes for smooth scrolling and a little bit more of a “premium” experience.

The A53 5G’s battery lasts a full day of use, and the Exynos processor gets through daily tasks fairly smoothly. The phone’s main 64-megapixel camera is a cut above the usually unremarkable cameras in this class, with optical image stabilization to help get more sharp shots in poor lighting conditions.

It stands out from other budget Android phones in a lot of ways, but the A53 5G’s best feature may be its excellent software support policy. Samsung has promised four years of Android OS version updates and five years of security updates. That gives the A53 5G an exceptionally long shelf life, especially among Android phones where two or three years of security updates is more common. Considering that the phone is also IP67-rated for dust and water resistance, it should last a long time.

A good all-around device for its $449 MSRP, the A53 5G delivers solid performance, an all-day battery, a 6.5-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, and an IP67 rating.

The OnePlus N20 5G is a $280 phone that feels like it should cost a lot more. It offers a 6.4-inch screen with good 1080p resolution. Better yet, it’s an OLED panel in a category where lower-contrast LCDs are much more common. You’ll have to make do with a standard 60Hz refresh rate, but unless you’re coming from a phone with a faster 90Hz or 120Hz screen, you won’t know the difference. Refresh rate aside, it’s a good screen that’s enjoyable to use. Plus, there’s a good fingerprint scanner under the display that makes unlocking the phone a frustration-free experience.

The N20 5G is sold unlocked but take note: it does not work on Verizon. It’s also limited to 4G on AT&T, which isn’t the end of the world given the carrier’s slow expansion of their mid-band 5G network (that’s the good 5G). The unlocked N20 does work on T-Mobile’s 5G as well as 4G, and you can buy a network-locked version of the phone directly from T-Mobile if you want to take advantage of a free phone offer or bundle the cost with your monthly phone bill.

The N20 5G is equipped with a good Snapdragon 695 processor and generous 6GB of RAM for very good daily performance. It also supports 33W wired fast charging — another feature you’d be hard-pressed to find in any of the N20’s competitors — with the included charger. You can charge the phone from 0 to 30 percent in just 20 minutes, which is really helpful if you’re in a jam and need a quick battery boost. NFC is also included for contactless payment; many cheaper phones exclude it to cut costs.

Camera quality is a bit of a weak point for the N20. The main rear 64-megapixel camera is fine; the other two cameras (a low-res macro and a monochrome sensor) are best ignored. The phone also ships with Android 11, which is a version behind most other new Android phones at this point. But on the brighter side, OnePlus is promising three years of security updates — a pretty good policy in a class where two years isn’t uncommon.

It’s unfortunate that the N20 isn’t an option for Verizon subscribers, but if you’re on T-Mobile or AT&T, it’s a heck of a deal — with or without 5G support.

The Galaxy A13 5G is a no-frills, $249 phone that delivers the basics. Its screen is nothing special, but battery life and performance are very good considering the price, and the device is backed up by a solid support policy promising three years of security updates. It’s not as polished as the N20 with its fancier OLED, but it’s also a bit cheaper and works on all major carriers (the N20 doesn’t work on Verizon).

The A13’s 6.5-inch screen is certainly big, but it’s a fairly dim, low-contrast LCD with a resolution of just 720p. Related: battery life is very good since the screen drains less power than brighter displays. Overall performance from the MediaTek 700 5G chipset and 4GB of RAM is very good, too.

On the camera side, the A13 lacks a couple of features you can find on other budget phones — namely, a night mode and an ultrawide camera. What you do get is a good 50-megapixel main rear camera that takes reliably good photos in daylight and dim indoor light. Just don’t expect much in very low light.

Overall, Samsung made some smart sacrifices in making the A13. If you can live with a mediocre display and a basic camera, then the A13 will deliver on performance and battery life — pretty important stuff. Just make sure you budget a little extra for a MicroSD card because the phone’s 64GB of built-in storage is a little skimpy.

This year’s 4G-only edition of the Moto G Stylus continues to offer the excellent balance of features and cost-saving measures as last year’s model. It’s a good phone for the price, whether you’re a stylus devotee or just want a big cheap phone, and it works on all three major US networks.

The Moto G Stylus has a big 6.8-inch 1080p LCD display, good battery life with its 5,000mAh cell, and ample internal storage with 128GB of capacity. With a capable MediaTek Helio G88 processor and a healthy 6GB of RAM, the G Stylus performs well with everyday tasks. The cameras, though flawed, are good enough to get by. You won’t find an amazing night mode or top-notch picture quality here, but for a sub-$300 phone, it does the job just fine. The G Stylus is missing an NFC chip for contactless payment, and it doesn’t have wireless charging or an IP rating for water resistance, which are all common omissions at this price.

Smartphones come at various price points. From under $100 to over $1000, there"s something available for everyone. But how much should you really spend on a new phone? What features can you expect from each price point? And most importantly, which price is right for you?

Buying a new smartphone under $100 is not recommended unless you"re buying it for kids or elders. At this price, manufacturers don"t have an incentive to innovate, so the best you can get is a phone that can barely get you through the day with medium use.

Expect bad performance, bad camera, bad battery, bad build quality, bad display, and mediocre storage. That"s why, instead of buying a new phone at this price, you"re better off buying a second-hand budget phone that"ll work at least somewhat reliably and not be too big an inconvenience.

Things improve quite dramatically when you jump from under $100 to up to $200. People who buy at this price are looking for basic functionalities, especially good battery life and decent storage. But cameras, build quality, and performance remain poor. This price point is fit for you if your use case is limited to web browsing, social media, light gaming, and light photography.

The $200–$300 bracket is where you have the best chance at finding the best value. In this segment, a majority of the bestselling phones come from Chinese phone makers. Unfortunately, if you"re in the US your options here will be much more limited than elsewhere in the world.

Wherever you are, you can also find some solid deals from Samsung. Phones at this price point are not only packed with all essential features but also often have quirky designs to differentiate them from other options.

The $300–$500 bracket is a very exciting one; it"s where the flagship killers are born. The goal here is simple: offer flagship specs at an affordable price. OnePlus popularized this trend, but as more brands entered the market with their flagship killers, this price bracket has become more competitive than ever.

Phones at this price range are targeted towards a more tech-savvy audience that understands specs and a bit of jargon; they can run most high-end mobile games well but not flawlessly.

Although you can probably find them under $700, most modern flagships live in the $700–$1000 price bracket. This is also where the competition between Android and iPhone really heats up.

Here, you are paying not just for the amazing specs and hardware, but also special features such as 8K video support, QHD resolution, LTPO display, and much more cutting-edge tech. Phones in this segment are very reliable, come with premium features, and take additional measures for privacy and security.

Above $1000, you"re getting the best of the best. For a price this high, you can get the features that no other price point can replicate. This means stunning cameras, unique designs, maxed-out performance, tighter integration with the ecosystem, and specialized features.

The goal here is to maximize convenience and eliminate the need for other tech gadgets. For instance, computational photography replaces DSLRs, 1TB storage replaces external hard drives, foldable phones replace tablets, and tough build quality replaces the need for back covers and screen protectors.

Depending on your use case, the right price for you will vary. Do note that the increase in specs is not perfectly linear in smartphones; some high-end features are easier to replicate in budget phones while others are not. Plus, remember that simply having good specs doesn"t always tell the whole story.

If you"re a casual user, there"s no point in buying a high-end phone since you"re not going to use those premium features that often anyway. In that case, you should look for a phone in the $200–$300 bracket to get the most value.

If you"re a power user, you need a phone that can handle everyday abuse; both from the in and out. That means great performance, great battery life, and great build quality. For that, search the $500–$700 price bracket, but keep an eye out for promising flagship killers too.

If you"re a gamer, you care more about performance, cooling system, and special gaming-centric features than camera and water resistance. In that case, you can eye a dedicated gaming phone in the same price range, i.e., $500–$700.

If you want a premium phone with special features that can easily last about five years, look at flagships for around $700–$1000. Beyond $1000, the spec upgrades aren"t as big, but if you want that bleeding-edge experience or the very best camera performance, it"s available.

No matter your budget, you can almost always find a good deal when buying a new phone. Smartphones have evolved so fast in recent times that you really don"t need to spend a lot of money to get an overall good experience.

For the average consumer, we wouldn"t recommend going below $200 or above $700; try to avoid both extremes. Feel free to come back to this guide when you"re in the market to buy a new phone to assess your needs more clearly.

High-end Android phones may come with all the bells and whistles, but if you temper your expectations you can get a great phone for a lot less. Our team has tested countless smartphones in all price ranges over the years, and for this list we’ve picked out the eight very best budget smartphones on the market. These phones offer the best value for your money, ranging from $450 to as low as $140. Check out our buyer’s guide if you’re not sure what to look for, or just keep reading to see our picks for the best cheap phones to buy in 2022. If you’re looking for just phones that are lower than $450, we also have a list of the best phones under $300.

Looking for a great deal on your next budget camera phone? Right now, several phones are on sale for the holiday 2022 season. You can check out our full list of holiday and Black Friday deals,or check out the list below for the best budget phones on sale right now:

The Google Pixel 6a pulls some of the best Pixel 6 features into a smaller and more affordable package. It"s easy to use with one hand and offers more of a processing punch than previous Pixel A phones, even if the battery life takes a big hit.

The Pixel 6a might be stretching the definition of a cheap phone at $450, but we found it was absolutely worth the premium. We loved how fast and fluid the phone was, often to the point we’d forget it was a budget handset. We were also impressed with Google’s commitment to updating the phone, which means this is an investment that will last you for years to come.

The camera is also the best you can find at this price range and even compares well against flagship phones. Every picture we took was bright and sharp, with a dedicated Night Sight mode that doesn’t disappoint. We were even pleasantly surprised to discover that the secondary ultrawide camera supports Night Sight, which isn’t the case for most phones we’ve tested in this price range. We also found the camera app to be barebones, but this is great if you just want good point-and-shoot performance without unnecessary bells and whistles.

A big reason why the Pixel 6a is able to get such excellent results is Google’s proprietary Tensor processor. Without going into details, this is the most powerful processor we’ve tested on this list, with the exception of the iPhone SE (but no Android phones can compete there). We experienced virtually no stuttering while performing daily tasks like email and social media. However, we found that it does heat up very quickly, even under light loads.

All of this power does come at a cost, and that cost is battery life. In our testing, the 4,210mAh battery struggled to last a full day, typically needing a recharge before bedtime with normal use. When gaming or streaming content for hours on end, expect to need a mid-day top-up. The Pixel 6a maxes at 18W charging, which in our testing filled up in roughly an hour and 45 minutes. However, there’s no charger in the box, so if you don’t have one check out our wall charger guide for compatible options. There’s no wireless charging here, either.

In terms of actually using the phone, Google’s software is as clean as it gets. You won’t find any bloatware or advertisements anywhere (unless you count YouTube Premium). You can even delete some pre-installed Google apps to free up some of the 128GB of storage, which can’t be said for most competitors. We found the streamlined Pixel UI very easy to adjust to, even if you’re new to Android phones. This phone even has Pixel-exclusive features like Magic Eraser to touch up photos, real-time offline translation, voice captioning on videos, and more. The list of exclusive features will also grow over time as Google pushes updates to the software with the Pixel 7 and beyond.

Physically, the Pixel 6a is a fairly small phone by modern standards with a 6.1-inch display. We found it more than small enough to use comfortably with one hand. We also liked the decision to go with a flat panel instead of a curved waterfall display. It makes it even easier to use with one hand since you don’t have to worry about accidental taps on the sides of the screen. The screen itself has nice colors, but we thought the 60Hz refresh rate is a bit low at this price point. The Galaxy A53 5G below offers a 120Hz display for the same price.

On the networking side, the Pixel 6a is ready for 5G connections, although the unlocked model is limited to slower sub-6GHz connections. There is a mmWave-compatible version available from Verizon, but it comes at a $50 premium. Outside of major US cities, this is unlikely to make a difference, so we recommend picking up the standard model. This chipset also supports Bluetooth 5.2, but there is no physical headphone jack to be found.

Ultimately, the Pixel 6a is our top pick for anyone looking for an affordable phone. It isn’t the cheapest you can buy, but it offers excellent value and a host of features that you can’t find on any other phone, regardless of the price.

Unbeatable value: The Pixel 6a isn’t the cheapest phone you can buy, but it does offer the most value for the money. It has features and performance that you’ll only find on much more expensive devices.

Excellent camera performance: With an easy-to-use camera app and Google’s proprietary smarts, the Pixel 6a is easily the best camera phone you can get in this price range.

One-handed use: In an age when most phones are massive, the Pixel 6a keeps it manageable. It’s comfortable to use with one hand, easily pocketable, and highly portable.

We recommend the Pixel 6a for most users, but it might not be right for everyone under the sun. To broaden your choices, we’ve picked seven other cheap phones that might better suit your needs, whether budgetary or otherwise. Here’s the best of the rest:

iPhone SE: iPhones are typically well out of the budget range, but the 2022 iPhone SE bucks that trend, offering a cheap entry point into Apple’s ecosystem.

On top of power and performance, this is the first Galaxy A series phone to guarantee four years of major Android updates and five years of security updates.

Samsung has long dominated the budget segment in the US, and for good reason. The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is one of our favorite affordable phones, giving the Pixel 6a some stiff competition. Although it’s still on the higher end of the budget range at $450, we found it to be one of the best-rounded phones you can buy, with industry-leading five-year software support that will keep it going far longer than alternatives.

While it doesn’t exactly have the Pixel 6a beat when it comes to camera performance, it does have a four-camera setup that we consider one of the most versatile in this price range. The camera hardware is very good, and although it’s lacking some of the Pixel’s smarts, we were overall left impressed by the color accuracy. It also had none of the oversaturation that has plagued Samsung phones in the past. That said, the macro lens isn’t as useful as the primary, ultrawide, or telephoto lenses in everyday use.

Another thing we loved about this phone was the battery life. In our testing, we got nearly two full days of use out of a single charge. That’s mostly thanks to the beefy 5,000mAh battery. Charging is also quite fast at 25W. It came out to roughly 85 minutes to top off in our testing, which is impressive considering the size of the cell. However, once again there’s no charger included in the box, so you’ll have to buy a compatible charger.

One area where the Galaxy A53 5G has others in this price range unequivocally beat is the display. We found the 120Hz Super AMOLED display to be crisp, bright, and speedy, with an extra option in the settings to reduce performance and save battery life — not that we ever found battery life to be an issue.

The only real downside is performance. The Exynos 1280 processor didn’t really deliver in our benchmarking tests, although we did find it fast enough for everyday use. It also comes with 128GB of storage on the base version, with the added benefit of a microSD card slot for easy expansion.

Versatile cameras: A solid main shooter, capable ultrawide camera, decent telephoto lens, and admittedly niche macro camera make this one of the most versatile camera phones in this price range.

Motorola already has a Moto G Stylus phone in the market, but this new device is meant to augment the vanilla version by adding a 5G-enabled processor and a bigger battery. Little else differentiates the two stylus-toting phones aside from some minor design tweaks.

If you’ve always wanted to try super-premium smartphones with a stylus like the Galaxy S22 Ultra but never had deep enough pockets, the Moto G Stylus 5G might be for you. It’s actually one of our favorite S22 Ultra alternatives on the market, despite coming in at well under half the price.

The eponymous stylus slips neatly into the body of the phone, which we noted was quite large in our review with a 6.8-inch display. We didn’t think the FHD+ LCD display itself was particularly impressive, although the 120Hz refresh rate provided a smooth scrolling experience in everyday use.

One thing the Moto G Stylus 5G really does right is battery life. Like the option above, it features a 5,000mAh battery that consistently lasted a day and a half in our testing. Performance was also solid, with the Snapdragon 695 5G providing smooth performance and solid framerates in demanding games like Asphalt 9 or Genshin Impact during our testing period.

This device is also a bit more budget-friendly, retailing at $400. However, Motorola has a number of carrier partners in the US that are likely to offer the phone for significantly less than the sticker price. If you’re set on getting an unlocked phone, the non-5G version of the Moto G Stylus is also a decent budget option at $299, although it comes with additional downgrades apart from networking.

Built-in stylus: Very few phones offer this as a feature, and those that do cost more than twice as much. It’s a handy little accessory that’s easy to keep track of thanks to the in-phone housing.

Galaxy A32"s multi-lens camera system takes photos to the next level. Go ultra high-res on the 64MP Main Camera for crisp, clear photos throughout the day. Expand the viewing angle with Ultra Wide Camera. Customize focus with Depth Camera, or get closer to the details with Macro Camera.

The Galaxy A53 5G might offer the best overall experience when it comes to budget Samsung phones, but the Galaxy A32 5G really hits the sweet spot when it comes to price and features. In fact, we consider it to be the best value in Samsung’s entire a-series lineup, despite being a bit long in the tooth.

Although it’s still firmly in the budget category, we found the Galaxy A32 5G to offer solid performance, decent cameras, and over a day of battery life in our testing. We were also very impressed with the inclusion of Gorilla Glass 5 on the screen, which is far more resistant than the Gorilla Glass 3 on the Pixel 6a listed above.

We also really liked the elegant look of the Galaxy A32 5G, although we did find the backing material to be quite slippery. Given the phone’s large physical size, we’d recommend buying a case for it to prevent any accidental drops. Either way, the extra resistance from the stronger glass will help keep your device just a bit safer.

Ultimately, we recommend this phone because the $279 price tag is right on the money when it comes to budget phones. Dip any lower and you’re making significant sacrifices. A newer version of this phone, the Galaxy A33 5G, was released in 2022, but not in the US. Even so, we still think the Galaxy A32 5G is a good buy.

The iPhone SE (2022) might not have much in common with the latest iPhone 14 lineup physically, but it’s what’s inside that counts. It has the same A15 Bionic processor as the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, and in our testing, it performed nearly just as well. It only takes a minor hit in GPU scores, but it still punches far above its weight. Needless to say, it’s the most powerful phone on this list.

That power is put to good use with Apple’s renowned ecosystem. We primarily write about Android here at Android Authority, but we remain impressed with what Apple has achieved with iOS. Not only is the app ecosystem extremely developed at this point, hardware like the Apple Watch and AirPods Pro are regularly among our favorites. They also seamlessly integrate into one another in a way that Android hasn’t matched to date.

However, the design of the iPhone SE is decidedly stuck in the past. The screen is a mere 4.7-inches, with sizeable bezels on the front. We were disappointed to find that the design is identical to the already-dated version from 2020, including the Lightning port. That said, we did love how small and light the phone is. It’s actually one of the smallest and lightest we’ve ever tested, weighing just 144g.

Another problem is that the base version comes with just 64GB of storage. The 128GB version jumps up to $479, which is pretty pricey for what it is. No matter which version you buy, however, you’re getting an incredible level of support. Apple doesn’t officially say how long support lasts, but we’ve found that it averages five to seven years. That’s more than a lifetime in the smartphone industry.

Robust ecosystem: Get more out of your phone thanks to a huge variety of apps in the App Store and some of the best hardware on the market from Apple.

This affordable Samsung phone is aimed at undemanding users. It has plenty to offer, though, including a battery that will last you up to two days, performance that"s more than suitable for everyday tasks, and a camera that does a great job as long as there"s plenty of light available.

The Galaxy A13 5G didn’t impress us as much as the Galaxy A32 5G or Galaxy A53 5G, but it does have one big advantage: carrier deals. The affordable phone is frequently available at huge discounts through carriers in the US, and despite its budget trappings we still think it’s a solid contender.

In our testing, the basics were all there: good main camera performance, excellent battery life, and the eponymous 5G connection that should keep it going for years to come. Combined with Samsung’s unmatched update commitment in the Android space, we think there’s a lot of value to be had here for budget-conscious buyers.

We’re recommending the 5G model here, and although the unlocked price is simply too high in our opinion, you can pick this up for free via T-Mobile or for just $2 a month from AT&T. If you don’t live in an area with 5G or just don’t need the speed, there’s also a slightly tweaked version called the Galaxy A13 LTE that’s a bit cheaper.

The Nord N200 smartphone is an affordable phone supporting 5G. OnePlus upgraded the processor with a decent 4GB of RAM, providing enough performance for daily use. The battery life is the phone"s strength, with two days of use with a single full charge.

If you want a cheap phone with 5G, check out the OnePlus Nord N200. After reviewing all of OnePlus’ budget lineup of Nord phones, it’s the cheapest 5G phone that we can wholeheartedly recommend.

In our testing, the cameras performed fine for a budget phone, especially in bright, outdoor conditions. Dimmer indoor photos were a bit more mixed, and led to uneven results. Still, we liked that the camera app was simple to use, and there is the added benefit of a macro lens if you like niche close-up shots.

Samsung"s Galaxy A03s takes a few baby steps toward adulthood. The fingerprint reader and updated base RAM and storage give it a little bit of extra punch, but they don"t quite go far enough to counterbalance the sluggish performance and lacking cameras. A fair pick for a starter smartphone, but it lacks power where it counts.

When you start digging into very cheap phones, the Galaxy A03s is the only one we can recommend. At under $200, you’re making some key sacrifices, but we think this can still provide a decent experience as your first smartphone.

Although we did find performance and build quality to be lacking, we did get exceptional battery life out of the A03s — two days with moderate use. Don’t expect to play the latest games or anything, but for streaming we found the screen to be large and more than adequate. We also found the main camera to be serviceable, although the other lenses didn’t quite get the job done.

Perhaps our favorite thing about this phone is Samsung’s commitment to updates. It features the same five-year update guarantee as Samsung’s flagship devices, some of which cost ten times as much. That’s an incredible achievement for a device at this price point, although in all honestly, you’ll probably want to upgrade before then.

While all of the phones above are sold in the US (and most outside of the US), there are several more great options available to international buyers. Even if you are in the US, importing some of these can be relatively easy, although you will be giving up warranties and ongoing support. Be sure to check networks as well to make sure they’ll work in your local area. Here are our picks for the best cheap phones outside of the US:

Nothing Phone 1 (~$489): The Nothing Phone 1 is one of the most interesting phones we’ve reviewed in years. In addition to all-around solid budget performance, its unique “Glyph” on the back is sure to turn heads wherever you go.

Nord 2T (~$405): One of many Nord phones that didn’t make it to the US, the Nord 2T impressed us with speedy 80W charging and clean software that’s hard to find in this price range.

Poco F4 (~$405): Xiaomi-affiliate Poco makes several excellent cheap phones with flagship-level power. The Poco F4 is our favorite of the bunch, with a snappy 120Hz screen and a powerful Snapdragon 870 processor.

Poco X4 Pro ($~335): Like the F4 above, the Poco X4 Pro impressed us with a speedy 120Hz OLED screen, but drops the flagship processor to come in at an even lower price point.

Redmi Note 11 (~$179): The cheapest phone in the Redmi Note 11 series is also the one that we most highly recommend. It offers a lot for the money, even though it’s a budget phone. In our testing, we found an excellent screen, great battery life, and unexpectedly good performance.

Some of you may be looking to purchase your first smartphone, and others may just want to save some money by buying a cheap phone. No matter where you’re coming from in your buyer’s journey, there are several key elements to consider when it comes to budget phones:

It can be tempting to buy the absolute cheapest phone you can find, but doing so may give you a phone that needs replacing every year. Buying a good phone with a solid update promise will save you money in the long run, even if it does mean an initial hit to your pocketbook.

How important are cameras to you? You do have a few good options in this price range, but for the most part, they’ll be limited to one good camera. Even if the phone has multiple lenses, the main shooter will be pulling most if not all of the weight (and that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing).

When buying a phone, you always have the option of saving a lot of money by buying through a carrier. However, this typically limits your choices and locks that phone to a single carrier for the lifetime of the device. Buying an unlocked phone costs more upfront, but allows you to change carriers whenever you like.

Which platform do you have the most experience with? Changing from Android to iOS or vice versa isn’t too difficult these days, but relearning everything will take time. Apple’s devices tend to cost a bit more, but they also last longer and receive better software support than anything on the Android side, although Samsung is getting close.

5G was previously limited to just flagship devices, but now even cheap phones are getting in on the game. Speeds are limited to sub-6Ghz, but it’s still a nice way to futureproof your device as new networks roll out across the country.

One key area where phone makers typically reduce costs is build quality. Budget phones drop the glass sandwich builds found on flagships and instead employ plastic backings or older Gorilla Glass options. There are a few exceptions, but if you’re going to slap a case on it anyway, plastic builds shouldn’t be a deterrent.

In our testing, we haven’t found cheap phones to have worse reception than more expensive phones. However, most cheap 5G phones do not support mmWave connections.

Once you know what’s important to you, the list narrows down considerably. If you’re not too familiar with smartphone tech, check out our detailed buyer’s guide for more info. If you’re feeling comfortable and confident, check out our top picks below. We’ve tested and reviewed hundreds of devices and picked out the best Android phones you can buy in 2022, starting with a device we think everyone will love.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus is one of the most powerful Android phones from Samsung, outperforming its siblings in several aspects. It offers the best software support and a powerful camera, set at an affordable price. The Galaxy S22 Plus hits the balance between performance and value providing users top specifications, a large but not oversized display and the latest features at a lower price than other devices from the Samsung S22 series.

For most people, we think the Galaxy S22 Plus is the best Android phone you can buy. It ticked every box on our list, and honestly, we struggled to find faults. It has excellent performance, a stylish design, versatile cameras, and the best software support in the industry. And although it’s the middle child in the S22 lineup, it’s the one you’ll probably want to buy.

As one of Samsung’s premium flagship smartphones, the S22 Plus has some of the best performance you can get in the smartphone world. Both the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor offered in the US and the Samsung Exynos 2200 processor found in international variants were not slowed down by anything we threw at them in testing. Everything from social scrolling to high-intensity gaming was smooth and stutter-free.

Charging speeds are also quick since the S22 Plus is capable of 45W charging. With a USB Power Delivery PPS-compatible charger (not included in the box), our tests clocked in at 50 minutes to go from 0 to 100%, and just 25 minutes to go from 0 to 50%. Wireless charging is limited to 15W, and filled up the battery in roughly 90 minutes.

Although the Galaxy S22 Plus isn’t the very best camera phone you can buy, it’s more than capable enough for most people. We found the 50MP main sensor, the 12MP ultrawide sensor, and the 10MP telephoto sensor all produced spectacular photos. Typically the secondary lenses don’t match the main sensor when it comes to white balance or exposure, but that wasn’t the case in our testing. All three lenses are useful, making this one of the best all-around camera phones you can buy (with most alternatives costing much more).

Apart from the cameras and performance, the Galaxy S22 Plus hardware impressed us across the board. The speedy 120Hz display might be limited to an FHD+ resolution, but it’s easily one of the brightest and most vivid displays we’ve ever tested, coming in at an incredible peak of 1,750 nits. The physical design of the phone is also stellar, and leaves nothing to be desired from the Galaxy S22 Ultra (except for the S Pen). This is a very premium phone, and it even comes in a wide variety of colorways to suit your style.

In terms of software, Samsung’s One UI is one of the most fully-featured Android skins you can get. It has everything and the kitchen sink — almost to its detriment. We found far too many preinstalled apps during our testing, and although most can be uninstalled, many cannot. Despite this slight feature creep, there’s a lot you can do to make your phone look and work exactly as you want it to. It also has exceptional synergy with Samsung’s wearables like the Galaxy Watch 5, with some features being exclusive to Samsung phones.

Another big selling point is Samsung’s unbeatable software support, which now offers a full five years of security updates and four years of Android version updates. No Android brand can match that, not even Google itself. If you’re looking for a premium smartphone that can do it all without pushing past $1,000 MSRP, the Galaxy S22 Plus is the one to get.

While we think the Galaxy S22 Plus is the best Android phone for most people, there are plenty of other great options out there. If you’re looking for something a bit more niche, here are our picks for the best of the rest:

Google Pixel 7: For a great Android phone on a tighter budget, the Pixel 7 is an incredible value. Instead of specs, it focuses on what makes smartphones great: cameras and fantastic software features.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: The true successor to the Note 20 Ultra, the S22 Ultra is the most feature-packed and premium smartphone you can buy outside of foldable.

Asus ROG Phone 6: For mobile gamers, the ROG Phone 6 offers everything you could possibly need and then some, including hardware triggers and a robust ecosystem of accessories.

Google Pixel 7 Pro: The Pixel 7 Pro is larger and has better cameras than the Pixel 7, while still remaining more affordable than the vast majority of flagship Android phones out there.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: If you have money to burn, the Z Fold 4 is the most premium device you can buy. It folds out into a tablet and supports an S Pen, making it a unique experience in the Android phone world.

Google Pixel 6a: Not everyone can afford to spend more than $500 on a phone, which is where this budget option comes in. It’s slightly cheaper than the Pixel 7, but still offers nearly the same experience.

It should come as no surprise to see Google make the list of the best Android phones, but the Google Pixel 7 is in a really unique spot. It’s not quite as premium as the Galaxy S22 Plus above, but it hits all the key points while maintaining a price and value that’s unmatched by any other device. You won’t find a better phone for this price without dipping into Apple’s devices, and even then there are some major tradeoffs.

The Pixel 7 launched with the second iteration of Google’s in-house Tensor chip, which we’re happy to report is another winner for the company. It’s focused on machine learning and image processing rather than raw power, but in our testing we found it to perform just fine in daily tasks. We experienced no hiccups while scrolling or playing demanding games, but it did heat up quickly. That means that sustained performance and battery life take a hit.

Speaking of battery life, the Pixel 7 fared very well, and depending on your use you might be able to hit two full days on a single charge. However, charging is painfully slow, taking an hour and 41 minutes to top off in our testing. We also noticed that the battery drains quickly while shooting pictures and video, especially using the new Cinematic mode. There’s also no charger in the box, which is unfortunately par for the course for new releases. Software is once again a huge plus, with tons of Pixel-exclusive features on offer. That list will only grow as time goes on.

Like all Pixel phones, the Pixel 7 places a special focus on photography while keeping things as simple as possible. After extensive testing, we’re convinced this is one of the best camera phones of all time. Exposure, colors, and detail were all excellent in a wide range of scenarios, although very low-light photos were a bit grainy. There’s also no telephoto lens — you’ll need the Pixel 7 Pro for that.

Ultimately, the Pixel 7 isn’t a big change from the Pixel 6, but in this case that’s a good thing. There are minor improvements and fixes throughout (the fingerprint sensor being a big one), and it retains the very attractive $599 price point. That makes it one of the cheapest options on our list of the best Android phones, and you’re not sacrificing a thing.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra pushes productivity, power, and photography to the utmost to satisfy the most demanding users out there. The phone combines outstanding performance, a stunning design, and the S Pen previously found on Galaxy Note handsets.

The Pixel 7 might offer the best value, but if you want all the bells and whistles, we recommend the Galaxy S22 Ultra. It combines the best of the Galaxy S series with the best of the now-defunct Note series into the ultimate power user’s phone, though you certainly have to pay for it.

Starting with the physical aspects of the phone, the landmark feature here is the S Pen. It’s a big part of what made the Note series a power user’s dream, and now that it stows away inside the body of the device, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is finally a true successor. We were also happy to discover that the new S Pen has a grippy texture, making it easier to hold while navigating, writing, or doing anything else the stylus can do.

Make no mistake about it, this is a very large device. The dynamic AMOLED display is a whopping 6.8 inches, which for us was simply too large to use with one hand. It’s wider, thicker, and heavier than the last Note phone, the Note 20 Ultra, although the overall design is similar. If you’re coming from a smaller phone, the waterfall edges and sharp corners at the top and bottom of the device will take some getting used to. The screen itself, though, is gorgeous. It’s one of the brightest and sharpest screens we’ve ever tested, and changing the resolution or refresh rate is an easy way to eke out more battery life in a pinch.

As far as performance goes, we found the Galaxy S22 Ultra to be absolutely perfect for daily use. No hiccups, no stutters, and no slowdowns while using apps, streaming media, or even playing demanding games. It also sports an impressive connectivity suite, with support for all of the latest and greatest standards like Wi-Fi 6E, mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G, and ultra-wideband for things like Bluetooth trackers (such as Samsung’s own Galaxy SmartTags). Our only complaint in this department is that the base model is slightly under-specced with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. If you’re looking for the true premium Android phone experience, go with the 12GB/256GB model or higher. That’s the sweet spot for futureproofing your device.

Another area where this phone excels is the camera. It’s actually our pick for the best camera phone you can buy, edging out the Pixel 7 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max in our big camera shootout. Much of this is thanks to the phone’s versatile setup with a beefy 108MP main shooter backed up by 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto, and 10MP 10x periscope lenses. We found each one to provide consistently great exposure and color, although the 100x “space zoom” feature is best left in marketing materials. Real-world samples just didn’t hold up.

Ultimately, whether or not the Galaxy S22 Ultra is right for you will depend mostly on your budget. It starts at an eye-watering $1,200, and if you want to get the 12GB model that we recommend, the price is bumped up another $100 or more. That’s not cheap, but what you’re getting is one of the absolute best Android phones on the market, and one of the most premium devices outside of Samsung’s own foldable lineup.

The ROG Phone 6 has everything a gamer needs. In addition to a bunch of gaming-related features, the phone sports a large display, great performance, and a big battery. You can even pair it with various gaming accessories.

Phones marketed at gamers have always had some glaring omissions or unusual design choices, but the ROG Phone 6 is a welcome exception. Not only is it the best gaming phone you can buy, but it also does away with most of the typical pitfalls of niche gaming devices.

Starting with the gaming features, the big thing here is the inclusion of hardware shoulder buttons called Airtriggers. These reside where your pointer fingers rest while holding the device in landscape, providing a similar experience to using triggers on a console controller. We didn’t find them quite as satisfying to use as real triggers though, because they don’t click down. Instead, they use an ultrasonic sensor with no moving parts. Thankfully, the phone does provide some haptic feedback. We were also impressed by the software support for this feature with nine mappable gestures, press and lift settings, and ten different motion control gestures.

As a gaming device, you’d also expect power, and the ROG Phone 6 delivers. It has the same suped-up Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 as many other late 2022 flagships, but still edged ahead of the competition in our head-to-head benchmark tests. In fact, both the ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro topped the charts, beating out far more expensive devices like the S22 Ultra. This is due to improved heat dissipation, which has been the biggest weakness of modern processors. For even better performance, Asus sells an Aero Cooler 6 accessory to lower those temps. With the cooler equipped and Asus’ X-Mode performance toggle activated, the ROG Phone 6 managed to achieve a stable 60fps in the most demanding games like Genshin Impact and Apex Legends Mobile during our testing.

How does the phone fare apart from gaming performance? Quite well. It has a bright, bespoke 165Hz AMOLED display with much faster touch sampling than we’ve seen anywhere else (720Hz) for maximum response times. The build quality isn’t quite as premium as other phones in this price bracket, but we thought it still felt great in the hand, if a bit heavy. Aesthetics are decidedly “gamer,” but if your home PC is already RGB’d up, you’ll probably be into it.

Camera performance is just fine, but no one is buying this phone for the camera. Battery life, on the other hand, is stellar. We found that the beefy 6,000mAh cell could hit two days of regular use, or, since we know you’re wondering, anywhere from three to six hours of gaming at max settings. Oh, and it also includes a powerful 65W charger in the box, which topped off the phone in just 36 minutes in our tests.

As mentioned above, there are two versions of this phone: the ROG Phone 6 and the ROG Phone 6 Pro. Between the two, we recommend getting the cheaper ROG Phone 6. The Pro model adds a few bells and whistles (like a neat, but not very useful screen on the back), but you’re better off saving the money to buy more accessories. Performance is identical on both phones, and in this case, that’s what really matters. There’s also the ROG Phone 6D series which trades out Qualcomm’s silicon for Meditatek’s flagship processors. While it offers some novel tweaks, such as an air vent for the included Aero Cooler on the 6D Ultimate model, we found that the regular ROG Phone 6 family outscored its D-branded counterparts in the GPU stakes.

The Google Pixel 7 Pro takes the best features from the Pixel 6 Pro, and makes them even better. Enjoy numerous camera upgrades and some fun new software tricks, all for the same cost as the last-gen Pixel phone.

We’ve already extolled the virtues of the standard Google Pixel 7 above, but now it’s time for the Pixel 7 Pro to get its time in the limelight. It doesn’t offer quite as much value as its smaller sibling, but it has a host of features that you won’t find on any other flagship in this price range. If you want a premium phone and don’t want a Samsung, we think the Pixel 7 Pro is the perfect alternative.

The main thing that makes the Pixel 7 Pro unique, apart from its sizable and gorgeous 6.7-inch display that nearly matches the Galaxy S22 Ultra, is the camera setup. All of the advantages listed for the regular Pixel 7 still apply here — great detail, excellent color accuracy, and software features like Magic Eraser to further enhance photos in post. However, the Pixel 7 Pro takes things to the next level with an upgraded ultrawide lens with autofocus and macro focus, plus an additional telephoto lens. This gives the Pixel 7 Pro even more versatility than its smaller cousin, and again results are phenomenal. If we had to nitpick, the only thing we didn’t like was the lack of manual controls, although those are pretty niche on smartphones, anyway.

The Pixel 7 Pro has the same Tensor G2 processor as the Pixel 7, and again it delivers. It won’t win any speed tests, but it more than gets the job done. Battery life is also great, easily lasting a day and a half in our testing. Charging speeds are again lacking, taking more than an hour and a half to reach full charge. Thankfully, Google’s Adaptive Charging mode lets you charge slowly overnight without damaging your battery. This worked well in our testing, and should help preserve battery health in the long run.

At the end of the day, the Pixel 7 Pro is easily capable of standing toe-to-toe with the best from Apple and Samsung. The idiot-proof camera performs exactly as you’d want it to, and with a starting price of $899, it undercuts flagship devices from the competition. The best alternative is the vanilla Pixel 7, which is almost as good and much less expensive.

Gorgeous screen: Pixel smartphones have favored smaller screens in recent years, but this one goes big. It’s speedy, bright, pixel-rich, and easily competes with the S22 Ultra.

While it still costs a pretty penny, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is much more affordable than a lot of other foldable phones. It also has a retro vibe to it due to its clamshell design. But there"s more to the phone than looks alone — it also packs plenty of power, a solid main camera, and a lot more.

A few years ago, foldable devices were a very small niche, with far too many caveats to recommend to anyone but ambitious early adopters. Now, this budding category has matured, and for most people, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is a killer Android phone to buy.

Granted, the latest model isn’t a huge change over what the company has put out in the past. It’s more of a refinement of what worked from the previous generation. Considering the Z Flip 3 was previously the best and most popular foldable on the market, that’s not a bad thing. It addressed all of the pain points we had with its predecessor, chief among them battery life. The Z Flip 4 averaged four to five hours of battery life in our testing, which is still less than a traditional flagship, but enough to get through a typical day. It took about 75 minutes to top back off with a wired charger or 90 minutes with a wireless charger in testing, although unfortunately neither are included in the box.

But the real unique selling points here are the form factor and software. The 6.7-inch foldable AMOLED screen was speedy and bright in our testing, and it’s a bit less wide than traditional displays, which makes it easier to use with one hand. The crease is as visible as ever, but your eyes get used to it quickly, trust us. We also found the Cover Screen on the front to be handy for checking the time or notifications without opening the device, which helps save battery life and avoid distractions. The tiny screen can also serve as a viewfinder when using the external cameras for selfies, and the resulting photos were much more impressive than the internal cameras in our testing.

The phone works pretty much like a normal phone when fully open, but when half open, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 has a lot of tricks up its sleeve. The “Flex mode” panel enables unique features for certain apps like Chrome or Calendar. Our favorite integration is with the camera, which places the shutter button on the bottom half and the viewfinder on the top half. While holding it half open this turns the phone into a kind of camcorder, or on a table it turns the phone into a fun way to take group selfies. Apart from these special features, Samsung’s One UI software is among the best in the business, and its software updates truly are the best in the Android world, as mentioned above.

As you’d expect from a flagship Samsung phone, performance is stellar. The Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor was as capable as ever in our benchmark tests, despite the smaller form factor. We experienced no hiccups whatsoever, although it did heat up a bit with extended use. Camera performance is also great and a welcome upgrade over its predecessor, although it still isn’t on the same level as Samsung’s traditional flagships in the Galaxy S22 lineup.

At the end of the day, if you’ve ever considered trying a folding device, now is the time to try the Z Flip 4. It’s stylish, performs great, and the clamshell design is just plain cool. There’s simply nothing like it. It’s also relatively affordable, although if you want to save a little money you can also opt for last year’s Galaxy Z Flip 3, which is remarkably similar, but with notably worse battery life.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra is the powerhouse of traditional phones, but the Z Fold 4 takes things up a notch by unfolding into a bright and sharp 7.6-inch screen. This tablet-like form factor adds a level of productivity you won’t find anywhere else, and combined with an S Pen (which unfortunately isn’t included in the box) and some new features unique to Android 12L, this thing