8 Best Cheap Smartphones of 2021 (iPhone & Android)

There are technically three phones in TCL’s 2021 smartphone lineup: TCL 20 Pro 5G ($500), TCL 20S ($250), and TCL 20 SE ($190). We’re omitting the latter two here because none of the other phones under $300 or $200 above are better options. But there are good reasons to go for the TCL 20 Pro 5G.

It has the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G chip as the Galaxy A52 5G, but its performance is much smoother. It’s strong, and it’s easy to be The most beautiful And the most luxurious device as well. It has an aluminum frame and glass on both sides, although that makes it more fragile. It’s also the only Android phone here with wireless charging support.

6.67 inch color AMOLED display, which is bright enough to see outdoors. The 4,500mAh battery cell comfortably lasts for more than a full day of use, and it has the usual features, such as NFC, a headphone jack, and a MicroSD card slot. The only reason we didn’t pick the best is that TCL only promises two OS upgrades and two years of security updates, so the above Google and Samsung phones will be supported for a longer time.

Also, it has 5G access but is not available on AT&T, and there is no IP rating for water resistance. It has a very good camera system, but it is not as As good as the above competitors.

Works on all three major US carriers (5G does not work on AT&T)

This Motorola phone is very rare. Unlike its similarly priced Moto G siblings, it actually has an NFC chip so you can make contactless payments via Google Pay — handy when you forgot your wallet at home. It has a 2-day battery, 5G sub-6 connectivity, and very powerful performance. Don’t expect a lot from cameras, but if you don’t care much about or software updates, this will definitely be satisfying.

We tested the new Moto G Power 2022 and Moto G Pure from Motorola but we don’t recommend them here because the Moto G Power 2021 beats them in every way. And It costs about the same (if not less). It’s a similar story with HMD’s Nokia G50. that it Fine The phone is missing, but it misses many of the features you’ll find in other $300 phones, including the Galaxy A32 5G and OnePlus Nord N10 5G.

Yes. Every major smartphone maker has rolled out their budget and mid-range phones for this year, and we’re not likely to see many new options until 2022.

If none of these phones have the features you want or aren’t as powerful as you want them to be, your best option is to look for last year’s flagship smartphones, which may be significantly discounted. Sometimes they are easy to find, but some manufacturers stop selling them altogether, like the 2020 Samsung Galaxy S20 or Google Pixel 5. Keep in mind that you will lose a year of software support.

If you buy an unlocked phone on this list and try to take it to a wireless carrier’s retail store, they may tell you that it’s not compatible with the network. probably. Just use a paperclip or SIM eject tool to take out the SIM card from your current phone, then insert that SIM card into your new phone. If it doesn’t work at first, restart the phone or wait a few hours.

If you need a new SIM, try ordering one online from your carrier or get them to give you a SIM when you activate a line at the store (if you’re starting out with coverage). Tell them you have a phone. Often times, reps will want to sell you a phone; This is one of the possible reasons why you might be bothered to buy a different device in the store.