In our world of always being connected, it’s coming to a point where you’re expected to have a smartphone. While not everyone can afford the very latest and greatest, technology has advanced to the point where you can actually get a great smartphone without breaking your bank. In this article, we’re going to show you a handful of the best cheap Android phones.
Editors note – we will be updating this list as more devices hit the market. This article reflects things from a US/EU centric perspective.
In order to be included on this list, said device must meet the following criteria:
- From a major brand (Samsung, LG, HTC, Sony, Motorola, Huawei, Lenovo, ASUS)
- Be under $300, unlocked.
#1 – LG Nexus 4
The Nexus 4 is one of the best cheap Android phones available today.
The Nexus 4 sports a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor and 2GB of RAM, along with the best and latest of Android — stock 4.3 Jelly Bean.
The phone ran out of stock in the Google Play Store, however, you can still grab the device from independent retailers, just make sure to shop around for the best price.
LG Nexus 4 Specs
- 4.7-inch WXGA True HD IPS Plus (1280 x 768 pixels)
- 1.5GHz Qualcomm quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor
- 2GB of RAM
- 3G (WCDMA), HSPA+
- 8GB and 16GB storage options
- 8MP rear cam, 1.3MP front cam
- 2,100mAh Li-Polymer battery
- 139g weight with 133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1mm size
- NFC, wireless charging
- Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
For more on the Nexus 4, including our review, click here.
#2 – Sony Xperia L
Sony’s Xperia L features a 1GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 CPU and 1GB of RAM. It only has 8GB of internal storage, but there is a microSD slot to increase that by 32GB.
As for software, it’s reminiscent of stock Android, taking on the Ice Cream Sandwich theme. Finally, it has very little in terms of bloatware, which is often hard to come by.
Sony Xperia L Specs
- 128.7 x 65 x 9.7 mm
- 137 grams
- 4.3-inch FWVGA display
- 1Ghz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor
- Adreno 305 GPU
- 1GB RAM
- 8GB internal storage, expandable via microSD upto 32GB
- 8MP rear camera with HDR mode for both pictures and video, 0.3MP front camera, autofocus, LED flash
- dedicated camera button
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
- 1,750 mAh battery
- Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
For more on the Sony Xperia L, including our review, click here.
#3 – HTC One SV
HTC’s One SV sports a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor and 1GB of RAM. It even has a microSD slot, which isn’t something you’ll find in many of HTC’s later devices.
As an added bonus, the One SV features a replaceable battery, which again, isn’t something you’ll see in HTC’s recent handsets. The One SV features Sense 4+ atop of Android 4.0, but it is upgradeable to 4.1 Jelly Bean. At $260 to $300, the One SV presents some excellent value in the cheap Android phones range.
HTC One SV Specs
- 128 x 66.9 x 9.2 mm
- 122 grams
- 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
- Adreno 305 GPU
- 4.3-inch WVGA display (800 x 480, 217 ppi)
- 1 GB RAM
- 8 GB internal storage, expandable via microSD slot
- 5 MP rear-facing camera /w 1080p video capture, autofocus, LED flash
- 1.6 MP front-facing camera /w 720 video capture
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
- 1,800 mAh replaceable battery
- Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich
For more on the HTC One SV, including our review, click here.
#4 – Huawei Ascend P1
Under the hood of Huawei’s Ascend P1 is a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM. Featuring a brilliant qHD AMOLED display, it’s cased in a strong body, and performs very snappily.
It’s capable of taking 1080p video, it has a microSD slot, and it should receive the update to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and Emotion UI 1.6 soon. All of this can be had for under $300.
Huawei Ascend P1 Specs
- 127.4 x 64.8 x 7.7 mm
- 110 grams
- 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display (540 x 960 pixels, 256ppi)
- Dual-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A9, PowerVR SGX540 GPU
- 127.4 x 64.8 x 7.7 mm (5.02 x 2.55 x 0.30 in)
- 4 GB internal storage (expandable via microSD)
- 8 MP rear facing camera
- 1.3 MP front facing camera
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
- Non-removable Li-Ion 1,670 mAh battery
- Android 4.1
For more on the Huawei Ascend P1, click here.
#5 Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini
Samsung’s Galaxy S3 Mini has a 1GHz CPU and 1GB of RAM. It features a wonderful 4-inch Super AMOLED display, and it has a microSD card.
It runs Samsung’s TouchWiz interface atop of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean right out of the box. Finally, it’s equipped with a 1,500 mAh battery and a decent 5-megapixel camera is on the back. All of this can be had for $232+.
Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini Specs
- 121.6 x 63 x 9.9 mm
- 111.5 grams
- A dual-core 1GHz processor
- an 800 x 400 Super AMOLED display
- VGA front cam, 5MP back cam
- HSPA bands 14.4/5.76 900/1900/2100
- EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 bands
- Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
- 8GB and 16GB onboard memory
- microSD expansion
- 1500 mAh battery
- 4.8 inches by 2.5 inches by 0.39-inch
- weighs 3.9 ounces
- runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box
For more on the Galaxy S3 Mini, including our review, click here.
Any particular favorites in your list? Did we miss one? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below. We’ll be updating this piece regularly. There’s a lot of great phones coming from lesser known players, and we’ll be sure to include them if they meet our criteria. Let us know what devices you think we should include!
