If you’re a mid range buyer, there’s never been a better time to buy a smartphone. In fact, this list serves to highlight exactly why. Here is a look at the best affordable smartphones to release this year. Please note, the prices are estimated and based on US prices. International pricing will vary.
Moto G7 Play – $170
Motorola has always been one of the most popular budget handset manufacturers, so it should come as no surprise that their ongoing Play handset has received a refresh in 2019. No matter what region you are in, this is going to be a reasonably priced smartphone. The G7 Play comes equipped with a 5.7 inch display with a resolution of 720×1512. On the inside, you get 2GB RAM and a Snapdragon 632 processor. The G7 Play is powered by a 3,000mAh battery and you also get a 13 megapixel primary camera, as well as an 8 megapixel selfie camera. Pretty middle of the park, honestly, but it should be noted that no areas have been attacked massively to achieve a low price. You get a reasonable experience across the board.
Moto G7 Power – $220
If you want a slightly better handset from Motorola, take a look at the Motorola Moto G7 Power. This is essentially a direct upgrade to the Play in every way. First, let’s talk about the unique feature that allows the G7 Power to stand out. It has a huge 5,000mAh battery, bigger than even some flagships. And, to top it off, the 6.2 inch display has a resolution of just 720×1570, which, whilst not the prettiest, it means that battery consumption is far lower. On the inside, you get 4GB RAM and the same Snapdragon 632 chipset. This smartphone also has the same 12 megapixel primary and 8 megapixel selfie camera setup.
Huawei P Smart 2019 – $200
The Huawei P Smart is one of Huawei’s best budget smartphone lines. This year, it comes with 3GB RAM, a 3,400mAh battery and a Hisilicon Kirin 710 processor. Sure, the specifications are limited, but the overall design is very impressive. You get a 6.21 inch 1080×2340 display with a waterdrop cut out for the camera. The cameras include a single 16 megapixel sensor and a back facing 13/2MP camera setup. You’ll also find a fingerprint sensor on the back.
Sony Xperia 10 – $344
Sony has released a very unique set of smartphones in 2019, and two of them are reasonably affordable. The most affordable smartphone is the Sony Xperia 10, which comes with a 6.0 inch, 21:9 aspect ratio display. This is the widest, tallest smartphone you’ll ever lay your eyes on. Sony claims it’s excellent for cinematic experiences. In simpler words, it’s excellent for watching movies and playing games. The Xperia 10 display has a resolution of 1080×2520 and there’s plenty of Sony display technology going on under the hood. Besides that, you get 4GB RAM and a Snapdragon 630 chipset. The battery is just 2,870mAh, which looks tiny now compared to the Moto G7 Power. You also get a dual camera setup on the back, which includes a 13 megapixel primary sensor and a 5 megapixel depth sensor. The selfie snapper is a single 8 megapixel sensor
Samsung Galaxy M30 – $260
Samsung’s budget handsets are always hit and miss. In the past, many of them have often been a little overpriced for what’s being offered. Take the new M range and your mind will be changed. The M30 is the more expensive of the two budget handsets from Samsung, but it’s still reasonably priced. So what do you get? Well, you are given a smartphone with a 6.4 inch display and a 1080×2340 resolution. The display is almost edge to edge and it has just a small waterdrop style cut out for the single 16 megapixel selfie camera. On the back, you get a triple camera setup. That includes one 13 megapixel main camera, a 5 megapixel ultrawide, and a 5 megapixel depth sensor. On the inside, you’ll find an Exynos 7904 processor, 6GB RAM, and a huge 5,000mAh battery. Finally, the M30 also has a fingerprint sensor on the back. Ultimately, this is one of the best budget smartphones we’ve ever seen from Samsung.
Samsung Galaxy M20 – $220
If you want a step down in price, you can get the equally beautiful M20 smartphone from Samsung. The design is very much the same in many ways, with few changes. You get a similar cutout for the camera, but the selfie camera is just 8 megapixels. The display is 6.3 inches but still an impressive 1080×2340 resolution. You get two camera sensors on the back – a 13 megapixel primary sensor and a 5 megapixel ultrawide. On the inside, you get 4GB RAM, but the same Exynos 7904 chipset. Finally, the fingerprint sensor and 5,000mAh battery is still there too.
Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite (Xiaomi Redmi 6
Pro) – $175
Depending on your region, this smartphone will either be called the Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite or the Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro. This smartphone has a 1080×2280 resolution 5.84 inch display. You get a small notch cut out for the speaker grill and single 5 megapixel selfie camera. On the back, the camera setup includes a 12 megapixel main sensor and a 5 megapixel depth sensor. You’ll also find a fingerprint sensor. The insides include a Snapdragon 625 processor, 4GB RAM and a 4,000mAh battery. In many, the Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite looks and feels like a budget Google Pixel device, so it really isn’t a bad buy at all.
Summary
Thanks for reading our list on the best affordable smartphones in 2019. After reading through this list, which smartphone stands out to you the most? If you have any questions about these smartphones, please let me know and I’ll answer as soon as I can.
