Best Phone Under $200: New Top Pick Checks All the Boxes - CNET
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Phones that cost under $200 are becoming more functional than they were in the past. The newest phones in this price range, like the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G, are starting to incorporate 5G support for faster data and NFC for contactless payments. Other phones, like Motorola’s Moto G Stylus, are becoming better media machines, providing stereo speakers to improve audio quality while including cameras that take decent photos.
Yet these cheaper phones do have a number of noticeable trade-offs: They usually run slower than more expensive phones, and while they will usually ship with the latest version of Android, there might only be a short window of security update support. That last issue is particularly important to keep in mind when shopping in this price range, as it’s risky to use a phone that’s no longer being protected against security vulnerabilities by its manufacturer.
While we wouldn’t consider any of these picks to be productivity machines, these phones are likely going to be more useful than you would expect for the price. Plus, some of these devices might end up being “free” when signing up with a phone carrier’s subsidization program — usually requiring a two-year commitment in order to get the cost covered.
What’s the best phone under $200?
The $200 Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is our current top pick for the best phone under $200. This is largely because of its inclusion of 5G support for faster data, NFC support for contactless payments and a fairly generous software and security support timeline when compared to other phones in this price range. Samsung will be providing two years of software updates and five years of security updates to the Galaxy A14 5G, making it a phone that can be safely used for several years if you choose to.
However we’re not crazy about its photography, and if that’s more important to you than 5G, you should also take a look at the $200 Moto G Stylus for its better camera quality.
If you need a phone that’s even cheaper, we’re also keeping around the $160 Galaxy A03S in this list. That device is still being supported by Samsung, but keep in mind that it only has a tiny 32GB of storage space.
Best phones under $200 of 2023
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The $200 Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is one of the most functional phones under $200 available right now. Even though it’s at a budget-friendly price, this Samsung phone includes 5G support for faster data and NFC for contactless payments using Google Wallet. While both of those inclusions are highlights for this price range, Samsung is also planning to support the Galaxy A14 with two years of software updates and five years of security updates, making it a phone that will be safe to use for several years.
However you should still keep in mind that the phone does have tradeoffs to hit its $200 price. It has a drab design, a slower processor and mixed photography performance.
Yet despite its issues, the features it does include make it an easy recommendation if you are buying the phone outright or if it’s offered for free with a carrier subsidy deal.
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The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G streaming music on YouTube Music.
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The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G streaming music on YouTube Music.
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The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G streaming music on YouTube Music.
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The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G streaming music on YouTube Music.
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The $200 Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is one of the most functional phones under $200 available right now. Even though it’s at a budget-friendly price, this Samsung phone includes 5G support for faster data and NFC for contactless payments using Google Wallet. While both of those inclusions are highlights for this price range, Samsung is also planning to support the Galaxy A14 with two years of software updates and five years of security updates, making it a phone that will be safe to use for several years.
However you should still keep in mind that the phone does have tradeoffs to hit its $200 price. It has a drab design, a slower processor and mixed photography performance.
Yet despite its issues, the features it does include make it an easy recommendation if you are buying the phone outright or if it’s offered for free with a carrier subsidy deal.
The Samsung Galaxy A14 5G streaming music on YouTube Music.
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The $200 Moto G Stylus does not have 5G, but instead includes a built-in stylus along with a decent 50-megapixel main camera. The Stylus did a nice job taking photos while I was in a variety of environments, including indoors and outdoors. I particularly enjoyed the phone’s take on Portrait mode, and it captured a clear photo of the plant wall in CNET’s New York office that I use for photo testing. The 6.5-inch 720p display is also able to run at a consistent 90Hz refresh rate, providing smooth animations while navigating apps and reading websites.
The phone is otherwise let down by Motorola’s software and security update policy for its G series of phones, covering only one software update and three years of security updates. That, combined with the lack of 5G or NFC, mean that while it’s a great choice for better pictures, there are a number of ways this phone could become left behind as the years pass. But if you are only planning on using this phone for two to three years, you could get a lot of value out of this device.
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The Moto G Stylus has a menu that pops up when ejecting the stylus.
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The Moto G Stylus has a menu that pops up when ejecting the stylus.
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The Moto G Stylus has a menu that pops up when ejecting the stylus.
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The Moto G Stylus has a menu that pops up when ejecting the stylus.
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Best camera
Motorola Moto G Stylus (2023)
The $200 Moto G Stylus does not have 5G, but instead includes a built-in stylus along with a decent 50-megapixel main camera. The Stylus did a nice job taking photos while I was in a variety of environments, including indoors and outdoors. I particularly enjoyed the phone’s take on Portrait mode, and it captured a clear photo of the plant wall in CNET’s New York office that I use for photo testing. The 6.5-inch 720p display is also able to run at a consistent 90Hz refresh rate, providing smooth animations while navigating apps and reading websites.
The phone is otherwise let down by Motorola’s software and security update policy for its G series of phones, covering only one software update and three years of security updates. That, combined with the lack of 5G or NFC, mean that while it’s a great choice for better pictures, there are a number of ways this phone could become left behind as the years pass. But if you are only planning on using this phone for two to three years, you could get a lot of value out of this device.
The Moto G Stylus has a menu that pops up when ejecting the stylus.
