For those who are looking to opt for smartphones that are reasonably priced, Android based smartphones are the best options to look at. Not everyone has a high budget for a smartphone. Though smartphones are available at different price ranges, the best smartphones under 300 dollars is a good range to look at. With this price range you will get the best of features and a phone that will last you a couple of years before you are ready to splurge on the next level of mobile technology advancement. Here are some popular choices in this budget range with their features and specifications detailed below.
Before you start seeing list of top smartphones, I would like to discuss one major thing which one should always take care of especially while buying a budget smartphone. As we all know that there are lots of new brands launching their new phones these days. They keep prices of their phones cheaper and provide more features and specifications relatively to other smartphones ruling in the market. Well there is no problem to buy those phones until and unless they provide a good value for your money. With that said, I don’t mean that phone should be well-built and just perform better. Phone should also have manufacturers warranty so that if you face any issues with it in future, you can easily get it solved by visiting service station of your smartphone brand.
All smartphones listed here are from well-known and trustworthy brands so you needn’t have to worry if you buy any smartphone suggested from here, because I have taken care of all things. So let’s begin now with list of smartphones for under $300…
Top Picks for Best Smartphones Under 300 Dollars
This list is arranged in descending order so go more down to find smartphones with better features and specifications. The best smartphone under $300 of this month is at 1st position below so don’t forget to check that out!
Steal of the week – You can get Nexus 6 with US warranty for $249 this festive season. Grab it before it goes out of stock on Amazon.
10) Alcatel One Touch Idol 3 –
Alcatel is another brand that is known to offer reliable smartphones based on the latest Android technology. The OneTouch series is a great range to look at. The Idol 3 phone among the OneTouch series is well built smartphone and offer great technical features. It has JBL speakers which delivers superior true to life sound. The quad core processor works well and reliably. The touchscreen display is of 5.5 inches and comes with a 16 GB ROM as well as RAM of 2 GB. The phone also comes with a primary camera of 13 MP and a secondary camera of 8 MP. Overall this is one of the best performing budget Android phone with durable build quality, decent hardware and long lasting battery.
Specifications –
| OS | Android OS v5.0 Lollipop |
| RAM | 2 GB RAM |
| CPU | Snapdragon 615 quad core 1.5 GHz Processor |
| GPU | Adreno 405 |
| DISPLAY | 5.5 Inch Full HD IPS LCD Display with 401 ppi pixel density |
| CAMERA | Primary Camera – 13 MP autofocus with LED FlashSecondary Camera – 8 MP |
| MEMORY | 16 GB, Expandable up to 128 GB |
| SIM | Dual SIM/ Micro SIM |
| BATTERY | Non-removable Li-ion 2910 mAh battery |
| WEIGHT | 4.97 oz |
| OTHER | NFC, 4G support, JBL audio |
Price – $247.99
9) Meizu MX4 Pro –
For those who wish to experiment with different smartphones that are good value for money and offer the latest offerings of Android technology, Meizu is another brand to look at. This brand offers smartphones that are fitted with quality hardware which make reliable phone models. The MX4 model of this brand offers the best of the latest features including finger print scanner. For instance, the quad core processor as well as the ROM and RAM capacities are at par with the latest phones in the market along with a slightly smaller 5.36 inch IPS LCD screen. The camera of this phone stands out at 20.7 MP. The processing system is based on Android KitKat operating system with tonnes of extra features from Meizu.
Specifications –
| OS | Android OS v4.4 Kitkat |
| RAM | 3 GB RAM |
| CPU | Cortex-A15 2 GHz Quad Core Processor |
| GPU | Mali-T628 |
| DISPLAY | 5.5 Inch IPS LCD display with 546 ppi pixel density |
| CAMERA | Rear – 20.7 MP autofocus with dual LED FlashFront – 5 MP |
| MEMORY | 32 GB – Non Expandable |
| SIM | Dual SIM |
| BATTERY | Non-removable 3350 mAh battery |
| WEIGHT | 5.57 oz |
| OTHER | Corning Gorilla Glass 3, NFC, 4G support |
Price – $299.99
8) Huawei P8 lite –
The Huawei P8 series is a flagship series of this brand. Hence, if you opt for a phone of this series you will surely be assured of the quality. Among the best smartphones under $300 this is a phone that will provide great value for money. This phone has a slightly smaller touchscreen of five inches but it is sharp and gets enough brighter in high lighting conditions. It is based on the Android KitKat OS which runs buttery smooth with hardware of this phone. The camera dimensions are standard, of 13 MP and 2 MP and both camera are great shooters. It is based on a octa-core 64-bit processor, which produces enough power for heavy multitasking and gaming on this phone. Overall this is one of the best smartphone with premium looking metal finished body and ample of power.
Specifications –
| OS | Android OS v4.4 Kitkat with EMUI v3.0 (Lollipop update available) |
| RAM | 2 GB RAM |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 64-bit 1.5 GHz Octa-core processor |
| DISPLAY | 5.0 Inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display with 294 ppi pixel density |
| CAMERA | Primary Camera – 13 MP autofocus with dual-LED flashSecondary Camera – 5 MP |
| MEMORY | 16 GB – Expandable up to 128 GB using SIM 2 slot |
| SIM | Dual SIM with multi-functional second SIM slot |
| BATTERY | Non-removable Li-ion 2200 mAh battery |
| WEIGHT | 4.62 oz |
| OTHER | Corning Gorilla Glass 3, NFC, 4G support, FM Radio |
Price – $216.49
7) LG Nexus 5 –
For those who are avid followers of Google, you will surely want the technology that is based on the pure form of Android. That will lead you to the Nexus series as the ultimate Android phone to opt for. The LG Nexus 5 will offer you the latest updated features of Android smartphones. It will certainly be a great choice among the best smartphones under 300 dollars. The phone is designed to be small and sleek and has a slightly lesser resolution primary camera at 8 MP and less than 2 MP for the front camera. Being an old phone it still manages to be one of the best performing budget android smartphone and as this is a Nexus phone you will always get early hands on with latest Android updates. Nexus 5 comes with stock Android Kitkat operating system out of the box which can be upgraded to latest Android Marshmallow. If you like to stay up to date with latest Android features than Nexus 5 is best budget android smartphone.
Specifications –
| OS | Android OS v4.4 Kitkat (can be upgraded to Android Marshmallow) |
| RAM | 2 GB RAM |
| CPU | Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 2.3 GHz quad-core processor |
| GPU | Adreno 330 |
| DISPLAY | 4.95 Inch True HD IPS+ capacitive touchscreen display with 445 ppi pixel density |
| CAMERA | Rear facing – 8 MP autofocus with Optical Image Stabilization and LED flashFront facing – 1.3 MP |
| MEMORY | 16 GB – Non expandable |
| SIM | Single micro SIM |
| BATTERY | Non-removable 2300 mAh battery |
| WEIGHT | 4.59 oz |
| OTHER | Corning Gorilla Glass 3, 4G support, Loud speaker, NFC |
Price – $229.00
6) Motorola Moto X (2nd Generation) –
This is a well known range offered by Motorola that has been launched advanced versions over time. The third generation of this series is the latest launch. The current version is a strong performer as well. It also comes under a price range of three hundred dollars. It can be considered a great buy among best smartphones under $300 because of its beautiful design and better performing hardware. This phone comes fitted with a quad core Krait processor as well as 16 GB ROM and 2 GB RAM. The touchscreen display is of AMOLED technology with a 13 MP primary camera and 2 MP capacity of front camera. It has front facing speakers to double-up entertainment experience with this phone. This is one of the most premium looking and feeling smartphone to buy under your budget which outperforms many other smartphones of same segment.
Specifications –
| OS | Android OS v4.4 Kitkat (can be upgraded to Lollipop and soon get Marshmallow software update) |
| RAM | 2 GB RAM |
| CPU | Qualcomm MSM8974AC Snapdragon 801 2.5 GHz quad-core Krait processor |
| GPU | Adreno 330 |
| DISPLAY | 5.2 Inch AMOLED display with 424 ppi pixel density |
| CAMERA | Primary Camera – 13 MP auto focus, dual LED flashSecondary Camera – 2 MP |
| MEMORY | 16 GB – Non expandable |
| SIM | Single nano SIM |
| BATTERY | Non-removable 2300 mAh battery |
| WEIGHT | 5.08 oz |
| OTHER | NFC, Corning Gorilla Glass 3, Water resistant |
Price – $289.99
5) Huawei Honor 6 –
Huawei is known to be a great brand that offers stable performance. Once you find a brand that you can rely upon, you will surely be interested in the offerings of the brand. The Honor series of this phone offers great performance with enough battery backup. The latest, the 6th edition, is fitted with an octa core processor. There is a random access memory of 3 GB. You get 13 MP primary shooting camera and 5 MP front facing camera. It is an unlocked phone which can be taken anywhere in the world. It is reasonably priced good looking well built phone and can be considered as a good choice among best smartphones under 300 dollars.
Specifications –
| OS | Android OS v4.4 Kitkat (can be upgraded to Lollipop and planned upgrade to Marshmallow) |
| RAM | 3 GB RAM |
| CPU | Cortex-A15 quad core 1.7 GHz processor |
| GPU | Mali-T628 MP4 |
| DISPLAY | 5.0 Inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display with 445 ppi pixel density |
| CAMERA | Rear facing – 13 MP with dual LED flashFront facing – 5 MP autofocus |
| MEMORY | 16 GB – Expandable up to 64 GB via micro SD |
| SIM | Optional dual SIM with dual standby, Micro SIM |
| BATTERY | Non-removable Li-Po 3100 mAh battery |
| WEIGHT | 4.59 oz |
| OTHER | Infrared, NFC, FM Radio |
Price – $241.88
4) Samsung Galaxy Alpha –
For those who wish to splurge on a premium looking Samsung phone, the Galaxy Alpha series is the best option among best smartphones under $300. This is a premium phone to look at and being part of the Samsung bandwagon, one is sure to get the best of performance and features. The AMOLED screen is of 4.7 inch which looks stunning and shows true to life colors. It comes with Android KitKat operating system which can be upgraded to Lollipop. The primary camera is of 12 MP which comes with an LED flash and secondary camera is of 2.1 MP, both cameras are capable of shooting HD videos and shows ample of details in pictures. It has Exynos octa core processor and 2 GB RAM. This is one of the best budget Samsung phone under $300 with lots of useful features and battery life of 11 hours.
Specifications –
| OS | Android OS v4.4 Kitkat (Lollipop update available) |
| RAM | 2 GB RAM |
| CPU | Quad core 2.5 GHz Krait 400 processor |
| GPU | Mali-T628 MP6 |
| DISPLAY | 4.7 Inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display with 312 ppi pixel density |
| CAMERA | Primary Camera – 13 MP autofocus with LED flashSecondary Camera – 2.1 MP |
| MEMORY | 32 GB – No micro SD card slot |
| SIM | Nano SIM |
| BATTERY | Li-Po 1860 mAh battery |
| WEIGHT | 4.06 oz |
| OTHER | fingerprint reader, NFC, Corning Gorilla Glass 4 |
Price – $274.99
3) Apple iPhone 5c –
As we all know Apple is a giant in smartphone market. Recently they launched their flagship iPhones with revolutionary features. iPhone 5c is quite an old iPhone but still it is best smartphone under $300. It has plastic body but it is still durable and feels premium in hands. It packs 8 MP rear facing camera and 1.2 MP front facing camera. It comes with standard retina display like we found in all iPhone models. It has dual core Apple A6 chip and 1 GB of RAM. It is surprising to know that this phone can handle high graphics games and heavy multitasking without a single lag. This is because this iPhone runs iOS at its best so this is the best budget smartphone for the people who wants to switch from their Android phone to iPhone.
Specifications –
| OS | iOS 7 (upgradable to iOS 9.1) |
| RAM | 1 GB RAM |
| CPU | 1.3 GHz dual core A6 chip |
| DISPLAY | 4.0 Inch Retina display with 326 ppi pixel density |
| CAMERA | Rear Camera – 8 MP iSight camera with LED flashFront Camera – 1.2 MP FaceTime HD |
| MEMORY | 16 GB – non-expandable |
| SIM | Single SIM, Micro SIM |
| BATTERY | Li-Po 1510 mAh battery non-removable battery |
| WEIGHT | 4.06 oz |
Price – $299.99
2) Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini –
Last year Samsung launched there flagship phones and this is the mini version of it which comes with slightly lowered hardware specifications but similar features. It comes with standard Samsung body build with durable plastic and metallic bezels. It is powerful enough to accomplish your daily needs, thanks to its powerful quad core processor. It has 8 MP rear facing camera with capabilities of full HD video recording and 2.1 MP of front facing camera which is great for selfies. It also comes with finger print scanner to add extra level of security to your smartphone. This is premium Samsung phone running TouchWiz on the top of Android Kitkat operating system and best smartphone under three hundred dollars budget.
Specifications –
| OS | Android OS v4.4 Kitkat |
| RAM | 1.5 GB RAM |
| CPU | 1.4 GHz Quad core Cortex-A7 processor |
| GPU | Mali-400 MP4 |
| DISPLAY | 4.5 Inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display with 326 ppi pixel density |
| CAMERA | Rear Camera – 8 MP autofocus, LED flashFront Camera – 2.1 MP HD |
| MEMORY | 16 GB – expandable up to 64 GB via micro SD card slot |
| SIM | Micro SIM |
| BATTERY | Li-Ion 2100 mAh battery |
| WEIGHT | 4.23 oz |
| OTHER | Finger print sensor, NFC, IP67 certified dust and water resistant |
Price – $258.98
1) Asus Zenfone 2 – Best Budget Smartphone of the Month
For those who are looking for a unique smartphone could check out this one which is a phablet that falls in the inexpensive range. This phone is capable of handling almost everything you throw at it. It comes with a quad core processor, 64 GB ROM and 4 GB of RAM which is undoubtedly high-end hardware specifications. The capacitive touchscreen is of 5.5 inches with HD resolution and standard primary and front facing camera. What’s more, this is a phone that will cost you 299 dollars that makes it a best buy of month in the above mentioned price range. It is based on the Android Lollipop operating system and Asus has already planned Marshmallow update for it. This is future ready smartphone with lots of amazing features that we usually find in high budget smartphones.
Specifications –
| OS | Android OS v5.0 Lollipop (planned updgrade to Marshmallow) |
| RAM | 4 GB RAM |
| CPU | Intel Atom Z3580 2.3 GHz quad core processor |
| GPU | PowerVR G6430 |
| DISPLAY | 5.5 Inch IPS capacitive touchscreen display with 401 ppi pixel density |
| CAMERA | Primary Camera – 13 MP with dual tone dual LED flash and autofocusSecondary Camera – 5 MP |
| MEMORY | 64 GB – can be expanded up to 64 GB more |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Micro-SIM, dual stand-by, dual call) |
| BATTERY | Non-removable 3000 mAh Li-Po battery |
| WEIGHT | 6 oz |
| OTHER | NFC, FM Radio, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
Price – $299.00
Final Thoughts –
The above mentioned smartphones offer the latest features that one can find on an budget smartphone. The price range is reasonable and they belong to brands that have established themselves in the market of Android based smartphones. Have you thought of the kind of smartphone you wish to get? Checking the above mentioned phones, their looks and features will help you to decide. Have you checked out the prices online of these different models? At the time of purchasing a phone, you should not forget to check the guarantee and warranty terms as well as get the phone covered by an adequate insurance cover. Still confused? Ask me your doubts in comments, I would reply to all your queries.
Brijesh Gohil is the founder of Tech Brij, A popular Tech Blog which is focused on Tech tips & Buying Guides. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Google + & LinkedIn.