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Motorola and Samsung are two major Android phone brands that offer a good selection of affordable smartphones for people on a tight budget. These brands stand out from other cheap cell phone brands with their good software, brand value and value for money. While Motorola’s budget phones are in its Moto G line, Samsung sells all of its entry-level and mid-range phones as part of the Galaxy A series in the United States.
The Moto G and Galaxy A lines offer a number of phones, many of which are fairly similarly priced, making it difficult for less savvy buyers to choose one budget model over another. That said, some of these affordable phones either have a distinct selling point or offer better overall performance than others, which, combined with expert reviews of them and buyer feedback, can help you with your purchasing decision. Here are the key points you should consider.
Samsung Galaxy A37
The Samsung Galaxy A37 is the best value phone for most users in the Samsung and Motorola ranges. It’s a fair and complete phone, and better yet, it comes with Samsung’s promise of six operating system upgrades and security patches for six years from launch. The Galaxy A37 looks premium, thanks to its design aesthetic borrowed from the much more premium Galaxy S26, a glossy finish and a ceramic-glazed frame. Unfortunately, the phone’s glossy body picks up a lot of fingerprints and other dirt.
The phone packs a 6.7-inch OLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a peak brightness of 1,900 nits, which looks vibrant, smooth and responsive and readable outdoors. The phone relies on the Exynos 1480 SoC with up to 8GB of RAM to keep it snappy and daily tasks run smoothly; However, don’t expect it to perform well in graphics-intensive games, a problem faced by most budget phones. That said, its 5,000 mAh battery can last a day on a single charge. There is also 45W wired charging support, but no wireless charging. The built-in main camera also delivers decent photos, with plenty of detail; However, the ultra-wide and macro shooters are only serviceable.
The phone starts at $450 for the base model with 6GB of RAM, which we suggest you opt for if you’re on a budget. However, if you manage to snag the 8GB RAM variant for under $500 during a sale or with a promotion, it will be a good upgrade as it will not only make your phone more upgradeable but also give you more storage.
Motorola Moto G Stylus (2026)
Motorola’s Moto G Stylus (2026) has carved out a niche for itself by being the only reputable Android phone with stylus support that a budget-conscious customer can consider. Although it starts at the higher end of what we consider the $500 budget segment, the base model of the phone may be worth it if you really want a stylus, as you can upgrade the storage via a microSD card. The phone has a beautiful 6.7-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is also powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor, which can easily handle daily tasks.
The 5,200 mAh battery is enough for a full day of moderate use on a single charge, but more importantly, the phone supports 68W wired charging, something even the most expensive Samsung phone doesn’t support. You also get 15W of wireless charging.
A notable drawback of the Moto G Stylus is its promise of two operating system updates and three years of security patches. In a world where Samsung’s affordable offerings get five to six OS updates, two might seem disappointing. The onboard cameras are also disappointing, especially considering the competition in the form of the Pixel 10a.
Motorola Moto G Power (2025)
As the latest version of the Moto G Power isn’t a particularly attractive upgrade, the Moto G Power (2025) may be a decent option for people on a budget. Although its list price is $300, the phone is often marked down to $260 or less. Even after the discount, you get pretty much the same features as the 2026 model, including the same 6.8-inch IPS display with a 120Hz refresh rate and Full HD+ resolution. It is also powered by the same MediaTek Dimensity 6300 SoC, which, although not very powerful, ensures relatively smooth operation, thanks to 8 GB of RAM. However, you may still notice some delay in launching apps and lag while gaming, as we mentioned in our Moto G Power review.
The phone is IP68 rated for dust and water resistance, making it capable of handling the occasional drop in a swimming pool. It also packs 128GB of onboard storage, which you can expand via the microSD card slot. Other features include a 5,000mAh battery, which can last up to two days on a single charge with moderate use. Motorola has included support for 30W wired and 15W wireless charging.
There are, however, some notable drawbacks. The Moto G Power (2025) comes with Android 15 out of the box and is only set to receive two major OS updates, meaning your phone won’t receive any major new releases after Android 17, which is already rolling out to Google’s Pixel lineup. That said, the phone will continue to receive security updates for three years after launch.
Samsung Galaxy A17
If you don’t want to go for a used phone and are limited to a budget of $200, Samsung’s Galaxy A17 is your best bet. We also considered the Moto G 2025, as it sells for less than $200 today, but despite similar raw performance, the Galaxy A17 has several notable advantages. For example, you get a 6.7-inch Full HD+ OLED display instead of a 720p IPS display. The A17’s screen also has a 90Hz refresh rate to keep the interface responsive. Most notably, the A17 is expected to receive operating system updates and security patches for six years.
There are three rear cameras on board, only one of which is worth discussing: the 50 MP main shooter. It takes clear, detailed photos in good lighting; However, its low-light performance is disappointing, and the same goes for ultra-wide and macro shooters. The phone’s performance is nothing to write home about, and you may notice some lag or slowdown from time to time, especially when multitasking, since there is only 4GB of RAM. But things should be relatively quick with everyday essentials.
Additionally, the 5,000mAh battery does a decent job of getting you through the day on a single charge, but wired charging is limited to 25W and you don’t get wireless charging. Connectivity options and side-mounted fingerprint sensors are pretty standard and work as expected. Its list price is $200, but you can often find it at a discount.
