Best Phones to Buy: A Pick for Every Budget and Need
One pick per budget in dollars, rupees and naira, and one for each need. It starts with the two Galaxy A phones Oscar bought, used and recommends.
The phone most people should buy is the Samsung Galaxy A37 5G. It is $489.99 on Samsung’s US store, ₹46,999 on Samsung India’s and from about ₦410,000 in Nigeria. On a tighter budget, buy the Samsung Galaxy A17 5G: $269.99, ₹27,499 or about ₦250,000.
Those two picks are first-hand. Oscar Frank, who runs this site, bought the Galaxy A07, A17, A27, A37 and A57 out of pocket and used all five. The comparison of this year’s Galaxy A phones has the reasons and the photos.
Past those two, the right phone depends on your budget, your country and what you want it for. This page gives the pick from each of our buying guides, and each guide has the reasoning and the alternatives. Outside the Galaxy A phones, the picks rest on what the makers state on their own stores.
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By budget, at US prices
Each price is the maker’s own US store price for the unlocked phone with the least storage.
| Budget | Pick | Maker’s price | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $200 | Moto G Power 2025 | $199.99 on offer, $299.99 list | 8GB of memory, a 1080p screen and an IP68 and IP69 rating. Security updates end in January 2028 |
| Under $300 | Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | $269.99 | Oscar’s budget pick: a Super AMOLED screen, a stabilised main camera and six years of updates |
| $300 to $500 | Samsung Galaxy A37 5G | $489.99 | Oscar’s pick for almost everybody: a 120Hz Super AMOLED screen, IP68, 45W charging and six years of updates |
| $500 to $800 | Google Pixel 10a | $599 | The cheapest new phone on the makers’ US stores with seven years of updates |
| Flagship | Google Pixel 11 | $899 | 256GB, a 5x telephoto camera and seven years of updates |
| No limit | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | $1,399.99 | A 200MP camera, two telephoto cameras, a built-in S Pen and 60W charging |
Three notes on that table.
- Under $200 is a sale price. Only one phone in stock on a maker’s US store lists at $200 or less. Our guide to phones under $200 shows what each one gives up. Moto G Power 2025 on Amazon
- Two Samsungs to skip. Oscar’s verdict on the Galaxy A27 5G, $379.99, is to skip it: it charges at 25W, is rated IP64 and costs close to the A37. The Galaxy A57 5G, $599.99, is the best Galaxy A phone Samsung has made and poor value, because it shares the A37’s battery, charging, water rating and update promise.
- The Pixel 11 is eSIM-only, on Google’s own FAQ, so confirm your network issues eSIMs. For a bigger screen and a zoom camera at $699.99, the Galaxy S26 FE is the alternative in the band below.
Samsung Galaxy A17 5G on Amazon, Samsung Galaxy A37 5G on Amazon, Google Pixel 10a on Amazon
Before buying any of these unlocked, read which US networks each maker names in our guide to unlocked Android phones. Samsung’s whole range, foldables included, is in our guide to the best Samsung phones.
In India
The makers’ Indian stores give more for the money than their US ones, so the picks change. These are from our guide to the best Android phones in India, at each maker’s own store price before bank offers.
- Under ₹15,000: the Redmi A7 Pro 5G, ₹14,999.
- ₹15,000 to ₹25,000: the REDMI 17 5G, ₹23,999, for its 7,900mAh battery and 45W charging.
- ₹25,000 to ₹40,000: the motorola edge 70 fusion, ₹30,999. Oscar’s Galaxy A17 5G is ₹27,499 in this band, with a smaller battery and a longer update promise.
- ₹40,000 to ₹70,000: the OnePlus Nord 6, ₹46,999. The Galaxy A37 5G costs the same.
- Above ₹70,000: the realme GT 8 Pro, ₹72,999, for the most hardware per rupee. Google’s Pixel 11, ₹89,999, puts seven years of updates in writing.
In Nigeria
The prices we can stand behind are the ones Oscar paid or saw for the five Galaxy A phones: about ₦170,000 for the A07 5G, about ₦250,000 for the A17, from ₦410,000 for the A37 and from ₦623,000 for the A57. The A17 and the A37 are the two to buy. The A07 is fine as a first phone or a spare.
Below that, the money buys less than it used to. When we went through Jumia Nigeria, the cheapest new phone with a full touchscreen from a brand you would know was ₦77,500, and the cheapest Tecno with Android was ₦154,699. Our guides to phones of 50k, phones of 30k and Tecno phones of 50k list what those sums do buy.
By what you need
- Games on a budget: the POCO F8 Pro at £399 in the UK, the OnePlus Nord 6 at ₹46,999 in India and the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro at $499 in the US. The chip decides it, and our guide to budget gaming phones explains how to read chip names.
- Work: the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, for the pen in the body, the DeX desktop mode and seven years of updates. See phones for productivity.
- Watching video: the Moto G Stylus 2026 at about $500, with an AMOLED screen, stereo speakers, a headphone jack and a card slot. See phones for watching video.
- A memory card slot: it has become a cheap-phone feature. See phones with expandable memory.
- Rough use: the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 Pro at about $600, with a battery you can swap yourself. See rugged phones.
- Tap to pay: whether a cheap phone has NFC depends on the country it was made for. See phones with NFC.
- A child’s first phone: choose the kind before the model. See phones for kids.
- Spending less on a better phone: a Pixel 8a refurbished by Google is $339 and a Galaxy S25 refurbished by Samsung is $599, each with a one-year warranty. See refurbished phones.
What about iPhones?
This page is mostly Android because that is where the choice by budget is. Apple’s cheapest new iPhone on its US store is the iPhone 17e, from $699. Apple’s own refurbished store had the iPhone 15 Plus from $659, with a new battery, a new outer shell and a one-year warranty. Apple’s store pages promise no number of years of updates. Our refurbished guide sets out what its track record shows.
Three things to check before you pay
- How long it gets updates. Samsung promises six years on this year’s Galaxy A phones and seven on the S26 line. Google promises seven on the Pixel 10a and Pixel 11. Motorola’s support site ends security updates for the Moto G Power 2025 in January 2028.
- List price or selling price. Makers’ stores run offers that end without notice. A phone that is the pick at its sale price may not be at its list price.
- Whether it works on your network. An unlocked phone is not tied to a carrier. That does not make it work on every network.
Quick answers
What is the best phone to buy right now?
For most people, the Samsung Galaxy A37 5G at $489.99. Oscar bought and used all five of this year’s Galaxy A phones and recommends it to almost everybody.
What is the best budget phone?
The Samsung Galaxy A17 5G at $269.99, for the Super AMOLED screen and six years of updates. Under $200, the Moto G Power 2025 while Motorola sells it at $199.99.
What is the best premium smartphone?
On the makers’ figures, the Google Pixel 11 at $899 is the flagship to buy, and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra at $1,399.99 is the one that leaves nothing out.
Which phone gets updates for the longest?
Seven years is the longest promise in our guides: Google’s Pixel 10a and Pixel 11, and Samsung’s Galaxy S26 phones and S26 FE.
Is it better to buy a new cheap phone or a refurbished flagship?
Refurbished, if the maker did the work and years of updates are left. Samsung’s refurbished Galaxy S25 at $599 has a new battery and updates into 2032.
Prices move, so confirm on the maker’s store before you pay.
