Best Phone Under 200 Dollars: What $200 Buys Now
One phone lists under $200 on its maker's US store and four more sell there at $199.99. What each gives up, and what the money buys in the UK and India.
With $200 to spend in the US, buy the Moto G Power 2025. Motorola’s own store sells it at $199.99, and it has the chip, the 8GB of memory, the 1080p screen and the water rating of the $399.99 Moto G Power 2026.
That $199.99 is a selling price, not a list price. Motorola lists the phone at $299.99. Only one phone in stock on a maker’s US store lists at $200 or less: the Moto G 2025, at $199.99. Four more list higher and were selling at $199.99 when we went through the stores.
Prices at this end have gone up. Samsung launched the Galaxy A17 5G in the US at $199.99. Its store now lists the same phone at $269.99.
The A17 is the one first-hand phone on this page. Oscar Frank, who runs this site, bought and used the Galaxy A07, A17, A27, A37 and A57, and the A17 is the budget pick of the five. The comparison of this year’s Galaxy A phones has the detail. For every other phone, the figures are the maker’s own.
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Phones at $200 or less on US makers’ stores
List price is what the maker says the phone costs. Selling price is what its store was charging, and an offer can end. The last column is the month Motorola’s support site gives for the end of security updates. The bottom two rows are the nearest phones above $200.
| Phone | List price | Selling price | Chip, memory, storage | Display | Battery and charging | Security updates end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moto G 2025 | $199.99 | $169.99 | Dimensity 6300, 4GB, 128GB | 6.7-inch LCD, 720p, 120Hz | 5,000mAh, 30W | Dec 2027 |
| Moto G Play 2026 | $249.99 | $199.99 | Dimensity 6300, 4GB, 64GB | 6.7-inch LCD, 720p, 120Hz | 5,200mAh, 18W | Dec 2028 |
| Moto G Power 2025 | $299.99 | $199.99 | Dimensity 6300, 8GB, 128GB | 6.8-inch LCD, 1080p, 120Hz | 5,000mAh, 30W wired, 15W wireless | Jan 2028 |
| Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 | $399.99 | $199.99 | Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, 8GB, 256GB | 6.7-inch pOLED, 1080p, 120Hz | 5,000mAh, 30W wired, 15W wireless | May 2027 |
| TCL 60 XE NXTPAPER 5G | $249.99 | $199.99 | Dimensity 6100+, 8GB, 128GB | 6.78-inch NXTPAPER LCD, 1080p, 120Hz | 5,010mAh, 18W | Not stated |
| Samsung Galaxy A17 5G | $269.99 | $244.99 | Exynos 1330, 4GB, 128GB | 6.7-inch Super AMOLED, 1080p, 90Hz | 5,000mAh, 25W | Six years promised |
| Moto G 2026 | $299.99 | $249.99 | Dimensity 6300, 4GB, 128GB | 6.7-inch LCD, 720p, 120Hz | 5,200mAh, 30W | Dec 2028 |
All seven are 5G phones, and Motorola sells its five unlocked.
The other makers we went through have nothing at this price. Samsung’s US store starts at the Galaxy A17 5G and does not sell the Galaxy A07. Google’s cheapest Pixel is the 10a at $599, and the cheapest phone on Nothing’s US store was selling at $419. HMD’s US address forwards to its international site. BLU’s site sends buyers to Amazon and Best Buy. NUU Mobile, a small brand with its own store, lists more than a dozen phones at $200 or less and marks every one out of stock.
The picks
Buy the Moto G Power 2025, $199.99. Next to this year’s G Power, Motorola’s spec sheets show the same Dimensity 6300 chip, 8GB of memory, 128GB of storage with a microSD slot, a 6.8-inch 1080p screen and an IP68 and IP69 rating. The 2025 phone has a 5,000mAh battery against 5,200mAh, and adds 15W wireless charging. Its carrier table marks AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon compatible. What the $200 saving costs is a year of support: Motorola ends security updates in January 2028, against January 2029 for the 2026 phone. Moto G Power 2025 on Amazon
For an OLED screen and 256GB: the Moto G Stylus 5G 2024, $199.99. Half its list price buys a pOLED screen, 256GB, a stabilised 50MP camera with a 13MP ultra-wide, wireless charging and the built-in stylus. The catch is its age. It launched with Android 14, and Motorola’s support site ends its security updates in May 2027. Buy it only if that date does not worry you. Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 on Amazon
Spending the least: the Moto G 2025, $169.99. It is the one phone that lists under $200. The $30 saved against the G Power 2025 takes away half the memory, the 1080p screen and the water rating. It suits a spare or a first phone. Moto G 2025 on Amazon
For a low-glare screen: the TCL 60 XE NXTPAPER 5G, $199.99. TCL lists 8GB of memory, a 1080p NXTPAPER screen that it says cuts glare, and a card slot that takes up to 2TB. It charges at 18W with no charger in the box, and TCL’s page names no carrier and no update promise. TCL 60 XE NXTPAPER 5G on Amazon
Poor value: the Moto G Play 2026, $199.99. It is the newest phone under the line, with security updates to the end of 2028. It also has 4GB of memory, 64GB of storage, a 720p screen, 18W charging and a single 32MP camera. The G Power 2025 doubles the memory and the storage for the same money.
If you can add $45
The Samsung Galaxy A17 5G lists at $269.99 and was selling at $244.99 on Samsung’s US store. It is Oscar’s budget pick after buying and using all five Galaxy A phones, for the Super AMOLED screen and the stabilised main camera. Samsung promises it six OS upgrades and six years of security updates, which runs years past every Motorola in the table. The weak figure is 4GB of memory. Samsung Galaxy A17 5G on Amazon
Before buying any of these unlocked, read our guide to unlocked Android phones and the networks they work on. Motorola names the US networks on its pages. Samsung’s buy pages and TCL’s page for the 60 XE do not.
These are entry-level chips. MediaTek describes the Dimensity 6000 family, which five of the seven use, as its 5G entry point. If the phone is for games, our guide to budget gaming phones covers what to buy.
What the same money buys in the UK
At the European Central Bank’s reference rates, about $1.32 to the pound and ₹96 to the dollar, $200 is roughly £150 or ₹19,200. UK prices include VAT and US prices leave out sales tax.
On the makers’ UK stores, £150 buys a 4G phone. The three in stock under that line:
| Phone | Maker’s UK price | In dollars | Chip, memory, storage | Display | Battery and charging |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POCO C85 | £129 | about $170 | Helio G81-Ultra, 6GB, 128GB | 6.9-inch, 720p, 120Hz | 6,000mAh, 33W |
| moto g06 power | £130 | about $170 | Helio G81 Extreme, 4GB, 64GB | 6.88-inch LCD, 720p, 120Hz | 7,000mAh, 18W |
| moto g17 | £139 (list £149) | about $185 | Helio G81 Extreme, 4GB, 128GB | 6.72-inch LCD, 1080p, 60Hz | 5,200mAh, 18W |
Buy the POCO C85 at £129, on Xiaomi’s UK store. It has the most memory and storage of the three and the fastest charging. Xiaomi’s page states no update promise. Motorola does: security updates until February 2028 for the moto g17, which has the only 1080p screen here, at 60Hz.
Poor value: the moto g06 power at £130. It costs a pound more than the POCO with 4GB and 64GB. The 7,000mAh battery is its one argument, and Motorola ends its security updates in August 2027.
5G costs more in the UK. The cheapest 5G phones we found in stock were the REDMI 13C 5G at £179 on Xiaomi’s store and the moto g37 at £189 on Motorola’s. Samsung’s UK store starts at £219, about $290, for the 4G Galaxy A17.
What the same money buys in India
₹19,200 goes further, and the update promises are longer than anything $200 buys in the US.
- Samsung Galaxy F70e 5G, ₹18,499, about $195: Samsung India lists a Dimensity 6300, 4GB with 128GB, a 120Hz screen and a 6,000mAh battery. Its spec sheet dates security updates to January 2032. This is the one to buy.
- Redmi A7 Pro 5G, ₹14,999, about $155: a 6.9-inch 120Hz screen, a 6,300mAh battery, and four Android upgrades with six years of security updates. That price buys 64GB, and the 128GB version is ₹15,999.
- moto g37, ₹17,249, about $180: a Dimensity 6400 with 4GB and 64GB, a 120Hz LCD, 5,200mAh and 20W charging.
Poor value: the Samsung Galaxy A08 at ₹18,499. It is 4G only, and Samsung’s own 5G Galaxy F70e costs the same. Our guide to the best Android phones in India has a pick for every budget above this one.
Quick answers
What is the best phone under $200?
On US makers’ stores, the Moto G Power 2025 at $199.99: 8GB of memory, a 1080p screen, an IP68 and IP69 rating and wireless charging. Its list price is $299.99.
What is the best Samsung phone under $200?
Samsung’s US store sells none. Its cheapest phone is the Galaxy A17 5G, listed at $269.99 and on offer at $244.99. The 4G Galaxy A07 goes for roughly $120 at other sellers, and Oscar rates it a first phone or a spare and nothing more.
What is the best 5G phone under $200?
In the US, every phone in the table is 5G, and the Moto G Power 2025 is the pick. In India it is the Samsung Galaxy F70e 5G at ₹18,499. On UK makers’ stores, 5G starts at £179.
What is the best unlocked phone under $200?
Motorola sells all four of its phones at $200 or less unlocked, and its carrier tables mark AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon compatible. That makes the Moto G Power 2025 the answer again.
Offers end without notice, so confirm the price on the maker’s store before you pay.
