5G was once only available on high-end flagship Smartphone; however, recently the technology has made its way down into mid ranger and budget phones too.
Modern cheap phones now boast improved chipsets and lower cost components that enable them to deliver premium features at an economical price point. So without further ado, here is our selection of the top budget smartphone 5g phones available in 2023.
1. Motorola One 5G Ace Smartphone
The Motorola One 5G Ace is a budget smartphone designed to bring fast 5G connectivity without breaking the bank. Compared with last year’s Moto One 5G model, its price has been reduced by $150 while keeping many important features. Our tests demonstrated that it performed admirably and represented excellent value.
This budget phone features an eye-catching design in a striking silver hue that stands out against its peers. Not only is it splash proof and has a headphone jack, but its thickness makes it easy to fit comfortably in your pocket and a best premium smartphone. Though its display doesn’t match that of flagships that cost double, its still an ample display for its price point.
One of the Motorola One 5G Ace’s smartphone key advantages over its competitors is its front-facing camera, enabling better selfies and video calls, while simultaneously cutting power consumption required to run its camera app. Meanwhile, its main rear camera boasts 48MP resolution with wide-angle lens capability for panoramic shots.
The Nexus 5X smartphone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 750G processor and features between 4GB and 6GB of RAM depending on where it’s sold in various regions, which is downgraded from the Snapdragon 765G used in its predecessor; but still performs admirably, surpassing rival devices like Pixel 4a 5G in benchmark tests.
Another of its key advantages is its 5,000mAh battery, which easily outshines most budget smartphones we’ve tested. Even when powered up with 5G data services, our tests showed it lasting over 16 hours of continuous usage – impressive when considering all that power usage involves!
One 5G Ace’s only real downside is the absence of stereo speakers, a common complaint among budget phones but particularly noticeable here given its otherwise solid hardware. If stereo speaker issues don’t bother you, however, this handset makes an excellent budget option.
2. Samsung Galaxy A54 Smartphone
The Galaxy A54 provides refined design, 5G performance and professional-grade camera to help you capture life’s best moments. Enjoy movies on its vivid, bright display that was built to last; connect easily with family through video calls; share files easily when out and about; live life confidently thanks to its water and dust resistance; whether tackling life outside in the sun or daily tasks at hand you can keep going all day with its 5,000mAh battery life.
Samsung’s latest budget offering, the A54, takes several cues from their flagship Galaxy S23 range. Its 6.4-inch AMOLED screen matches that of the S23 but boasts an impressive 120Hz refresh rate – enabling smooth scrolling and gaming performance beyond your expectation on a phone in this price range. Furthermore, this year’s model boasts brighter screen output – even up to 1,000nits outdoors according to Samsung!
On the inside, the Galaxy A54 smartphone features an Exynos 1380 chipset that’s 20% faster than its predecessor’s Exynos 1280 chip – providing ample performance for running apps or playing games such as Fortnite. Furthermore, Wi-Fi 6 and IP67 protection is now included as well.
One major difference from the S23 is its rear design, which features a glass finish instead of polycarbonate back for a premium look and added 13g to its package weight. Furthermore, this change altered how cameras were placed around flash and fingerprint sensor instead of being in a square arrangement.
Other changes to the A54 include an updated Android build with Samsung’s One UI 5.1 on top. This software offers Modes and Routines to automate tasks, and a fingerprint sensor on both sides of the phone – unlike on any other Android phone! Furthermore, Samsung remains committed to its software update promise with four years of OS updates and five years of security patches – more than any other Android phone currently on sale!
3. Realme 2 Pro Smartphone
The Realme 2 Pro stands out in the budget segment by packing top-of-the-line hardware at an unprecedented price point. Boasting a bold notched design and impressive camera hardware, plus an eye-catching polycarbonate resin back that looks similar to glass but weighs much less and is easier to produce, this device offers something similar to Xiaomi’s Pocophone F1 but with smaller notches and less of a chin bezel.
Realme 2 Pro, powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 AIE processor, is one of the most capable smartphones in its price range. Able to run heavy games without any noticeable lag or slowdown and featuring enough RAM to run multiple apps concurrently in the background; its 8GB RAM variant excels when it comes to performance and can handle whatever challenges you throw its way.
This phone boasts an exceptional 6.3-inch dewdrop display, featuring 90.8 percent screen-to-body ratio. This beautiful panel offers vivid colors and minimal bezels; however, when viewing under sunlight it has an unpleasant blue tint that can only be reduced by changing its color temperature settings.
Realme 2 Pro offers two 16-megapixel + 2-megapixel rear cameras to capture stunning photographs, featuring AI scene recognition, 4K video recording, and AR stickers. Furthermore, its 2 MP front facing selfie camera can take great-looking portraits as well.
Realme 2 Pro’s 3,500mAh battery easily lasts through one day of light to moderate use, and supports fast charging technology allowing it to restore 30 percent of its charge in approximately 30 minutes.
Realme 2 Pro’s only real downside is its outdated software experience, which doesn’t offer many useful features. Aside from that, however, this budget smartphone makes a strong case. With an attractive notched design and powerful cameras to boot as well as long battery life for optimal use – make this your top pick when searching for your next handset!
4. OnePlus Nord N20 Smartphone
At just $282, the OnePlus Nord N20 offers one of the most exciting specifications available in this price range. It boasts a 5G-enabled Snapdragon 695 processor, an enormous 4,500mAh battery capacity, excellent camera specifications and even an OLED display – which are rare features among budget phones.
The N20 features a fingerprint sensor built directly into its display, making it far simpler than rear-mounted ones found on most affordable phones. Unfortunately, however, it can be finicky at times and won’t work with gloves.
OnePlus also decided to run this phone on Android 11 instead of the latest version, which seems odd given it is a 2019 device. Nonetheless, you will receive three years’ worth of security updates; although when running demanding apps you may notice some warmth. But not enough for concern.
This is the first budget phone designed by OnePlus with an AMOLED display, and it delivers impressively. It boasts rich colors, excellent contrast levels, and inky blacks – just one drawback is that its brightness may not match some competing screens.
On the software front, OnePlus continues to deliver an enjoyable user experience with OxygenOS based on Oppo’s ColorOS. Android 11 runs out-of-the-box without any strange app performance manipulation found on previous OnePlus devices.
The N20 5G boasts many of the same cameras found on its predecessor, N10; you’ll get a 64MP f/1.79 0.7-micron PDAF main camera, an 8MP ultrawide camera and 16MP monochrome sensor f/2.4 1.75 micron sensor. Unfortunately, its selfie camera may not live up to this expectation but still makes for decent captures.
The N20 stands out among budget smartphones for its superior specs and battery life compared to more costly options like Pixel 4a 5G. Plus, T-Mobile/Metro customers will have exclusive access to this phone. Its price point and long battery life make the N20 an attractive pick.