There are a lot of smartphones nowadays, and when you have a specific budget it is sometimes challenging to pick the right one. We have you covered if you are in the market for the best phones under $500 in the USA. We are going to cover the best value-for-money device phones under $500 dollars. The phones listed below mostly have flagship features to some extent. Camera experience also improves once you hit around $400 and above. Spending your money on the best phone your budget can offer is essential.
The phones listed below are the best phones under 500 USD. We carefully analyzed a lot of phones before coming up with the list of devices below. There is no perfect phone so we will share everything you need to know about phones today. You should expect a lot from phones under $500. They have great processors, software, and camera. Apple, Samsung, and Google offer some of the best deals under that price bracket, and we covered them all here today.
500 dollars is a lot of money, and you deserve to get the best from a phone that costs that much. Some of the phones listed here have water and dust resistance features. Some will also be getting up to 4 years of fantastic software support. Well, enough of the talk; let’s get into the day’s business.
Top 10 Best Phones Under $500 Dollars 2023
1. Pixel 7a
The Pixel 7a is the upgrade to the Pixel 6a of last year, and this year, we have a sight price increase. It has a plastic back and aluminum frame with an IP67 water and dust resistance rating. The design is reminiscent of the Pixel 7 series. It has a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and 1080p resolution.
The display is protected by the Gorilla Glass 5 with an under-display fingerprint scanner. It runs on Android 13, and the Google Tensor G2 chipset powers it. The Pixel 7a has 8GB RAM and 128GB storage space. It has a 64MP primary camera with a 13MP ultra-wide at the back. The selfie is 13MP, and you can shoot 4K video with both cameras. It has a 4385mAh battery and supports 18 watts fast and 7.5 watts of wireless charging.
Pixel 7a Quick Specs
- Display Size: 6.1 (1080×2400)
- Display Type: OLED
- RAM and Storage: 8GB and 128GB Storage
- Operating System: Android 13
- Chipset: Google Tensor G2
- Camera: 64MP + 13MP Selfie: 13MP
- Battery: 4385mAh
2. Samsung Galaxy A54
The Samsung Galaxy A54 comes at around $500 and has a design reminiscent of the Galaxy S23. This year, Samsung decided to use the same design style on both their flagship, midrange, and budget phones. The Galaxy A54 has a Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1080p resolution. It has a glass build with IP67 dust and splash resistance.
The phone has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner with stereo speakers. It has 6 or 8GB RAM with 128 or 256GB storage space. The phone is powered by the new Exynos 1380 and handles performance quite well.
It runs on Android 13, and One UI 5.1 is the user interface. The primary camera is 50MP and the selfie camera is 32MP and they both perform well in good lighting conditions. It has a 5000mAh battery, supporting 25 watts of fast charging.
Samsung Galaxy A54 Quick Specs
- Display Size: 6.4 inches (1080 x 2340)
- Display Type: Super AMOLED
- RAM and Storage: 6 or 8GB RAM & 128 or 256GB Storage
- Operating System: Android 13, OneUI 5.1
- Chipset: Exynos 1380
- Camera: 50MP + 12MP + 5MP Selfie: 32MP
- Battery: 5000mAh
3. Pixel 6A
The Pixel 6A is the latest budget offering from Google and it cost only $449. It is powered by the Google Tensor chipset and performance won’t be an issue. The phone is compact at 6.1 inches, and the display is OLED. It is protected to the front by Gorilla glass 3, and the back is made of plastic while the frames are aluminum. You also get IP67 water and dust resistance if you buy the Pixel 6A. The screen resolution is 1080 x 2400, and the phone only has a 60Hz refresh rate which is uncommon when it comes to best phones under $500. That would be one of the major only tradeoffs though to keep the price at $449.
The phone has 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. There are two 12MP cameras at the back, and they are one of the best you can get on any phone within the price range. It also shoots 4K videos at 30 and 60fps, and the selfie camera is 8MP. The phone has an optical under-display fingerprint sensor with a 4410mAh battery and 18W fast charging support. It also has a stereo speaker that is loud. The phone is running Android 12, and Google is also promising at least 3 years of software support. This list would be incomplete if we don’t mention the Google Pixel 6A.
Google Pixel 6A quick Specs
- Display Size: 6.1 inches (1080 x 2400)
- Display Type: OLED
- RAM and Storage: 6GB RAM & 128GB Storage
- Operating System: Android 12
- Chipset: Google Tensor
- Camera: 12MP + 12MP Selfie: 8MP
- Battery: 4410mAh
4. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
The Samsung Galaxy A53 is one of the bestselling Android phones of 2022 and it cost only $449. Why are people so interested in buying the device? Well, it comes with a large 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The display is bright and it is protected by Gorilla glass 5. The back and frames are made out of plastic. There is a 64MP main camera accompanied by a 12MP ultra-wide lens, 5MP macro, and 5MP depth sensor. The selfie camera is 32MP, making it one of the best camera phones under $500. It also has an optical under-display fingerprint scanner that is reliable and fast.
The battery is 5000mAh and the phone supports 25W fast charging. It runs on Android 12, and One UI 4.1 is the user interface. The Exynos 1280 is the chipset powering the phone and it supports 5G. it also has IP67 water and dust resistance. The design leans towards that of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy A53 Quick Specs
- Display Size: 6.5 inches (1080 x 2400)
- Display Type: Super AMOLED
- RAM and Storage: 6GB RAM & 128GB Storage
- Operating System: Android 12, OneUI 4.1
- Chipset: Exynos 1280
- Camera: 64MP + 12MP + 5MP + 5MP Selfie: 32MP
- Battery: 5000mAh
5. iPhone SE
The iPhone SE 2022 is the budget iPhone for 2022 and it cost just $449. It has a powerful chipset which is the A15 Bionic that is powering the iPhone 13 series. No phone within its price category comes close in terms of performance. The phone is compact at just 4.7 inches, and there is no difference in design between the iPhone SE 2022 and the iPhone 7. If you are a phone of the traditional home button on iPhones then the SE 2022 is the latest iPhone with the feature.
The phone has 4GB RAM and up to 256GB storage depending on what you go with. There is a single 12MP camera at the back and a 7MP selfie camera that delivers okay images. The iPhone SE 2022 is one of the best phones you can buy for under 500 dollars. It has a 2018mAh battery and it supports 20W fast charging.
iPhone SE 2022 Quick Specs
- Display Size: 4.7 inches (750 x 1334)
- Display Type: IPS LCD
- RAM and Storage: 4GB RAM and 64, 128 or 256GB storage
- Operating System: IOS 15.6 upgradable to IOS 16
- Chipset: Apple A15 Bionic Chip
- Camera: 12MP Selfie: 7MP
- Battery: 2018mAh
6. iPhone 11
You can get the iPhone 11 brand new for just $499 on various online platforms. It is absolutely one of the best phones under $500 and it comes with excellent camera quality for that price. The phone has a complete glass build, and it has IP68 water and dust resistance. It has a 6.1-inch display and a resolution of 828 x 1792. The phone is powered by the A13 Bionic chip and the IOS is upgradeable to 16. It is one of the best iPhones to buy especially if you are on a tight budget and want a brand new iPhone. The battery is 3110mAh, and it is capable of serving a whole day on a single charge.
The phone has an array of 12MP cameras at the front and back. It can also record 4K videos at up to 60fps. The phone has 4GB RAM and storage space can be up to 256GB. It is one of the best iPhones to buy in the USA.
iPhone 11 Quick Specs
- Display Size: 6.1 inches (828 x 1792)
- Display Type: Liquid Retina IPS LCD
- RAM and Storage: 4GB RAM and 64, 128 or 256GB storage
- Operating System: IOS 15.4 upgradable to IOS 16
- Chipset: Apple A13 Bionic
- Camera: 12MP + 12MP Selfie: 12MP
- Battery: 3110mAh
7. TCL 20 Pro 5G
The TCL 20 Pro 5G has to be one of the best phones under 500, and it has a price of only $449. It is a 6.67-inch device with a bright AMOLED display panel under direct sunlight. The device has a glass build that makes it look and feel premium.
The Snapdragon 750G 5 G powers it, and it runs on Android 11 and TCL UI. It comes with a 64MP main camera and a 32MP selfie camera. The fingerprint scanner is under the display, and the phone has a 4500mAh battery. It supports 18W fast charging, and you can charge the phone wirelessly.
TCL 20 Pro 5G Quick Specs
- Display Size: 6.67 inches (1080 x 2400)
- Display Type: AMOLED
- RAM and Storage: 6GB RAM and 256GB storage
- Operating System: Android 11, TCL UI
- Chipset: Snapdragon 750G 5G
- Camera: 64MP + 2MP + 2MP + 16MP Selfie: 32MP
- Battery: 4500mAh
8. ZTE Axon 30 5G
The ZTE Axon 30 5G comes in at just $499, and it has a glass front, plastic back, and frame. It has a display size of 6.92 inches which is quite big for the average palm size. The display is AMOLED and it has a 120Hz refresh rate for a smoother experience while using it. It comes with an optical under-display fingerprint scanner that is fast and reliable. The phone is powered by the powerful Snapdragon 870 5G and which is more than capable of handling any tasks.
It comes with a 4200mAh battery, and it supports 65W fast charging. The main camera is a 64MP lens and the selfie camera is a 16MP lens. It is running on Android 11, and MyOS 11 is the user interface. The phone is great for anyone that wants to try something new outside Samsung and iPhone.
ZTE Axon 30 5G Quick Specs
- Display Size: 6.92 inches (1080 x 2460)
- Display Type: AMOLED
- RAM and Storage: 6, 8, or 12GB RAM and 64, 128 or 256GB storage
- Operating System: Android 11, MyOS 11
- Chipset: Snapdragon 870 5G
- Camera: 64MP + 2MP + 5MP + 8MP Selfie: 16MP
- Battery: 4200mAh
9. Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
You can get deals for the Galaxy S20 FE on sites like Amazon at just $499 but you have to pay more to get it from Samsung’s official website. The phone was released in 2020, and even by today’s standard it still offers a lot. It has a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The phone looks premium except for the back which has a plastic build. It was initially released running Android 10 but it can be upgraded to Android 12 and One UI 4.1.
The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 865 5G which is sufficient to run all apps and games. It also has a 12MP main camera and a 32MP selfie camera. The battery is 4500mAh, and it supports 25W fast charging. It has a fast under-display fingerprint scanner to add up to the impressive specs.
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G Quick Specs
- Display Size: 6.5 inches (1080 x 2400)
- Display Type: Super AMOLED
- RAM and Storage: 6 or 8GB RAM and 128 or 256GB storage
- Operating System: Android 10 upgradable to Android 12 One UI 4.1
- Chipset: Snapdragon 865 5G
- Camera: 12MP + 12MP + 8MP Selfie: 32MP
- Battery: 4500mAh
10. One Plus Nord 2T
The list won’t be complete if we don’t have a phone from One Plus and enters the Nord 2T which cost only $459 for the variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. It has some fantastic specs, including a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with a 90 Hz refresh rate. The front glass is protected by Gorilla glass 5, but the back is plastic.
We have the MediaTek Dimensity 1300 powering the phone, and Oxygen OS 12.1 is the interface on Android 12. The phone has an optical fingerprint scanner under the display that is fast. It also comes with a 50MP main camera and a 32MP selfie shooter. The battery is 4500mAh, and it supports 80W fast charging. The phone is a bang for the bucks at $459. it fully deserves to be on the list of best phones under $500
One Plus Nord 2T Quick Specs
- Display Size: 6.43 inches (1080 x 2400)
- Display Type: AMOLED
- RAM and Storage: 8 or 12GB RAM and 128 or 256GB storage
- Operating System: Android 12, Oxygen OS 12.1
- Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 1300
- Camera: 50MP + 8MP + 2MP Selfie: 32MP
- Battery: 4500mAh
A Quick Recap – What are the 10 Best Phones under 500 USD price?
- Samsung Galaxy A54
- Pixel 6A
- Samsung Galaxy A53
- iPhone SE 2022
- Pixel 5A
- iPhone 11
- TCL 20 Pro 5G
- ZTE Axon 30 5G
- Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
- One Plus Nord 2T
