However, it is not perfect. It’s easy enough to ignore the low resolution screen, but it does not become very bright, so it can be difficult to read the screen on sunny days. The device itself feels very plastic-like and attracts a lot of fingerprints on the back, so you will want to clean it regularly. The main camera can take some proper pictures during the day, but it is quite dull in low light. Overall, these errors do not detract from the value of the Galaxy A13 5G. It’s a pretty cheap phone that just works.
Works on all three major US carriers.
This OnePlus (7/10, WIRED recommends) does not work on Verizon and only supports 4G LTE on AT&T, but it is an otherwise excellent 5G phone that delivers impressive specifications. It includes an AMOLED display (rare at this price) and great performance. It has a headphone jack, NFC and a MicroSD card, plus it will get three years of security updates. Disadvantages? The cameras are only portable and the A13 will only be updated to Android 12.
Best under $ 200 (and best battery life)
Do you want the longest possible battery life? Two days is pretty good from the Pixel 5A or Galaxy A32 5G above, but Motorola’s Moto G Power (2021) can last about three full days on a single charge thanks to its 5,000 mAh battery. It used to sell for $ 250, but is now almost always $ 150, making it an even better value.
The Snapdragon 662 chip inside with 4 gigs of RAM is perfectly adequate; you will be able to run all your apps and most games just fine. The 720p LCD screen is not as good as our other choices, but it will still be bright enough to see it in sunny conditions outdoors. Similarly, the rear camera system performs well during the day, but it is not as good as the Pixel 5A in low light.
It only comes with 64 gigabytes of storage space, so you will want to make use of the MicroSD card to add more space. There is also a headphone jack and a fingerprint sensor, but no NFC. This means that you can not use this phone to make contactless payments with services like Google Pay. The biggest drawback? Motorola is offering just one more year of security updates and this device will not be updated to Android 12. This may be a deal-breaker for you and that is quite understandable.
You may be wondering why I did not recommend the newer one Moto G Power 2022. This is because after running benchmark tests, I confirmed my suspicions that performance continued the newer handset is significantly worse than the 2021 version (Motorola switched to a smaller Mediatek chipset). It is much sluggish, and the results from the camera also felt like a downgrade. That do last three full days, but as long as the 2021 Moto G Power is still available, I think it’s a better buy.
Works on all three major US carriers.
Not to be confused with the Moto G Stylus 5G, the Moto G Stylus 2022 is the smaller version that lacks 5G support and NFC for contactless payments. It’s an otherwise perfectly fine phone, as I noted in my review, but it’s not an upgrade over its predecessor in any way. It works well enough to run most apps and games, you get almost two days of battery life, and it gets three years of security updates (but an OS upgrade to Android 12).
There are only two phones in this guide that support wireless charging: iPhone SE 2022 and Nokia XR20 (7/10, WIRED recommends). If you want the convenience of not having to plug in a charger to charge your phone, this is a good enough reason to skip the XR20. (Read our guide to the best wireless chargers for some recommendations.) It also happens to be one robust smartphone without looking too flashy or too thick. I dropped it on the sidewalk three times during my test and it barely wore out (though there is no guarantee that it will survive every single drop).
It regularly drops to $ 500 or less, which is why it has found a place in this guide. I was pleasantly surprised when I tested the XR20 in late 2021. You get pretty reliable performance with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G, day-long battery life, a bright LCD screen and dual-SIM support, which is not common on most phones sold in the US . There is even a headphone jack that is rarely seen on more expensive phones, along with an IP68 rating of water and dust resistance.