Mid-range phones have much improved over time, what specs we see today in new cell phones of this price range were the top-end features of the high-end mobiles in the past couple of years.
Not an iPhone, but you can buy a brilliant unlocked smartphone under $300, which can offer the truly best features for basic needs. Since these are unlocked smartphones, you can switch anytime from one US carrier to another without informing the telecom provider or suffering any penalty.
Are you on a tight budget? See our Best Budget Phones under $200.
Best Phones under $300 at a Glance:
1 – Infinix Zero 8
2 – Redmi Note 9 Pro
3 – Samsung Galaxy A31
4 – Huawei Nova 7i
5 – Vivo Y50
6 – Redmi Note 8 Pro
7 – Samsung Galaxy A50
8 – Redmi K30 5G
9 – Nova 6 SE
10 – Oppo K5
11 – Vivo Y17
12 – Honor 9X
13 – Realme X2
14 – Google Pixel 3a
15 – Galaxy Xcover Field Pro
Overall best smartphone under $300 for whatever you talk about i.e. performance, camera, or battery. Infinix Zero 8offers flagship-level features for a reasonable price. The handset sports a 6.85 inches IPS LCD FHD+ display, 90Hz refresh rate, and dual 48MP selfie camera setup. It boots Android 10 OS. The Infinix Zero 8 has a MediaTek Helio G90T (12nm) chipset and 8GB RAM. Storage is 128GB, and thus you can store more files.
Infinix Zero 8shows off a 64MP Quad Camera setup on its back. It is capable of recording 4k movies at 30fps, having also EIS support. There’s a side-mounted Fingerprint Scanner for biometric unlock, too. The smartphone houses a 4500mAh battery, compatible with a 33W Fast Charge. Infinix Zero 8 Price is $250.
Redmi Note 9 Pro is an Android 10 smartphone. Redmi mobile phone boasts a 6.67 inches FHD+ Display, having Gorilla Glass 5 protection. There is a Snapdragon 720G chip to appreciate gaming lovers. RAM and ROM are 6GB and 64GB, respectively.
The Redmi Note 9 Pro gets a decent 16MP selfie locker and Quad 64MP (f/1.8) Rear Camera setup for 4K Vlogs. The handset is capable of HD Super Slow-mo at 960fps, even with EIS support. Fingerprint Unlock is available. The gadget packs a 5020mAh Li-Po battery, which can be charged faster through a 30W Flash Charge. The Price of the Redmi Note 9 Pro is $220.
The Galaxy A31 comes with Android 10 OS, 6.4inches Super AMOLED FHD+ Display adopting a 20MP selfie notch on top. Coming to the back, triple photography cameras are holding a main 48MP lens.
A 5000mAh battery promises a long watch and playtime. The device is geared up with an Helio P65 processor. It offers 4 gigs of RAM and 64 gigs of memory for the starter model. You can add external memory up to 1TB via a microSD slot. Samsung Galaxy A31 Price is $220.
Huawei Nova 7i runs EMUI 10 on top of Android 10. The handset shows off a Quad Rear Camera setup and the primary lens is 48MP (f/1.8). On the front, there is a punch hole 16MP Selfie Camera above the 6.4inches FHD+ Display.
Huawei Nova 7i borrows the power from HiSilicon Kirin 810 (7nm) SoC and an 8GB RAM. Storage is 128GB, while the battery of the Nova smartphone is 4200mAh. You can recharge the device quickly with a 40W Fast Charge. Nova 7i Price is $260.
Vivo Y50 is one of the best budget phones you can buy in 2021. The smartphone boots Android 10. The Vivo mobile phone brings a 6.5inches FHD+ Display, 16MP selfie camera, and four photography cams.
The Vivo Y50 is used to equip Snapdragon 665 SoC and 8GB RAM. For saving records, users are getting 128GB of memory. There is a 5000mAh battery, compatible with 15W Fast Charge. Vivo Y50 Price is $250.
Redmi Note 8 Pro brings a 6.5inches IPS LCD FHD+ display, Gorilla Glass 5 protection, and a 20MP selfie notch. It wears MIUI 10 on top of Android 9.0 (Pie). The Redmi Note 8 packs a MediaTek Helio G90T (12nm) chipset and 6GB RAM paired with 64GB Storage.
Redmi Note 8 sports a 64MP Quad Camera setup on its back. It is capable of recording 4k movies at 30fps, FHD streams at 120fps, while Super Slow-mo HD videos at 960fps, having also EIS support. There’s a Rear Fingerprint Scanner for biometric unlock, too. The smartphone gets a 4500mAh battery and supports 18W Fast Charge. Redmi Note 8 Pro Price is $210.
Best cell phone under $300 for watching Netflix and web-surfing, the Galaxy A50 brings a 6.4inches Super AMOLED FHD+ Display adopting a 25MP selfie notch on top. Coming to the back, triple photography cameras are holding a primary 25MP shooter. You are allowed to make 1080p shots.
The device is geared up with Exynos 9610 (10nm) processor and 4GB RAM, therefore users can run multiple apps at once, easily. Samsung A50 offers 4 gigs of RAM and 64 gigs of memory for the starter model. You can add external memory up to 1TB via a dedicated microSD slot. Powered by a 4000mAh battery, the device keeps lights on an entire day. It is compatible with a 15W Fast Charge. Samsung Galaxy A50 Price is $280.
Cheapest 5G Phone in 2021 or other words best phone under $300 for 5G, Redmi K30 5G offers a 6.67inches IPS FHD+ screen, having a 120Hz refresh rate. It has Snapdragon 765G Chipset, 8GB RAM, and 256GB native storage. The device runs Android 10 OS customized with the latest MIUI 11 skin.
Around the back, the Redmi K30 5G embeds a quad-camera setup containing a 64MP lens, while a 20MP selfie cam on the front. The Redmi 5G smartphone packs a 4,500 mAh battery that allows 30W quick charging. Redmi K30 5G Price is $260.
Best Gaming Phone under $300, Nova 6 SE wears EMUI 10 on top of Android 10 OS. The handset shows off a Quad Rear Camera setup and the primary lens is 48MP (f/1.8). On the front, there is a punch hole 16MP Selfie Camera above the 6.4inches FHD+ Display.
Huawei Nova 6 SE borrows the power from HiSilicon Kirin 810 (7nm) SoC and an 8GB RAM. Storage is 128GB, while the battery of the Nova smartphone is 4200mAh. You can recharge the device quickly with a 40W Fast Charge. Nova 6 SE Price is $280.
Best Video Recording Phone under $300, Oppo K5 is upgradable to Android 10 OS, although it arrives with Android 9 out of the box. Oppo mobile phone boasts a 6.4inches Super AMOLED FHD+ Display, having Gorilla Glass 5 protection. There is a Snapdragon 730G chip inside the chassis to appreciate gaming lovers. RAM and ROM are 6GB and 64GB, respectively.
Talking about cameras, Oppo K5 gets a decent 32MP selfie locker and Quad 64MP (f/1.8) Rear Camera setup for 4K Vlogs. It is capable of HD Super Slow-mo at 960fps, even with EIS support. The fingerprint is available under the screen for security. The gadget houses a 4000mAh Li-Po battery, which can be topped up 67% in 30 mins through 30W VOOC Flash Charge. The Price of Oppo K5 is $280.
Best Battery life Phone under $300, Vivo Y17 used to extract a 5,000 mAh battery that provides non-stop performance and can last through a full working day with a single 18W Fast charge. The Vivo mobile acquires a 6.35inches LCD HD+ Display, Android 9 OS, triple 13MP rear cameras, while 20MP selfie shooter. Vivo Y17 boasts an Helio P35 12nm SoC and 4GB RAM, coupled with 128GB onboard storage. The Price of Vivo Y17 is $210.
Best Pop-up Selfie Camera Phone under $300, Honor 9X has a Full View Display of 6.5inches, there is no bezel or chin and hence the device equipped with a motorized 16MP pop-up selfie shooter. On the back, Honor 9X gets three photography snappers obtaining a 48MP main lens.
The smartphone houses a HiSilicon Kirin 710 chipset, 6GB RAM, and a 4000mAh battery. You can store necessary records in 128GB internal memory. Honor 9X Price is $250.
Best Phone for performance and camera in this price range, Realme X2 is powered by a Snapdragon 730G, an 8nm chip assuring the faster outcome. The display is Super AMOLED of 6.4inches, having Full HD+ resolution. The device tucks a 6GB RAM and 64GB ROM.
For camera lovers, Realme X2 presents a 64MP quad-camera setup and a 32MP selfie locker. It allows 4k movies at 30fps, while HD Super Slow-mo at 960fps. Battery is of 4000mAh and supports 30W Fast Charge. Luckily, the cell phone has an optical In-Screen FR. The Price of Realme X2 is $260.
Google Pixel 3a is the best source to join the Android One program for future updates The budget-friendly Pixel smartphone comes with pre-installed Android 9, but you can upgrade it to Android 10 even just after unboxing. Coming to the specs, the Google phone brings a 5.6inches OLED FHD+ Display, 8MP selfie camera, and 12.2MP photography snapper.
The Pixel 3a is used to embed Snapdragon 670 SoC and 4GB RAM. For saving records, users are getting 64GB of room. There is a 3000mAh battery, compatible with 18W Fast Charge. Google Pixel 3a Price is $280.
15 – Samsung Xcover Field Pro
The best-rugged smartphone under $300 for the geeks who also required the best performance, Galaxy Xcover Field Pro is powered by the 10nm Exynos 9810 chipset. The device gets the military-grade MIL-STD-810G certification and also rated with IP68, ensuring 1.5m water submersion for 30mins.
Samsung Xcover Field Pro is also the best for watching Netflix, as it carries a QHD+ Display. The device comes with 3GB RAM, 12MP main camera, and a longer life 4500mAh battery. The Xcover Field Pro Price is $290.
Drawback, the Samsung rugged phone is small-sized only a 5.1inches screen.