Are You Searching for an Affordable 5G Phone? Various cheap options are compatible with your carrier, boast impressive displays and battery lives, expandable storage capabilities and cloud backup features that may meet all your requirements.
Apple’s new iPhone 14 Pro Max stands up well against competing 5G phones. Boasting top-tier performance and considerable upgrades to its cameras (such as always-on functionality and dynamic island functionality), it boasts top-shelf performance.
iPhone 14 Pro
Apple released only one new Pro iPhone model and an updated regular iPhone this year; however, the 14 Pro stands out due to its vibrant colour options and impressive set of features. Furthermore, Dynamic Island (using live data to make apps respond more dynamically to user actions by changing animations or graphics on screen) makes your phone seem more lively than ever! It makes the 14 Pro an enjoyable device that enhances its use by making life feel alive again!
The phone is swift as well. Powered by an A16 Bionic processor – an upgrade over last year’s iPhone 13’s A15 Bionic chip – its CPU offers more power. At the same time, its GPU has significantly improved, which allows it to support multiple apps easily, 40 Google Chrome tabs and YouTube videos encoded with Dolby Atmos without strain.
Other features unique to the iPhone 14 Pro include an always-on display that shows essential information (like time and weather forecast) when your phone is out or in your pocket, similar to how Android phones offer this functionality – and Apple’s offering of it surpasses most others!
Both models of the iPhone 14 Pro feature high-resolution displays equipped with True Tone technology, which adjusts screen colours according to ambient light for an enhanced viewing experience. Furthermore, both phones offer broad colour support and HDR video recording capability. In addition, Pro models also come equipped with Car Crash Detection: sensors like a barometer monitor cabin pressure levels while the accelerometer and GPS track speed changes. At the same time, the microphone listens for noises that might signal imminent crashes.
Samsung Galaxy A54
The Galaxy A54 is an excellent mid-range phone from Samsung that serves as an intermediary between their budget devices and flagship models. At $449, it competes directly against budget phones and affordable flagships such as our top pick, Google Pixel 7a ($477 at Amazon). It boasts bright AMOLED displays, fast Snapdragon SoC processors, and one of Android’s most robust software update policies, features that set it apart from competitors in its price bracket.
In our PCMark Work 3.0 test, the A54 was able to outpace our top-rated OnePlus 11 ($609 at Amazon). Unfortunately, however, it fell short of outdoing the faster A15 Bionic chip found on the iPhone SE (2022) and the Google Tensor G3 processor found in Pixel 7a – though the actual world performance of Galaxy A54 was satisfactory for most tasks but lagged behind some demanding games and apps; battery life testing also produced results which fell well short of average by nearly 50 minutes!
This year’s Galaxy A54 offers several noticeable upgrades from last year’s model, such as a slightly smaller but brighter display and a new camera system with no depth sensor – as well as brighter colours to choose from. Just like its Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus counterparts, the A54 features a sleek slab design featuring Gorilla Glass on both sides and an ergonomic plastic frame featuring slightly rounded corners to provide an unmatched premium feel in your hand.
As with its predecessor, the Galaxy A54 features a quad-core Snapdragon SoC and supports sub-6GHz 5G networks but not more powerful mmWave bands used by future carriers. Available both unlocked directly from Samsung or through carriers and water resistant up to one meter for 30 minutes, it comes unlocked as standard from either option.
Google Pixel 7
Google Pixel phones are your go-to option if you’re in the market for an excellently built Android smartphone that will last. The Pixel 7 boasts a lightning-fast processor and incredible camera quality and is one of the few smartphones to support wireless charging right out of the box – plus, as the only 5G phone equipped with Android 13 OS (bringing with it some valuable changes in permissions and privacy settings).
The Pixel 7 features an OLED display, which may be smaller than that of its predecessors but still looks stunning. With high maximum brightness and vibrant, crisp colours, as well as its 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling animations and gaming, Genshin Impact and Apex Legends were tested out with maximum graphical settings that were easily handled by this small phone!
The Pixel 7 features 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage, depending on which model you purchase. Google’s Tensor G2 processor may be slightly slower than Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 or MediaTek’s Dimensity 9000 but still fast; additionally, it boasts a Titan M2 security chip to protect personal information; Android 13 (the most recent version of Google’s mobile operating system) provides regular software updates while providing five-year warranties make this phone extraordinarily durable and a five-year guarantee makes sure its durability will stand the test of time against other flagship smartphones out there!
Motorola Moto G
Motorola has long been recognized as an industry leader when it comes to affordable Android phones. Their Moto G lineup offers something for every need imaginable – the Power edition targets those wanting large batteries; the Stylus version provides styluses for artists; the Play model is tailored explicitly for entertainment use; while their latest model, Moto G 5G, brings top-end speed into this budget category for the first time.
The Motorola Moto G 5G costs $200 and can be found exclusively through T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile right now. It’s an impressive budget phone that provides necessities while still offering comforts like expandable storage and a headphone jack. Though heavier and thicker than many competing devices, its plastic construction is less slippery, and it features a vegan leather back cover in Sage Green and splash resistance. Plus, there’s also an integrated SIM/microSD slot, headphone jack, and side-mounted fingerprint reader!
This 6.7-inch display boasts Full HD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. The Snapdragon octa-core processor can handle most tasks efficiently; however, multitasking may prove challenging. On average, its battery will last two days, with light usage extending it up to four.
Motorola offers two Android OS upgrades and three years of bimonthly security updates – an attractive offer at this price point. However, other budget phones, such as the OnePlus Nord N30, offer more up-to-date software – its modern features and faster speeds make it a better option than Motorola’s offering at this price point. Also worth noting is the Google Pixel 8A at that same price point, which promises seven years of security updates!
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is Samsung’s flagship phone and a powerful piece of technology. Packed with high-end hardware and cutting-edge AI features to amaze even jaded smartphone users. However, its price point falls somewhere in between that of the iPhone 15 Pro Max or the OnePlus 12.
At first glance, the Galaxy S24 Ultra may look very similar to last year’s model; however, this belies its host of notable upgrades. Notable among these improvements is its flat display and improved cameras; in addition, Samsung has upped its software game significantly by offering seven years of major Android updates as opposed to four offered in previous Galaxy flagship phones and similar to what Google offers on Pixel phones.
Samsung has made significant advancements in its camera image processing techniques. Photos now display more natural colour tones and have less overly warm hues compared to photos taken by some iPhones, while digital sharpening issues have been significantly reduced. Furthermore, the Galaxy S24 Ultra can record 4K video at 60 frames per second with intelligent shooting modes built-in.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra boasts other impressive features as well, such as its USB-C port that offers up to 45W charging rate and its support of an external monitor through the Samsung DeX desktop environment. Furthermore, the IP68 rating provides water and dust resistance – even after 30 minutes, submerged underwater up to 4.5 feet deep. Lastly, its titanium frame matches up with that found on iPhone 15 Pro Max devices for a luxurious feel and aesthetics.