2020 became the year of 5g, and 2021 is even extra so. cellular carriers round the arena are increasing their 5g networks at a fast pace and 5g devices are actually far from the niche products they have been just a brief time in the past, even going downmarket as low as the galaxy a32 5g or the t-cell revvl v+ 5g.
that’s in large part way to qualcomm’s efforts to pair its 5g modem with some mid-tier system chips, giving manufacturers extra flexibility in terms of pricing, beginning 5g phones from as low because the sub-$300 point. the charges of budget phones can even move decrease than this when the nice top day offers come around inside the summer time
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1. Samsung Galaxy A32 5G
This would very well be the 5G technology’s weapon of mass proliferation, as it launched at just $282 over at Samsung, the cheapest 5G phone from the most recognizable Android phone brand. While not as well-appointed as the A52 5G midranger, our A32 review found it to sport amazing battery life with surprisingly decent camera performance, making it a steal at the price.
- Display: 6.5 inches, 1600 x 720 pixels, 60Hz Refresh rate
- Camera: 48 MP (Quad camera), 13 MP front
- Hardware: MediaTek Dimensity 720, 4GB RAM
- Storage: 64GB, microSDXC
- Battery: 5000 mAh
- OS: Android
2. Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
This year, the Galaxy A52 5G will get knocked down from its perch as the entry level Samsung phone in the US that comes with 5G capabilities by the A32 5G, but even then the A52 is a pretty good deal at around $400. For one, the phone doesn’t look cheap at all. In fact, this year Samsung made its A-series phones even more similar to its flagships with added cameras and high refresh rate displays.
- Display: 6.5 inches, 2400 x 1080 pixels, 90Hz Refresh rate
- Camera: 64 MP (Quad camera), 32 MP front
- Hardware:Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G, 6GB RAM
- Storage: 128GB, microSDXC
- Battery: 4500 mAh
- OS: Android
3. Samsung Galaxy A71 5G
Until an A72 5G lands on US shores, the Galaxy A71 5G is the best of the budget Samsung 5G phones, and it even has a Verizon UW version. Nominally $600, but found at way less, it’s still $400 below the official retail price of the Galaxy S21+. The difference becomes even larger if you are able to get in on a promo, for a phone with Snapdragon 765G chip, great battery life, and a quad-camera array.
- Display: 6.7 inches, 2400 x 1080 pixels, 60Hz Refresh rate
- Camera: 64 MP (Quad camera), 32 MP front
- Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 765, 6GB RAM
- Storage: 128GB, microSDXC
- Battery: 4500 mAh
- OS: Android 11, Samsung One UI
4. Realme GT 5G
Realme GT 5G comes with 6.43-inch 120Hz AMOLED display and Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor under the hood. Specifications also include 4500mAh battery with 65W charging speed, triple setup camera on the back with 64MP main shooter and 16MP selfie camera.
- Display: 6.4 inches, 2400 x 1080 pixels, 120Hz Refresh rate
- Camera: 64 MP (Triple camera), 16 MP front
- Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, 8GB RAM
- Storage: 128GB, not expandable
- Battery: 4500 mAh
- OS: Android 11
5. OnePlus Nord CE 5G
The OnePlus Nord CE 5G specifications include Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G processor, 6.43-inch AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate and triple camera setup on the back with 64MP main shooter combined with 16MP front selfie camera.
- Display: 6.4 inches, 2400 x 1080 pixels, 90Hz Refresh rate
- Camera: 64 MP (Triple camera), 16 MP front
- Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G, 6GB RAM
- Storage: 128GB, not expandable
- Battery: 4500 mAh
- OS: Android 11
6. Samsung Galaxy A22 5G
Samsung Galaxy A22 5G is a budget phone with 6.6-inch Infinity-V display and 5000mAh battery. Specifications also include MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor, triple setup camera on the back with 48MP main sensor combined with 8 MP front selfie camera and memory options ranging from 4GB/64GB up to 8GB/128Gb.
- Display: 6.6 inches, 2400 x 1080 pixels, 90Hz Refresh rate
- Camera: 48 MP (Triple camera), 8 MP front
- Hardware: MediaTek Dimensity 700, 4GB RAM
- Storage: 64GB, microSDXC
- Battery: 5000 mAh
- OS: Android 11
7. Google Pixel 4a 5G
Google entered the budget 5G phone scene not long ago, and the cheaper Pixel 4a 5G is an awesome value proposition. It comes with the Snapdragon 765G SoC paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. But you’re not buying a Pixel phone for the specs sheet. You’re getting it for the software features and the camera. While the camera hardware might be inferior to that of the Galaxy A71, for instance, it more makes up with the software and is one the best camera phones on this list.
- Display: 6.2 inches, 2340 x 1080 pixels, 60Hz Refresh rate
- Camera: 12.2 MP (Dual camera), 8 MP front
- Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, 6GB RAM
- Storage: 128GB, not expandable
- Battery: 3885 mAh
- OS: Android 11
8. OnePlus Nord N10 5G
OnePlus has been expanding its presence in the States and one of its latest additions is the budget Nord N10. The N10 sells for just $299 in the US and comes with features that are usually reserved for much more expensive phones. We’re talking about the 90Hz refresh rate of the display and the 30W Warp Charging. The 6/128GB RAM/Storage combo is also pretty good at that price point and the battery life of the phone is amazing.
- Display: 6.5 inches, 2400 x 1080 pixels, 90Hz Refresh rate
- Camera: 64 MP (Quad camera), 16 MP front
- Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 690, 6GB RAM
- Storage: 128GB, microSDXC
- Battery: 4300 mAh
- OS: Android 11, OxygenOS 10.5 UI
9. Motorola One Ace 5G
Motorola One 5G Ace is the most affordable 5G smartphone yet. Its price starts at $399.99, powered by a speedy Snapdragon 750G chipset and a 5,000mAh battery. The Ace features a 48MP main shooter + 8MP wide-angle + 2MP macro lens combo. The phone is available in two configurations – 4GB RAM/64GB storage and 6GB RAM with 128GB storage (this one is available only for T-Mobile). T-Mobile users also get IP54 protection, while the unlocked variant supports IP52.
- Display: 6.7 inches, 2400 x 1080 pixels
- Camera: 48 MP (Triple camera), 16 MP front
- Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G, 4GB RAM
- Storage: 64GB, microSDXC
- Battery: 5000 mAh
- OS: Android 10
10. OnePlus Nord 2 5G
The OnePlus Nord 2 5G is the successor of the last year’s Nord. The smartphone comes with 6.43-inch AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate and has MediaTek Dimensity 1200 processor under the hood. Specifications also include Android 11, 4500mAh battery with 65W charging speed and triple setup camera on the back with 50MP main sensor.
- Display: 6.4 inches, 2400 x 1080 pixels, 90Hz Refresh rate
- Camera: 50 MP (Triple camera), 32 MP front
- Hardware: MediaTek Dimensity 1200, 6GB RAM
- Storage: 128GB, not expandable
- Battery: 4500 mAh
- OS: Android 11, OxygenOS 11.3 UI
