Best Budget Smartphone (Under $300) in 2022

scrimshaw on 18/05/2022 - 17:06
Last edited 18/05/2022 - 17:06

Moderators at OzBargain are now running yearly polls to decide the best products in popular categories that get asked repeatedly in the forum. Our aim is to have a central thread where users can vote on the items, suggest options and also change their vote throughout the year. For more information on how these polls work, or if you want to suggest a new poll that isn't covered already, please refer to our announcement thread here.

Question

What is the best budget smartphone under $300 in 2022?

Once again we'll discuss options and recommendations for smartphones in the budget category. We asked the question last year and the winner was the Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro with a massive 106 votes, thanks to it's superfast Snapdragon 860 chipset. 2nd place was the realme c3 which frequently sold for as little as $89 (before reduced to $29 at Woolworths)

Remember: You can change your votes at anytime, and suggest more than 1 product over the course of the poll.

How do I suggest products to What Should I Buy polls?

If you have a product that you would like to suggest for the poll (that is currently not in the Poll Options), you'll need to make a top-level comment (i.e. not replying someone else's comment) and fill up "Suggestions" text box just above your comment:

Suggestion box

Do try to make a sensible suggestion (e.g make sure the phone is still available to purchase) and include a brief argument as to why you would recommend the product. You can only suggest 1 product at a time.

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This is part of What Should I Buy poll for 2022. Check out other recommendations from the OzBargain community.
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Comments

  • donga100 on 18/05/2022 - 19:32
    +2
    Suggested Vivo X50 Lite

    I think the Vivo X50 Lite is excellent value for money. Specs equal or better than a lot of the other options listed; 8GB RAM, Snapdragon 665 2.2GHz Octa-Core 11nm, AMOLED screen. You can get it for under $200 from JB Hifi which means local warranty and immediate collection.

    • Kharn83 on 18/05/2022 - 20:16
      +1

      wow - great pick, its amazing what $200 gets you these days!

    • Stingo on 19/05/2022 - 01:20
      +2

      Decent enough phone but since it was released in 2020 security updates will be limited. There's a reason its under $200. Stocks are also limited. Nothing in Sydney for example. I think it should be excluded from the field for both those reasons. Unless the phone gives you say 5 years of updates, I'd say anything earlier than 2021 should be excluded from the list too.

      • donga100 on 19/05/2022 - 14:23

        As an alternative, the Vivo Y33s is available from Officeworks for $269 and is currently available in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Specs are similar but released August 2021. A number of other retailers stock it too.

        • Stingo on 19/05/2022 - 21:25

          Looking at GSMArena, it looks like the AMOLED screen, Qualcomm processor and perhaps more versatile camera of the X50 Lite is traded off against the 11% more battery capacity, the slightly larger IPS LCD screen and Mediatek processor of the Y33s. Vivo doesn't look like its great at updates. It seems the X series is regarded as more premium than the Y series and while X series devices launched after July 2021 qualify for 3 years of updates the X50 Lite is too old to qualify.

          Please suggest the Y33s in a top level comment if you wish it to be considered in the poll. Can't hurt.

  • CyberMurning on 18/05/2022 - 20:39

    But we are still far from december 2022 how could we decide now?

  • SydBoy on 19/05/2022 - 16:12
    Suggested Motorola Moto G50 5G

    A budget phone with decent specs 5G phone on market. Currently on half price at JB for $199 or $189 if you use JB Perk voucher. See deal here

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/700832

    Superfast 5G speed
    6.5" 90 Hz Max Vision display
    48 MP triple camera system

  • Nillionaire on 22/05/2022 - 23:19
    Suggested Google Pixel 2 XL

    Yes, it is old. It is from 2017. But my personal approach for a budget phone in this price range has always been to go with an older flagship instead of a current budget line phone.

    Yes, you can still buy them sealed brand new that are Australian stock. Mobileciti have them for $200 - $250.

    There's also personal nostalgia factor for this phone for me, and that I have a number of Google products. Although if an older (not too old) sealed iPhone or Galaxy S or Note was available in this range too, I'd consider that too.

    • Stingo on 27/05/2022 - 00:52
      +2

      The nice thing about Pixels is that they are supported by official builds of custom ROMs with no issues unlocking boot loaders. I'd only consider an old flagship if there is active development of a custom ROM and no issues with getting a boot loader unlocked. That said, even though Google has stopped security updates it will be receiving Google app updates for at least a few more years so I don't know how much of an issue the lack of security updates actually is. I would be a bit worried about deterioration of the battery from sitting on the shelf all those years which I think is more of an issue for Li-Ion than Li-Po. They only other real negative about older phones is their smaller batteries. Personally, I'd be reluctant to buy anything from mobileciti without visiting the store to check out the phone in person - especially a refurb due to the negative remarks I've read about them here.

  • aileron on 29/05/2022 - 20:26

    What’re the main selling points of Poco M4 Pro? It’s got the most votes but no comments.

    • scrimshaw on 29/05/2022 - 20:45
      +3

      Mainly because of it's modern specifications

      https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_poco_m4_pro_5g-11193.php

      MediaTek Dimensity 810 (released end of 2021). Most other devices might have Dimensity 700 or Snapdragon 665.
      4GB / 6GB RAM
      5000mah battery with 33watt fast charging
      1080 x 2400 pixel 6.6 inches display with 90hz refresh rate. This is better than average for sub $300 (they usually have a 720p display)
      IP53 rating

      The only downside is that there are no brick and mortar stores selling Xiaomi Pocophones, it's something you'll need to import from overseas and there might not be much in terms of warranty or buyer protection. It also runs MIUI as well, which from my experience does come with quite a lot of bloatware and in-app advertisements (which you can opt out / disable)

      • aileron on 29/05/2022 - 21:54
        -1

        Wow, that’s good value for sure. I had to settle for an entry level Oppo at that price for my parents but this nearly matches flagships in some regards.

        • ubor on 01/06/2022 - 16:25
          +1

          Top of the list is POCO M4 PRO, should it be POCO M4 PRO 5G? M4 Pro does not have Dimensity 810 according to GSMARENA.

          • donga100 on 01/06/2022 - 19:51

            @ubor: Good point, that's a big difference. The 5G version can still be had for around $300 too.

          • scrimshaw on 01/06/2022 - 19:59

            @ubor: Thanks, edited now. I wasn't aware that there were 4G and 5G models. Quick search on Aliexpress shows that they are around $190 USD / $270 AUD after taxes and postage.

      • iamherenow on 14/06/2022 - 22:03

        the poco m4 pro 4g is normally reviewed as the better phone (in comparison to poco m4 pro 5g).

        • iamherenow on 15/06/2022 - 07:26

          and I'm guessing that's where all the votes for this phone came from. Because the phone was originally in the poll as 'poco m4 pro'.

    • wisdomtooth on 11/11/2022 - 12:39

      POCO M4 Pro or POCO M5s?

  • jebdra on 02/06/2022 - 11:22
    -1

    Currently looking for a dual SIM phone for my 80yo partner and the Motorola G31 128gb at $237 from Officeworks is looking pretty good for us.

    Our requirements are pretty simple - dual SIM, adequate storage, adequate camera, enough screen size to read on, no gaming, long battery life, wireless charging

    He's not tech savvy and feels much happier if he can see it in a bricks and mortar store.

    He's coming from a Pixel 3, so don't want a lesser screen.

    Minimal bloat is a big plus for me.

    • scrimshaw on 02/06/2022 - 12:41
      +2

      The Motorola G50 was seen selling for only $179.10 in a JB Hi-Fi deal and it's the bigger brother of the G31. You might want to target that instead as it has a faster processor. There's also 5G connectivity (if you care about it) and the screen is bigger (by a tenth of an inch)

      You can get a notification whenever a deal is posted for a particular product by going to the product page and clicking the "Subscribe" button.

    • Stingo on 02/06/2022 - 15:21
      +1

      Do you really need wireless charging? That would seem to bump up the price. Adequate storage can be achieved by a phone that takes a SD card - in a dedicated slot since you've listed dual SIM as a requirement. For longer battery life you probably want a phone with a 5000mAh battery which is true of many phones released in recent years but that adds weight. A lower density screen is possibly preferable as that often allows icons etc to be displayed at a larger size. Looking at the models JB HiFi have available on-line, I'd start by looking at the Nokia 3.4 and vivo Y11s. Note that anything offering better bang for buck such as these are older models often with limited stock and these will receive security updates for a shorter remaining period than a newer model. I don't know the level of bloatware on budget Vivos but try it, you may like it. Nokias and motos have a reputation for being close to stock Android. I'd avoid the Opels, and the Nokia 1.7 the moto e7 power but otherwise I reckon anything under $150 is probably adequate for your partner.

      The Pixel 3 has an OLED screen which seems to offer better colour fidelity based on a quick browse OLED is probably also something difficult to find at this price range. LCD can go brighter which would help in direct sunlight but in the lower price range you'll probably will only find something of similar brightness. Newer phones tend to be more elongated which is not to everybody taste. The Nokia C01 Plus has similar dimensions to the Pixel 3 but really doesn't have that much to recommend it unless you want a removable battery! Peformance-wise most cheaper phones will be a come down from the Pixel 3.

      More expensive is not always better. The Vivo Y30 for example has a quite ordinary processor. I can't see how they justify the price.

      GSMArena is useful for comparing specs and finding phones. You should also compare processors. Googling the processors you want to compare, e.g. A vs. B will turn up some comparisons.

  • scrimshaw on 30/06/2022 - 21:28
    +2
    Suggested Motorola Edge 20 Fusion

    The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion is on sale at JB Hi-Fi for $249.

    It's probably a one-off or unicorn deal, so better get clicking if you want it.

    https://www.jbhifi.com.au/search?query=Motorola%20Edge%2020%…

    • 1080 x 2400 FHD OLED 6.7 inch display
    • MediaTek Dimensity 800U (7 nm)
    • 6GB of RAM
    • Triple camera setup with 108 MP main shooter with + 2 useless cameras
    • 5000 mah battery with 30 watt fast charging.
    • Supports 5G
    • NFC enabled, 3.5mm Headphone jack
      Weights 185g

    Local stock, local warranty. Very close to Stock Android. Should have 3 years of major OS updates Update: Only 1 year left of OS updates and this phone came out in late 2021, so it's definitely not a bad starter phone for anyone with a tight budget.

    • chugsta on 07/07/2022 - 09:45

      I am after a budget phone for my father. He has only ever used iPhones, but they are too expensive so it's going to have to be an android. I am aware that you can download different launchers on android phones, some which allow you to change the launcher to iOS style. Can this be done on this Motorola Edge 20 Fusion ?? Thanks.

      • scrimshaw on 07/07/2022 - 13:35
        +2

        The Edge20 Fusion isn't on sale anymore, but generally speaking just about any Android phone can be customized to the same extent.

        You can install alternative Launchers that mimic the look and feel of IOS but this affects the homescreen only & not the underlying apps that you will use on a day-to-day basis. For e.g you won't have Safari web browser and your email clients will be different.

        • chugsta on 07/07/2022 - 13:36

          Thank you for your reply.

        • Stingo on 07/07/2022 - 15:51

          The Edge20 Fusion isn't on sale anymore

          So you'll be removing it from the poll then?

    • alex123711 on 19/11/2022 - 13:51

      Any more deals on the edge fusion?

    • scaryspace on 01/12/2022 - 19:03

      2 useless cameras
      Yes, I agree the ultrawide is next to useless but surprisingly the macro is actually a bit of fun. It's not fixed focused like 90% of crappy 2mp macro cameras, and yes, I have side-by-side compared it to a 2mp crappy macro camera, and the difference is night and day. If nothing else it's a bit more fun to whip out once in a while.

  • Ice009 on 17/07/2022 - 22:19

    Not sure where to ask this question/s, but looking to get a phone as I'm still using a 2015 Samsung midrange phone. No idea what to get though. I want to get something in the $200-$400 price range and I'd like to stick to something Android based, but beyond that, not sure.

    How do updates work on a lot of phones? Does it vary by brand on how long you'll get updates for?

    How does warranty work if I were to buy something like an Xiaomi phone from Banggood (I've never bought anything from Banggod before) or somewhere like that?

    Edit : Where do we buy the Poco M4 Pro from?

  • MushyB on 27/07/2022 - 09:26
    +1

    I'm using the M4 pro 4g. Got it during the launch promotion. It's been a great phone. I was using the X3 pro previously but I lost it. M4 Pro has a better screen (AMOLED v LCD). Not as quick. But also not slow. So have been very happy with it.

  • Nillionaire on 04/08/2022 - 15:45
    Suggested Samsung Galaxy A32

    Galaxy A32's price has dropped to this price range. Comments are positive. See: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/product/samsung-galaxy-a32

  • cornucopia on 11/08/2022 - 07:35
    +1
    Suggested Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G

    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003510772475.html?spm=a2…

  • mikeadwell on 10/09/2022 - 10:22

    Which are the cheapest phone models that support wireless charging?

  • stronglight on 13/09/2022 - 11:58
    Suggested Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G

    Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S 5G

    *MediaTek MT 6833P Dimensity 810 (6nm)
    *Octa-core (2x2.4 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)
    *Li-Po 5000 mAh battery with 33W Pro Fast Charging
    *50 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), PDAF Camera
    *6.6" 90Hz IPS LCD
    *Stereo speakers
    *3.5mm jack
    *NFC
    *Infrared port

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/723686

  • stronglight on 13/09/2022 - 12:07
    Suggested OPPO A54 5G

    Oppo A54 5G

    *Snapdragon 480 5G (8nm)
    *Octa-core (2x2.0 GHz Kryo 460 & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 460)
    *Li-Po 5000 mAh battery
    *48 MP, f/1.7, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm PDAF Camera
    *6.5" 90Hz IPS LCD
    *3.5mm jack
    *NFC

    $299 at TGG
    https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/oppo-a54-5g-64gb-fluid-black-…

  • wisdomtooth on 11/11/2022 - 12:37
    Suggested POCO M5s

    https://m.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_poco_m5s-11832.php

  • bebopper on 18/11/2022 - 11:37
    +1

    Should privacy be factored into our choices on this poll? Or is it just purely what is the best under $300 no matter what?

    "Is selling your privacy for a cheaper phone really a good idea?"
    https://www.androidauthority.com/xiaomi-privacy-cheap-phone-…

    • scrimshaw on 18/11/2022 - 11:39

      Completely up to the voters to decide. If you already cast your vote on a phone and you changed your mind, you can always retract it and vote on a different entry

    • alex123711 on 19/11/2022 - 13:56

      Is this an issue with all budget phones or just Xiaomi in particular?

      • bebopper on 21/11/2022 - 10:12

        Possibly with Xiaomi, Huawei, OnePlus afaik

        • ozhunter68 on 10/12/2022 - 21:15

          No Oppo and/or Vivo, Real Me?

  • s1Lence on 15/12/2022 - 19:17

    Are there any $300 smartphones (even if it means their sale price) better than my OnePlus 7T?

  • Vavoom on 23/12/2022 - 11:44

    Apologies if my question seems stupid but I haven't owned an Android since 2010 with the HTC Desire HD. I want an android to mess around with, specifically to location spoof for 7-eleven fuel lock.

    Yes I know I can do it on iPhone with ifakelocation but for some reason it's no longer working reliably and I'm getting tired of disconnecting, reconnecting, crossing fingers and toes and praying that it'll work.
    And yes I know the irony of spending money to save cents on the dollar for fuel and asking about it on Ozbargain but I figure I'll do other things with it that I might not be able to do with my iPhone. Therefore I don't really need good battery capacity, a good camera, etc. I just don't want it to be a POS but with good, reliable support.

    So tldr: cheapest phone that is reliable, will be supported for a while and one I can potentially hack?

  • neonlight on 26/12/2022 - 07:45

    It should be Motorola G82. Local warranty good vanilla os.

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/734104

    Best value at $200 can beat some $300 mark phones

    120 Hz 6.6 screen Dolby Atmos

    • A-mak on 04/01/2023 - 11:24

      Looks like all coupons have expired or been used :(

  • dmb0312 on 02/02/2023 - 07:25

    Any other newer models at this price range that can be bought locally?

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