Best Budget Smartphones Under $400

Best Smartphone on a Budget

So yo fancy yourself a quality new smartphone but unfortunately your bank statement is looking about as healthy as a diabetic pensioner on a strict diet of krispy kreme doughnuts and special brew. Well no worries because these days you can spunk out less than $400 on a smartphone and still expect brilliant battery life, impressive game and performance dependable camera tech and quite often some very handy features that you won't find in mega pricey flagships stuff like a headphone jack and actual memory card support.

This is my personal pick of the best budget friendly smartphones you can grab right now for under $400 that i've personally tested and reviewed you can check out more on all these smartphones right here on textbook and for more than the latest a great thing.

1. Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G

Now first up Xioumi's very smart Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G is hit in the UK imminently for a price that won't compeletely bollocks your wallet. It's a smart looking slab although it's also a proper whopper at almost 6.7 inches, good news for movie fans as that spacious 120hz AMOLED screen is a bit of a stunner with sharp contrast and poppy colors. And the audio is just as good because you've got a respectable stereo speaker setup plus a headphone jack with high-res audio certification. Of course how lovely dover you'll get with the Redmi Not 11 Pro does depend somewhat on how much you get on with MIUI Xiaomi's very own smartphone launcher.

Personally i quite like it these days especially as Xioumi is embracing a more sore stock android vibe while also chucking in a vertable  buffer of bonus features, you've got the likes of that all encompassing control center and a proper one handed mode and the ability to stream youtube audio while the screen is hibernated.

It's just a shame then that Xiaomi is kind of chuffing slow when it comes to actually updeting its smartphones both on the OS and the security side of things you've actually got the older Android 11 out of the box here on the Redmi Note 11 Pro so hopefully it'll be getting Android 12 soon.

The Snapdragon 695 chipset can handle even quite demanding gaming shenanigans like gentian impact with 5G support chucked in as well and the battery life is bloody good too. In fact the only real downside is the 108MP Primary camera which is generally fine but it is limited in low light and for home movie capture.

2. OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G

Now another one of my favorite budget blowers at this price point and one which also just launched in 2022 is the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G. Don't be fooled by the simple and not particularly attractive plastiv finish. Besides the lack of micro SD memory card support on this thing there's pretty much bugger all to complain about.

That 6.43 inch AMOLED screen is bright sharp and poppy with HDR 10 plus support and a 9 hertz refresh rate for smooth sailing. And no worries on the audio front either because like the Redmi you've got a headphone jack and dependable bluetooth streaming. This time the launcher of choice is Oxygen OS and it's squatting very happily on top of Android's 12.

The latest version of Android OS and Oxygen OS adds in a whole bunch of extra bonus features similar to me UI the likes of the very chill out zen modes, it's really strong customization options. And even better OnePlus has you covered for the reasonably long haul as well you got two guaranteed Android OS updates and also three years of security updates chucked in there.

The Nord CE 5G is powered by mediatex dimensi 900 chipset, and this proves absolutely fine for your everyday shenanigans and can even handle a decent bit of gaming on the side as well. Yes you've got 5G support for getting online a 4500 mAh battery which serves a dependable all dey use plus 65 watt supervoo sharging support, so you can juice it all up again in the morning in about half an hour.

As for that 64MP primary camera sensor slapped there on the back end of the OnePlus Nord CE 2. Well this does an absolutely fine job again of your everyday snaps and it can actually shoot at 4K resolution for your video as well, so overall highly respectable and highly recommended by myself for this price point.

3. Poco X3 Pro, X3 GT, F3

Now i just montioned the brilliant Poco X4 Pro which only just launched at a sport in very very similar specs to that Redmi Note 11 Pro but definitely if your budget is a little bit tighter well do not sleep on the older Poco X3 Pro which you can grab right now for just a snifter over 200 quid.

This can handle everything you need thanks to the Snapdragon 860 SOC even a tasty bit of gentle impact if you keep the detail levels on low to medium settings. Like the Redmi Note 11 Pro you have a 6.67 inch Full HD plus display although this time it is IPS rather than OLED tech, but the visuals are still fine for watching shows on the go or kicking back with a flick while the adaptive refresh rate maxes out at 120 hertz.

The Poco X3 Pro also boasts a decent stereo speaker setup you've got a headphone jack down below plus excellent realiable bluetooth streaming support. You've got NFC for your contactless payments you've got an excellent edge mounted fingerprint sensor which is super responsive and reliable you've basically got everything you need. I rather like the 48MP camera sensor too which captures quite short pictures of even the more squirmy of subjects as well as respectable 4K footage.

In fact beyond the slightly garish design there's really not much to dislike about the poker X3 Pro it is proper lush and of course Poco smarthones as they were previously part of the Xiaomi family they do still use that MIUI launcher with all of its foibles, so just be awere. For more Poco goodness as well definitely check out the Poco X3 GT again a full review is live right now here on texpert which boasts the dimensionly 1100 chipset which you can blitz through any game out there including genjen impact you've also got the excellent Poco F3 from last year which you'll occasionally find dipping below that $400 price point when it's on sale and because it holds up so well i recently did a nine month review of the Poco F3 so definitely check that out for all you need to know.

4. Motorola Edge 20 Lite

Now Motorola is definitely another budget smartphone manufacturer well worth keeping an eye on and at this sort of price point one of their best efforts is the Motorola Edge 20 Lite which you can snaffle for just a penny under $400. This sports a mediatek dimensionally 720 chipset which means smooth performance whatever you're up to while the model can easily survive a lengthy day with its ruddy massive 5000mAh battery.

You've got another pocket fill in 6.7 inch display but it is an OLED screen with HDR 10+ support. Ideal for all your netflix and your disney plus in and such forth. Plus you've also got a headphone jack and you've got micro SD memory card support for expanding the 128 GB of built-in storage.

As for the camera tech that main sendor is a 108MP beast that uses pixel binning to produce brigh natural looking snaps. Its definitely one of the better offerings in this budget ford roundup so definitely if you can't get enough of snap in your food, your pets, your offspring, whatever well seriously consider it.

5. Realme 9 Pro & Pro +

Now another smartphone brand that often pumps out good quality devices that offer solid value for money at this sort of price point is real mean they've just launched the fresh new Realme 9 Pro. Sadly i am yet to review this blower and it doesn't offer an AMOLED screen unlike some rivals they can do with a 120hz IPS panel. We've got the Snapdragon 695 SOC run on the show which should once again offer smooth running. While a whopping grit 5000 miliamp battery should also give you all day play no worries.

Admittedly not super competitive specs compared with some of the competition that i've already brought up in this round up but i am a big fan of the slightly more expensive Realme 9 Pro Plus which boasts a fantastic 50MP main camera full AMOLED display action impressive longevity and a slick Android 12 experience bolstered with real MIUI's bonus features.

Now sadly the Realme 9 Pro Plus is going to be ever so slightly out of this budger price point when it hits the UK, but definitely keep an eye on that Realme website because they offer some good deals on their smartphones usually in just a couple of months after they've launched i've done a full review of this beast and it was absolutely fantasticl, so definitely check it out.

6. Samsung Galaxy M32

Now in 2022 even Samsung fans will find some Galaxy handsets for this $400 price point which still boasts a similar one UI experience to those waller MTN S22 flagships. Now these cheapy Galaxies can admit they be a bit of a mixed bag at best but one of the best ones you'll find at this price point that makes few compromises is the Samsung Galaxy M32.

First impressions on Amazon admittedly thanks to the plasticky design but peer past those cheap aesthetics and you can't help but adore the 6.4 inch super AMOLED screen, which is as bright punchy and gorgeous as any of their affordable rivals despite a lack of HDR support. That 90 hertz refresh rate matches a lot of the competition while you've also got a headphone jack, so you can get plug straight in and enjoy some really nice crisp sanding audio.

Performance comes courtesy of mediatek's helio G80 SOC which does occasionally stumble but it can generally cope with everyday existence. As long as you aren't much of a gamer that is and no sadly there is bugger or love for 5G one the flip side thought it is a highly energy efficient chipset, so that basically means that in combination with the mighty 5000 milliamp battery crammed inside of this thing you can enjoy all day play on the M32 without running out of juice.

Sumsung's one UI launcher is as lovable and features stuffed as always complete with the nox security suite to keep your privates out of the eyes of naughty criminal types. And i was certainly impressed by the 64 Meg main camera which can capture natural looking picks and great family snaps even in quite testing conditions.