If sticking to a budget is important, there are plenty of worthwhile phones for less than $300. But there's a big tradeoff. A phone with modern specs like an eye-catching design, better multitasking and even wireless charging might only get one major software update and three years of security updates. Some sub-$300 phones have a longer timeline of four years for software updates and five years of security updates. But those devices skimp on certain features, possibly leaving you wanting to upgrade sooner anyway. 

This is the dilemma I've been weighing after testing a variety of phones that cost less than $300. We take software and security timelines seriously in our reviews because these updates can dictate whether devices get new software features and critical fixes. Now that premium phones like the Samsung Galaxy S24 and the Pixel 8 are promised to get seven years of software and security updates, we'd like to see more affordable phones step up to at least four to five years.

However we're not there just yet. Most phones that cost $300 or less are shipping with a promise of one additional software update and three years of security updates. While Samsung is taking the opposite approach with its $200 Galaxy A15 5G and $300 Galaxy A25 5G, both of which get four years of software updates and five years of security updates, both of those phones already have a dated design and lack features found on comparable phones. 

That means shoppers have to contend with the very same decision I've been pondering over the last few months. Do you go with a more feature-packed phone, such as the $300 OnePlus Nord N30 5G, which has extremely fast wired charging and a 108-megapixel main camera? Or is it better to choose a more bare-bones phone like those in Samsung's Galaxy A series, which will get crucial software updates for years to come. And to make matters more confusing, what about an older device that's now available at a discount, such as the Google Pixel 6A? 

More features, but shorter updates

Motorola and OnePlus both offer $300 phones that are worthy of your time and attention.

This year's Moto G Power 5G is a looker, starting with its Pale Lilac vegan leather design. The entire Moto G line now makes use of this material, which results in an easier grip should you choose to not use the phone with a case. Motorola has also thrown 15-watt wireless charging into the mix, making it one of the cheapest phones to include this option. You'll get faster 30W speeds when plugging in the phone and charging it the old-fashioned way, but the flexibility to charge it without a cable is quite helpful -- and rare at this price. 

Last year's OnePlus Nord N30 5G has an attractive reflective design, which emphasizes its 108-megapixel main camera. It took decent photos when I reviewed it last year, but the real value feature was its 50-watt SuperVooc charger. Even though it's proprietary (meaning only the included charger achieves these speeds), it replenishes the battery up to 75% in 30 minutes -- a speed that most other phones do not achieve.

Both of these phones include a super smooth 120Hz refresh rate, NFC for contactless payments and processors that are fast enough for multitasking along with playing games. But unfortunately, both of these phones also have shorter update schedules, with the OnePlus phone already a year into its update timeline having received Android 14. While the N30 is still on sale, it's only getting two more years of security updates. Meanwhile Motorola's new Moto G Power 5G will at least get Android 15 at some point in the future and security updates through 2027.

Long lifespan, but a phone that's less fun

Samsung deserves recognition for extending the lifespan of its cheaper Galaxy A series phones. It's absolutely wonderful that both the $200 Galaxy A15 and the $300 Galaxy A25 will receive four years of software updates and five years of security updates. No competitor comes even close to that promise.

Yet I wish both phones were more fun. Samsung nailed the basics for both of these phones, with high-refresh displays, NFC contactless payments and powerful enough processors.

But compared to other similarly priced phones, Samsung's Galaxy A devices feel dull. Both are made of plastic and have a blocky notch rather than the sleeker cutout for the selfie camera found on most other competing phones. While Samsung's cheaper phones can handle essentials without issue, they struggle with simple multitasking. The A15 in particular loads consistently slow. While the A25 fared better with most tasks, it occasionally stutters when loading games or playing music while using a web browser and password manager simultaneously.

This makes the Galaxy A15 and Galaxy A25 completely adequate if all you want is a phone for communication that won't need replacing anytime soon. But I worry that you'll run into dead ends as apps and services develop over the coming years, especially if these phones are already easily overwhelmed.

Could Google's Pixel 6A be the low-budget champion?

You may have noticed that I didn't discuss the cameras on any of the previously mentioned phones. That's because while all of them feature at least 50-megapixel main cameras, none of them take particularly impressive photos. Yet Google's Pixel 6A remains available for sale, and now can occasionally be found for under $300.

Since it launched in 2022, it now only has one additional major guaranteed software update -- the upcoming Android 15 -- and three years of security updates. Pixel Feature Drops could add additional software features to the phone until July 2025, though.

Regardless of having a shorter software update period that's now similar to what Motorola provides, the Pixel 6A's 12.2-megapixel main camera is still impressive for the price. It runs on Google's old first generation Tensor processor and comes with many of the Pixel's flagship features like Magic Eraser for editing photos, Live Translate and other long-standing Pixel exclusives like Call Screening and Hold for Me. Even though the Pixel 6A will miss out on Google's newer and more advanced Gemini AI features, it's still a promising option even two years after its release. 

However, you won't get wireless charging or a headphone jack on the Pixel 6A, and its screen is smaller and dimmer than other phones mentioned in this story. But you will get decent software support.

How to decide the best option?

Your priorities matter most when choosing a budget phone. If you want the most features for an affordable price wrapped in an eye-catching design, consider phones from Motorola, Google and OnePlus.

However, if the most important reason for buying a cheaper phone is to avoid upgrading for as long as possible, you should consider Samsung's Galaxy A phones.

The irony is that you can't have both. The phone that gets updated for four years may not necessarily be the one you want to hang on to for four years.