Finest for battery life, however nothing else
Motorola Moto G Play (2023)
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Telephones that value beneath $200 have gotten extra useful than they had been previously. The most recent telephones on this value vary, just like the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G, are beginning to incorporate 5G help for sooner information and NFC for contactless funds. Different telephones, like Motorola’s Moto G Stylus, have gotten higher media machines, offering stereo audio system to enhance audio high quality whereas together with cameras that take first rate pictures.
But these cheaper telephones do have various noticeable trade-offs: They normally run slower than dearer telephones, and whereas they’ll normally ship with the newest model of Android, there is likely to be solely a brief window of safety replace help. That final challenge is especially vital to remember when purchasing on this value vary, because it’s dangerous to make use of a telephone that is not being protected in opposition to safety vulnerabilities by its producer.
Whereas we would not think about any of those picks to be productiveness machines, these telephones are seemingly going to be extra helpful than you’d count on for the worth. Plus, a few of these units may find yourself being “free” when signing up with a telephone service’s subsidization program — normally requiring a two-year dedication with a purpose to get the associated fee coated.
What’s the perfect telephone beneath $200?
The $200 Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is our present high decide for the perfect telephone beneath $200. That is largely due to its inclusion of 5G help for sooner information, NFC help for contactless funds, and a reasonably beneficiant software program and safety help timeline in contrast with different telephones on this value vary. Samsung shall be offering two years of software program updates and 5 years of safety updates to the Galaxy A14 5G, making it a telephone that may be safely used for a number of years in the event you select to.
Nonetheless we’re not loopy about its images, and if that is extra vital to you than 5G, you must also check out the $200 Moto G Stylus for its higher digicam high quality.
If you happen to want a telephone that is even cheaper, we’re additionally maintaining across the $160 Galaxy A03S on this listing. That gadget continues to be being supported by Samsung, however remember that it has solely a tiny 32GB of space for storing.
Finest telephones beneath $200 of 2024
The $200 Samsung Galaxy A14 5G is without doubt one of the most useful telephones beneath $200 out there proper now. Although it is at a budget-friendly value, this Samsung telephone consists of 5G help for sooner information and NFC for contactless funds utilizing Google Pockets. Whereas each of these inclusions are highlights for this value vary, Samsung can also be planning to help the Galaxy A14 with two years of software program updates and 5 years of safety updates, making it a telephone that shall be secure to make use of for a number of years.
Nonetheless it’s best to nonetheless remember that the telephone does have trade-offs to hit its $200 value. It has a colorless design, a slower processor and combined images efficiency. But regardless of its points, the options it does embrace make it a simple advice in the event you’re shopping for the telephone outright or if it is provided free of charge with a service subsidy deal.
The $200 Moto G Stylus would not have 5G however as an alternative features a built-in stylus together with an honest 50-megapixel predominant digicam. The Stylus did a pleasant job taking pictures whereas I used to be in quite a lot of environments, together with indoors and outside. I notably loved the telephone’s tackle Portrait mode, and it captured a transparent photograph of the plant wall in CNET’s New York workplace that I exploit for photograph testing. The 6.5-inch 720p show can also be in a position to run at a constant 90Hz refresh price, offering easy animations whereas navigating apps and studying web sites.
The telephone is in any other case let down by Motorola’s software program and safety replace coverage for its G sequence of telephones, masking just one software program replace and three years of safety updates. That, mixed with the shortage of 5G or NFC, imply that whereas it is an ideal selection for higher footage, there are a variety of how this telephone may grow to be left behind because the years cross. However in the event you’re planning on utilizing this telephone for less than two to 3 years, you possibly can get quite a lot of worth out of this gadget.
Samsung’s Galaxy A03S at $160 (roughly £126, AU$240) may nonetheless be an ideal match for somebody searching for the most affordable potential telephone that may deal with most important duties. The telephone’s 6.5-inch display screen, capped at 720p decision, is succesful for studying the information, watching movies and taking part in video games. Regardless of some efficiency lag discovered throughout our evaluation, the telephone is nice at multitasking. However the telephone’s tiny 32GB of space for storing may refill quick, so in the event you’re contemplating this telephone, it might be worthwhile to consider increasing the storage with a microSD card.
The A03S, first launched final yr, is getting 4 years of safety updates, which means that there are nonetheless three left. It is much less clear what number of Android model updates are scheduled, and in contrast to the newer A14, it would not have 5G help or NFC. Whereas these two advantages together with the A14’s 64GB of inner storage are value the additional $30 value improve, you possibly can nonetheless get some mileage out of the A03S in the event you’re merely searching for the most affordable Samsung telephone potential.
The $170 Moto G Play’s finest function is how its 5,000-mAh battery can stretch itself to 3 days of battery life. Nonetheless, past that, it is vital to reveal that this gadget is without doubt one of the extra irritating telephones for beneath $200.
The telephone’s MediaTek Helio G37 processor and 3GB of RAM had a difficult time loading apps, and its 32GB of area will get stuffed up rapidly. The telephone does embrace a microSD card slot for storage growth. Pictures was additionally constantly fuzzy, and the $160 A03S simply outdid the Moto G Play in my images check.
Regardless of releasing in 2023, the Moto G Play ships with Android 12 and can obtain just one software program replace to Android 13. It’ll additionally obtain three years of safety updates, which is commonplace for Motorola’s G sequence of telephones.
In the end, whereas I’m together with this telephone on the listing because of its long-lasting battery — which is probably because of how underpowered this telephone feels — I might sooner level you to every other telephone on this listing earlier than selecting the Moto G Play.
Each telephone on this listing has been completely examined by CNET’s knowledgeable opinions workforce. We truly use the telephone, check the options, play video games and take pictures. We assess any advertising guarantees that an organization makes about its telephones. And if we discover one thing we do not like, be it battery life or construct high quality, we inform you all about it.
We look at each facet of a telephone throughout testing:
- Show
- Design and really feel
- Processor efficiency
- Battery life
- Digicam high quality
- Options
We check all of a telephone’s cameras (each back and front) in quite a lot of circumstances: from outside beneath daylight to dimmer indoor locales and nighttime scenes (for any out there evening modes). We additionally evaluate our findings in opposition to equally priced fashions. We run a sequence of real-world battery checks to see how lengthy a telephone lasts beneath on a regular basis use.
We take into consideration extra telephone options, like 5G, fingerprint and face readers, styluses, quick charging, foldable shows, and different helpful extras. And, after all, we weigh all of our experiences and testing in opposition to the worth, so whether or not a telephone represents good worth.
Learn extra: How we check telephones
Attempt it before you purchase it: It is one factor to ogle over a telephone, but it surely’s one other to really attempt it out in a retailer.
Resolve on Android or iPhone: Do you’ve got quite a lot of iPhone apps and Apple subscriptions? Follow an iPhone. Likewise, in the event you’ve invested in a great deal of Android apps, you may wish to keep on that facet of the fence. In any other case, it is easy sufficient to swap platforms.
Choose a very powerful function: Is it display screen dimension? Digicam high quality? Battery life? This can assist slim down your decisions.
Samsung Galaxy A14 5G vs. Motorola Moto G Stylus (2023) vs. Samsung Galaxy A03S vs. Motorola Moto G Play (2023)
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| Samsung Galaxy A14 5G | Moto G Stylus (2023) | Samsung Galaxy A03S | Moto G Play (2023) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Show dimension, decision | 6.6-inch FHD+ LCD show, (2,408 x 1,080 pixels), 90Hz | 6.5-inch IPS LCD; 1,600×720; 90Hz refresh price | 6.5-inch HD+ LCD (720×1,600 pixels) | 6.5-inch IPS TFT LCD; 1,600×720 pixels; 90Hz refresh price |
| Pixel density | 399 ppi | 269 ppi | 269 ppi | 269 ppi |
| Dimensions (inches) | 6.6 x 3.07 x 0.36 in. | 6.41 x 2.9 x 0.36 in. | 6.5 x 2.9 x 0.3 in. | 6.58 x 2.95 x 0.36 in. |
| Dimensions (millimeters) | 167.7 x 78 x 9.1 mm | 162.8 x 73.8 x 9.2 mm | 165.8 x 75.9 x 9.1 mm | 167 x 77 x 9.4 mm |
| Weight (grams, ounces) | 204 g (7.19 oz.) | 202 g (7.13 oz.) | 202 g (7.13 oz.) | 203 g (7.16 oz.) |
| Cell software program | Android 13 | Android 13 | Android 11 | Android 12 |
| Digicam | 50-megapixel (predominant), 2-megapixel (macro), 2-megapixel (depth) | 50-megapixel (predominant), 2-megapixel (macro) | 13-megapixel (large), 2-megapixel (depth), 2-megapixel (macro) | 16-megapixel (predominant), 2-megapixel (macro), 2-megapixel (depth sensor) |
| Entrance-facing digicam | 13-megapixel | 8-megapixel | 5-megapixel | 5-megapixel |
| Video seize | 1080p at 30fps | 1080p at 30/60 fps | FHD (1920×1080 at 30fps) | 1080p at 30 fps |
| Processor | MediaTek MT6833V | MediaTek Helio G85 | Octa-core processor | MediaTek Helio G37 |
| RAM/Storage | 4GB + 64GB | 4GB + 64GB; 4GB + 128GB | 3GB/32GB | 3GB + 32GB |
| Expandable storage | Sure | Sure | As much as 1TB | Sure |
| Battery/Charger | 5,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh (15W charging) | 5,000 mAh (charger not included, doesn’t help wi-fi charging) | 5,000 mAh (10W charging) |
| Fingerprint sensor | Aspect | Aspect | Aspect | Rear |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headphone jack | Sure | Sure | Sure | Sure |
| Particular options | 5G-enabled, NFC, 15W charging | Stylus, Moto Gestures | 3-day battery life, Moto Gestures, Auto Smile Seize, Portrait Mode |
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