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The best budget phones of 2026

Roel4 FEBRUARY 2026
A group stands against a brick wall, each looking at a mobile phone held in their hands. They wear casual clothes.

Are you curious about the best cheap phones? There are a lot of phones on the market that don’t cost much but still do exactly what you’d expect from a smartphone. Think WhatsApp, browsing the internet, taking photos or keeping up with social media. Check out our top list to make your choice.

What is the best cheap phone?

English Hands gently hold a smartphone by a bright window, a finger poised on the glass screen as soft daylight reflects off the smooth surface.

Below you’ll find our list of the best cheap phones:

  • Best cheap smartphone under € 100: Xiaomi Redmi A5 (4G).
  • Best cheap Samsung phone: Samsung Galaxy A26 (5G).
  • Best cheap iPhone: iPhone 13 (5G).
  • Best cheap smartphone with a good camera: Samsung Galaxy A17 (4G).
  • Best cheap Android smartphone: Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 (4G).

The best budget-friendly smartphone naturally doesn’t cost a lot of money. Still, there are specific criteria you can keep in mind when looking for a good budget phone. For example, if you like taking great photos with your smartphone, you’ll look for an affordable option with a good camera. And if you’re a fan of a particular brand, such as Samsung or Apple, you’ll still have a choice of affordable models.

Check out our best value-for-money smartphones

Best cheap smartphone under € 100

Black Redmi A5 smartphone with large display, teardrop notch and on screen specs showing 32 MP AI dual camera, 6.88" screen and 5200 mAh battery.

The Xiaomi Redmi A5 has impressive specs for its price. With the dual camera you can take beautiful photos and videos both during the day and at night. The camera system on this Xiaomi Redmi is supported by AI to capture and edit images the way you want. It’s also easy on your eyes thanks to the large 6.88-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. All the content you watch plays smoothly. Even when gaming, this Xiaomi smartphone responds quickly to your actions. The large 5,200 mAh battery lasts up to 1.5 days with normal use and still delivers reliable performance even after 1,000 charging cycles. What’s more, you can secure this Xiaomi phone with the handy fingerprint sensor, so only you can access your data.

Pros and cons
+ Powerful dual camera system with AI support.
+ High refresh rate and fast responsiveness on a large display.
+ Large 5,200 mAh battery capacity for long-lasting use.
- 3 GB of RAM is relatively low for smooth performance.

View the Xiaomi Redmi A5 (4G)

Best cheap Samsung phone

English A slim black smartphone stands angled on a pale background, its bright screen showing soft green shapes and bold white Galaxy A26 5G text.

Fans of Samsung and budget-friendly phones will likely love the Samsung Galaxy A26. This Samsung smartphone combines an attractive price with powerful specifications. You get smart AI features, including advanced photo editing and Circle to Search. The 6.7-inch display with 120Hz ensures smooth visuals. The camera setup with the 50MP main camera takes great photos, while the powerful battery keeps your device running all day. The processor, combined with 6 GB of RAM, is powerful enough to handle everyday tasks smoothly and can even cope with medium-demanding games.

Pros and cons
+ The Galaxy A26 has the same (AI) technologies as Samsung’s more expensive smartphones.
+ High refresh rate (120Hz) always delivers smooth visuals.
+ Relatively powerful processor for a phone in this price range.
- Relatively little RAM for a smartphone in this price range.

View the Samsung Galaxy A26 (5G)

Best cheap iPhone

A sleek dark smartphone stands with its back facing camera, another behind it shows a vivid gradient display on a clean light background.

Apple fans looking for the best affordable iPhone will quickly end up with the iPhone 13. Now that several newer iPhone generations have been released, the iPhone 13 has dropped in price – while you still benefit from the ease of use, smart features, good camera and powerful processor you expect from iPhones. The iPhone 13 has a bright Super Retina display, so you’ll see plenty of detail when you put on Netflix or YouTube. With Cinematic Mode, you can capture beautiful videos and photos on the iPhone 13.

Pros and cons
+ Display technology delivers crisp detail in your content.
+ Powerful camera with smart features for high-quality videos and photos.
+ Strong processor can handle demanding apps too.
- Photos taken in very bright light may be lower in quality.

View the iPhone 13 (5G)

Best cheap smartphone with a good camera

Black Samsung Galaxy A17 4G phone with triple rear camera column and a bright blue display showing the text Galaxy A17 4G vertically in white.

You don’t always need to pay top price for a smartphone with a decent camera – the Samsung Galaxy A17 proves it. This phone is equipped with a triple camera system with 3 different types of lenses: wide-angle, ultra-wide-angle and macro. From panoramas to close-up details: you can take good photos at any distance with this phone. In addition, this Galaxy A smartphone features optical image stabilisation for sharp photos and video recordings. The Galaxy A17 also comes with Google Gemini as your personal assistant and has a vibrant 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display for viewing your content.

Pros and cons
+ Powerful triple camera system with different lenses.
+ Optical image stabilisation for clear images.
+ Google Gemini as a personal assistant.
- Video can be recorded up to Full HD resolution only.

View the Samsung Galaxy A17 (4G)

Best cheap Android smartphone

Black Redmi Note 14 smartphone with front and back view, tall display showing grey spec icons and a large rounded triple camera module on rear.

If you’re looking for a budget phone that runs on Android and offers quality, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 is a great choice. This smartphone has a powerful AI camera system, with the standout feature being the 108MP main camera. It has an f/1.7 aperture for razor-sharp photos. You can also use the camera to record simultaneously with the front and rear cameras. You can edit images during and after taking photos and videos with various AI tools. This Xiaomi Redmi Note has a durable, scratch-resistant design thanks to Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and is splash-resistant. The powerful 5,500 mAh battery lasts at least 1 day but especially stands out thanks to its support for 33W turbo charging.

Pros and cons
+ A 108MP main camera with AI image-editing features.
+ Durable and scratch-resistant to keep the design looking good.
+ Powerful 5,500 mAh battery with modern fast-charging technology.
- The smartphone isn’t fully water resistant if it falls into water.

View the Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 (4G)

The best budget smartphones at MediaMarkt

A relaxed woman sits cross-legged on a teal sofa, holding a turquoise phone, smiling thoughtfully amid bright cushions in a cosy living room.

A good smartphone doesn’t have to be expensive. Choose a cheap phone that meets your everyday needs: messaging, browsing the internet, taking photos and keeping up with social media. Keep your specific preferences in mind too, such as a good camera or a particular brand. If your budget is under € 100, for example, the Xiaomi Redmi A5 with 64 GB of storage is a great option. Samsung fans can go for the Galaxy A26 with powerful specifications and AI technologies. Apple users choose the iPhone 13 for reliable performance. Android fans will love the Xiaomi Redmi Note 14. If photography is your priority, the Galaxy A17 is an excellent choice for the price it offers.

Also view our best smartphones

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