Today, we’re going to talk about the best cheap smartphones that take excellent photos without breaking the bank. While flagship prices continue to rise, there is a huge market for affordable phones, many of which come equipped with fantastic cameras. You just need to know where to look — and that’s where we come in to help.
When purchasing a budget camera phone, you have two main options: either buy an older flagship from a well-known brand or opt for a less established manufacturer. In this list, we’ve included both choices. Defining a budget phone is subjective, but we consider any phone under $500 to be a budget camera phone. Therefore, we won’t include devices that cost more than that.
Let’s dive into some recommendations on what to look for in the best budget camera phones. First, the number of cameras. There’s a common trend where smartphone manufacturers add as many cameras as possible to their devices, but more cameras don’t necessarily mean better quality. You might find a phone with four lenses for $300, but you’ll likely never use them all, and they may not compare to a couple of higher-quality cameras.
Next, think about what you want to shoot. If you love landscapes, you’ll want an ultra-wide or telephoto lens if you’re hoping to capture wildlife. Or maybe you’re into macro photography, in which case you should look for a good macro lens, though these are rare in smartphones. Also, keep in mind that megapixels aren’t everything—108MP doesn’t always outperform 12MP. Many cameras with higher megapixels default to storing smaller image sizes, while some 12MP lenses take advantage of larger sensors to produce excellent results.
Some phones also offer advanced apps that allow you to adjust settings like white balance and exposure compensation. If these terms are unfamiliar, you might prefer a simpler device. For example, the Google Pixel 8 lets you control portrait mode and a few basic effects but limits your manual options. If you prefer doing everything yourself, the Sony Xperia 1 V is a great example of powerful manual control. Software plays a significant role—two phones can have the same image sensor but produce entirely different results, all due to the built-in software.
Let’s return to Google’s Pixel A series, which has always offered impressive camera capabilities for the price, but the Pixel 8a takes it to the next level. It uses the same chipset as the flagship Google Pixel 8 Pro, giving it an edge with the built-in Gemini AI.
Yesterday’s flagship is often a great deal this year, and the same applies to the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus. It features an excellent 50 MP main camera that benefits from optical image stabilization. This works alongside a 12 MP ultrawide camera and a 10 MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and stabilization, which is far superior to a tiny, ineffective macro camera.
The release of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra has led to a price drop for the Xiaomi 13T Pro, making it one of the most attractive affordable options for photography enthusiasts on the market right now. Not only does it come with a fairly substantial triple camera setup, but it also takes advantage of Leica’s engineering.
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo deserves a special mention. This phone features a 50 MP main camera and a 10 MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and a 30x superzoom. It performs excellently in low-light conditions and delivers impressive results for portrait photography, thanks to the available lens options of 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm.
Lastly, it’s impossible not to mention the Apple iPhone 12. For its price, it offers a highly capable dual-camera setup, consisting of a 12 MP f/1.6 wide-angle camera and a 12 MP f/2.4 ultra-wide camera. If you’ve used a more recent phone, it may feel a bit outdated, but the good news is that the photos produced by the iPhone 12 are still very respectable.