Best US market phones of 2023 - buyer’s guide

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is Apple's current best iPhone and we think it’s the best phone you can buy in the US. It has a ProMotion 120Hz display, now with an Always-on option, a redesigned notch that’s now a feature called Dynamic Island, and a more prominent camera upgrade with a 48MP sensor for the main camera with 2x lossless zoom, a better ultrawide camera, and an improved selfie one with autofocus.

The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max offers amazing dust and water resistance, plus its Ceramic Shield is incredibly crack proof. Of course, the latest iPhone is unmatched when it comes to performance. If you are an iPhone type of person, the 14 Pro Max is a no-brainer. If you are after the best flagship - that's also this iPhone 14 Pro Max but you should be willing to give Apple iOS a chance. It's not bad, it's just different.

All of these apply to the regular Pro, in fact. It's up to you to decide which size suits you best. No matter the hardware differences, you will still get the same experience. Got to love Apple for that.

The Galaxy Z Fold4 is among the best smartphones right now and it has the wow factor and unique looks. Sure, there are other foldables, but the Fold is the only one that’s available everywhere and is jam-packed with features.

The Galaxy Z Fold4 offers Samsung’s best displays and chipset, some of the best cameras, and it even supports S-Pen if that’s your thing. And being a foldable tablet surely puts it ahead of the competition for its versatility and usability.

Indeed, those who are after productivity are unlikely to find a superior package than the Fold4 - in smartphone or smartphone-like form, that is. The combination of the new Android for large screens, Samsung's proprietary One UI add-ons, and the stylus support, is simply unrivaled.

The Fold4 all-round excellence continue with its speakers, battery life, connectivity. In fact. The only things that fail to impress on this Fold4 are the charging speed and the still present screen crease.

Ultimately though, these are small enough as to be largely immaterial and Galaxy Z Fold4 is the best flagship right now.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra is one of the best phones right now with pretty much everything you could think of wanting in a smartphone.

If we had to start with the things you can't get here, we'd have to mention that it doesn't bend in half - there's another Galaxy that takes care of that. Naysayers will also point out that it charges too slowly, but that's relative - it's notably better in this respect than iPhone or Pixel competitors, which is arguably what matters. Maybe the Ultra's worst offence is that it's not all that different than last year's model.

That said, the S23 Ultra offers a couple of incremental upgrades here or there, while keeping the basics that already made the S22 Ultra superb. Small tweaks in the design bring meaningful improvement to handling, while the new 200MP camera is more than just a megapixel increase over the old 108MP unit.

The new camera is just one in a set of five and together they deliver possibly the most capable camera system in a smartphone overall. The S Pen may not have brought any new features, but existing ones are plenty and it's not like there's any stylus-wielding competition. The spectacular display and excellent battery life round up a top-class showing when it comes to the fundamentals too.

The iPhone 14 Pro is the smaller Pro model, which has everything the Max has, but battery life due to the smaller battery capacity. It is still one of the two best iPhones in 2022. We’ve already explored the Max here in this chapter, but in case you need a refresh – the iPhone 14 Pro, and Max, offer some of the best screens, cameras, designs, and chipsets on the market right now.

So, if you are after the latest iPhone but don’t want to get the Max, the regular Pro would serve you well, too.

The Motorola Edge+ (2022), also known as Edge 30 Pro across the European markets, has unique selling points but also some notable shortcomings. On the first list is the 144Hz display - we can appreciate the smoothness but can't quite see it as a substantial advantage over the 120Hz of the competition. We do appreciate the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 hardware, of course.

We also enjoyed the 'stock' Android 12 build, sweetened by Moto enhancements and we can even come up with use cases for the 'ready for' platform. It's in those cases that the latest-gen Snapdragon comes in handy and it doesn't hurt that the Edge 30 Pro shows one of its more stable implementations that we've seen.

The lack of a telephoto camera stands out and it's compounded by all too simple video recording capabilities. Slight missteps in the display and battery departments, while hardly dealbreakers, place the Edge 30 Pro in a somewhat trailing position. Add to that the missing waterproofing in a sea of properly sealed competitors and some odd choices in the BoM and the phone isn't looking very premium either.

With all that said, the Motorola Edge+ / 30 Pro isn't a bad package. On the contrary, it's a balanced offering that's easy to recommend.

The Galaxy Z Flip went from a fashion-centric device to a full-blown flagship in just a couple of generations. The Flip4 is what the Flip3 should have been from the get-go - a powerful foldable smartphone with excellent camera performance, decent battery life and charging speed.

And indeed, we can say a lot of positive things about the new Z Flip4 - it has a superb water-proofed design that will hit the nostalgia notes across many users. It's a compact flip phone, one that clicks simply great.

The Z Flip4 offers an excellent AMOLED screen, good battery life, good charging speed, and the speakers are nice. It also packs the most powerful Android chip to date, though the thermals lead to throttling. And the camera performance is superb across the board, photo and video, day and night.

We consider the Flip4 as the most affordable foldable smartphone of the current generation, one of the most compact, too. And for its reasonable price, it delivers an outstanding set of features.

It's not an ideal smartphone - it takes a while to get used to its design and form factor. Then you need to live with the crease and the plastic screen protector over the screen. Dust gets in various places, too. But we are recommending it to people who'd like to own a unique phone, small, and yet powerful and capable; to users that will take it with all of its good and not so good aspects

Pixels have historically lacked mainstream appeal, and the lack of truly global availability is no small part of why that is so. This year, the list of countries with official Pixel presence has been expanded to 16, and maybe that will drive sales numbers up, even if a lot of the world will still be missing out.

And there's quite a lot to be missing out on. The camera system is the single biggest Pixel 7 Pro selling point that comes to mind, and it brings some welcome improvements, even if a bit modest. That, of course, comes on top of what is a hard to quantify character that you simply can't get on anything that's not a Pixel.

The Pixel 7 Pro is certainly not the best flagship right now - battery life is markedly worse than on a current iPhone, and a Galaxy will likely get you better longevity too. Neither Apple nor Samsung are industry leaders in charging speed, but Google has become an industry... trailer? Two hours for a full charge can turn into an actual issue in day-to-day use, we reckon.

But as far as consistently good and reliable photo and video quality is concerned, the Pixel is one of the best. It is a compelling package that can easily win over other brand loyalists if given a chance, and the enticing pricing helps a lot.

The iPhone 14 Plus is one of the best iPhones Apple has ever made, as usual. It does exactly what it is supposed to do - offering the non-Pro experience on a larger display. A big bonus from the new size is the larger battery capacity and hence - the better battery life.

The iPhone 14 Plus is one of the lightest 6.7-inch smartphones around with a flagship-grade design, screen, speakers, battery life, performance and video quality. Meanwhile, its new cameras, including the AF-capable selfie one, are as controversial as usual - it's like their quality hasn't changed for generations because of the heavy processing and over-sharpening.

Still, this iPhone 14 Plus finds its way to the hearts and pockets of people despite the lack of a high refresh rate screen or zoom camera. A lot of users won't mind this. It is well worth considering if you don't need the extra features that the Pro models bring.

The iPhone 13 Pro is still one of the best iPhones with standout features like the 120Hz ProMotion display, the large main camera sensor and the improved ultrawide camera capable of excellent macro photography.

This 13 Pro model offers water and dust-proofing and Ceramic Shield for increased resistance to drops and scratches. The chipset powering up the handset is one of the most powerful solutions on the market. It's mostly about the OS, though, as iOS might not be everyone's cup of coffee, but given how popular iPhones in the US are, we have a feeling most of the users won't mind it. In case the 14 Pro Max and 13 Pro Max are too big for you, and you are in for a high-end iPhone but don’t want to spend as much, the 13 Pro seems like a logical choice.

OnePlus 10 Pro is the company’s last year flagship and it’s one of the best phones you can get right now for $550 when sold with an official discount (happens often, MSRP is still $900). It comes with an outstanding LTPO2 OLED display, superb sustained performance, and offers reliable camera performance. The best part – the phone is water-resistant for the US market!

Surely, some of you may prefer the newer OnePlus 11 as it's the company's current flagship, but it costs $700 right now, doesn't have wireless charging, has shorter zoom reach and the ultrawide camera on 10 Pro is somewhat better. And besides, OnePlus promises at least three years of major software updates so last year's flagship will remain relevant for a couple more years.

The 10 Pro is certainly a strong contender, but that might depend on who you ask. If you're looking to buy into an expansive ecosystem, you might want to look elsewhere. Otherwise, the 10 Pro does have a capable all-around camera with enough features to keep photographers and casual picture-takers happy while also catering to content creators who appreciate a color-accurate display.

What the S23+ offers is a solid and dependable Samsung flagship experience with all of the bells and whistles. Samsung has delivered an all-around great device with the S23+. Hardly a surprise, given the company's pedigree and the fact that the S23+ really isn't all that different from its S22+ predecessor. Dare we say it's even a bit boring, but not in a bad way, but rather in a dependable manner, if that makes any sense.

The S23+ features an excellent build with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and the IP68 ingress protection rating we've gotten used to from Samsung. Its display, while not drastically different from the previous generation, still has plenty of brightness to throw around and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate with excellent automatic refresh rate handling.

Battery life is also excellent this generation, in no small part due to the move to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy mobile platform. What is essentially an overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip is currently the best the Android world has to offer. Not just in terms of efficiency but also raw performance. The Galaxy S23+ easily tops performance charts and chews through each and every task. One UI 5.1 is extra smooth and responsive thanks to added refinement and polish and is still filled to the brim with useful features, including a powerful multitasking system and the Samsung DeX platform.

Speaking of connectivity, the S23+ has almost every modern bell and whistle, including UWB support. Its stereo speakers are nothing short of excellent too. And so is the camera setup. It is the definition of a great point-and-shoot device. Photos look great across the board on the first try and with amazing consistency from shot to shot.

Honestly, we have very few gripes with the S23+. One of these is the 8-bit color depth of the display. Competitors already manage to offer 10-bit and even 12-bit color in this price segment. Also, for better or worse, Samsung is still sticking to its established battery charging rates which are starting to look slower and slower compared to what the competition is offering. Plus, you don't get a charger in the box.

While it originally launched with a pricy starting MSRP of $1,000 and €1,200 in the US and Europe, respectively, the S23+ has been coming down in price nicely in both markets, making it even more competitive and a great choice for anyone after a true 2023 flagship.

The iPhone 14 is very much a familiar affair. It is an incremental upgrade over last year's model. It has a major internal redesign that makes it more easily repairable, particularly a back panel or a display swap is now much less of a pain. The iPhone 14 has only a slightly larger battery pack but notably better battery life and even faster charging. The chipset is last year's A15 Bionic, but with five GPU cores, 6GB of RAM (50% more), Bluetooth 5.3, a more energy-efficient Qualcomm 5G modem, new satellite connectivity for SOS messages and new Crash Detection.

The camera department has a new larger 12MP main camera with a 1/1.65" sensor, 1.9-micron pixels, a new 12MP ultrawide and a new 12MP, f/1.9 selfie camera now with autofocus onboard. There is also the new Action Mode video stabilization, 4K Cinematic mode at 30 fps and a new Photonic Engine for better low-light photos.

It's not an insignificant list of changes once you really dig in. Some are obviously more impactful than others, and it will be up to the individual user to judge what constitutes enough reason for an upgrade. The way we see it, anybody on an iPhone 13 has little to no incentive to jump ship. Unless you really need autofocus on your selfie cam, all of those other camera improvements only realistically result in shorter capture times in low light. We would even go as far as to say that iPhone 12 users shouldn't feel too tempted by the 14 and can hold off upgrading for at least another year.

If you are running any iPhone older than that and you are looking to upgrade, then the iPhone 14 is nothing short of a solid and dependable way to go. Sure, it is a bit on the boring side in more ways than one, but you definitely know what you are getting into. For the more adventurous or frugal, there is also the option of picking up an iPhone 13 and potentially banking on some extended software support now that the A15 Bionic has gotten a new lease on life in the iPhone 14. Either way, you will be getting a great phone for the years to come.

The OnePlus 11 is a perfect fit as a top pick here for its excellent LTPO3 OLED screen, the newest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 under the hood, long battery life, blazing-fast charging, a nice set of stereo speakers and the full set of cameras, including a nice 2x zoom unit. Surely, 2x zoom doesn't really cut it in 2023, but it's a rare find in this price bracket.

In short, for $700, the handset delivers pretty much everything you'd need from a high-end phone, except wireless charging. That's where the 11 comes short. The state of the software is also a bit of a let down, especially for OnePlus die-hard fans. OxygenOS is not the one we remember and it's replaced by Oppo's ColorOS, despite what the marketing says.

As the price settles with time, the OnePlus 11 will become even more desirable, especially in the context of rising smartphone prices in 2023.

As we mentioned as part of our iPhone 14 entry, the iPhone 13 is an equally attractive offer as it is almost an identical phone, cheaper at that. The iPhone 13, just like the 14, does lack a high refresh rate screen – its most notable omission. But the iPhone 13 is still one of the most durable and powerful phones on the market, yet lightweight and comfortable. The OLED screen is great; it has reduced though still huge notch, offers outstanding contrast and brightness, Dolby Vision and HDR10 support.

The iPhone 13 has the powerful Apple chip with 5G, there is also latest Apple dual-camera with Cinematic mode, you get stereo speakers, fast charging, and even MagSafe support.

The Asus Zenfone 9 is probably among the best compact Android flagship you can get. It has commendable qualities across the board. It's built as flagship as it can be - IP68 rating, GG Victus front and a metal frame. There is the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 5G chip with great performance. The camera quality turned out brilliant, no matter day or night, photo or video, or the type of camera you are using.

That's not all. The Zenfone 9 impressed us with its speakers quality, the excellent OLED, and rich connectivity options, including a 3.5mm jack.

Finally, the Zenfone 9 may be a flagship, but its price of $700 is quite reasonable by today’s standards.

The Pixel 7 is definitely one of the best options in the $600 price range, especially when considering camera quality. It has a flagship-worthy performance, although a bit lower than you'd expect; it's one of the best phones for mobile photography, if not the best-in-class, and it has bright OLED, great-sounding stereo speakers, long battery life (with the size category in mind) and exceptional software ensuring timely updates and smart features.

Sadly, there are a few caveats to consider here. There's no true telephoto camera; the display is limited to 90Hz; some of the most advanced software features are region-dependent, and the charging solution is just way too outdated for a 2022 flagship release.

But we do recommend it- at that price, the Pixel 7 offers a unique combination of ultra-premium camera experience, long battery life and AI-based features that make it the smartest kid on the block.

The OnePlus 10T is a $500 ($600 when not discounted) smartphone with large Fluid AMOLED screen with 1B colors and 120hz refresh. It also packs the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset with proper cooling solution that helps for great sustained performance.

Of course, there is more. The phone has a reliable enough camera system, good battery life and plenty fast 150W charging. The stereo speakers turned out quite nice, too.

It’s not all so flagship-grade, through – the camera system is so-so, there is no zoom camera, no IP rating, and the press images have already revealed the absence of the alert slider. That last bit, coupled with the fact that OnePlus and Oppo Android overlays have been steadily converging, may also put off long-time fans of the brand.

In its essence, the OnePlus 10T is an upper-midrange phone with a top-tier chipset and class-leading charging capability. We'd say it's priced accordingly and is worth what OnePlus is asking.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G is a brilliant smartphone with top-notch features. It excels in the most critical departments - display, performance, camera, speakers, software, even design. For that - it's a great smartphone.

But it's just not a Fan Edition, not like the S20 FE. For a phone that's supposed to cater to the fans, ditching the charger and the microSD slot does not make sense. And it doesn't bring any substantial camera updates, not even AF for selfies or ultrawide, though the improved photo quality could be arguably enough.

The Galaxy S21 FE price has dropped low enough and this phone does get our recommendation – it offers excellent bang for its buck and premium quality across the board.

The Motorola Edge (2022) is available for $600 in US, $500 if you get it on sale. And it’s an incredibly attractive deal – the Edge has a smooth 144Hz OLED screen, powerful enough Dimensity 1050 5G chipset, and good triple-camera on the back with a 50MP OIS primary.

The Motorola Edge (2022) also offers loud stereo speakers, like most of the Moto phones, one large battery and a variety of charging options including wireless.

Finally, being a Moto, also guarantees a clean Android experience and a couple of major updates in the future.

Even if there is no iPhone 14 mini, probably waiting to be announced as the next iPhone SE, the Apple iPhone 13 mini remains the most compact yet flagship phone you can buy today. It is a smaller version of the iPhone 13 and it's lost nothing. The most important updates over the 12 mini are the larger battery capacity, the smaller screen notch, and the doubled base storage. We sure don't think iPhone 12 mini owners should update, but we do consider the 13 mini as the best compact phone there is right now.

The iPhone 13 mini packs a 5.4" OLED screen of 1080p resolution and the powerful Apple A15 chip with 5G connectivity! It has the same dual-camera as the regular iPhone 13, complete with sensor-shift stabilization, Night Mode and Dolby Vision video capturing. It also enjoys loud stereo speakers and improved battery life. Another best bits - the mini is one of the most durable phones to date as it has the same Ceramic Shield and IP68 water proofing as the standard and Pro models.

The iPhone 13 mini is the best compact smartphone to date, and we wholeheartedly recommend it.

The $500 Motorola Moto Edge 30 Fusion is our top pick for an all-around smartphone in this category. It sports a very classy design that just exudes a premium aura in so many ways, be it for its symmetry of lines or choice of materials and finishes. Beneath that gorgeous exterior is some great hardware, including an impressive 10-bit, HDR10+, 144Hz AMOLED display with excellent brightness and some of the most functional and dynamic high refresh rate handling around.

The Snapdragon 888+ is still a great performer, with plenty of CPU and GPU power to throw around, despite some minor benchmarking hiccups which we encountered. It is surprisingly efficient, too, managing a solid 101-hour total endurance rating from the decently-sized 4,400 mAh. Standard Power Delivery charging is truly great to see, and so is the "ready for" platform that allows for heaps of extra PC-like functionality through the phone's Type-C port beyond just snappy charging.

The hybrid stereo speaker setup is another highlight of the experience, and we have plenty of praise to give out to the camera setup. The main cam, ultrawide and selfie all have excellent autofocus that really elevates the latter two's capabilities. The camera experience is great all around.

Of course, the Edge 30 Fusion is not a perfect device by any means. We really wish Motorola went through the trouble to get a higher ingress protection rating. The lack of a telephoto camera is another shortcoming, and so is the absence of expandable storage.

All things considered, we liked the Motorola Edge 30 Fusion a lot. It's a great phone that should seamlessly fit into most lifestyles and meet anything but the most specific and stringent requirements. It's an honest, well-rounded phone that does not rely on any specific gimmick to stand out but instead works hard to seamlessly blend in as any great tool should. We give it a hearty recommendation, it’s a nicely balanced offer, especially at that attractive pricing.

Following up on the Galaxy A52s was no easy task for the A53, and last year's Galaxy A5x model left us unimpressed. The A54 puts the series back on the right track, we reckon. We're getting a more powerful chipset than last year (though, admittedly, it's roughly on par with the two-year-old A52s), improved battery life, and an even nicer display.

The somewhat generic styling may not be overly eye-catchy, but it does quickly reveal your brand allegiance, and it can easily pass for the brand's flagship too. The dust and water protection rating is almost flagshippy too, and not a given at this price point.

The brand-new primary camera is a significant step up from the A53's, and it's one of the best units of its kind for the class, possibly even punching above its weight. The selfie camera takes great photos too, and the not-so-impressive ultrawide does the job.

That is, so long as you don't need it for video. Add to that the lack of stabilization in 4K, and the A54's viability as a video camera is more than slightly shaken. The fact that you don't get a charger in the box still rubs us the wrong way, and as good as the new chipset may be, it only brings us back to the level the series was at two years ago.

All things considered, we are quite liking the Galaxy A54. It's a meaningful generational improvement and a competent midrange package.

Apple released a new SE in 2022 and it's among our top picks for its incredibly compact and lightweight body. It's hardly perfect though, but Apple has the iPhone 13 mini and 12 mini for those seeking perfection. So, the SE has a dated a form factor introduced years ago and reuses a lot of the iPhone 8 bits. That means a single camera, a small battery, giant screen bezels and - TouchID.

The best bit about the iPhone SE 2022, outside its incredibly compact and lightweight body, is the chipset – it employs the Apple A15 Bionic chip with 5G, the same one behind the latest iPhone 13 generation. The A15 chip is more powerful than even the beefiest Android, and it'll remain capable for years to come, during which time it'll keep getting software updates - the iOS way. It's a very affordable entry into that iOS world too.

Then there's the Pixel 6a 5G that’s quite the deal. It packs a compact HDR OLED screen, offers excellent performance and top-notch camera quality via the dual-camera system on the back. The phone is also IP67-rated for dust and water resistance.

The Pixels are among the first phones to get the new Android versions, which is nice. The only issue we have with this 6a model is the lack of a high refresh rate support for the screen.

The Galaxy A53 is a very good offer even if it’s a downgrade since the Galaxy A52s. The A53 is now competitively priced and offers IP67-rated design, a great 120Hz Super AMOLED screen, snappy performance with 5G, a reliable versatile camera setup with OIS.

The Galaxy A53 supports up to 25W fast charging, but the charger is sold separately. The missing Wi-Fi 6 and audio jack from the A52s are baffling. But even with these, it is one solid allrounder and deserves a spot on this list.

The Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) can be found at about $300 and it’s an outstanding mid-range phone with a 120Hz display, good performance and incredibly reliable camera. The large battery is a thumbs up, too.

The Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) also offers clean no-nonsense Android experience. IF you can find this phone at about $300, you should get it.

Motorola's One 5G Ace, also available as Motorola's One 5G UW Ace for Verizon handset is a recently discounted powerful smartphone with the same Snapdragon 750G SoC and a big 6.7-inch HDR10-compliant screen. It definitely gives these Samsungs a run for their money. It has a powerful, unrivaled Snapdragon 750G chipset for the money, a big 6.7-inch display, HDR10 at that, and a solid 5,000 mAh battery to run all that.

The One 5G Ace uses the same camera setup as its rivals and doesn't miss on the microSD card, NFC and 3.5mm audio jack. More importantly, in typical Motorola fashion, the company made it splash-resistant - a nice bonus to have when buying a budget handset these days. And in case you are wondering, yes, the One 5G Ace works with Verizon, you just have to get the UW Ace version of the phone. It's the same phone but compatible with Verizon's 5G network.

In the context of the US market, OnePlus is in a great position with T-Mobile and Metro to be offering smartphones in its Nord lineup that are well-equipped and intended for the pre-paid market. The Nord N20 brings a great AMOLED screen with in-display scanner, excellent battery life, all packed in an attractive and sleek plastic body.

Overall, the Nord N20 is a well-equipped device with enough features to satisfy the above-average smartphone user. It plays games very well - with minimal throttling - and it yields excellent battery life. Not to mention, it charges up very quickly thanks to the included SuperVOOC charger.

This display, although not a high-refresh rate one, is still brighter and produces a nicer image than equivalent LCD panels in this class. To wrap it all up, the Nord N20's Snapdragon 695 also brings 5G to this affordable price point.

Nokia G400 is a very tempting offer in this affordable category. It has a 120Hz LCD screen and is powered by the rather good Snapdragon 480+ 5G chipset. The phone also features three cameras on its back and comes with a large 5,000mAh battery.

The Nokia G400 has no-nonsense design and runs on a clean Android 12. If you budget is around $300, you should give this one a try.

The $260 Galaxy A23 5G deserves a spot here. It is a well-rounded phone with a smooth-running screen, likable design, powerful enough hardware, plenty of cameras, and a large battery with reasonably fast charging. We appreciate the latest software suite and the various fan-favorite features like a standalone microSD slot, a 3.5mm audio jack, NFC, and even the old notch shape.

The 4GB RAM model is a bit slow, but it is also the cheaper one, and it makes sense to get it if you are not too fussy about performance.

While far from perfect, we can see why the Galaxy A23 5G can make sense for some people – it comes from a popular brand with the latest software and offers enough to be a good daily driver – like excellent battery life and good camera.

By definition, the Galaxy A14 5G doesn't excite - as is to be expected from a smartphone that is meant to deliver value for money, and not a lot of money. But it does succeed at precisely that.

Admittedly, it charges slower than most of its peers. Its display is also not as bright as some competitors, if not really trailing by a lot. And the fact that it's missing a wide-angle camera is somewhat of a serious blemish. But at its level, none of these are deal breaking offenses.

On the flipside, the A14 has its set of strong suits and battery life is one of them. Circling back to cameras, it may lack a wide-angle one, but the others that it does have do a great job for the class - the rear camera is solid, and selfies are nice too. It's also running the latest Android with a more feature-packed One UI on top than the 'Core' branding has meant in the past.

All in all, the Galaxy A14 5G is the most phone you can get for $200 in the US.

The $120 Moto G Power has a 90Hz LCD screen and a large 5,000mAh battery – and that’s why it is one of the best phones under $200.

The G Power (2022) comes with water-repellent coating and offers adequate performance. It has no ultrawide camera or stereo speakers, but at this price point – we didn’t expect such features anyway.

The Galaxy A03s is a good entry-level smartphone - that's undeniable. It has a good screen, a reliable battery, a recent Android OS with OneUI interface, and a non-nonsense primary camera.

It is a cheap phone with rather cheaper screen and subpar performance, but at $169 we just cannot ask for more.

The $70 Moto G Pure has a large 720p LCD screen and a 4,000mAh battery. It is a cheap phone with clean Android, which also offers decent smartphone experience.

The G Pure can be found even cheaper across various retailers, so if you want the cheapest smartphone possible, keep an eye for this one.