1 week Ago By Mike Sorrentino
Try it before you buy it: It's one thing to ogle over a phone, but it's another to actually try it out in a store. Decide on Android or iPhone: Do you have a lot of iPhone apps and Apple subscriptions? Stick with an iPhone. Likewise, if you've invested in loads of Android apps, you'll want to stay on that side of the fence.
Otherwise, it's simple enough to switch platforms . Pick the most important feature: Is it screen size? Camera quality? Battery life? This will help narrow down your choices. Every phone on this list has been thoroughly tested by CNET's expert reviews team.
We use the phone, test the features, play games and take photos. We assess any marketing promises that a company makes about its phones. If we find something we don't like -- be it battery life or build quality -- we tell you about it.
We examine every aspect of a phone during testing: Display Design and feel Processor performance Battery life Camera quality Features We test all the phone's cameras (both front and back) in a variety of conditions: from outdoors under sunlight to dimmer indoor locales and nighttime scenes (for any available night modes). We also compare our findings against similarly priced models. We have a series of real-world battery tests to see how long a phone lasts under everyday use.
We account for additional phone features like 5G, fingerprint and face readers, styluses, fast charging, foldable displays and other useful extras. We weigh all our experiences and testing against the price so you know whether a phone represents good value. Read more: How We Test Phones At $700, the iPhone 15 isn't necessarily considered cheap.
Compared to the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, it's much more affordable. In 2025, the iPhone 15 is still one of the best Apple phones you can buy. It has a 6.
1-inch screen, great dual-rear cameras and an outstanding battery life. It's worth a look if you can work it into your budget. Yes, many of the cheap phones included in this list are available at a discount during shopping events.
For instance, the Google Pixel 7A's price can drop as low as $350 when it's on sale. If you have a phone in mind but also have the flexibility to hold off for a shopping event like Black Friday, it may be worth it to wait for a price reduction. Yes, many cheap phones are available unlocked by the manufacturer.
This allows you to use the phone with nearly any wireless carrier by inserting your SIM card or transferring your eSIM. If you want the flexibility to switch carriers, make sure you buy an unlocked model. Buying a cheap phone could be a great option when shopping for a kid or teenager, but that doesn't mean the phone is customized to have a kid-friendly experience.
Parents should still set up any necessary parental controls, restrictions or apps on an iPhone or Android to make sure it's appropriate for kids. We are in the middle of "budget phone season" with new affordable phones being released by Google, Motorola and Samsung. We look forward to testing them all once we can get our hands on them.
Otherwise, later this summer we'll see the start of "flagship phone season" with major releases from Apple and Google..
