It's always tough to recommend budget smartphones to prospective buyers. For less than $200 (and no contract) there are Francea few standout offerings - we still recommend the Moto G and Moto E series around the $150 mark - but the situation is more complicated in the $200 to $300 price bracket.
It's almost always better to purchase a last-generation high end phone over a current mid-range device in the $200 to $300 market.
Here we see a mix of new mid-range devices competing against last generation flagships that are still sold new but at new reduced prices, and these usually win.
Flagship phones from a year or two ago routinely pack better hardware, superior cameras, better performance, and more software features. You won't be getting the freshest hardware; however you'll be surprised at the value some of these products can provide.
Below are my recommendations for the five smartphones from previous generations that you should consider instead of today's budget handsets. Forget everything in the mid-range; this is what you should be buying.
Tennessee vs. UCLA 2025 livestream: How to watch March Madness for free
Donald Trump should really learn who April Ryan is
Apple lawyer tasked with preventing insider trading indicted for *checks notes* insider trading
Childhood smartphone usage rates continue to rise
How to Reboot and Reset Android Devices
Even this Fox News anchor thinks Trump's 'ridiculous' lies have gone too far
Police are mad about a 'Grand Theft Auto' mod and all the internet can do is LOL
Watch Jane Fonda give an award acceptance speech while being arrested
New MIT report reveals energy costs of AI tools like ChatGPT
'Watchmen': Everything you need to know from the comic after Episode 2
Trump delays TikTok ban for another 75 days
Even this Fox News anchor thinks Trump's 'ridiculous' lies have gone too far
New 'Tiny Trumps' meme has flooded the internet big time
Trump follows up bizarre press conference with even weirder email
'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 5: The spores are here!
Trump follows up bizarre press conference with even weirder email
Trump thinks something terrible happened in Sweden, so here come the IKEA and ABBA jokes
Hundreds of Facebook employees slam company's political ad rules in open letter
Best Fire Stick deal: Save $20 on Amazon Fire Stick 4K
A mince pie sandwich now exists and honestly it looks kind of delicious
NetEase Youdao releases AIChinese automaker Geely denies plan to build factory in Indonesia · TechNodeChinese government looks to establish metaverse industry standards · TechNodeVivo set to unveil selfXiaomi 14 series set to run on selfShanghai Disneyland set to introduce world’s first ZootopiaXiaomi 14 series to debut with HyperOS and Leica Summilux lenses · TechNodeChina and the EU discuss AI and crossAlibaba Pictures to buy live events producer Damai · TechNodeBaichuanAI secures $300 million in funding from Alibaba and Tencent · TechNodeXiaomi reportedly in talks with Brilliance, Chery over EV manufacturing · TechNodeFormer WTO chief expects antiFormer WTO chief expects antiQualcomm China and Baidu form partnership to develop extended reality technology · TechNodeSnapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset may use both 3nm and 4nm chips from TSMC · TechNodeFlorasis apologizes over eyebrow pencil controversy a week after Li Jiaqi’s apology · TechNodeChina’s Chery Auto to enter Thailand in first half of 2024: executive · TechNodeChina’s Chery Auto to enter Thailand in first half of 2024: executive · TechNodeChinese government looks to establish metaverse industry standards · TechNodeChina announces export control on graphite, a mineral crucial to EV batteries · TechNode 'Fantastic Beasts' director defends casting Johnny Depp after allegations 'The Walking Dead' crossover: Lennie James' Morgan is moving to 'Fear' Starbucks reveals an all new holiday cup, says it had nothing to do with that weird controversy MashReads interview: R.J. Palacio talks 'Wonder' and kindness Resurfaced footage shows Katie Couric saying Matt Lauer 'pinches me on the ass' Actress makes 1000 mini movies while 'Waiting for Godot' How to protect your keyless car from a relay attack The most adorable revelations from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's first interview Ridley Scott defends recasting Kevin Spacey Microsoft to upgrade Redmond campus with 18 new buildings A woman is writing poignant poems to strangers based on their Twitter DMs Senator Mark Warner demands answers about the Uber hack Owners are selling their homes for Bitcoin, because of course they are Facebook asks for photos of some users' faces to sign them in 14 of the most outlandish fast food abominations of 2017 Official Super Mario cereal is coming to the U.S. (with amiibo functionality) Facebook's Mentorship and Support tool helps users reach their goals Tumblr CEO David Karp will step down at the end of this year This new 'Black Mirror' Season 4 teaser is the most disturbing so far Our office played HQ Trivia together. Here's what we think of it.