Best phones under $500 2021: iPhone 11, Pixel 5A 5G, Samsung Galaxy and more – CNET [CNET]

Elite phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra or Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro boast the best tech you can find on a mobile phone. They pack stellar performance and a wide set of features, but they also come with large price tags to match. However, many of us simply don’t need the fastest processor, an OLED display or the best rear camera (or cameras, in some cases!) around, making some of those specs may seem like overkill.

These days, it’s easy to shop for a phone, including brand-new affordable handsets through to discounted previous-generation models, on a more modest budget. And despite low prices, a budget smartphone can be advanced, packing features akin to premium phones, like lots of internal storage, great multi-lens cameras, fast processors, a fingerprint scanner and even 5G connectivity. And if you’re willing to buy an unlocked phone, your choices become even more vast.

Check out the list below of the best phones under $500 — which we update regularly — and read CNET’s reviews. Note that we’ve linked to the unlocked version of each budget phone. An unlocked phone should run on most of the big four US wireless carriers, unless specified otherwise.

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