The Best Phones Under $500 in the US, and Which One Fits You

Three unlocked phones from $200 to $499, each with a measured battery result and a long update promise, matched to what you actually need. Listed by price, not ranked.

This guide covers phones you can buy unlocked in the US for $500 or less at the maker's own list price, as checked on September 30, 2026. To make the list, a phone had to have a published battery result from GSMArena's lab and a software update policy long enough to see you through years of ownership, because a cheap phone that stops getting security patches after three years is not a bargain. We did not test these phones ourselves; every measurement below is credited to whoever took it. The picks are listed from cheapest to most expensive, and that order is not a ranking. Street prices move often, so treat the prices as a snapshot and check the retailer before you buy.

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Samsung Galaxy A17 5G specs →YouTube ↗

A note on how to read the battery numbers. GSMArena's Active Use Score combines screen-on tests for calling, web browsing, video streaming and gaming into one figure in hours. It is useful for comparing phones against each other, not a promise of how long any one phone will last for you. As a rough guide, a difference of an hour or more is one you will notice by the end of a heavy day; a difference of 20 minutes is not.

If you want the cheapest phone that will still be supported for years, the Samsung Galaxy A17 5G is the pick at $199.99 for 128 GB. Samsung promises six generations of Android upgrades and six years of security updates, which is unusual at this price and the main reason it is here. It has a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED screen and a triple camera. The trade-off is battery: GSMArena measured an Active Use Score of 11 hours 48 minutes and calls that below average for the price range. It suits someone who mostly calls, messages and browses, a first phone for a teenager, or a backup phone, rather than a heavy user who is away from a charger all day.

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Samsung Galaxy A37 5G specs →YouTube ↗

For a big screen and water protection in the middle of the range, the Samsung Galaxy A37 5G costs $449.99 for 128 GB. GSMArena measured an Active Use Score of just under 14 hours, an improvement over the Galaxy A36 on the same 5,000 mAh battery, and it did especially well streaming video. Its 6.7-inch Super AMOLED screen runs at 120 Hz and reached 1,294 nits on a 75 percent white patch in automatic mode, with a peak of 1,904 nits, bright enough outdoors, though GSMArena notes it does not play HDR video. It is rated IP68, up from IP67 on the A36, and charges at up to 45 W: GSMArena recorded 62 percent in 30 minutes and a full charge in about 72 minutes. Samsung promises six OS upgrades here too. Pick it if you want a large screen, a sturdy build and Samsung's software for years, and do not need the best camera at this price.

If you want the best all-rounder and can spend the full $500, the Google Pixel 10a is $499 for 128 GB, or $599 for 256 GB. It had the longest battery result in this group, with a GSMArena Active Use Score of 15 hours 13 minutes, and Google promises seven years of OS and security updates, the longest commitment here. Its 6.3-inch P-OLED screen measured 1,308 nits at maximum manual brightness and peaked at 2,894 nits. Charging tops out at 30 W wired and 10 W wireless; GSMArena measured 52 percent in 30 minutes and a full charge in 89 minutes. GSMArena praises its camera, speakers and compact, flat-backed design, and adds satellite SOS to the list of extras. Its main criticism is that the 10a is barely different from the cheaper Pixel 9a, so if you find a 9a at a real discount, it is worth comparing. Amazon had the 10a at $424 in August, so watch for sales.

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Google Pixel 10a specs →YouTube ↗

One popular phone did not make the list, and it is worth explaining why. The Moto G Stylus (2026) also costs $499 for 128 GB, and it has two things none of the picks above offer: a built-in stylus and very fast charging, a full charge in 50 minutes with its 68 W charger in GSMArena's test. But GSMArena measured an Active Use Score of 12 hours 10 minutes, below both the Pixel and the Galaxy A37, and Motorola promises only two major Android upgrades and three years of security patches. At the same price as a Pixel with seven years of updates, that is a hard trade to recommend unless you specifically want the stylus.

Two near misses sit just above the budget. Samsung's Galaxy A57 5G starts at $549.99, and Apple's cheapest current iPhone, the iPhone 17e, starts at $599. If your budget can stretch, both are worth a look; if it cannot, the three phones above cover the range.

Which should you buy? If you want to spend as little as possible and still get years of updates, the Galaxy A17 5G. If you want a large, bright screen, IP68 protection and a battery that lasts a full day, the Galaxy A37 5G. If you want the longest battery life measured here, the longest update promise and a camera that punches above its price, and $499 is within reach, the Pixel 10a. All three will still be getting security updates in 2031.