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3 smartphones under $400 you can (and really should) buy today

As Apple announces its iPhone 12, it seems like consumers have resigned themselves to paying thousands of dollars for a new phone. No judgment, but it doesn’t have to be this way. There are some fantastic phones out there that are accessible for under $400, and, in fact, there are phones for under $200 that are not only perfectly good, they’re great! Right now on Amazon, you browse great deals on LG, Samsung, and Motorola phones for less than $400. Check them out!

Samsung Galaxy A20S

— $160, was $172

Image used with permission by copyright holder

On the most affordable end of Samsung’s A-series lineup, the A20S still has plenty to crow about. If all you really care about is a phone for calls, texts, browsing, and photos, you can have one for $160. There’s a sizeable 6.5-inch LCD Screen (not quite AMOLED but it will do), with decent brightness and contrast. In terms of muscles, it has a starter Snapdragon 450 processor backed up by 3GB of RAM. And that’s plenty to handle everyday tasks (though maybe not enough to get the best performance from games that are heavy on graphics or serious multitasking). What’s really the standout here, especially for the price, is the camera. It boasts a 13MP primary sensor with an f/1.8 lens, an 8MP sensor with an ultra-wide lens, and a 5MP depth sensor. There’s a vertical triple camera setup, which can be magic for wide-angle shots. All in all, this is an impressive package for the price.

Motorola Moto G Power

— $220, was $250

Best Buy Prime Day deals 2020
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Here’s something you don’t see every day: Three-day functional battery life on one charge. Which isn’t to say this muscly little machine is all battery. The screen is gorgeous Full HD+ and the processor boasts a lightning-fast octa-core, backed up by 4GB RAM. We love this phone for younger folk or maybe more aggressive users; it has a splash-proof design. Also, a 16MP triple camera system for the best panoramas, portraits, and close-ups. You can see them on the brilliant 6.4-inch screen, which is also great for streaming and games as you listen to crystal-clear sound through Dolby dual speakers. If you like to be entertained on-the-go, this phone is a dream, an inexpensive dream at that.

LG Stylo 4

— $245, was $300

LG Stylo 4
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Of this group, the Stylo 4 does the best job of approximating a premium smartphone. You’ll recognize some standout features here, like its 2160 x 1080-pixel resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio, and a USB-C charging port. You’re getting a much better phone than you’re paying for here. The screen has super-thin bezels, full HD+, and is safely tucked under Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon SDM450 processor on 3GB of RAM, which won’t blow anyone’s hair back but will be more than fine if you keep the multitasking to a minimum. The amazing bonus here is the stylus, which comes with the phone.  It lets you jot down quick notes and make notes on screen captures and you can use it for signature gestures or shortcuts. It really brings this phone and its versatility to the next level.

Shopping on a budget? We’ve also rounded up the best Black Friday smartphone deals ahead of Black Friday sales.

Jacob Silver
Former Digital Trends Contributor
An avid cook, boxer, reader, and binger of Netflix (and Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon and more) Jacob Silver writes deals posts about…
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