Google's Pixel 8A (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is the best phone money can buy. For $499, you get a little bit of everything—wireless charging to high-end performance. Powered by the same chip as the high-end Pixel 8 line, Google's Tensor G3 chip, that also means 7 years of support—a rarity at this price.
This Pixel also features a better OLED screen than its predecessor, so it gets even brighter and more legible on the sunniest of days, and the 120-Hz screen refresh rate means that everything feels smooth. The 6.1-inch screen is quite small, so it's great if you're buying a small phone. The phone also looks nice—budget and midrange phones tend to look terribly dull, but the Pixel 8A has a considered design with a matte rear texture. And the new Aloe color is gorgeous. Phones are personal, and they should look nice!
Performance has also been faultless in my experience—I used this as my single device to stream the Google I/O conference, take photos, browse the web, use the Google Recorder application, and share to social networks. The only complaint is battery life. The 4,492-mAh battery cell will last a normal day, but heavy users will likely need to top off before they retire. Keep a portable power bank handy.
The highlight of the Pixel line is the cameras, and the Pixel 8A maintains that legacy intact—it's the best phone camera for the money. It features a 64-megapixel primary sensor that produces rich, colorful, and sharp images in all lighting. Paired with it is a capable 13-MP ultrawide, and the 13-MP front-facing sensor is good, though the fact that it's fixed focus means your face isn't quite razor-sharp. The one issue I've found is that Real Tone, the skin-tone-specific photo-processing feature of the Pixels, hasn't performed as accurately as it did on prior Pixels, especially on brown skin.
The number one reason that I highly recommend Pixel phones is the smart software features you won't find on any other sub-$500 phone. I've mentioned a lot of them here, but you can nudge a subject a little to the left of the frame with Magic Editor and eliminate an object you don't want in the photo. You can fix that group photo with your eyes closed with Best Take. Call Screen technology by Google eliminates the spammers before they even ring, and my favorite voice-to-text system is still the one that comes with it and I always feel its loss when changing phones.
Specifications
Display: 6.1-inch, 120-Hz OLED
Processor and RAM: Tensor G3 with 8 GB RAM.
Storage: 128- and 256-GB options
Battery: 4,492 mAh
Cameras: 64-MP main camera, 13-MP ultrawide, 13-MP selfie camera
Updates (since the manufacturing date): 7 years
Extra features: Qi wireless charging, IP67, fingerprint and secure face unlock, NFC
Compatibility with carriers: Supports all three of the major US carriers
Performance also hasn't slipped in my experience—I used this as my sole device to stream Google I/O, take photos, browse, record with the Google Recorder app, and share to social media. The downside is battery life. The 4,492-mAh cell gets a full day of normal use, but heavy users will likely need to plug in before they hit the pillow. Keep a portable power bank handy. The Pixel line's crowning jewels are the cameras, and the Pixel 8A does that legacy justice—it's the best phone with an excellent camera for the money. It features a 64-megapixel primary sensor that produces highly detailed, colorful, and sharp images in any lighting. Paired with a capable 13-MP ultrawide, the 13-MP front-facing selfie shooter is good, though the fact that it's fixed focus means your face is never quite razor-sharp. The only issue I've had is that the Real Tone, the Pixel's image-processing technology for different skin tones, hasn't functioned as accurately as it has on previous Pixels, especially on brown skin. The number one reason that I strongly recommend Pixel phones is that they have the smart software features you won't find on any other phone priced below $500. Here, I've explained a few of them, but you can use the Magic Editor to push a subject a bit to the left of the edge of the frame and delete an object that shouldn't be in the photo. You can use Best Take to fix that group photo where your eyes were shut. Call Screen technology by Google eliminates the spammers, and Voice Typing with the Assistant is my favorite voice-to-text system and one that I always miss whenever I switch phones. There is also secure face unlock and fingerprint unlock—both of which work with sensitive applications that require biometric authentication so that you have more options of how to unlock it. Secure face unlock is virtually non-existent on any other phone in this price bracket. You also have NFC for contactless payments and an IP67 rating that protects it in the elements. Specifications
Display: 6.1-inch, 120-Hz OLED Processor and RAM: Tensor G3 with 8 GB RAM Storage: 128- and 256-GB options Battery: 4,492 mAh Cameras: 64-MP main camera, 13-MP ultrawide, 13-MP selfie camera Updates since the manufacturing date: 7 years Additional features: Qi wireless charging, IP67, fingerprint and secure face unlock, NFC Compatibility with carriers: Supports all three of the major US carriers
Apple iPhone 16e
The iPhone 16e is Apple's cheapest iPhone and, er, it's not that inexpensive (7/10, WIRED Review). At $599, it's $170 more than the iPhone SE that it replaced. I try to give preference to sub-$500 smartphones in this guide, but unfortunately, if you have to buy a new iPhone from Apple and spend the least amount of money, this is your best bet.
It's a fully working phone with great performance thanks to the A18 chip, so it's the cheapest iPhone with Apple Intelligence now. Note that it's one graphics core behind the A18 in the iPhone 16, so marginally inferior gaming performance, but I didn't have too much issue with demanding games like Genshin Impact.
The phone's best feature is its battery life. For its relatively small 6.1-inch screen, it gives a longer run time than the similarly sized iPhone 16, even coming close to the run times of Apple's larger iPhones. One heavy use day left me with nine hours of screen-on, and the iPhone 16e had 15 percent left by evening. It's wonderful. That's thanks to the new C1 chip, Apple's first custom modem in an iPhone that gives good (sub-6) 5G cellular performance but is more power-efficient than modems in prior models.
That's about all that this iPhone has to offer. The 48-megapixel camera is nice and takes nice-looking images even in the dark, but it's the single camera on the phone. No Dynamic Island; the notch is back instead. Apple chose to omit MagSafe on this phone, so you won't have the ability to add magnetic accessories without a MagSafe case, and even with that you won't have faster wireless charging. No ultra-wideband chip means that you won't have the capability to track AirTags with accuracy—this iPhone will only give you the general area of the position of the tag.
Even if you dislike these exclusions, the iPhone 16e shouldn't cost $599—other phones in this roundup that cost around the same have more features and capabilities. It will do in a pinch, but it isn't the best value. You should instead purchase a used iPhone 15 Pro, usually available for around $650 in good condition on Swappa, Gazelle, or Back Market. It comes with Apple Intelligence support and a lot more features.
If you do have to buy new, consider the iPhone 15, which you can obtain directly from Apple for $699. It has all of those features that have been left out but without Apple Intelligence. That is probably not a big deal since Apple's AI features are not that useful currently.
Specifications
Display: 6.1-inch, 60-Hz OLED
Processor and RAM: A18 with a 4-core GPU and 8 GB RAM
Storage: 128-, 256-, and 512-
Cameras: 48-MP Fusion Camera, 12-MP selfie camera
Updates (since production date): Approximately 5 to 6 years
More features: Qi wireless charging, IP68, Apple Intelligence, Face ID with notch, Action button Compatibility with carriers: Suitable for all three major US carriers