Are you on the market for a smartphone under $500? Don’t sweat it. There are plenty of decent-budget phones these days, which means you don’t have to pay through the nose to get a great smartphone.
Sure, you may have to make a few compromises. Nevertheless, most mid-range phones today enjoy a wealth of features once only reserved for flagship phones. Therefore, you can expect these phones to deliver amazing value and stellar performance all on a budget. With that said, if you’re looking for the cheapest mobile phones in Australia then you’re at the right place, we have compiled a list of the best value for money phones that you can buy from Phonebot for under $500.
Google Pixel 3
If you love photography but would rather invest in a good camera phone, then the Google Pixel 3 is the phone for you. At first, the camera specs may feel a bit too ordinary. You get a 12.2MP rear camera with a 1/1.8 aperture, and on the front, the phone sports a dual-camera setup, comprising an 8MP, f/1.8 wide lens, and an 8MP, f/2.2 ultra-wide shooter. But thanks to Google’s enhanced machine-learning software, the three cameras deliver detailed, sharp, and bright photos. The Google Pixel 3 runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 coupled with 4GB Ram, guaranteeing you top-tier performance. It has a display size of 5.5-inches, with a resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels.
Apple iPhone 7
Launched back in 2016, the iPhone 7 offers features that matter most. You get a fast processor, water resistance, the classic home button, and great cameras with rear optical image stabilization. There’s nothing particularly glamorous about the iPhone 7’s design, as it looks more or less like the iPhone 6 range. It sports chunky bezels at the top and bottom. However, Apple did get rid of the headphone jack, something that has become more of a norm on today’s flagship. The iPhone 7 is perfect for one-handed use as it has a display size of 4.7-inches. It’s powered by a 2.34GHz quad-core Apple A10 Fusion processor. Feeling nostalgic? The iPhone 7 might just be the phone you need, and you can grab it from Phonebot for about $259 AUD.
Samsung Galaxy S8
Launched in 2017, the Samsung Galaxy S8 still feels modern. But what exactly does it have to offer? Well, plenty. It’s a beautiful smartphone featuring curved edges and rounded-off corners, which helps the phone sit snugly in your palm. The Galaxy S8 still comes with the classic home button, complete with haptic touch. In addition, you get handy features such as iP68 water and dust resistance, Qi/PMA wireless charging as well as fast charging support, and Bixby support. The Samsung Galaxy S8 is also brimming with horsepower thanks to the powerful chipsets it houses. Depending on where you are located, this smartphone comes powered by either Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895, both of which deliver pretty decent performance.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
The Samsung Galaxy S8 is still one heck of a phone despite its age. It comes with an insanely bright, detailed, and crisp 5.8-inch AMOLED display. At that size, the Galaxy S8 fits the bill for the perfect portable phone. You get curved edges, a glass front, and a glass back, resulting in an attractive-looking phone. It’s IP68-certified for dust and water resistance. Hence the Galaxy S8 can handle getting submerged in 1.5m of water for up to 30 minutes. The Galaxy S8 also shines in the camera department. It has a 12MP main camera with an f/1.7 aperture, capable of optical image stabilization and dual-pixel phase-detect autofocus. On the front, it sports an 8MP selfie shooter and a 2MP dedicated iris scanner camera.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
The Galaxy S9 is yet another phone that has aged quite well. Equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845, paired with either 4GB of RAM, the phone delivers a spectacular performance. Multimedia consumption is quite great thanks to its 5.8-inch Super AMOLED screen. On the back, it features a camera notch with a 12MP shooter, which has an aperture of f/1.5. On the front, it sports an 8MP wide selfie lens and a 2MP dedicated iris scanner camera. Both cameras can easily handle your daily photography needs. Also included in the mix are features such as 1P68 dust and water resistance, a Li-Ion 3000 mAh non-removable battery capable of both fast charging and Qi/PMA wireless charging, as well as stereo speakers with great sound quality.
iPhone X
After ten years in the smartphone manufacturing business, the iPhone X was the first in a new generation of iPhones. It featured a downright innovative design. Apple got rid of familiar features like the Touch ID fingerprint scanner and home button. Instead, for a Face ID unlocking system and a fresh set of navigation gestures. The iPhone X sports a 5.8-inch OLED display, offering a 2436 x 1125-pixel resolution. With such specs, the screen offers crisper text and graphics. On the camera side of things, this smartphone comes with two 12MP rear cameras, the same configuration as that of the iPhone 8 Plus. They deliver fantastic images in an array of environments. The selfie camera is only 7MP, but Apple upped it with the same AI depth effect techniques available on the rear cameras.
Apple iPhone XR
Despite being four years old, the iPhone XR is still a huge contender in 2022. The iPhone XR was launched at a starting price of $1229 AUD for the 64GB variant. But it has since, of course, received multiple price drops. The iPhone XR comes powered by an A12 Bionic chip paired with 3GB RAM. It should offer you decent performance. It has a glass front and back, held together seamlessly by a 7000 series aluminium frame. The glass back comes in a range of attractive colours: black, white, blue, coral, and red. Battery life is decent, and Apple believes you should be able to get 90 minutes or more from it. In addition, the iPhone XR has a display size of 6.1-inches with an 828 x 1792 resolution, a 12MP rear camera, and a 7MP selfie shooter.
If you are looking for a cheap way to own a smartphone in 2022, one of these smartphones might just be what the doctor ordered. Despite being old birds, they offer plenty of performance, a gorgeous design, brilliant cameras, and more on a budget.
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