Best entry-level smartphones 2023 - buyer’s guide

Last updated: June 13, 2023 (Changelog)
Here, we will discuss the super-cheap, yet very good, entry-level offerings. The industry has advanced so far that even at this price point we're seeing handsets that offer beefy chipsets and big batteries.
Editors' choice

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 4G
- Nice, eye-catching design, IP53-rated
- Exceptional and bright 120Hz OLED display
- Dependable battery life, decent charging speed
- 3.5mm jack, FM Radio, IR blaster, microSD slot
- Solid if unimpressive main camera performance
- Launches on the latest MIUI 14 + Android 13
- Disappointing ultrawide camera
- Underwhelming Night mode
- No stereo speakers, the international review unit comes without NFC
Xiaomi has struck a pretty nice balance with this year's Redmi Note 12 4G. The handset has an excellent display, long battery life, sufficiently fast charging, adequate performance, the latest MIUI + Android combo (unlike its siblings) and, although largely unimpressive camera performance, it's still rather decent for the price bracket.
We wish more work went toward optimizing the dedicated Night mode. We also wonder why Xiaomi removed the stereo speakers and the NFC. That last bit may be a deal-breaker for some of you who use the phone for contactless payments.
Still, no other smartphone can offer such feature-rich package at about €150-€160 and that's why the Redmi Note 12 4G is our top pick for the entry-level class.
Read full review
Motorola Moto G13
- Stylish looks for the price, water-repellent design
- 90Hz 720p LCD
- Snappy chipset, acceptable graphics
- Triple-camera – 50MP, 2MP macro, 2MP depth
- 64GB base storage, 4GB RAM, dedicated microSD slot
- 5,000mAh battery
- Stereo speakers
- Clean Android 13
- No ultrawide camera
The Moto G13 is our current top pick for the entry-level category just because it features the most features for its €150 price. The G13 packs a 90Hz LCD screen, more than adequate performance for the price with high-performance CPU cores and good graphics. There is also a good three-camera setup, and a large 5,000mAh battery.
The Moto G13 comes with clean Android 13, which is always a nice thing to have. And there are also NFC, microSD expansion, stereo speakers, audio jack. In fact, it is the best phone in this category with the only con being the lack of an ultrawide-angle camera.
SPECS
Motorola Moto G22
- Good looks, water-repellent design
- 90Hz 720p LCD
- Quad-camera – 50MP, 8MP UW, 2MP macro, 2MP depth
- 64GB base storage, dedicated microSD slot
- 5,000mAh battery
- Clean Android 12
- Mediocre performance
- Single speaker
The Moto G22 is for those who want to have an ultrawide camera and are ready to deal with the drop in performance. The G22 packs a 90Hz LCD screen, a versatile four-camera setup, and a large 5,000mAh battery.
The Moto G22 comes with clean Android 12, there are NFC, microSD expansion, audio jack. The performance is the only thing that is unimpressive on the Moto G22 but the lower screen resolution does help for smooth enough browsing.
SPECS
Xiaomi Redmi 12C
- Large 720p LCD screen
- Adequate performance for this class
- 5,000mAh battery should be plenty
- High-res main camera
- 64GB base storage, dedicated microSD slot
- NFC, fingerprint scanner, audio jack
- 60 Hz display
- Virtual proximity sensing
- Sluggish charging, microUSB port
The Redmi 12C is a nice update over the older Redmi 9C bringing improved performance thanks to the Helio G85 chipset – there are two high-performance CPU cores and snappier GPU. WE also appreciate the doubled base storage and increased RAM.
The Redmi 12C has a large display, but it’s limited to 60Hz refresh rate. We do appreciate the improved chipset, increased storage and the newer main camera. A rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, NFC and microSD are area always welcome, too..
The Redmi 12C is an affordable smartphone with good performance and popular MIUI launcher, so if it make sense for you, you should definitely check it out..
Specs
Xiaomi Redmi 9C
- Large 720p LCD screen
- 5,000mAh battery should be plenty
- Triple-camera with macro and depth
- 32GB base storage, dedicated microSD slot
- Mediocre performance, 2GB RAM may lead to system-wide bottlenecks
- Sluggish charging, microUSB port
The Redmi 9C impresses with a large battery and a large LCD screen and its price is quite low at €135.
The Redmi 9C’s base version comes with just 2GB of RAM. This, with the weak Helio G35 may and will lead to some system-wide bottlenecks.
Still, the Redmi 9C is one of the cheapest smartphones around (about €100) and it will do just fine for calls, emails, chats, social networks and web browsing. It's a bit sluggish, but if you won't be playing games, you'd be fine with it.
If you need NFC, there is a Redmi 9C NFC version across some markets, too.
Specs
Xiaomi Redmi A2
- Large 720p LCD screen
- 5,000mAh battery should be plenty
- dedicated microSD slot
- Mediocre performance, 2GB RAM may lead to system-wide bottlenecks
- Sluggish charging, microUSB port
- No NFC
The Redmi A2 is one of the cheapest smartphones around at €90. It has sluggish performance, but may give you the screen estate and battery life you need. It runs on the most basic Android and MIUI versions.
If you need a fingerprint scanner, there is a Redmi A2+ version across some markets, too.
Finally, note that the Redmi A2+ is available as Poco C50 on some markets – it’s the same phone under different name.
Specs
Nokia G11
- 6.5” 90Hz LCD screen, 720p
- 5,050mAh battery
- 32GB base storage, 3GB RAM, dedicated microSD slot
- Triple camera with macro and portrait
- Mediocre GPU performance
The Nokia G11 costs about €120 and it is a solid smartphone. The G11 packs a 90Hz HD LCD screen and runs on the Unisoc T606 chip with powerful processor and okay GPU. The G11 also comes with a triple camera on the back and a large 5,050mAh battery with fast 18W charging via the USB-C port.
The Nokia G11 is one of the cheapest mainstream smartphones you can buy and that’s why we can forgive (and understand) its 720p resolution and the so-so graphics.
SPECS
Realme C31
- Large 720p screen
- 5,000mAh battery
- 32GB base storage, 3GB RAM, dedicated microSD slot
- Triple camera with macro and portrait
- Fingerprint scanner
- Sluggish charging, microUSB port
- No NFC
The Realme C31 costs about €130. The phone has a large but low-res screen, a triple-camera on the back, a 5,000mAh battery and runs on Android 11 with realme UI 2.0.
The Realme C31 has a good chipset with adequate processor but weak graphics. It's coupled with 3GB or 4GB of RAM, so it will do fine for everything but games.
The Realme C31 is good for calls and social networks and will probably last you for days on those. And it has a fingerprint scanner. It's an ideal first smartphone for students or seniors, but not the best daily driver for busier lifestyles.
SPECSIndia special

Realme Narzo 50A
- Attractive design
- Adequate Helio G85 chip for a 6.5” 720p screen
- 6,000mAh battery, 18W charging
- 64GB base storage, 4GB RAM, dedicated microSD slot
- Triple camera with portrait mode
- Fingerprint sensor
- No NFC
- No 4K video capturing
We have another good offer on our shortlist here and this one comes from Realme. It's the Narzo 50A that is replacing the Narzo 30A.
So, this cheap (INR 11,500) yet attractive Narzo 50A offers a large HD screen, an adequate Helio G85 chip and a triple camera on the back (50+2+2). It comes with 64GB storage in its base trim and 4GB of RAM. We do appreciate the beefy 6,000mAh battery with 18W charging and the fingerprint scanner on the back.
The Narzo series are currently available in India only hence the India Special tag.
SPECSIndia special

Realme C25Y
- Attractive design
- Adequate chip for a 6.5” 720p screen
- 5,000mAh battery, 10W charging
- 64GB base storage, 4GB RAM, dedicated microSD slot
- Triple camera with portrait mode
- Fingerprint sensor
- No NFC
- No 4K video capturing
The Realme C25Y is another India special and it’s sort of a cheaper Narzo 50A version of you are on a budget. You get the same phone but with a slightly smaller battery and slower charging.
If you don’t mind these downgrades, you may save yourself some money and get this one instead.
SPECS
Samsung Galaxy A04s
- Solid build
- 90Hz LCD screen
- 6,000mAh battery, good battery life
- The daylight camera quality is solid, selfies are decent. Video capture is also good, despite the 1080p resolution cap
- 3.5mm jack, microSD, NFC
- One UI 4.1 Core on top of Android 12 is customizable, mature and has plenty of features
- Subpar performance, lag and slowdowns are frequent
- Virtual proximity sensor can be inconsistent, lack of ambient light sensor means brightness adjustment is suboptimal
- Camera lacks a Night mode or video stabilization
- No charger in the box
The Samsung Galaxy A04s is a cheap entry-level device - quite possibly the cheapest Galaxy smartphone you can get. It has a high-refresh-rate screen, an okay primary camera, and very good battery life, so it is a solid upgrade to last year's Galaxy A03s.
The phone's performance is subpar, and the storage space provided by the base memory configuration is inadequate. It could work for someone who is mainly interested in staying in touch by mostly making calls and the occasional messaging.
It sure isn’t the best phone in this price tag, but it comes from a popular maker with strong hardware and software support, which often means a lot.
Read full review
Nokia C32
- Solid build
- 90Hz LCD screen
- 6,000mAh battery, good battery life
- The daylight camera quality is solid, selfies are decent. Video capture is also good, despite the 1080p resolution cap
- 3.5mm jack, microSD, NFC
- One UI 4.1 Core on top of Android 12 is customizable, mature and has plenty of features
- Subpar performance, lag and slowdowns are frequent
- Virtual proximity sensor can be inconsistent, lack of ambient light sensor means brightness adjustment is suboptimal
- Camera lacks a Night mode or video stabilization
- No charger in the box
The Nokia C32 is the first C-series device by Nokia to use a glass rear panel. There's a grooved texture running the entire width of the panel, making it a pleasure to the touch, and less slippery. And the display is a 6.5-inch 720x1600px IPS LCD. It has nice upfront brightness and contrast, and colors are punchy and lively.
There are two cameras on the rear - a 50MP main camera - a first for any C-series phone - and a 2MP macro sensor. On the other side, there's an 8MP selfie camera. The Nokia C32 packs a 3.5mm headphone jack and there's also wireless FM radio. You also get a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, but you can use the front-facing camera for face unlock, which works with a mask too.
Battery-wise, you get an ample 5,000mAh pack that charges a bit slowly at just 10W. The Android 13 is as clean as it gets. The phone offers rather slow chipset, but it could be the right fit for those looking for an affordable daily driver, one that can do good photos.
Read our hands-onMost recent updates
June 13, 2023: Added the Redmi Note 12 4G as new top.
April 18, 2023: Added Samsung Galaxy A04s, Nokia C32, Moto G13 (as new top), Realme C25Y, Redmi 12C, Redmi A2/A2+/Poco C50. Removed the Realme C30.
July 15, 2022: Added Redmi 9C, Nokia G11, Realme C31, Realme C30, Moto G22, Realme Narzo 50A. Removed the Redmi 9, Realme Narzo 30A, Realme C21, Moto G10, Redmi Note 8 2021.
October 20, 2021: Added Redmi Note 8 2021.
May 20, 2021: Replaced Realme Narzo 20A with Narzo 30A. Replaced Moto E (2020) with Moto G10. Replaced Realme C11 with Realme C21.
Dec 1, 2020: The Xiaomi Redmi 9 is now the new Editor's choice. Replaced Realme Narzo 10A with Narzo 20A. Replaced Moto G8 Play with Moto E (2020). Added Redmi 9a and Realme C11. Removed Realme 5s, Redmi 8A, Galaxy M11, vivo U20, Nokia 4.2, Galaxy A20e, Galaxy A20.
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Reader comments
- Vibe
- 14 Sep 2023
- mFd
Tecno pova 5 should be here, it has 6ah with 45w and gaming design and specs for $15O
- Techno Blitz
- 14 Aug 2023
- K5g
They should have put Infinix Note 30 VIP or Tecno Camon 20 Pro 5g. Those phones are relatively cheap as well but with competitive specs.