People often misconceive prepaid phones as being cheap and low-budget. However, any smartphone can be used on a prepaid plan with talk, text, and data paid for in advance these days.
Prepaid phones give you the benefit of not being locked into multiyear contracts and long-term commitments. To help you keep your smartphone free of contracts, we’ve put together a list of our favorite phones often sold on the prepaid market.
Samsung Galaxy S20
The Samsung Galaxy S20 at 6.2 inches — one of the most expensive prepaid options — is also one of the best, fully featured smartphones available. It sports a nearly bezel-free dynamic AMOLED display at 3040 x 1440-resolution that emphasizes brilliant, detailed viewing but wrapped in a slim body. The phone’s ultrasonic fingerprint ID uses sound waves to detect your fingertip in 3D to secure your phone and data. The Galaxy S20 offers wireless power-sharing, letting you wirelessly power up another Samsung device with your smartphone. An intelligent battery optimizes usage based on your personal habits to deliver all-day performance.
The S20 is powered by the Snapdragon 865 processor backed by 8GB of RAM, with 128GB of storage space and a slot for a MicroSD card to expand it further. The camera is another huge attraction, featuring three lenses on the back, arranged horizontally. The camera features a 12-megapixel lens, a 64MP telephoto lens, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a time-of-flight sensor. Complementing the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S20 is a pair of Dolby Atmos-supported stereo speakers. If you fancy almost the same package, but bigger and more expensive, then the Galaxy S20 Plus is also excellent.
Apple iPhone XR
The iPhone XR is a lower-priced Apple iPhone featuring a colorful casing in red, blue, yellow, coral, black, and white. While it’s something of an older iPhone, it’s well worth the money if you want to go prepaid. With its 6.1-inch LCD screen at 1792 x 828 resolution, which, while not super high, nonetheless looks sharp and distinctive. However, the closer you look, the more pixels will start to come into view. The XR is powered by an A12 Bionic chipset and 3GB of RAM. The processor makes iOS 12 operations fluid for swiftly tapping and swiping through multiple apps.
The XR camera has a 12-megapixel lens with an f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilization for shooting 4K video at 60 fps and recording stereo sound. The camera app performs admirably in capturing detailed, well-exposed photographs and low-light scenes and features Smart HDR. You can use the Portrait Mode without a secondary lens. The iPhone XR’s 2,942mAh battery gives you at least a full day and more of battery life for browsing the web, taking pictures, streaming music, and playing games.
Apple iPhone SE (2020)
Alright, so it’s basically an iPhone 8 with some upgraded innards, but don’t let that put you off the iPhone SE (2020). The 2020 refresh of 2016’s iPhone SE is an exceptional iPhone, with a powerful processor, slick iOS 14, and a great camera. Yes, it has a dated design and only sports a single camera lens in the rear module, but if that doesn’t put you off, then this $400 marvel is well worth buying outright if you want a cheap iPhone that will last for years. While it doesn’t have the low-light mode of more expensive iPhones, the single 12MP shooter takes excellent photos, and the upgraded A13 processor will handle anything you can throw at it. The battery life is perhaps its weakest point, and heavy users may find it giving out towards the end of the day, but it’s otherwise a solid all-day battery life.
Google Pixel 4a
The Google Pixel 4a is a smart and solid choice at an affordable mid-range price. It features a 5.8-inch OLED display with a 2340 x 1080-pixel resolution that’s sharp and legible. The casing is finished in plastic instead of glass, and is probably the lowest point of the phone, as it does feel cheap. However, Google’s Pixel 4a makes a high-quality smartphone camera affordable thanks to Google’s A.I. that produces fine images from the single 12.2MP lens. There’s also a capable 8MP front-facing camera. You get 128GB of storage inside, and while there’s no space for a MicroSD card, you do get a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB-C port for fast wired charging. To round out the features, there’s a 3,140mAh battery to see you through an average day with change.
Moto G7 Power
If you’re both on a budget and seeking the longest battery life possible, the Power variation of the Moto G7 is the name of the game. The Moto G7 Power is a low-priced phone with a glossy, curved plastic back and frame and some very nice touches. It features a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB-C port, and a volume rocker with a power key. The texture on the power button makes it easy to find by feel. Its 6.2-inch IPS LCD has a resolution of 1570 x 720 — which is skimpy and none too sharp — but it’s still easy to read with adequate brightness. It operates with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 processor backed up by 3GB of RAM. It has only 32GB of storage, but there’s a MicroSD card slot if you need more room. The main camera is a single 12-megapixel lens with an f/2.0 aperture and HDR. The Moto G7 Power camera performs nicely in favorable environments, capturing plenty of detail and vibrant colors. It also handles close-ups quite well if they’re properly lit. However you use it, the Moto G7 Power will keep going, thanks to its beefy 5,000mAh battery.
Moto E5 Play
Suppose you’re into simple, plain, basic, and cheap — and there’s absolutely nothing negative about that — the Moto E5 Play may be the phone of your dreams. Not everyone craves flashy looks or camera work, and you won’t find them from this plastic-backed, big-bezeled phone. What you will get is a handset that is fairly durable with a decent battery life that delivers most of what smartphone users seek. The phone has a pleasing textured black pattern, and you can pop the back to access the SIM slot, removable battery, and MicroSD slot. The 5.2-inch LCD has a 16:19 aspect ratio with a 1280 x 720-pixel resolution, which appears sharp and colorful, though it fades in direct sunlight. The unit is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 425 or Snapdragon 427, depending on the carrier, and packs 2GB of RAM. The 8-megapixel camera on the Moto E5 Play struggles in low-light, but its 2,800mAh battery will definitely get you through the day.
Editors’ Recommendations
