The Best Smartphones for Less Than 200 Euros

February 2023 update. Looking for a great affordable smartphone? Below, you will find the best smartphones reviewed by us that cost less than 200 Euros, or around $240. Entry-level smartphones will require quite a few compromises from their users but are more often than not more than sufficient for simple tasks and perfectly adequate at running simple applications.

Mike Wobker (translated by DeepL / Ninh Duy), Published 02/16/2023 🇩🇪 🇪🇸 ...

The flagship smartphones from the established manufacturers always get the most attention. However, not everyone is willing to pay 500 Euros or more. Many people are actually looking for suitable smartphones in the inexpensive entry-level segment, and the price is obviously one major factor.

There is no doubt that on paper the specifications reveal significant differences compared to the super smartphones, especially in terms of performance, display and picture quality of the integrated cameras. However, this does not mean that you cannot be happy with an inexpensive smartphone if you have moderate expectations. We list the best smartphones with a current street price of less than 200 Euros that have been reviewed by Notebookcheck over the last 12 months (assuming the device is still available). The following rankings might be interesting as well:

The Best Cheap Smartphones

Position	Total Rating	Date	Model	Height	Weight	Screen-Body Ratio	Size	Resolution	OS
1	81.9 %	12/2022	Motorola Moto G72 Mediatek Helio G99 ARM Mali-G57 MP2 6 GB Memory, 128 GB UFS 2.1	7.9 mm	166 g	86 %	6.60"	2400x1080	Android 12
2	81.5 %	11/2021	Motorola Edge 20 Lite MediaTek Dimensity 720 ARM Mali-G57 MP3 8 GB Memory, 128 GB UFS 2.1	8 mm	185 g	83.2 %	6.70"	2400x1080	Android 11
3	81.1 %	06/2022	Samsung Galaxy M23 Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G 5G Qualcomm Adreno 619 4 GB Memory, 128 GB UFS 2.1	8.4 mm	198 g	83 %	6.60"	2408x1080	Android 12
4	81 %	07/2022	Motorola Moto G52 Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G Qualcomm Adreno 610 4 GB Memory, 128 GB UFS 2.1	8 mm	169 g	86.9 %	6.60"	2400x1080	Android 12
5	80.9 %	12/2022 new!	Xiaomi Poco M5s Mediatek Helio G95 ARM Mali-G76 MP4 4 GB Memory, 64 GB UFS 2.1	8.3 mm	178.8 g	83.5 %	6.43"	2400x1080	Android 12
6	80.9 %	09/2021	Motorola Moto G60s Mediatek Helio G95 ARM Mali-G76 MP4 4 GB Memory, 128 GB UFS 2.1	9.6 mm	212 g	85.3 %	6.80"	2480x1080	Android 11
7	80.8 %	07/2022	Motorola Moto G42 Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G Qualcomm Adreno 610 4 GB Memory, 64 GB UFS 2.1	8.3 mm	175 g	85.8 %	6.43"	2400x1080	Android 12
8	80.6 %	04/2022	Motorola Moto G41 Mediatek Helio G85 ARM Mali-G52 MP2 6 GB Memory, 128 GB eMMC	8.3 mm	178 g	82.7 %	6.40"	2400x1080	Android 11
9	80.3 %	10/2022	Samsung Galaxy A23 5G Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G Qualcomm Adreno 619 4 GB Memory, 64 GB UFS 2.1	8.4 mm	197 g	82 %	6.60"	2408x1080	Android 12
10	80 %	09/2022	Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S Mediatek Helio G96 ARM Mali-G57 MP2 6 GB Memory, 64 GB UFS 2.1	8.09 mm	179 g	85 %	6.43"	2400x1080	Android 11

The table above contains an overview over the best smartphones for less than 160 Euros reviewed by Notebookcheck over the course of the past 12 months as well as still relevant and available older products. In cases of identical score the more recent device is listed first. All prices in above table and price comparisons are updated daily and can thus differ.
Link: all devices in this class reviewed

Editors' Comments

Due to the generally increased prices, many smartphones have risen to prices of just over 200 Euros. Instead of replacing almost the entire list, only the significantly more expensive Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro (former No. 1) was removed, the new Xiaomi Poco M5s was added at No. 5, and all prices and links were updated. The Motorola Moto G72 is now number 1.

1st – Motorola Moto G72

The slim and light Motorola Moto G72 offers a very good price-performance ratio. This is because it scores with a 120 Hz OLED display that gets 1,000 nits of brightness, which even more expensive smartphones often cannot manage. The high-quality mid-range phone offers a fairly pure Android, a 3.5 mm jack, very long battery runtimes and a speedy performance typical for this class. The phone hardly heats up at all.

Motorola's Moto G72 is an inexpensive smartphone that is suitable for everyday use with many advantages, such as the display and battery runtimes.

The camera also takes more usable pictures than similarly priced devices and is thus well suited for snapshots in between. However, 5G is not available, the positioning is somewhat inaccurate, and the voice quality is somewhat limited without earphones. PWM flickering appears at low brightness levels.

The Motorola Moto G72 cannot easily be found in the US.

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2nd – Motorola Edge 20 Lite

Our top list is currently flooded with Motorola smartphones. Thus, the Edge 20 Lite makes it to 3rd place. It offers a 90 Hz OLED display that gets 430 nits bright and uses PWM. The feel of the smartphone is good and the case is sufficiently sturdy with glass and plastic. You get a jack port, very long battery runtimes, a slim Android and you can recharge it quickly.

Motorola's Edge 20 Lite offers a good main camera for the class, although the camera software is a bit flawed. While the inner values are good overall, the plastic casing could have been a bit more valuable.

The WLAN speed leaves something to be desired and the performance of the Dimensity 720 is somewhat limited, but it is supported by a full 8 GB of RAM.

Currently, it's hard to find the Edge 20 Lite in the United States.

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3rd – Samsung Galaxy M23 5G

The Samsung Galaxy M23 relies on a 6.6-inch PLS display, which offers a Full HD Plus resolution and 120 Hz. The Qualcomm SoC used is no longer brand-new, but it still enables an appealing system speed and can fall back on 4 GB of working memory. An internal storage of 128 GB is available for the user's data, which can be expanded via micro-SD card.

Samsung's Galaxy offers an attractive overall package that only demands little compromise from the user.

The panel is not as bright as in the current models of the A-series, but it does not need pulse width modulation. 5G is also on board, as well as a 5,000 mAh battery that enables long runtimes. However, the device does not have an IP certification and the update supply is probably not as long as in the more expensive models - Samsung does not provide exact details in this regard.

Seemingly, the Samsung Galaxy M23 cannot easily be found in the US.

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4th – Motorola Moto G52

The Motorola Moto G52 offers a 6.6-inch AMOLED display that works with Full HD+ and up to 90 Hz. It is powered by a Qualcomm SoC from the lower mid-range, which can fall back on 4 GB of RAM. The internal storage has a capacity of 128 GB and can be expanded via microSD.

Motorola's Moto G52 is a pretty well-equipped LTE smartphone that could have become an insider's tip with a slightly more modern SoC.

Motorola also provides the smartphone with a radio receiver and an audio jack. The 5,000 mAh battery provides very good runtimes in the test. The triple camera consists of a 50 MPixel sensor as well as a macro and an ultra-wide-angle lens. It is only a pity that owners of a G52 have to do without 5G.

The Motorola Moto G52 is available from around $445 on Amazon.

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5th – Poco M5s

The new Xiaomi Poco M5s has a high-resolution and bright AMOLED display without PWM flickering, but it relies on only 60 Hz. The main memory is 4 GB and the flash memory is 64 GB, which can be expanded via microSD card. A 3.5 mm audio jack is fortunately available.

Xiaomi's Poco M5s offers plenty of features and long battery runtimes, but a rather weak SoC and a poor camera.

Xiaomi also gives the smartphone a radio receiver and an IR blaster. The 5,000 mAh battery provides very good runtimes of almost 17 hours while browsing in the review.

Currently, the device can be ordered via Amazon for $186.

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6th – Motorola Moto G60s

The Motorola Moto G60s is an affordable smartphone with a high-resolution 120 Hz IPS screen, an average Helios G95 SoC, 50 W fast-charging and an average battery life.

You get a fast and sufficiently bright display in Motorola's Moto G60s. However, the contrast and battery runtimes could be better.

A 3.5 mm jack is on board, the locating capability is good, but it only relies on a mono speaker. The Android UI is sleek and charging is quick, especially for a mid-range phone. The illumination of the IPS display still has potential for optimization.

Amazon US lists the unlocked version of the device at $169, without US warranty.

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7th – Motorola Moto G42

The Motorola Moto G42 relies on a 700 nits bright OLED display, which however only refreshes at 60 Hz. The case of the inexpensive smartphone is made of plastic and charging is done with only 18 watts. The Snapdragon 680's performance is somewhat below average.

With Motorola's Moto G42, you get a bright OLED display, long battery runtimes, fast Wi-Fi, and a good 50 MP camera for the class, but no 5G.

The speakers are also good and there is dual-SIM and a microSD card reader for memory expansion. The lightweight phone also has a jack, but we measured PWM with a low frequency on the OLED display, which can cause problems for sensitive eyes.

Users can order the international version of the smartphone on Amazon US for $172.

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8th – Motorola Moto G41

The Motorola Moto G41 is basically similar to the G42, but relies on the slower Helio G85 SoC and does not have stereo speakers. The OLED display also gets over 700 nits bright here and only refreshes at 60 Hz. The battery runtimes are long, the Android is slim and you also get a 3.5 mm jack in the G41.

With Motorola's Moto G41, you get a bright OLED display for a small price. However, you have to put up with a slow memory and missing 5G.

The included 33-W power adapter charges Motorola's smartphone quickly. The main camera offers good quality including image stabilization, as does the wide-angle lens. However, videos can only be shot in Full HD, unlike the Edge 20.

In the US, the Motorola Moto G41 (GSM-only Single SIM) can be order via Amazon for $405.

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9th – Samsung Galaxy A23 5G

As the name suggests, Samsung Galaxy A23 5G with fast Snapdragon 695 supports 5G, but also numerous 4G frequencies. The memory is also fast and even gaming is possible. There is no throttling at all even under full load. The battery runtimes are also extraordinarily long with around 20 hours. A charger is not included, but it can be quickly charged with up to 50 W. The high-resolution 120 Hz PLS display does not exhibit PWM flickering.

The Samsung Galaxy A23 5G is an interesting budget smartphone with numerous advantages like the fast SoC and the very long runtimes. The camera and the not quite optimal case stability have to be cut back.

The somewhat low brightness and the deviating colors of the display are also suboptimal. The call quality is average. Samsung unfortunately installs a lot of bloatware and the brightness sensor is unreliable.

The device can directly be ordered via the Samsung's official store. Also, Amazon offers the Samsung Galaxy A23 with prices starting at $299.99.

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10th – Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S

The Redmi Note 11S from Xiaomi relies on a 90 Hz AMOLED display, a 108 MP camera and a fast Helios G96 SoC. Charging is also fast with the included 33-watt power adapter. The smartphone is also the most compact in this top list and also quite light, thanks to the plastic casing. The voice quality is good, as are the speakers and the GPS is accurate.

With Xiaomi's Redmi Note 11s, you get a strong overall package with a fast SoC along with 6 GB of RAM, a good camera and 90 Hz OLED display, all for a small price. There are only a few flaws, such as missing IP certifications.

WLAN performance is good and you get a 3.5 mm jack, but the OLED display is not exactly bright with 435 nits, which worsens readability outdoors in backlight. We also measured PWM flickering at low frequencies. If that does not bother you too much, you will get a solid smartphone.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11s is currently available for $219 on Amazon.