Need high performance on a budget? These are the phones you should buy (and the ones you shouldn’t)

If you’re in the marketplace for a new telephone and have $500 or much less to spend, there are loads of strong choices this 12 months. At the greater finish, we’ve the Google Pixel 9a and Nothing Cellphone 3a Professional. If you’re seeking to save a bit extra with out sacrificing too many specs, the Samsung Galaxy A36 5G and the normal Nothing Cellphone 3a are robust contenders. Under that, ultra-budget decisions like the Moto G collection nonetheless have their place. Whereas these phones differ in some ways, one key space to focus on at this worth level is the processor.

Fortunately, price range chips aren’t as sluggish as they was, however selecting a high-performance processor remains to be a good transfer. Who is aware of what apps, video games, or options your telephone may must deal with years down the line? Software program assist now stretches to 4 years or extra—however the {hardware} must sustain, too. Planning forward can save you each cash and frustration later on.

Right here are the key performance specs for these budget-friendly phones so you can see what your cash buys.

There’s a wholesome mixture of chips right here, however the standout is clearly the Google Pixel 9a with its flagship-grade Tensor G4 processor. To search out comparable performance elsewhere, you’d should spend extra on gadgets like the iPhone 16e or Galaxy S24 FE. Naturally, it’s not honest to count on a $200 telephone to compete with a $500 one, however the actual query is whether or not the extra inexpensive fashions supply sufficient performance to be a good long-term buy—or if you’re higher off spending a bit extra now for future-proofing. Let’s dive into the benchmarks.

I’ve included the PCMark Work 3.0 take a look at to focus on that each one 4 phones (and their siblings) deal with on a regular basis duties—like doc enhancing, picture manipulation, and net shopping—pretty properly. Even the ultra-affordable Moto G performs decently for the fundamentals. Nevertheless, with regards to extra demanding CPU duties, GeekBench 6 outcomes present clear variations.

The Pixel 9a leads the pack right here, due to its Tensor G4 chip (almost an identical to the one in the premium Pixel 9 Professional XL), which options a highly effective Cortex-X4 core and better clock speeds. If you need top-tier performance and long-term assist, the Pixel 9a is the Android telephone to beat, although it’s additionally the priciest on this record at $500.

The Nothing Cellphone 3a is available in second place, and we had good issues to say about its performance in our assessment, too. Its Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip outpaces the Galaxy A36 5G whereas costing a bit much less, so main factors there. It’s nonetheless behind the Pixel, however its 15% higher single-core and 12% higher multi-core scores in comparison with the Galaxy might actually make all the distinction a few years down the line.

In our Galaxy A36 5G assessment, we famous that whereas Samsung affords six years of software program updates, the telephone’s performance doesn’t really feel prefer it’ll comfortably match that long-term promise, and our benchmarks counsel the identical. Particularly in comparison with the Pixel 9a, which isn’t that rather more costly. Samsung’s One UI goodies to deliver the chip to a halt, and it’ll undoubtedly really feel much more sluggish earlier than assist ends, making it a good instance of why performance issues for longevity.

Equally, the Moto G Stylus (2025), with the identical Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chip and a $400 price ticket, is consultant of contemporary inexpensive phones — satisfactory, however not distinctive.

Graphics benchmarks inform nearly the identical story. The Pixel 9a simply outpaces the competitors with as much as 2.5x the peak performance, making it a robust selection for cell avid gamers on a price range. Google’s chip won’t high charts in the premium house, however the 9a is clearly powerhouse for the worth.

The Nothing Cellphone 3a collection additionally shines right here. Its Snapdragon 7s Gen’s Adreno 710 GPU, clocked greater than the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3’s, beats each the Galaxy A36 5G and Moto G Stylus. It’ll maintain up for informal gaming right this moment, however might begin to wrestle with newer, graphics-intensive titles or high-end emulation down the highway. Nonetheless, that enhanced clock pace means it should maintain up higher than the competitors in years to return.

In any case, if gaming is on your radar, the Pixel 9a is the clear winner at this worth.

The Pixel 9a is the greatest performer on this record, but it surely’s additionally the most costly. However with performance that always doubles its rivals, it’s price the additional $100 if you need a telephone that’ll final. That stated, if you should spend much less, the Nothing Cellphone 3a is a incredible different. It performs almost in addition to the Professional mannequin, edges out the Galaxy A36 5G, and affords comparable long-term software program assist.

After all, performance isn’t the whole lot. Every of those phones has its strengths, from the Galaxy A36 5G’s quick charging to the 3a Professional’s extra superior cameras. If you’re prepared to spend extra, the OnePlus 13R or Galaxy S24 FE supply near-flagship performance, however at $600 or extra, they’re edging into premium territory. Relying on your area, you may also have entry to strong choices from manufacturers like Xiaomi.

Nonetheless, the Pixel 9a hits a candy spot, providing premium-level energy at a worth that’s nonetheless inside attain of the budget-conscious.

I haven’t stated a lot about the ultra-affordable Moto G and G Energy right here as a result of, properly, their extraordinarily inexpensive strategy clearly can’t sustain with the dearer competitors. That stated, the phones additionally solely supply two years of OS upgrades, that means that performance doesn’t should stretch as far over the telephone’s lifetime earlier than you’d most likely contemplate an improve.

Nevertheless, I’m unsure this actually helps Moto as a result of you’d should buy three fashions to obtain the identical size of assist, blowing previous an equal spend on a Pixel or Nothing Cellphone. For that money, you can take pleasure in far superior performance right this moment and never have to fret about a substitute for years to return.

After all, the Moto G collection stays undeniably low-cost, which can at all times have its enchantment, however for the long run, I’d actually advise towards shopping for one. Buy the Nothing Cellphone 3a as a substitute.