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5 Fantastic Smartphones You Can Get for $300 or Less

Published Jun 17th, 2015 2:38PM EDT
Best Cheap Smartphones List Xiaomi Motorola OnePlus
Image: OnePlus

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The iPhone 6 and the Galaxy S6 typically dominate the discussion about the world’s best smartphones but you don’t have to pay top dollar to get a quality device. Popular YouTube gadget reviewer Marques Brownlee has gone through his stash of low-cost smartphones and has picked out five gems that deliver good performance and amazing value for $300 or less.

RELATED: If this rumor is right, the OnePlus 2 will be 2015’s smartphone bargain to beat

The No. 1 phone on Brownlee’s list is the OnePlus One, the low-cost handset that was last year’s big surprise smartphone hit. The device, which now costs $300, comes with a 5.5-inch 1080p display, 3GB of RAM, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and a 3,100mAh battery. However, its specifications only tell you so much about how good of a phone it really is.

“It’s a freak, basically,” Brownlee says in his video. “The phone itself is built pretty well… it feels great in the hand… There’s a reason why it won best budget smartphone from me last year: This thing’s legit.”

The four other phones Brownlee talks about in his video are the Xiaomi mi 4i, which sells for $250; the 2nd-generation Moto G, which sells for a ridiculously low $180; the Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3, which sells for $250; and the Asus Zenfone 2, which has a $300 price point.

The whole video is worth your time and can be found below.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.