Written October 2025
With a budget of $300, we’re getting into the territory of being able to buy a lower-midrange phone brand new or a 1-3 year old flagship phone refurbished or used. This budget is a decent step up from a budget of $250, and expands our options quite a bit.
Solid phone overall with emphasis on cameras, software, and AI: Google Pixel 8
Key Specs:
- Google Tensor G3 processor & 8 GB RAM
- 6.2″ FHD+ 428 ppi 120Hz OLED display with 2000 nits of peak brightness, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection, 187g weight
- 50 MP Wide + 12 MP Ultrawide + 10.5 MP selfie camera
- 4575 mAh battery with 27W wired charging, 18W wireless charging
- Android 14 with 7 major Android updates
- IP68 dust and water resistance
I chose the Google Pixel 8 for leading my <$300 list because it is a decently new flagship phone that still holds up very well today and is comfortably under the $300 mark in terms of price. Its Google Tensor G3 processor enables the phone to score ~1,100,000 on the AnTuTu benchmark, plenty of power for what you need to do with your phone but not overkill. One of the key selling points of this phone, and a big reason why I am recommending it, is its clean and bloat-free Android software, with Pixel phones getting the newest Android versions before any other phones (because Google owns both Pixel and Android) and getting the best software support, with the Pixel 8 getting updates until 2030. If you buy this phone, it won’t feel obsolete for many years. Pixels also have industry-leading cameras, with the Pixel 8’s taking beautiful shots in virtually any scenario. As you can see if you clicked on the link to the gallery, Google’s processing for the portrait is a bit off with some stray hairs being counted as the background, but this is a very minor and common problem among Android phones. This phone also receives many of Google’s AI features, such as their Gemini AI assistant, Magic Editor, Circle to Search, Best Take, and more. Overall, this premium and modern phone is suitable for a lot of people and is still a great handset to have in 2025.
| Cons: | -Battery life isn’t the best. -Gaming performance isn’t great, with users reporting thermal throttling and overheating. -While the video quality on this phone is great, many believe it’s inferior to the likes of Apple and Samsung’s phones in the price range. |
Powerful phone with great value overall: Samsung Galaxy S24
Key Specs:
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor & 8 GB RAM
- 6.2″ FHD+ 416 ppi 120Hz Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display with 2600 nits peak brightness, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection, 167g weight
- 50MP Wide + 12MP Ultrawide + 10MP 3x Telephoto + 12MP selfie camera
- 4000 mAh battery with 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 5W reverse wireless charging
- Android 14 with 7 years of major Android updates
- IP68 dust and water resistance
The Samsung Galaxy S24 is a very modern and premium phone, and I’m not just saying that, as this is a flagship phone released in 2024, not old or outdated by any means. First of all, this phone receives almost all of the same Galaxy AI features as the new S25 series, which can be very useful for photos, real-world situations such as when there is a need for live translation, and general AI use as well. It has great build quality, with Gorilla Glass Victus 2, the same glass as Samsung’s newest offering, the Galaxy S25, covering the front and back of the phone, along with aluminum side rails, even featuring the same protective aluminum as the S25. This phone’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor (Exynos 2400 outside the US) is extremely fast and can handle anything, even demanding gaming, and was the fastest non-Apple chipset on the market until the release of the Snapdragon 8 Elite. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 also has noticeable power efficiency improvements, meaning the S24 has a jump in battery life over the previous generation. The S24’s compact size makes it easy to hold, and its 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED display also gets very bright at 2600 nits. The camera produces sharp images with vibrant colors along with decent low-light performance, and the 30x zoom is a big plus in my opinion. Overall, this is a great buy and will serve you well for at least a few more years.
| Cons: | -Image processing is said to be too heavy, oversaturating colors and making images appear less true to life, and some users have reported slightly blurry photos, but this phone is amazing other than those minor problems. |
New option: CMF Phone 2 Pro
Key Specs:
- MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro processor & 8 GB RAM
- 6.77″ FHD+ 387 ppi 120 Hz AMOLED display with ~3000 nits of peak brightness, Panda Glass protection, 185 g weight
- 50 MP Wide + 50 MP 2× Telephoto + 8 MP Ultrawide + 16 MP selfie camera
- 5000 mAh battery with 33 W wired charging
- Android 15 with 3 major Android updates (and extended security updates)
- IP64 dust and water resistance
The CMF Phone 2 Pro by Nothing is a very unique phone, with personality in its design and software compared to the competition. Its design may look unconventional, but it is very functional, as attaching accessories to this phone through its strong magnets or screws allows for a wide variety of configurations for this phone. Its chip, the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro, is perfectly fine for daily tasks and even occasional gaming, making for a good combination with a hearty 8GB of RAM. NothingOS is definitely a huge upside of this phone, as it is clean and bloat-free, and you’ll be getting 3 more Android updates after NothingOS 3.2 (Android 15). The cameras are cited by many as decent; many complained about the lack of OIS, but overall there’s not really any big problem with them. My favorite part about the cameras is the 2x telephoto lens, as you rarely see telephoto lenses in other brand-new phones at this price range. Other things that are great about this phone are its battery life, AMOLED display, dedicated Essential Space AI button, and MicroSD card to expand on its already generous 256GB of storage. This phone is one of the best budget phones of 2025 and should feel like a modern phone for many years to come.
| Cons: | -Weird design may turn off some people from this phone (personally I like it). -Despite what I said about the 2x telephoto, many believe the sensor is too small, sacrificing light and quality for a little more zoom. -The speaker is apparently very bad, and this phone has subpar water resistance (but this is common in brand new phones at this price range) |