Samsung is one of the best smartphone brands globally, with a strong lineup of smartphones across all price segments. Even with a $500 budget or lower than that, there are so many excellent options out there, including some high-end Galaxy S-series phones.
Short on time? Here are the products in this article:
| Product | Price |
|---|---|
| Galaxy S24 FE 5G | $474 (check the latest price) |
| Galaxy S23 5G | $499 (check the latest price) |
| Galaxy A55 5G | $294 (check the latest price) |
| Galaxy A35 5G | $250 (check the latest price) |
| Galaxy A15 5G | $170 (check the latest price) |
1. Samsung Galaxy S24 FE 5G
The Galaxy S24 FE (or Fan Edition) is currently available for just $474. That’s a nice 27% discount from the original price of $650, making it the best Galaxy pick for anyone with a budget of around 500 dollars.
It delivers a near-flagship experience for a significantly cheaper price. From the outside, the S24 FE looks like the Galaxy S24 Plus, with some downgrades to reach a lower price point. Those include a weaker chipset, a less brighter display, and a few others, but it’s still a solid choice for $500. It has all the Galaxy AI features from the premium models. You’ll also enjoy seven years of Android updates, the best on any Android smartphone.
Unlike other Galaxy S24 models, the S24 FE ships with an Exynos chipset instead. While it does a good job handling everyday tasks, hardcore fans looking for flagship performance might find it a bit disappointing.
If you prefer the Snapdragon chip over Exynos, the Galaxy S23 might be a better option, as detailed below.
2. Samsung Galaxy S23 5G
As we get newer Galaxy phones, the previous-generation models suddenly become a great buy with a sweet price cut. The flagship Galaxy S23, launched at a base price of $799.99, is now down to $499, putting it in a great spot for $500 buyers.
It’s a compact 6.1-inch flagship phone rocking a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, ensuring smooth performance whether you’re endlessly scrolling social media or playing your favorite titles. However, the 3,900mAh battery might seem a downgrade, but it’s actually not. The battery performance is similar to the Galaxy S24 FE (4,700mAh capacity) because of an efficient chipset and a smaller display.
The Galaxy S23 has excellent cameras. In fact, the Galaxy S24 carries identical camera hardware, but the latest model promises better processing thanks to an improved chipset. The changes are rather subtle and go unnoticed most of the time.
For $500, the Galaxy S23 is a no-brainer deal. It has a solid display, performance, and camera setup. It’s better than the Galaxy S24 FE, with only one downside: a smaller form factor.
3. Samsung Galaxy A55 5G
The Galaxy A55 is a solid mid-range smartphone currently available for just under $300. It’s surprisingly good at photography at this price point, even competing with some premium Galaxy devices.
The device is ripped with an aluminum frame all around. And the IP67 rating and Gorilla Glass Victs+ protection make it a long-lasting deal. The performance is okay for everyday tasks and offers light gaming as well.
The Galaxy A55 features a 6.6-inch 1080p bright Super AMOLED panel that refreshes at 120Hz. It also has an excellent triple camera setup, which includes a 50MP primary sensor with OIS, a 12MP ultrawide lens with a 123-degree field of view, and a 5MP macro shooter. The 32MP shooter takes decent selfies.
Battery life is excellent, lasting more than a day. It’s 5,000mAh, by the way, which is one of the biggest on Galaxy phones. Unfortunately, you don’t get a charger inside the box, so you’ll have to use an existing type-C charger or spend some more bucks getting one.
4. Samsung Galaxy A35 5G
For $250 (at Amazon), you get a large 1080p Super AMOLED screen with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate support, along with Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus+ for reliable protection against occasional drops. The performance is decent with Exynos 1380. You can do light gaming as well. But for a decent gaming performance, you should spend extra money getting a more powerful chipset.
The Galaxy A35 5G boots Android 14 out of the box and offers four years of guaranteed Android upgrades, up to Android 18. The camera performance is decent, offering detailed shots in good lighting conditions, but the low-light photography could be improved.
It lets you do 4K recording with its selfie camera as well, which we don’t see this very often on cheap phones. The connectivity options are good. You easily get a full day of battery backup with a few hours to spare the next morning, and supports 25W fast charging for quick top-ups.
5. Samsung Galaxy A15 5G
Even though the Galaxy A15 5G is a plastic phone from top to bottom, it has got the aesthetics of the Galaxy S24 family, with a matte finish on the back. And it doesn’t pick up fingerprints, thanks to a non-glossy finish.
The center point of this phone is the AMOLED screen you’re getting for just $170. It’s vibrant and has deep blacks that easily outperform any LCD panel. It’s a 1080p screen with 800nits of peak brightness, which isn’t bad for a phone at this price. The 90Hz refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and animations.
You wouldn’t expect amazing photography from a $170 phone. However, the Galaxy A15 5G does a better job than most budget phones at this price. The primary camera outputs slightly over-emphasized colors, but the detail is good for subjects. However, the ultrawide and macro cameras aren’t impressive but do the job.
The performance of the Galaxy A15 5G is as you would expect on a budget phone. It handles basic tasks like web browsing, messaging, and other everyday activities with ease. But as you push it with heavier games or intensive multitasking, some lags are easily noticeable.
Besides a great display, the Galaxy phone offers an excellent battery backup of more than a day. On light usage, you can easily make it to two days or possibly more on a single charge. That makes the Galaxy A15 5G a solid option for content consumption.
Which Samsung Galaxy phone from the list has impressed you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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