Looking for a good cheap phone? Check out the Google Pixel 6A

The best cheap phones on the market offer all the smartphone essentials without the hefty price tag of flagship competitors, like the Galaxy S24 or the iPhone 15.

The $349 Google Pixel 6A is our favorite cheap phone right now. Google delivers all the big features that matter, like top-of-the-line cameras, a peppy processor and years’ worth of software support.

For CNET’s complete list of recommended cheap phones visit CNET.com.

CNET take: The $349 Pixel 6A holds its value well, even after Google’s release of the Pixel 7A. In her Pixel 6A review, CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco called it the “best Android phone under $500,” noting that it keeps the same Tensor chip as the $339 Pixel 6, and many of the 6′s best features. Plus, the 6A is often discounted to $299, at which price it becomes an amazing phone for under $300, thanks to its excellent software support.

The phone is slightly smaller than the Pixel 6, featuring a 6.1-inch OLED display and a refresh rate of 60Hz. It also has a similar camera system as the Pixel 5A, which includes a 12.2-megapixel main camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. The Tensor chip brings additional benefits you won’t get with the Pixel 5A, such as Real Tone for more equitable skin tones, Face Unblur, Night Sight for low-light photography, and the Magic Eraser for removing unwanted elements from a photo.

CNET.com