Best phones under $500 — June 2026

Data last verified 2026-06-13 · re-ranked automatically on every update

Every phone here costs $500 or less at current street prices and is ranked by our Value Score — a transparent blend of performance per dollar (30%), remaining software support (25%), battery, display, and camera (15% each). That support weighting is what makes this list different: a fast phone that loses its security updates next year is a bad buy at any price, so dying phones are excluded entirely and long-supported ones rise. The sweet spot: new mid-rangers and barely-old flagships overlap. Prices are re-verified monthly, and the list re-ranks itself whenever the data changes — the date in the title is real, not decoration.

How our scores work →

1. #1Samsung Galaxy A26 5G$250
   2025◆ Buy-by Mar 20292031

   Value Score 78/100 — supported until 2031, $4.37/month of safe use.

2. #2Google Pixel 8a$300
   2024◆ Buy-by May 20292031

   Value Score 77/100 — supported until 2031, $5.08/month of safe use.

3. #3Infinix Note Edge$260
   2026◆ Buy-by Feb 20292031

   Value Score 77/100 — supported until 2031, $4.63/month of safe use.

4. #4Nothing CMF Phone 2 Pro$279
   2025◆ Buy-by May 20292031

   Value Score 77/100 — supported until 2031, $4.75/month of safe use.

5. #5Samsung Galaxy M35 5G$200
   2024◆ Buy-by Jul 20272029

   Value Score 77/100 — supported until 2029, $5.39/month of safe use.

6. #6Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra$339
   2023◆ Buy-by Feb 20262028

   Value Score 76/100 — supported until 2028, $16.81/month of safe use.

7. #7Tecno Camon 40$185
   2025◆ Buy-by May 20282030

   Value Score 76/100 — supported until 2030, $3.97/month of safe use.

8. #8Nothing Phone (3a)$349
   2025◆ Buy-by Mar 20292031

   Value Score 75/100 — supported until 2031, $6.16/month of safe use.

9. #9Samsung Galaxy F16 5G$135
   2025◆ Buy-by Mar 20292031

   Value Score 75/100 — supported until 2031, $2.37/month of safe use.

10. #10Samsung Galaxy M16 5G$150
    2025◆ Buy-by Feb 20292031

    Value Score 75/100 — supported until 2031, $2.65/month of safe use.

More rankings

Rankings are computed from our verified database — no sponsorships, no affiliate reshuffling. Phones with under 18 months of support left are excluded from every list. Methodology.