Best Samsung Phones Under $300 (Budget, Not Basic)

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  • Post last modified:April 11, 2023
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If you’re on a budget and want to get a really good Samsung phone that costs $300 at most, I’ll be sharing my top picks with you, today.

I took a look at over 20 Samsung phones that are around the $300 range to see what they can offer and ended with 7 that I think are the best in terms of display, performance, battery, and some extra features like having a fingerprint scanner, SD card support, a headphone jack, etc.

Sounds good? Yes? Well, I think so too. Keep reading.

Overall Best: Samsung Galaxy A51

samsung galaxy a51

The A51 takes the first place as the best Samsung phone that you can get under $300, if you want to check out its current price on Amazon, you can click the link.

With a 2.3 GHz octa-core CPU and a 6.5 inch Super AMOLED display which has a fingerprint scanner underneath, as well as 5 camera lenses in total, the Galaxy A51 is currently the best Samsung phone you can get under $300.

Let’s take a look at some of its features.

Display

You get a 6.5 inch Super AMOLED display with 1080 x 2400 resolution. With a screen like this, you’ll get all those deep blacks and crisp images for sure.

The display also comes protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Although it is not the latest version of Gorilla Glass, it’s worth the money. The glass protects the screen from scratches and short drops.

It’s also got the fingerprint scanner under it.

Overall, the A51 has a really good display.

Performance

Although you’re not getting a Snapdragon chipset on this device, at its price, the Exynos 9611 chipset is ideal. It’s a 2.3 GHz octa-core CPU with a Mali-G72 GPU.

Now with this chipset, you can carry out a lot of tasks with this device, if you like gaming, the A51 can handle it, if you’re into social media, you won’t have a problem with that on this device.

It also comes with the latest version of Android, so it’s going to be compatible with a lot of apps.

Although the A51 comes in different models, the 4GB RAM model is going to be okay with all your apps but if you want more speed and stability, you can get the 6GB RAM or the 8GB RAM model.

However, the price is going to increase as you go higher.

Unless you plan to use this device for more than 3 years, 4GB RAM will be okay.

Battery

You get a 4,000 mAh battery here, devices that come with batteries that are at least 3500 mAh are okay for all kinds of users.

The A51 isn’t the phone with the biggest battery you can get under $300 but it’s very close. If battery is the only thing you’re interested in, don’t worry, we’ll be talking about devices that have one soon.

You also get fast charging with the A51, but no wireless charging.

Extra Features

Besides having a fingerprint scanner under the display, you also get 4G LTE, a headphone jack, NFC, USB Type-C and a dedicated SD card slot that can expand your storage space.

Get the Samsung Galaxy A51 on Amazon.

Best Alternative: Samsung Galaxy A50s

samsung galaxy a50s

Although more expensive than the A51, check Amazon price here, the A50s is the next phone I’ll recommend getting if you feel the A51 isn’t really for you.

The reason why it’s not the overall best is because it has 4 cameras in total and its screen resolution is a little bit lower than the A51.

Display

The A50s comes with a 6.4 inch, 1080 x 2340, Super AMOLED display. As you can see, it falls short by only a little, compared to the Galaxy A51 but it does have a fingerprint scanner under the display as well.

You still get a sharp display with all the deep blacks but why the phone is currently more expensive than the A51 is something I can’t really wrap my head around.

So unless Samsung is using this to push the A51, I couldn’t tell you any reason why.

Performance

You’re also getting the same Chipset as the A51 here, it’s the Exynos 9611, good enough for gamers and those who just want to use the internet, social media, stream videos, etc.

You don’t get an 8GB RAM model here, just 4GB and 6GB.

Battery

The A50s also comes with the same battery as the A51. A 4,000 mAh battery and it also supports fast charging.

Extra Features

4G LTE, USB Type-C, NFC, a dedicated SD card slot and a headphone jack are all available.

Get the Samsung Galaxy A50s on Amazon.

Best Budget: Samsung Galaxy A30s

samsung galaxy a30s

The A30s is the best budget Samsung phone you can get that is under $300 because of the features it offers at its price. Check current price on Amazon.

Even though the Samsung Galaxy A20s is a similar device and cheaper, the A30s is better because of its Super AMOLED screen which has a fingerprint scanner under it and its better cameras.

If you don’t care for an AMOLED screen, you can take a look at the A20s, which I’ll be talking about next.

Display

As already stated, the A30s comes with a Super AMOLED display, it’s 6.4 inches and its resolution is 720 x 1560 pixels.

Now of course 720p isn’t a great display, but this is an AMOLED screen so it is better than an IPS display (which most 720p screens are made with).

And that’s where the fingerprint scanner is. You get close to a premium experience with this device.

Performance

Like almost every other budget device, this isn’t a device for heavy activities, you definitely can play games, but unless you plan to play PUBG Lite, you are going to get lags when it comes to intense or heavy games.

But for those of you who just want to browse and use social media, this phone isn’t going to be a problem if you’re on a tight budget.

This is due to its 1.8GHz octa-core CPU. It’s also got 3GB RAM which, in my opinion isn’t ideal if you want stability, but the A30s also has a 4GB RAM version as well, which I think is ideal on a device today.

Although the phone comes with Android 9.0, you can upgrade it to Android 10 after you purchase.

Battery

One aspect of the A30s that is impressive is its battery, it’s a 4000 mAh battery. With this amount you can be on the phone for a long time before needing to charge it.

Battery supports fast charging as well.

Extra Features

It’s got 4G LTE, USB Type-C (which doesn’t usually available on budget devices), a headphone jack, 4 cameras in total and a dedicated SD card slot.

Get the Samsung Galaxy A30s on Amazon.

Budget Alternative: Samsung Galaxy A20s

samsung galaxy a20s

If the A30s is a bit too expensive for you, then the A20s is the Samsung device I can recommend if you’re on a tight budget. Here is the Amazon link if you want to check the current price.

Although not as packed with features as the A30s, the A20s is a good option as a budget Samsung phone under $300 because it’s got a big battery and its screen doesn’t demand a lot of battery juice.

It doesn’t come with a Super AMOLED screen but its Snapdragon chipset makes it a little better in terms of performance over the A30s.

Display

The A20s has an IPS LCD display, its resolution is 720 x 1560 pixels, this isn’t ideal if you like sharp displays because some images are going to look a bit blurry.

However, it is slightly taller than the A30s, at 6.5 inches.

Unlike the A30s though, you don’t get a fingerprint scanner under the display.

Performance

As stated, the A20s is going to perform slightly better than the A30s, this is because of its Snapdragon chipset.

You’re probably not going to notice the difference in performance, but Snapdragon chipsets have always been better than Exynos chipsets.

So, even though it’s got the same 1.8 GHz octa-core CPU, you’re going to get a slightly better performance with the device.

Not ideal for heavy gaming, but good enough for carrying out day to day activities like browsing, streaming videos, using social media.

Finally, the A20s comes with Android 9.0 but it can be upgraded to Android 10.

Battery

You’re still getting a 4,000 mAh battery on the A20s, it supports fast charging and would last long since its screen isn’t going to need a lot of battery power.

Extra Features

You get a headphone jack, a dedicated SD card slot, a fingerprint scanner on the back, USB Type-C, 4G internet.

Get the Samsung Galaxy A20s on Amazon.

Best Battery: Samsung Galaxy A21s

samsung galaxy a21s

The Samsung Galaxy A21s is the best Samsung phone that comes with a big battery that you can get under $300.

With its 5,000 mAh battery, you will be on your phone all day, and when you need to charge the phone, you won’t have to wait for long because it supports fast charging.

If you want to see its current price on Amazon, click here.

Another device that comes with the same battery size is the M30, but I’m recommending the A21s over the M30 for a few reasons which I’ll be explaining in a bit.

Alright, I’ll tell you some of the reasons right now. The A21s comes with the latest Android version (Android 10), 5 cameras in total and a display that is worth explaining below.

Display

Now the display on the A21s is a 6.5 inch PLS TFT display (which is quite similar to an IPS LCD display).

Compared to the M30, which is an AMOLED display, you may be wondering why I am choosing this device over the M30.

Well the answer is simple, because the A21s has a lower resolution compared to the M30, the battery of the A21s doesn’t have to work on so many pixels on the screen, thereby saving a lot more battery power.

So with the A21s’ 720 x 1600 pixels, you may get a bit of a blurry display compared to the M30 but if battery is the only thing you care about, you’re in safe hands, or the phone is in safe hands… well you get the point.

Performance

The A21s also performs better compared to the M30. Well, it is a 2020 device so it’s understandable.

It comes with Android 10 and it has a 2.0 GHz octa-core CPU.

RAM options are also good, they are 3GB, 4GB and 6GB, so if you plan to multitask a lot on the phone, you can go for the 4GB or 6GB RAM version.

I would strongly recommend staying away from the 3GB RAM variant.

Games will also work fine with the A21s, heavy games may be playable, but don’t expect good graphics, this device isn’t built for that. You may also notice lags here and there when you play heavy games.

Now one thing I will say isn’t that great about the A21s compared to the M30 is its internal storage options, it only goes as high as 64GB.

Now if you plan to have a lot of media files, you will have to get an SD card. So, with that said, the A21s is good enough to perform well as a phone today.

Battery

Since the battery is the main focus of this phone, well it has a 5,000 mAh battery and it supports fast charging.

This is an ideal battery size, for heavy usage or for people that forget to charge sometimes.

You don’t get wireless charging, though.

Extra Features

A dedicated SD card slot, 4G LTE, headphone jack, a fingerprint scanner on the back, USB Type-C are all available on the A21s.

Get the Samsung Galaxy A21s on Amazon.

Best Battery Alternative: Samsung Galaxy M30

samsung galaxy m30

I probably already made you feel like the A21s is the phone to go for if you want a less than $300 Samsung phone with a good battery. Although the A21s is a good choice, you won’t get any premium feature with it.

However, the M30 comes with a Super AMOLED display with a 1080 x 2340 resolution which means you get a sharper display compared to the A21s. Check Amazon current price.

The M30 is also made out of glass, which gives the phone a more premium look compared to the A21s and of course you get the same 5,000 mAh battery.

Display

The M30’s display is sharper than the A21s, and even though more pixels means more battery power being used, the M30 balances that out with its CPU. I will be talking about that later on.

Now, like all Super AMOLED displays, which the M30 comes with, you get vibrant colors and sharp pictures.

Overall, a nice display compared to the A21s.

Performance

This is where in terms of battery, the M30 does better when you compare it with the A21s, if you’re not the kind to play heavy games on your phone or carry out a lot of heavy tasks, then the M30 will be the phone to get.

Its 1.8 GHz CPU will help you carry out all your day to day activities like browsing, taking photos, using social media etc. without problems.

Since its CPU isn’t going to require a lot of power to work, the battery won’t runout fast.

So, if you don’t see yourself playing games all the time but want a good Samsung phone with a battery that lasts long, then go for the M30.

It’s got enough room for your movies, music, pictures etc. since it has a 128GB version. However, if you don’t require a lot of memory, you can go for the 32GB or 64GB option.

It comes with Android 8.1 but can be upgraded to Android 10… just like the A21s.

Battery

Battery of the Samsung Galaxy M30 is 5,000 mAh, it supports fast charging as well.

Extra Features

4G LTE, a dedicated SD card slot, 4 cameras in total, a headphone jack, USB Type-C and a fingerprint scanner on the back.

Get the Samsung Galaxy M30 on Amazon.

Most Recent: Samsung Galaxy A31

samsung galaxy a31

The A31 is one of the newest Samsung phones you can get in 2020 that is under $300. To see current price on Amazon, click here.

It comes with the latest Android operating system so you don’t have to worry about updating it yourself and you have a range of storage options.

I was going to consider including it in the best battery section because it’s also got a 5,000 mAh battery, but its chipset just isn’t ideal for me.

However, the phone does offer a lot of good features which I’m sure some of you will be interested in, so let’s talk about them.

Display

The Samsung Galaxy A31 has a really good display panel, it’s a Super AMOLED screen and its resolution is 1080 x 2400 pixels.

So expect sharp pictures, deep blacks and vibrant colors.

The surprising part about this device is that it’s got its fingerprint scanner under the display, but due to the fact that it uses a Helio chipset, I can’t really say I expect a lot from it (it might be slow).

Well, it’s a new device so I’m still keeping an eye on it, but it looks promising.

Performance

Since this device uses a Helio chipset, from my experience with Helio chipsets, unless you go for a device with 6GB RAM, you’re going to experience lags here and there over time.

However, the A31 comes with a 6GB RAM model and a 2.0 GHz octa-core CPU, so I’m not too worried about you experiencing lags at the moment.

I wouldn’t recommend this device for those who like heavy gaming or for long term use.

In two years from now, I doubt this device is going to be good enough for heavy users.

The good part is, as you use it, you won’t worry about space, it’s got a 128GB version and a 64GB version, you’re going to be okay if you want to store a lot of multimedia files on the device.

Battery

The Samsung Galaxy A31 comes with a 5,000 mAh battery and supports fast charging.

Extra Features

USB Type-C, 4G LTE, fingerprint scanner under the display, 5 cameras in total, a dedicated SD card slot, Android 10.

Get the Samsung Galaxy A31 on Amazon.

Conclusion

Being on a budget, it’s sometimes hard to choose a phone, you think about things like how long the phone will last, how durable it is, etc.

That is understandable, no one wants to buy a device that doesn’t work after a few months.

If you’re not planning on switching devices anytime soon, well just know that with a Samsung device, you’re looking at a 6+ year usage.

That’s right, even though you will be getting another device way before 6 years, it’s just something I think you should know.

I can say this because of the Galaxy A5 and Note 8 I’ve been using for almost 7 years. You can read all about that here.

So, get yourself a budget Samsung phone that can work and last long enough for you to save for something better.

Like a Samsung phone with a nice flat screen or water resistance.