Best Android Phone Under $400 in 2018

Best overall Runner-up Best for outside the U.S. Best for less Best overall Moto X4 See at Amazon The Moto X4 is the long-awaited sequel to the Moto X Pure Edition and it's the best phone you can buy for under $400. It has a striking design, clean software, a great display, and a pretty good pair of cameras on the back. It's also one of the few phones in its price range with an IP68 rating. Even better, you can get Amazon's Prime Exclusive version for $270. Even better, all models work with all U.S. carriers Bottom line: If you're buying an unlocked phone and have a $400 budget, the Moto X4 is your best bet right now. One more thing: The model made for Project Fi is the only Moto X4 with Android One, and the only model that's guaranteed to receive updates for at least two years. Why the Moto X4 is the best The phone to get if you want bang for your buck. The design of the Moto X4 is just as nice to hold as it is to look at, thanks to its gentle curves, and it's durable with IP68 water and dust resistance. The software is as close as it gets to stock Android without bearing the Pixel brand (even more so with the Android One variant on Google Fi), but you still get all of Motorola's useful motion gestures for quickly launching functions like the camera and flashlight. You won't get support for Motorola's extensive collection of Moto Mods like on the Z2 Play, nor is the battery life from its 3,000 mAh cell the best we've seen. But the display is terrific, performance with its Snapdragon 630 chipset is smooth and speedy, and its dual cameras can take some really great photos. Runner-up Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra See at Amazon If you thought Motorola was the only game in town under $400, think again. Sony's excellent Xperia XA2 Ultra has a 6-inch 1080p panel with slim bezels and a fingerprint sensor on the back. Its Snapdragon 630 platform, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage are equal to the Moto X4, but its 3,580mAh battery is ginormous, and should last over a day on a single charge. Sony's Android 8.0-based software is also minimal and fast. Moreover, this beast has a massive 23MP rear camera and a 16MP front camera with a flash and OIS, making it one of the most capable camera phones on the market. So why doesn't this take the overall lead? Because it only works on AT&T and T-Mobile in the U.S. Bottom line: The Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra is a huge phone with plenty to like, but it only works on two major U.S. carriers. One more thing: There's a smaller Xperia XA2 for just $340 with practically the same specs and a smaller 5.2-inch display. Best for outside the U.S. Moto G6 Plus See at CPW Motorola's 2018 budget flagship is the Moto G6 Plus, and it's basically a taller, skinnier Moto X4 — which is why it's not available in North America. But if you're in South America, Europe, or the UK, the Moto G6 Plus is going to be your best bet under $400. At £269.00 or around EUR 260, you get a Snapdragon 630 platform, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, and a great 12MP rear camera with a secondary sensor that does portrait mode and more. Made of Gorilla Glass 3, the Moto G6 Plus has a beautiful shiny back plate and a great overall design, and the 3,200mAh battery keeps things going all day. Bottom line: If you can buy it, the Moto G6 Plus is an oustanding, affordable phone. One more thing: The Moto G6, which is available in the U.S., is a great alternative to both the G6 Plus or the more expensive Moto X4. Best for even less Moto G6 See at Amazon The Moto G6 is the best budget phone you can buy, and at $249 it's way below our $400 budget. With Gorilla Glass 3 on the front and back, a dual camera setup, and a spritely but power-efficient Snapdragon 450 processor, the Moto G6 is beautiful and capable — and you'd never think you were getting it for a third the price of many flagships. It doesn't have the same quality camera as the Moto G5 Plus, but it's close, and the added features, great battery life, and awesome Moto software make up for it. Bottom line: You can't go wrong with the Moto G6, which is far better than its $249 price tag would suggest. One more thing: The Moto G6 is available through Amazon's Prime Exclusive program, offering a $15 discount in exchange for pre-loaded Amazon apps. Conclusion The sub-$400 market is both extremely competitive and a little confusing, but there's never been more great options readily available, and with the emergence of Android One, you can finally count of getting consistent updates without having to buy a flagship phone straight from Google. The Moto X4 and Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra are both great examples of attractive, affordable phones with premium features like water resistance and fast fingerprint sensors. At the same time, devices like the Moto G6 and G6 Plus redefine what it means to be a top-tier budget device. Best overall Moto X4 See at Amazon The Moto X4 is the long-awaited sequel to the Moto X Pure Edition and it's the best phone you can buy for under $400. It has a striking design, clean software, a great display, and a pretty good pair of cameras on the back. It's also one of the few phones in its price range with an IP68 rating. Even better, you can get Amazon's Prime Exclusive version for $270. Even better, all models work with all U.S. carriers Bottom line: If you're buying an unlocked phone and have a $400 budget, the Moto X4 is your best bet right now. One more thing: The model made for Project Fi is the only Moto X4 with Android One, and the only model that's guaranteed to receive updates for at least two years. Updated June 2018: The Moto X4 is still our best phone under $400, while the Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra is our runner-up, and the Moto G6 Plus is now our non-U.S pick. We've replaced the Moto G5 Plus with the Moto G6.

source: https://www.androidcentral.com/best-android-phones-under-400
date: Thu, 21 Jun 2018 18:00:00 +0000