The general belief that Samsung products are always on the pricey side might make you think it is impossible to obtain a cheap phone from the company. However, you can get a good smartphone from Samsung without spending more than $200. All you need is to get the right information, and we will provide you with that.
Undoubtedly, the latest smartphones are way beyond $200 and completely out of reach if you are not willing to go all out to obtain them. However, some low-end devices from the A-series are selling at a price just some bucks above $100, and they are pretty much cool for a smartphone of such a price.
If there is one aspect I personally like about low-end Samsung Android, then it is its durability. These phones remind me of the Samsung of those days, with powerful screens and rugged battery life. Unfortunately, these features are not really maintained in the latest Samsung devices; just a drop and the screen cracks.
Considering their other features, they are not so bad since many of them run on Android 12/13, and have decent RAM and storage capacity. Therefore, you can still play your favorite games, browse the internet, and watch movies to your satisfaction. The major downside is their inability to carry out complex operations without lagging and maybe, their camera features. Anyways, you are not expecting so much in a Samsung phone under $200, are you?
Below is the list of the best Samsung Phones under $200 in 2023.
Best Samsung Phone under $300 | Samsung phone With the Best Cameras | Best Samsung Flat Screen Phone
1. Samsung Galaxy A23
Released date: March, 2022 | Display: 6.6 inches PLS LCD, 90Hz, 1080 x 2408 pixels | CPU: Snapdragon 680 4G (6 nm) | GPU: Adreno 610 | RAM/Storage: 4GB/128GB ROM | Rear Camera: Quad 50MP + 5MP + 2MP + 2MP| Front Camera: Single 8MP | OS: Android 12, One UI 4.1 | Battery: 3000 mAh, removable | Dimension: 152.2 x 78.7 x 7.5 mm| Weight: 171 g
The Samsung Galaxy A23, which retails for $193 (£194, or around AU$345), has a ton of amazing features and can be the perfect choice for someone searching for the most affordable phone that can complete the most chores. The phone’s 6.6-inch screen, which has a maximum quality of 1080p, is excellent for watching films, playing games, and reading the news.
The phone is effective at multitasking and can play popular graphics-demanding games without lag. The phone’s 128GB storage is more than enough to store all the necessary data you might want to save for a large period of time. The phone’s 6GB RAM helps you do a lot of activities at the same time.
At this pricing point, Samsung also intends to provide at least four years of security upgrades for this phone, which is the most you can hope for. The number of the next Android versions is less certain on the software side; however, the phone initially comes with Android 12.
2. Samsung Galaxy A32
Released date: February, 2021 | Display: 6.4 inches Super AMOLED, 90Hz, 1080 x 2400 pixels | CPU: Helio G80 (12 nm) | GPU: Mali-G52 MC2 | RAM/Storage: 6GB/128GB ROM | Rear camera: Quad 64MP + 8MP + 5MP+5MP | Front camera: Single 20MP | OS: Android 11, upgradable to Android 12, One UI 4.1 | Battery: 5000 mAh, 15W fast Charging | Dimension: 158.9 x 73.6 x 8.4 mm | Weight: 184g
The 4G and 5G variants of Samsung’s Galaxy A32 are available, but for this top list, we’re concentrating on the 4G model because it costs $219 (£220, AU$358). At $250, the 5G Galaxy A32 is slightly more expensive.
A 6.4-inch screen with 1080p resolution, four back cameras, a 64-megapixel primary camera, a 20-megapixel selfie camera, and a 5,000-mAh battery are all features of the Galaxy A32. However, it has 128GB of onboard storage, the same as the Galaxy A23, so if you want to use those cameras to take many pictures and videos, you won’t need to buy a microSD card.
But like the Galaxy A23, the A32 ships with Android 11 and will receive security updates for at least four years. So if you need to use this phone for a long time, that can be crucial.
3. Samsung Galaxy A13
Released date: March, 2022 | Display: 6.6 inches PLS LCD, 1080 x 2408 pixels | CPU: Exynos 850 (8nm) | GPU: Mali-G52 | RAM/Storage: 4GB/128GB ROM | Rear camera: Quad 50MP + 5MP + 2MP + 2MP | Front camera: Single 8MP | OS: Android 12, One UI 4.1 | Battery: 5000 mAh, | Dimension: 165.1 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm | Weight: 195 g
Spending 200 bucks to acquire a Samsung phone might actually sound unbelievable, but the Samsung Galaxy A13 comes at this price. Nevertheless, the specs of the phone are not the best you will find anywhere, but for $200, it definitely worth it.
The phone comes with 4GB RAM, which is excellent for normal mobile activities, and the internal storage on this device is more than enough for someone that does not do any activity that requires very large storage. The phone comes with widescreen and a 6.6 inches PLS LCD, with 1080p resolution, which you will find in many high-end devices.
The Galaxy A13 can play high-end games like CODM at normal settings without lag, thanks to this device’s Exynos 850 chipset and GPU Mali-G52. The phone also runs the latest Android 12 and comes with two-year upgrade support, so when the Android 13 comes out, you can upgrade this phone.
There isn’t much not to like about this phone, the phone is one of the best phones you can get for under $200.
4. Samsung Galaxy A12
Released date: December, 2020 | Display: 6.5 inches PLS TFT LCD, 720 x 1600 pixels | CPU: Octa-core (4×2.35 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A53) | GPU: PowerVR GE8320 | RAM/Storage: 4GB/128GB ROM | Rear camera: Quad: 48MP+5MP+2MP+2MP | Front camera: Single 8MP | OS: Android 11 | Battery: 5000 mAh, | Dimension: 164 x 75.8 x 8.9 mm| Weight: 205 g
The Samsung A12 is a catch for the money and is the phone with the best features on the list, and it is worthy of being the most expensive. However, its features are similar to that of most mid-range Android devices since it has an extra 1GB of RAM to outshine other phones on the list.
It also has a display screen of 6.5 inches which makes it suitable for those who prefer large-screen Samsung devices with the right resolution for most video games. An Android 11 OS is not so bad, and a battery of 5000mAh is just okay to serve you all day long. Moreover, it supports fast charging, unlike the A03, which comes the closest to the phone on our list.
Overall, it is worth the money and highly recommended if you search for the best Samsung phone under $200.
5. Samsung Galaxy A03s
Released date: November, 2021 | Display: 6.5 inches PLS TFT LCD, 720 x 1600 pixels | CPU: Helio P35 (12nm) | GPU: Unisoc Tiger T606 | RAM/Storage: 4GB/64GB ROM | Rear camera: Triple 13MP + 2MP + 2MP | Front camera: Single 5MP | OS: Android 11, upgradable to Android 12, One UI 4.1 Core | Battery: 5000 mAh, | Dimension: 164.2 x 75.9 x 9.1 mm | Weight: 196 g
Indeed, the list will be incomplete without the Samsung A03s. The phone is one of the most portable devices ever made by Samsung, with just a weight of 196g, and fits into any pocket. Most low-end Android devices are usually bulky with big battery and accessories that I consider unnecessary but not the A03s.
You get to enjoy just 4GB of RAM and a storage capacity of 64GB, although these are pretty okay for a phone below the $200 benchmark. On the good side, you can extend the storage capacity up to 1TB with a memory card. One unpopular secret about Samsung devices is that its devices with just 4GB RAM can play some latest games without issues better than some 3GB/4GB devices from other manufacturers.
Since it runs on Android 11, its mobile performance is optimum and further improves its capacity to carry out mobile operations without lagging. You can upgrade the OS to Android 12 if you want the new features that come with it. As stated earlier, the phone’s battery life is not a joke, and Samsung claims it can comfortably stay up to 4 days (96 hours uptime) on low usage.
However, the phone cannot be perfect, and you should consider the bad sides of making a good decision. Nevertheless, if the good sides outrank the bad ones, we can say it is a suitable device.
Samsung is known to be producing more waterproof devices recently, but the company does not think a phone of less than $200 should belong to the caucus. The Samsung Galaxy A03s is not waterproof and does not support fast charging. This might be a big issue for people who do not like charging their phones for an extended period. But you shouldn’t expect this in a phone of this price range.
We advise you to charge regularly and avoid draining the phone’s battery before charging. You should not expect a face unlock feature since even some mid-range Samsung Android of over $200 lack this feature, but you get a fingerprint sensor and some other security features.
Conclusion
It is pretty challenging to find good phones, especially on a low budget of just $200. However, the phones we have listed above are not so bad and are still very much in use in most developing and underdeveloped countries.
There is no need to waste money on expensive latest Samsung phones if all you do with a phone is make calls, browse the internet, and perform other basic mobile activities. The main difference between low-end and mid-range Android devices is the camera configuration. If this is not your priority, then you should consider one of the phones on our list.