Technologies

You Can Find a Great $300 Phone as Long as You Make One Choice

Commentary: Do you want a phone with fun features or one with longer software support?

If you need a new phone for less than $300, there are a plenty of options that could fulfill your most important needs. But there’s a big trade-off when it comes to phones in this more affordable range. A phone with modern specs like an eye-catching design, improved multitasking and wireless charging might still only receive one or two major software updates and three years of security patches. Some sub-$300 phones have a longer timeline of four years for software updates and five years of security updates. But those devices skimp on certain features, possibly leaving you wanting to upgrade sooner anyway.

This is the dilemma I’ve been weighing after testing a variety of phones that cost less than $300. We take software and security timelines seriously in our reviews because these updates can dictate whether devices get new software features and critical fixes. Now that premium phones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 and the Pixel 9 are promised seven years of software and security updates, we’d like to see more affordable phones step up to at least four to five years.

But we’re not there just yet. Most phones that cost $300 or less are shipping with a promise of one additional software update and three years of security updates. Though Samsung is taking the opposite approach with its $200 Galaxy A15 5G and $300 Galaxy A25 5G, both of which get four years of software updates and five years of security updates, both have a dated design and lack features found on comparable phones. Samsung’s new $200 Galaxy A16 is upping its software and security commitment to six years, but I haven’t had the chance to test this phone yet.

That means shoppers have to contend with the very same decision I’ve been pondering during the last few months: Do you go with a more feature-packed phone, such as the $300 OnePlus Nord N30 5G, which has extremely fast wired charging and a 108-megapixel main camera? Or is it better to choose a more bare-bones phone like those in Samsung’s Galaxy A series, which will get crucial software updates for years to come. And to make matters more confusing, what about an older device that’s now available at a discount, such as the Google Pixel 6A?

More features, but shorter updates

Motorola and OnePlus both offer $300 phones that are worthy of your time and attention.

This 2024 Moto G Power 5G is a looker, starting with its Pale Lilac vegan leather design. The entire Moto G line now makes use of this material, which results in an easier grip should you choose not to use the phone with a case. Motorola has also thrown 15-watt wireless charging into the mix, making it one of the cheapest phones to include this option. You’ll get faster, 30-watt speeds when plugging in the phone and charging it the old-fashioned way, but the flexibility to charge it without a cable is quite helpful — and rare at this price. Motorola has also announced 2025 editions of the $200 Moto G and $300 Moto G Power that continue this trend of a colorful vegan leather design, durability and quick charging speeds.

The OnePlus Nord N30 5G has an attractive reflective design, which emphasizes its 108-megapixel main camera. It took decent photos when I reviewed it last year, but the real value feature was its 50-watt SuperVooc charger. Even though it’s proprietary (meaning only the included charger achieves these speeds), it replenishes the battery up to 75% in 30 minutes — a speed that most other phones do not achieve.

Both Motorola’s and OnePlus’ cheaper phones include a super smooth 120Hz refresh rate, NFC for contactless payments, and processors that are fast enough for multitasking along with playing games. But unfortunately, both these phones also have shorter update schedules. Though the N30 is still on sale, it’s now nearly two years into its three-year security support commitment. Meanwhile, Motorola’s 2025 Moto G phones are getting two years of software updates and three years of security updates, a slight uptick from the single software update the Moto G line received in prior years alongside the same security commitment.

Long lifespan, but a phone that’s less fun

Samsung deserves recognition for extending the lifespan of its cheaper Galaxy A series phones. It’s absolutely wonderful that both the $200 Galaxy A15 and the $300 Galaxy A25 are receiving four years of software updates and five years of security updates. And it’s even better that the Galaxy A16 is receiving six years of each. No competitor even comes close to that promise.

Samsung nailed the basics for both of these phones, with high-refresh displays, NFC contactless payments and powerful enough processors.

But compared with other similarly priced phones, Samsung’s Galaxy A devices feel dull. The A15 and A25 are made of plastic and have a blocky notch rather than the sleeker cutout for the selfie camera found on most other competing phones. While Samsung’s cheaper phones can handle essentials without issue, they struggle with simple multitasking. The A15 in particular consistently loads slowly. Though the A25 fared better with most tasks, it occasionally stutters when loading games or playing music while using a web browser and password manager simultaneously. I look forward to testing the A16 to see if Samsung was able to improve phone performance for its lower-priced option.

This makes the Galaxy A15 and Galaxy A25 completely adequate if all you want is a phone for communication that won’t need replacing anytime soon. But I worry that you’ll run into dead ends as apps and services develop over the coming years, especially if these phones are already easily overwhelmed.

Could Google’s Pixel 6A be the low-budget champion?

You may have noticed that I didn’t discuss the cameras on any of the previously mentioned phones. That’s because while all of them feature at least 50-megapixel main cameras, none of them take particularly impressive photos. Yet Google’s Pixel 6A remains available for sale and often gets priced under $300.

Thanks to a recent extension given to the Pixel 6 and later, the Pixel 6A will now get software updates until July 2027 along with security updates for the same amount of time. This is a major boost to this cheaper phone’s usability, especially considering that Google originally planned to sunset the Pixel 6A’s software updates in 2025.

The Pixel 6A’s 12.2-megapixel main camera is still impressive for the price. It runs on Google’s first generation Tensor processor and comes with many of the Pixel’s flagship features like Magic Eraser for editing photos, Live Translate and other long-standing Pixel exclusives like Call Screening and Hold for Me. The Pixel 6A also includes the AI-powered Circle to Search. Even though the Pixel 6A will miss out on Google’s newer and more advanced Gemini AI features, it’s still a promising option even two years after its release.

However, you won’t get wireless charging or a headphone jack on the Pixel 6A, and its screen is smaller and dimmer than other phones mentioned in this story.

How to decide the best option?

Your priorities matter most when choosing a budget phone. If you want the most features for an affordable price wrapped in an eye-catching design, consider phones from Motorola, Google and OnePlus.

However, if the most important reason for buying a cheaper phone is to avoid upgrading for as long as possible, you should consider Samsung’s Galaxy A phones.

The irony is that you can’t have both. The phone that gets updated for four years may not necessarily be the one you want to hang on to for four years.

Technologies

Apple CarPlay Ultra vs. Google Built-In: How the Next-Gen Auto Software Rivals Compare

Apple and Google are supercharging their car software experiences. Here’s how they differ.

I’d spent an hour driving a $250,000-plus Aston Martin up the Los Angeles coast when my hunger pangs became impossible to ignore, and as I’ve done many times before, I asked Siri (through Apple CarPlay) to find me a taco place. But then I did something no other car on the planet allows: I asked Siri to blast the AC and make the air colder. That’s because the 2025 Aston Martin DBX I drove was the first vehicle to come with Apple CarPlay Ultra, the upgraded version of the company’s car software.

Apple debuted CarPlay Ultra at WWDC 2025 last month, and this year’s version of the Aston Martin DBX is the first vehicle to launch with it (pairing with an iPhone running iOS 18.5 or later). As I drove the luxury crossover around, I fiddled with other features that aren’t available in regular CarPlay, from climate control to radio to checking the pressure on the car’s tires. Ultimately, Ultra gives deeper access to more car systems, which is a good thing.

That reminded me a lot of a new feature announced at Google I/O back in May: Google Built-In, which similarly lets users control more of a car’s systems straight from the software interface (in that case, Android Auto). When I got a demonstration of Google Built-In, sitting in a new Volvo EX90 electric SUV, I saw what this new integration of Google software offered: climate controls, Gemini AI assistance and even warnings about car maintenance issues.

But the name is telling: Google Built-In requires automakers to incorporate Android deeper into their cars’ inner workings. Comparatively, Apple CarPlay Ultra support seems like it won’t require car manufacturers to do nearly as much work to prepare their vehicles, just adding a reasonably advanced multicore processor onboard that can handle an increased task load. (Aston Martin will be able to add CarPlay Ultra support to its 2023 and 2024 lineups through firmware updates because they already contain sufficiently advanced CPUs.)

Both solutions reflect Apple’s and Google’s different approaches to their next versions of car software. Apple’s is lighter weight, seemingly requiring less commitment from the automaker to integrate CarPlay Ultra into their vehicles (so long as it has adequate processing power onboard), which will run through a paired iPhone. Google Built-In does require much more integration, but it’s so self-sufficient that you can leave your Android phone at home and still get much of its functionality (aside from getting and sending messages and calls).

Driving with Apple CarPlay Ultra: Controlling climate, radio and more

As I drove around Los Angeles in the Aston Martin with Apple CarPlay Ultra, I could tell what new features I would be missing once I stepped back into my far more humble daily driver.

At long last, I could summon Siri and ask it to play a specific song (or just a band) and have it pulled up on Spotify. Since Apple’s assistant now has access to climate controls, I asked to turn up the AC, and it went full blast. I asked to find tacos and it suggested several fast food restaurants — well, it’s not perfect, but at least it’s listening.

To my relief, Aston Martin retained the physical knobs by the gearshift to control fan speed, temperature, stereo volume and the car’s myriad roadway options (like driving assistance) in case the driver likes traditional controls, but almost all of them could also be altered in the interface. Now, things like radio controls (AM/FM and satellite) and car settings are nestled in their own recognizable apps in CarPlay’s interface.

Ultimately, that’ll be one of CarPlay Ultra’s greatest advantages: If you enter an unfamiliar vehicle (like a rental), you still know exactly where everything is. No wrestling with a carmaker’s proprietary software or trying to figure out where some setting or other is located. It’s not a complete replacement — in the Aston Martin’s case, there were still a handful of settings (like for ambient light projected when the doors open) that the luxury automaker controlled, but they were weaved into CarPlay so you could pop open those windows and go back to Apple’s interface without visibly changing apps.

The dependable ubiquity of Apple’s CarPlay software will likely become even more essential as cars swap out their analog instrument clusters for screens, as Aston Martin did. There’s still a touch of the high-end automaker’s signature style as the default screen behind the wheel shows two traditional dials (one for the speedometer, one for RPMs) with Aston Martin’s livery. But that can be swapped out for other styles, from other dials with customizable colors to a full-screen Maps option.

Each of the half-dozen or so dashboard options was swapped out via square touchpads smaller than a dime on the wheel next to the other touch controls. On the dual-dial display types, I swiped vertically to rotate between a central square (with Maps directions, current music or other app information) or swiped horizontally to switch to another dashboard option. No matter which one you choose, the bottom bar contains all the warning lights drivers will recognize from analog cars — even with digital displays, you’re not safe from the check engine light (which is a good thing).

Apple CarPlay Ultra doesn’t yet do everything I want. I wish I could also ask Siri to roll down the windows (as Google Built-In can — more on that later) and lock or unlock specific doors. If Apple is connected to the car enough to be able to read the pressure in each tire, I wish it could link up with the engine readout and be able to tell me in plain language what kind of maintenance issue has sprung up. Heck, I wish it could connect to the car remotely and blast the AC before I get in (or fire up the seat warmer), as some proprietary car apps can do. And while Apple Maps and Waze will be included at launch, Google Maps support is not, but it’s coming later.

These aren’t huge deficiencies, and they do show where CarPlay Ultra could better meet driver needs in future updates, notwithstanding the potentially dicey security concerns for using CarPlay Ultra for remote climate or unlocking capabilities. But it shows where the limits are today compared to Google’s more in-depth approach.

Google Built-In: Deeper car integrations — and, of course, Gemini AI

The day after Google I/O’s keynote was quieter back in May, as attendees flitted between focused sessions and demos of upcoming software. It was the ideal time to check out Google Built-In, which was appropriately shown off in a higher-end Volvo EX90 electric SUV (though not nearly as pricey as an Aston Martin).

As mentioned above, Google Built-In has deeper integrations with vehicles than what I saw in Apple CarPlay Ultra, allowing users to change the climate through its interface or access other systems, including through voice requests. For instance, it can go beyond AC control to switch on the defroster, and even raise and lower specific windows relative to the speaker’s position: cameras within the car (in the rearview mirror, if I remember right) meant that when my demonstrator asked to «roll down this window» pointing over his left shoulder, the correct window rolled down.

Google Built-In is also connected to Gemini, Google’s AI assistant, for what the company is calling «Google Live,» a separate and more capable version of the Android Auto assistant experience in cars right now. With a Live session, I could request music or directions much like I could with Siri — but my demo went further, as the demonstrator tasked Gemini with requests better suited for generative AI, such as asking, «Give me suggestions for a family outing» and telling it to send a specific text to a contact.

The demonstrator then asked Gemini for recipe advice — «I have chicken, rice and broccoli in the fridge, what can I make?» — as an example of a query someone might ask on the drive home.

Since you’re signed into your Google account, Gemini can consult anything connected to it, like emails and messages. It’s also trained on the user manuals from each car-maker, so if a warning light comes on, the driver can ask the voice assistant what it means — no more flipping through a dense manual trying to figure out what each alert means.

There are other benefits to Google Built-In, like not needing your phone for some features. But there are also drawbacks, like the need to keep car software updated, requiring more work on Google’s end to make sure cars are protected from issues or exploits. They can’t just fix it in the most current version of Android — they’ll need to backport that fix to older versions that vehicles might still be on.

This deeper integration with Google Built-In has a lot of the benefits of Apple CarPlay Ultra (a familiar interface, easier to access features), just cranked up to a greater degree. It surely benefits fans of hands-off controls, and interweaving Gemini naturally dovetails with Google’s investments, so it’s easy to see that functionality improving. But a greater reliance on Android within the car’s systems could be concerning as the vehicle ages: Will the software stop being supported? Will it slow down or be exposed to security exploits? A lot of questions remain regarding making cars open to phone software interfaces.

Technologies

A Samsung Tri-Fold Phone Could Be in Your Future, if This Leak Is to Be Believed

UI animations might have revealed the imminent release of a so-called «Galaxy G Fold» device with three screens.

Samsung has been showing off mobile display concepts with three screens at trade events such as CES for several years, but it might finally bring one to market soon if a leaked UI animation is any indicator.

As reported by Android Authority, an animated image from a software build of One UI 8 appears to show what some are dubbing a «Galaxy G Fold» device with three display panels. The screens would be capable of displaying different information or working in unison as one large display. The new phone model could debut as early as next week at Samsung’s Unpacked event on July 9 in Brooklyn.

Huawei released a tri-folding phone in February, the Mate XT Ultimate Design.

Some websites have gone into overdrive trying to uncover details on what Samsung’s new device might include and how much it may cost, with Phone Arena reporting that according to a Korean media report, it could be priced at about $3,000.

Samsung didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.