Motorola Vs. Samsung Android Phones: Which Budget Model Is Right For You

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Motorola and Samsung are two major Android phone brands that offer a good selection of affordable smartphones for folks on a tight budget. These brands stand out from other cheap cell phone brands with their good software, brand value, and value-for-money offerings. While Motorola's budget phones can be found under its Moto G lineup, Samsung sells all of its entry-level and mid-range phones as part of the Galaxy A-series in the U.S.

Both the Moto G and Galaxy A lineups have quite a few phones, many of which are priced pretty similarly, making it tricky to choose one budget model over the other for the not-so-savvy buyers. That said, some of these affordable phones have either a distinct selling point or deliver superior overall performance in comparison to others, which, combined with experts' opinions about them and buyer feedback, can aid in your buying decision. Here are key pointers you should consider.

Samsung's Galaxy A37 is the best budget phone for most people from Samsung's and Motorola's lineups. It's a fair, well-rounded phone, and even better, it comes with Samsung's promise of six OS upgrades and security patches for six years from launch. The Galaxy A37 looks premium, thanks to its design aesthetic that's borrowed from the much more premium Galaxy S26, a glossy finish, and a glazed ceramic frame. Unfortunately, the phone's glossy body picks up a lot of fingerprints and other grime.

The phone packs a 6.7-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1,900 nits peak brightness, which looks vibrant, feels fluid and responsive, and is legible outdoors. The phone relies on the Exynos 1480 SoC with up to 8 GB of RAM to keep it snappy, and everyday tasks run smoothly; however, don't expect it to perform well in graphics-intensive games, a problem faced by most budget phones. That said, its 5,000mAh battery can last through a day on a single charge. There is also 45W wired charging support, but no wireless charging. The onboard primary camera also delivers decent photos, with plenty of detail; however, the ultrawide and macro shooters are only serviceable.

The phone starts at $450 for the base 6 GB RAM model, which we suggest going with if you have a limited budget. However, if you are able to snag the 8 GB RAM variant for under $500 during a sale or with a promo, it'll be a good upgrade, as it will not only make your phone more futureproof but also give you more storage.

The Moto G Stylus (2026) from Motorola has carved a niche for itself by being the only reputable Android phone with stylus support that a budget-conscious customer can consider. Although it starts at the upper end of what we would consider the budget segment at $500, the phone's base model can actually be worth it if you really want a stylus, as you can upgrade the storage via a microSD card. The phone features a beautiful 6.7-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It's also powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 processor, which can easily handle everyday tasks.

The 5,200mAh battery is good enough for a full day of moderate use on a single charge, but more importantly, the phone supports 68W wired charging, something that even the most expensive Samsung phone doesn't support. You also get 15W of wireless charging.

One notable drawback of the Moto G Stylus is its promise of two OS updates and three years of security patches. In a world where Samsung's affordable offerings are getting five to six OS updates, two may seem disappointing. The onboard cameras are also underwhelming, especially considering the competition in the form of the Pixel 10a.

As the latest version of the Moto G Power isn't a particularly enticing upgrade, the Moto G Power (2025) can be a decent option for folks on a budget. Although it has a list price of $300, the phone is frequently discounted to $260 or lower. Even after the discount, you get pretty much the same feature set as the 2026 model, including the same 6.8-inch IPS screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a full-HD+ resolution. It's also powered by the same MediaTek Dimensity 6300 SoC, which, although not very powerful, keeps things running relatively smoothly, thanks to 8 GB of RAM. However, you still might notice some delay in launching apps and lag while gaming, as we mentioned in our Moto G Power review. 

The phone is rated IP68 for dust and water resistance, making it capable of dealing with occasional drops in a pool. It also packs 128 GB of onboard storage, which you can expand via the microSD card slot. Other features include a 5,000mAh battery, which can last up to two days on a single charge with moderate use. Motorola has included 30W wired and 15W wireless charging support.

There are some notable drawbacks, though. The Moto G Power (2025) comes with Android 15 out of the box and is only set to get two major OS updates, which means your phone won't get any new major versions after Android 17, which is already rolling out to Google's Pixel lineup. That said, the phone will continue to receive security updates for three years after launch.

If you don't want to opt for a pre-owned phone and are limited to a $200 budget, Samsung's Galaxy A17 is your best bet. We also considered the 2025 Moto G, as it sells for under $200 these days, but despite the similar raw performance, the Galaxy A17 has several notable advantages. For example, you get a 6.7-inch full-HD+ OLED display instead of a 720p IPS screen. The A17's display also has a 90Hz refresh rate to keep the interface feeling responsive. Most notably, the A17 is promised to receive OS updates and security patches for six years.

There are three rear cameras onboard, only one of which is worth discussing: the 50MP primary shooter. It takes clear and detailed photos in good lighting; however, its low-light performance is underwhelming, and the same is the case with the ultrawide and macro shooters. The phone's performance is nothing to write home about, and you might notice lag or slowdown occasionally, especially with multitasking, as there is only 4 GB of RAM. But things should be relatively snappy with everyday essentials.

Moreover, the 5,000mAh battery does a decent job of getting you through the day on a single charge, but wired charging is limited to 25W, and you don't get any wireless charging. The connectivity options and the side-mounted fingerprint sensors are pretty standard and work as expected. It carries a list price of $200, but you can often find it at a discount.