5 Budget Android Phones You Should Consider Instead Of The Google Pixel 11

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With Google's release of the Pixel 11 lineup, the annual smartphone upgrade season unofficially commenced. Alongside its more premium models, Google has loaded the base Pixel 11 up with features. On the hardware side, there's the powerful Tensor G6 chip and 6.3-inch Actua display. On the software side, the company is always making upgrades to things like Gemini AI and the Android platform in general. The base model Pixel 11 comes with an $899 price tag, as well as seven years of guaranteed OS and security updates.

But to many smartphone users, the Pixel 11 could be seen as just another smartphone launch in the annual cycle. Even for those who enjoy keeping up with the latest and greatest smartphone upgrades, there are plenty of reasons to skip the Google Pixel 11.

There are several Android phones more powerful than the Google Pixel 11, for example, and we've also taken a look at some Android phones that are more affordable. Not everyone needs the features of a flagship, and those who do might even be surprised to find there are smartphones that can compete with the Pixel 11 while substantially undercutting its $899 starting price.

While the Pixel 11 is part of Google's flagship smartphone lineup, the Google Pixel 10a is a budget alternative for users who wish to stay within Google's software ecosystem. Google's Pixel 'A' Series is cheaper than its flagship models, with the Pixel 10a currently priced at $499 for the 128GB model. It's available in four different color options, and a 256GB version costs just $100 more, which makes the phone still substantially less than the Pixel 11.

Depending on your smartphone needs, the Pixel 10a may be enticing for reasons other than its price. It has a 48-megapixel main camera and a 13-megapixel ultrawide, both of which match parts of the camera system in the Pixel 11. The 10a is also backed by Google's 7-year guarantee of new updates and features, which keeps the phone relevant from a software standpoint despite the next generation of Pixel phones now being on the market.

With the Pixel 11 now being the newest generation of Google smartphones, it's the company's top priority in terms of hardware. It has a Tensor G6 chip, while the cheaper Pixel 10a utilizes an older Tensor G4 chip. But the Pixel 10a's price may be worth more than the latest hardware Google has to offer, and the 10a does manage to stand out among other budget phones when it comes to both hardware and software features. Our Google Pixel 10a review takes a closer look.

Nothing is a brand that's become somewhat of a darling among tech lovers in search of solid value in their devices. The brand focuses heavily on design, but with the Nothing Phone 4a Pro, it's even delivering some impressive hardware specs. With a regular price of $499, we find the 4a Pro to be among the affordable smartphones that are ridiculously overpowered. And even with its budget pricing, the 4a Pro sees substantial price drops at Amazon from time to time.

The base model Nothing Phone 4a Pro comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Its screen is quite a bit larger than the Pixel 11's, coming in at 6.83 inches compared to the Pixel 11's 6.3-inch display. The camera system is one of the phone's main draws, and the way Nothing integrates it into the phone's design makes the 4a Pro look as much like heavy competition for the iPhone 17 Pro as it is for the Pixel 11. The 4a Pro utilizes a 50-megapixel main camera sensor that includes image stabilization and a 50-megapixel telephoto lens.

One pretty noticeable feature Nothing leaves out of its Phone 4a Pro is wireless charging. The Pixel 11 includes it, so if that's a deal-breaking feature for you, the Nothing 4a Pro may not be the right alternative. But Nothing has included fast-charging capabilities, and the Phone 4a Pro is worth $400 in savings over the Google Pixel 11 when they're both at their regular price.

TCL has become well-known among budget TV shoppers, and while there are plenty of essential apps for a new TCL TV, that's also become the case for the company's line of smartphones. One model that fares particularly well as a budget alternative to the Pixel 11 is the TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro. Similarly to the Nothing Phone 4a Pro, it's "Pro" designation comes with certain hardware expectations. The NXTPAPER 70 Pro's has a 6.9-inch screen, and while it has a slightly lower resolution than the Pixel 11, it offers significantly more screen real estate.

Other hardware specs include a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor, the option of 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage capacities, and a battery that can go all-day without needing to charge up. But where this phone really stands out as a budget alternative is in its display. The NXTPAPER technology is designed to reduce eye strain, and the NXTPAPER 70 Pro comes with four different display modes. These can be switched between in order to create the best viewing environment for what you're doing on the phone at any given moment.

TCL does lack the brand power that Google has. But while it's relatively new to making mobile devices, we find the NXTPAPER 70 Pro to be among the best TCL products that aren't TVs. The phone is regularly priced at $330, which drastically undercuts the Pixel 11 and positions the NXTPAPER 70 Pro as one of the better budget smartphone options on the market.

It wasn't all that long ago that Motorola was one of the premier smartphone manufacturers. But Motorola's unlocked phones you can buy for less than $300 have a lot to choose from, and the Motorola Moto G 2026 is priced right in that range. In fact, it's one of the most affordable Motorola options that could be considered a legitimate alternative to the Pixel 11. It has a 6.7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and the phone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 6300, which is similar to what TCL puts into the NXTPAPER 70 Pro.

While some of the Moto G 2026's hardware isn't likely to compete with the Pixel 11 and its Tensor G6 chip, it isn't necessarily meant to. The Moto G 2026 is a smartphone focused on handling everyday smartphone tasks, not something that's meant to be deployed as a device more akin to a pocket computer. The base model comes with a modest-by-flagship-standards 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space, but this phone is priced at just $300 compared to the Pixel 11's $899.

Motorola has even included some impressive features that make the Moto G an incredibly modern budget smartphone. These include an AI-powered camera system with a 50-megapixel sensor and a front-facing camera that utilizes a 32-megapixel sensor. This could even be looked at as a solid budget phone for use as an entertainment device, as it comes with stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos, and Hi-Res Audio playback capabilities.

There's a Samsung phone for every type of user, and while the world-famous electronics company has a large lineup of smartphones, many Samsung flagship offerings simply cost more than the Pixel 11. That's not true of the Samsung Galaxy A17 5G, however, which is one of the more affordable smartphones that a name as big as Samsung has to offer. It's regularly priced at $250, though it'll see a discount at Amazon regularly.

Google backs the Pixel 11 with a guaranteed seven years of software support, and one benefit that comes with purchasing a smartphone from a major brand like Samsung is that the Galaxy A17 5G is backed with six years of similar support. When it comes to hardware, the Galaxy A17 5G is another phone that offers a larger display than the Pixel 11, with the A17 5G's checking in at 6.7 inches and with a refresh rate of 90Hz.

The Galaxy A17 5G doesn't offer anything in terms of upgradability. There's only one model available (with two color options), which has 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space. Also notable for a phone at this price point is that Samsung leaves out some more advanced software features. Galaxy AI, for example, is not part of the Galaxy A17 5G package, though apps like Google's own Gemini can be installed for various uses.

There are a lot of cheaper Android phones to try instead of the Google Pixel 11, but here we tried to undercut its $899 price point as much as possible. Additionally, while low price points definitely mattered, we still wanted to present phones that would appeal to those considering a new Pixel 11. The cheapest Android phone on the market may sound appealing at checkout, but that doesn't mean it makes a decent alternative consideration to a flagship like the Pixel 11.

Budget phones tend to come with far fewer software and hardware features than flagships, but with each of our selections we focused on one or two features that could compete well with what the Pixel 11 has to offer.

We're very familiar with the Android smartphone market and the features available at different price points. We leaned heavily on that knowledge in selecting these phones, and even applied hands-on experience with several models to inform our choices.