Not everyone needs to spend a lot of money on a new phone, especially those on pre-paid carriers who are looking to cut down on spending wherever possible. The best phones under $100 deliver reliable performance and useful features that make them a great choice. The best phone in this price range is the BLU G51S. The choices are getting harder and harder to find in this price range.

BLU G51S

(Image credit: BLU)

Exquisite design isn't something you see with a phone within this budget, and while it isn't exactly the word we'd use to describe the BLU G51S, it certainly stands out. The textured blue design on the back is bold and bright. You get decent hardware. The performance of the budget phone is as smooth as can be hoped for.

The best screen in a sub-$100 phone today is the 6.4-inch HD display that is part of that design. There is an 8MP selfie camera, a 13MP rear camera, a fingerprint reader on the back, upgradable storage, and a 4,000mAh battery. The best options in this category include the processor, 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal memory.

You can get all of the accessories you need in the box, as well as the phone. Included at no extra cost are a screen protector, Silicone case, charging cable, and a BLU sticker for you to place wherever you please.

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Best for one-handed use: Ulefone Note 8

Ulefone Note 8 in hand, running a mobile game

(Image credit: Ulefone)

The Ulefone Note 8 is a great example of how this segment can be improved. There is a small chin at the bottom of the waterdrop notch. The phone fits in one hand, which is not found in modern flagships.

If you flip the Ulefone Note 8 over, you will find a 5MP primary camera along with 2MP portrait sensors to help you take decent looking pictures. The setup is powered by a quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and a 2,700mAh battery. The RAM is adequate and the battery size is good.

It is easy to rock two numbers simultaneously with the Ulefone Note 8. The face unlock feature is only good if you want to get away from the lock screen. If you want to log into banking apps or password managers, you will need to enter a PIN.

The hardware of the Note 8 is quite flexible in day-to-day use. It is not the 11 of the Go edition. The BLU G51S is the best choice for a newer OS.

Best on Verizon: Motorola Moto E6

Motorola Moto E6 camera capabilities

(Image credit: Motorola)

The Moto E6 has many exciting features, including a large display, a large amount of storage, and a large battery.

The phone is a delight to use because of the clean interface. The splash-resistant coating on the Moto E6 makes it impervious to splashes of rain.

The unlocked variant of the Moto E6 costs a bit more. It's a fantastic choice to go with the Verizon model, which is available for under $100. The E6 is a budget phone that is reliable and trustworthy.

Nokia C1 Plus

(Image credit: Nokia)

While its budget phones are not as well known as some other brands, they are among the best, and they are one of the most popular phones in the world. The Nokia C1 Plus is just enough to make it to this list.

The phone has a small HD+ screen, but it's also running a version of the operating system called Android Go and will get regular updates. Three years of monthly security patches and two years of major platform updates are what HMD Global pledges. Even if they don't win any awards, the 5MP main and 5MP selfie cameras are good enough for a quick pic.

You will have great battery life with the smaller screen size. It only has 1GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage, but the latter can be expanded up to 128GB. If you want a phone with a few perks and a small stature, the C1 Plus is a good choice.

Best value: TCL A30

TCL A30 smartphone in hand

(Image credit: TCL)

You could buy about five of these phones instead of the newer TCL 20 Pro 5G, even though the A30 isn't as fancy of a phone. There is something to be said for simplicity, and the TCL A30 is simple, but still has the core of a cheerfully cheap phone to keep you satisfied.

The TCL A30 has 3GB of RAM and an Octa-core MediaTek processor, which makes it ideal for running Go edition. You can increase the onboard storage to a whopping 512GB via the microSD card. A thick forehead and chin make the phone's panel dwarfed.

There are two cameras, one with a primary shooter and one with a front-facing sensor. You will be able to take photos on this phone, but they will not be good enough for a Facebook post. You can expect a long battery life from the cell.

More than one way to save some money

It is difficult to find a phone under $100. If you want to buy something new. If you are okay with buying a used phone or renewing it, you can find a good one for less.

Amazon guarantees that new devices will be in working order. There are other places to buy a used phone outside of Amazon. Many of these phones don't have an Amazon guarantee, so some retailers will offer a return policy to give you some peace of mind.

These are the best Android phones under $100

There are many junk phones that you can buy in the $100 range, but there are also many great ones, as proven in this article. The BLU G51S is the best cheap phone we have found.

The BLU G51S is the smartest phone that you can buy in this price tier, because it is the only one that you can compromise on. The display looks amazing, the performance is fast enough for daily use, and there is a decent sized battery.

It has all the basics that you would want from a quality phone, but BLU takes things a step further in a way that other companies don't. Being able to buy a phone at a price like this with a modern style and good specs isn't always the situation, but that is what you get with the BLU G51S. If you want to stretch your budget a little, we have gathered the best phones under $200.