While flagship smartphones boast impressive features, spending $1,000 is not a prerequisite for a satisfying Android experience nowadays. If you’re in need of a new smartphone and have a budget of approximately $200, there are numerous excellent options available. Surprisingly, some of the best Android phones under $200 come equipped with features like 5,000mAh batteries, multi-lens camera setups, and the promise of extended software updates.
We thoroughly evaluate various Android phones to ensure optimal performance without encountering unexpected issues down the line. If we were to recommend one Android smartphone in the sub-$200 price range, it would be the latest addition to Samsung’s lineup, the Galaxy A15 5G. Boasting a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED screen, a sizable battery with 25W fast charging support, and more, it offers a compelling package. Alternatively, consider Motorola’s Moto G Play (2024) for a straightforward yet functional device.
Sony made compact versions of their flagship phones until somewhat recently. They were good, and even had basic open-source OS support. I hope they revive that product line.
Another thing I’d like to see more of is relockable bootloaders, so that we can have something like GrapheneOS without Google hardware.
The Xperia 5 Series is pretty much the successor. They feel tiny in the hand due to being really slim and narrow.
Sadly, the Xperia 5 is significantly larger than the compact models.
Its way taller yes, but not much wider and waaay slimmer. I have both and in the hand the 5 almost feels smaller.
That being said, the 21:9 Aspect ratio makes certain things annoying to use, especially Apps that place UI elemts on the top.
Are you by any chance comparing to the XZ2 Compact? That one was an outlier. The others in the Compact line (like the z1c in my link) were much closer to the Xperia 5 in thickness.
Trust me I know my Z compacts ;). I got em all but the Z3. Its hard to describe but the Z1 feels kinda thick and bulky. The 5 I feels nicer honestly. That being said XZ1 still is my #1 in terms of Hand feel.
The XZ2 feels the worst sadly. I hate the odd shape and I sometimes get cramps typing. But thats an issue with the entire XZ2 and XZ3 Line. Thank god they went away with that odd shape in future Sony phones
Z5 Compact is also very nice, but I couldn’t find it atm to fit in the shot.