If I were to buy my own cheap phone, from my preferred local store, I would be limited to pretty much Samsung, and Chinese phones such as Xiaomi.

From experience using an extended Wifi (open area, multiple routers and extenders), Samsung models seem to have the most problem on the edges. People with Chinese phones (and in general, iPhones) don't seem to have this problem. So, Samsung is out for me. I would consider Samsung if my regularly-used Wifi signal is strong.

These damn phones last more than 3 years. Having a 2-3 year update policy (normal for cheap Chinese phones) are pretty wasteful. Therefore, the phone should be likely to support custom ROMs. For this purpose, Xiaomi is it.

Xiaomi models come with either MediaTek or SnapDragon CPUs. Since phones are often used a security device (2nd factor and such), having a hardware-backed storage is something to be desired. For this purpose, SnapDragon is it.

Two models I end up with:

XIAOMI Redmi Note 12 4G (8+256) ~USD$ 172

• CPU : Snapdragon 685 (Octa-Core 2.8GHz)
• RAM : 8GB LPDDR4X
• ROM : 256GB UFS2.2
• Display : 6.67" AMOLED 120Hz
• Back Camera : 50.0MP + 8.0MP + 2.0MP
• Front Camera : 13.0MP
• OS : MIUI 14 (Android 13)
• Battery : 5000 mAh

XIAOMI Redmi Note 12 5G (8+256) ~USD$ 245

• CPU : Snapdragon4 Gen 1 (Octa-Core 2.0GHz)
• Back Camera : 48.0MP + 8.0MP + 2.0MP
• OS : MIUI 14 (Android 12)
• Rest same as above.

Sorry about no price ranges. This store usually sells phones on the lower half of the spectrum, though. So, let's say they are mid prices.

I would personally would grab the 4G version. Faster CPU. Possibly newer Android. I am on Wifi most of the time. Don't need 5G.

Samsung Galaxy A14

Cons:

• Samsung apps
• Can't unlock bootloader without making phone more insecure
• One speaker

Pros:

• Heaphone jack, sd card, NFC, good fingerprint reader
• Good performance (I don't play games though)
• Good battery life

The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G looks like a crazy deal. My mom broke her phone and doesn't need anything fancy, and as today's Google Store discounts were disappointing, I finally went for a Nord CE 3 Lite and ordered one for €279 on Amazon.

At that price you get 8GB of RAM, a Snapdragon 695 SoC, 120Hz display, 128 GB of storage, and apparently a low-bloat UI based on Android 13. Haven't received the phone yet but reviews on YouTube seem to be positive and it does look nice too.

They offer 2 major Android updates and 3 years of security updates.

OnePlus 10 Pro/T. You can get a pre-owned model for < $300, which is excellent value for money, considering the specs: SD 8/+ Gen 1 | Adreno 730 | 8GB RAM |128GB storage | 5000mAh

And since this is only last year's model, you'll still get updates for a good while, so I'd easily recommend something like this over an official low-range/budget phone.

Another recommendation is Xiaomi's other sub-brand Poco. I noticed the current models sacrifice the camera capabilities with lower spec hardware, but what you get back is usually a better SoC for the price.