With smartphone prices on the rise, it can be tough to find a good AT&T phone that’s easy on the wallet. Whether you’re shopping for yourself, or a loved one, Swappa is hands down the best way to get the smartphone you want, at the price you can afford to pay.
But with so many smartphones available these days, the hardest part may be figuring out where “cheap” and “best” merge. That’s where Swappa comes in – we’ve put together a list of the all-around best cheap AT&T phones.
Best cheap AT&T smartphones
Apple iPhone SE
If you’re looking for a good all-around smartphone that is also cheap – the second-generation iPhone SE should be considered. The second-generation iPhone SE was released in April 2020 and launched with a retail price of $399. The phone is currently about two years old, which means it has plenty of life left, and it also means you can easily find a gently used iPhone SE for well under the original retail price. In fact, they can be found for under $200.
The iPhone SE (2020) is powered by Apple’s A13 Bionic chip, which is the same processor found in the iPhone 11. Perks of the iPhone SE, aside from the low price, is the small form factor. With a 4.7” Retina HD display and measurements of 5.45” (H) x 2.65” (W) x 0.29” (D) – this phone is easily pocketable. The iPhone SE (2020) also has Touch ID and a home button, as opposed to Face ID. Other features of this phone include 4G LTE connectivity, an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance, up to 128GB of storage space, a 7MP FaceTime HD camera on the front and a single 12MP wide camera on the back.
Apple iPhone 11
Stepping up a bit in terms of size (and price), the iPhone 11 is the next cheap iPhone with considering. The iPhone 11 launched in September 2019, and that means it still has plenty of life left in terms of future iOS software updates coming from Apple. Prices for a gently used iPhone 11 begin at around $300.
Highlight features of the iPhone 11 include a 6.1” Liquid Retina HD display with True Tone, up to 128GB of storage space, Face ID, 4G LTE connectivity, Qi wireless charging, an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, a 12MP TrueDepth selfie camera, and a dual 12MP wide and ultra-wide camera array on the back. The iPhone 11 is also available in a variety of fun colors including purple, yellow, green, black, white, and PRODUCT(RED).
Best cheap 5G AT&T smartphones
Apple iPhone 12
The iPhone 12 steps up a bit further, and for some, this option may move beyond their definition of cheap. That said, the iPhone 12 supports 5G connectivity, which makes it a bit more future-proof in terms of hardware features. Of course, with an original release date of October 2020 – it also means you can expect iOS software updates for many years to come. Another perk of the iPhone 12 is the newer squared-off design and updated color options, such as purple, blue, green, white, black, and PRODUCT(RED).
Some of the key features of the iPhone 12 include a 6.1” Super Retina XDR display with HDR and True Tone, a Ceramic Shield front for added protection, up to 256GB of storage, Face ID, MagSafe charging, and Apple’s A14 Bionic chip. The iPhone 12 also has a 12MP TrueDepth camera on the front with a dual 12MP wide and ultra-wide camera array on the back. Camera features include Night mode, Deep Fusion, Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, and the ability to record Dolby Vision HDR video in 4K at 30 frames per second.
Samsung Galaxy S20
Here at Swappa, we know lots of people want an iPhone, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore Android. And, with a current starting price of around $400 – the Samsung Galaxy S20 is a great cheap Android smartphone.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 supports 5G, which is an important feature as cellular carriers continue to expand their 5G coverage. Other features of the Galaxy S20 include a 6.2” Quad HD HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x Infinity-O display, 128GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot for expansion, and a 4,000 mAh battery with support for wireless charging and Wireless PowerShare. The Galaxy S20 also has a triple camera setup on the back with a 12MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide, and 64MP telephoto.
Google Pixel 5
The Galaxy S20 is a great smartphone, but at around $400 – it may not be as cheap as you were hoping for. That being the case, the Google Pixel 5, which was originally released in September 2020 can be found for around $225.
The Google Pixel 5 features a 6.0” FHD+ display with Smooth Display (up to 90Hz refresh rate). Some of the other Pixel 5 features include 128GB of storage space, an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, and a 4,080 mAh battery that supports fast wired charging, fast wireless charging, and Battery Share. The Battery Share feature means you can wirelessly charge other devices, such as wireless earbuds.
Google Pixel 5a or Pixel 4a
The Pixel 5 is considered a flagship release by Google, whereas the “a” branded Pixels are more of a mid-range model. Essentially, this means they launch at a cheaper price, which ultimately leads to even lower prices when you are shopping for a gently used model. This final pick in our cheap AT&T smartphone roundup is a combo pick with the Google Pixel 5a 5G or the Google Pixel 4a 5G.
Naturally, as the names suggest – they both support 5G connectivity. Prices for a gently used Pixel 5a 5G start at around $360 and prices for the Pixel 4a 5G start at a little over $200. Feature-wise, these two models have quite a bit in common, which may lead some to wonder why they would choose the more expensive Pixel 5a 5G. Well, the Pixel 5a 5G was released in August 2021, and the Pixel 4a 5G was released in September 2020. This means the Pixel 5a 5G will get Android software updates for longer, and that makes it a better long-term investment.
Some of the common features of these two cheap Pixel smartphones include 128GB of internal storage, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor, 6GB of RAM, an 8MP selfie camera on the front, and a dual-rear camera array with a 12.2MP dual-pixel and 16MP ultra-wide. The Pixel 5a 5G and Pixel 4a 5G also feature Google’s Titan M security module and Pixel Imprint.
The Pixel 5a 5G has a 6.3” display, whereas the Pixel 4a 5G has a 6.2” display, and the Pixel 5a 5G also has a bigger battery. The Pixel 5a 5G has a 4,680 mAh battery and the Pixel 4a 5G has a 3,885 mAh battery. Both models support fast charging, but the Pixel 5a 5G also has Extreme Battery Saver for times when you are running low on battery.
Otherwise, the Pixel 5a 5G has a premium metal unibody design with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, as compared to the Pixel 4a 5G which has a soft-touch polycarbonate unibody design. You can review current listings for each of these Pixel smartphones by tapping the widgets below.
Now that you’ve found the best AT&T smartphone for your needs and budget, you likely have an unused smartphone sitting around taking up space and collecting dust. It is probably safe to assume that you want it gone, and we all know that throwing a smartphone in the trash isn’t the best thing to do. Not to mention, your older smartphone likely still has value – so go ahead and list it for sale on Swappa.
