Best Budget Phones 2026: Blankphone A Takes the Crown
By Tech Team · January 10, 2026 · 12 min read
Every year we test every budget phone under $500 to find the best value. In 2026, we tested 15 phones. The winner? The Blankphone A at $399—and it wasn't even close.
The Contenders
- Blankphone A — $399
- Google Pixel 9a — $499
- Nothing Phone 2a — $349
- Samsung Galaxy A35 — $399
- Motorola Edge 50 — $449
- Plus 10 others...
Why Blankphone A Wins
1. Best Display in Class
The Blankphone A has a 120Hz AMOLED display. In this price range, that's exceptional. The Pixel 9a only has 90Hz. The Nothing Phone 2a matches 120Hz but at lower brightness.
At 1500 nits, the Blankphone A is visible in direct sunlight. The colors are vibrant, blacks are deep, and scrolling is butter-smooth.
2. Largest Battery + Best Endurance
5500mAh—the largest battery of any phone we tested. In our standardized test:
- Blankphone A: 2 days, 4 hours
- Nothing Phone 2a: 2 days
- Pixel 9a: 1 day, 14 hours
- Galaxy A35: 1 day, 16 hours
The combination of efficient Dimensity 8300 chip and massive battery is unbeatable.
3. Features Flagships Are Killing
The Blankphone A has two things most phones have abandoned:
- 3.5mm headphone jack — Use your favorite wired headphones
- microSD card slot — Expandable storage up to 1TB
The Pixel 9a has neither. Neither does the Nothing Phone 2a. These "budget" features are actually premium conveniences that expensive phones have removed.
4. Solid Camera with OIS
The 64MP main camera has optical image stabilization—rare at this price. Photos are sharp, low-light performance is competent, and video is stable without a gimbal.
The Pixel 9a technically has better computational photography, but the Blankphone A is 90% as good at $100 less. That's the value proposition.
5. Clean Software, Long Support
BlankOS Lite is fast, clean, and private. 5 years of guaranteed updates. No bloatware, no ads in the UI (looking at you, Samsung).
The Complete Comparison
| Blankphone A | Pixel 9a | Nothing 2a | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $399 | $499 | $349 |
| Display | 120Hz AMOLED | 90Hz OLED | 120Hz AMOLED |
| Battery | 5500mAh | 4500mAh | 5000mAh |
| Camera OIS | Yes | Yes | No |
| Headphone Jack | Yes | No | No |
| microSD | Yes (1TB) | No | No |
| Software Updates | 5 years | 7 years | 3 years |
Our Rankings
- Blankphone A ($399) — Best overall value. Buy this.
- Nothing Phone 2a ($349) — Great if you want unique design on a tighter budget.
- Pixel 9a ($499) — Best camera, but overpriced for what you get.
- Samsung Galaxy A35 ($399) — Solid, but One UI has ads and bloat.
The Verdict
If you're buying a phone under $500 in 2026, buy the Blankphone A. It offers flagship-tier specs—120Hz AMOLED, huge battery, solid camera, expandable storage—at a genuinely affordable price.
The Pixel 9a is $100 more for a smaller battery and no headphone jack. The Nothing Phone 2a is $50 less but has a worse camera and shorter software support.
The Blankphone A is the 2026 Budget Phone King.