promotions

The best budget phones: Buy one and save on a Ting Mobile plan!

Ting Staff • June 14, 2021

Sure, you could drop $1,000 on a new phone. Or, you could—and hear us out here—very much not do that. Instead, take a look at some of the best budget phones that you can buy and you’ll see that you don’t have to break the bank to get a fabulous phone.

Here are Ting Mobile’s top picks for the best budget phones that beat all your expectations but that won’t break the bank. Calling them the best cheap phones doesn’t cover it; these are great, inexpensive phones. Nothing cheap here. In fact, we like them so much, we’ve bundled them into a sweet summer promotion.

Buy any of our top picks for summer between now and July 18, 2021 and pair it with a Ting Mobile plan. You’ll get $30 off the Set 5 plan ($5/mo for six months) or $60 off either Unlimited plan ($20/mo for three months).*

The best budget phones: 5G phones on a budget

5G has made its way out of the top-of-the-line, $700+ smartphones into more affordable territory. More than just giving access to the super fast 5G network where available though, these phones pack in a bunch of features once reserved for top of the line phones.

motorola one 5G ace

$329 plus new customers get up to $60 in Ting Mobile credit

In a word, wow. In a couple more words, killer cameras, 5G, 6.7-inch FHD+ screen.

Those are all just words. Suffice it to say, the motorola one 5G ace is a whole lot of smartphone for not a whole lot of money, relatively speaking.

The screen is the star of the show here; a big, bright, high resolution affair with practically no frame to ruin the look. Despite its big screen, the motorola one 5G ace is still pocketable. With a capacious battery that’s good for two days plus a sweet triple camera on the back, it doesn’t disappoint on those fronts either.

Samsung Galaxy A32 5G

$259 plus new customers get up to $60 in Ting Mobile credit

Samsung make some of the best flagships on the market, but they also make some of the best budget phones.

If you’re in the Samsung camp, the Galaxy A32 5G is a worthy upgrade with features that just a year or two ago were only available in top-end phones. Most notable perhaps, 5G.

The rear camera array is alive and well here with an awesome main camera, an ultra-wide, a macro cam and a depth sensor (48 MP, 8 MP, 5 MP and 2 MP respectively for those that follow the specs) that takes shots to the next level. Up front, a high-resolution selfie cam so the world can see your smiling face.

With a side fingerprint sensor, a 6.5-inch HD+ screen, a capacious battery plus fast charging, there’s a lot to love here.

The best budget phones: Sub-$200 smartphones

We have two options in our list of best budget phones that don’t include 5G but, despite that one omission, way over-index on price vs. performance. These aren’t just the best cheap phones, they’re contenders in their own right.

moto e (2020)

$119 plus new customers get up to $60 in Ting Mobile credit

Ahh, the moto e line. The phone we remember fondly (back when it was the Moto E) as the first to come in sub-$150 that didn’t feel like a massive compromise.

With the latest moto e, things are even better. To wit, a 6.2-inch HD screen, a much smaller frame around the screen, a capable main camera (13 MP) with depth-sensor for all those nifty focus tricks plus a battery that lasts up to two days on a charge. 

Sporting Android 10, increased storage and a faster processor, it’s a great choice and a lot of phone at an unbelievable price.

Samsung Galaxy A12

$159 plus new customers get up to $60 in Ting Mobile credit

With a big ol’ battery that charges up quickly, a nice 6.5-inch HD+ screen and an impressive camera array, the Samsung A12 checks a lot of boxes.

Samsung Galaxy overall does a great job turning snaps into photographs and to that end, the A12 doesn’t disappoint. It sports four rear cameras: a 16MP main, 5MP ultra-wide, a 2MP macro cam (16 MP, 5 MP and 2 MP respectively) plus a depth sensor. The front-facing camera is more than capable of catching selfies or video chatting.

With fingerprint unlock and capable tech specs, it comes in under $200 but doesn’t feel the need to constantly remind you of that fact.

How to unlock this promo

We like to keep things simple. Here’s how to avail yourself of this sweet summer promo:

Buy any of the best budget phones mentioned above and activate it on a new account by June 27. 

That’s it. We’ll take care of the rest. You’ll see your promotional plan price starting with your second bill in the form of a credit that’s automatically applied.

With all that said, the Ting Mobile shop sounds like a pretty good place to go right about now.

Terms and conditions

*New Ting accounts get $60 in Ting credits ($20/mo for 3 months) when you purchase a moto e (2020), Samsung Galaxy A12, motorola one 5G ace, or Samsung A32 5G by end of day (11:59pm ET) August 2, 2021 and activate on an Unlimited or Unlimited Pro plan. New accounts get $30 in Ting credits ($5/mo for 6 months) if they choose to activate on the Set 5 plan. One offer per account. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Credits will be applied within 1 to 2 months after at least one bill cycle. Phone must be activated within 30 days of purchase and remain active on the initially selected plan to qualify. While supplies last.