With a four-year gap between the 2020 iPhone SE and the previous one, Apple packed its latest budget phone with a bunch of upgrades. That includes wireless charging, better camera specs and water resistance. (Unfortunately, for wired headphone users, it doesn't have a headphone jack.) If you're looking for a new iPhone but want to save as much money as possible, the $399 (£419, AU$749) iPhone SE is your best bet.

Juan Garzon/CNET

In addition to its main Galaxy S flagship phones, Samsung has a more cost-conscious A series line of phones. This year it launched the Galaxy A51, another phone that costs $399 (there is a 5G variant that costs $499). The device has four cameras, an in-screen fingerprint reader and expandable memory.

Angela Lang/CNET

Google's Pixel 3A XL has everything you like about the Pixel 3A (which is also on this list), but in a larger package (it has a 6-inch OLED screen compared to the Pixel 3A's 5.6-inch screen). Both phones, however, have a headphone jack and keep the same amazing Night Sight camera from the original Pixel 3, which can shoot great photos in the dark. (Daytime photos and video recording look amazing, too.) The device is compatible with all the major US phone carriers as well.

Sarah Tew/CNET

If you're looking for a cheaper Note 10 alternative, the $300 Moto G Stylus features a stylus that you can store inside the phone along with built-in Notes app to help with productivity. The phone also features triple-rear cameras, 128GB of storage and a robust 4,000mAh battery. 

Angela Lang/CNE   

Although the Galaxy A50 came out last year (and is the predecessor to the A51 phone mentioned above), it's still a great phone. Plus, at $250 it's even cheaper than when it first launched. The phone has a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED screen, an in-screen fingerprint reader and a headphone jack. On the back, the three cameras include a wide angle lens as well as a "depth lens," which is used to take portrait shots with blurry, dramatic backgrounds.