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There are clear benefits to buying the OnePlus 15R over the Pixel 10a, and for a potential $100 extra, it makes the OnePlus phone feel like a great value when you start using it. For all its excellence, the Pixel 10a never feels like an especially value-driven phone. However, the obvious performance benefits, its eagerness to play games, and the big, colorful, AMOLED screen on the OnePlus 15R mean you’ll think you’ve stolen it for $700. The software remains the primary reason to choose the Pixel over the OnePlus, and it really is as good as everyone says. You’ll enjoy updates for longer, too,

Google’s $499 Pixel 10A is our pick for the best overall cheap phone, even though it’s only slightly improved over last year’s Pixel 9A. The new phone’s top-notch camera is unmatched among other handsets priced under $500. Plus, crucially, the company’s promise of seven years of software and security updates means the phone could last long enough to use until it finally gives out. Plus, its ability to send photos and files to an iPhone over AirDrop is a nice bonus, especially for people with friends using iOS handsets. One major caveat to this recommendation is that the base model comes with 1