Best Phones Under $800
Poco
Apple
Nothing
Nothing
Poco
F9 Ultra
iPhone 17
Phone (3)
Phone (4a) Pro
F9 Pro
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There are plenty of great phones under $800, including phones built for things like gaming performance, camera quality, and more. The devices in this list are ranked on benchmarks, battery life, display specs, camera systems, and software support, giving a clear picture of where each phone excels and where it compromises.
The Poco F9 Ultra takes the top spot a the best overall option, pairing great processing power with a massive battery life. For those who prefer iOS, the Apple iPhone 17 delivers a strong balance of performance and long-term software support. The Nothing Phone (3) stands out for camera performance.
Whether you need a capable all-rounder or want to optimize for a specific feature like photography or screen quality, the picks here reflect measurable strengths across the sub-$800 segment. A budget-conscious option from Nothing also appears for those looking to spend well under $500 without sacrificing too much.
Best Overall Under $800
The Poco F9 Ultra isn't just the best phone in this price range; it's currently at the top of our database, beating phones twice its price. Much of that comes down to its monster battery life, hitting 43 hours of video playback on a single charge.
Connectivity is another very strong result. Downloads peaked at 419 MB/s in our testing; the Nothing Phone (3) and Xiaomi 15T Pro both managed around a tenth of that under the same conditions. The 6.9-inch 185Hz AMOLED is also near the top of our rankings, with peak HDR brightness reaching nearly 12,000 nits — HDR content looks the way it's supposed to, even outdoors.
Performance is strong but not elite: a GeekBench multi-core score above 10,600, with sustained stability at 70.9% under extended load.
The camera is where the money went elsewhere. Overall it's competent, but the main lens clips highlights in high-contrast scenes and front camera sharpness is poor. At the same $799, the Nothing Phone (3) is the better camera. Microphone quality sits near the bottom of our database — voice memos and video audio sound noticeably thin.
For everything else, this is the phone to get under $800.
Best iPhone Under $800
The A19 chip in the iPhone 17 puts up a GeekBench multi-core score of 9,645 — close to the 10,158 the Pro achieves, and well ahead of the Nothing Phone (3)'s 6,992. That means everyday performance and sustained workloads feel effectively the same as the more expensive sibling. Speaker output is also comparable to the Pro, and the display hits 3,022 nits peak HDR brightness, which is competitive with the best screens at this price.
The downsides are that battery life sits in the middle of our tested pool: web browsing drained 22% over five hours and gaming drained 27%, which points to roughly a day of typical use rather than two. The iPhone 17 Pro drains only 17 percent per hour during web use. Camera performance is a weakness too — main camera detail in good light is modest, and the phone lacks a telephoto lens. The Nothing Phone (3) produces noticeably sharper images and handles a wider dynamic range in mixed lighting.
What the iPhone 17 offers is the iOS ecosystem, strong sustained processor performance, and a compact 6.3-inch form factor.
Best Camera Phone Under $800
At $799, the Nothing Phone (3) puts up the strongest camera results we've measured in this price tier, with main, front, and telephoto lenses all delivering high sharpness across lighting conditions. The front camera is a particular standout — it resolves significantly more detail than the Xiaomi 15T Pro's front lens at the same price, which lags well behind in bright-light sharpness. Color accuracy on the main lens sits closer to reference than the 15T Pro, which carries roughly 60% more color error in bright conditions. Dynamic range on the main lens is also wider, meaning the Phone (3) holds detail in highlights and shadows that the Xiaomi clips.
Video stabilization is the clearest weakness. The 15T Pro is among the best-stabilized phones we've tested at any price, and the Nothing Phone (3) doesn't come close — handheld video shows more movement, particularly noticeable when walking. If video is the priority, that gap matters.
Best Performance Under $800
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 posts a multi-core GeekBench of 10,347 here, and the chassis holds 75.6% of peak graphics throughput under sustained load. The iPhone 17, at $100 more, lands around 9,645 multi-core and dips to roughly 71% stability — the F9 Pro keeps more of its speed when a long gaming session heats things up. If you want the absolute ceiling, the RedMagic 11S Pro benchmarks higher across the board, but it costs more than our maximum and gives up a lot elsewhere: its speakers sit near the bottom of our database and its battery drains more than half during an hour of gaming.
The F9 Pro's own battery is the caveat. Despite 6330mAh, it lands mid-pack overall — an hour of gaming takes 35% off the charge, so the performance comes at a cost. Video playback is a healthy 30 hours, and 100W wired charging refills it quickly.
The 185Hz AMOLED is a genuine bonus, with the fastest touch response and the quickest fingerprint unlocks we've tested. Connectivity speeds and microphone quality both sit in the bottom half, which matters if you record a lot of video. For raw speed under $800, though, this is the one.
Best Value Under $500
At $499, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro's main camera resolves noticeably more detail in daylight than either the Pixel 10a or the standard Nothing Phone (4a) at the same or lower price — the sharpness gap over the 4a is substantial. That puts it among the stronger cameras in its price range, which is a real differentiator at this tier where most $499 phones are trading off image quality for other features.
The 5,080mAh battery delivers around 26 hours of video playback, and gaming drain is moderate. That's solid for a mid-range device, though not class-leading — the Pixel 10a sits slightly ahead on overall battery score despite a comparable cell size.
Color accuracy from the main camera is acceptable but not precise. Skin tones show a meaningful deviation from reference — roughly comparable to the RedMagic 11 Air, and noticeably less accurate than the Pixel 10a's main sensor. The 144Hz AMOLED panel is bright enough for outdoor use at 1,755 nits peak HDR. Performance is mid-tier: fine for everyday use, but the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 leaves a clear gap versus flagship chips.
Connectivity and microphone performance are weak spots worth knowing about. Biometrics are slow relative to most phones at this price. The 50W wired charging reaches a full charge in a reasonable time, but there's no wireless charging option.
FAQ
Which phone under $800 has the strongest performance?
The Poco F9 Pro at $699 is the pick for raw speed. Its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and 12GB of RAM produce a GeekBench multi-core score of 10,347. That is ahead of the Apple iPhone 17's 9,645, which costs $100 more, and ahead of the OnePlus 15R at the same price.
Which phone under $800 has the best camera?
The Nothing Phone (3) at $799 is the camera pick, with high sharpness from the main, front, and telephoto lenses across lighting conditions. Its main camera has wider dynamic range and closer color accuracy than the Xiaomi 15T Pro's. The tradeoff is video stabilization, where the 15T Pro is much steadier for handheld and walking shots.
Is the iPhone 17 a good choice under $800?
The Apple iPhone 17 suits people who want iOS, strong sustained processor performance, and a compact 6.3-inch body. Its A19 chip scores 9,645 in GeekBench multi-core, and its display reaches 3,022 nits peak HDR brightness. Battery life is about a day of typical use, with web browsing draining 22% over five hours and gaming draining 27%. The camera is modest in good light and there is no telephoto lens.
Which phone under $800 has the longest battery life?
The Poco F9 Ultra has a huge battery life, which gives just almost 43 hours of video playback.
How fast does the Poco F9 Pro charge, and how long does the battery last?
The Poco F9 Pro's 100W wired charging takes its 6330mAh battery to 75% in 30 minutes. Video playback runs around 30.5 hours, which is respectable but not exceptional. The OnePlus 15R lasts nearly 14 hours longer, and gaming drains the Poco faster.
Should I buy the Poco F9 Pro or the Nothing Phone (3) if I care about photos?
The Nothing Phone (3) is the better choice for photography at $100 more than the Poco F9 Pro. The Poco's camera is decent but sits in the upper-middle range. Its strengths are processing speed and a 6.59-inch AMOLED display with a 185Hz refresh rate that peaks above 10,000 nits in HDR.
What is the best phone under $500?
The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro at $499 is the pick. Its main camera resolves noticeably more daylight detail than the Pixel 10a or the standard Nothing Phone (4a). It has a 5,080mAh battery with around 26 hours of video playback, plus a 144Hz AMOLED display that reaches 1,755 nits peak HDR. Weaknesses include slow biometrics, weak connectivity and microphone performance, and no wireless charging.
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