Best Budget Camera Phones (Spring 2024) | Top 20 Reviewed

Reviewing the best budget camera smartphones in 2024, including affordable mid-range phones like the Pixel 7a, Nothing Phone 2a and Samsung Galaxy A54. Plus even cheaper camera mobiles like the Motorola G84 and Poco X6. Here's my top 20 favourite budget camera phones I've reviewed, and you can find full coverage of these handsets here on Tech Spurt!
Google's Pixel 7a is undeniably one of the best mid-range smartphones for point-and-shoot ease. While photo quality isn't as good in ambient light, the Pixel 7a still churns out better pics than basically any rival at this price. That Pixel 8a should be out in the first half of 2024, hopefully pimping the camera experience even harder.
Meanwhile the Nothing Phone 2a and Samsung Galaxy A54 5G are also good for capturing photos and video, if not quite as capable as the Pixel 7a. For a more budget price you can also choose the Samsung Galaxy A34, which is almost as good.
The OnePlus Nord 2T is another Pixel rival, while the more budget friendly OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite costs just £300 but offers a 108MP camera. And then there's the Xiaomi Note 13 Pro Plus, with its 200MP optics, plus the even cheaper Note 13 Pro 5G and Note 13 5G.
Other best camera phones at this budget price point include the Poco X6 and X6 Pro, Vivo V30 and V30 PRO and the Motorola Moto G84.
Best Budget Camera Phones 2024 Chapters:
0:00 - Rambly intro bit
0:37 - Pixel 7a
3:54 - Nothing Phone 2a
7:50 - Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
11:13 - Samsung Galaxy A34 5G
15:02 - Poco X6 & X6 Pro
17:41 - Poco F5 vs F5 Pro
21:00 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 5G vs Pro vs Pro Plus
24:01 - OnePlus Nord 2T
26:15 - OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite
28:41 - Motorola Moto G84
31:38 - Motorola Moto Edge 40 Neo
34:46 - Vivo V30 & V30 Pro
39:15 - Nokia G60

[@UltraVegito-1995]

I love how tech spurt says "it's spurting time" and spurts all over us a truely spurting of all time

[@lopozerc]

Definitely a Tech Spurt moment.

[@Sana-Tozaki-TWICE-KPop-1998]

My dirty mind tells a different story *Tech Squirt*

[@japansharma6557]

Truly one of the spurter

[@prinzexisalowqualityytber]

truly one of the most spurting moments of all time

[@noorhosennayan3462]

One of the spurt of all time

[@jojoton4eva]

I have to say I love seeing your tuxedo kitties, didn't realize they were two until now. I recently lost my own tuxey and seeing these two was unexpectedly delightful! Also, thanks for the detailed and humorous review :)

[@ashrammahadeo1380]

Uncle Spurt is always on point. Def my fav reviewer. Cheers

[@RA29Z]

I'm very happy you made this video!!! Helped a lot!! ❤

[@pascalpoussin1209]

Excellent review, thank you! Would like to see one on the Xiaomi 13 and 13T for the camera as well as for the phone as a whole.

[@kingjohnong5546]

Hi Tech spurt! I really like your videos, thanks for your honest review, anyway! Please help me, what is a much better choice for overall camera and gaming, 13 pro plus or the 13 pro 5G?

[@borrism5041]

Some juicy blowers here. Thank you Mr Spurt - 42 mins is a long one for you, I hope you had a nice lie down afterwards (and a beer!).

[@RA29Z]

Exactly!

[@viktorbasso]

The most bang for the buck is probably a Pixel 7 Pro on clearance sale

[@faisalleeds]

Literally just got it a few weeks ago! Couldn't find a better value device, pixel 8 pro was more than twice the price even on eBay!

[@aynunnabil]

true.. but these type of sales are not available in many parts of the world

[@doubleftheking]

​@@faisalleedsgot mine a few weeks ago too. But used. It's awesome! Looks brand new

[@GerDavRe]

​@@IIIIII1117 As a pixel 7 pro owner battery's good but selfie camera sucks

[@hime91chan]

​@@GerDavRe i was thinking between 7pro and pixel 8? In my country 7pro costs 600e and 8 costs around 560€. Which one is better value?

[@edwardgrafton4663]

Hey Uncle Spurt you should do a battery between the Samsung Galaxy S24 the Samsung Galaxy A54 the Samsung Galaxy A14 too see which one off them is any good and do a camera test as well.

[@keiraystargaryen9577]

It makes me so happy to see my device being on this list.. the A34 is simply amazing. I took some amazing shots recently and they were so great ppl were asking me constantly what i took the pics with.. thinking i have an iphone lol.. which will never happen. Thing is i posted the pics with no editing done 😁😁. Love this phone to bits 3 months in🎉

[@humayerashayera7676]

how is the battery backup? I'm looking forward to purchase this device ❤

[@usmanabdulkadir3334]

Great content keep it up as always

[@user-jn5jl4vv2c]

I've been enjoying your videos from day one your reviews are bang Do give away of any of the phones with you

[@endyprasetyo8117]

need suggest, what is the best budget phone for video record? wide and ultrawide. except Google pixel, it isn't official on my country

[@johnargha]

this is the video i was waiting for so long. thanks uncle 😉

[@user-yc8et8gr5n]

hello. for a phone under 200 euros here i have those 4 choices. moto g54 power edition,nord ce 3 lite,redmi note 13,poco m6 pro. what you suggest???i know the phones are pretty much close but what is the one with the best camera ???

[@luisaragon7835]

Redmi note 13 pro 5g or wait for oneplus nord 4 ce? I do love the photos of the oneplus . I would like to remain stick to snapdragon:) help

[@SaamiaMazhary]

I bought the Realme 6 Pro upon your recommendation for camera quality, battery life and value in 2020 and it's been brilliant! It's now stopped charging and I need a quick replacement. What's your opinion on Realme? I've noticed they're not included in your latest reviews. Please advise!

[@genericwebhosting]

hello, I bought a realme 7 in october 2020, and I think I have the same problem with charging not so fast. What did you end up going for as a replacement ?

[@TheRealAstro_]

Pixel 7a or 8a if that comes out at a decent price are the best for taking quick snaps that will always look good, no tweaking required

[@raarzwijngroenteburger2449]

I heard it would be quiet a big price jump up

[@TheRealAstro_]

@@raarzwijngroenteburger2449 yeah thats why i said if its a decent price. if the jump up is too big then im not too sure.

[@kactus1889]

this was exactly what I needed

[@Camrocok]

Rubbish calling experience from my last two Samsung S21s (a basic from a phone!). Current S21FE too unreliable after 6 months so looking for a change. Do I gamble on S23FE, splash out on Google 8 Pro or go budget and pay cash for something like Honor 90. Magic 6 Lite or something else?

[@eattherich9215]

My current phone is just about out of puff, so am looking for a replacement. I thought had settled on Honor, but now I am thinking to go for camera specs as a prime consideration. I've had Motorolas in the past and am interested in the Nokia. Time for a deeper dive.

[@noorhosennayan3462]

"I did experience a couple of issues though..." A literal couple walking by. Universe is spruting.🎉🎉

[@fareshejazi7702]

Hey, I'm looking to buy either a pixel 7a, nothing phone 2a or a55. Which do you think has the best camera? I would have directly picked the 7a but the only drawback is the limited 128gb storage ... Appreciate your help 😃

[@AliyanRizvi4422]

A55

[@moosethe1847]

Uncle spurt, I have a question - I still use a one plus 6t mclaren for all my gaming, is there any phone out there like that in a budget ?

[@LimeKiller89]

Are the cameras of the Nothing phone 2a genuinely good? I'm considering that phone but it's the mixed opinions about it's cameras that are making me hesitant.

[@James_Byron]

Not really, if cameras is what you want the nothing is not a good option. Even the nothing 2 is quite bad compared to the other ones.

[@Aemyl_]

dude, the entire phone is made of plastic...

[@czkmeister]

@@Aemyl_ That's okay, but the performance and especially cameras are crap. Pixel A series is also plastic but absolutely smashes the Nothing 2a.

[@Edgar876]

Get pixel 7a google

[@Aemyl_]

@@czkmeister or don't get an overpriced piece of sh*t that you're recommending

[@reyenl4314]

Are you going to make best budget phones for gaming? plz

[@tem8530]

since, samsung a55 just came out, should i get pixel 7a or samsung a55? samsung a55 seems about the same

[@highbrowmoss3929]

Why are you recommending the F5 and F5 pro if they won't be supported anymore form 2025? It has good specs but that's a big deal breaker for almost everyone...

[@michaelrobert503]

im just looking for a budget/mid price phone, I am leaning towards the Moto edge 40 neo, and the Galaxy A 54. anyone got any thoughts. Im not a hard user so I dont need super performance.

[@Gods_Child001]

I would easily recommend the GALAXY A54. Switched to this from Huawei Nova 5t and its totally worth it

[@mikasatempest3944]

Was waiting for this!!!!!!

[@rs6437]

Surprised to hear such positivity about the Nothing Phone 2a as I had a Nothing Phone 2 and got shot of it due to just how terrible the camera was in low light situations. It was like going back 10 years in terms of the quality.

[@arsenal_84]

He didn't take much low light shots for the nothing phone 2a.

[@moemama6009]

I bought X6 pro. I do not know if everyone has this problem or I just got a faulty piece. The display looks jaundiced right out of the box. I have used amoled phones before but X6 pro is just disappointing .the whites look like they have a slight yellow tint to them. I tried tweaking the display settings to no avail. I compared it side by side with Note 13 pro which has the same amoled screen. the difference is readily apparent. Let this be a warning.

[@nicholaswebb8418]

Strange you didn't wait for the Samsung A55 to come out, it came out a few days ago

[@April_idk]

I am on a 2 gen old mid ranger... what is going on with all the blurry movement shots? Is this due to the bigger sensors? Because I do not experience this currently.

[@hilaryredfern1915]

hi i am one of the 15% of peaple that have a PWM flicker senative problem my question is can you help recomend a phone under £200 thats any good with a dcdimmer and a ips screen also good camera ,i bought the google 7 it made me so dizzy it went on ebay ,then the oppo 57s same now the samsunge A14 its being returned please help,love your tech expertise, hilary

[@sleepy1171]

Tech Spurt, where is the Xiaomi 14 Ultra video? :(

[@tfkdandsvkc]

Uncle spurt always has a sense of humour

[@UnkemptBushell]

Mr Spurt, when you're not reviewing a device, what's your go-to daily driver?

[@ElectricC0mpany]

Remember that the pixel 6a is still sold in the Google store online for only $349 and in some stores like Walmart for $199. Still a solid phone with over 3 years left of updates.

[@christophcoolen5063]

But no 3 years from now though? From the moment it was Released I thought?

[@ElectricC0mpany]

@@christophcoolen5063 It was planned to receive 5 years of updates from release. This started with the pixel 6 series. Previously they did 3 years. So it has one more OS upgrade and the rest will be security updates for 3 years.

[@ElectricC0mpany]

@@christophcoolen5063 the pixel 6a at launch was promised 5 years of updates. 3 years of OS and 2 years of security. So there are over 3 years of updates left on the phone.

[@Luke-pp2lw]

@@christophcoolen5063nO from now

[@The_Macaroon]

"In the vague hope anyone cares" hahaha, so true

[@djrebz2579]

Surprised the honor 6 lite isn't in this list the camera is amazing but slow granted but quality is better than a lot of these

[@FutileGrief]

But which one did you like best 😭 also is samsung a55 not good enough yo be on this list? How about honor phones?

[@Jiibla]

When is your A25 5G review coming? Thanks!

[@Imstarshine]

I took a photo of food without using food mode, have a voided my warranty?

[@terrasoar9548]

Have you no Honor?

[@raishinhimura211]

I really gotta know where you get the high quality anime wallpapers

[@Andr-EL01-GG]

Great video, exactly what i'm searching for... Poco X6 Pro 12/512 Gb Vs Xiaomi 13T 8/256 Gb Same price, what you choose? *3rd option, waiting Redmi Turbo 3 Europe/Global release. Comment written by a still working and beautiful Redmi Note 7. Subscribed from Italy.

[@lvquan6660]

I'd choose Xiaomi 13T

[@thedazzlingape2006]

what I dont quite understand are the specs and prices.. I have a remi 6pro which is at this point 6 years old but shows zero performance issues, vs better newer phones with higher specs..but those cost waaaaay less. $130 vs $60 how? why? scam? or do they just break easier? old still gold?

[@marjomarieplanca8263]

How about realme 12 pro+? Need your inputs or feedback guys still undecided

[@comradekatyusha8955]

Is redmi K60ultra good for camera too?

[@alvinstone4644]

i need to know where you get your screen savers

[@vanoy13]

Realme 12pro plus has a decent camera when it comes to zoom. Got a telephoto lens

[@afiddanendra]

I saw anime wallpaper, I subscribed😂

[@electro_king]

Thank you for nice video😮

[@obasomething]

Great work here, when will this tech company realize that front camera needs a 4k Leica lens. I am looking for a budget phone with atleast 2k front camera and a jack plug for ear piece, 5G network. i had a 4g Redmi note 13 pro.

[@Randomness662]

Aw man, it's for 2024 phones :c I was hopin' to see your favorite budget phone on here, the iPhone SE (2022)!

[@galaxyaynaou]

isnt MI 13T better than poco x6 pro when it comes to camera and almost everything else ?

[@mariusgherasim6793]

I would add to this kind of list previous flagships/flagship killers that are now down in price and have many years of updates left (for example Xiaomi 13T/13T Pro). Or maybe that can be the idea for a different video.

[@Eihei]

Agreed, especially since they can be had for as much as Poco F5.

[@DISTINGUISHED.GENTLEMAN.]

Next video idea: Are More Expensive Electronics Devices Actually Better Quality ?

[@theelusiveme7643]

When you doing a review on the Samsung A35, please do it separately and not with the Samsung A55

[@pixelgaming7261]

The Galaxy A35 and Galaxy A55 have both been announced last week.

[@BackToWar100]

That secure extra processors makes it a best buy but Xiaomi has ir blaster...

[@rauljadhav3208]

Hiii plz suggest best mobile between iPhone 15 pro max & Samsung S24 Ultra & Vivo & Xiaomi 14 Ultra for for pics & videos....

[@smaemurray]

42mins uncle spurt??? 😂

[@JoshuaMunar-nj9zp]

wow you have a lot of phone to recommended for the camera

[@nicolaasoosthuizen8756]

vivo available in uk? struggling on Amazon

[@kennethanthonyparde3762]

how about the Tecno spark pro +?

[@peacefulhealingvibes910]

Moto edge 40neo or nothing phone 2a Which one I should buy for camera

[@gentle285]

The 2a looks to be the better choice, mainly because the low-light perfomance and stabilization is a little better. Plus, the 2a will receive a couple of camera software updates to improve things. In fact, it already got one.

[@MERVILLE3]

Oh, just fek'n tell is which one is best for your Readers' Wives entry.

[@mohamedwasfy9377]

What is the best flagship Android phone camera please ?

[@prasantshahi3197]

Google pixel 8 pro

[@iamthegabriel]

Could you please compare the A54 with S23 plus or any s23 lineups ??Thanks

[@user-nt5pp7sw2k]

Nem precisaria de comparação cara o s23 e duas vezes melhor que o a54

[@steclaruconstantin]

Anything from the S9 plus onwards would beat an A54.

[@johnmc3862]

No comparison.

[@Salman-rv6tg]

What about vivo v30 pro?

[@kEirenic]

I think I saw you today at Infinix global launch!

[@Edgar876]

What were you doing there ? If you really saw him

[@kEirenic]

@@Edgar876 obviously for that launch event

[@GraviticVortex]

Pretty good video, though a bit too early. A week or 2 later and there would have been a possibility to include new A35 and A55 as well. Also, why OnePlus Nord 2T which is 2 years old now and not much newer Nord 3?

[@gentle285]

They have the same camera hardware, an also a crap Exynos processor, and those are subpar in image processing. No OIS either during 4k video. Save yourself some cash with the A54.

[@itsdix]

What about Xiaomi 13t? You can find it under 500€ easily

[@bruno3833]

it would be be better if you did side by side the same objects

[@xtwmx]

OnePlus Nord 2T?!? Since when do you recommend 2y phones in category videos? You almost never mention in your reviews of better alternatives in older models when price is limited.

[@luisaragon7835]

Im more confused now 😭

[@Rjl41]

I recognize London Trafalgar Sq with Lord Nelson's monument and St Martin in the Fields church!! Miss London a lot, I've been there almost 10 times, the last one was in 2013!

[@mikelrobertsbeckett1454]

You review every device as positive and never mention the negative sides or issues they have, you are very unprofessional and I'm shocked how you have so many views and followers.

[@sezaku85]

So which is better?

[@FlorinU]

The camera on my old Samsung S7 dealt admirably with all kinds of lighting conditions, fast movement, portraits, etc. etc. It was a joy to use, almost each and every photo was a keeper! I'll never understand why they didn't chose to "recycle" it on later mid-range models - I currently have an A34 and A55, but there is absolutely no comparison between the S7 and these multi-camera, gazillions of pixels, utter crap quality setups on these supposedly "newer and better" phones. The photos look boring, over-processed, distorted! (the field of view/focal length of the S7 camera was perfect, very natural). Well.. I guess nothing good lasts forever... 😔

[@shin-3681]

Hey uncle can you do iqoo z9? 😅

[@BackToWar100]

A55 vs 13 pro vs 13t pro ?

[@chokolokoist]

Waiting for A35 review

[@keitharputham7588]

Whats your opinion on the xiaomi 13 t?

[@sadie513]

Surprised it's not on here. I have one and it's pretty good. Best to just use the main sensor, all others aren't as good.

[@johnmc3862]

​@@sadie513Its not budget.

[@ILLRICARDO]

I would have got the redmi 13 pro plus if it wasn't a curved screen, I hate curved screens

[@GiftNdukwe-in8rf]

Tech spurt what phone are you even using

[@DANNYEL20122]

Where I'm from, the mid-range is expensive asf

[@ekay4495]

Had a Pixel 7a, that got stolen just over 30 buys after buying it, snatched right out of my hand on a bike. The photos were HD AF ;(

[@jazzdglass]

Not seen this video. But I'm sure of seeing Genshin Impact and lots of use of "shenanigans" 😅

[@MrOrtmeier]

Smart money is on the Samsung A55/A35: Great design, proper customer service and walk in repair support, 4 years OS updates and lots of readily available accessories. Most, if not all, of the others will leave you high and dry if you need any support, repairs or Accessories

[@10daysAgo]

Depends from country to country. Xiaomi has a huge number of service centres in India . And honestly if you compare the poco x6 pro with the Samsung, the poco is a no brainer ( at least in India ). 😂

[@Maab_BalOoch]

icons pack name?

[@Quickrex]

Not related, but can you review the Vivo X100 pro, approaching midrange prices, and actually a pretty good blower, it seems like.

[@loftlike]

X100 pro is not approaching midrange prices, it is a flagship. That's why the good camera specs.

[@Quickrex]

@@loftlike nobe, its sudo flagship and 672 € is midrange. Okay I'm in a free tax zone.

[@loftlike]

@@Quickrex umm, weird that you are getting that low price (probably because of tax free). In USD, it is the same price as that of an iPhone Plus. It is slightly higher than the iPhone Plus in INR. The Dimensity 9300 chipset is quite equivalent to the SD Gen 3 which is recent. The materials used in the build are also premium, along with pro camera elements and Zeiss lenses and a good sensor. If that's pseudo then it's strange. But anyway, yeah Uncle Spurt should review it, seems to be a good enough phone with good cameras.

[@DammerungCat]

Can't wait for you to Review Infinix Note 40 Series

[@dazpike3472]

Pixel 7 pro user here , has to be one of the worst phones iv ever owned , sluggish , quiet as hell , takes a week to charge , had weird things happen last 6 months where it goes blank then re-loads the last days messages iv received as if iv just received them and not already replied , is there anything out there that's better ? Looking to trade it in and get something better , can put extra cash towards a new phone too . Anyone got any ideas ?

[@nowaykiller0240]

What about the A55 or A35?

[@starnetic7779]

I'm buying a s23 ultra is it worth it?

[@BhoneZa]

S24 ultra would be nicer If you like Ai stuff

[@pi1392]

Go for s24+

[@zhunter09]

S23 will get AI stuff when 6.1 comes out

[@BhoneZa]

@@zhunter09 wow I never knew that, thanks

[@parshakamarsh]

​@@BhoneZait's due before the end of this month

[@sudaisumar2471]

Can u pls make a review of lg phones please 😢😢expecially Velvet and V50

[@lRlMlGl]

A55 and A35 literally one there way!