Best phones under $800 (2026)

US list prices up to about $800. Editorial scores, MSRP bands, and links to full guides—no sponsored picks.

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Top picks

Top pick

Pixel 9a

$499–$849

The Pixel 9a (2025) — a Google phone in the mid-range tier with editorial scoring for camera, battery, performance, display, and value.

Catalog label: Top quartile

Pixel 9a guide

Strong alternative

Pixel 9a (Unlocked)

$499–$649

The Pixel 9a (Unlocked) (2025) — a Google phone in the mid-range tier with editorial scoring for camera, battery, performance, display, and value.

Catalog label: Top quartile

Pixel 9a (Unlocked) guide

Also consider

Pixel 8a

$499–$883

The Pixel 8a (2024) — a Google phone in the mid-range tier with editorial scoring for camera, battery, performance, display, and value.

Catalog label: Upper middle

Pixel 8a guide

Why these phones?

We start from every device in our catalog with validated US MSRP bands, apply your filters, then rank using the same 1–10 category scores documented in our methodology. “Top pick” is the highest composite for this page’s intent—not a paid placement.