No matter how you slice it, the price of flagships is still a deterrent for many folks. Thankfully, there are some outstanding affordable alternatives that have significantly improved over the past few years. Various manufacturers, including many from China and Korea, have compelling products that are becoming more popular as we reach smartphone saturation.

We also now see Samsung, Google, and Apple offering more affordable options with Samsung bringing in one model that has 5G and is still priced just under $400.

Camera performance was a major differentiator between flagships and mid-range phones over the past couple of years, but even today's affordable phones can help you produce decent photos to share with family and friends or on social media. Let's take a look at some of the most affordable options.

You can read more phone buying tips and how we make our recommendations here.    

Google Pixel 4A

Any color as long as it's black

Following last year's release of a couple of mid-level devices, Google launched the Google Pixel 4A. Google also released the Pixel 4A 5G, which is one of the most affordable 5G phones, for $499.

The Pixel 4A is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G processor with a 5.81-inch display, 12.2MP rear camera, 8MP front camera, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, stereo speakers, and a 3,140mAh battery. This is targeted to the masses and with Google's stunning camera software it is a tough phone to beat at the low $349 price.

There is only one color option, black, so your choices are limited to carrier, unlocked, or Google Fi service.