Flagship smartphones are priced ludicrously high these days. If you’re looking for a high-end phone, it’ll cost you anywhere between $1,000 to $1,200. However, if you’re willing to compromise on a couple of premium features without sacrificing the performance, there are plenty of options under $800 that you may fancy. This price category consists of entry-level flagships as well as ‘flagship killers’. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the best 5G smartphones you can buy for under $800 in the USA.
Read Also: Best 5G smartphones under $500 in USA (2023)
iPhone 15
Price: $799
Key Specs
| Display | 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED |
| Chipset | Apple A16 Bionic |
| RAM | 6GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Battery | 3,279 mAh |
The entry-level model in Apple’s latest iPhone 15 series is priced at $799. The new iPhone 15 gets an improved A16 Bionic chipset that was found in last year’s Pro models. If you want to harness the power of the latest A17 Pro chipset, you will need to shell out extra money for the Pro variants. One of the biggest changes on the new iPhone 15 is the USB Type-C port replacing Apple’s lightning port for charging and data transfer. Since the entry-level model employs USB Type-C 2.0, don’t expect super high charging and data transfer speeds. The camera module on the iPhone 15 finally gets the update that first featured on last year’s Pro variants. The primary shooter is now a 48MP sensor, while the ultrawide camera retains the 12MP sensor. The notch on the display has now been replaced with the Dynamic Island.
iPhone 14
Price: $699
Key Specs
| Display | 6.1-inch OLED |
| Chipset | A15 Bionic |
| RAM | 6GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Battery | 3,279 mAh |
The iPhone 14 lineup starts at $699 for the entry-level model. The smartphone retains the A15 Bionic chipset from the previous series. The superior A16 Bionic processor is only available on the Pro models. It also carries forward the notch on display. While it may look very similar to the iPhone 13, the iPhone 14 is still one of the best smartphones you can buy for under $800 in the USA. One of the biggest highlights of the 14 series is the Emergency SOS which allows users to connect to the nearest satellite in case of an emergency. The smartphone sports a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display that can reach a peak brightness of 1,200 nits. Talking about the camera specs, the new iPhone 14 gets the all-familiar 12 MP wide and ultrawide lens at the back and a 12MP selfie camera up front.
Samsung Galaxy S23
Price: $799
Key Specs
| Display | 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Battery | 3,900 mAh |
Samsung Galaxy S23 is without a doubt the best compact Android smartphone you can buy right now. The smartphone gets a stunning 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED display that can reach up to 1,750 nits of peak brightness. Powering the Galaxy S23 is this year’s Qualcomm flagship SoC, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The triple camera unit at the back features a 50MP primary shooter, a 10MP telephoto lens, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. With 25W wired charging, the 3,900 mAh battery on this smartphone can be boosted to 50% in 30 minutes.
Motorola Edge+ (2023)
Price: $799
Key Specs
| Display | 6,67-inch OLED |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 512GB |
| Battery | 5,100 mAh |
Motorola Edge+ gets a 6.67-inch curved OLED display with a maximum refresh rate of 165Hz and peak brightness of 1,300 nits. The smartphone is available in a single storage variant of 512GB and 8GB RAM. There are three rear cameras on this device – a 50MP primary shooter, a 12MP telephoto lens, and a 50MP ultrawide lens. At the front, you get a 60MP selfie camera. Motorola offers an almost stock Android experience on this device, with three years of OS upgrades. Powering the Motorola Edge+ is the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC.
Google Pixel 7 Pro
Price: $749
Key Specs
| Display | 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED |
| Chipset | Tensor G2 |
| RAM | 8GB, 12GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh |
Google’s flagship Pixel 7 Pro is powered by the company’s in-house Tensor G2 processor and carries forward the signature design that first made an appearance on Pixel 6. The rear camera band on the Pixel 7 Pro houses a 50MP primary shooter, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 48MP telephoto lens. Computational photography still continues to be the biggest highlight of the Pixel. We reviewed the smartphone last year and were thoroughly impressed with its camera performance. Other than that, the stock Android OS experience is also one of the reasons why you should get this phone.
Motorola Edge 30 Ultra
Price: $759
Key Specs
| Display | 6.67-inch P-OLED |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 |
| RAM | 8GB, 12GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 256GB |
| Battery | 4,610 mAh |
Motorola Edge 30 Ultra was one of the best smartphones to come out last year. It features the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC, a 6.67-inch curled P-OLED display, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 front and back, and a whopping 200MP primary camera. The rear camera unit also features a 12MP telephoto and 50MP ultrawide lens. The smartphone can charge at an amazing 125W using a wired charger. There is also 50W support for wireless charging.
OnePlus 11
Price: $700
Key Specs
| Display | 6.7-inch LTPO3 fluid AMOLED |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| RAM | 8GB, 12GB, 16GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh |
After the mild response that the OnePlus 10T received last year, the smartphone manufacturer delivered a solid product in the form of their flagship OnePlus 11. Launched in February 2023, the OnePlus 11 is one of the better Android smartphones to come out this year. On paper, the OnePlus 11 features great specs. It gets the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, a 6.7-inch LTPO3 fluid AMOLED display, UFS 4.0 storage, 100W wired charging, and more. The camera unit on the OnePlus 11 tuned by Hasselblad consists of a 50MP primary shooter, a 48MP ultrawide lens, and a 32MP telephoto lens. Up front, you get a 16MP selfie camera. Read our full review of OnePlus 11 here.
Lenovo ThinkPhone by Motorola
Price: $699
Key Specs
| Display | 6.6-inch P-OLED |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 |
| RAM | 8GB, 12GB |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh |
If you like the Lenovo ThinkPad notebook a little too much, you’ll be pleased to know about this collaboration between Lenovo and Motorola. The ThinkPhone is a $700 smartphone that carries the aesthetics of a Lenovo ThinkPad with the functionality of a Motorola smartphone. And yes, it does have a customisable red side key. The ThinkPhone is a rock-solid smartphone, it is rated IP68 for dust and water resistance and has an amarid fibre back along with an aluminium frame. It is MIL-STD-810H compliant as well. Since it is made in collaboration with Lenovo, it comes with some ‘Ready for PC’ features like a shared clipboard, seamless drag and drop transfer, phone mirroring, and using the smartphone camera as your PC’s webcam. If you’re an Android and Lenovo enthusiast, the Thinkphone is one of the best smartphones you can buy for under $800 in the USA.
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Conclusion
These are the best smartphones you can buy for under $800 in USA. While the ‘Pro’ variants of Samsung and Apple flagships may cost over $1,000, you can grab the previous iterations at a lower price. The same goes for foldable smartphones. Which smartphone do you think offers the greatest value at this price point? Let us know in the comments!
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