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

iPhone 15

$799–$1,319

The iPhone 15 (2023) — a Apple phone in the mid-range tier with editorial scoring for camera, battery, performance, display, and value.

Catalog label: Top quartile

iPhone 15 guide

Strong alternative

iPhone 15 (Unlocked)

$799–$879

The iPhone 15 (Unlocked) (2023) — a Apple phone in the mid-range tier with editorial scoring for camera, battery, performance, display, and value.

Catalog label: Top quartile

iPhone 15 (Unlocked) guide

Also consider

iPhone 16

$799–$1,429

The iPhone 16 (2024) — a Apple phone in the mid-range tier with editorial scoring for camera, battery, performance, display, and value.

Catalog label: Top quartile

iPhone 16 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.