The best Android phones for under $200

It used to be the norm that to get a good phone you'd have to spend a good chunk of change. But while the high end continues to progress at a predictable rate, the mid-tiers have suddenly become where the action is at. It's easier than ever to get a quality Android smartphone without paying too much for it. We daresay you can call it a "cheap" Android smartphone at this point and not feel bad about it.

For under $250 it's now possible to get a good phone by any standard — but it's worth taking care when spending this kind of money on a smartphone. Just as there are some great bargains to be had, there's also a lot of crap out there. So with that said, here's our roundup of the best you can get right now, broken down by their price and value.

For June 2016 we've switched up the list with the latest prices and rankings, better reflecting the value of each.

The best Android phones for under $200 : 

• Nexus 5X (from Project Fi) :

Though the Nexus 5X typically retails for a higher $349 (or $299 frequently via coupons), the way the phone makes this list is its amazingly low price of $199 when purchased through Project Fi. That's right, if you are using Google's own Project Fi service, or are willing to give it a try, you can pick up a Nexus 5X for an absolute steal of a price. Going a step further, you can even finance that $199 price over 24 months with no interest.

At that price, you can look past the sometimes-inconsistent performance and lackluster hardware of the Nexus 5X, and instead focus on getting a great software experience, strong camera, one-touch fingerprint sensor, solid screen and continued support directly from Google. We're already willing to recommend this phone at its usual price, but when you put a $199 tag on it, it's really worth considering.

And even if you decide Project Fi isn't for you, you can simply cancel the service without penalty and keep using your Nexus 5X on another carrier.

• OnePlus X :

OnePlus has traditionally gone hunting for the high-end but the OnePlus X is the first time it truly targeted the budget sector coming in at $249 — since launch, it's dropped the price to $199. What you get is a mixture of premium design with glass and metal both present encasing internal specs that would have been in flagship class phones not all that long ago.

The glass back makes the OnePlus X a slippery customer but the 1080p display and simple, unbloated software around the front makes up for it. After an early period where an invite was required to buy, the OnePlus X is now available with open sales from its website.

• Moto G (2015) :

Motorola is arguably responsible for reinventing the budget phone space when it tore up the rule book with the original Moto G. Now three generations in and it's no more difficult to recommend to anyone looking for the best on a budget.

The hardware is more than ample for the price and Motorola's signature software experience of value added to stock Android remains. The camera is improved on its predecessor, Moto Maker allows for some customization on the color schemes and all-in-all the essence of what made this phone great hasn't gone away. It's hard to do better at the starting price of $160. And if you can afford it, we'd definitely recommend the 16GB/2GB RAM model for about $199. It's worth the extra money in the long run.

• Wileyfox Swift :

The Wileyfox Swift is the British company's first Android phone and has every right to be taken notice of. It cost's a ridiculously cheap £129 and packs Moto G matching hardware while undercutting it on price.

The display is nice, the battery life is pretty good, the overall appearance is on point and the software provided by Cyanogen is slick, speedy and bloat free. It's not available officially outside Europe right now, but it's absolutely one of the best cheap phones money can buy. And with recent offers dropping the price to just £99, it really is a bargain.

• Moto E LTE (2015) :

Motorola's second-generation Moto E adds LTE to the mix, while retaining more of the premium features from more expensive Moto phones than ever before. You're looking at a basic 4.5-inch qHD (960x540) LCD display, and a Snapdragon 410 processor running the show in the LTE model (which is the only version you should be buying at this point).

Beyond that, the latest Moto E is an unspectacular but solid budget offering, with a decidedly basic 5-megapixel rear shooter and chunky plastic construction. It does have Moto's excellent software experience going for it though, and in many countries it's been updated to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. For around $120, you could do a lot worse.

What is your favorite ?