Best Smartphones Under $400 – December 2025

Phones under $400 now offer tools once kept for high-cost models. Fast chips, bright OLED screens, large battery, and strong camera are now common in this range.

This article looks at five phones that give strong value in December 2025. Each phone is listed here because it offers clear gains in key areas like screen, chip power, camera gear, build, or charge speed. The goal is to help buyers pick based on real specs, not hype.

The phones here cover many needs. Some focus on clean design and smooth use. Some push camera zoom or fast charge. Others stand out with a big battery size or a strong build seal. In the end, you should know which phone suits long use, photo work, play, or day-to-day tasks.

The CMF Phone 2 Pro offers one of the most well mixed spec sets under this price. Its 6.77 inch AMOLED screen runs at 120Hz and uses HDR10+ . Brightness peaks at 3000 nits, which is very high for this tier . The high PWM rate helps eye ease in dark use.

Power comes from the Dimensity 7300 Pro chip built on 4nm. It hits up to 2.5GHz and pairs with a Mali GPU. This chip is tuned for smooth daily use and good power savings. With 8GB RAM and a UFS 2.2 storage, app loading is quick . The microSD slot supports up to 2TB, which is rare .

The camera set is a big plus. A 50MP main camera uses a large 1/1.57 inch sensor. It also adds a real 2x telephoto camera. This helps with clear zoom shots. Video hits 4K at 30 fps with EIS . The phone is slim at 7.8mm and light at 185g .

Under the hood, there is a huge 5000 mAh battery . This size is very popular in today's market. However, at under $400, it's a big deal . The battery supports a 33W charge, which is not bad.

This phone sits just over the price mark but earns its place with high-end specs . The 6.83-inch curved AMOLED screen runs at 120Hz with 1.5K resolution . The 3840Hz PWM rate is one of the best here and helps with long night use.

It runs on the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip, built on 4nm. This chip gives strong GPU output and good heat control. Its RAM goes up to 12GB, and storage reaches up to 512GB with UFS 3.1. This is faster than many of the phones in this list.

The camera system is the main draw. Its 50MP Sony main camera has OIS. The key part is the 3x periscope zoom camera. This is rare for phones at this price. It allows real zoom shots with less loss. The phone also has one of the best seals here, with IP66, IP68, and IP69 . There is a 6000mAh battery that supports 80W fast charging to keep its lights on .

The vivo Y400 Pro uses a slim build and fast charging . Its 6.77-inch AMOLED screen runs at 120Hz and peaks at 4500 nits . That peak level is very high and helps in full sun.

It uses the Dimensity 7300 chip, which is close to the Pro chip but tuned to save cost. It still runs daily tasks with ease.

If you run a lot of games and videos, then you have enough RAM for that. This phone uses 8GB of RAM. Its storage is also UFS 2.2 which is a good deal for this price point.

In the camera department, this cool gadget features a 50MP Sony IMX882 sensor with OIS. While there is no zoom camera, the main lens gives clean shots with good light control. There is a 32MP selfie camera . The phone weighs just 182g and stays under 7.7mm thick . To keep the phone running, there is a 5500mAh battery that supports 90W charging .

The iQOO Z10 is built around raw power and long run time . Its 6.77 inch AMOLED screen runs at 120Hz and peaks at 5000 nits . That is the highest peak level on this list.

It uses the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip, the same as the Realme model. This makes it strong for games and heavy apps. Its RAM goes up to 12GB with a UFS 2.2 storage .

The main camera uses a 50MP Sony IMX882 sensor . Both rear and front cameras can shoot 4K video, which is rare here . The phone also adds an IR sensor, which can act as a remote control .

The key spec is the 7300mAh cell. This is far above most phones on this list. With a 90W charge, this device can get a full charge in a short time.

The Vivo V50e focuses on camera and design. Its 6.77-inch AMOLED screen runs at 120Hz and uses shield glass for drop care.

It runs on the Dimensity 7300 chip with 8GB RAM and UFS 2.2 storage. Its speed is smooth for daily use, but it is the camera that catches the eye. The 50MP main camera has OIS and is joined by an 8MP wide camera. The front shooter is also 50MP and uses eye focus, which helps vlog and call use.

For mobile phones under $400, most buyers do not expect much. However, this device is waterproof. The same standard as the flagship iPhones is what we have here. This lovely and cool mobile phone supports IP68 and IP69 standards. The implication of rating this is that it is resistant to splashes and water depth up to 1.5 m. However, if you need your phone alive, never immerse it in water for more than 30 minutes, else you have yourself to blame.

To keep its lights on for an absolutely long time, this phone sports a 5,600mAh battery that supports 90W fast charging. The battery size does not affect its build. This device still stays under 7.6mm in thickness and weighs 186g.

These five phones show how far the under $400 phones have evolved. Buyers now get fast chips, OLED screens, a large battery, and real zoom cameras. Each phone here earns its place based on clear hardware value, not vague claims. The best pick depends on what specs matter most to you.