A slew of Android smartphones from a number of well-known brands at different price points are available in the market. Here are some of the best Android mobile phones under $500.
Nexus 6P
Google unveiled the Huawei-made Nexus 6P smartphone in September 2015. The handset is the first in the Nexus line-up that has an all-metal body.
The Nexus 6P touts a 5.7-inch screen with a display resolution of 1,440 x 2,560 pixels. The screen of the device is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4, which helps users keep the phone scratch free.
A 2.0GHz octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor and 3 GB of RAM power the Nexus 6P. The smartphone is equipped with a 12.3-megapixel (f/2.0 lens) primary and an 8-megapixel (f/2.4 lens) front-facing camera.
The Nexus offering is available with 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB internal storage with a price tag of $499.99, $549.99 and $649.99. However, Best Buy is offering the unlocked 32 GB model for $449.99, 64 GB version for $499.99 and the 128 GB iteration for $599.99.
Nexus 5X
Google launched the Nexus 5X along with the Nexus 6P in September 2015. LG has manufactured the smartphone for Google.
The Nexus 5X has a 5.2-inch display with 1,080 x 1,920 pixels resolution. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor clocked at 1.8GHz and 2 GB of RAM power the smartphone.
The handset includes a 12.3-megapixel (f/2.0 lens) rear-facing and a 5-megapixel (f/2.0 lens) selfie camera.
The mobile phone is available with 16 GB or 32 GB internal storage, which costs $349.99 and $399.99 respectively. However, customers who want to buy the device can get $50 off from Best Buy as the retailer is offering the 16 GB model for $299.99 and the 32 GB version for $349.99.
The Nexus 6P and the Nexus 5X run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system. Being Nexus devices, these handsets will be one of the first to get the latest software update.
Moto X Pure Edition
Motorola X Pure Edition was launched in July 2015 and it hit the shelves in September 2015.
The smartphone sports a 5.7-inch screen with 1,440 x 2,560 pixels resolution. The phone is powered by a 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 hexa-core processor and 3 GB of RAM.
It comes with 21-megapixel (f/2.0 lens) primary and 5-megapixel (f/2.0) secondary cameras.
The phone is available with 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB on-storage options with price tags of $399.99, $449.99 and $499.99 for the unlocked models. However, customers can get $50 discount, which brings down the cost to $349.99, $399.99 and $449.99 respectively, if they purchase the device directly from Motorola or Best Buy.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Samsung revealed the Galaxy Note 4 during the 2014 IFA in September 2014. The phablet is about 18 months old, and the Korean company has also launched its successor - the Galaxy Note 5. However, the Galaxy Note 4 has impressive specs that can compete with many existing smartphones and entice customers searching for a mobile phone under $500.
The Samsung offering has a big 5.7-inch screen with a display resolution of 1,440 x 2,560 pixels. The mobile phone is available in two variants: one with Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chipset and the other with Exynos 7 processor. Both the models have 3 GB of RAM.
The phablet has a 16-megapixel primary camera and a 3.7-megapixel front-facing camera.
The 32 GB international variant (Snapdragon 805 processor) of the phone is available via Amazon for $459.48 and for $479.99 on Walmart.
LG G4
The LG G4 is LG's flagship smartphone for 2014. It was unveiled in April 2014, and at that time, the phone was initially available only in South Korea. The smartphone was widely released in June 2014.
The LG smartphone boasts a 5.5-inch display with 1,440 x 2,560 pixels resolution. A hexa-core 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor and 3 GB of RAM run the handset.
The mobile phone is equipped with 16-megapixel (f/1.8 lens) rear-facing and 8-megaixel (f/2.0 lens) front-facing cameras.
The LG G4 is available only in 32 GB internal storage option but customers can increase the storage capacity to up to 2 TB with a microSD card.
The launch of the LG G5 has resulted in the price drop of the LG G4 and Best Buy is currently selling the device for $409.99.
Sony Xperia Z5
Sony announced the Xperia Z5 in September 2015 and released the handset in October 2015.
The smartphone includes a 5.2 inches display with 1,080 x 1,920 pixels resolution. An octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor clocked at 2.0GHz and 3 GB of RAM powers the phone.
The Xperia Z5 has a 23-megapixel Sony Exmor RS rear-facing camera with a sensor size of 1/2.3 inch. The handset also has a 5-megapixel front camera.
Just like the LG G4, the Xperia Z5 is also available only with 32 GB on-board storage. However, with a microSD card, customers can increase the storage to 200 GB.
Best Buy is offering the Sony Xperia Z5 for $499.99.
