The Phone Shelf

Best phones between $500 and $700 (October 2026)

Six phones whose regular US price on October 15, 2026 fell between $500 and $700, with update promises, carrier support and who each one suits.

Published by Yuriy Andreyev

Published October 19, 2026

Close-up of the back of a pink Google Pixel 9a and its camera bar
Pictured: Pixel 9a, the previous a-series model. No free photo of the Pixel 10a exists yet. Photo: Maksdroider, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) (license)

Six phones list between $500 and $700 at their makers' regular US prices as of October 15, 2026: the Pixel 10a, Galaxy A57 5G, motorola edge (2026), Galaxy S26 FE, iPhone 17e and Nothing Phone (3). If you want the longest update promise in this band, pick the Pixel 10a or the Galaxy S26 FE. If you want the lowest price, look at the motorola edge, which was on sale at $499.99.

This list sits above best phones under $500. Rules for inclusion: the regular price must fall in the band, an Android phone needs at least three years of security updates, and at least two of the three big US carriers must be marked as supported. Everything below comes from published specs. We have not used these phones.

The picks

The Pixel 10a launched at $499 on March 5, 2026. Google raised the price by $100 around October 2 without an announcement, and the Google Store listed 128GB at $599 and 256GB at $699 on October 15. It has a 6.3-inch 120Hz pOLED screen, a Tensor G4 chip, 8GB of RAM, a 5,100 mAh typical battery and a 48MP plus 13MP camera pair. Google promises seven years of OS, security and Pixel Drop updates counted from March 2026, so through about March 2033. All three carriers are marked as supported. More in the Pixel 10a overview.

The Galaxy S26 FE is the newest phone here, on sale since September 3, 2026 at $699.99 for 128GB. It has a 6.7-inch 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen, an Exynos 2500, 8GB of RAM, a 4,900 mAh battery, 45W charging and a 50MP main, 12MP ultra wide and 8MP 3x telephoto. Samsung promises seven years of updates, ending September 30, 2033 according to samsung.com/us. On October 15 the 128GB model was $599.99 on sale, $100 off through October 26. Regular price is the one to plan on.

The Galaxy A57 5G has a 6.7-inch 120Hz Super AMOLED+ screen, an Exynos 1680, 8GB of RAM, a 5,000 mAh battery and 45W charging. It launched at $549.99 and Samsung lists it at $599.99 for 128GB. Updates run six years, ending March 31, 2032. AT&T and T-Mobile are marked as supported; Verizon support is not confirmed, which is why it ranks below the others for Verizon customers. See Pixel 10a vs Galaxy A57.

The motorola edge (2026) lists at $599.99 and was on sale for $499.99 on motorola.com on October 15. It has a 6.3-inch 120Hz Extreme AMOLED screen, a Dimensity 7450, 8GB of RAM, a 5,000 mAh battery, 60W charging and 15W wireless charging. Its cameras are a 50MP main, a 50MP ultra wide and a 10MP 3x telephoto. It weighs 160.5 grams and is rated IP68/IP69.

The catch is support. Motorola promises two Android OS upgrades and security updates through June 2029, so the shortest promise on this list, though it meets the three-year rule. All three carriers are marked as supported.

The iPhone 17e launched at $599 on March 11, 2026 and Apple raised it to $699 on September 9. That is the 256GB model, and 512GB is $899. It has a 6.1-inch OLED screen, an A19 chip, a single 48MP camera and eSIM only, with no physical SIM tray. The 60Hz refresh rate comes from 9to5Mac and MacRumors, because Apple lists none. Apple publishes no fixed update period. The iOS 27 compatibility list still includes the iPhone 11 from 2019, which is the best indication of history. See the iPhone 17e overview.

Nothing's Phone (3) is a 2025 model, launched at $799 and now listed at $699 for 12GB and 256GB. It has a 6.67-inch 120Hz Flexible AMOLED screen, a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, a 5,150 mAh battery, 65W charging and three 50MP rear cameras, including a 3x periscope telephoto. Nothing promises five years of Android updates and seven years of security patches from July 2025, ending about July 2032. AT&T and T-Mobile are marked as supported; Nothing itself calls Verizon support limited.

Side by side

SpecPixel 10aGalaxy S26 FEGalaxy A57 5Gmotorola edge (2026)
Launch price$499$699.99$549.99$599.99
Released in USMarch 2026September 2026April 2026June 2026
Screen6.3-inch pOLED 120 Hz6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120 Hz6.7-inch Super AMOLED+ 120 Hz6.3-inch Extreme AMOLED 120 Hz
ChipGoogle Tensor G4Exynos 2500Exynos 1680MediaTek Dimensity 7450
RAM8 GB8 GB8 GB8 GB
Storage128 / 256 GB128 / 256 GB128 / 256 GB128 GB
Battery5,100 mAh4,900 mAh5,000 mAh5,000 mAh
Wired charging—45 W45 W60 W
Rear cameras48MP wide, 13MP ultrawide50MP main, 12MP ultra wide, 8MP 3x telephoto50MP main, 12MP ultra wide, 5MP macro50MP main (Sony LYTIA 710, OIS), 50MP ultrawide/macro, 10MP 3x telephoto (OIS)
Weight183 g193 g179 g160.5 g
Water resistanceIP68IP68IP68IP68/IP69
Updates promised7 years of OS and security updates7 years of OS and security updates6 years of OS and security updates2 Android upgrades, 3 years of security updates
US carriers (maker and carrier listings)AT&T, Verizon, T-MobileAT&T, Verizon, T-MobileAT&T, T-Mobile; Verizon: not confirmedAT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile

How to choose

Updates matter most if you keep a phone for years. The Pixel 10a and Galaxy S26 FE promise seven years, the A57 six, the Nothing Phone (3) seven of security and five of Android, and the motorola edge three of security. The price per year of updates page puts those promises against the price.

For a small phone, the motorola edge at 160.5 grams is the lightest here and the Pixel 10a the next in size at 6.3 inches. For the largest screen, pick the Galaxy S26 FE or the A57 at 6.7 inches.

What we left out and why

Phones that cost less than $500 at the maker's regular price belong on the under-$500 page, even if a sale pushes another phone below that line. We also left out phones that sit in this band only through a temporary sale, and phones above $700.

No Android phone on this list was dropped for security updates, and none for carrier support. The Nothing Phone (3) stays because AT&T and T-Mobile are both marked as supported, which meets the two-of-three rule. Verizon is limited there and not confirmed on the A57, so check before you buy if that is your carrier.

Sources

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