7 Budget Phones Under RM500 That Actually Come With Decent Specs

“Cheap phones are getting good. And good phones are getting cheap,” says a famous tech YouTuber (no prizes for guessing who). Although it’s been several years since that statement was first made, it still holds true today. For under RM500, you can find lots of decent budget smartphones that do the basic stuff very well. Plus, they also make good phones for elderly parents, kids, and even as a spare or back-up phone for yourself. We’ve rounded up some of the best phones under RM500 that should be on your radar if you are shopping for a budget phone.

Best Phones Under RM500 You Can Buy Right Now

Realme C21

 

Realme C21
Credit: realme.com

 

If you’re looking for the best budget phone under RM500 that’s also one of the latest models in the market, look no further than the realme C21. Launched in March 2021, the realme C21 features a massive 5,000mAh battery that should have no problem in keeping the juice running for two days or even beyond. 

It also supports reverse charging to charge other devices when connected via a cable. Other specs include a 6.5-inch HD+ display, a triple rear camera set-up, and a three-card slot that allows you to put in two SIM cards together with a microSD card for memory expansion up to 256GB.

Vivo Y12s

Vivo Y12s best phone under rm500
Credit: vivo on Shopee

 

The vivo Y12s is another best phone under RM500 that boasts a 5,000mAh battery and reverse charging feature that turns the device into an emergency powerbank. vivo claims that a single full charge can provide up to 16.3 hours of online HD movie streaming or 8.9 hours of graphically intensive gameplays.

You also get two cameras at the back that pair a 13MP primary shooter with a secondary 2MP lens. Meanwhile, a front 8MP camera will serve all your selfie needs. The Dual-SIM phone has a 6.51-inch HD+ display and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, among others.

Nokia 2.4

Nokia 2.4 best phone under rm500
Credit: Nokia mobile store on Shopee

 

The revived-Nokia brand is back in business and has been making some decent, affordable phones in recent years. The Nokia 2.4 is one of them. Its specs sheet reads the following: a 6.5-inch HD+ display, up to 3GB of RAM with 64GB expandable internal storage memory, Mediatek Helio P22 chipset, and a 4,500mAh battery that Nokia claims is good for two days. 

Camera-wise, it has a dual rear camera system (13MP primary + 2MP secondary) and a 5MP selfie camera. The Nokia 2.4 can be upgraded to the latest Android 11 operating system. On top of that, you can also expect three years of monthly security updates. 

Huawei Y5p

Huawei Y5p best phone under rm500
Credit: consumer.huawei.com

 

The 5.45-inch display on the Huawei Y5p makes it a good pick for compact phone lovers. However, the smaller phone also means a smaller battery capacity at 3,020mAh. Aside from that, it offers 2GB of RAM, MediaTek Helio P22 chipset, and 32GB of built-in memory that can be expanded with a microSD card.

For taking pictures and videos, you get a single 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera.

Oppo A15

Oppo A15 best phone under rm500
Credit: OPPO on Shopee

 

This budget offering from Oppo is a Mediatek Helio P35-powered phone with a 6.52-inch HD+ display, 3GB RAM, expandable 32GB base storage, and a 4,230mAh battery.

In the camera department, the Oppo A15 comes with a triple rear camera array (13MP primary camera + 2MP macro camera + 2MP depth sensor). As for the front-facing camera, it is a 5MP snapper.

Samsung Galaxy A02

Samsung Galaxy A02 best phone under rm500
Credit: Redclick Online on Shopee

 

Can’t get enough of smartphones with big displays and big batteries for a small price? Samsung joins the party with the Galaxy A02, featuring a 6.5-inch display and a 5,000mAh battery. If you want to go big on the storage as well, the phone supports up to a whopping 1TB memory expansion on its default 32GB storage space. 

The Galaxy A02 ships with One UI Core (Samsung’s polished mobile operating software) that offers clear and intuitive visuals including a Dark Mode. Oh, and you also get a 13MP main camera alongside a 2MP macro camera at the back of the phone. For selfies, there’s a 5MP front-facing camera.

Redmi 9

Xiaomi Redmi 9 best phone under rm500
Credit: Xiaomi Official Store Global on Shopee

 

All the best phones under RM500 so far possess two to three rear cameras, but the Redmi 9 by Xiaomi beats them all in numbers by having four. The camera package includes a 13MP primary lens, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, a 5MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. Rounding things up is an 8MP front selfie snapper. 

The rest of the phone is also impressive for its price. You get a 6.53-inch Full HD+ display, a 5.020mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging, and dual 4G standby support that allows for the simultaneous usage of two 4G lines.

These Under-RM500 Phones Offer The Best Bang For Your Buck

Credit: MKBHD YouTube Channel

Budget smartphones have come a long way. A few years ago, you would only find phones with basic and measly features at these price points. But now, you get ones that come with multiple cameras and massive batteries that rival some of their far more expensive counterparts. Sure, they may not have all the limelight-stealing bells and whistles, but some of the best phones under RM500 are more than enough to serve a lot of people’s smartphone needs. For them, value is the phone’s greatest feature.

Want more budget recommendations? How about checking out these six laptops under RM2,000 for work-from-home and online classes? Don’t forget to shop for laptops, smartphones, and other gadgets at superb prices during our 11.11 Big Sale too! 

Check out Tech Thursday for 1-day only lowest price, unbeatable deals and extra 20% Coins Cashback every Thursday! 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *