5 best phone deals under $400 to snag from Best Buy's summer sale this week

google pixel 8a
(Image credit: Google)

Smartphones are getting costly these days, but there are still bargains out there if you know where to look, and fortunately, we do. We've been out scouring the web for the best phone deals under $400.

While budget smartphones often make some sacrifices to keep their costs down, they also represent far better value for money than top-end models. You're usually getting most of the performance for a fraction of the price, and when they go on sale you can save even more.

The best phone deals we could find in this price bracket all happen to be from Best Buy, with some great savings on Motorola, Samsung, and OnePlus handsets. There's even a great deal on the newly-released Google Pixel 8a — a handset we expect to see rocket onto our best smartphones list in the near future. If you're looking to purchase and activate a carrier then the Best Buy deals are unbeaten, but Amazon is price-matching some of the handset-only prices.

5 best phone deals under $400

Motorola Moto G Stylus 2023 64GB: $199 $129 @ Best Buy

Motorola Moto G Stylus 2023 64GB: $199 $129 @ Best Buy
Save $70 on 2023's Motorola Moto G Stylus. This phone already offers amazing value and at just $130, you're getting an impressive 6.5" HD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate, a 50 MP main camera, and a 5000mAh battery that can manage two days on a single charge. It also comes with a stylus included for sketching and note-taking on the go.

Price check: Amazon $229, Walmart $99 (out of stock) 

Samsung Galaxy A35 5G: $399 $349 @ Best Buy

Samsung Galaxy A35 5G: $399 $349 @ Best Buy
Samsung knocked it out of the park with the A35 when it comes to value for money, and now it's even cheaper with $50 off the MSRP. The Galaxy A35 has 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display and a triple camera array with a 50MP wide main camera, 8MP ultrawide camera, and a 5MP macro lens. It also has a hefty 5,000mAh battery with Super Fast Charging support.

Price check: Amazon $349, Walmart $265

OnePlus Nord N30 5G: $299 $249 @ Best Buy

OnePlus Nord N30 5G: $299 $249 @ Best Buy
Save $50 on OnePlus Nord N30. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chipset and 8GB of RAM, this smartphone packs premium features like ultra-fast charging and a smooth 120Hz display. It also has expandable storage with a microSD card slot — a rare feature these days.

Price check: Amazon $249

OnePlus 12R 128GB: $499 $399 @ Best Buy

OnePlus 12R 128GB: $499 $399 @ Best Buy
Save $100 on the OnePlus 12R. This year's budget launch shares a lot of the same hardware as the previous flagship model — the OnePlus 11. It uses the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and the same 50MP main camera, and even has a brighter display than the old model. Some of the supplementary cameras have taken a slight downgrade, but at this price that's more than fair.

Price check: Amazon $399 

Google Pixel 8a 5G 128GB: $499 $449 (or $349 activated) @ Best Buy

Google Pixel 8a 5G 128GB: $499 $449 (or $349 activated) @ Best Buy
We're yet to get our hands on the Pixel 8a, but its predecessor the Pixel 7a has sat atop our best smartphones list since it launched. The Pixel 8a comes with numerous upgrades including a 120Hz display, Google Tensor G3 chip, and a larger battery. This deal saves you $150 if you purchase and activate with a carrier through Best Buy (or you can still save $50 on just the unlocked phone).

Price check: Amazon $449 

Ian Stokes
Contributing Writer

Ian is a UK-based technology, science, and entertainment writer. As a massive nerd, you’ll find him writing about everything from laptops and VR headsets to Star Wars, video games, and Lego.