With a slim and lightweight build, as well as a sleek glass and metal chassis, Samsung’s new affordable Galaxy A57 is undeniably a superb phone – and not just when compared to other budget handsets, but even when compared to other flagships, including its Galaxy S26 siblings.
Combined with notable hardware and software upgrades over its excellent A56 predecessor, it was enough for me to seriously consider adopting the Galaxy A57 as my primary Android phone – and as TechRadar AU’s Senior Phones Editor, that’s something I honestly never thought I’d say about a budget handset.
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However, while Google has chosen to focus on maintaining the same $499 / £499 / AU$849 price with its new Pixel 10a (a feat achieved by adding very few upgrades over the Pixel 9a, including keeping the same core hardware), the tech giant has delivered a pretty disappointing entry in the competition for the best budget Android handset of 2026 – so that crown is now very much up for grabs.
Sure, the Pixel 10a now has a completely flat back and improved battery life (thanks to software changes rather than higher capacity), but otherwise the phone is virtually identical to the 9a. It doesn’t even have the Qi2 magnets found in the Pixel 10 line (aka PixelSnap), which could have been a notable differentiator compared to the Pixel 9a. These reasons were enough for me to rule out the Pixel 10a as a real contender for the best cheap phone of 2026.
Samsung, on the other hand, took a slightly controversial approach with the A57 by increasing the price slightly to $549 / £529 / AU$749 (compared to $499 / £499 / AU$699 for last year’s Galaxy A56). However, it also contains many improvements over the A56, while making it thinner and lighter.
The Android race for the 2026 budget is not limited to Galaxy vs Pixel. There’s a dark horse in the form of British phone maker Nothing, a company that has always excelled in the budget realm and whose compelling Nothing Phone (4a) Pro offers a striking new design, some truly unique features and, for good measure, a host of hardware upgrades over its forebear.
With only two real competitors, I compared the A57 and the (4a) Pro to see which would appeal to me – especially since the flagship Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra didn’t.
A fine and light marvel
The Samsung Galaxy A57 measures an impressive 6.9mm thick and weighs 179g, compared to the Galaxy A56’s 7.4mm depth and 198g. This difference in thickness is more marked compared to the Pixel 10a, which measures 9 mm.
The A57’s glass back and aluminum chassis truly make it feel like a flagship phone, especially compared to the plastic-backed Pixel 10a. Adding to the flagship look are the A57’s thin bezels, which stand out when the phone is next to the Pixel 10a and Nothing Phone (4a) Pro.
While it still lacks the full Galaxy AI suite, the Galaxy A57 supports more AI features than its predecessor thanks to a more powerful Exynos 1680 chipset. Some previous exclusive features of the S series, such as live transcription and Circle to Search enhancement, are now fully supported by budget Samsung. Personally, I view the fewer AI features as a positive, as both are convenient and potentially useful, unlike flagships which have so many more AI features that I would probably never use.
Even with the thinner chassis, Samsung still managed to squeeze a 5,000mAh battery into the A57, giving it the same capacity as the Galaxy S26 Ultra. I can also charge it quickly, thanks to 45W fast charging, which is actually better than the base Galaxy S26 (25W). There’s still no wireless charging here, which could certainly turn off some users, but it’s not a deal breaker for me.
In Australia (where I’m based), the Galaxy A57 is also cheaper than its competitors, starting at AU$749 for the 128GB model, compared to AU$849 for the Pixel 10a and AU$949 for the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro (albeit for 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM). A mid-range phone with premium materials that is priced lower than a phone with relatively cheaper parts like plastic is a no-brainer for me. However, if you’re in the US and UK, the A57 isn’t quite as straightforward as it’s slightly more expensive at $549/£529 compared to $499/£499 for the Pixel 10a.
More than a pretty (inter)face
While I love what Samsung did to upgrade and improve the Galaxy A57 over its predecessor, somewhat surprisingly, it was the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro that ultimately won me over – and it did so because it brought together some of the things I loved about the Galaxy A57 and the Pixel 10a, and wrapped it all into a fancy, fun package.
The (4a) Pro’s all-metal industrial design not only looks good, it also feels more premium than the A57’s glass sandwich, even if it’s not as thin or light (8mm deep and weighs 210g). The Glyph Matrix display on the camera island adds to its distinctive look, but is also useful as a second display for a clock, alerts and even as a guide for taking photos.
NothingOS reminds me a lot of the clean software experience of Google Pixel, but it takes it to another level of minimalism by using monochrome logos, custom menus and widgets. Although Samsung’s One UI makes the Galaxy A57 more customizable, it’s still comparatively more cluttered with bloatware, which can be laborious to remove on an app-by-app basis after installation.
Admittedly, the (4a) Pro is the first Nothing device I’ve ever used, so I admit that a novelty factor is at play here. However, I’ve also continually sought to reduce my phone’s screen time, and NothingOS’s minimal UI and (4a)Pro’s glyph matrix are features I’ve looked at to help me achieve that goal. Of course, I could manually set up a similar monochrome theme with the Samsung, but it’s already implemented – and looks great – on the Nothing phone out of the box.
In terms of price, the (4a) Pro is a better option than its Samsung or Google counterpart – particularly in Australia – although it is the most expensive of the three ($599 / £549 / AU$949 for the 256GB version, the only option available in Australia). The equivalent 256GB models for the Pixel 10a and Galaxy A57 cost $599 / £598 / AU$999 and $609.99 / £529 / AU$849 respectively, while only having 8GB of RAM.
Honestly, if the (4a) Pro had better cameras, I think it would even have a good chance of replacing my iPhone 16 Pro Max as my daily driver. Balancing specs, features, looks and price remarkably well, I think nothing just tips the scales in its favor in the budget phone battle.
However, my biggest takeaway from comparing the three mid-range phones is that no matter which handset you personally prefer, it’s pleasantly surprising to see how capable they all are compared to their flagship brethren.
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