The Galaxy A and Pixel a series have ushered in a golden age of budget phones

Reminisce with me, if you will, on a time not too long ago. A time before Samsung’s Galaxy A series thrived as it does now. A time before Google figured out how to distill its Pixel experience into a wallet-friendly package. An era when affordable phones weren’t worth a second look. They were overpriced, underpowered, bloated with extra apps, rarely updated — take your pick of issues. Now, we’re living in a different time, a golden age of budget phones.

See also: The best budget phones you can buy