FAQs 

Best 11 Smartphones Under $600 in Canada

David Tremblay
Best Buy Canada

The smartphone boom in Canada began in 2007. If you are looking for the best Android device, you don’t need to worry if your budget is low, as you can get a suitable Android device between $200 and $400.

In the Canadian market, these phones are sold on contract by carriers or outright by those same means, often with discounts to one’s monthly plan, or they are sold unlocked from retailers like Newegg, Staples, or Canada Computers.

Smartphones Under $600 in Canada

Here are some options:

  1. Google Pixel 4a:
    • A mid-range smartphone with a solid camera performance and a clean Android experience.
  2. Samsung Galaxy A52:
    • It is part of Samsung’s Galaxy A series and offers a good balance of features, including a versatile camera system.
  3. OnePlus Nord 2:
    • OnePlus devices are known for their smooth performance, and the Nord 2 is a mid-range option with solid specs.
  4. Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation):
    • Apple’s budget-friendly iPhone features the A13 Bionic chip and a compact design.
  5. Motorola Moto G Power (2021):
    • It is a budget-friendly option known for its large battery capacity and stock Android experience.
  6. Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro:
    • It is part of Xiaomi’s Poco series, offering strong performance and features at a high price.
  7. Sony Xperia 10 III:
    • A mid-range option from Sony, known for its sleek design and multimedia capabilities.
  8. LG Velvet:
    • LG’s Velvet series includes smartphones with a premium design and features at a relatively affordable price.

Remember to consider your specific requirements, such as camera preferences, performance needs, and design preferences, when choosing a smartphone. Additionally, check for the latest models and promotions from various retailers and carriers to find the best deals.

11 Smartphones Under $600 in Canada

Limiting your choice to devices under CA$600 eliminates the two major smartphone players, Apple and Samsung. Nearly every phone in Canada is available under that amount on contract, but here are 11 great devices purchased outright or unlocked with significant advantages.

Not only do these phones usually afford their users monthly discounts, between CAD$15 and CAD$20 per month, depending on the carrier, but buying a phone without signing a contract allows customers with existing plans—plans they often don’t want to change—to stick with them for a few extended years.

Smartphones Under CA$300

Moto E

Moto E Phone

Available: Telus, Koodo, Videotron, Wind Mobile
Price: CA$150 – CA$170

Moto E is a newly launched phone (it won’t receive Marshmallow), a dual SIM device for extra connectivity. It is a low-cost handset with speedy performance and a decent camera. With a 4.3-inch touchscreen, what else can you expect at such a price? It’s a decent phone for everyday use.

Alcatel One Touch Idol 3 4.7

Alcatel Phone

Available: Online at AOT.ca
Price: USD 179.99 (appr. CAD 235)

Alcatel is offering a 4.7-inch IPS display with 1280 x 720-pixel resolution plus a Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor under the hood, working hand in hand with 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD card slot).

It also has a 13MP main camera, a 5MP selfie shooter, and front-facing speakers with JBL audio. The device supports 4G LTE networks and should work with AT&T and T-Mobile networks in the US—a good choice for a budget phone.

Moto G

Smartphones Under $600 in Canada

Available: Telus, Virgin Mobile, Bell, SaskTel
Price: CA$230-CA$250

For just over CA$200, you’ll get a 4.5-inch 720p display, a quad-core processor with a capable GPU, 1GB of RAM, a decent 5MP camera, a pleasantly sized 2070mAh battery, a fantastic design and excellent build quality, and a stock version of Android 4.3. In short, this is far more phone than you ever thought possible for the price.

Smartphones Under CA$500

Asus ZenFone 2

Aseus Zen Phone

Available: Newegg, Canada Computers, Staples, NCIX, Memory Express
Price: CA$379

The ZenFone 2 has a 5.5-inch, 1080p high-definition display, a 13-megapixel camera, and low-light and backlight (HDR) modes. It has 4GB RAM and runs ZenUI, a customizable interface for Android 5.0 Lollipop.

Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 5.5

Alcatel One Touch Phone

Available: Telus, Bell, Koodo, Virgin Mobile, Videotron
Price: CA$312-CA$360

The Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 has a 5.5-inch 1080p touchscreen, a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash, an 8 MP selfie cam, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, and a 2,910 mAh battery. It runs Android 5.0 Lollipop and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chipset, which has an octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU clocked at up to 1.5 GHz.

This one is available through the carrier channels, and with its extra power and half a gigabyte more memory, the Idol 3 is quite a contender.

Moto X Play

Moto X Phone

Available: Telus, Bell, Koodo, SaskTel, Videotron
Price: CA$410-CA$450

Running near-stock Android 5.1 Lollipop, the X Play offers plenty of attractive features (for its price category), including a 5.5-inch 1080p display, LTE, an octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor, 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB of expandable storage space, 21 MP rear camera, and a 3630 mAh battery.

The handset is splash-resistant and can be customized via Moto Maker for free (though some custom elements may cost extra).

OnePlus 2

One Plus 2 Phone

Available: OnePlus
Price: CA$409 – CA$479

One plus is a premium smartphone with a large 5.5-inch LCD HD capacitive touchscreen display that supports full HD (1080p) resolution and offers 1,500:1 contrast ratio.

On the back, the OnePlus 2 comes packed with a 13MP photo snapper that features large 1.3-micron pixel sensors, OIS (optical image stabilization), laser autofocus, and video recording, while on the front, there’s a secondary 5MP selfie camera.

It offers dual SIM and 4G LTE support. Other connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi, a USB Type-C port, GPS plus AGPS and GLONASS. With the 3,300 mAh removable battery, it is affordable for all.

LG G3

LG G3 phone

Available: Telus, Koodo, Rogers, Fido
Price: CA$360-CA$499

The G3 features a Snapdragon 801 processor, a 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS display, and a removable 3000 mAh battery. The camera is 13MP, and OIS+ promises extremely sharp photos at a fraction of the time of other smartphones.

The rear key is also a prominent feature, similar to the G2. The GUI has been redesigned to offer a simpler concept.

Microsoft Lumia 640XL

Microsoft Lumia 640

Available: Microsoft (unlocked)
Price: CA$340

The Lumia 640 XL carries a 5.7-inch 720 x 1280 resolution display. This works out to a pixel density of 259ppi. Under the hood is the Snapdragon 400 SoC, which contains a quad-core 1.2GHz CPU and the Adreno 305 GPU. 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage are inside.

If you need additional memory, the 128GB capacity microSD slot is available. The rear-facing 13MP camera has an aperture of f/2.0 to handle low-light photography. A 5MP camera graces the front of the phone, and a 3000mAh battery keeps the lights on.

Smartphones Under $600

HTC One A9

HTC One 9

Available: HTC (unlocked), various carriers (TBD)
Price: CA$649

The HTC One A9 sports a 5-inch FHD AMOLED display with a resolution of 1900 x 1080 pixels and 441 pixels per inch (PPI).  It packs a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor with four cores clocked at 1.2 GHz and four cores clocked at 1.5 GHz. 

The One A9 has two options – a 2GB/16GB and a 3GB/32 GB.  Both variants offer a microSD card slot to expand the base memory up to 200GB. 

The main camera is 13MP with autofocus, a dual-tone flash, and OIS. The front-facing camera (FFC) uses a 4MP UltraPixel sensor for selfies and video chatting and has a single speaker on the bottom.

However, it does have a special Dolby Audio with Hi-Res Audio for excellent headphone listening.  A non-removable 2,150 mAh battery with Quick Charge capabilities powers the HTC One A9.

It has the usual suspects—Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, an FM Radio, NFC, and a micro USB v2.0 port for charging and data transfer. It measures 145.8 x 70.8 x 7.3 mm and weighs 143 grams. It will run Android 6.0 Marshmallow out-of-the-box.

Nexus 5X

Nexus 5 X Phone

Available: Google (unlocked), Bell, Telus, Koodo, Virgin (TBD)
Price: CA$549

Nexus 5X has a smaller display size – 5.2 inches, 147 x 72.6 x 7.9 mm, and weighs 136 grams.  It sports a 5.2-inch Full HD display with a 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution and 424 pixels-per-inch (PPI).  The Nexus 5X uses a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 hexacore for processing power. 

It has 2GB of RAM and 16GB or 32GB of internal storage with no microSD card slot for expansion.  The camera uses a 12.3MP sensor with laser autofocus and dual-tone LED flash but no OIS.  The front-facing camera (FFC) is 5MP to satisfy those selfies and handle video chats.  A 2700 mAh non-removable battery supplies power and offers a quick charge option.

It comes with a fingerprint sensor for unlocking the device and mobile payments on Android Pay with Marshmallow 6.0. It also has the usual suspects, like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, and a microUSB 2.0 Type-C port for charging and data transfer. It has dual front-facing stereo speakers and is set up for Project Fi.

With a variety in each of these smartphones you can choose to have it according to your cost and value.