5 Best Phones for College Students – 2022
College students survive Maggi noodles, therefore their priorities are totally different. Graduating to college, our social life and different kinds of stuff also will increase. We get our initial smartphones. Well a number of them get it before joining college. What will we do with them? yes, we use it for chatting, playing games, watching movies and a lot of different stuff. But budgets are quite limited for college students. Therefore here’s the list of the top 5 best phones for college students that fit in their budget.
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If your kid is going to college presently, it’s time to look into the best smartphones that money can buy. It’s necessary to consider price as well as things that a student needs like battery life, special options, and accessibility. This guide breaks down your family’s choices and eliminates any smartphones with poor reviews.
Top 5 Best Smartphones for college students by brand
1. Samsung Galaxy S9 (Best Overall)

This phone is quicker than the other phone on the market. Samsung Galaxy S9 is one of the best phones for college students who plan on using their phones a lot at college, even for homework. It also contains a water-resistant style, extra storage capability, and wireless charging. Not to mention, it competes with Apple for its facial recognition tool that unlocks the phone.
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A lot of these options sound just like the popular Apple iPhone X, except this one is considerably cheaper. The iPhone X is $929, whereas the Galaxy S9 is $562 and has 1000+ reviews on Amazon. The pricing for the Galaxy S9 can change depending on the number of Gigabytes you get, but it’ll still end up being cheaper than the iPhone.
It gets nice reviews from users, creating it a perfect choice for college students. The S9 definitely has all of the options that your kid can need while away at college.
- Screen Size: 5.8-inch.
- Storage: 64/256 GB.
- RAM: 4 GB.
- Processor: Octa-core.
- Battery: 3000mAh battery.
PROS
- Fantastic display.
- Feels great.
- Much improved speakers.
CONS
- Average battery life.
- Dual-sensor only on Plus model.
2. iPhone 6s

Most people walk around with Apple iPhones nowadays, but there’s a lot of reasoning behind this brand’s domination. Depending on your price vary, there are 2 Apple iPhones that qualify as the best phones for college students. These phones are technologically advanced, easy, and trendy.
This phone, while somewhat outdated to hardcore Apple followers, still provides a user the advantages of an Apple phone at the lowest retail worth. It’s only slightly different from the next step up, the iPhone 7, and yet it’s $100 cheaper.
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The iPhone 6s retails for $204 and also the iPhone 7 sells for $549. The iPhone 7 is listed to have longer battery life, higher camera, and water-resistant model. However, if saving cash is important to your family, then the iPhone 6s can do the job without sacrificing too several of the technological benefits.
- Screen Size: 4.7 inches.
- Storage: 32 GB.
- RAM: 2 GB.
- Processor: Dual-core.
- Battery: 1715mAh battery.
PROS
- Great look and feel.
- 3D Touch adds an interesting new dimension.
- Subtle but useful camera improvements.
- Clever front-facing camera flash.
CONS
- The battery will deter power users.
- No wireless charging.
- Others charge faster.
3. iPhone X (Best Apple)

While this can be a huge jump in worth ($929), this can be the only phone that is really worth it. The iPhone 8 barely has any differences from the iPhone 7 other than storage capabilities, wireless charging, and enhanced video playback. So, therefore, the next jump would be to the brand new iPhone X.
This can be due to the larger display, face ID recognition, wireless charging, water-resistant design, portrait mode camera, super long battery life, and more.
These options, particularly the water-resistant design and facial recognition, add a level of security to the phone for college students. This phone is expensive but less doubtless to get damaged or stolen. not to mention, the longer battery life can keep them safe once away from home.
When you purchase the Apple product, you’ll be able to add on a 2-year AppleCare warranty for $149. While this looks expensive right off the bat, it truly helps you out a lot in the long term. They will replace the phone for the first double there’s accidental damage. This makes a lot of sense for college students because accidents do happen. Not to mention there are Apple Stores in tons of accessible locations close to most universities.
Another huge reason to send students to college with an Apple phone is to fit in. According to statistics, forty-three of American citizens use Apple iPhones. While this is just a bit but half of America, it still says a lot regarding our culture. There are certain privileges that come with an iPhone like iMessage.
Any Apple user can notice the difference between an iMessage and a text message. Sometimes, it’s truly easier to send messages between Apple IOS devices than it’s to send messages between Apple and non-Apple devices. So, if all of your child’s friends have iPhones and they have a unique kind of smartphone, it might be hard to keep up.
- Screen Size: 5.8 inches.
- Storage: 64/256 GB.
- RAM: 3 GB.
- Processor: Hexa-core.
- Battery: 2716mAh battery.
PROS
- Stunning screen.
- Much-improved telephoto camera.
- The best-looking iPhone ever.
- Impressive battery life.
- Face ID is so much better than a fingerprint sensor.
CONS
- No fast-charging plug included.
- Very expensive.
4. OnePlus 6

If your family is worried about the price the most, then the OnePlus 6 or the iPhone 6s is the phone for your kid. The OnePlus is only $599, which could be a close second to Apple’s iPhone 6s at $204. Although, the iPhone would be more than the OnePlus with AppleCare value-added in.
The OnePlus 6 has most of the same options as Galaxy S9 and iPhone X, and yet falls slightly behind them in practicality. The OnePlus 6 is typically debated against Google Pixel 2 because they’re similar and below the top two choices.
However, one of its best options is that it’s a better Auxiliary jack for music than the Pixel 2. In terms of storage, it goes as high as 256 gigabytes, which is better than the Pixel 2 furthermore. Overall, you lose some brand name perks with this OnePlus phone, but it’s most of the best smartphone options that are on the market.
- Screen Size: 6.28 inches.
- Storage: 64/128/256 GB.
- RAM: 6/8 GB.
- Processor: Octa-core.
- Battery: 3300mAh battery.
PROS
- A huge leap in design.
- Seriously fast.
- Dash Charge is still great, if slightly restrictive.
- A well-thought-out version of Android with great extras.
CONS
- The camera still needs improvement.
- Missing a few ‘flagship’ features.
5. Google Pixel 2

While this phone lacks some options that the other best smartphones have, it’s a camera that can compete with, if not beat, the others. If your kid loves taking pictures, then this phone might be worth the money. It’s listed as $545, which is costly compared to the OnePlus, but not as expensive as the iPhone X.
Another factor that might put this phone over the edge for your family is its battery life. Whereas it comes in third behind the iPhone X and the Galaxy S9, it beats the iPhone 6s and the OnePlus in however long it can last.

Depending on the student, photos and battery life might be additional important than cost.
- Screen Size: 5.0 inches.
- Storage: 64/128 GB.
- RAM: 4 GB.
- Processor: Octa-core.
- Battery: 2700mAh battery.
PROS
- Truly amazing camera.
- The best version of Android.
- Nice display.
CONS
- Boring design.
- Huge bezel.
Final Words
To sum up, all smartphones are pretty costly. However, as students head back to high school, they might like these advanced phones so as to keep up. A lot of college campuses have apps nowadays that give data to students regarding classes, safety, and more.
This list of the best phones for college students in a few different price ranges. All of their options are great and so are their appearance, so the decision is up to the student about what they need and maybe, the parents too.