Key considerations to keep in mind as you browse Straight Talk models include first making sure there’s coverage in your area. That shouldn’t be a problem since the company says it provides 99.6 percent coverage nationwide. You should also think about the amount of storage and data you think you’ll need. Both will influence the up-front price and the type of service plan you decide to go with. Other important general smartphone traits to look for range from the display size and quality, camera technology, and battery longevity. If you’re ready for an upgrade or a change in your phone and service provider, these are some of the best Straight Talk Phones to buy at Walmart that offer the best of both worlds. Apple says that it has the most advanced single-camera system on the market, and it’s easy to see why. The single camera on the SE rivals the quality of the much larger and costlier iPhone 11 Pro, which has three cameras. The slight downside for some is that there are no night-mode camera settings like you’ll find on the 11 Pro. If you don’t require low-light picture mode, you’ll be pleased by how closely these two models measure up. The SE also offers Portrait mode, six different lighting settings to choose from, and the Smart HDR feature provides appropriate relighting to capture professional portraits. You’ll also get 4K video quality and extended dynamic range support, which means the camera will pick up on highlights and shadows in greater detail. The Samsung Galaxy A50 also offers a solid 35 hours of battery life on a single charge, so you can definitely count it to get you through the day without powering up again. If you do need to add some juice, this device supports fast charging with a 15-watt charger. And though Straight Talk only offers this model in black and with the base storage of 64GB, you can easily expand this to 512GB via an external microSD. Touch ID and intuitive interface are also there to support faster access and interactions. The camera renders 8K video quality, which the brand coins as “director-grade” and the large 6.9-inch, AMOELD Infinity-O Display is the largest and sharpest (at a refresh rate of 120Hz and a resolution of 3088x1440) you’ll find from Samsung phones. This large smartphone also features a handy stylus with numerous applications, high-end brushed metal finishings, and what the brand calls the toughest Gorilla glass found in any smartphone. If you can stomach the steep price, this could be a worthy investment for power users who rely on their device for most tasks. With 128GB of storage, 12GB of RAM, 5G capability, and the fastest Snapdragon processor in Samsung phones, the Note20 is well-equipped to keep up with heavy and daily use for shoppers who essentially want a PC in their pocket. The dual 13MP camera system supports fun effects like blurring and Bokeh mode in portraits. Picture quality in low light could suffer and you won’t find any of the advanced dark mode or portrait settings on iPhones or Samsung models. But the Moto E offers an edge over its camera-savvier competitors when it comes to battery life. You’ll get up to 2 days on a single charge, which means more time texting, calling, and streaming without being interrupted. In fact, Motorola claims that the Moto E has enough longevity to stream music for 103 hours or movies for up to 11 hours. While you won’t hand over a lot of money upfront for this smartphone, one feature that’s noticeably absent is NFC support. If that’s not a big deal to you, the Moto E’s battery life and expandable storage are winning traits. The 32GB of onboard storage isn’t overly generous but can be supplemented with a microSD for up to 512GB of extra space as you need it. The main camera is also 48MP and well-suited to grabbing great shots even when there’s not a lot of available light. You won’t have to worry about having enough space for your photos or performance hiccups either, thanks to a generous 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM. This phone also has microSD support for an additional terabyte of room for all of your extra media and files. There are a couple of features the A51 doesn’t offer, such as water and dust resistance. If you’re rough on your devices, this could be a drawback against this phone. Fans of wireless charging won’t find compatibility with the Galaxy A51 either, but it is capable of fast charging in a pinch and at least a solid day of battery life. As you’d expect from this modest price point, the dual-camera system is modest. It consists of a 13MP main camera and a 2MP depth camera, which means it’s game for casual snapping and sharing. The A01 is also capable of almost getting through a full day depending on how you use it—up to 19.7 hours. That makes it pretty modest compared to other Samsung phones that can last for up to 2 days on a single charge. Again, if app and media usage is limited, this should stretch further. And if you find yourself needing some extra storage, there’s a handy microSD slot for expanding capacity. And if you’re an avid music or movie streamer, this phone has dual Dolby stereo speakers for solid audio quality. The generous 6.4-inch full HD+ display is a perfect complement to the speaker setup if you like a cinematic viewing experience even on a smartphone display. The camera system is made of three cameras, a selfie camera, and a macro and ultrawide angle for both large panoramic and close-up detailed shots. The front-facing camera is small and discrete and placed in the upper left-hand corner so that it’s out of the way. This flexibility with snapshots is appealing, but photos won’t be as professional-looking or crisp as higher-priced phones. But for about $182, the Moto G’s battery life and solid all-around performance are great reasons to consider this straightforward and inexpensive phone. The most impressive aspects surround the display and camera quality. The display is an extremely vivid OLED, called Super Retina XDR, that makes dark shades and light colors punchier and produces greater overall contrast and a noticeable difference in brightness. You also get incredibly crisp photos via the dual-camera system (wide and ultrawide) that also has night mode and all the magic of portrait mode and Smart HDR lighting adjustments along with 4K HDR Dolby Vision video recording. Of course, all of this comes with a pretty hefty investment, but if you’re ready to own one of the newest iPhones with a low monthly service plan, it’s hard to beat this option. One drawback is that you won’t get a lot of onboard storage, 32GB and only 16GB that’s usable, but you do have the option of expanding this with an external storage card for up to an additional 2TB of storage. This could be something to take advantage of if you snap a lot of photos and selfies, which this phone excels at for both wide-angle shots that are great for group selfies and portraits, too. The 13MP camera also has a blur-minimizing feature for the latter. The LG Stylo 5 does have 3GB of RAM and an efficient processor that should be able to keep up with all your apps and streaming. It also features a large 6.2-inch FHD display and the 3,500mAh battery should get you through 16 hours of use before requiring a charge. Andrew Hayward has been covering technology since 2006. He is an expert in smartphones, wearables, smart home tech, and video games. Yoona Wagener is a product reviewer and technology writer for Lifewire. She covers wearables, peripherals, and tech gadgets and currently uses a no-contract mobile virtual network operator for smartphone service.
What to Look for in Straight Talk Phones
Storage
Storage capacity is an important spec to look for before you decide on a Straight Talk Phone. Older models will likely have less storage than newer models that offer as much as 128GB. Many people will find 64GB of onboard storage to be more than enough, but if you use a lot of storage-heavy apps or take a lot of photos, you may want to find a phone that’s compatible with an external storage solution like an SD card or offers cloud storage.
Speed
The base coverage plan from Straight Talk offers 5GB of data at what they simply refer to as high speeds. If you exceed that limit, the rest of your coverage will be at 2G for the month, which could impact performance—especially if you live in a rural area. Some of the newest iPhones and other Android models are also eligible for 5G coverage where it’s available. If that’s something you want in your next device, make sure that both the model and the Straight Talk network support it where you live.
Data
In the traditional world of contract-based cell phone carriers, plans are doled out based on data usage. Straight Talk Wireless operates similarly by offering plans from as little as 5GB of data with unlimited talk and text to plans that offer 20GB of hotspot data and 100GB of cloud storage. The key difference, though, is that you aren’t locked into a contract and you can switch your data plan to meet your data needs. You can even add on an extra line or add 1GB to 2GB of extra data if you’re running low. When you’re starting out, though, consider how you use your phone to help you figure out a suitable plan. Your current bills are a helpful reference point.
