Other Phones to Consider
There are several older phones from Motorola, HMD, and other brands with the headphone jack, but you should probably avoid them if they launched before 2024. If none of the above options strike your fancy, here are some others to consider, all tested by me.
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Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
HMD Fusion for $300: HMD’s Fusion (5/10, WIRED Review) is a decent-performing phone that’s a touch too expensive for what you get. The software support is lackluster, and the screen is dim. Its whole schtick is the modular “Outfits” you can attach to expand functionality, though the options are slim right now and are a little uninspired.
Moto G 2025 for $200: A step down from the Moto G Power 2025, this phone doesn’t have perks like wireless charging, but it still has NFC to make contactless payments and, of course, the headphone jack. Its performance is a little stifling—you might get frustrated as apps take their time to load—and its cameras are passable.
Nuu N20 for $114: I just set this phone up, so I can’t make a proper judgment call yet. So far, it’s a little sluggish, but decently built considering it’s just over $100. It has a headphone jack, a microSD card slot, and a 90-Hz LCD, but it lacks 5G connectivity.
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Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Motorola’s Moto G Power 5G 2024 for $180 and Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 ($242): I usually don’t recommend previous-generation Motorola devices, but I think these phones are still decent buys at their lower prices (8/10, WIRED Recommends). They perform exceptionally well for the money—the Moto G Stylus is even smoother with an OLED screen and has nicer cameras. They feature perks like wireless charging, NFC for contactless payments, and the headphone jack. The G Stylus even has an integrated stylus to sign documents or doodle. Just be aware that the update to Android 15 is the only OS upgrade. They will get security updates for two more years, and that’s it.
HMD Vibe for $103: The two good things about this HMD phone are its price and performance—it runs OK once it’s set up and going (5/10, WIRED Review). Oh, and it has a headphone jack and microSD card slot. Outside of that, this phone will not get any Android updates (just two years of security updates), there’s no 5G connectivity, no NFC for contactless payments, and even no fingerprint sensor.
