Assuming you're not a drug dealer or having an affair, why would you want the best burner phone? Well, for one, they're cheap: so cheap you can afford to lose or break them. Second, they're a great way to ease yourself off social media addiction. And thirdly, the battery life is amazing!
Think about it. There are places you wouldn't want to take your iPhone 16 Pro Max, in case it gets stolen or damaged. And there are times when a smartphone battery just isn't going to last, but you might need to make an urgent call. So the best burner phone comes in handy as a useful backup.
No, this won't be the best phone, and certainly not the best camera phone. But it may last up to a week or more before needing a charge, and for the cost of a bottle of wine, that can be a great investment. Runners, cyclists and hikers shouldn’t leave home without one, and they’re good transitional devices for kids.
It’s also important to be mindful of network coverage. The last US-based 2G and 3G networks were disabled back in 2022, so you now need 4G for a burner phone, even if you have no need for the mobile internet. Sadly this will impact negatively on standby times.
With all that in mind, here are some of the best 4G burner phones for your money today.
The best burner phone: our top picks
Cheapest burner phone
Super-cheap LTE flip phone with Wi-Fi and stellar battery life. What's not to like?
Best future-proof phone
A feature-packed, low-cost flip phone from a respected brand
Best for kids
The ideal first phone for kids, with a large screen for video watching
The best burner phones
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Cheapest burner phone
Alcatel’s 4G flip phone is a handy uses the same KaiOS seen on other feature phones, which makes it very adaptable. That, and of course the satisfaction of a handset you can slam shut on a call! The 240x320 pixel screen and 4-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 will run basic apps nice and responsively on the generous internal display. 802.11 b/g/n wi-fi is available to prevent you using too much mobile data on those apps, and a smaller external display means you don’t need to open the handset to check the time or battery status. To extend the battery life to around two weeks, you can separately switch off data and geolocation (a system which gives approximate location using cell towers).
Best future proof burner phone
Nokia hasn’t let go of the flip phone or KaiOS, which means they’re keeping designs fresh, and affordable. Despite that, it has screens inside and out. There is also a headphone jack and support for not only Bluetooth 4.2 but M4/T4 hearing aids too. There is a camera - but this has a distinctly retro 0.3 megapixel resolution.
If you’re looking for a long life in the field, then the phone has a swappable battery. This is especially handy in the 4G era (call time is never as high on the more modern networks; 3.4hr talk rather than 7.3 on 3G). We also appreciate the arrival of a USB-C connection as well as the 3.5mm headphone jack. There is also little bloatware, though Youtube, Google Browser and Maps are there.
Best for battery life
This handset is available in striking yellow, cyan or a sightly more respectable black, but whichever look you choose you’re getting a 4G-capable device. That means international borders aren’t a concern as Voice-Over-LTE (the replacement technology for 2G voice) is supported. FM radio and internet are also available (and loading pages is quicker than an old 2G burner), and there is 48GB of on-board memory – expandable by MicroSD card.
See our full Nokia 110 4G review
Best for kids
The Alcatel 1 is a 4G smartphone which absolutely won’t match a flagship handsets from Apple or other leading brands, but you can have twenty of these for the same money as the fruit-based brand’s top model and the 2021 edition got a memory boost to 16GB too. There are a lot of reasons why you might want a burner in this category, not least when transitioning kids to smartphones. You can start with something cheap you wouldn’t mind replacing, while offering the kids more than a simple candy bar.
The latest version of this device is based around Android 11 ‘Go Edition’ which is thoughtfully designed for folk using pay-as-you-go SIMs; the YouTube app even offers you lower video quality to save data charges. The camera is OK (except for real close-up, which is unhelpful with small QR codes), and takes decent pics or 1080P video.
See our full Alcatel 1 review
Best for design
Nokia has revived a lot of older models to cater for the nostalgia market, but the 225 is a straightforward candy-bar phone which puts practicality and affordability ahead of other concerns. It’s ready for 4G with Voice over LTE (VoLTE) calls – watch out though, like every other phone even a 1150mAh battery offers less time with 4G than 2G (which the phone also supports where available). On the plus side a Battery Saving Mode will eek out the longest standby available if you choose, at the expense of features like
With a radio (and 3.5mm headphone jack) plus good quality games (yes, including Snake) there is entertainment on the move. Even Facebook is supported.
See our full Nokia 225 4G review
Best for affordable connectivity
This handset is everything you’d expect from a low-priced smartphone, though the price is now so low it might still surprise.
Sure the MediaTek Helio A22 processor is hardly cuttin-edge tech, but the 32GB storage is usable. The later can be extended with a MicroSD, however, and there is still the power to use the crucial functions of Android 12 including Google Assistant. It even has face unlock.
This is a great opportunity to get a burner or budget phone which doesn’t quite abandon all your needs. Perhaps one to give to the kids? In the US, the handset can be used with the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Programme (ACP) for discounted internet connection.
Best phone for seniors
If you’re looking for a simple candy-bar phone deliberately designed for the elderly user, this is a fine choice. The backlit keys are large and even the T3 text messaging letters are large enough to prevent squinting. The phone can also speak each button press to reassure users should they choose. Battery performance, with a 1050mAh battery, is only average, but on the plus side there is a cradle-style dock to drop the phone into so it can take the place of a traditional landline. As traditional phone lines are being steadily retired – or might not make it to individual rooms in a retirement home – this might solve two issues in one fell swoop.
Best burner camera phone
There are plenty of no-name ultra-budget smartphones on Amazon, but the Moto G Pure is just as cheap, yet it comes from the mighty Motorola. Battery life is OK rather than great at 4000mAh, but you get all the key functions of a smart phone on a handset that you can run for just $15 a month pre-paid (on TracFone anyway – other networks also off the device). Admittedly it’s a 2021 model with paltry 32GB storage, but this can be extended using a microSDXC card and the OctaCore processor gets some GPU assistance from PowerVR meaning that you’ll at least be able to play some games.
If storage allows, you’ll also be able to use the phone’s cameras to capture 1080p 30fps video from either the main or selfie camera so you won’t be left out of the social media revolution. We also happen to like the colors; blue or deep indigo are offered by different networks.
FAQs
How do I maintain privacy with a burner phone?
Pay cash, not so much for the handset but the service. You can buy top-up cards.
Maintain anonymity on the device by avoiding apps / sites like Facebook which require a log in.
You can manage the financial aspects and share bank details fairly safely with the major brands, saving trips to gloomy retailers at inconvenient times.
Power the phone down when you’re not using it.
Will my current SIM card fit?
Most burner phones also use microSIMs rather than nanoSIMs, so you’ll either need to get a new SIM from your phone network or a converter: a little piece of plastic into which your normal SIM slots. You can buy these cheaply on eBay.
Can I still use social media?
A few burner phones will let you do this, but most won't. Let's face it, being free from the pressures and time drains of social media is a major plus point of burner phones anyway.
Do burner phones have a camera?
Yes, most burner phones will have a rear-facing camera, and some even have selfie cameras. But don't expect image quality to be anywhere near the standard set by today's full-on smartphones.
Other names for burner phones
The term 'burner' does carry some negative, crime-based connotations – as brilliantly dramatized in the US crime series The Wire. Consequently, some phone manufacturers and retailers instead prefer to use the label ‘feature phone’, meaning non-smart phone. Others refer to them as dumbphones - to make the point that they are not smartphones.
