Charging your smartphone is a daily hassle. First, you need to locate an outlet, then find the correct cable for each device. This is further complicated if there are other people in your household with differing chargers.
However, despite recent advances, most electronic devices still use the micro-USB standard. This familiar port has been with us for over a decade and can be reliably found in most households, workplaces, and retail outlets.
If you're after a smartphone that you can easily charge, then we can help. Here are the best smartphones with micro-USB available today.
Since purchasing the brand from Microsoft, HMD Global has taken the Nokia range from strength to strength. The Nokia 4.2 is no different and is the best affordable smartphone with micro-USB support. All Nokia devices are bloatware-free, and the 4.2 runs Android One, a Google-backed edition of Android with two years of operating system updates.
The phone has a dual rear camera, featuring a 13MP lens and a 2MP depth sensor. This is coupled with the 8MP front-facing selfie camera. For efficient performance, there's a Snapdragon 439 CPU powering the Nokia 4.2. This means you should be able to get through a full day on the 3,000mAh battery. The 5.71-inch HD+ display is supported by 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage.
- Dual-rear camera (13MP, 2MP)
- 3,000mAh battery
- 32GB of storage
- Brand: Nokia
- SoC: Snapdragon 439
- Display: 5.71-inch, 720 x 1520
- RAM: 3GB
- Storage: 32GB
- Battery: 3,000mAh
- Ports: Micro-USB
- Operating System: Android 9.0 Pie
- Camera (Rear, Front): 13MP/2MP, 8MP
- Part of the Android One program for bloatware-free experience
- Rear fingerprint reader
- NFC support and Google Pay integration
- Runs Android 9, which was released in 2018
- Two-year update period ends in 2021
The Motorola Moto G8 Power Lite continues the company's well-received Moto G range of budget Android smartphones. This model is the International edition. As such, it does not come with a US warranty and works with most GSM, but not CDMA, cell networks. The 6.5-inch display is coupled with a front-facing 8MP selfie camera. The triple-lens rear camera consists of a 16MP primary camera, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor.
The phone runs the Android 9.0 Pie operating system, comes with 64GB of onboard storage, and 4GB of RAM. The Moto G8 Power Lite is equipped with dual-SIM support and a 5,000mAh battery. Incredibly, this can power the phone for up to three days on a single charge. There's even a fingerprint reader on the rear of the device as well.
- Tripe-lens rear camera
- Rear fingerprint reader
- Dual-SIM support
- Brand: Motorola
- SoC: Mediatek MT6765 Helio P35
- Display: 6.5-inch, 720 x 1600
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 64GB
- Battery: 5,000mAh
- Ports: Micro-USB
- Operating System: Android 9.0 Pie
- Camera (Rear, Front): 16MP/2MP/2MP, 8MP
- Large 5,000mAh battery
- Includes a 3.5mm headphone jack
- Runs Android 9, which was released in 2018
- International device, so no US warranty
International smartphones are a great way to save some money, so long as you don't mind the lack of US warranty and limited network compatibility. For instance, the Xiaomi Redmi 7A is a great value smartphone, but this international edition only supports GSM SIM cards and won't work on CDMA networks. However, the 5.45-inch device is one of the best smartphones with a micro-USB port available today.
The device runs MIUI 10, a modified version of Android 9.0 Pie. The phone has 2GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage which can be expanded to 256GB via microSD. This smartphone is equipped with a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front-facing selfie camera. The Xiaomi Redmi 7A has dual-SIM support and a 4,000mAh battery.
- Dual-SIM support
- 4,000mAh battery
- Brand: Xiaomi
- SoC: Snapdragon SDM439
- Display: 5.45-inch, 1440 × 720
- RAM: 2GB
- Storage: 32GB
- Battery: 4,000mAh
- Ports: Micro-USB
- Operating System: MIUI 10 (Android 9.0)
- Camera (Rear, Front): 13MP, 5MP
- Expandable storage up to 256GB via microSD card
- Face Unlock feature
- International device, so no US warranty
- Just 2GB of RAM, so some high-performance games and apps won't run
4. Oppo A9 2020
The Oppo A9 2020 is one of the best Android phones with micro-USB charging. The affordable smartphone is equipped with a 6.5-inch Full HD+ display with a small waterdrop notch at the top to house the 16MP front-facing camera. On the back, there's a fingerprint reader and a 16MP primary camera with a 2MP depth sensor.
The phone runs ColorOS 6, a modified version of Android 9.0 Pie. There's a 4,020mAh battery, which should keep you juiced up through a whole day's use. This is, in part, thanks to the A9's MediaTek Helio P70 SOC. The Oppo A9 2020 operates on 4G/LTE bands, has dual-SIM support, and uses Bluetooth 4.2 Low Energy (LE). The phone is available in either Fluorite Purple or Marble Green.
- Rear-side fingerprint reader
- Dual-SIM support
- Brand: Oppo
- SoC: ARM Mali-G72 MP3
- Display: 6.5-inch, 2340 x 1080
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 128GB
- Battery: 4,020mAh
- Ports: Micro-USB
- Operating System: ColorOS 6 (Android 9.0)
- Camera (Rear, Front): 16MP, 16MP
- 2MP rear-camera depth sensor
- Large 4,020mAh battery
- ColorOS 6 is based on Android 9, which was released in 2018
- 16MP rear camera is low resolution compared to flagship devices
- No NFC support
5. Samsung Galaxy A11
The Samsung Galaxy A11 combines some of the Galaxy smartphone range's best features while keeping the price at an affordable level. Importantly, the phone uses a micro-USB port for charging and PC connectivity. The 6.4-inch HD+ display is coupled with 32GB of storage and 2GB of RAM. The Snapdragon 450 CPU supports these components for fast performance.
Although the A11 is available at an entry-level price, it does have a triple-lens rear camera commonly found on more expensive devices. The 13MP camera is supported by a 5MP ultrawide lens and a 2MP depth sensor. There's also a front-facing 8MP selfie camera. The Samsung Galaxy A11 will run on 2G, 3G, and 4G/LTE networks as well.
- Triple-lens rear camera
- Dual-SIM support
- Rear fingerprint reader
- Brand: Samsung
- SoC: Snapdragon 450
- Display: 6.4-inch, 720 x 1560
- RAM: 2GB
- Storage: 32GB
- Battery: 4,000mAh
- Ports: Micro-USB
- Operating System: Android 10
- Camera (Rear, Front): 13MP/5MP/2MP, 8MP
- Runs Android 10, released in 2019
- 4G/LTE support
- Low internal storage (32GB)
- Just 2GB of RAM, so some high-performance games and apps won't run
FAQ
Q: Will USB-C Replace Micro-USB?
The micro-USB specification was released in 2007 as one of the first universal USB standards. Pre-2007, many devices would use proprietary chargers, so you had to have a large collection of cables.
For many years, micro-USB was the standard for all smartphones. However, with the advent in 2014 of USB-C, many manufacturers opt for the newer connection. Unlike micro-USB, USB-C connectors are reversible, so you can plug them in either way up.
Notably, USB-C cables can charge devices faster, and transfer data, too. This can be done simultaneously, so you can charge your phone and move files around at the same time.
As a result, micro-USB devices are in decline, mostly relegated to cheaper or older hardware. Most newly released phones and accessories use USB-C charging ports instead.
Q: Who Invented Micro-USB?
Micro-USB is a standard developed by the USB Implementers Forum (USBIF). This non-profit collective was formed in 1996 to create interoperability between USB-connected devices. Notable members of the USBIF include; Apple, HP, Microsoft, and Intel. The micro-USB standard was released in 2007.
Q: What Phones Use Micro-USB?
Since the micro-USB specification was introduced in 2007, the connection has been the standard in most computing equipment, especially for smartphones and other peripherals.
Most smartphones released prior to 2018 come with micro-USB ports. However, manufacturers have since opted for the newer USB-C connection instead. As a result, you can often only find micro-USB ports on older hardware or budget devices.