Streaming platforms like Spotify allow users to listen to music and other audio content from their smartphones, laptops, or tablets. Subscribers can enjoy their favorite songs by streaming them or playing them from an offline, downloaded playlist.
The best cheap mobile phones for Spotify must allow the app to run smoothly while delivering all of the other functions required of a modern phone. Phones like the Nokia G10 are a great choice if you’re looking for an affordable option to enjoy streaming music on Spotify.
One of the problems that people often find when they use budget phones is that they can’t run certain apps, or they don’t run them particularly well.
Thankfully, there are several cheap phone options out there that can run apps like Spotify, which we’ll discuss in this guide.
Do All Smartphones Run the Spotify App?
The Spotify app, in theory, should run on any smartphone that uses Android OS 5.0 or above or OS X 10.13 or above. This covers the majority of modern smartphones, but just because you can download the app on a device doesn’t guarantee that it will run smoothly.
If you’re using an iPhone model later than the iPhone 5, the Spotify app will work with the phone. Newer iPhones will run the app much more efficiently than older models, though.
The condition of the phone’s battery also plays a role in determining whether the Spotify app will run on the device. If the phone is new or recently refurbished, then it should be able to run Spotify with no issues.
A phone with a battery that is not in the best condition can cause the Spotify app to lag.
This can also occur if the phone’s memory is nearly complete – the apps you run will become slower and less efficient.
Any smartphone released in the past five years will have no problems streaming audio and video content on Spotify. You may run into issues with an old phone, particularly if it hasn’t been maintained well.
Older smartphones that run an operating system before Android OS 5.0 or OS X 10.13 are incapable of running apps like Spotify. It’s worth checking to see which operating system version your smartphone is using, and if it’s an older version, then you can attempt to update it.
If you’re an Android user and you find that your phone won’t run the Spotify app, this may be because of a data crash.
You should attempt to restart your phone to see if this solves the problem, and if not, you may need to backup your data and restore the phone to factory settings.
Uninstalling then reinstalling to Spotify app is another method you could try if you’re having trouble running it on your smartphone. The cache data that the app has accumulated may be causing it to crash.
Best Cheap Mobile Phones with Bluetooth for Audio
Finding a cheap mobile phone that will allow you to listen to audio via Bluetooth isn’t too difficult – but finding one that can perform well in all of the other areas that are required of a smartphone is more tricky.
Before we give you some recommendations, let’s make one thing clear – unless you find a second-hand bargain, iPhones and high-end Samsung phones aren’t affordable options.
Manufacturers like Xiaomi, Motorola, Realme, and Oppo are more realistic options to consider if you’re looking for a cheap phone that will allow you to listen to music or podcasts using Bluetooth. These brands use more inexpensive materials than Apple or Samsung, significantly reducing their phones’ costs.
Our first recommendation is the Poco X3 NFC by Xiaomi. This affordable phone runs Android 10, so you can use any app from the Google Store, including Spotify, to listen to music. It comes with 64GB or 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM.
The camera included on the X3 NFC is also impressive for a budget phone – with a 64MP camera on the front and a 20MP camera on the back. Additionally, this phone boasts a great battery life and will allow you to connect a Bluetooth audio device with no problem.
The Moto G9 Power by Motorola is another excellent cheap phone that is great for listening to audio wirelessly. This smartphone performs and feels like one that you’d expect to cost significantly more, and it has a stunning display quality.
With a screen size of 6.8 inches and 128GB of storage space, the G9 Power is an excellent choice if you’re on a tight budget. It has Bluetooth connectivity and a 64MP rear camera with a 16MP front camera.
| Phone | Estimated Cost | Memory | Ram | Rear Camera |
| Poco X3 NFC | $190 | 64/128GB | 6GB | 64MP |
| Moto G9 Power | $180 | 128GB | 4GB | 64MP |
| Realme C35 | $200 | 64/128GB | 4/6GB | 50MP |
Best External Speaker on a Cheap Mobile Phone
Sometimes, you may want to play audio out loud from your phone’s speaker rather than listening in headphones. Most affordable phones don’t have outstanding speakers, but thankfully some will project your favorite songs with impressive volume and sound quality.
For the price, the TCL A30 is a great choice. This smartphone has a 5.5-inch display, 32GB of storage, and a decent external speaker.
Samsung also produces some tremendous cheap phones for listening to audio out loud, including the Galaxy A22. With its 6.6-inch display, this phone is ideal for watching videos and playing audio through the external speaker.
If you’re willing to invest a little extra to get the best possible sound quality from your smartphone, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro is a great option. This phone comes with 128GB of internal storage and 6GB RAM and has a great battery life to go with its clear-sounding external speaker.
It’s incredible how much onboard phone speakers have improved in recent years.
The newest iPhone and Samsung smartphones have inbuilt speakers that can reach surprisingly high volumes and maintain a tonal clarity that belies their size.
The options we’ve listed here may not be able to compete with these high-end phones, but for the price, they’re an excellent investment if you want to listen to music out loud.
Do Android and Apple Mobile Phones Both Have Spotify?
Spotify is the world’s most-used streaming platform, with over 430 million monthly subscribers. Its closest rival is Apple Music, which would lead some people to question whether Apple would allow Spotify to be available to its users.
Spotify is indeed included on Android and Apple devices. Due to the success of Spotify, it would be unwise for Apple to remove it from its iPhone app store, as many users prefer it to Apple Music and other streaming platforms.
As long as the Android or iOS version installed on your smartphone is up to date, you can download the Spotify app either from the Apple Music store or the Google Play Store.
You can even log into your Spotify account on both Spotify and Apple devices simply by entering your email and password when you open the app. Likewise, you can use Spotify on Windows or Mac devices by logging into your account.
Whether you use an iPad or an Android tablet, you should be able to download the Spotify app and log into your account on this type of device also.
Related Questions
Can you use Spotify without the internet?
Spotify allows you to download songs to an offline playlist so that you can listen to them at any time, whether you are connected to the internet or not. It’s best to download the songs when connected to wi-fi, so you don’t use all your mobile data.
Does Spotify use a lot of data?
For every three-minute music you stream on the standard audio quality settings on Spotify, you can expect to use somewhere in the region of 1.5MB of data. This can be reduced or increased depending on your chosen audio quality settings.
Can I get Spotify on a Samsung phone?
Spotify comes pre-installed on the newest phones in the Samsung Galaxy range, indicating how popular the streaming platform has become. Of course, you can delete the app if you don’t need it.
