The Samsung Galaxy S24 series earns its place on our list of the best Android phones, offering a lengthy update policy, top-notch performance, and slick software. But did you know the most popular Galaxy phone of 2024 so far isn’t actually an S24 model?

Tracking firm Omdia revealed its list of the top 10 most popular smartphones in the first half of 2024, and the most popular Android and Samsung phone is the Galaxy A15 4G. Yep, the top-selling Android phone wasn’t a flagship, nor did it have 5G.

The Galaxy A15 4G sold an estimated 17.3 million units in H1 2024, compared to the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 12.6 million units. It’s easy to see why it’s the most popular Samsung and Android phone of the year so far.

The biggest reason for the Galaxy A15 4G’s popularity is its price tag, coming in at roughly $150 on Amazon . That price point makes it accessible to many more people than the $1,199 Galaxy S24 Ultra.

This also makes it ~$40 cheaper than the Galaxy A15 5G, which sold a reported 12.2 million units so far in 2024. And you’re only really paying extra for 5G as the phones are otherwise identical.

The Galaxy A15 4G also has a few features you might not expect for a sub-$200 phone. Perhaps the most notable inclusion is a 90Hz OLED screen. By comparison, rivals like the Moto G 5G 2024 and TCL 40 XE 5G only offer LCD panels.

Samsung’s cheap phone also outdoes similarly priced rivals when it comes to the update policy, offering three major OS updates and four years of security patches. You’re lucky if you get three years of security updates from other sub-$200 phones.

We also praised the 5G model’s battery life, capable main camera for the price, and solid build quality. And these positives apply to the 4G variant too, given that it’s exactly the same device aside from the chipset and 5G connectivity.

Samsung’s phone also brings two features that are missing from flagship Android phones, namely microSD card support and a 3.5mm port. Neither feature is a rarity on sub-$200 Android phones, but they’re still welcome additions.

Finally, another big reason why the Samsung Galaxy A15 4G is popular is its widespread availability. Samsung devices are the most widely available Android phones globally, and the Galaxy A15 4G can be found at stores, cellular networks, and online retailers in almost every country around the world. Customers in the US can find it at every carrier, Amazon, Walmart, and loads of other retailers.

Samsung’s affordable phone isn’t without its drawbacks, though. We criticized the 5G variant’s weak secondary cameras, poor mono speaker, thick bezels, and sluggish performance (it has an aging Helio G99 chip).

Nevertheless, we’re not surprised that the Galaxy A15 4G is the best-selling Android phone of the year so far. Between the truly affordable price, widespread availability, lengthy update commitment, and extras like a 90Hz OLED display, it’s hard to argue that this isn’t the best cheap phone of 2024.