Although not everyone can afford a flagship smartphone like the Samsung S21 Ultra or the iPhone 13 Pro, the good news is that there are many less expensive options that provide an outstanding experience. Don’t panic if your bank account is feeling a little bare and you need a new smartphone; some are half the price or even less. The top mid-range smartphones are available today.
Anything more costly will be found in our overall best smartphone list, which focuses on flagship phones, as well as a selection of the best Android smartphones.
Mid-range smartphones are designed to offer flagship-level functionality at a lower price. You may have to give up a little on one or more features, such as the camera or build quality, but saving hundreds of dollars is frequently well worth it – and some of the phones at the top of the cost range are flagships in their own right.
What will you see here?
OnePlus Nord 2
With amazing performance, 5G, OnePlus’s trademark Oxygen OS user experience, and a near-flagship primary camera, the OnePlus 6T is an exceptional follow-up to 2020’s greatest mid-range phone. What’s not to like about that? What the OnePlus Nord 2 truly shows is the company’s decision to prioritize the things that people want right now and offer them in a stylish design with competitive pricing.
The Nord 2 lacks headline features like as inductive charging and waterproofing, but those are the only concessions made. There was also the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G which is a stripped-down version of the Nord 2 that costs a little less.
Poco X4 Pro 5G
In our opinion, the Poco X4 Pro 5G is just costly enough to be considered a mid-ranger, but that just means it provides outstanding value. The 6.67-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate is virtually flagship-level, and it’s complemented with a clean, attractive design throughout. The camera itself is amazing, featuring a fairly decent 108Mp sensor for the primary shooter – albeit the ultrawide and macro lenses aren’t as good.
It’s entirely made of plastic, so it doesn’t feel very high-end. Also, we don’t like the MIUI software that runs on it. However, for the price, this is a terrific bundle.
Google Pixel 6
The Pixel 6 is a standout phone for a variety of reasons. For starters, the pricing is impressive, with what is effectively a flagship phone easily undercutting Apple and Samsung’s competitors. But there’s also the design to consider. The Pixel 6 doesn’t look like anything else on the marketplace save its bigger sibling, the Pixel 6 Pro – and the style is nothing if not polarising. It’s also rather large and hefty, so it won’t appeal to someone looking for a little phone.
What you do get is one of the greatest cameras available at this price. A fantastic primary lens and an equally impressive ultrawide. Both benefit from Google’s new in-house Tpu chip’s sophisticated AI trickery and can shoot a few images that no other phone can.
The only obvious drawbacks are a 90Hz rather than 120Hz screen and sluggish 30W charging – which isn’t helped by the lack of a charger in the package.
Moto G200
The Moto G200 is now the most capable Moto phone available, which makes its low price even more amazing. The Snapdragon 888+ processor is lightning quick, as is the 144Hz refresh rate display. However, it is LCD rather than OLED. This makes it ideal for gamers and performance freaks, but not so much for Instagram and Netflix binges.
A large 5000mAh battery and 33W wired charging are very nice. As is the 108Mp primary camera – albeit the ultrawide is a touch lacking.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro is one of the greatest phones you can purchase at its pricing range, with Xiaomi providing excellent value.
The gorgeous screen with AMOLED tech and a 120Hz refresh rate is the first highlight, followed by a fantastic set of cameras. The main attraction is a whopping 108Mp image which is backed up by a respectable ultra-wide and a remarkably decent telemacro.
The core specifications are adequate, relying on the Snapdragon 732G for seamless performance. The Redmi Note 10 Pro, on the other hand, does not support 5G, which could be a deal-breaker.
MIUI also has a flaw in its extremely complicated interface. It isn’t as elegant or easy to use as many of its competitors – even though you can make it a lot better than default with a little tinkering.
Realme GT 2
The Realme GT 2 is a mild successor to last year’s GT, with little changes to the specifications – which, to be honest, isn’t a terrible thing. The Snapdragon 888 processor from last year is back, but it’s still quite strong. The solid feature sheet is rounded up by a 120Hz AMOLED display, a large battery, and outstanding 65W fast charging.
It’s made of plastic, which some people enjoy but others think prevents it from feeling like a leader. But the major flaw is that the strong primary camera isn’t properly complemented by the auxiliary lenses.
Conclusion
The smartphone industry is undergoing significant changes, particularly in the cheap and mid-range segments. For several years, brands such as Realme, and Xiaomi, have dominated the cheap and mid-range smartphone market. The majority of top smartphone manufacturers are releasing phones with premium features such as quad cameras, larger batteries, powerful chipsets, glass designs, and more at a competitive price range.
