Best mid-range phone in 2024 – affordable options from Google, Samsung and more

The best mid-range phone will be great for gaming, multi-tasking, and creatives, so we’ve covered it all here.

The smartphone industry was once dominated by a few brands such as Apple, HTC, and Samsung. However, as consumer electronics have become more and more budget-friendly – we’ve begun to see brands such as Google and Xiaomi producing affordable phones that are becoming ever-more popular.

This year is looking to be another busy one for smartphone launches. The Samsung S23 Ultra will go head-to-head with the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, while the eventual launch of the Nothing Phone 2 looks to excite.

While these products will be at the absolute top of the range – we also understand that there are consumers out there not looking to spend everything they have on a phone. That’s why we’ve covered the best mid-range phones that compromise on neither price nor quality.

We’ve already had a look at the best gaming phone and we expect to see many similarities and crossovers. We’ll be selecting phones with the best prices, battery-life, displays, processors, and storage. Alongside that, we’ll be ensuring that you’re covered with the best performance, operating software, and connectivity.

With all of that in mind – let’s load up the best mid-range phones in 2023.

Best mid-range phones

• Samsung Galaxy A54
• OnePlus 10T 5G
• Google Pixel 7
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro
• Samsung A53
• Nothing Phone (1)
• Oppo Find X5 
• Realme C35

Best overall mid-range phone – Samsung Galaxy A54

The Samsung A54 is the latest edition to our list, and is certainly a mid-range king. Some of its biggest strengths include a massive 4,000maH battery, a crisp display and a high refresh rate.

The cameras have also been given serious attention, all four of them, three rear and one front. The rear ones work together to bring a wider OIS angle, and Video Digital Image Stabilisation (VDIS) which makes it easier than ever to take satisfying and watchable videos.

The Snapdragon 888 processor is not the fastest we’ve seen, especially versus the S21, but it still packs a good bit of power, meaning the phone should have a decent gaming performance too. While we’d have liked to see wireless charging, you have to make some compromises in this price category and overall this is a phone that gets a good balance of price to performance, giving you plenty of bang for your buck.

Best premium mid-range phone – OnePlus 10T 5G

Our pick for the most premium mid-range phone is the OnePlus 10T 5G, which was released in August 2022.

If you’re looking for the best iPhone 14 alternatives you can get that offers premium quality and budget prices – this is the one.

The supplied charger operates at 160W when filling up the 4800mAh battery – meaning that the phone fully charges in under 20 minutes. Alongside that, the 2,412 x 1080 pixel resolution AMOLED display is great for gaming and picture clarity.

The OnePlus 10T 5G has a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor driving the computing capabilities of the phone. This processor operates up to 3.2GHz and has the Qualcomm Adreno 730 mobile GPU alongside it, which is another reason why this phone is so good.

Its performance is by far the best out of all of the phones we have recommended – and with either 8GB or 16GB of RAM (depending on which model you choose), you’re going to have an easy time performing all of your intensive daily tasks.

Realistically, the performance on this phone might not trump what the latest Samsung Galaxy S22 or ASUS ROG phone might be capable of – but its middling power and performance is significantly enhanced by the absurdly fast charging times.

You can check the price of the OnePlus 10T 5G at Best Buy.

Best mid-range phone for compatibility – Google Pixel 7

The best mid-range phone for compatibility is the Google Pixel 7 which is blessed by full support for the Google eco-system.

While most Android phones also have this – the Google Pixel 7 has the slight advantage in that it doesn’t come with any of the proprietary bloatware often installed on smartphones. Instead, you just have the core Google apps such as Chrome, Photos, Maps, YouTube, and all the rest.

This phone also suits anyone cautious of their ecological footprint as it’s made from sustainable and recycled resources.

The technical performance of the phone is standard – there’s no standout feature to ring home about, instead every little feature on the Pixel 7 is well-thought out and executed without a hitch. That’s something underrated in a smartphone market where you might have the highest resolution displays but then terrible batteries to match. The Google Pixel 7 is the solution to that – as each specification is really just done well.

You can check the price of the Google Pixel 7 at Amazon.

Best budget mid-range phone – Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro is the best budget mid-range phone thanks to the surprisingly low price it can be picked up at.

Aside from the price, the specs really speak for themselves. They match the quality you’d get on a Google or OnePlus phone but for a fraction of the price. The MediaTek Helio G96 operates up to 2GHz, yet despite this low clock speed it still operates at roughly 70FPS in PUBG Mobile and 40FPS in COD: Mobile.

There’s also an 108MP camera – which is one of the best camera’s you can get for the price. The phone is also available in three different colours – graphite gray, polar white, and star blue, meaning that you’re going to be able to choose your own style with the phone.

The phone also runs Android MIUI 13 – making it compatible with open source applications and development.

You can check the price of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro at Amazon.

Best mid-range phone for gaming – Samsung A53

The Samsung A53 is our best mid-range phone for gaming thanks to its mixture of high-performance and budget friendly pricing.

With smartphone gaming – you’re often not going to be playing the most graphically demanding games. This is generally because there’s so much technical variation between different Android handhelds and iPhones that games are designed to function on the most budget friendly devices as well as the most premium devices.

This really works in your favour if you’re not looking to empty your wallet for a smartphone – and it’s where the Samsung A53 shines.

With a 2.4Ghz processor and 6GB of RAM – most games will run with high-performance settings on this phone. You also have a 5000mAh battery which fast-charges – so you won’t be running out of juice in Warzone Mobile.

You can check the price of the Samsung A53 at Amazon.

Best mid-range phone for appearance and design – Nothing Phone (1)

The best designed mid-range phone will be very subjective – but our pick is the Nothing Phone (1).

Nothing is a new tech company that was met with a lot of hype when it first launched. The Nothing Phone (1) was their first product and their ethos of providing ‘designer’ technology was a success.

Often with novelty hardware such as this, the gimmick is often shoe-horned in to serve an aesthetic purpose. The Nothing Phone (1) doesn’t fall victim to this as its transparent and visually engaging design also has a functionally complete purpose.

The LED strip ‘Glyph Interface’ lets users receive programmed information – such as call notifications, app notifications, charging statuses, and more – on the back of their phone.

By merging interesting and unique design with function, the Nothing Phone (1) really sets itself apart from the smartphone crowd which often suffers from a lack of individualism.

The Nothing Phone (1) isn’t just looks though. It’s got a Snapdragon 778G+ processor running at up to 2.5GHz and an Adreno 642L GPU. With options of 8 and 12 GB RAM and storage between 128 and 256 GB – this phone is fully capable of playing all the games you throw at it – whilst also looking fantastic.

You can check the price of the Nothing Phone (1) at Amazon.

Best mid-range phone for photography – Xiaomi 12T

The Xiaomi 12T is one of their flagship smartphones at the moment. However, with the Xiaomi 13 Ultra specs looking impressive, it’s very likely that the price of the 12T could drop slightly to make space.

With a huge 6.67-inches of AMOLED display on show, photos that you take with this phone are going to look crystal clear. That raises an important point – the camera.

The Xiaomi 12T has a fantastic 108MP + 8MP + 2MP Triple Camera on the back. This is one of the best cameras you’re going to be able to pick up at this price range. Alongside that, there’s a fantastic 5000mAH battery keeping the Mediatek Dimensity 8100-Ultra CPU cycling fast.

You can check the price of the Xiaomi 12T at Amazon.

Best mid range phone for battery – Oppo Find X5 

This phone shows what Oppo is all about – offering incredibly high specs, and almost unrivalled battery life and all for a reasonable price. I mean looking at the specs alone, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Find X5 is in fact a high-end device. It’s not hard to see why it was our pick for the best Oppo phone.

Let’s begin with the AMOLED display which is crisp and smooth, with an impressive 120Hz refresh rate. The 1080p resolution could be higher but is common in the price range. The CPU is powerful and good for gaming and is supported by 8GB of RAM.

Where the phone really shines is in battery life. While the 4800mAh size is not the biggest we have ever seen, the Find X5 wastes none of it. It will easily last you the day with life to spare. As a matter of fact, it should last around 24 hours and that is 24 hours of playing contact video.

Oppo, like OnePlus, teamed up with Hasselblad for the camera to good effect. The two 50MP rear cameras work well with the 12MP telephoto lens to create images with good contrast. As well as this Hasselblad’s shooting modes and other additions to the camera software are well integrated.

Overall, this is an excellent and affordable smartphone, that doesn’t compromise on specs or price.

Best mid-range camera phone – Realme C35

The Realme C35 is a fantastic budget camera phone and amongst the best to come out of 2022.

It packs a 50 megapixel main camera that is on par with more premium phones. Impressively, it uses Sony’s IMX766 sensor meaning it performs pretty well in low lighting. There’s a lot to like, not to mention its impressive 5000mAh battery life, making it a happy balance between price and performance.

Though it doesn’t quite shape up to Samsung’s Galaxy S21, the Realme C35 does capture a lot of color and light. Though it doesn’t offer an ultrawide camera, or special features like Portrait mode. It’s also capable of recording up to 1080p at 30fps which certainly does the job.

The Realme C35 is best suited for casual every day use, whether that means scrolling through social media or switching between apps. While you shouldn’t expect anything spectacular for a phone at this price, it doesn’t mean it’s not still great value.

Overall, it’s a great phone to go for, so long as you don’t mind a slightly dimmer screen and smaller RAM.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a mid-range smartphone?

A mid-range smartphone is roughly between the prices of $250 – $500. They offer high-quality performance and accommodating prices.

What is better iOS or Android?

Generally speaking, if you’re looking for a mid-range smartphone, Android will be your best bet as Apple phones running iOS tend to be slightly more expensive. Though, the debate as to which mobile OS is better really depends on what an individuals needs are.

How do I choose a mid-range phone?

You should focus on a few things: battery life, processor, screen size and resolution, storage and memory, and operating software, and camera. These are the core concerns when buying a smartphone.