Looking for a new phone but don't want to break the bank? Some of these mid-range options offer huge feature sets without those top-bracket flagship prices, such as the Google Pixel 8 and iPhone 15.

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It's a great time to buy a mid-range phone. There are impressive options out there from Google, Apple, Oppo, and more top brands. Plus, they're starting to offer the sort of tech that used to be reserved for big-hitting flagships. Also, right now, there are some pretty great spring sales happening, which means that if you keep an eye out you can find some mid-range phones for a budget price.

For instance, the standard of the cameras on mid-range phones are incredibly impressive. The Oppo Reno 8 Pro fell down slightly on its secondary lenses, but its main camera and selfie camera really shone, making use of MariSilicon X image processing technology that makes photography easy.

Elsewhere, we loved the simple, affordable and infinitely usable Google Pixel 6a. It comes in a small, compact and affordable package, with an RRP of £399, and offers more than most phones at the same price.

As ever, with mid-range phones the phone will likely fall a little shorter on certain features and that's how the brand achieves that price-tag, rather than just making another flagship. As a result, it pays to re-examine your own personal preferences and priorities in a phone before buying a new mid-ranger. Only you know how much flexibility you have in terms of budget, as well as what you're most likely to use your phone for.

There's no exact science to where the budget, mid-range and premium — or 'flagship' — categories begin and end. This varies from publication to publication and from brand to brand. In our case, we've chosen to define a budget smartphone as anything under £300, a mid-range smartphone as anything between £300 and £600, and a premium smartphone as anything above £600.

Of these premium smartphones, only some of them are actually regarded as flagships. A flagship is a phone that leads a whole brand's offering, or at least one of their most premium lines. The term is a naval one as, historically, the flagship in a navy would be the largest, most valuable ship with the most firepower.

Read on for our full round-up of the very best mid-range smartphones on the market today. There are some great value offerings in this list that our experts have loved testing.

Looking for a more affordable phone? Take a look at the best budget smartphones to buy in 2024, as well as the best smartphones for older people.

If you fancy treating yourself to a high-end phone, check out our guide to everything you need to know about the Google Pixel 8a release date.

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Best mid-range phones at a glance:

Have a specific brand in mind? Take a look at the full list of Samsung Galaxy phones, our guide to the best Honor phones, best Oppo phones and our recommendations of the best Motorola phone.

Best mid-range phones to buy in 2024

Google Pixel 7a

Best all-rounder

Google Pixel 7 featured image

Pros

  • Amazing camera
  • Speedy new processor
  • Brilliant value
  • Google software and Google hardware combine with great results
  • Slick interface and user experience
  • Accessible and easy to use

Cons

  • Display only 90Hz
  • No optical zoom
  • Unremarkable fast-charging

Key features:

  • Google Tensor G2 chip
  • Android 13
  • IP68 dust and water resistant
  • 8GB RAM
  • 6.1 inch AMOLED display

The Google Pixel 7a is a hugely impressive smartphone. It competes with handsets that cost much more thanks to Google's intelligent AI. That AI makes for a speedy, intuitive user experience and offers amazing image processing.

If photography is your thing, then you're in luck; the phone boasts an easy-to-use camera perfect for capturing amazing images. It also offers one of the slickest, smoothest user experiences out there by combining Google software with Google hardware.

Buy the Google Pixel 7a:

As a result, the 50MP main camera on the Pixel 7a competes with some of the best offerings out there. The standard phone lacks an optical zoom though, offering only a super res zoom. If zoom photography is your main priority, then you'll have to go slightly more up-market. Consider a premium option like the Pixel 8 or the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5.

If you're looking for something a bit more budget-friendly, there's also the Pixel 6. Following the release of the Pixel 7, Pixel 7a and Pixel 8 it's increasingly being discounted, as you'd expect. Check out the latest prices below.

Buy the Google Pixel 6:

Nothing Phone (2)

Best premium mid-ranger

Nothing Phone 2
John Lewis

Pros

  • Adaptive refresh rate
  • 45W charging speed
  • Excellent battery life
  • Up to four years of updates of Nothing OS
  • High-quality cameras

Cons

  • Doesn't come with charger, only a USB-C cable
  • Doesn't support high frame rate gaming
  • Not water-resistant

Key features:

  • 12GB RAM
  • 256GB storage
  • 4700mAh battery
  • 5G connectivity

We were impressed with this new offering from Nothing. The tech brand launched its first phone back in 2022, much to the delight of customers searching for effective and affordable mid-range smartphones. Now they've done it again with the release of the Nothing 2.

So what does the new flagship model have that the the Nothing pioneer doesn't? Expect to find faster hardware, speedier charging and improved cameras and display, making the extra cash more than worth it.

There's also the added benefit of the new Nothing OS 2.0, which gives users a fluid, clean and quick experience.

It's worth bearing in mind that this model doesn't support high frame rate gaming, so smartphone gamers should stay away.

With this being the 'premium' offering on the list, it does out-perform some other entries in some respects. However, you'll need a slightly larger budget to pick one up.

Buy the Nothing 2:

Fancy learning more about the products Nothing has on offer? Read our guide to the Nothing Phone (1), complete with prices, specs and places to buy your own model.

Apple iPhone SE (3rd gen)

Best mid-range iOS experience

iPhone SE 3

Pros

  • Seamless iOS experience
  • 5G connectivity
  • Excellent camera results

Cons

  • Small display

Key features

  • A15 Bionic chip, same as iPhone 13
  • Wireless charging capability

The iteration of Apple's most affordable phone — the iPhone SE — adds 5G connectivity, more storage and a more powerful processor.

It can be purchased for just over £400 but the iPhone SE (3rd gen) uses the same A15 Bionic chip used in the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 with great results.

The main drawback is a smaller display. While the phone is nice and compact, the small screen is less well suited to video streaming, editing images, or similar tasks. Overall, though, the SE 3 is a good value entry-point to the Apple line-up.

Certain that you want an iPhone? Head over to our best iPhone guide to see how other models compare to the iPhone SE. Or, for more on how the new model compares to its predecessor, try out our iPhone SE 2020 vs iPhone SE 2022 guide.

For Apple audio and beyond, take a look at the best AirPods alternatives, Apple Music vs Spotify, and the top Apple Music offers for this month.

Buy the Apple iPhone SE (3rd gen):

Honor Magic 5 Lite

Best budget mid-range smartphone

Honor Magic 5 Lite
Currys

Pros

  • Curved 120 Hz OLED panel
  • Excellent battery life

Cons

  • No 4K video recording
  • Low speaker loudness and quality due to single loudspeaker

Key features

  • 5100mAh battery easily lasts for more than a day
  • Scratch/drop resistant glass
  • 120 Hz AMOLED display

If you're after a mid-range phone for a budget price, then you're in luck; that's exactly what the Honor Magic 5 Lite offers. It also comes with a Snapdragon 695 5G processor, a powerful offering given the low price tag.

On top of that, it's got a versatile camera set-up and very strong battery life — it lasts for over a day — while 120 Hz OLED is up to a flagship level. Sure, it has a slower charging rate and a single loudspeaker , but those are compromises we are willing to make.

Buy the Honor Magic 5 Lite:

For more information on the latest smartphones from Honor, check out our guide to the best Honor phones to buy this year.

Motorola Moto G82

Best mid-range display

Motorola Moto G82
Amazon

Pros:

  • Solid camera offering
  • Smooth hi-res display
  • Lightweight design with splash protection
  • 128GB base storage

Cons:

  • No 4K video recording

Key Features:

  • Snapdragon 695 5G Plus processor
  • 50MP, 8MP and 2MP rear cameras
  • 16MP selfie camera
  • 5000mAh battery

For the price bracket, the Motorola Moto G82's display is stunning. It's silky smooth to use too, thanks to its colour-accurate and bright 120Hz display, and super clean Android experience.

The 6.6-inch OLED panel is highly impressive, as is the long-lasting battery life. If you don't mind compromising slightly on photo and video quality, this could be the model for you.

Buy the Motorola Moto G82:

Google Pixel 6a

Best small mid-range phone

Google Pixel 6a

Pros:

  • Compact form factor
  • Powerful and slick to use
  • Solid camera
  • Google's Tensor Chip performs well again

Cons:

  • Not much cheaper than Pixel 6
  • No fast-charger included and max charge speed 18W
  • No wireless charging
  • 60Hz display

Key feature:

  • 5G connectivity
  • Android 13
  • Google Tensor processor

The smaller version of the Google Pixel makes a few compromises on specs — but it's still a fantastic handset. Thanks to that notably compact form-factor and 6.1-inch display it's a great option for any users with smaller hands, or those who just want a nice pocketable phone, rather than a larger phone at the 6.7-inch display size that has increasingly become standard.

You'll have to settle for a 60Hz display and ditch wireless charging, but otherwise it's a fantastic little phone. It combines Google hardware and software to great effect, giving users a notably smooth experience at just £299. We could possibly see discounts soon too, as the release of the Pixel 7 approaches.

Check out our full review of the Google Pixel 6a.

Buy the Google Pixel 6a:

Xiaomi 12

Best for fast charging

xiaomi 12
Amazon

Pros:

  • Very fast wireless and wired charging
  • High quality speakers
  • Bright, 120 Hz curved OLED display
  • Great ergonomic support

Cons:

  • Underwhelming battery life
  • No ingress protection

If you’re on the lookout for a phone with fantastic performance and quick charging that isn’t going to cost the premium of high-end handsets, then the Xiaomi 12 is a fantastic option. It comes with a crisp and colourful OLED display that’s higher resolution than the base model.

Obviously the fast charging is a major draw to this model— it can reach full power in just 39 minutes. Users will also be more than satisfied with the dedicated stereo speakers, as well as the triple camera set-up and the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor.

That being said, once the phone is fully charged, the battery may not last as long as other models. If you're willing to compromise on this, then don't let that put you off.

Buy the Xiaomi 12:

Xiaomi 12 | £451.27 at Amazon

A mid-range phone would make a brilliant gift for a loved one, perhaps for a youngster's first smartphone. For more tech gifts and gadgets and university technology essentials, check out our best lists.

Motorola Edge 40

Best mid-range performance

Motorola Edge 40
Currys

Pros:

  • Dependant battery life, quick to charge
  • Lightweight and compact
  • Good quality stereo speakers
  • 144Hz display with good refresh rate handling

Cons:

  • No zoom camera
  • Difficult to clean

Key features:

  • 440mAh battery
  • 4K video recording
  • 68W wired charging, 15W wireless charging

The ‘jack of all trades’ Motorola Edge 40 is a fantastic mid-range option if you want a fast phone with great battery life. It’s usually on the more expensive side of mid-range, however there are plenty of sales going on at large tech retailers, offering huge discounts on this model.

With the Motorola Edge 40 you are getting a feature-packed phone with a fantastic 144 Hz OLED display.

Where the Edge 40 really shines is in its performance. The upgraded internals and potent chipset mean that all your apps run smoothly without affecting battery life dramatically. And when it comes to battery, the Motorola Edge 40 also leads in terms of fast charging and battery life.

Buy the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra:

How to choose the best mid-range phone

Here are some top tips on how to choose the right mid-range model for you.

  • Shop around: Leading tech giants like Apple, Google, and Samsung offer their own affordable phones, including the Pixel 6a and iPhone SE (2022), so you'll never have to settle for a 'lesser' brand. But there are plenty of phone makers in this space that shouldn’t be overlooked – namely Xiaomi, Oppo, Realme and OnePlus.
  • Compromise: When it comes to choosing the right mid-range phone, the key will be to compromise. Understand that you can’t have every premium feature in one package – that’s a luxury for the top-end handsets – and instead, focus on what you need the phone for. Is it a two-day battery life? Top camera lenses? High refresh rate display? That will narrow down your options and help you save cash.
  • Read reviews: While the spec sheet for a phone will tell you everything you need to know about screen size, camera specs, storage options, battery life, and processor – expert reviewers will give you an honest view of how the handset performs in the real world. Here at RadioTimes.com, we get hands-on time with lots of phones, like the Poco F4 GT and a wide array of the best budget smartphones, too.
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For the latest news, reviews and deals, check out the RadioTimes.com Technology section. Want a handset for an older relative? Read our guide to the best smartphone for older people.

Authors

Jason MurdockDigital Reviews Writer
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