The most popular smartphones are mid-range models that sell best because of their good price-performance ratio. Here’s our pick of the top smartphones available in early 2023, priced between $300 and $600, to help you make the right decision.
Smartphone users opt for mid-range models, the price of which can range from $300 to $600. These phones often offer exceptional value for money, which is a good thing.
Chinese brands such as Xiaomi, Honor and Oppo are particularly well represented in this price range. Since then, other manufacturers have realized the importance of offering competitive products. That’s why we also include Samsung and Google models in our selection.
We bring you our picks of the top under $600, under $500, under $400 and under $300 smartphones to help you see things more clearly. If you have a lower spending limit, we recommend checking out our buyer’s guide to the best cheap smartphones in 2022.
Please note that the prices of the smartphones listed below may vary depending on special offers and the launch of newer models. Therefore, a phone can drop into a new price bracket, temporarily or permanently.
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The top smartphones for less than 600 euros
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
The price of the high-end Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, which was released in early 2022, has now fallen below $600. For this price you get an excellent Samsung AMOLED screen, a good camera, good performance and good battery life.
Xiaomi 11T Pro
The Xiaomi 11T Pro is an excellent mid-range smartphone in many ways. It continues to be among the best in its class despite the launch of its successor, the Xiaomi 12T Pro. Its bright screen, excellent performance, and ultra-fast charging make it on our list of the top smartphones for under $600.
The best smartphones under $500
Google Pixel 6
In 2021, it was easy to recommend the Google Pixel 6 to everyone. It still is in 2022! The Google phone is still excellent, but its price has dropped by more than $200 to under $500. There are no better cameras in this price range. We recommend this phone for its camera and software features that are unique to Google phones and top-notch software support.
Oppo Reno 8
Oppo has made a big step forward in 2022 with the Reno 8 and Reno 8 Pro. Perhaps the standard version is the option due to affordability. With its unmistakable and at the same time high-quality design. The camera quality, especially when using the primary camera module, is excellent, as is the performance. A very good all-round smartphone.
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Top smartphones under $400
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
Back to Samsung, but this time with the Galaxy A53 5G. This smartphone is one of the Korean company’s best-selling products, far ahead of its extremely expensive models. Samsung emphasizes two features on this A53 that the competition doesn’t have: its One UI interface that’s both comprehensive and customizable, four years of major Android updates, and five years of security updates.
honor 50
The Honor 50 symbolizes the clear return of the brand after the separation from Huawei. A crucial aspect has now changed: Google applications and services are again available on the Chinese company’s smartphones. Honor presents a product with a stunning 120Hz OLED screen, great performance, long battery life and 66W fast charging to celebrate. It was a little pricey at first, but thanks to stiff competition, it’s now priced at less than $350.
The best smartphones under $300
Samsung Galaxy A33 5G
Samsung has the Galaxy A33 5G that has a number of competitive advantages. Of course we’re looking at the incredibly effective one-piece design, but we’re also looking at the incredibly attractive One UI interface. We’ll still remember its water resistance, its versatility in photos, and (especially) the promise of four years of major Android updates, even if it’s not the most technologically advanced device. It’s the only one that does this at this price point.
Redmi Note 10 Pro
With the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro, we have a solid starting point for our list. It was released in 2021 and is still very popular. Its 120Hz AMOLED screen, excellent battery life, and primary 108MP camera module that performs well every day are all responsible for its success. All were under $250 as of this writing.
Oppo Reno 7
The Oppo Reno 7 is characterized by its exceptionally clean design. In fact, the matte back prevents fingerprints from appearing, and the orange fiberglass version skillfully mimics the feel of leather. Two other advantages are the two-day autonomy and the excellent ColorOS user interface. However, this model is not compatible with 5G for those who want to upgrade.
Redmi Note 11
The Redmi Note 11 seems to be a respectable smartphone that even offers a few small improvements over its predecessor without costing more. The excellent 90 Hz AMOLED display and the increased energy efficiency are particularly noteworthy. The camera department doesn’t look too promising as the Snapdragon 680 can only handle up to 1080p. But the overall performance of the main camera is sufficient. The pros just seem to outweigh the cons and the cons are manageable. This smartphone is the cheapest on this list at less than $250. Ultimately, we can advise you to buy this smartphone in this price range. It is far better and more complete than the alternative smartphones. You can even buy it on sale for less than $200.
