Great smartphones don’t need to cost a fortune. Years of commoditization have brought features once exclusive to high-end devices – including big batteries, multi-camera arrays and high refresh rate displays – down to their more affordable siblings. While there are still some things you’ll only find on flagship smartphones, you don’t have to compromise as much anymore if you’re looking to find the best buy at a lower price point. If you have less than $600 to spend, we can help you figure out what features to prioritize when trying to find the best midrange smartphone.
What is a midrange phone, anyway?
While the term shows up frequently in articles and videos, there isn’t an agreed-upon definition for “midrange” beyond a phone that isn’t a flagship or an entry-level option. Most of our recommendations for the best midrange smartphones cost between $400 and $600 — any less and you should expect significant compromises. If your budget is higher, though, you should consider flagships like the Apple iPhone 16 and the Samsung Galaxy S24.
What to consider before buying a midrange smartphone
Buying a new device can be intimidating, but a few questions can help guide you through the process. First: what platform do you want to use? If the answer is iOS, that narrows your options down to exactly one phone. (Thankfully, it’s great.) And if you’re an Android fan, there’s no shortage of compelling options. Both platforms have their strengths, so you shouldn’t rule either out.
Obviously, also consider how much you’re comfortable spending. Even increasing your budget by $100 more can get you a dramatically better product. And manufacturers tend to support their more expensive devices for longer. It’s definitely worth buying something toward the top limit of what you can afford.
Having an idea of your priorities will help inform your budget. Do you want a long battery life or fast charging speed? Do you value speedy performance above all else? Or would you like the best possible cameras? While they continue to improve every year, even the best midrange smartphones still demand some compromises, and knowing what’s important to you will make choosing one easier.
Lastly, pay attention to wireless bands and network compatibility. If you don’t want to worry about that, your best bet is to buy directly from your carrier. To make things easier, all the phones we recommend are compatible with every major US wireless provider and can be purchased unlocked.
What won’t you get from a midrange smartphone?
Every year, the line between midrange and flagship phones gets blurrier as more upmarket features and specs trickle down to more affordable models. When we first published this guide in 2020, it was difficult to find $500 devices with waterproofing or 5G. Now, the biggest thing you might miss out on is wireless charging. Just remember to budget for a power adapter too – many companies have stopped including chargers with their smartphones. Performance has improved in recent years, but can still be hit or miss as most midrange phones use slower processors that can struggle with multitasking. Thankfully, their cameras have improved dramatically, and you can typically expect at least a dual-lens system on most midrange smartphones below $600.
The best midrange phones for 2024
Photo by Sam Rutherford / Engadget
Screen size: 6.1 inches | Storage capacity: Up to 256GB | SIM card type: Nano-SIM, eSIM | Front camera resolution: 13MP | Rear camera resolution: 64MP main, 13MP ultrawide | Weight: 6.6 ounces
Read our full review of the Google Pixel 8a
Google’s A-series Pixels have long been some of the best midrange phones on the market. But now with the addition of a Tensor G3 chip, the Pixel 8a supports the same powerful and versatile AI functions you get on Google’s flagship phones along with excellent cameras, a gorgeous 120Hz OLED display and great battery life. The device also comes with creature comforts like IP67 dust and water resistance and convenient (but slow) 7.5-watt Qi wireless charging. But most importantly, starting at $499, it might be one of the best deals on the market.
- Colorful 120Hz OLED display
- Strong battery life
- Excellent cameras
- Great value
- Slow wireless charging
- Thick bezels
Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget
Read our full iPhone 15 review
Screen size: 6.1 inches | Storage capacity: Up to 512GB | SIM card type: Dual eSIM | Front camera resolution: 12MP | Rear camera resolution: 48MP main, 12MP ultra wide | Weight: 6.02 ounces
Our previous pick here was the iPhone 13, but that model is no longer being sold at Apple. Now, if you’re looking to save a little (just a little) cash and still get an iPhone, your best bet is the iPhone 15. Yes, the iPhone 14 is still hanging on in the lineup, but it relies on a Lightning port for wired charging. It’s 2024, and we recommend your next phone — regardless of how much you spend — have a USB-C port.
We called the iPhone 15 the “most substantial update to the regular iPhone in years” in our iPhone 15 review. While the overall design and display were familiar, the biggest upgrades came in the camera array and the adoption of the Dynamic Island. You’ll get a 48-megapixel main shooter with a quad-pixel sensor that’s capable of taking better shots in dim lighting. You can also apply portrait mode settings after taking photos with this system, instead of having to choose it before taking a shot. We saw noticeable improvements in photos taken on the iPhone 15 when compared to those taken on the iPhone 14, particularly in low-lighting conditions, so you’re getting a better camera system overall. As for the Dynamic Island, it’s a carry-over feature from Pro-level iPhones that’s genuinely useful here.
The iPhone 15 runs on Apple’s A16 Bionic chipset, and performance is as we expected — solid, with very few instances of running warm during daily use. The smartphone has Apple’s signature “all day” battery life, and we’ve seen it last a little longer than that in our testing. While we understand that $700 isn’t exactly a “midrange” price, we believe the iPhone 14 and iPhone SE, which come in at $600 and $429, respectively, present too many compromises to be worth the cost. If you’re dead-set on getting an iPhone but want to spend as little as possible, future you will be grateful that you spent the extra money on the iPhone 15. — Valentina Palladino, Deputy Editor
- Upgraded camera
- Solid performance
- Dynamic Island is handy
- USB-C charging
- Overall design is getting stale
- No high-refresh rate display
- USB-C is limited
- Colors are underwhelming
SAMSUNG
Screen size: 6.6 inches | Storage capacity: 128GB + microSD | SIM card type: Nano-SIM | Front camera resolution: 13MP | Rear camera resolution: 50MP main, 8MP ultrawide, 5MP macro | Weight: 7.5 oz
A newer version of one of our previous top picks, the Samsung A35 5G has one of the best displays you’ll get in a sub-$500 smartphone. It sports a 6.6-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and Samsung’s Vision Booster technology, which adjusts the display’s tone mapping based on the lighting in your environment.
Other standout features of this Samsung phone include a versatile camera system and a 5,000mAh battery. The triple rear array includes a 50MP main shooter, an 8MP ultrawide lens and a 5MP macro camera, while the battery supports 25W super fast charging.
The A35 5G runs on an Exynos 1380 chipset, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Don’t expect it to perform as well as our top pick in this guide, but it should handle most tasks well. Samsung also included a microSD card slot on this device, so you can expand the storage if you need.
- 120Hz screen with Vision Booster
- 5,000mAh battery that supports 25W charging
- Expandable storage with microSD card slot
- Runs on an Exynos processor
OnePlus
Screen size: 6.72 inches | Storage capacity: 128GB + microSD | SIM card type: Nano-SIM | Front camera resolution: 16MP | Rear camera resolution: 108MP main, 2MP macro | Weight: 6.8 oz
When it first came out, the Nord N30 had basically everything you could want in a phone that cost $300. Its Snapdragon 695 5G chipset delivers strong performance along with speedy wireless connectivity that’s compatible with all the big US carriers, not to mention good specs including 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It also has a big 6.7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate, which is rare on a budget phone as most rivals feature slower 60Hz or 90Hz panels. And thanks to its 50-watt wired charging, you can top it up quickly, too. But most importantly, the Nord 30 recently got a price drop from $300 to $250, making it an unquestionably good deal and our top pick in this space.
- Good performance for the price
- 120Hz display
- 50W wired charging
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