Best mid-range smartphones: 7 excellent options tested and reviewed

The Pixel 7a is an impressive mid-range Android phone that combines excellent camera skills, Google’s renowned software, and an affordable price tag. It has quickly become a favourite among the Trusted Reviews staff.

Google’s latest A-series device matches many of the essential features found in its pricier counterpart, the Pixel 7, while also offering several advantages over the Pixel 6a. These advantages include convenient Qi wireless charging, a generous 8GB of memory, a faster 90Hz screen compared to the Pixel 6a’s 60Hz, and a sturdy metal body that improves durability.

The standout feature of the Pixel 7a is, as many would expect from this series, its impressive camera array. Equipped with a new 64MP sensor that’s far larger than the one in the Pixel 6a, it captures exceptional images in various lighting conditions, accurately rendering skin tones. In fact, it’s hard to find a better phone in this price range that can match the camera performance here.

Under the hood, the Pixel 7a is powered by the same Tensor G2 chip found in its higher-end counterparts, the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. This chip offers satisfactory performance for its price range and handles the phone’s AI features, such as call screening and voice recording, with ease. There are faster, more capable mid-range phones though – including the Asus Zenfone 9.

It’s worth noting that the Pixel 7a’s battery life is average, and charging is slow. While the phone generally lasts a day, heavy screen usage on busier days might require a quick recharge. A full charge can take over 100 minutes, and a charger needs to be purchased separately.

Overall, the Pixel 7a presents itself as an impressive choice, combining excellent camera capabilities, Google’s software prowess, and an affordable price point.

Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: Google Pixel 7a

If you want a smartphone that stands out from the crowd, look no further than the Nothing Phone (2).

Continuing what was started with the Nothing Phone (1), the latest model sports the same unique transparent look that gives a good look at some of the components powering the phone, and the Glyph interface has made a return too.

The white LED strips on the rear are much brighter this time around and, thanks to improvements in the strips, the light show is much more customisable. That’s further improved by Glyph Composer, a synthesiser-style app that allows you to create your own visual ringtones that sync with the rear lighting panel.

The Glyph interface is still mainly used for alerting you to incoming calls and texts, but it’s handy and, importantly, looks impressive – especially at the mid-range price point.

It’s not just a looker either; it sports the flagship-level Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 for top-end power and efficiency, a 4,700mAh battery with 45W charging that delivers a full charge in under an hour and a dual 50MP rear camera offering.

There’s also Nothing OS 2.0, introducing new features like widget support on both the lock screen and always-on display. It’s heavily stylised with a dot-matrix iconography that won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but as with the hardware, it certainly sets itself apart from the mid-range competition.

Reviewer: Lewis Painter
Full review: Nothing Phone (2) review

Motorola’s mid-range Edge 40 is a strong option for prospective buyers, offering not only a sleek, svelte design but impressive camera performance, a gorgeous display and fast 68W charging tech for £529.

The design of the Edge 40 is unique, sporting a vegan leather rear that completely encompasses the rear including the camera housing, with the material also proving to be grippy enough to wield the 6.55-inch phone one-handed without much issue. It’s also one of the thinner and lighter options around at 7.6mm and 172g respectively.

The display is rapid at 144Hz, with pOLED tech delivering the vibrant colours and inky blacks expected of the tech – it’s just a shame that the 144Hz refresh rate is locked, with the auto-refresh rate option only cycling between 60- and 120Hz.

The main 50MP rear camera has the widest aperture around at f/1.4, and combined with PDAF and OIS, takes impressive low-light photos for the money. It also adds a nice natural bokeh to most images with a relatively shallow depth of field. The ultra-wide isn’t quite as capable, however, and the selfie camera delivered consistently washed-out images.

Things aren’t quite as rosy when it comes to performance though; the Dimensity 8020 chipset is more than enough to power the day-to-day experience without lag, but the phone can quickly overheat when playing demanding games like Call of Duty Mobile leading to lag and framerate drops.

Reviewer: Lewis Painter
Full review: Motorola Edge 40

If you’re a Samsung purist and your budget can’t quite stretch to the £849 Samsung Galaxy S23, the more budget-friendly £449 Galaxy A54 5G might suit your needs.

It sports a near-identical design to the flagship Galaxy S23 series complete with rounded edges and a minimalistic camera setup on the rear, and even makes the jump to a glass rear for an added premium feel, though it’s let down somewhat by the polycarbonate frame.

Netflix bingers and social media addicts will love the 6.4-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, delivering vibrant colours and deep blacks. It’s just as good for gaming, though with the distinctly mid-range Exynos 1380 chipset, it’s more limited to 2D titles than AAA 3D games like Call of Duty Mobile with top-end graphics enabled.

Though it may seem like a downgrade on paper compared to the 64MP snapper of its predecessor, the A54 5G’s 50MP main lens has a larger sensor and improved OIS that leads to notable improvements in low-light photography, though it can’t quite compete with the Pixel 7. That’s flanked by an ultrawide and macro lens, but the main lens is where most of the attention is.

The inclusion of a 5000mAh battery is welcome, matching the top-end S23 Ultra and beating the flagship S23 and S23 Plus, but battery life is a bit hit-and-miss in real-world conditions. It has the potential to last all day with average use, but pushing the A54 5G to its limits will leave you scrambling for a charger. And, with 25W charging, it takes quite some time to charge too.

Reviewer: Lewis Painter
Full review: Samsung Galaxy A54 5G

If you’re an Apple fan, and dead-set on getting an iPhone, then there are a couple of options on the market at the moment. At £779, the regular iPhone 13 is too expensive for what we consider a mid-range phone, so that’s crossed off the list. But the cheaper iPhone 13 Mini is within budget and a great choice if you want a smaller device.

You’ve got to be really comfortable with this smaller form factor to enjoy the iPhone 13 Mini, and it probably isn’t for those who watch a lot of media or play lots of games on the go. We found the screen is too small for that.

But, if you use your phone more for messaging, social media and taking pictures then the smaller size might be of benefit. It’s also the most comfortable phone to use one-handed on this list, especially if you’ve got smaller hands.

Feature-wise, the iPhone 13 Mini is the same as the pricier iPhone 13. Performance is the best out of any mid-range phone both in stringent lab tests and real-world use, while the duo of cameras on the back are the only ones listed that can compete with the Pixel 6. You’ll also get multiple years of support through iOS updates.

Wireless charging is here, as is an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. It’s also just a very nice looking phone, with multiple tasteful colour options available.

If you want a cheaper iPhone, the iPhone SE 2022 packs the same high-end performance but in a slightly dated body with a smaller screen.

Reviewer: Max Parker
Full review: iPhone 13 Mini Review

As the name suggests, the Xiaomi 13 Lite is a cheaper version of the excellent Xiaomi 13 – one of our favourite Android phones of the year so far.

Our reviewer was thoroughly impressed with the design here, praising the curved looks and thin overall build. But it impressed in other areas too, even bettering the pricier Xiaomi 13 when it came to the selfie camera.

It has a bright OLED display too, a really impressive main rear camera that beats many entries on this list even if it can, at times, oversaturate images. If you like the blurry, bokeh-influenced selfies too this is a winner.

There’s snappy 67w charging that can take it from 0-100% in less than 45 minutes and generally battery life that got our reviewer comfortably through the day.

Reviewer: Andrew Williams
Full review: Xiaomi 13 Lite review

The Honor 90 is a good phone in many areas but it really impressed our reviewer with its fantastic display – especially at the sub-£500 price.

The 6.67-inch OLED display is excellent, whether it’s for watching Netflix or reading books in the Kindle app. The 2664×1200 resolution is sharp and it gets really dim too, along with getting very bright when outside.

It also has a 120Hz refresh rate and the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition chipset. We found that the chipset could handle most of what we threw at it, however it does feel a little slower than the Pixel 7a.

Other key features include a healthy 5000mAh battery with fast 65W wired charging and 5G connectivity. The main rear camera is solid too, which isn’t always a given at this end of the market.

Reviewer: Thomas Deehan
Full review: Honor 90 review