Are you interested in saving some cash on your next smartphone purchase? It may be time for you to take your eyes off flagships and pursue some superb mid-range options.
From Samsung Galaxy S21 to iPhone 12 Pro Max, there is no doubt that the past year has been an exciting year. But, not all of us have wads of cash to burn on premium smartphones. This is not exactly bad news since the smartphone market is saturated with a lot of excellent options for budget prices.
The secret to making the best mid-range smartphone choice is to determine carefully which features you can live without. Do you really need a 20MP camera or a 10000mAh battery? These are questions that should guide you in picking which model best serves your needs.
Listed below is a list of the top-rated mid-range smartphones for 2023.
Best Mid Range Phone 2023
1. Samsung Galaxy A51
Much like all other phones from Samsung’s Galaxy A series, A51 optimizes for mid-quality performance. It also sports the same Exynos 9611 processor and Mali-G72 graphics setup, albeit in an Octa-core setup. However, its 4GB RAM isn’t something to boast about given that most other mid-range phones are a 6GB system.
Features
- 4G LTE cellular
- Quad 70MP rear cameras
- 128GB RAM
- 6.5” 1080p AMOLED IPS Corning Gorilla Glass 3
- 802.11ac and Bluetooth 5.0
- 4×2.3GHz and 4×1.7GHz Cortex processors
- 32MP HDR selfie
- Android 10
Pros
- Picture quality is incredible
- Super-lightweight and ultra-slim
- Uses a high-powered processor
- Quality Samsung durability
- Large screen and even better battery
Cons
- RAM is only 4GB
- Fingerprint reader doesn’t always work
Price: View on Amazon
2. Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro
If not for the excessive bloatware and spying Chinese thing, Redmi Note 9 would have easily topped our list. Its display is bigger than A51, the 6GB RAM is bigger, and the Qualcomm 720G processor also runs faster. Redmi Note 9 also uses the super-durable Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and supports both 802.11ac and 802.11ax Wi-Fi.
Features
- Quad 79MP AI rear cameras
- 4G LTE
- 5G Wi-Fi
- 16MP selfie
- 128GB storage
- 6.67” 1080p FHD+ IPS
- 5000mAh battery
Pros
- Can handle recording at 4K 60Hz
- The design is unique and stylish
- Premium wireless performance
- Ergonomic with smooth handling
- Camera quality is almost as impressive as A51
- Supports 15W fast charge
Cons
- Too much bloatware
- Xiaomi has been caught remotely operating their phones before
Price: View on Amazon
3. Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite
It sits comfortably at the edge of mid-range phones not only in price but also in software and components. Galaxy Note 10’s 6.7” screen and 6GB RAM operates on Exynos 9810 and Mali-G72 chips, much like A51. However, the phone’s 4G cellular and 36MP combined cameras mean there is some significant overpricing.
Features
- 128GB memory
- Up to 1TB MicroSD
- 32MP HDR selfie
- USB Type-C
- Bluetooth 5.0
- 802.11ac wireless
- 2.7GHz and 1.7GFHz octa-core setup
- 1080p AMOLED IPS
- 4500mAh
Pros
- Huge and vivid display
- Massive memory
- Comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack
- Super-fast with little overheat
Cons
- Ships with European power adapter
- Poor camera for the price
Price: View on Amazon
4. LG V60 ThinQ LM-V600AM
While it may compete with Note10 in price, LGV60 is one of the few mid-range phones with 5G cellular. The phone offers a ridiculous 77.3MP combined rear camera setup on a 6.8” display and 8GB of RAM.
Features
- 1080p OLED
- 10MP selfie
- Android 10
- 128GB storage
- Octa-core Qualcomm 865
Pros
- Super-clear OLED screen
- Cinema quality pictures and sound
- Offers 5G support
- Beautiful style
- Massive RAM and battery capacity
Cons
- No 4K recording or HDR
- Somewhat pricy
Price: View on Amazon
5. Google Pixel 3 XL
When it comes to security, you can expect Pixel3XL not to mess up like Xiaomi, albeit for a high cost. However, for all its other excellent features, the phones Chrome OS and 4GB RAM aren’t encouraging.
Features
- 128GB memory
- 6.3” AMOLED Gorilla Glass
- Face ID
- USB-C and Bluetooth 5.0
Pros
- Can charge wirelessly
- No bloatware
- Solid durability
- Flawless picture and audio
Cons
- Old-style
- Somewhat expensive
- No MicroSD expansion
- Lacks Telephoto camera
Price: View on Amazon
6. Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro
The prevalence of Chinese products on this review is not an error nor is it surprising since they make the cheapest products. Disregarding common beliefs on the quality of Asian products, however, Xiaomi Mi 9T is a true wonder. It is the best smartphone within its price range, beating out the likes of Moto G7 and OnePlus 7T. the 18-hour runtime is insane and the screen display is also of stunning quality. It costs just around $400 to buy one of this beauty anywhere in the world.
Specs
- 128GB storage and 8GB RAM
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor
- 2.84GHz processor speed
- Android Pie OS
- 2340 x 1080p resolution
- 6.4-inch display
- 13MP front and 48+8MP rear cameras
Pros
- Cheap option
- Best value
- Ultra-light and compact
- Brilliant display with IPS screen
- Ridiculous runtime
- Borderless design
- Includes a headphone jack
- Awesome cameras
Cons
- Wi-Fi is slow
- No 27W charger included
- Lacks a MicroSD card slot
- The selfie camera pops up
Price: View on Amazon
7. Google Pixel 3a
Despite our expectation that Google’s new smartphones will be sold for a premium, Pixel 3a is a budget phone through and through. The performance is sound and the design all-around excellent with a night shooting mode that impresses the most. Google’s Pixel 3a has the best camera performance of all our mid-range smartphone choices so far.
Specs
- 2.0 GHz processing speed
- Android Pie operating system
- 64GB storage and 4GB RAM
- 5.6-inch screen
- 2220 x 1080p resolution
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 processor
- 12MP dual-pixel camera
Pros
- Clean UI performance
- Fantastic display
- Impressive runtime
- Camera is outstanding
- Widescreen
Cons
- Old design
- Plastic construction
- Lacks wireless charging
- No waterproofing or dust-resistance
Price: View on Amazon
8. Motorola G7 Power
G7 Power is the model for users who prefer a larger battery capacity. It has similar specs to the normal Moto G7 but has a 5000mAh battery that gives it a ridiculous 12hourruntime. The camera also performs as well as can be expected from a Motorola product.
Specs
- 5,000mAh battery
- 6.2 inch display
- 64GB storage and 4GB RAM
- 193g in weight
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 chipset
- 1570 x 720p resolution
- 8MP front and 12MP rear cameras
Pros
- Monstrous runtime
- Brilliant value
- Cheap
- Large display with a notch
- Fast charging time
- Excellent 4K video captures
Cons
- Resolution is low
- Heavy
- Photos are not clear at night
- Outdated GPU
- Spotty storage performance
Price: View on Amazon
9. Xiaomi Pocophone F1
Specs
- 8GB RAM and 128GB storage
- 6.18-inch screen
- Android 8.1 OS
- 12MP+ 5MP rear and 20MP front cameras
- 400mAh battery
- Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset
- 2280 x 1080p resolution
- Gorilla Glass 3
- USB-C port
Pros
- Sold for less than $300
- Brilliant 4K recordings
- Properly cooled processor
- Includes an audio jack
- Great display
- Superb speakers
- Leading runtime
- Solid build with no plastic
Cons
- Lacks water-resistance
- No NFC or EIS
- Bad low-light performance
Price: View on Amazon
10. OnePlus 7T
Its chipset is more advanced than for 6T and an improved fingerprint sensor all make 7T one step above its predecessor. The 20W fast charging tech also makes it a very modern choice when examined with the 90Hz refresh.
Specs
- 128GB storage
- 8GB RAM
- Snapdragon 855 processor
- 6.55-inch display
- 2400 x 1080p
- 3800mAh
- 16MP front and 48+12MP rear cameras
Pros
- Smooth AMOLED screen
- Powerful
- Fast charging capabilities
- Large storage capacity
Cons
- Low battery life
- The camera doesn’t do well in low-light.
Price: View on Amazon