Not everyone can afford a flagship phone like the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra or iPhone 13 Pro, but the good news is that plenty of cheaper devices offer an excellent experience all the same.
Some are half the price or even less, so don't panic if your bank account is looking a little bare and you're in need of a new smartphone. We've reviewed and ranked the best mid-range phones you can buy today.
Mid-range smartphones aim to combine flagship-level features with great value. You may have to compromise slightly on one aspect or another, like the camera or build quality, but it's often totally worth it to save hundreds - and some of the phones at the top of the price range are flagships in their own right.
Phones from the likes of Realme, Xiaomi, and Poco are prime choices, but note that many of these don't release in the US and Canada, where OnePlus, Motorola, and Google are better buys. Read past our rundown for more mid-range phone buying advice.
1. OnePlus Nord 2
- Excellent software
- Great design
- Strong all-rounder
Cons
- Only 90Hz display
- Slightly thick
Unavailable in the US
An outstanding follow-up to 2020's best mid-range phone, with great performance, 5G, OnePlus's signature Oxygen OS user experience, and a near-flagship main camera. What's not to love?
What the OnePlus Nord 2 really demonstrates is the company's ability to prioritise the features that users are looking for right now and wrapping them up in an attractive package with a compelling price point.
The Nord 2 misses out on flagship niceties like wireless charging and waterproofing, but those are really the only compromises made here.
There's also the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G available, which delivers a stripped-back version of the Nord 2 for a slightly lower price.
Read our full OnePlus Nord 2 review
2. Poco X4 Pro 5G
- 120Hz AMOLED display
- 108Mp main camera
- Attractive design
Cons
- Middling MIUI software
- Plastic body
Unavailable
The Poco X4 Pro 5G is only just expensive enough to count as a mid-ranger in our books, but that just means it offers pretty exceptional value.
The 6.67in, 120Hz AMOLED display is essentially flagship-level, and it's matched by a slick, elegant design elsewhere. Even the camera impresses, with a surprisingly solid 108Mp sensor for the main shooter - though the accompanying ultrawide and macro cameras aren't as impressive.
It's all made of plastic, so doesn't feel too premium, and we don't love the MIUI software running on here (shared by all Xiaomi, Poco, and Redmi phones). But overall this is an excellent package for the price.
Read our full Poco X4 Pro 5G review
3. Google Pixel 6
- Excellent software
- Great cameras
- Strong value
Cons
- Only 90Hz display
- Divisive design
- Slow charging
From $599
The Pixel 6 is an eye-catching phone for a few reasons. For one, the price impresses, with what's essentially a flagship phone clearly undercutting what you'd expect to be the rivals from Apple and Samsung.
There's the design too though. Dominated by a jutting camera bar, the Pixel 6 doesn't look like anything else on the market - well, except its Pixel 6 Pro big brother - and the aesthetic is nothing if not divisive. It's pretty big and heavy too, so won't suit anyone hoping for a small phone.
What you do get is one of the best cameras around at this price, with an exceptional main lens backed up by an equally strong ultrawide. Both benefit from a few clever AI tricks delivered by Google's new in-house Tensor chip and can take a few shots that no other phone can.
The only real downsides are a screen that's 90Hz rather than 120Hz, and relatively slow 30W charging - with no charger included in the box either.
Read our full Google Pixel 6 review
4. Moto G200
- Flagship specs
- 144Hz display
- 108Mp camera
Cons
- LCD screen
- Only one OS update confirmed
- Plain, plastic design
Unavailable
The Moto G200 is the most powerful Motorola phone around right now, which makes the affordable price tag all the more impressive.
The Snapdragon 888+ chipset is blisteringly fast, as is the 144Hz refresh rate display - though it's admittedly only LCD, not OLED. That makes this a great phone for gamers and the performance-obsessed, but less so for Instagram and Netflix sessions.
A big 5000mAh battery and 33W wired charging are decent too, as is the 108Mp main camera - though the ultrawide leaves a little more to be desired.
Read our full Motorola Moto G200 review
5. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
- Astonishing value
- 120Hz AMOLED display
- High-resolution camera
Cons
- No 5G
- Big camera bump
- Not our favourite software
$379
The Redmi Note 10 Pro is one of the best phones you can buy at its price point, with Xiaomi delivering exceptional value for money.
Highlights here start with the stunning screen, offering AMOLED technology and a 120Hz refresh rate, and continue with an excellent set of cameras. The headline is a 108Mp whopper which is backed up by a reasonable ultra-wide and a surprisingly decent telemacro.
Core specs are decent, hinging on the Snapdragon 732G to ensure smooth performance. However, the Redmi Note 10 Pro doesn't support 5G, which might be a deal breaker.
MIUI is also a downside with its overly complex interface that's simply not as stylish or easy to use as many rivals - even if you can make it a lot better than default with some tweaking.
Read our full Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro review
6. Realme GT 2
- 65W charging
- 120Hz AMOLED display
- Good main camera
Cons
- Basic secondary cameras
- Plastic build
Unavailable in the US
The Realme GT 2 is a gentle follow-up to last year's GT, and doesn't tweak the specs too much - but to be honest, that's no bad thing.
Last year's Snapdragon 888 makes a return as the chipset, but it's still plenty powerful. A 120Hz AMOLED display, big battery, and excellent 65W fast charging round out the strong spec sheet.
It's built out of plastic, which some don't mind but others might find holds it back from feeling like a flagship, but the biggest downside is that the strong main camera isn't well supported by the secondary lenses.
7. Red Magic 7
Pros
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
- Fast charging
- 165Hz refresh rate display
Cons
- Bulky build
- Limited battery life
- Gamer aesthetic
From $629 | Model reviewed $799
Nubia's Red Magic 7 manages the trick of delivering the top-tier specs demanded by a gaming phone without breaking out of the mid-range pricing bracket.
The 165Hz refresh rate is the fastest around right now - besting even the priciest gaming phones around - and you also get a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset combined with up to 18GB of RAM and 256GB storage. You'll also get 65W fast charging for the 4500mAh battery, though thanks to all the power here this runs out a little faster than we'd like.
Like most gaming phones the camera is a little lacklustre, and the design is...specific. But if that's what you're looking for, the Red Magic 7 is hard to beat on value right now.
Read our full Nubia Red Magic 7 review
8. Realme 9 Pro+
- Two-day battery life
- Solid 50Mp main camera
- Colour-changing design
Cons
- Other camera lenses disappoint
- Average performance
Not available in the US
The Realme 9 Pro+ is the top phone in Realme's budget 9 series.
It boasts a 120Hz display and 50Mp main camera - though the other lenses alongside do slightly disappoint.
60W fast charging impresses, but we really love the fact that the battery can last a full two days.
This doesn't feel as premium or polished as some other phones on this list, but the colour-changing body design is certainly unique - and you can't knock this phone for value.
Read our full Realme 9 Pro+ review
9. Asus ZenFone 8
- Compact build
- Snapdragon 888
- IP68 waterproofing
Cons
- Plain design
- Weak battery life
From $629.99
Like the Realme GT, the Asus ZenFone 8 is in many ways a proper flagship phone - it's simply one that's been priced aggressively enough to make the cut in our mid-range chart.
You get flagship features like a Snapdragon 888 chipset, fast RAM, and even an IP68 water-resistance rating - though there's still no wireless charging, sadly.
It's also lightweight and compact, with a 5.9in display and weighing just 169g, making it one of the smallest Android phones around - though sadly this does come with an inevitable compromise on battery life.
We much prefer the ZenFone 8 to the more expensive ZenFone 8 Flip, though that phone does boast a neat flipping camera module.
Read our full Asus ZenFone 8 review
10. Poco F3
- Fast chipset
- Slim design
- Great display
Cons
- Weak battery life
- MIUI not our favourite
From £329 (around $460)
Poco's X3 Pro is the best budget phone around, and the F3 is almost as impressive in the mid-range market.
The big selling point is the near-flagship Snapdragon 870 chipset, making the F3 one of the fastest phones in this chart.
At 7.8mm thick it's also one of the slimmest, mid-range phones around, which helps it feel compact despite the large 6.67in, 120Hz AMOLED display - though for a really thin phone keep on reading.
The 48Mp main camera is also surprisingly strong, but battery life could be better - and MIUI is still far from our favourite Android skin.
If performance and design are your priorities on a tight budget though, it's hard to do much better.
Read our full Xiaomi Poco F3 review
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