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Flagship phones, despite their impressive features, continue to rise in price. This compilation of eight exceptional mid-range smartphones, ranging from £399/$399 to £699/$699, can serve as a valuable alternative.
The mid-range market really struggled in the 2010s, often offering subpar performance, limited software support, and lacklustre cameras compared to their pricier brethren. However, the market has matured over the past few years with the trickle-down nature of tech meaning they’re now much more tempting.
Mid-range smartphones in 2024 can provide boast numerous benefits, including robust camera capabilities, long-lasting battery life, powerful performance, and more. Premium features like wireless charging and IP68 water resistance have even started making their way into this category, although they are not yet universally available.
Nonetheless, the vast array of phones available in the 2024 mid-range market can make selecting your new phone quite challenging. This guide aims to simplify your decision-making process by presenting a carefully curated list of the very best options available right now.
Each phone featured in this list has undergone rigorous testing by expert reviewers, lasting at least one week. They have conducted benchmark tests and assessed real-world day-to-day performance to provide you with comprehensive insights into how each device stacks up against the competition.
Our review process considers factors such as screen quality, processing power, battery life, camera performance, design, and durability, ensuring that our buying recommendations are both reliable and well-informed.
If price isn’t your biggest concern and you’d actually prefer to compare the best top-end phones around, you should check out our best phones guide. On the other hand, if your budget doesn’t stretch as far as the devices listed below, then you can head over to our best cheap phones page to find the most eminently affordable sub-£399/$399 handsets we’d recommend to you right now.
Best mid-range smartphones at a glance
How we test
Learn more about how we test mobile phones All the devices in this list have been thoroughly tested and used by one of our expert reviewers. We don’t review a phone purely on specs or benchmark scores and we use them as our everyday device for the review period, which is usually at least five days but often a lot more.When we review a phone our expert will put their personal SIM card into the phone, sync across their most-used apps and log into all their typical accounts. We do this so you’ll feel confident in our review and trust our verdict.Our review process includes a mixture of real-world tests, along with more than 15 measured tests and industry-standard benchmarks.
Google Pixel 7a
Best mid-range phone
Pros
Excellent camera for the pricePlenty of upgrades over the Pixel 6aSmart softwareSome nice colour options
Cons
Middling battery lifeAchingly slow charging
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 ParkerFull review: Google Pixel 7a
Nothing Phone (2)
Best design
Pros
Unique LED-laden designHigh-end 6.7-inch OLED displaySnappy everyday performanceCapable dual 50MP cameras
Cons
Camera isn’t great in low-light conditionsNo charger in the boxMuch more expensive than Nothing Phone (1)
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 PainterFull review: Nothing Phone (2) review
Motorola Edge 40
Best lightweight mid-range phone
Pros
Svelte, lightweight designVibrant, fast 144Hz pOLED displayVersatile main camera performanceFast 68W TurboPower charging
Cons
Can overheat when playing gamesA few bugs within the OSRefresh rate has to be fixed at 144Hz if used
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 PainterFull review: Motorola Edge 40
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
Best mid-range Samsung phone
Pros
Premium look and buildGreat 120Hz AMOLED displayHuge 5,000mAh batteryNew and improved 50MP camera
Cons
Inconsistent battery lifeNo display HDR supportCan be a bit slow at timesSlow charge times
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 PainterFull review: Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
iPhone 14
Best iPhone under £700/$700
Pros
Clever safety featuresVery good battery lifeReliable cameraFun colours
Cons
Stuck on a 60Hz displayMinimal differences to the iPhone 13
If you’re an Apple fan dead-set on getting an iPhone, then there are a couple of options on the market at the moment. At £799/$799, the regular iPhone 15 is too expensive for what we consider a mid-range phone, so that’s crossed off the list. But the now-discounted £699/$699 iPhone 14 is within budget and a great choice.
Sporting a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, the iPhone 14 provides a top-notch video-watching experience complete with Dolby Atmos support for impressive HDR playback. It’s not quite as large as the iPhone 14 Plus’ 6.7-inch panel but that also means it’s much more comfortable to use one-handed – as long as you can get on with the comparatively angular design of Apple’s iPhone.
Elsewhere, a dual 12MP camera setup serves well in both well-lit and low-light scenarios, though it lacks the finesse of high-res sensors from both the iPhone 14 Pro and its Android brethren. Still, premium features like Dolby Atmos HDR video recording and some of the best video stabilisation around will mean you’ll likely be happy with what’s on offer.
The Apple A15 Bionic within the iPhone 14 isn’t the most powerful chipset that Apple makes, but it’ll more than suffice for day-to-day use and gaming, comfortably keeping pace with the most powerful mid-rangers around.
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 decent performance but in a slightly dated body with a smaller screen.
Reviewer: Max ParkerFull review: iPhone 14 Review
OnePlus 12R
Best battery life
Pros
The screen is greatGood power for the priceThe best OnePlus phone for battery life
Cons
Boring designRubbish camera selectionNo wireless charging
The OnePlus 12R is a solid attempt at a mid-range smartphone that manages to stand out in a busy market with a smattering of truly high-end tech.
The OnePlus 12R’s display is one of the main reasons to opt for the phone. While the 6.78-inch AMOLED screen isn’t quite as pixel-packed as the flagship OnePlus 12, it boasts the same 120Hz refresh rate and, rather importantly, LTPO 4.0 tech.
It’s one of the first phones on the market to sport the tech at any price point, not just the mid-range market, and allows the phone to essentially adjust the refresh rate as you scroll. This essentially means that the screen feels super responsive in use and, crucially, it’s way more battery-friendly.
That also means that, combined with a 5500mAh battery that’s larger than any other phone in our chart, the OnePlus 12R has the best battery life around, managing around 7-8 hours of screen-on time on a single charge. If you’re not a power user, that should get you through two days of use. Even then, with 100W SuperVOOC charging it’ll get a full charge in under 30 minutes. That makes it one of the fastest-charging mid-rangers around.
It’s also a decent performer with the 2023 flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, especially when coupled with OnePlus’ various software and hardware optimisations. It’ll even give the Pixel 7a’s Tensor G2 chipset a run for its money, both in benchmarks and real-world use.
Elsewhere, it has a solid primary 50MP camera, though it is let down by its supporting 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro cameras, and it also lacks some key features like wireless charging.
Reviewer: Max ParkerFull Review: OnePlus 12R review
Xiaomi 13 Lite
Best selfie camera
Pros
Premium look and feelGreat main camera performanceDecent everyday performance
Cons
MIUI can be frustrating to usePhotos can appear oversaturatedOnly lasts a day with comfortable use
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.
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 WilliamsFull review: Xiaomi 13 Lite review
Pros
One of the best screens at this priceSolid main cameraReliable battery life
Cons
MagicOS is clunkyNo wireless chargingMono audio
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 DeehanFull review: Honor 90 review
FAQs
How much does a mid-range phone cost? The team at Trusted Reviews defines mid-range smartphones as any handset costing ideally under £700/$700. We raised our definition in 2022, following a gradual rise in prices in the top end of the market. Are mid-range phones good? Over the last few years, the mid-range phone market has blossomed, with key companies including Google, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo and Samsung creating mid-range handsets with features traditionally reserved for flagship devices. Recent highlights have included 5G connectivity, high refresh rate screens and improved rear camera sensors. The team of experts at Trusted Reviews recommend most users consider a mid-range smartphone before investing in a flagship as a result. Are there 5G mid-range phones? 5G is an increasingly common site in the mid-range market with Samsung, Oppo, Motorola, OnePlus and Google having mid-range phones supporting the connectivity.
Specification comparison
‹
UK RRP
USA RRP
EU RRP
CA RRP
AUD RRP
Manufacturer
Screen Size
Storage Capacity
Rear Camera
Front Camera
Video Recording
IP rating
Battery
Wireless charging
Fast Charging
Size (Dimensions)
Weight
ASIN
Operating System
Release Date
First Reviewed Date
Resolution
HDR
Refresh Rate
Ports
Chipset
RAM
Colours
Google Pixel 7a
£449
$499
€509
–
–
6.1 inches
128GB
64MP + 13MP
13MP
Yes
IP67
4385 mAh
Yes
Yes
72.9 x 9 x 152.4 MM
193 G
B0BYZFBQR1
Android 13
2023
10/05/2023
–
Yes
90 Hz
USB-C
Tensor G2
8GB
Sea, Coral, Snow, Charcoal
Nothing Phone (2)
£579
$599
€649
–
–
Nothing
6.7 inches
128GB, 256GB, 512GB
50MP + 50MP
32MP
Yes
IP54
4699 mAh
Yes
Yes
76.4 x 7.6 x 161.1 MM
201 G
B0C9LP8D22
Android 13 (Nothing OS 2.0)
2023
13/07/2023
2412 x 1080
Yes
120 Hz
USB-C
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1
12GB, 8GB
White, Grey
Motorola Edge 40
£529
–
–
–
–
Motorola
6.55 mm
256GB
50MP + 13MP
32MP
Yes
IP68
4400 mAh
Yes
Yes
71.99 x 7.58 x 158.43 INCHES
171 G
B0C46GPTT8
Android 13
2023
04/05/2023
1080 x 2400
Yes
144 Hz
USB-C
MediaTek Dimensity 8020
8GB
Black, Green, Blue
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
£449
$449
–
–
–
Samsung
6.4 inches
128GB, 256GB
50MP + 12MP + 5MP
32MP
Yes
IP67
5000 mAh
–
–
76.7 x 8.2 x 158.2 MM
202 G
B0BYMPCWHN
Android 13 (OneUI 5.1)
2023
15/03/2023
2400 x 1080
–
120 Hz
USB-C
Samsung Exynos 1380
8GB
Awesome Graphite, Awesome Silver, Awesome Lime, Awesome Violet
iPhone 14
£849
$799
€999
CA$1099
AU$1399
Apple
6.1 inches
128GB
12MP Main, 12MP Ultra Wide
12MP
Yes
IP68
–
Yes
Yes
71.5 x 7.8 x 146.7 MM
172 G
B0BDJH9ZL1
iOS 16
2022
–
2532 x 1170
Yes
60 Hz
Lightning
A15 Bionic Chip
–
Midnight, Purple, Starlight, Product Red, Blue
OnePlus 12R
£649
$599
€699
Unavailable
Unavailable
OnePlus
6.7 inches
128GB, 256GB
50MP + 8MP + 2MP
16MP
Yes
IP57
5500 mAh
–
Yes
75.3 x 8.8 x 163.3 MM
207 G
–
Android 14
2024
23/01/2024
2780 x 1264
Yes
120 Hz
USB-C
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
12GB, 16GB
Gray and Blue
Honor 90
£449.99
–
€549
–
–
Honor
–
–
–
–
–
IP57
–
–
–
–
183 G
B0C5Y4Y4F5
–
2023
06/07/2023
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
›
‹
Geekbench 5 single core
Geekbench 5 multi core
Geekbench 6 single core
Geekbench 6 multi core
Max brightness
1 hour video playback (Netflix, HDR)
Battery drain 60-min (music streaming online)
Battery drain 60-min (music streaming offline)
30 minute gaming (intensive)
30 minute gaming (light)
1 hour music streaming (online)
1 hour music streaming (offline)
Time from 0-100% charge
Time from 0-50% charge
60-min recharge (included charger)
30-min recharge (included charger)
15-min recharge (included charger)
30-min recharge (no charger included)
15-min recharge (no charger included)
3D Mark – Wild Life
3D Mark – Wild Life Stress Test
GFXBench – Aztec Ruins
GFXBench – Car Chase
Google Pixel 7a
–
–
968
2641
–
6 %
–
–
12 %
7 %
2 %
2 %
110 min
47 Min
–
–
–
–
14 %
1851
–
36 fps
61 fps
Nothing Phone (2)
–
–
1666
4224
1600 nits
6 %
–
–
–
–
–
–
61 min
–
–
–
–
–
–
2673
–
59 fps
60 fps
Motorola Edge 40
–
–
1101
3542
–
8 %
–
–
–
6 %
–
–
44 min
16 Min
–
83 %
49 %
–
–
1265
–
33 fps
43 fps
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
925
2703
925
2703
1000 nits
7 %
–
–
–
8 %
–
–
93 min
39 Min
–
–
–
41 %
22 %
810
–
19 fps
25 fps
iPhone 14
1786
4543
–
–
535 nits
8 %
–
–
7 %
6 %
1 %
1 %
95 min
32 Min
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
OnePlus 12R
–
–
1573
5067
–
5 %
2 %
2 %
–
–
–
–
28 min
14 Min
100 %
100 %
51 %
–
–
–
–
60 fps
60 fps
Xiaomi 13 Lite
808
2967
–
–
920 nits
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
42 min
20 Min
–
–
–
–
–
3187
99.6
–
–
Honor 90
–
–
1112
3271
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
871
862
22 fps
33 fps
›
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