Best Mid-Range Phone 2023: Affordable Flagships & Budget Buys 

The Pixel 7a is a superb mid-range phone that frequently feels like a flagship.

An outstanding main camera combines with water-proofing, wireless charging, excellent Google software, and powerful performance to outclass almost every other mid-ranger around.

There are compromises. The wired charging is sluggish, and Google doesn’t include a charger in the box. Battery life isn’t bad, but it isn’t great either. You’ll also have to put up with a 90Hz refresh rate display, lagging behind the smoother 120Hz panels found elsewhere.

Those are small negatives in an otherwise excellent phone though, and overall the Pixel 7a offers the best bang for your buck out there right now.

An outstanding follow-up to 2021’s best mid-range phone, with 80W fast charging, 5G, OnePlus’s signature Oxygen OS user experience, and a near-flagship main camera. What’s not to love?

What the OnePlus Nord 2T 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 2T 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 for a slightly lower price.

Arguably the toughest competition for the Pixel 7a is the fact that you don’t have to spend that much more to get the Pixel 7, which is just cheap to enough to sneak into our mid-range chart, despite really being a flagship phone.

That extra expenditure gets you 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 second-generation Tensor chip.

You also get flagship build quality, with a toughened glass body and a sleek, slender design – this is thinner than the 7a, and only a fraction heavier despite packing a larger display.

The Poco X5 Pro 5G is at the cheaper end of what we consider a mid-ranger, but that 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.

The Phone (1) is the debut phone from London-based start-up Nothing – though the company has serious pedigree, as its founder Carl Pei previously headed up OnePlus.

Ahead of launch much was made to hype up the Phone (1) as a smartphone revolution, but really the boldest thing about it is the design: a semi-transparent rear intersected by LED light strips that can flash for notifications, illuminate while charging, and even serve as a fill light for the camera.

Set aside the lights, and the Nothing Phone (1) is really just a regular mid-range device, albeit one of the better ones around. Battery life is a bit disappointing, but the trade-off is you get a decent display, a pair of good rear cameras, and both wireless charging and an IP53 rating.

Samsung is back on track with the Galaxy A54 5G after a miscue with last year’s A53.

The A54 delivers top-notch styling, IP67 protection, one of the best screens on a mid-range phone, and a dependable set of cameras. Furthermore, battery life is solid and Samsung continues to impress with its software upgrade guarantee.

The key this year is that all of that is backed up by stable, solid performance from the powerful Exynos 1380 processor. This isn’t the most powerful mid-range phone around, but it’s good enough – and excels almost everywhere else.

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ is more than just a competitive mid-ranger – it’s a potential flagship killer.

Its headlining 200Mp camera is a bona fide premium feature, while performance and display are among the best you’ll find at this price point. Battery life is solid too, while the 120W fast charging is excellent.

As a result, the 12 Pro+ is easy to recommend, though if you can live with slower charging and a 50Mp camera then the cheaper Note 12 Pro is also great. The polarising MIUI software and poor supporting rear cameras might make you look elsewhere, but you certainly shouldn’t rule out this phone.

The Xiaomi 13 Lite looks and feels lovely, with a lightweight frame that is nice to use all day, and the decent battery life with quick recharging means you won’t have to worry about power.

However, the cameras are a little underwhelming this time around, which is a surprise after the excellent quality of the 12 Lite. – although they’re by no means bad.

There’s plenty of performance and charm on offer, so the Xiaomi 13 Lite is a solid option if you want a lightweight mid-range phone with plenty of power.

The Motorola Edge 30 boasts a premium design with a frosted rear that looks great, and it’s the lightest 5G phone around – something immediately noticeable in the hand.

The 6.5in AMOLED display is crisp and detailed, and the 144Hz refresh rate makes things feel smoother and more responsive, though without an adaptive resolution there is a hit to overall battery life. It can still last all day with average use – though heavy users and gamers may need a top-up to get through to the end of the day. 33W charging helps, but it’s a far cry from the exceptionally fast charging of some rivals.

The camera setup is also decent for the money, with the main 50Mp snapper able to capture detailed, well-lit shots in both light and dark environments, but the dynamic range leaves something to be desired. The 50Mp ultrawide is also a nice touch for scenic shots.

Essentially, it comes down to what’s best for your needs: if you prioritise design and display, the Motorola X30 Pro is a great choice. But if things like performance, battery life and fast charging capabilities are what’s most important, there are better mid-range phones available.

The Realme GT 2 is a gentle follow-up to the previous year’s GT, and doesn’t tweak the specs too much – but to be honest, that’s no bad thing.

The 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.