Mid-range smartphones are positioned between flagships (the best phone a company offers) and budget phones (the cheapest gadgets). This type of phone appeals to people who don't want to splurge and buy the most expensive one but, at the same time, don't want the "worst" phone.
Mid-range smartphones are handsets that cost between $300 and $500 to buy outright. A study was conducted to determine what factors affected people's decision on buying smartphones.
The research involved a specific age group of students who already owned different and well-known brands of smartphones. What the study found is that brand image matters.
Nowadays, many buyers compromise on what they want versus what they can afford. Plus, mid-range phones offer more value at the price when compared to their flagship counterparts. With that being said, let's look at the 2023 best mid-range smartphones.
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Some of the Best Mid-Range Smartphones in 2023
Google Pixel 7a: Best Overall
Even though this phone is part of Google's flagship lineup, it's still a mid-range phone because of its price. This affordable version of Google Pixel 7 packs a great camera, has awesome performance, has a functional design, and gives you the pure Android experience.
Pros
Since it's from Google, the Android experience is the purest you can get. The camera is awesome for its price, and it also comes with wireless charging and an IP rating. All for the price of less than $500. The display has a 90Hz refresh rate which is just right for mobile games.
Cons
The charging is a bit slow at 18W and about half of that wirelessly. That's slow compared to 2023 standards. The battery life is not remarkable, but when paired with slow charging, it may be a deal breaker for many people who are always on the go.
Redmi Note 12 Pro+
This device is more than a competitive mid-range offering. It's a definite flagship killer. With prices ranging from $350 to $450, this phone is an absolute marvel. If you want a cheaper version, you can also get the Redmi Note 12 Pro, which is about $100 lower.
Pros
Its 200 MP camera is currently the best any flagship has to offer. Its battery life is superb at 5000 mAh with incredibly fast charging: 120W. Surprise for old-fashioned buyers: it has a 3.5mm jack! Its MediaTek MT6877V Dimensity 1080 processor isn't the fastest, but it can get you through most tasks without trouble.
Cons
It only has an IP rating of 53, so you must be careful where you bring it. Plus, the display brightness only maxes out at 900 nits, which means you might have trouble seeing it in bright sunlight.
POCO F5 Pro
Poco has always been known as a "flagship killers," and its latest release is no exception. This phone has a lot to offer while still staying within the $400-$500 range. Its processor is among the best, sporting the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, and you can choose between 8 GB and 12 GB RAM. It is also 5G-capable.
Pros
This phone offers Qualcomm's latest chipset with an Adreno 730 GPU. The AMOLED 120 Hz screen capable of HDR10+ is also great for its price. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 5. It is not the best, but it sure comes close to it.
Cons
The camera is not remarkable as it only has a 64MP rear shooter with 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro lens. Still, it gets the job done. The lack of expandable memory and 3.5mm jack may also disappoint a few old timers, but many new phones do not have those as well.
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
Making up for last year's awful miscue: the Galaxy A53, Samsung is coming back strong with its Galaxy A54 model. This phone maintains a solid performance and is a good all-around phone. The cameras aren't the best, but at the price of $340, who cares?
Pros
The rear camera is nothing to write home about, with a 50MP main shooter, 12MP ultrawide, and 5MP macro lens. The selfie camera, however, has an astonishing 32MP. Your selfies will look absolutely amazing. Its processor is the Exynos 1380, a workhorse with solid performance. The screen is superb, as only Samsung can deliver consistently.
Cons
The charging is slow at only 25W, but it's not the slowest out there. To rub salt on the wound, the charger is sold separately.
iPhone SE
The 2022 updated version does not have the most modern design, and the screen is a little small for modern tastes, but it makes up for all of that because of what's inside. This phone has the same A15 Bionic processor as the iPhone 13. Plus, with all the larger phones out there, it's a breath of fresh air to use a phone that you can comfortably use using one hand. It was released in 2022, so it now carries a much lower price tag.
Pros
Apple has always lagged behind Android phones in the camera pixel count of its phone offerings, but they make up for it in the software that processes the photos. It already has an IP67 rating to protect it from dust and water splashes. It has wireless charging, which is rare for a mid-range phone.
Cons
The display isn't full HD. That could be a deal breaker for buyers who watch videos regularly. Numbers do matter, and the fact that the iPhone SE (2022) only has a 12MP rear camera will turn off camera enthusiasts.
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