If you want the very latest features, the biggest screens and unbeatable performance, you’re looking at a high-end phone. Unfortunately, you’ll also be looking at a price range that starts somewhere north of £800, and might end at maybe twice that. But what if you can compromise a little? Welcome to the altogether more affordable world of the best mid-range phones.
Everyone has a different idea of what the mid-range is, of course. For us it probably starts around £300, and runs up to around £700. If you can afford more, check out our best phones guide. And if you’re after a sharper bargain, our best budget phones guide has you covered.
But if that sounds like your kind of budget, relax and read on. We’ll help you find the perfect mid-range smartphone.
Why buy? Flagship-grade power in the most affordable new iPhone.
The iPhone 16e is Apple’s way into a new iPhone without flagship money, and it is a lot of phone for the price. At its heart is the same A18 chip family that powers the pricier iPhone 16, so performance is miles ahead of what the mid-range usually offers and it will fly through everything for years to come.
You also get a 6.1-inch OLED, Face ID, a USB-C port and Apple’s own C1 modem, plus a single but very capable 48MP camera that crops in for an optical-quality 2x zoom. It is IP68 water resistant and should get the same long run of iOS updates as the rest of the range.
The compromises are a 60Hz screen rather than the smooth 120Hz ProMotion of the Pro models, and just the one rear camera. If neither bothers you, this is the smartest-value new iPhone you can buy.
Why buy? Flagship Galaxy features for a mid-range price.
The ‘FE’ stands for Fan Edition, and the idea is simple: take the best bits of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S25 and bring them down to a friendlier price. The result is one of the most complete phones in the mid-range.
You get a large 6.7-inch AMOLED with a 120Hz refresh rate, a capable multi-camera system led by a 50MP main sensor, a big battery and IP68 water resistance. Samsung’s seven years of software updates mean it will keep getting new features and security patches well into the 2030s.
It isn’t quite as fast or as polished as the full-price S25, but for most people the gap is small and the saving is large. If you want a phone that feels flagship without the flagship price, start here.
Why buy? The best camera and clever software at this price.
If photography matters to you, the Pixel 10 is the mid-range phone to beat. Google’s Tensor G5 chip powers the same clever image processing found on the pricier Pixels, so point-and-shoot results are consistently excellent, helped along by handy AI tools for editing and tidying up your snaps.
The 6.3-inch 120Hz OLED is bright and smooth, the clean version of Android is a joy to use, and Google promises seven years of updates so it will stay current for a long time. It is one of the few phones here that gets you flagship software on a mid-range budget.
It won’t win raw performance benchmarks against the fastest chips, but for everyday use, photos and longevity, the Pixel 10 is very hard to beat.
Why buy? A dependable iPhone that will stay supported for years.
Apple may have moved on, but the iPhone 15 is still on sale and still a brilliant mid-range buy. It brought USB-C and the Dynamic Island to the standard iPhone, runs on the capable A16 chip, and takes lovely photos with its 48MP main camera.
The 6.1-inch OLED is sharp and bright, if limited to 60Hz, and because Apple supports its phones for the best part of a decade, an iPhone 15 bought today should keep getting iOS updates well into the early 2030s.
It is the safe, sensible choice: a familiar, polished iPhone experience at a price that now sits comfortably in the mid-range, especially refurbished.
Why buy? A big, bright screen and long updates for not much money.
Samsung’s A-series is where its mid-range value really shines, and the Galaxy A57 5G is the pick of the bunch. For around the £300 mark you get a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 1,900 nits of brightness, which is genuinely bright enough for a sunny day.
Behind it sits an Exynos 1680 chip, a 50MP main camera with optical stabilisation, a big 5,000mAh battery with 45W charging and IP68 water resistance. Impressively for the money, Samsung promises up to seven years of software updates, so it will stay secure and current for ages.
It won’t keep up with a flagship in the most demanding games, but for everyday use, a cracking screen and long support, it is superb value.
Why buy? 5G, a smooth screen and years of updates on a budget.
At the affordable end of the mid-range, the Galaxy A37 5G keeps most of what makes its bigger sibling good and shaves the price further. You still get a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED with a 120Hz refresh rate, so day to day it feels far slicker than its price suggests.
The Exynos 1480 chip handles everyday apps and casual gaming comfortably, the 50MP main camera with optical stabilisation takes tidy photos, and the 5,000mAh battery with 45W charging easily lasts the day. It is IP68 water resistant too, which is rare at this price.
Samsung backs it with six years of updates, so it is a genuinely future-proof choice for anyone who wants 5G and a smooth screen without spending big.
We’ve focused on new phone prices, but what happens when you factor in the kind of certified refurbished phones you’ll find on the Mozillion marketplace? Welcome to the realm of pre-owned flagship phones. Take your mid-range budget, and you might be surprised that you could afford:
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