Following the news that and sub-brand Honor thanks to a recent trade restriction in the US, the future of current Honor and Huawei handsets remains unclear. The company has been given a temporary licence, which expires on 19 August, before which Huawei and Honor devices will receive security updates, but any details past that date are yet to be known. As such, we currently recommend refraining from buying any Huawei and Honor handsets at this time.Our original article continues below.Today’s top-tier smartphones are undeniably desirable; just look at Samsung’s Galaxy S10 line-up, or Apple’s latest iPhone series.
HMD is back with a new mid-range Nokia smartphone: the Nokia 7.1, successor to the Nokia 7.Is this device a mid-range phone that can hold its own in a competitive price range? We'll explain.
But we don’t all have massive wads of cash burning holes in our pockets – and the good news is, there’s no need to spend four figures to get a smartphone that combines top performance with gorgeous design.READ NEXT:Indeed, not only do the latest mid-range smartphones look and feel as slick as their “flagship” counterparts, they can actually outperform them in key areas. So even if you’re considering splashing out on a top-of-the-range handset, you’d be well advised to check out the mid-range before spending the cash.Here’s our guide to what to look for – along with our regularly updated selection of the best mid-range smartphones in 2019.
How to buy the best mid-range smartphone for you What is a “mid-range” smartphone?When we talk about mid-range smartphones, we generally mean handsets that cost between £300 and £500 to buy outright. It’s true that the latest and greatest smartphones keep on getting more and more expensive – Huawei recently announced a foldable phone costing £2,000 – so strictly speaking the middle of the market is a moving target. But our price bracket is the one to focus on, as it’s where you’ll find the best balance of price and features. Should I buy SIM-free, or does it make sense to commit to a contract?A 24-month contract keeps your up-front costs to a minimum, but if you sit down and calculate the total amount that you’ll end up paying over the course of those two years, you’ll almost always find that the SIM-free option works out a lot cheaper.
That said, it’s always worth checking for special offers, as occasional deals can be highly competitive. The other advantage of going SIM-free is that you can sell your phone on and upgrade whenever you want, rather than having to wait for the end of your contract – by which time your handset may well be distinctly out of date. What should I look for in a mid-range smartphone?Everyone’s priorities are different – so it’s a good idea to work out what yours are. Is a lengthy battery life at the top of your wish-list? Or are you more interested in taking better-quality pictures?
In all cases we’d suggest you take a look at the phone’s internal specifications: you’ll want a processor that’s powerful enough to keep up with all the applications you’re going to use, now and in a year or two’s time. While you’re at it, check that there’s plenty of internal storage too. If this can be expanded with a microSD card, that could be a big bonus.The phone’s display is also crucial – after all, this is the bit you’ll be staring at. You can find plenty of mid-range handsets with great-looking screens, but you can’t take this for granted, so make sure to read our reviews before buying. Where are all the mid-range iPhones?Apple seems to be focused on the upper end of the smartphone market at present.
Cost-cutting models such as the iPhone SE are sadly no longer being made; the current “cheap” iPhone is the XR, which starts at a not-exactly-wallet-friendly £750. Hopefully, Apple has something up its sleeve, but right now, if you’re looking for a new phone on a budget, Android is your best option.Not that there’s anything wrong with Android. It might take some getting used to if you’re accustomed to iOS, but the two operating systems aren’t all that different these days.
Probably the biggest issue with making the switch is that you won’t be able to bring your iOS apps and accessories with you. The best mid-range smartphones you can buy 1. Xiaomi Mi 9: An exceptional phone at a fantastic pricePrice: £430 l. Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi isn’t yet a household name in the UK, but its affordable smartphones have been quietly attracting a lot of praise, and the Mi 9 is its best offering yet.Indeed, it’s arguably the best smartphone we’ve ever tested. That’s partly because it’s based on Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 855 processor, which makes it substantially faster than its rivals.
The Mi 9’s screen is excellent too, as is the 48-megapixel camera – and its 23-hour battery life blew us away.What makes all of that even more impressive is the fact that the Mi 9 costs half as much as many current flagship handsets. For just £450, there’s simply nothing else to compete with this superb phone.Read our full for more detailsKey specs – Processor: 2.84GHz Snapdragon 855; Screen: 6.39in, 2,340 x 1,080; Camera: 48-megapixel, 16-megapixel, 12-megapixel; Storage: 128GB; Operating system: Android 92. Motorola Moto G7 Power: Best for battery lifePrice: £179 l.
We’ve often recommended Motorola’s affordable G-branded phones in the past, and the G7 Power is the best one yet. Price-wise it’s really in the budget category rather than the mid-range, but the Snapdragon 632 processor holds up respectably against the other handsets on this list, and its camera is perfectly good for the price too.Most notably, the Moto G7 Power offers best-in-class battery life, lasting an incredible 26hrs 22mins in our video playback test. There’s simply nothing else on the market right now that can compete with that, at any price – so if battery life is at the top of your agenda, the G7 Power is the perfect option.Read our full for more detailsKey specs – Processor: 1.8GHz Snapdragon 632; Screen: 6.2in 1,570 x 720; Camera: 12-megapixel; Storage: 64GB; Operating system: Android 9. Google's smartphone offering has finally re-entered the mid-range market with the Pixel 3a and 3a XL. Despite having a softer impact to your wallet, the Pixel 3a is a well-rounded package with cuts in all the right places. Performance is solid for the price, it looks just as lovely and the screen is slightly bigger (and better looking) than its flagship stablemates, too.Crucially, however, the Pixel 3a retains the same top-end camera tech and refined Android UI. Pictures look fantastic, and Google’s Night Sight shooting mode impresses yet again when it comes to low-light photography.
If you want a phone that's well-suited for your Instagram gallery, without having to break the bank, then this is it.Read our full for more detailsKey specs – Processor: 2GHz Snapdragon 670; Screen: 5.6in 2,220 x 1,080; Camera: 12.2-megapixel; Storage: 64GB; Operating system: Android 94. OnePlus 6T: A great mid-range phone, now made even betterPrice: £499 l. When the conversation turns to mid-range smartphones, OnePlus is often the first name that springs to mind.
Last summer the OnePlus 6 redefined our expectations of a mid-range phone, and the 6T builds solidly on its predecessor’s successes. Before Xiaomi's mid-range Pocophone F1 came along last year, we had a clear idea of what to expect from a sub-£300 smartphone.
This handset single-handedly reset the bar: not only does it feel like a flagship in the hand, it performs like one too, thanks to Qualcomm's super-speedy Snapdragon 845 chipset.The only criticism we could perhaps make of the F1 is that the design is rather bland. But if you've been dreaming of the performance of a flagship phone without the sky-high price, the Pocophone F1 will make you very happy indeed.Read our full for more detailsKey specs – Processor: 2.8GHz Snapdragon 845; Screen: 6.18in, 2,246 x 1,080; Camera: 12-megapixel, 5-megapixel; Storage: 64GB; Operating system: Android 8.1. If it’s the stylish designs of flagship phones that attract your attention, the Honor View 20 could well turn your head. It’s not the fastest phone on the market, but when it comes to looks, there’s simply nothing better.Perhaps the most distinctive thing about this phone is its notchless design. Instead of extending down from the top bezel, the front-facing camera peers through a small circular hole in the upper right corner – a much more elegant solution. The casing meanwhile comes in two shades of blue and a sombre black, and no matter which you choose, the back looks just as good as the front, with a laser-etched V-pattern catching the light. It’s an incredible phone that looks and feels far more expensive than it really is.Read our full for more detailsKey specs – Processor: 2.6GHz HiSilicon Kirin 980; Screen: 6.4in, 2,310 x 1,080; Camera: 48-megapixel; Storage: 128GB; Operating system: Android 9.