The best midrange smartphones for 2025

A great phone doesn’t need to cost a fortune. In 2025, features once exclusive to high-end devices – big batteries, multi-camera arrays, high refresh rate displays and more – have trickled down to more affordable models. Sure, you’ll still need to buy a flagship smartphone to get the best camera or fastest processor, but you don’t need to compromise nearly as much anymore if you’re looking for a great handset at a reasonable price. If you have less than $600 to spend, let us help you figure out what features to prioritize when trying to find the best midrange smartphone.

The best midrange phones for 2025

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Read our full Google Pixel 8a review

Google’s A-series Pixels have long been some of the best midrange phones on the market. With the addition of a Tensor G3 chip, the Pixel 8a supports the same powerful and versatile AI functions you get on Google’s flagship phones along with excellent cameras, a gorgeous 120Hz OLED display and great battery life. The 8a also comes with creature comforts like IP67 dust and water resistance and convenient (but slow) 7.5-watt Qi wireless charging. More importantly, with a $499 starting price, it might be one of the best smartphone deals on the market, period.

Pros

Colorful 120Hz OLED display
Strong battery life
Excellent cameras
Great value

Cons

Slow wireless charging
Thick bezels

$399 at Amazon

Cherlynn Low for Engadget

Read our full iPhone 16e review

The iPhone 16e is closer in specs to the iPhone 16 than the iPhone SE was to the iPhone 13. And that makes choosing which iPhone to buy harder than ever. Should you save $200 and give up a dual camera, Dynamic Island, Camera Control and MagSafe? That depends largely on your priorities and budget.

While I think that anyone who can afford the price difference should opt for the iPhone 16 over the iPhone 16e, I can’t deny that this is Apple’s best entry-level iPhone to date. It has an Action button, USB-C, a larger, brighter screen and an A18 chip that enables Apple Intelligence. My biggest concerns with it are limitations brought on by its single rear camera setup — things like not being able to capture ultrawide shots or Portrait mode not working if there isn’t a face in the scene. If you’re coming from an iPhone 11 or newer, you should consider whether the improved camera sensor is worth giving up an ultrawide camera for. If it is, and if you can live without snapping portraits of objects and faceless items, the iPhone 16e’s camera will be satisfying.

There are other factors to consider, like whether you regularly use MagSafe accessories or wireless charging. If you do, then the iPhone 16e will frustrate you as it doesn’t work with the magnetic attachment system (you can get a MagSafe case to remedy this) and charges at a slower speed than the iPhone 15 or iPhone 16 (but there’s no fix for this). You can consider the $699 iPhone 15 for a better camera and wireless charging experience, but you’ll be giving up Apple Intelligence and an Action button. — Cherlynn Low, Managing Editor

Pros

Solid performance
Long battery life
Clean, durable design
Bright, vibrant screen

Cons

Only one rear camera, leading to many limitations
Expensive compared to previous iPhone SE
No MagSafe

$599 at Apple

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Read our Nothing Phone 2a review

If you want something different from your next phone, there are few if any devices out there like the Nothing Phone 2a. It features a translucent plastic back that evokes the design of old Game Boys, allowing you to see some of its internal components, including the NFC antennas. At $349, it’s also one of the best deals in the industry, thanks to a compelling mix of features. The Phone 2a sports a bright 6.5-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It also comes with a 5,000mAh battery and decently speedy Dimensity 7200 Pro chipset.

If you can hold off on buying a new phone, Nothing will announce the Phone 3a at the start of March. Once we’ve had a chance to test it, we’ll update this guide to mention whether we recommend it.

Pros

Unique design
Lightweight
Surprisingly good performance

Cons

No 5G on AT&T or Verizon
No wireless charging
Storage caps out at 256GB

$349 at Nothing

OnePlus

When it first came out, the Nord N30 had basically everything you could want in a phone that cost $300. Its Snapdragon 695 5G chipset delivers strong performance along with speedy wireless connectivity that’s compatible with all the big US carriers, not to mention good specs including 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It also has a big 6.7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate, which is rare on a budget phone as most rivals feature slower 60Hz or 90Hz panels. And thanks to its 50-watt wired charging, you can top it up quickly, too. But most importantly, the Nord 30 recently got a price drop from $300 to $250, making it an unquestionably good deal and our top pick in this space.

Pros

Good performance for the price
120Hz display
50W wired charging

$207 at Amazon

What is a midrange phone, anyway?

While the term frequently appears in articles and videos, there isn’t an agreed-upon definition for “midrange” beyond a phone that isn’t a flagship or an entry-level option. Most of our recommendations cost between $400 and $600 — any less and you should expect significant compromises. If you have more to spend, you might as well consider flagships like the Apple iPhone 16 and the Samsung Galaxy S25.

What to consider before buying a midrange smartphone

Buying a new device can be intimidating, but a few questions can help guide you through the process. First: what platform do you want to use? If the answer is iOS, that narrows your options down to exactly one phone. (Thankfully, it’s great.) And if you’re an Android fan, there’s no shortage of compelling options. Both platforms have their strengths, so you shouldn’t rule either out.

Of course, also consider how much you’re comfortable spending. Even increasing your budget by $100 more can get you a dramatically better product. Moreover, manufacturers tend to support their more expensive devices for longer. It’s worth buying something toward the top limit of what you can afford.

Having an idea of your priorities will help inform your budget. Do you want a long battery life or fast charging? Do you value speedy performance above all else? Or would you like the best possible cameras? While they continue to improve every year, even the best midrange smartphones still demand some compromises, and knowing what’s important to you will make choosing one easier.

What won’t you get from a midrange smartphone?

Every year, the line between midrange and flagship phones blurs as more upmarket features and specs trickle down to more affordable models. When Engadget first published this guide in 2020, it was tricky to find a $500 phone with waterproofing and 5G. In 2025, the biggest thing you might miss out on is wireless charging – and even then, that’s becoming less true.

One thing your new phone probably won’t come with is a power adapter; many companies have stopped including chargers with all of their smartphones. Performance has improved in recent years, but can still be hit or miss as most midrange phones use slower processors that can struggle with multitasking. Thankfully, their cameras have improved dramatically, and you can typically expect at least a dual-lens system on most midrange smartphones below $600.

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