In this video we’re breaking down the five best mid-range smartphones in 2021. I’ve included options for every type of consumer. If you’re looking for an affordable smartphone that performs well for everyday tasks or a more feature-rich one that comes close to what premium phones offer, I’ll have the product for you.
The fifth product on our list is the OnePlus Nord. This is our best mid-range smartphone under three hundred dollars. It’s easier than ever to get a capable smartphone without spending thousands of dollars thanks to advancements in technology and the OnePlus Nord packs a lot of capability into an attractive design.
For around three hundred dollars this OnePlus provides you with a great experience at a great price point. The Nord comes equipped with a 90 hertz display that provides smoother more attractive interactions due to it refreshing 50 percent faster than a standard 60hz screen. The screen itself is a 6.49-inch lcd display that will show all of your content off nicely.
Speaking of content, the rear camera system includes four lenses with varying purposes that produce high quality images especially in its class. The main shooter, a 64-megapixel sensor, will capture plenty of detail while the remaining sensors allow for zooming in, zooming out and setting up proper fields of depth when using features like portrait mode.
You’ll be able to store plenty of images and videos thanks to the 128 gigabytes of storage that come standard leaving you ample space for other applications and games. All of your applications will open up snappily thanks to the six gigabytes of RAM. The UI on OnePlus phones is an intentionally simple version of android that doesn’t add a ton of bells and whistles so that everything responds well and lasts long.
A 4300 MAH battery is on board providing more than enough juice to get you through the day. When you do need a charge, OnePlus warp charge technology will give you a lot of power in just a short amount of time.
The OnePlus Nord is a great selection if you’re looking for a smartphone that can do all the simple tasks really well. It’s got a capable camera system, a better than good screen and is efficient with its power use. An easy-to-use interface and 5g connectivity only help things further making this a great pick if you’re looking for a smartphone under 300.
The fourth product on our list is the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G. This is our best mid-range smartphone for the money. The Samsung A52 5G earns its place as a great value mid-range phone thanks to its modern look and feel alongside powerful mid-range specifications.
For around 450 the A52 5G will give you a vibrant experience while you’re capturing and viewing your life through this phone. The biggest upgrade you’ll notice from the OnePlus Nord is the six-and-a-half-inch amoLED display.
This display type provides a lot more contrast in detail in comparison to AN lcd display and you’ll notice this across your photos, games, and overall use. The A52 is capable of handling a lot of what you throw at it thanks to its 4 500 MAH battery, especially thanks to the amoled’s efficiency.
It’s got the necessary power too with an octa-core processor and six gigabytes of RAM. 128 gigabytes of storage are included but there’s also AN SD card slot so that you can upgrade storage if needed. With a great four lens camera system you’ll want to fill up your storage as fast as possible. A 64-megapixel lens makes up the main sensor while a depth, macro and ultra-wide lens will let you experiment with a bunch of fun camera features that Samsung has included.
Even the front camera on this phone is outstanding thanks to the 32-megapixel sensor that’s there to capture all of your selfies. Picking up this smartphone also means you’re picking up Samsung’s super-fast charging which is my favorite part of this phone. You’ll get plenty of extra storage with just a few minutes plugged in thanks to this fast-charging technology.
The value on this phone is staggering considering the attractive design, the Amoled display, the versatile camera setup and the power and battery life that you’re getting at this price point. 5G connectivity helps everything run fast on this great value option for the money.
The third product on our list is the iPhone SE. This is our best mid-range iPhone. For years apple users clamored for a new mid-range model and the iPhone SE finally answered that call. For around four hundred dollars theSE features the body of older models with the internals of newer models and provides a great all-around mid-range experience with IOS.
The SE takes the familiar and loved form factor of the iPhone 8 that features touch id and an easy to handle 4.7-inch screen and gives it the power and speed closer to the iPhone 11 pro apple’s flagship at the time of the SEs launch.
The A13 bionic gives users way more power than older offerings allowing them to do more and worry less. This chip helps this phone take great shots with its 12-megapixel sensor thanks to computational adjustments and an ip67 rating comes along to help prevent water and dust issues while the battery on board does a serviceable job of getting through most days.
Wireless charging and 18-watt fast charging are included to get you back up and running quickly when you do need a boost. The rest of the features included with this device are the Apple staples that you’ve come to expect including a good-looking screen, great video capability, and more than anything the IOS operating system.
IOS is designed to be simple and easy to use so that anyone can get up and running with a new iPhone without issue and the SE is no different. It’s intuitive, it’s familiar to many and it’s my favorite thing about this option.
Easily the best option for iPhone veterans and newcomers alike that are looking for an affordable upgrade theSE packs plenty of power into its smaller design to make full use of its easy-to-use UI. Solid cameras reliable future updates and the extra affordances of the apple ecosystem make picking up an SE a great decision.
The second product on our list is the Google Pixel 4a 5G. This is our best mid-range smartphone for photography. Google’s A series of phones has continued to gain popularity as they provide excellent camera quality at reasonable prices. For around 450 dollars the camera isn’t the only thing great about this phone. It’s the mark key point that earns it a spot on this list.
With six gigabytes of RAM and 128 gigabytes of storage this 6.2-inch screen pixel matches up well with the other mentioned so far when it comes to built-in storage capabilities and power under the hood. It’s also got 5g support thanks to its snapdragon 765g processor. Battery life will get you through a day’s worth of use and like others features fast charging to help out.
While the camera specifications aren’t going to blow your mind, the products will google package is a 12-megapixel main sensor alongside an 8-megapixel front sensor that produce outstanding photos thanks to the computational photography capabilities that google continues to evolve. There’s also a 16-megapixel shooter on board that captures ultra-wide shots.
This setup is the same one that you can find on the premium pixel 5. The camera system is simple has the necessary modes like portrait and night mode that people love and will help you take pictures that have your friends and family wowed no matter the situation.
Plus, having google photos cloud storage to help store the fantastic pictures you take makes accessing, sorting and sharing photos super easy without worrying about them taking up storage on the device itself. One of the other nice to haves that this phone satisfies is a three-and-a-half-millimeter headphone jack so you can still use wired headphones or earbuds without a dongle.
Unlike many other phones that are currently available. A nicely sized crisp OLED screen, solid internals and 5g support make the pixel 4a 5g a great buy already but it’s the best-in-class cameras that truly separate it. If camera quality is your number one concern you can’t go wrong with this pixel.
The first product on our list is the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE. This is our best overall mid-range smartphone. What makes the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G so special is that it’s technically a member of Samsung’s flagship line but is available for a fraction of the ultra-premium prices for around six hundred fifty dollars.
If you want the most power for your dollar, I think the S20 FE is the best option. The six and a half inch screen and ammo led display are great but they’re quite similar to the earlier A525G. But the bezels around the device are slightly smaller providing a more immersive experience.
The screen also features the cutout for the 32-megapixel front-facing camera. The 120HZ display is extremely smooth and might just be my favorite feature. But where it begins to really distance itself from the rest of the pack is the combination of internals and rear camera hardware.
Starting on the inside you’ve got a 4500 MAH battery that’ll get you through a day without issue as well as a snapdragon 865. This is a flagship processor that enables speeds well beyond its price point and also allows 5g connectivity.
Six gigabytes of RAM accompany 128 gigabytes of storage and supports wireless charging so you can charge up without fumbling for a cord.
The camera features though are a step up from nearly every option on this list. As you’re able to get up to 30 times zoom or as Samsung calls it space zoom. The night mode on board also captures details that would be lost without it when taking pictures in less-than-ideal conditions.
This makes for a very versatile setup that will have a mode available for nearly any instance. The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE rounds its premium feature set out with an IP68 rating expandable SD card storage and some fun color options.
I think it’s definitely the best overall mid-range smartphone because it’s the perfect bridge between mid-range and premium packing in awesome features while maintaining a more manageable price point.