Ranking: Best smartphones for under 500 dollars/euros

With the Poco X8 Pro Max, Xiaomi focuses on long battery life and strong performance. The smartphone's exceptionally large 8,500-mAh battery delivers very long runtimes in testing and recharges relatively quickly thanks to 100-watt fast charging. The MediaTek Dimensity 9500s delivers strong performance in benchmarks and everyday use. It is complemented by fast memory and a bright 6.83-inch AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate. Other features include IP68 protection, NFC, and an eye-catching LED lighting system on the back.

The Poco X8 Pro Max is a powerful smartphone with a focus on battery life, display quality, and performance.

Its technical weaknesses are particularly evident under sustained load: in stress tests, the device significantly throttles performance to keep temperatures in check. The storage interface also fails to take full advantage of the built-in UFS 4.1 storage. Other drawbacks include USB 2.0 connectivity and the lack of wireless charging. 

The Poco F8 Pro is a powerful mid-range smartphone with flagship ambitions at an attractive price. Its Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, paired with 12 GB of RAM and an Adreno 830 GPU, delivers excellent performance in benchmarks and gaming. A highlight is the 6.59-inch AMOLED display, which offers a 120 Hz refresh rate, peak brightness of up to 3,500 cd/m², and excellent color accuracy.

The Poco F8 Pro is a powerhouse for price-conscious users who value battery life and performance.

Its large 6,210-mAh battery lasts for days thanks to HyperOS optimization and charges fully in under 40 minutes at up to 100 watts. Strengths include IP68 protection, high-quality Bose stereo sound, a reliable ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, and six years of software updates. Drawbacks include the lack of wireless charging, the outdated USB 2.0 port, advertising in HyperOS, and high temperatures under sustained load. Camera performance, with a 50-MP main camera and 2.5x zoom, is solid for the price but falls short of premium standards.

The Pixel 10a sticks to the established Pixel formula, offering a well-rounded package without any major advances over its predecessor. Its strengths include a very bright, color-accurate 120-Hz pOLED display, a good main camera, a high-quality build with IP68 certification, and seven years of software updates. Practical additions include USB 3.2 with display output and desktop mode, as well as the new satellite emergency call feature.

The Pixel 10a is a solid mid-range smartphone with few genuine innovations.

Less impressive are the unchanged Tensor G4 chip, the continued limitation to 8 GB of RAM, and the base configuration's 128 GB of storage. The display's low PWM frequency, the lack of dual eSIM support, and the omission of PixelSnap also detract from its appeal. Battery life remains very good, although it is slightly shorter than its predecessor's.

The Poco X8 Pro is one of the most powerful smartphones in the affordable mid-range segment and stands out for its excellent value for money. The MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Ultra keeps even demanding applications and games running smoothly. The smartphone also remains comparatively cool and efficient under sustained load.

The Poco X8 Pro offers excellent value, challenging significantly more expensive smartphones in many areas.

The 6.6-inch AMOLED display earns high praise for its 120 Hz refresh rate, peak brightness of up to 3,500 nits, vibrant colors, and sharp image quality. Battery life is another strength: the large battery easily lasts through long days of use and supports fast charging at up to 100 watts. The stereo speakers also deliver surprisingly good sound for this price range.

The 50-MP main camera impresses with natural colors and good detail. However, zoom performance and the ultra-wide-angle camera are weaker points. Features such as wireless charging and eSIM support are also missing.

The 17T offers a strong overall package, particularly after its significant price drop. Originally priced at around 750 euros, the smartphone is now available for under 500 euros, making it an attractive mid-range option. The 6.59-inch OLED display impresses with a 120 Hz refresh rate, high brightness, and both PWM and DC dimming. The IP68-certified body is solidly built, although it is primarily made of plastic. The speakers are less impressive than the device's other features.

The Xiaomi 17T stands out for its display, cameras, performance, battery life, and generous storage.

A highlight is the Leica camera system. The 50-MP main camera delivers good photos, while the 5x periscope telephoto lens produces sharp, detailed zoom shots. The ultra-wide-angle camera is less impressive. The MediaTek Dimensity 8500 provides sufficient performance. Battery life is very good thanks to the 6,500-mAh battery, and fast charging keeps recharge times short. Android 16 and a long software support period add to the device's long-term appeal. There are some feature omissions, however: wireless charging, Wi-Fi 7, and USB 3.x are all absent. The USB 2.0 port feels particularly outdated given the device's original price.

The Edge 70 Pro stands out for its sturdy build, slim 7.2-millimeter profile, and low weight of 183 grams. Its IP68/IP69 ratings provide good protection against water and dust. The bright, color-accurate 144 Hz OLED display delivers smooth visuals, while Wi-Fi 7, good cellular reception, and fast UFS 4.1 storage round out its premium feature set. Less impressive are the slow USB 2.0 port without video output and the relatively short software support period.

The Moto Edge 70 Pro offers an attractive overall package, especially now that its street price is well below the manufacturer's suggested retail price.

The cameras are a particular highlight: the main, ultrawide, telephoto, and front cameras each have a resolution of 50 megapixels. The main camera delivers sharp, bright images and also performs well in low light. The periscope telephoto camera offers 3.5x optical zoom and produces usable results up to around 10x magnification. Video recording is available in 4K at 60 frames per second. 

The 6,500-mAh battery lasts an impressive 21 hours and 37 minutes in the Wi-Fi test and supports both 90-watt fast charging and wireless charging. The biggest weakness is the MediaTek Dimensity 8500: its performance is more than sufficient for everyday use, but it offers less performance headroom than the chips in high-end smartphones. Under sustained load, the device also gets very hot and throttles significantly.

The Nord 6 is a performance-focused mid-range smartphone that stands out in testing for its powerful hardware. At its heart is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, which delivers above-average processing and graphics performance in benchmarks and everyday use, outperforming many competitors in the same price range. Fast UFS 4.1 storage enables quick app loading and high data transfer rates. 

The OnePlus Nord 6 offers an impressive combination of performance, fast storage, and long battery life.

The 6.78-inch AMOLED display offers a resolution of 2,772 x 1,272 pixels, a refresh rate of up to 165 Hz, and very accurate color reproduction. Battery life is particularly noteworthy: the large battery delivers excellent runtimes and recharges quickly. Other standout features include Wi-Fi 7, IP68/IP69K certification, and long-term software support. Weaknesses emerge under sustained load, when the case becomes noticeably warm and performance is throttled. The phone is also limited to USB 2.0 and lacks wireless charging. 

The 600 is a significant step forward from its predecessor, with a very bright OLED display, a large 6,400-mAh battery, and a capable 200-MP main camera. The display achieves impressive peak HDR brightness, uses a high PWM frequency, and delivers excellent image quality in everyday use. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 provides sufficient performance for the mid-range segment, while the battery comfortably lasts up to two days. Thanks to 80-watt fast charging, recharging is quick as well.

The Honor 600 is a compelling mid-range smartphone with a very bright display, long battery life, and a good camera. 

Honor also improves the feature set: IP69 certification, eSIM support, a long software support period, and a high-quality build all count in the device's favor. Less impressive are the slow USB 2.0 connection, comparatively weak Wi-Fi performance, and the absence of a telephoto camera and wireless charging. The ultra-wide-angle camera also falls short of the main camera.

In our testing, the Phone (4a) Pro stood out as an unusual mid-range smartphone with a strong focus on design, display quality, and user experience. Its high-quality aluminum housing and new Glyph Matrix system on the back, which displays notifications and other information, are particularly striking. Despite its playful elements, the smartphone has a more mature, refined appearance than previous models.

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro combines distinctive design, strong features, and clean software.

The 6.83-inch AMOLED display impresses with its high brightness, 144 Hz refresh rate, and vibrant colors. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 provides sufficient performance for everyday use, multitasking, and gaming. Controlled temperatures and long battery life from the 5,080-mAh battery are further strengths. Fast charging is supported, but wireless charging is missing. Another highlight is the triple-camera system, which includes a 50-megapixel main sensor and 3.5x telephoto zoom—a rare feature in this price range. Image quality is good overall but does not quite match flagship standards.

The Galaxy A57 5G is a well-rounded smartphone that combines many strengths without excelling in any single area. Its bright 120-Hz AMOLED display and sleek, high-quality design with IP68 certification are both impressive. The Exynos 1680 chip provides sufficient performance for everyday use, while the 5,000-mAh battery delivers long battery life and supports 45-watt fast charging. Other highlights include an excellent main camera, modern AI features, and six years of software updates.

The Galaxy A57 offers a high-quality overall package, long-term software support, and reliable everyday performance. 

Its secondary cameras lag behind the main camera in image quality. It also lacks wireless charging and a telephoto camera, while gaming performance is not a particular strength. Improvements over its predecessor are generally modest.