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Modern phones are incredibly capable devices, but they don’t usually come cheap. It’s not unusual for top devices to cost well over £1,000/$1,000.
But what if you could get that premium hardware for a fraction of the price? That’s exactly what the best mid-range phones achieve: they offer a great all-round experience at a much more affordable price.
To be eligible for selection, phones had to be priced between £250/$250 and £700/$700 at launch. And these three handsets stood above the rest.
Discover all the winners of this year’s Tech Advisor Best of 2024-2025 Awards.
Best new mid-range phone of the year – Winner: OnePlus Nord 4
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
OnePlus released its first Nord phone back in 2020, but this fourth generation took the phone to a new level.
The Nord 4 is the first 5G phone with a metal unibody design, while the build quality on each device is among the best. Combined with an excellent 6.74-inch screen, a great main camera and solid battery life, OnePlus has outdone the hardware.
The Nord 4 is the first 5G phone with a metal unibody design, while the build quality is among the best on any device
The software isn’t bad either, with OnePlus’ slick OxygenOS skin over Android and a whopping six years of updates. But when everything else is this good, it’s a small price to pay.
Read our full OnePlus Nord 4 review.
£429
Best new mid-range phone of the year – First runner-up: Xiaomi 14T
Lucas Baker
If you’re willing to pay a little more for a mid-range phone, the Xiaomi 14T is a great choice.
It continues Xiaomi’s tradition of offering all the basics of the flagship series at an impressively low price. The 14T combines a sleek design with an excellent screen and some of the best cameras on any mid-range phone.
You also get strong performance from the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra chipset and solid battery life, plus support for 67W fast charging (but not wireless charging).
Xiaomi’s HyperOS software includes useful Google AI features such as Circle to Search and Gemini, although its own artificial intelligence is not as successful.
However, for the price you pay, the Xiaomi 14T is still an excellent choice.
Read our full Xiaomi 14T review.
Best new mid-range phone of the year – Second prize winner: Samsung Galaxy A35 5G
Lucas Baker
Samsung’s Galaxy A series phones have been reliable, cheap handsets for a while now, and the Galaxy A35 5G continues that tradition.
It offers everything most people want in a phone – strong cameras, a quality display and strong battery life – at a surprisingly low price.
Samsung also excels in the software field, with an intuitive user interface that will be familiar to many. You also get no less than four major OS updates and five years of security patches.
The performance of Samsung’s Exynos 1380 chipset isn’t bad, but it’s a downgrade you’ll notice compared to flagships. The build quality isn’t exactly the best either.
But these are small prices for an impressive all-rounder with a long service life.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy A35 5G review.
$324.95
$324.99
$324.99
$399.99
For more great options, check out our full guide to the best mid-range phones you can buy. You may also be interested in all the 2023-2024 award winners.