Ranking: Best smartphones for under 500 dollars/euros

The Xiaomi 14T delivers strong performance and extensive features at a competitive price. It is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra, paired with 12 GB LPDDR5x RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage. The 6.67-inch AMOLED display impresses with a peak brightness of 4,000 nits and a 144 Hz refresh rate, ensuring excellent image quality.

Overall, the Xiaomi 14T is an appealing option for users seeking solid features and a capable camera without the cost of a true flagship.

The camera system includes a 50 MP main sensor with an f/1.7 aperture (Sony IMX906), a 50 MP telephoto lens with a 50 mm focal length, and a 12 MP ultra-wide-angle sensor. While the 14T Pro offers a more advanced setup, the 14T still delivers good camera performance.

The 14T supports fast charging at up to 67 watts; however, a compatible power adapter is not included.

The Poco F6 from Xiaomi is a well-rounded package. It features a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a crisp resolution and a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. Powered by a fast Snapdragon chipset, it comes with either 8 or 12 GB of RAM and offers storage options of 256 or 512 GB. A 5,000 mAh battery, fast charging, an IR blaster, and Wi-Fi 6 complete the feature set.

While the Poco F6 delivers strong performance, its camera setup is less impressive. 

While the Poco F6 delivers strong performance, its camera setup is less impressive. The main sensor of the dual-camera system provides decent image quality in good lighting conditions, but the ultra-wide-angle sensor falls short. Additionally, the device lacks eSIM support and does not include 6 GHz Wi-Fi.

The realme GT 6 has been launched as a real flagship killer and is extremely powerful on the data sheet, but does not rely on Qualcomm's fastest SoC. The battery is generously dimensioned at 5,500 mAh and can be charged quickly, the OLED display can be very bright and an IR blaster is also on board.

Despite the realme GT 6 eye-catching design and high-speed performance, it falls short of true flagship status. 

Several missing features limit its competitiveness against premium smartphones: it only supports USB 2.0, lacks wireless charging, eSIM, and 6 GHz Wi-Fi, and is only IP65-rated, meaning it is not fully waterproof.

The camera system includes two 50 MP sensors, delivering good results, though the ultra-wide-angle lens lags behind in quality.

The Google Pixel 8a has a comparatively small 6.1-inch AMOLED display. However, the compact appearance is marred by the rather thick display edges. It is powered by a speedy Tensor chip and has 8 GB of RAM. The internal memory is 128 or 256 GB.

The Pixel 8a benefits from seven years of software updates, ensuring long-term support.

It is dust and waterproof with an IP67 rating and includes USB 3.2 and eSIM support. Wireless charging is also available, and its 4,500 mAh battery provides solid battery life. The main sensor of the dual camera captures high-quality photos.

The Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro is a powerful smartphone that offers impressive features at an attractive price. Equipped with the MediaTek Dimensity 8400 Ultra processor, it delivers strong performance for both everyday tasks and gaming. The 6.7-inch OLED display boasts a resolution of 2,712 x 1,220 pixels, a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, and a peak brightness of 3,200 cd/m².

The Poco X7 Pro provides excellent value with its performance, high-quality display, and solid battery life, though it has some drawbacks, particularly in the camera and the lack of wireless charging.

Its dual-camera system includes a 50-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera. While the main sensor delivers good results in daylight, it struggles with zoom and wide-angle shots. The 6,000 mAh battery supports over 16 hours of usage, and with 90-watt fast charging, it can fully charge in about an hour. However, wireless charging is not available.

The OnePlus Nord 4 features a large 6.74-inch AMOLED display with high brightness levels. It offers generous memory options of 12/256 GB or 16/512 GB, though storage cannot be expanded. Update support is solid, with six years of software updates. The 5,500 mAh battery is powerful and supports ultra-fast 100-watt charging.

The OnePlus Nord 4 stands out with its stylish design and well-rounded feature set. 

Its main camera captures appealing photos, but the ultra-wide-angle sensor delivers noticeably lower quality. Additionally, the device lacks eSIM support and wireless charging.

The Galaxy A56 5G presents itself as a strong premium mid-range contender. It impresses with its slim and light housing (7.4 mm, 198 g) made of Gorilla Glass Victus+ and aluminum as well as IP67 certification for a highly modern visual design with slim display edges. The 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display offers a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz and peak brightness of up to 2,000 cd/m².

The Galaxy A56 5G delivers a balanced mid-range experience: Elegant looks, bright display, long enough runtimes, years of guaranteed software support and some basic AI features. There are also limitations; those who like optical zoom as well may not like this Galaxy model. There is no micro-SD card slot here, either.

Its battery has a capacity of 5,000 mAh and supports 45 W wired fast charging for the first time (with only 25 W available on previous-gen models). Runtimes look good to us. Wireless charging is still not available. On the software side, Samsung relies on Android 15 with One UI 7.0 and some AI features such as circle-to-search, object eraser and best face for group photos. Features like these aren't commonly found on mid-range phones. Samsung also promises 6 years of Android OS updates and security patches.

While there is no micro-SD slot, 6 GHz Wi-Fi or UWB here, dual e-SIM, NFC, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 are all available.

The Phone (3a) Pro has a 6.77-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2,392 x 1,080 pixels, a refresh rate of 120 Hz and a peak brightness of up to 3,000 nits. Both the front and back are protected by Panda Glass. The case is IP64-certified, which is a basic but welcome nonetheless protection against dust and water splashes. The Phone (3a) Pro is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, supported by 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. The 5,000 mAh battery enables a long enough battery life and can be charged via USB-C at up to 50 watts; wireless charging is not supported here.

The Phone 3a Pro is notable for its striking visual design and powerful cameras. Compared to the base (non-Pro) model, it offers perks such as eSIM support and an improved camera system.

Cameras. These include a 50 megapixel main sensor, a 50 megapixel periscope telephoto camera with triple optical zoom and an 8 megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera. The front camera also offers 50 megapixels. Both the main and telephoto cameras have optical image stabilization. The Essential Key, an extra button on the right-hand side of the product, is one of its highlight features. Do a short press to take a screenshot, while a long press starts a voice memo recording by default. There is also "Essential Space", an AI-enabled app that organizes and categorizes user data.

The Note 14 Pro+ 5G is a mid-range smartphone equipped with a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2,712 x 1,220 pixels. The display achieves a maximum brightness of 3,000 cd/m² and supports a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. It is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 serves as this phone's brains, supported by 8 GB or 12 GB of RAM. The internal storage is either 256 GB or 512 GB, depending on the variant. It's not expandable.

The Redmi Note 14 Pro+ 5G has a lot to offer despite what its modest price might suggest, including an IP certification and a 200 MP camera.

The main camera system's lead sensor is a 200-megapixel affair with optical image stabilization baked in. There is also an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera and a 2-megapixel macro camera here. A 20-megapixel front camera is available for selfies. The phone's battery has a capacity of 5,110 mAh and supports wired charging at up to 45 watts. The smartphone is IP68-certified, meaning it is not allergic to dirt, dust or liquids like water. Dual SIM and eSIM tech are supported, along with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC and stereo speakers.

The Edge 60 impresses with its slim, lightweight casing - 7.9 mm and 179 g, respectfully. It seems well-made enough and comes with IP68/IP69 certification as well as a military protection standard compliancy. Its 6.67-inch P-OLED display with 2,712 × 1,220 pixels, adaptive frame rate of up to 120 Hz and extremely high brightness of up to 4,500 cd/m² is a spotlight stealer. The whole deal is powered by MediaTek's Dimensity 7300, providing plenty of performance for everyday use, gaming included.

While Wi-Fi 6 is supported here, the Moto only delivered moderate Wi-Fi data transfer speeds in our testing.

Motorola's Edge 60 is a successful mid-range smartphone with a bright display, impressive battery life, versatile triple camera set-up including optical zoom, a micro-SD slot and nice build quality.

The camera system is made up of a 50 MP main lens, 13 MP ultra-wide-angle lens and an 8 MP telephoto lens for 3x optical magnification. This ensemble delivers good results overall. With its 5,200 mAh battery, the Edge 60 offers very good runtimes while also supporting fast charging at up to 68 watts; wireless charging isn't supported, though. The software is based on Android 15 with a few Moto AI functions baked in. Updates will keep coming for a while but please expect no miracles in this department.