Ranking: Best smartphones for under 200 dollars/euros

The Poco M7 Pro strikes us as the display king with its almost 1,200-cd/m²-bright 120-Hz AMOLED panel. It also has a very solid plastic casing that is protected against water splashes. The built-in mid-range SoC, MediaTek's Dimensity 7025, is an upgrade over the Helio G99 of the predecessor model. Its long battery life of 17.5 hours is also impressive - as are the good stereo speakers.

The lack of eSIM, Android 14 (not 15) and Wi-Fi 5 rather than Wi-Fi 6. Apart from these points, there is hardly anything to complain about with the Poco M7 Pro.

The M7 Pro is available in the basic configuration with 8-GB RAM and 256-GB ROM (expandable via micro-SD) for 190 euros on Amazon.de.

The CMF Phone 1, a smartphone made by a subsidiary of Nothing, stands out with its modular design and solid hardware. It features a 90-Hz OLED display with nearly 1,200 nits of brightness and a fast MediaTek Dimensity 7300.

Its modular back panel allows for easy customization with different colors and accessories like a fold-out stand or carrying strap. However, despite this design, the battery remains inaccessible.

The Phone 1 offers good cameras and an 18.5-hour battery life, but lacks NFC and only supports Wi-Fi 5. 5G, dual SIM, and a micro-SD slot are all onboard. It costs 239 euros, versus a recent price of 198 euros.

Its IP54-certified plastic case is sturdy while being slimmer than its predecessors. Included are NFC, an IR blaster, a 3.5 mm jack, and dual nano-SIM with micro-SD support, with eSIM and Wi-Fi 6 missing.

Xiaomi's Redmi Note 13 5G features a bright 120-Hz AMOLED display, well-calibrated and rather bright at 965 cd/m². Its MediaTek Dimensity 6080 chipset is significantly faster than the Snapdragon 685 4G as found on its predecessor, offering solid mid-range performance, paired with 6-GB RAM and 128-GB storage.

The cameras perform decently in good lighting, but the ultra-wide lens is very basic. Good GNSS performance and low heat build-up are two more arguments for this phone, whereas pre-installed ads and a quiet earpiece are drawbacks.

The base model costs 209 euros at Alternate.de.

Putting just under 200 g on the scales, Samsung's Galaxy A26 does a lot of things right, like its bright 6.7-inch 120-Hz AMOLED display with a brightness of over 920 cd/m². The promise of long software updates including 5 years of security patches is also pleasing. The Exynos 1380 SoC offers solid mid-range performance, especially for around 200 euros - but some small stutters have to be accepted.

Closing the list of key specifications are 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage space, which can be expanded via a micro-SD card. Depending on the use case, you can expect a real-world battery life of around 13 to 16 hours. The 50-MP main camera comes with OIS and offers very good low-light performance. The back made of Gorilla Glass Victus+, IP67 certification and AI features also count as improvements over the predecessor model, with the mono speaker and missing headphone jack as setbacks.

For around 200 euros, the Galaxy A26 really offers a lot, but it charges slowly and lacks Wi-Fi 6, not to mention wireless charging.

The Galaxy A26 can be yours for 208 euros.

The latest instalment in the Redmi Note series comes with a 120-Hz AMOLED display with a brightness of almost 1,150 cd/m², which is 200 cd/m² brighter than the predecessor model. The Dimensity 7025 MediaTek SoC is around 20 percent faster than the chip in the Note 13 5G. It is also interesting to note that the version with 8 GB of RAM often retails for less. The 128-GB internal storage of the basic version can be expanded via a micro-SD card.

The fairly light and sturdy plastic casing complies with IP64 certification and you get a 3.5-mm audio port, as well as NFC, IR blaster and two nano-SIM slots, one of which optionally accepts a micro-SD card. eSIM is not supported. The selfie camera has been improved and there is now a macro camera with a resolution of 2 MP.

Xiaomi's Redmi Note 14 5G come with zero throttling and offers security updates until 2029, but the ads are annoying and its battery life is mediocre.

In Germany, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 5G is available with 8 GB of RAM and 128 of GB storage for 198 euros.

With its Moto G56, Motorola offers a mid-range phone with an 800 cd/m²-bright 120-Hz IPS display that is PWM-free. The Dimensity 7060 SoC is also fast and real-life runtimes of 18.5 hours are longer than average. There is also an attractive faux leather back cover, but the thick display edges are less appealing. At least the G56 is waterproof, supports e-SIM and offers 4 years of updates, but only 2 years for the OS. The camera is good, but the GPS is inaccurate and only Wi-Fi 5 is used.

With the Moto G56 from Motorola, you get a solid overall phone with a good camera, bright display, good mid-range SoC, long battery life and much more, but the thick display bezels are annoying.

Last time we checked, the G56 was available for 209 euros on amazon.de.

The Moto G85 features a nearly borderless 6.67-inch 120-Hz P-OLED display with a brightness of almost 1,200 cd/m². Weighing just 171 grams, it runs pure Android, similar to the G84. While it lacks water and dust protection, it supports NFC, nano-SIM, and dual SIM via eSIM. The Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 SoC provides solid mid-range performance.

The Moto G85 offers a stylish and sturdy design, long battery life of 15 to 18 hours, a high-quality display, and sufficient performance.

Drawbacks include noticeable heat build-up under load and camera images that lack detail and sharpness. Still, the G85 remains an excellent choice for under 200 euros.

The V40 SE 5G features eSIM support, a bright 1,200 cd/m² 120-Hz OLED display, 8 GB of RAM, and fast 44-W charging. It delivers over 17 hours of battery life.

However, it only supports Wi-Fi 5, has mediocre speakers, and will receive just two major updates - up to Android 16.

The V40 SE 5G offers a good main camera and a fairly fast mid-range SoC, but falls short on some other fronts.

It is available for 157 euros with 128 of GB storage at Alza.de, though the 5G version has temporarily exceeded the 200 euro mark.

With its 8 GB of RAM, a 256-GB storage chip, and MediaTek's Dimensity 7025, the Moto G55 5G delivers solid performance in the sub-200-euro range.
Storage is expandable with micro-SD cards here, and the phone supports 5G, Dual SIM, and eSIM. It features a 120-Hz 6.5-inch IPS display, nearly twice as bright as the predecessor model at 870 cd/m². Motorola guarantees four years of security patches and two major OS updates. Charging is supported at up to 30 W, but no power adapter is included.

As an entry-level smartphone, the Moto G55 is a solid overall deal with a decent 50 MP main camera, long battery life, and a durable case with an optional non-slip vegan leather back.

In Germany, the Moto G55 with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage is available from Jacob Electronics for 181 euros.

Xiaomi's Redmi Note 14 LTE improves on its predecessor with a bright 120-Hz AMOLED display. It also includes an IR blaster, a micro-SD card slot, and a headphone jack. The main camera delivers decent images in good lighting, and the battery lasts over 17 hours.

However, the MediaTek Helio G99 SoC may not provide enough performance reserves for demanding users. Video quality is mediocre, and we experienced occasional Wi-Fi dropouts during testing.

Redmi's Note 14 LTE does many things right, but its SoC is its biggest drawback. Still, it will work fine for many users.

The 8-GB RAM and 256-GB ROM version is available on Amazon Deutschland for 179 euros.