Ranking: Best smartphones for under 300 dollars/euros

The Poco X8 Pro presents itself as one of the most powerful smartphones in the affordable mid-range and impresses above all with its excellent price-performance ratio. The powerful MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Ultra in particular ensures that even demanding applications and gaming run smoothly. The smartphone remains comparatively cool and efficient even under constant load.

The Poco X8 Pro is a real price-performance hit that puts significantly more expensive smartphones under pressure in many areas.

The 6.6-inch AMOLED display with 120 Hz receives high praise. It offers a very high peak brightness of up to 3,500 nits, strong colors and a sharp display. The battery life is also one of the device's strengths. The large battery gets the Poco X8 Pro through long days of use without any problems and supports fast charging with up to 100 watts. The stereo speakers also deliver a surprisingly good sound for this price range.

In terms of the camera, the 50 MPix main camera is particularly impressive with natural colors and good details. However, there are weaknesses in the zoom and the ultra-wide-angle camera. Premium functions such as wireless charging or eSIM are also missing.

The Galaxy A56 5G is a strong representative of the premium mid-range: It impresses with a slimmer and lighter housing (7.4 mm, 198 g) made of Gorilla Glass Victus+ and aluminum frame as well as IP67 certification - a significantly more modern design with narrower display edges. The 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display not only offers a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, but also a peak brightness of up to 2,000 cd/m². The GalaxyA56 5G delivers a balanced mid-range experience: elegant design, bright display, strong runtimes, future-proof software support and basic AI functions, but also limitations in camera zoom.

The Samsung Galaxy A56 is a strong all-rounder in the mid-range.

The battery has a capacity of 5,000 mAh and supports 45 W wired fast charging for the first time (previously only 25 W), which enables very good runtimes. Wireless charging is still not available. On the software side, Samsung relies on Android15 with One UI 7.0 and integrates AI functions such as circle-to-search, object eraser and best face for group photos in the mid-range for the first time. The smartphone is also supplied with Androidupdates and security patches for six years.

In terms of connectivity and features, it lacks a microSD slot, 6 GHz WLAN and UWB. However, dual eSIM, NFC, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 are available.

The Poco M8 Pro 5G impresses as a strong, balanced option for the price. Particularly noteworthy is its very bright 120-Hz AMOLED display, which remains easy to read outdoors. Equally impressive is the large 6,500-mAh battery, which enables exceptionally long runtimes and is quickly ready for use again thanks to fast charging. Despite its larger display size, the device remains relatively handy.

The Poco M8 Pro 5G offers a very strong price-performance ratio and reaches upper-class levels in terms of display, battery and performance.

A Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 ensures smooth everyday performance and also masters more demanding apps with ease. The equipment includes modern standards such as Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC and IP68 certification. The main camera delivers solid results, while the ultra-wide angle is weaker. A positive aspect is the long update supply until 2031.

A special feature is the offline communication for direct connections without a network. Poco has to put up with criticism due to the advertising in HyperOS and the lack of eSIM, microSD and telephoto camera support.

With the Galaxy A37 5G, Samsung delivers a well-balanced mid-range smartphone that focuses primarily on its proven strengths. The 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate impresses with high brightness, vibrant colors, and smooth visuals. Thanks to its IP68 certification, the device is also protected against water and dust. 

The Samsung Galaxy A37 5G offers a well-rounded package with a powerful display, a long update guarantee, and excellent battery life. 

Under the hood is the Exynos 1480, which handles everyday apps and multitasking with ease but lags behind the competition when it comes to demanding games. The 50-megapixel main camera delivers sharp and natural photos in good lighting conditions, while the ultra-wide-angle and macro cameras are noticeably inferior in quality. The 5,000-mAh battery ensures long runtime and supports fast charging at up to 45 watts. Added to this are six years of software updates, which make the smartphone an attractive choice in the long term. 

The Magic8 Lite combines the durability of a rugged smartphone with the sleek design of a classic mid-range model. It is IP68/IP69K-rated for water and dust resistance, can withstand drops from heights of up to 2.5 meters, and operates reliably even in extreme temperatures. 

The Honor Magic8 Lite stands out for its exceptional durability, long battery life, and a vibrant display. 

Technically, the bright 6.79-inch OLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and high HDR brightness is particularly impressive. The Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 offers solid everyday performance but is only average for gaming. The 108-MP main camera delivers good results in daylight, while ultra-wide-angle and night shots are noticeably inferior. With its 7,500-mAh battery, the smartphone achieves excellent battery life and charges quickly at up to 66 watts. Drawbacks include the comparatively slow Wi-Fi, speakers that distort at high volumes, and a few convenience features that have been removed compared to the Chinese model. 

The Note 15 Pro 5G offers an almost border-less, very bright AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass Victus 2, as well as IP68 protection and extremely long battery life of over 30 hours in our Wi-Fi Web surfing test. Its 6,580-mAh battery, reverse charging and 45-watt charging make it the endurance star of the mid-range category. Build quality is strong here, in part due to a metal frame, and water protection.

The Redmi Note 15 Pro 5G is a very attractive mid-range smartphone with a top-level battery. Its performance is solid.

The smartphone's 200-MP main camera sensor delivers decent, if not particularly sharp photos during daytime, with autofocus doing its job poorly in low light, and the ultra-wide-angle camera shots lacking detail. The Dimensity 7400 Ultra SoC is sufficient for everyday use, but in gaming, it is often only good for 40-50 fps; rival devices do better.

Good speakers, accurate positioning, and six years of security updates are some more positive features worth a mention, whereas Android 15-based HyperOS with advertising, and Wi-Fi 6 without 6-GHz bands are something to criticize.

The Motorola Edge 70 Fusion features a flexible mid-range design with many configuration options and a robust set of technical features. The smartphone impresses with a high-quality 120 Hz OLED display, high brightness, and precise color reproduction. The Snapdragon processor delivers sufficient performance for everyday use, multimedia, and most games, but does not reach the level of current high-end chips. 

The Motorola Edge 70 Fusion is a technically well-balanced mid-range smartphone with a strong display, good features, and high practicality for everyday use.

The camera system, featuring a high-resolution main sensor and optical image stabilization, delivers impressive results in good lighting conditions but shows weaknesses in challenging scenes. Standout features include the slim design, IP certification, stereo speakers, and long-term software support. The battery offers solid runtime and charges quickly. Drawbacks include limited storage expansion and occasionally inconsistent system optimization. 

The Moto G77 relies on a 6.78-inch AMOLED panel with 2,772 x 1,272 pixels, 120 Hz and extremely high brightness. Its colors are very accurate, but low-frequency PWM spoils the fun somewhat. A MediaTek Dimensity 6400 with 8 GB of RAM delivers performance suitable for everyday use but mediocre nonetheless, while the 256-GB UFS 2.1 storage only delivers average transfer rates.

The Moto G77 impresses with its slim design, large battery and bright display.

The modem impresses with broad 4G/5G band coverage and eSIM. Wi-Fi is limited to 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5; 1x1 - no MIMO) and correspondingly, low speeds. The 108-MP main camera delivers plenty of details, while the 8-MP ultra-wide-angle one is significantly weaker, and there is no 4K video recording on offer. The 5,200-mAh battery is sufficient for around 20 hours in our Wi-Fi Web browsing test. With 30-W charging, replenishing the phone's power reserves takes around 1.5 hours. Its software is based on Android 16 with updates expected until 2030.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 5G is a solid, affordable mid-range smartphone that stands out above all for its 6.77-inch AMOLED display. The 120 Hz refresh rate ensures a smooth display, while the high brightness and good color reproduction make for a pleasant user experience even in bright ambient light. The 5,520-mAh battery enables long battery life and makes the device a reliable companion for everyday use.

The Redmi Note 15 5G is a good choice for anyone looking for a long-lasting smartphone with a high-quality display, sufficient performance, and robust features. 

The Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is responsible for the performance. It offers enough power for everyday tasks, social media, streaming, and most apps. However, the smartphone reaches its limits more quickly when running demanding games or computationally intensive applications. Positive features include IP65 certification, the microSD card slot, and a long-term supply of Android updates. However, the Redmi Note 15 5G does not support eSIM or Wi-Fi 6, and the display cannot render HDR content. The camera takes decent photos in good lighting conditions, but overall, it’s not one of the smartphone’s standout features. 

The Motorola Moto G67 is an affordable mid-range smartphone that stands out primarily for its display and long battery life. The 6.78-inch AMOLED panel offers high resolution, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and very high brightness of over 1,400 cd/m². Colors are rendered accurately, and HDR content looks great as well.

The Moto G67 is primarily aimed at budget-conscious everyday users with moderate performance expectations. 

With a 5,200-mAh battery, the smartphone achieves more than 20 hours of runtime in a Wi-Fi test. The slim and relatively lightweight (182 grams) body features high-quality construction and fits comfortably in the hand. Other practical features include eSIM support, a microSD card slot, and NFC support. The performance, however, is less impressive. The MediaTek Dimensity 6300 is sufficient for everyday tasks, but occasional stuttering occurs. Particularly problematic is the mere 4 GB of RAM, which seems rather limited given rising memory prices. Software support is also rather limited, with updates only available through 2030.