Best Android midrange phones in 2024

While we love budget devices and high-flying Android flagships, midrange phones often provide the best value. In the last few years, midrange phones have gone from flagship wannabes to smartphones that offer a premium experience for a fraction of the price. This list explores the top Android devices under $700 that will surprise you with their performance and quality. So, if you’re up for saving a few dollars, and don’t mind compromising on some features, one of these phones might be your next purchase.

Top midrange Android phones

It’s no secret how much we love the OnePlus 12R. It brings OnePlus back to its flagship-killing roots with fantastic performance, lots of RAM, and a gorgeous display — all for the undoubtedly midrange price of $500. Its midrange supremacy is cemented by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 beating at its heart, giving the 12R flagship-level power from just a year ago. It’ll out-benchmark every other phone on this list, and while that’s rarely a guarantee of a good experience, it will give mobile gamers an added boost.

The OnePlus 12R features a gorgeous LPTO4 AMOLED panel refreshing at 120Hz, with a retina-busting 4,500 nits of peak brightness. You’ll have no problem seeing it outdoors, and we love how clean and crisp it is — qualities that bely its midrange price tag. It also sports Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and an aluminum frame, giving the 12R a premium feel in hand. We still have our reservations about OxygenOS and the 12R is only receiving three major Android upgrades and four years of support, but we still think it’s an excellent buy.

OnePlus didn’t forget about battery life, giving the 12R a massive 5,500mAh, ensuring you’ll make it an entire day with power to spare. When it’s time to recharge, the OnePlus SuperVOOC technology will allow you to top off at 100W wired. While the 12R is impressive, it’s not without flaws; the camera system is something you’d fully expect in this price range, with decent but not impressive shots that fall off in low light. Overall, it’s hard to beat the 12R for the price.

The Google Pixel 8 arrived with quite a bit of fanfare last fall with a third-generation Tensor and refined build quality. The company considered many user complaints and finally addressed its display technology, introducing the Super Actua display, turning the Pixel’s 6.2-inch 1080p panel from a weakness into a real strength. Google improved more than just brightness, upgrading its design from the Pixel 6’s slight awkwardness. It feels premium and grown up, making it worthy of the list despite being at the high-end of midrange phones.

Google also increased the software support life, promising seven years of Android upgrades and security patches — the most of any device on this list. While we’re a bit confused about what future Gemini Nano features the Pixel 8 will receive, fan favorites like Now Playing and Call Screen are currently available.

No Pixel device discussion is complete without mentioning the camera, and the Pixel 8 has a great one for the price. It features a dual-lens setup, but as we know, it’s never about the specs with a Google camera; it’s all about software magic. The Pixel 8 features Google’s legendary computational photography, offering crisp daylight images and sharp low-light photos with Night Sight. When you add Magic Editor and other tools, it’s hard to beat what a Pixel offers if you’re a shutterbug.

We decided to include a budget device like the Samsung Galaxy A25 to show you can get premium features with decent performance at the bottom of the midrange options. At $300, the Galaxy A25 sports a vibrant 6.5-inch AMOLED display refreshing at 120Hz — specs that would’ve been unheard of at this price a few years ago. And while its Exynos 1280 power plant won’t turn many heads, it still gets the job done, offering smooth scrolling through social media and decent gaming at lower settings.

It also doesn’t look like a $300 phone. Samsung designed the Galaxy A25 to match other devices in its lineup, sporting a sleek back and triple camera setup. Every aspect of the A25 screams value, with four years of Android upgrades and five years of security updates — impressive support for the money.

No one says the Galaxy A25’s cameras can come close to something like a Pixel, but you’ll get surprisingly vibrant and crisp images in good lighting. In low light, things fall apart, but if you keep your expectations in check, the Galaxy A25 brings a lot to the table at a relatively affordable price.

Google can’t seem to shake the awkwardness the Pixel A series causes its product lineup. On paper, the Pixel 8a is an excellent deal, offering the same power and performance as its more expensive siblings, with a fantastic camera system as the icing on the cake. However, it doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and the Pixel 8 gets tantalizingly close in price when on sale.

Google isn’t completely unaware of the potential conflict, as it increased the price of the Pixel 8 back to $699 when the 8a launched. Even still, we can expect the Pixel 8 to go on sale again; it’s only a question of how low Google cuts the Pixel 8a to match and how much value you place on the differences between the two devices. If you need a glass back, a newer camera system, and a better display, the Pixel 8 might be worth the extra scratch, but if you’re looking to save a few bucks and still get a quintessentially Google experience, the Pixel 8a is worth a look.

All told, the Pixel 8a still offers an improved display over its predecessors, with the Actua display technology helping to address the weakness of the Pixel 7a. In addition, it still features a Tensor G3, 8GB of RAM, and a 4,500mAh (roughly) battery. If the Pixel 8 had never existed or Google had never promoted such aggressive sales, the Pixel 8a would have been a no-brainer. And, if you don’t care about the differences between the two, it still is.

The Motorola ThinkPhone was a pleasant surprise when it was released last year, and it still provides excellent midrange value in 2024, especially with its frequent sale price of $400. It features a capable Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of base storage. It’s also not your typical glass construction, with Motorola opting for an aramid weave back, offering added grip and texture. And if you spend time outdoors, the ThinkPhone is IP68 dust and water-resistant with a military drop test rating.

Its display maxes out at 1080p, but it’s a snappy and gorgeous 6.6-inch POLED panel that refreshes at 144Hz. It has a fast, smooth fingerprint sensor and outstanding battery life from its 5,000mAh cell. When it’s time to recharge, the ThinkPhone blazes with 68W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. It’s hard to overstate the excellent ThinkPhone battery, as it will easily last two days on a single charge with moderate usage. Phones with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 have done particularly well with the battery, but the ThinkPhone goes above and beyond.

And while you shouldn’t expect speedy software updates from Motorola, it is currently running Android 14, with security patches coming in a timely fashion. And unlike previous Moto devices, the cameras aren’t useless, with decent images possible in good lighting. Unfortunately, low-light images suffer from softness and loss of color, but it’s still competitive in this price range.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE sits in an odd place in the company’s lineup. It’s not quite the value of the Galaxy A54, but it’s also not as expensive as the base S24. If you can snag one at a decent price, the S23 FE can be a midrange sleeper hit. Even though we would’ve loved to see a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 in the S23 FE, the SD8G1 still provides plenty of power for daily tasks and intense AAA mobile gaming. It’s paired with 8GB of RAM, ensuring a smooth software experience, enhanced by Samsung’s reliable OneUI.

Thanks to Samsung’s design language unification, the Galaxy S23 FE looks and feels the part of a flagship, with an aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass front and back. We love its 6.4-inch AMOLED panel refreshing at 120Hz. While Samsung displays in 2024 have veered toward more natural tones, the S23 FE’s display provides a classic Samsung aesthetic, with saturated hues and deep contrast. It’s fantastic for gaming and viewing content, and if you’re a fan of excellent displays, the S23 FE is hard to beat.

It’s still a Samsung phone, so charging is a bit slow compared to others on the list. The S23 FE is limited to 25W wired charging and 15W wireless. It’s also not a battery beast, giving you about six hours of screen-on time per charge. As long as you know its limitations, the Galaxy S23 FE is a good entry point into the Samsung ecosystem with great power and a gorgeous display.

Motorola’s 2023 renaissance included devices at all price points, but we didn’t expect the company to release one of the first affordable foldables. The Moto Razr offers solid performance, good battery life, and a durable build for around $500. While its bigger brother, the Moto Razr+, can currently be had for around $700, the Razr is nothing to sneeze at.

It’s powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, a respectable midrange chip that provides plenty of power for a smooth experience, especially with the Razr’s 120Hz refresh rate. Motorola also didn’t forget the RAM, giving the Razr 8GB standard. It has an outer display reminiscent of a Galaxy Flip 4, but it’s big enough for scrolling through notifications.

Motorola was able to bring the price down, in part, by using plastic for the Razr’s build. However, the hinge is still stainless steel and the frame is aluminum, providing the peace of mind you want for a foldable. In addition, it has a water-repellent coating, so you won’t have to think twice before taking it out in the rain. If you’re looking to dip your toe in the flip phone water, the Moto Razr offers a great way to do it without breaking the bank.

Nothing promised a different smartphone experience with its first phone, and while it was impressive, it had some drawbacks that limited its appeal. With the Nothing Phone 2, the company made significant improvements, making its headline device an attractive midrange option in 2024. It starts with a clean design; the Nothing Phone 2 sports Gorilla Glass front and back with an aluminum frame. And, whether you think the Glyphs are a gimmick or not, there is no denying they are a conversation starter when people see the back of your phone light up.

It’s also surprisingly light, tipping the scales at a mere 201g, which is impressive given it still features a 6.7-inch LPTO OLED refreshing at 120Hz. The Nothing Phone 2 has the same powerplant as the ThinkPhone, a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, offering impressive performance and all-day battery life.

We love how Nothing handles updates, offering detailed patch notes on each improvement. The latest release brings ChatGPT integration to the Nothing Phone 2, allowing you to access the magic of AI from your home screen. Whether Nothing began a smartphone revolution is still to be determined, but for the price, you’ll enjoy your experience.

An awesome experience at every price point

The top pick is the fantastic OnePlus 12R. It’s hard to beat the 12R’s combination of performance and price, which makes us question why we need to spend over $1,200 on some flagship phones. It still has enough power to handle AAA mobile games and provide smooth scrolling through daily tasks. If you’re serious about saving money on smartphones, the OnePlus 12R is an excellent deal.

It’s hard to keep a Pixel off the list, especially since Google’s cameras still rule the roost. The Pixel 8 offers the Tensor G3, 8GB of RAM, and a gorgeous Super Actua display. Thankfully, Google is aggressive with sales, so you’ll likely find a fantastic deal on a Pixel 8, making it a more attractive package. However, if you want much of the Pixel 8’s software and camera experience for less, the Pixel 8a is worth considering.

The Samsung Galaxy A25 5G is a respectable value pick if you want to save a few dollars. For $300, you get solid performance, a decent camera, and five years of Samsung support, making the Galaxy A25 an excellent choice for OneUI fans on a budget. It also features a modern design, so you won’t feel like you are carrying around a device from 2017.