The best mid-range phone 2022

The Pixel 6a is a superb mid-range phone with a flagship-level processor, truly outstanding main camera, 5G connectivity, the latest version of Android, five years of security support, and a pocket-friendly design.

The big downsides are the slow charging speeds on a phone that charges hot, the easily scratched rear plastic material, and the 60Hz display lagging behind similarly priced phones.

Yet, this is a Pixel, which means it has a superlative Android experience and camera with a software polish and premium hardware feel you won’t find on other brands in this price range.

An outstanding follow-up to 2021’s best mid-range phone, with 80W fast charging, 5G, OnePlus’s signature Oxygen OS user experience, and a near-flagship main camera. What’s not to love?

What the OnePlus Nord 2T really demonstrates is the company’s ability to prioritise the features that users are looking for right now and wrapping them up in an attractive package with a compelling price point.

The Nord 2T misses out on flagship niceties like wireless charging and waterproofing, but those are really the only compromises made here.

There’s also the OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G available, which delivers a stripped-back version for a slightly lower price.

The Poco X4 Pro 5G is only just expensive enough to count as a mid-ranger in our books, but that just means it offers pretty exceptional value.

The 6.67in, 120Hz AMOLED display is essentially flagship-level, and it’s matched by a slick, elegant design elsewhere. Even the camera impresses, with a surprisingly solid 108Mp sensor for the main shooter – though the accompanying ultrawide and macro cameras aren’t as impressive.

It’s all made of plastic, so doesn’t feel too premium, and we don’t love the MIUI software running on here (shared by all Xiaomi, Poco, and Redmi phones). But overall this is an excellent package for the price.

Arguably the toughest competition for the Pixel 6a is the fact that you don’t have to spend that much more to get the Pixel 6, which is just cheap to enough to sneak into our mid-range chart, despite really being a flagship phone.

That extra expenditure gets you one of the best cameras around at this price, with an exceptional main lens backed up by an equally strong ultrawide. Both benefit from a few clever AI tricks delivered by Google’s in-house Tensor chip and can take a few shots that no other phone can.

You also get a display jump to 90Hz, though this is still behind the 120Hz common in other phones this price, as is the relatively slow 30W charging – with no charger included in the box either.

The Pixel 6 is pretty big and heavy too, so won’t suit anyone hoping for a small phone.

The Realme GT 2 is a gentle follow-up to last year’s GT, and doesn’t tweak the specs too much – but to be honest, that’s no bad thing.

Last year’s Snapdragon 888 makes a return as the chipset, but it’s still plenty powerful. A 120Hz AMOLED display, big battery, and excellent 65W fast charging round out the strong spec sheet.

It’s built out of plastic, which some don’t mind but others might find holds it back from feeling like a flagship, but the biggest downside is that the strong main camera isn’t well supported by the secondary lenses.

The Phone (1) is the debut phone from London-based start-up Nothing – though the company has serious pedigree, as its founder Carl Pei previously headed up OnePlus.

Ahead of launch much was made to hype up the Phone (1) as a smartphone revolution, but really the boldest thing about it is the design: a semi-transparent rear intersected by LED light strips that can flash for notifications, illuminate while charging, and even serve as a fill light for the camera.

Set aside the lights, and the Nothing Phone (1) is really just a regular mid-range device, albeit one of the better ones around. Battery life is a bit disappointing, but the trade-off is you get a decent display, a pair of good rear cameras, and both wireless charging and an IP53 rating.

Nubia’s Red Magic 7 manages the trick of delivering the top-tier specs demanded by a gaming phone without breaking out of the mid-range pricing bracket. 

The 165Hz refresh rate is the fastest around right now – besting even the priciest gaming phones around – and you also get a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset combined with up to 18GB of RAM and 256GB storage. You’ll also get 65W fast charging for the 4500mAh battery, though thanks to all the power here this runs out a little faster than we’d like.

Like most gaming phones the camera is a little lacklustre, and the design is…specific. But if that’s what you’re looking for, the Red Magic 7 is hard to beat on value right now.

The Realme GT Neo 3 is all about speed – what, the racing stripes didn’t give it away?

That’s none more true than in the headline spec: 150W wired charging. That’s fast enough to deliver a full charge in less than 15 minutes, and restore half the battery in just five. And if somehow that doesn’t appeal, there’s always the slower 80W model to consider – with a bigger battery to boot.

The Dimensity 8100 chipset delivers blistering performance for the price too, helped by a smooth 120Hz AMOLED display. And the 50Mp OIS main camera holds its own as well, though the basic ultrawide and macro lenses are probably the phone’s big weak spot.

The Moto G200 is the most powerful Motorola phone around right now, which makes the affordable price tag all the more impressive.

The Snapdragon 888+ chipset is blisteringly fast, as is the 144Hz refresh rate display – though it’s admittedly only LCD, not OLED. That makes this a great phone for gamers and the performance-obsessed, but less so for Instagram and Netflix sessions.

A big 5000mAh battery and 33W wired charging are decent too, as is the 108Mp main camera – though the ultrawide leaves a little more to be desired.

The Realme 9 Pro+ is the top phone in Realme’s budget 9 series.

It boasts a 120Hz display and 50Mp main camera – though the other lenses alongside do slightly disappoint.

60W fast charging impresses, but we really love the fact that the battery can last a full two days.

This doesn’t feel as premium or polished as some other phones on this list, but the colour-changing body design is certainly unique – and you can’t knock this phone for value.