Best mid range phones (~500)?

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#2491494 26-May-2020 06:57

timmmay:
My $0.02

Low end: does the basics, slowly, but gets the job done: maybe free to maybe $300

Midrange: does the basics, bit nicer looking, more reliable, and faster, maybe a few more features: $300 to $600

High end: super fast, all the features, robust and long lasting $600+

Manufacturers are making faster, more capable phones, trying to improve state of the art, speed, brand image. Many people just want to make a few calls, send a few messages, check their email, and maybe play a game when they're bored. You don't need a supercomputer for that.

It's subjective but mid tier pretty much covers the Samsung "a" range up to the iPhone SE. It usually has a few contenders from last year's flagships. Anything from $270-$800

Above that you are in flagship territory. Whatever that means to you.

TeaLeaf

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#2500723 8-Jun-2020 16:23

Exactly Timmay and Handle.

Its purely up to the purchaser what is important. If you want AMOLED unfortunately you are still paying for it with crappy Exynos chips. If you can handle LCD the Redmi 9s is pushing the top of the mid range features. For me though 450 nits whilst legible with Sunglasses off, is less tolerable after OLED screens of 500 nits +. But I still think the 9s is the best mid range phone due to features vs $380. Where the A51 at $550 pushes things at the screen level and slightly better specs than the a30, but is it worth $200 more for maybe 15% better performance.

u13turbo

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#2506990 17-Jun-2020 22:10

I'm in the market for the same($500~). So far the best option I've come across seems to be the Huawei 5T. Seems like a powerhouse with good camera, but nobody seems to be mentioning it? Am I missing something?

timmmay

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#2507047 18-Jun-2020 07:54

u13turbo: I'm in the market for the same($500~). So far the best option I've come across seems to be the Huawei 5T. Seems like a powerhouse with good camera, but nobody seems to be mentioning it? Am I missing something?

Didn't the USA stop them doing things like using the Google play store?

u13turbo

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#2507050 18-Jun-2020 08:05

timmmay:
u13turbo: I'm in the market for the same($500~). So far the best option I've come across seems to be the Huawei 5T. Seems like a powerhouse with good camera, but nobody seems to be mentioning it? Am I missing something?

Didn't the USA stop them doing things like using the Google play store?

I did look into this a little bit, not certain but it seems with ongoing trade war between China and the USA there has been some android and huawei issues. But from what I have seen the products with android will continue to have it. It is only newer products produced after a certain date.

But yes, I am slightly concerned they could cut support at any stage..

timmmay

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#2507059 18-Jun-2020 08:33

I think that's your answer then. Though a quick Google suggests you can install LineageOS on the 5T, but it's never as good as the OEM OS that's properly tweaked for the phone.

foxy38

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#2507672 18-Jun-2020 18:58

bit more than 500 but does anyone have any thoughts on the oppo x2 lite...

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Billyspleen75

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#2508101 19-Jun-2020 13:47

foxy38:

bit more than 500 but does anyone have any thoughts on the oppo x2 lite...

I'm thinking about this one. Either that or im keeping an eye out to see if NZ gets the 5g versions of the Samsung A51 and A71

TeaLeaf

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#2518633 7-Jul-2020 16:54

timmmay:

My $0.02

Low end: does the basics, slowly, but gets the job done: maybe free to maybe $300
Midrange: does the basics, bit nicer looking, more reliable, and faster, maybe a few more features: $300 to $600
High end: super fast, all the features, robust and long lasting $600+
Manufacturers are making faster, more capable phones, trying to improve state of the art, speed, brand image. Many people just want to make a few calls, send a few messages, check their email, and maybe play a game when they're bored. You don't need a supercomputer for that.

agree 100%

FINALLY the new Samsung A series has arrived. The A51 can be had for $540 (or $700 at PBtech ..???). Its a lot of phone for the money. Shame it uses crappy Samsung Exynos chipset, but oh well, is still good enough, although the $350 Redmi 9s/pro is more powerful and much better battery life.

https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_a51-9963.php

KiwiSurfer

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#2518669 7-Jul-2020 18:01

What is the software support (e.g. Android/security updates) for the A-series like though? I did look at these but got the impression Samsung just churns out lots of different A-series models and don't really back it up with long-term updates. Is this a reasonable impression to have of this particular series?

Lias

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#2518752 7-Jul-2020 20:27

Handle9:

...

Problem is I don't think you can consider ~$500 a "mid range" phone any longer. In many respects that is far closer to entry level. In many respects mid range now sits in the $700 - $1000 range, and you've then got high end devices above that.

....

I consider $500 high end, and would consider $300-$350 midrange - especially with the features available these days. Anything over $1000 is crazy money for a phone when I'm budgeting $100/yr for my device.

...

That's nice.

Your expectations and the market for mobile phones aren't aligned.

This feels like one of those times GZ has forgotten that our technology habits are the exception not the norm. Only a tiny minority of phone users buy flagships or highend phones.

Canalys Q1 2020 global sales figures show the top Android phones sold this year as the Redmi Note 8 & 8T (Currently from $298 and $349 on price spy), followed by the Galaxy A51 ($534), Note 8 Pro ($378), A20s ($298), A01 ($202), and rounded out by the Redmi 8A for $199. Now the 3 iphones in the top 10 are all stupidly expensive, but that's just Apple's tax on people with more money than sense.

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#2518772 7-Jul-2020 21:19

TeaLeaf:

FINALLY the new Samsung A series has arrived. The A51 can be had for $540 (or $700 at PBtech ..???). Its a lot of phone for the money. Shame it uses crappy Samsung Exynos chipset, but oh well, is still good enough, although the $350 Redmi 9s/pro is more powerful and much better battery life.

Fairly decent performance from that phone actually, about 25% faster than my Moto G8 plus. I do miss the performance of the Xiaomi 9T, about 75% faster than the Moto G8 plus and really snappy, shame it had such a rubbish fingerprint sensor and slightly butchered OS. Android One and a good fingerprint sensor and it'd be fantastic.

TeaLeaf

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#2519005 8-Jul-2020 09:47

KiwiSurfer:

What is the software support (e.g. Android/security updates) for the A-series like though? I did look at these but got the impression Samsung just churns out lots of different A-series models and don't really back it up with long-term updates. Is this a reasonable impression to have of this particular series?

KiwiSurfer, there is nothing more I like doing than ragging out on Galaxy.

But Ive had the original a30 for over a year now and its constantly getting updates. It is one thing I was impressed with. ie the phone kept getting the better models features, like slow motion, pro mode etc, all the android and security patches in timely fashion.

One thing I like is the are now One UI.

One thing I hate, all phones but the a71 use exynos chips, which people try to defend but when the s20 is 25% comparable in all tests including graphics to the Snapdragon it makes me mad that everybody but China and the US get the faster better Taiwan chips, not some sludge made in a dingy South Korean basement. Ok, see I do say it how it is on some things haha.

But to be honest in this range the exynos is plenty powerful.

And even if you get an A71 from expertinfotech, its about the same price as some snapdragon s10s, Ill try to find linkage to that for around $750.

Also its a the 730g, not an 865 with its mega GPU

So A51, A71, Redmi Note 9s (note its geekbench is similar to the 730g, with a 720g, also note the extreme 127h endurance performance)

https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=9963&idPhone2=9995&idPhone3=10147

I do not understand why the redmi n 9s released couple months back was immediately available but the aX1 series of phones released in December 2019 took that long to land here. Hardly an S20 competitor.

1101

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#2519008 8-Jul-2020 09:53

KiwiSurfer:

What is the software support (e.g. Android/security updates) for the A-series like though? I did look at these but got the impression Samsung just churns out lots of different A-series models and don't really back it up with long-term updates. Is this a reasonable impression to have of this particular series?

Going by my past experience, Samsung support (updates) for mid range/cheap ph's & tabs is woefully bad .
Release ph & then abandon it .
Edit : from the post above, perhaps Samsung have upped their support .

( Its not just Samsung that quickly abandon mid range ph's/tabs though )

TeaLeaf

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#2519014 8-Jul-2020 10:06

timmmay:

shame it had such a rubbish fingerprint sensor and slightly butchered OS. Android One and a good fingerprint sensor and it'd be fantastic.

haha I hear ya, but to be honest the Galaxy FP sensor was just as rubbish, and the skin is something you work around with tutorials on what to turn off. Ive had to do the same with the galaxy a30. I do think you were over harsh on the 9T timmay, FP sensors are one of new functions everybody is still getting wrong except Xiaomi now ironically. It might be why they and Realme were the only two manufacturers to increase sales in the last financial year. Apple better lower its prices soon because its going backwards fast. If Trump had not messed with Huawei (which after all the student spying he had some right to do so), the P40pro would have made Huawei the top selling phone leapfrogging Samsung, what a shame.

Mi 10 Pro Gsm review quote "The fingerprint reader is below the screen around the bottom, and it is of the latest generation optical scanners, meaning it's as fast and accurate as the conventional sensors. Everything happens in an instant, and that's the most important thing."

Another tip, use your index finger, I know thats bad UX design but it works better even on the older models.

I like the 9s I think it had the thumb sensor on the power button (must check that).

Mi 10 Pro 5g Score: 4.4/5.0 https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_mi_10_pro_5g-review-2102.php

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