Still, the Samsung Galaxy A54 manages to offer more than enough quality at its price point to earn its title as the best cheap phone overall. The result is sharper, more detailed photos taken with the A54’s cameras, even if obviously not quite as impressive as the best cameraphones. But closer inspection tells a different story, as the A54’s 50MP primary lens features both a larger sensor (1/1.56-inch, up from 1/1.7-inch) and greater pixel sizes (1.0µm vs 0.8 µm). This improvement to performance also allows the A54 to make better use of its otherwise unchanged battery.Īt first glance, the cameras of the latest A5-series model look like a downgrade from last year’s entry, with a 50MP primary lens versus the 64MP main camera of the A53. Achieving a Geekbench performance benchmark of 2703, the A54 significantly surpasses its predecessor (1903) and also measures in above the likes of the Google Pixel 6a and Oppo Reno 8 below. What’s powering this display is where the A54 makes its most welcome improvements, with its upgraded CPU offering superior performance and efficiency across the board. The screen of the A54 is marginally smaller than that of the A53, but still manages to offer a brighter (1,000 nits vs 800 nits peak brightness) and more appealing display overall. Go for a phone that balances value, performance, features and design in a way that appeals to you and your needs.Improving on its predecessor (the Samsung Galaxy A53 which had previously topped this list) the latest Samsung Galaxy A54 is an excellent step forward for the brand’s mid-range marvel. We’ve hit something of a ceiling when it comes to smartphone tech anyway, so although these phones may not be as fast as your average flagship, they are almost certainly fast enough for most users. Try to remember that it’s not always about specs either. One common element is that you’ll likely have to give up on nice-to-haves like wireless charging or a waterproof rating – these still tend to be reserved for the most expensive phones on the market, though a few mid-range devices do offer one or the other. Are you looking for long battery life, fast charging, an AMOLED display, or a powerful camera? Few mid-range phones offer all of them, so pick which matters most to you. Look for at least 6GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 7 or 8 chipset for smooth performance (or another brand equivalent), along with at least 128GB storage.Īfter that, it’s about deciding on your priorities. Still, there are some specs you don’t want to skimp on. Buy it if you support what it stands for.Įvery mid-range phone offers a compromise, trying to deliver the best of a flagship without costing quite so much. So, don’t buy Fairphone 5 if you want all the performance and specs you can get for your money. It also has some nice tricks up its sleeve such as a desktop mode if you want your phone to be your only electronic device, plus a nice, retro-looking back panel. The five-year warranty and eight-year software support are in a class of their own. What’s more, it has other things going for it.

It’s a statement against all the other brands that make your phone impossible – or uneconomical – to repair. It’s so repairable that you can take it apart with only a screwdriver and replace every part just as easily, with replacements available straight from Fairphone.

On the other hand, you can look at it as a cause. Its processor is quite slow (more so than the Realme 11 Pro+), the screen is not the best, and the whole package is chunky and not as sleek as the competition. If you look at its specs alone, it really is nothing special. There are two ways of looking at Fairphone 5. And Android 15 will be the last major version it gets, despite four years of security updates. It makes relatively subtle changes to the experience on Pixel phones, but there are lots of annoying pre-installed apps. Whether you buy this phone might come down to your opinions on ColorOS 13, Oppo’s skin over Android 13. You’ll have to put up with a lack of IP rating and extra apps you don’t need, though. The telephoto and selfie lenses (both 32Mp) are also impressive, though it’s probably worth avoiding the 8Mp ultrawide.īut with decent MediaTek Dimensity 7050 performance, all-day battery life an impressive 6.7in OLED 120Hz display, the Reno 10 5G has a lot going for it. But the Oppo Reno 10 5G proves that doesn’t have to be the case.Īn excellent 64Mp main sensor delivers excellent shots in a variety of different environments, and it’s specifically designed for great portrait-style photos. Compared to flagship phones, cameras are often compromised on mid-range handsets.

Samsung budget phones 2021