Home The Best Mid-Range Smartphones in 2022
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Smartphones have become an essential part of many people’s lives these days since they can help you with many tasks you have to do daily. Apple and Samsung are among the two best brands that develop the most helpful and valuable devices, but other brands come up with mid-range options that will still get the job done. One thing you should look for in a smartphone is a powerful processor that will keep everything running smoothly. You should also ensure that it comes with a decent camera because you will most likely need top-notch quality if you love posting on social media. Most of the more affordable phones come with 4G/LTE connections, but brands are already releasing budget-friendly 5G-capable phones. You will be using your smartphone throughout the entire day, so unless you are okay with constantly plugging it into a power bank, it would also be best to choose a phone with excellent battery life. Some phones also support fast charging, so getting your juice back will be a breeze. Let’s look at some of the best mid-range smartphones you can get your hands on in 2022.
You can’t go wrong with the OnePlus Nord CE 2 because, for less than $350, you get a smartphone that is 5G enabled. It features an octa-core chipset, 8 GB Ram, and 128 GB storage, so you can expect it to be fast and have enough space for all your photos, videos, and files. The phone has a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 90 Hz refresh rate, so it would be an excellent device for playing games. You can expect superb detail from its screen because of its HDR10+ support, and its Corning Gorilla Glass 5 screen ensures top-notch durability. The Nord CE 2 comes with an AI-infused Triple Camera that will help you step your social media game up. You get a 16 MP selfie camera, a 119° wide-angle camera, and a 64 MP primary camera. Its in-house algorithm enhances your shots even in low-light settings. You can use up to two sim cards with this phone, and it even has a micro SD card slot if you want to expand your phone’s storage capacity to 1 TB. The phone has a 3.5 mm headphone jack for those who want to use wired earphones/headphones. Its battery capacity is 4,500 mAh, and you get a 65W SUPERVOOC power adapter with it. The Nord CE 2 is available in two colors: Gray Mirror and Bahama Blue.
Sleek and modern designAI-infused Triple Camera system128 GB internal storage, expandable to 1 TB via micro SD card6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate
Camera quality could be betterBelow mid-range performance
The Xiaomi POCO X4 Pro 5G is a valuable mid-range 5G smartphone loaded with a ton of premium features despite its more budget-friendly price point. The phone has limited availability online, and it’s hard to find one that supports CDMA service providers. The phone comes with a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED DotDisplay with a 4,500,000:1 contrast ratio and a 120 Hz refresh rate. You get 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage, but they also sell a variant with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage. It uses the Snapdragon 695 processor with a Qualcomm Kryo 660 CPU and Qualcomm Adreno 619 GPU. The POCO X4 Pro 5G is excellent for those starting with their photography or videography journey because you get a 108 MP main camera, an 8 MP ultrawide camera, a 2 MP macro camera, and a 6 MP front camera. Both the front and rear cameras can film 1080p video at 30 fps. The phone comes with a fingerprint sensor, but it’s on its side rather than the usual on-screen sensor. You will get a lot out of the phone throughout the day without it dying on you since it has a 5,000 mAh battery. When it’s finally time to charge, it won’t have to take long because it supports 67W turbo-charging.
6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED DotDisplay with 120 Hz refresh rate5G connectivity108 MP main camera67W turbo-charging
Can lag at timesNot everyone will be a fan of its plastic body
It isn’t a secret that most top-of-the-line smartphones made by Apple come with pretty hefty price tags. Fortunately, the brand still releases more affordable options like the iPhone SE. The 3rd Generation iPhone SE hit stores in 2022, and you can expect to spend around $429 for the 128 GB variant. They sell a 64 GB variant for $429 and a 256 GB one for $579. The phone comes with a 4.7-inch Retina HD display. It follows the design of old-school phones because of the physical home button and top and bottom borders. Like all iPhones, this phone has a multi-touch screen with IPS technology and Haptic Touch, which would be ideal for multitasking. You can expect all your apps to load smoothly and quickly because of the phone’s powerful A15 Bionic chip, which is also used by the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro models. You can confidently bring the phone to the beach since it’s IP67 splash, water, and dust resistant. The iPhone SE’s camera system isn’t as advanced as other iPhones because you only get one 12 MP wide camera. It comes with Portrait Mode, Smart HDR 4, 5x digital zoom, etc. You can take 1080p slo-mo videos at 240 fps. The front-facing camera of the phone is 7MP, and it also comes with Portrait Mode. It can also film 1080p video at 30 fps. Unfortunately, the iPhone SE doesn’t come with Face ID, but you get Touch ID from its fingerprint sensor. The phone comes with 5G support, so you can expect impressive network speeds. Its battery life is pretty decent because you get up to 15 hours of video playback or 50 hours of audio playback per charge. It would be best if you used a power adapter that’s at least 20W to access the fast-charging capabilities of the phone. The iPhone SE comes with Dual SIM support, but your second sim has to be an eSIM.
High-quality and responsive displayOutstanding overall performance thanks to the A15 Bionic chipIP67 splash, water, and dust resistantDecent front and rear camera
Expensive compared to competitorsDisplay might be too small for someOutdated designNot the best battery life
Samsung has been coming up with some excellent smartphones over the years with reasonable prices for what you get. Their Galaxy A53 5G is a fantastic choice for those who want a 5G-capable phone without breaking the bank. The phone features a 6.5-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display, and instead of getting a notch on the top of the phone, you only get a small dot for the front camera. This smartphone would be an excellent choice for those who love mobile gaming because of its 120 Hz refresh rate. Upon purchase, the phone comes with a 128 GB storage capacity, but its micro SD card slot allows you to get as much as 1 TB of storage. The Galaxy A53 5G will help you take many cool shots for social media because of its premium camera system. You get a 64 MP wide camera, a 12 MP ultrawide camera, a 5 MP macro camera, and a 5 MP depth camera. It also comes with a 32 MP front-facing wide camera for the best selfies possible. The phone’s rear and front camera can shoot videos with a maximum resolution of 4K at 30 fps. It also has a fingerprint reader, but it’s hidden under the display, so it won’t take out any space from your screen. The Galaxy A53 5G features a Li-Po 5,000 mAh battery, and it supports 25W fast charging. The phone will survive different weather conditions outdoors because it’s IP67 dust/water-resistant.
5G-enabled6.5-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rateExpandable storageImpressive cameras for its priceIP67 dust/water-resistant
Some experience lagging and stuttering with its UINot the best ultrawide cameraCould use a 3.5 mm headphone jack
Another excellent mid-range option from Xiaomi is the Redmi Note 10 Pro. This smartphone comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G processor with the Qualcomm Adreno 618 GPU and 8 nm processing technology. It features a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, ideal for watching videos and playing games. The phone comes with 6GB RAM and a storage capacity of 128GB. You’ll also love taking photos with the Redmi Note 10 Pro because of its quad-camera system. You get a 108 MP wide-angle camera, an 8 MP ultra-wide-angle camera, a 5 MP telemacro camera, and a 2 MP depth sensor. Its rear camera has features like long exposure mode with six different effects, Night Mode 2.0, 108 MP mode, and Photo clones. Users will also get Video macro mode, Telemacro time-lapse video, Pro time-lapse video, ShootSteady, Dual Video, and video clones features for filming videos with the rear camera. The rear camera can shoot 4K video at 30 fps or 1080p video at 60 or 30 fps. The phone will also give you breathtaking selfies because of its 16 MP front camera with AI Beautify, AI portrait mode, and Selfie Night Mode. The phone comes with a high-capacity 5,020 mAh battery, and it supports 33W fast charging. Like high-end smartphones, you can conveniently unlock the phone using a fingerprint or face sensor. You can use two sim cards with the smartphone, but it doesn’t have 5G support. The Redmi Note 10 Pro has an IP53 rating, so it’s water and dust resistant. The phone comes in Onyx Gray, Aurora Green, Glacier Blue, Nebula Purple, and Gradient Bronze.
Fantastic screen quality with a 120Hz refresh rateExcellent battery life with 33W fast chargingDecent camera systemShoot 4K video at 30fpsArc side fingerprint sensor and AI face unlock
No 5G supportNoticeable camera bumpDisappointing Night Mode
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