Mid-range

Solid fundamentals and a big battery, undermined by heavy bloatware and advertising; rated 6 out of 10.

The hero of the haul: a $200 Indian phone with the best screen he has seen at the price and near-stock Android; rated 9.

Rare 32 of 50 edition that's the first Nokia assembled in Europe, tough and trust-focused rather than flashy.

Praises the Fairphone 5 for being easy to repair, with swappable parts, a long warranty and long software support, though it is not fully w…

Mid-range phone of the year: no real weak link, great photos and a price that drops fast.

A surprisingly capable budget phone that feels like a flagship on the surface, only losing out for power users on performance, camera and b…

Like the S23 with a bigger battery, but the nearly two-year-old Exynos 2200 chip makes $600 hard to justify.

Wins best battery award by matching the Xperia 5 V's battery life at $400, though the naming is poor.

A tier below, but really good and arguably much better value for money.

A vlogging-focused phone that finally puts as much effort into the front camera as the rear, with some fun AI features.

Highlights the V29's textured design, soft Aura Light portrait flash and wide 50MP selfie camera without giving an overall verdict.

Ridiculously good value phone with record-breaking 210W charging and a surprisingly detailed 200MP camera, though software support is short.

A strong value sweet spot at about $350 with no corners cut and no glaring weak points.

A glowing example of how capable a Poco phone can be with more budget.

A 250 euro budget phone whose camera comes surprisingly close to far pricier flagships, though stabilisation, low light and zoom lag behind.

Cited as the eco-conscious Android end of the spectrum.

Named smartphone of the year 2021 and best mid-range phone, praised as a delightful phone with a great camera at a very good price.

The most eco-conscious phone, highly repairable with a five-year warranty and an e-waste recycling promise.

Generous box with a case and 65W charger, but plastic build and mid-range limits.

Best unboxing with a 120W charger, but its camera hardware is far behind the Mi 10 Pro.

Bland unboxing and easy to overwhelm, but gets four years of Android upgrades and a proper warranty.

Highly recommended at 400 for its flagship feel.

A slim, affordable phone with a fun finish that plays tricks with light.

Feels like a 700 phone for 400, but reports of exploding units make him hold off recommending it.