Price-performance smartphone: seven models from 150 to 500 euros

Cheap Cell Phones
Price-performance cell phone 2021: seven models between 150 and 500 euros

06/14/2022, 12:58 p.m

6 min reading time

You want a new cell phone, but does it have to be cheap? We compare seven price-performance smartphones and tell you what to look out for when buying.

The new top smartphone models from Samsung, Apple & Co. have two things in common: they are becoming more powerful and more expensive. Dizzying prices around and over 1000 euros are the rule in the top class. For the vast majority of users, however, the smartphones are quite oversized. They just want to check their emails, chat, read the news and immortalize one or the other day of vacation as a snapshot. In addition, smartphones that do these tasks properly do not cost the earth.

1. Redmi 9T: price-performance smartphone for 150 euros

In the category around 150 euros, it is not that easy to find a decent smartphone. The manufacturers Xiaomi (China) and Samsung (South Korea) fight for supremacy here. Concretely, that’s the case Redmi 9T with 64 gigabytes of storage space and the Samsung Galaxy A12. Both smartphones cost about the same, but the Xiaomi phone offers a little more for the money. In bare facts, with 64 gigabytes of storage space, this is twice as much as the Samsung Galaxy A12, which only has 32 gigabytes.

The processors don’t take much, the same applies to the main memory, which is the same size at four gigabytes. None of the smartphones make gamers really happy. After all, the Xiaomi Redmi 9T is a bit more resistant thanks to its Gorilla Glass. By the way: Android 10 works on both smartphones and both offer a dual SIM, so they can handle two SIM cards.

2. Around 200 euros: Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro

If you want to spend around 200 euros for a smartphone, Xiaomi is once again the manufacturer of the hour, and that with two devices. On the one hand there is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10, which was launched in March 2021. But you can also get the one that is about a year old for the same price Redmi Note 9 Pro.

The smartphones differ mainly in the built-in working memory (RAM) and the processor. The Redmi Note 9 Pro scores with a bit more performance because it has a total of six gigabytes of RAM, whereas the Redmi Note 10 only has four gigabytes of RAM. In addition, the faster processor is installed in the Note 9 Pro and the camera is a bit sharper. The cell phones have one thing in common: they both run Android 11. Nevertheless, the Redmi Note 9 Pro remains the smartphone of choice in this price range.

3. Gaming smartphone for 250 euros: Poco X3 PRO

If you are looking for a smartphone for around 250 euros, you should go to the Xiaomi Poco X3 Per grab. The model makes mobile gamers happy thanks to its 120 Hertz display. In addition, the built-in Snapdragon 860 processor is more powerful than, for example, the Samsung Exynos 9611, which Samsung has donated to its Galaxy A51, which also falls in the price range around 250 euros. The storage space of the Poco X3 Pro measures 128 gigabytes and can be expanded by 1024 gigabytes via a microSD card slot. Unfortunately, the smartphone is not splash-proof and does not offer 5G. But if you can do without it, the Xiaomi Poco X3 Pro is a good choice.

4. Google Pixel 4a: Best camera for around 300 euros

In the price range around 300 euros, Xiaomi is getting competition from America for the first time in the form of Google. Its Pixel 4a is so popular that the price has hardly fallen since the market launch and has remained stable at around 350 euros – until now, because the smartphone is becoming more and more common around 315 euros. what that Google Pixel 4a What undoubtedly makes it popular is its excellent photo quality, even in low light. It’s so good that the smartphone doesn’t even need to hide from top models from other manufacturers.

In addition, Google guarantees constant Android updates, which are usually faster on the Pixel 4a than on devices from other manufacturers, because Samsung, Xiaomi & Co. usually have to adapt the operating system to their own user interface. Unfortunately, the Pixel 4a only supports 5G for a hefty surcharge. If you are looking for a smartphone for around 300 euros that can process the wireless standard, the Mi 10 lite 5G is a good choice. With sufficient light, its camera quality is also convincing.

5. Around 350 euros: Poco F3 5G

If you want to spend around 350 euros on your new smartphone, you should Poco F3 from Xiaomi take a closer look. With a bit of luck, you can even get hold of the smartphone a little cheaper. It has everything that buyers could wish for in this price range. The 6.67-inch OLED display offers a refresh rate of 120 Hertz. There is a triple camera on the back, the main sensor of which has a resolution of 48 megapixels.

There is also a five-megapixel macro lens and an eight-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera. Inside is a Snapdragon 870 processor that works with either six or eight gigabytes of RAM. The amount of memory varies depending on which memory variant you choose. With 128 gigabytes of internal memory, Xiaomi only uses six gigabytes of RAM, with 256 gigabytes of internal memory corresponding to eight gigabytes.

6. iPhone around 450 euros: iPhone SE 2020

Admittedly, Apple and value for money are two categories that don’t really go together. Looking at the raw hardware, there are other smartphones that offer better bang for the buck. why this iPhone SE 2020 nevertheless found a place in the price-performance cell phones? It is simply the cheapest entry into the Apple world. In addition, Apple is the only smartphone manufacturer where the software and hardware come from a single source.

Accordingly, Apple can better tailor its software to the processor, which is reflected in faster hardware performance. And last but not least, no other manufacturer pays as much attention to the data of its users as Apple does and does not stuff its smartphones full of unnecessary additional software (bloatware).

7. High end under 500 euros? The Xiaomi Mi 10

That Xiaomi Mi 10 already belongs to the upper class smartphones. In the category, however, it has an interesting mix of price and performance. Its rear camera has a resolution of 108 megapixels. The 6.67-inch display has a resolution of 2340×1080 pixels. A Snapdragon 865 processor, which is one of the fastest Android smartphone chips, provides plenty of steam. If you want to rely on 5G, the Mi 10 is a good choice. The smartphone can also receive the new radio standard.

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