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The mid-range smartphone segment is in a strange place right now, trying to strike a balance between features and price. While the lower mid-range segment often misses out on software updates, premium mid-range devices try to offer flagship features and build quality at a much lower price.
With several Indian smartphone buyers gradually shifting from budget to the mid-range segment, the stakes for phone manufacturers have been higher than before. In 2023, phone makers like Nothing, Realme, and Motorola upped the ante and made a name for themselves in the mid-range segment, offering flagship features at a fraction of the price. Here are the best mid-range smartphones that grabbed our attention in 2023.
The faux leather back may not be new, but Realme has redefined the mid-range smartphone segment with its latest number series flagship – the Realme 11 Pro Plus. Featuring a 200MP camera with 2x and 4x in-sensor zoom, the device performs on almost all fronts.
While it may not be the fastest or the best camera phone in the under Rs 25,000 price bracket, the software experience combined with the hardware makes it one of the best phones in the lower mid-range segment.
Motorola’s offerings have been lacklustre in the last few years, but the phone maker seems to be heading in the right direction, at least in 2023. The Edge 40 is the best example of how a company can offer flagship features like IP68 water and dust resistance, wireless charging and premium build design at almost half the price.
The phone does run a little bit warm, which in turn affects the already small 4,400mAh battery. Another area where the Edge 40 loses to its rivals is software updates, with Motorola having a poor track record of updating its existing lineup on time. But despite its flaws, the Motorola Edge 40 is one of the best mid-range phones that offers flagship features at a fraction of the price.
People looking for mid-range devices often want phones that offer an excellent price-to-performance ratio, and this is where the Poco F5 shines. It also happens to be the only phone in India powered by the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 1 chipset, which performs similarly to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 minus the heating issues.
However, the phone does compromise in some areas like build quality and software updates, but if you can live with that, this is one of the fastest phones you can buy for under Rs 30,000. The Poco X3 Pro with its motherboard issues may still be haunting smartphone enthusiasts, but Poco seems to be earning back trust by offering a 2-year warranty with the F5.
The Nothing Phone (2) is one of the most unique-looking smartphones you can buy in 2023. While nothing much has changed with the Nothing Phone (2) in terms of design, the snappy hardware combined with the well-optimised and eye-pleasing software makes it one of the best smartphones in the premium mid-range segment.
Powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, the device does not lag if you juggle between multiple apps and takes good photos both indoors and outdoors. Nothing has also delivered on the software front with the Nothing OS 2.5 update, bringing several new useful features that complement the powerful hardware. Originally launched for Rs 44,999, the Nothing Phone (2) recently received a permanent price, with the 8GB RAM and 128GB variant now available for Rs 39,999.
Vivo’s V series phones are typically known for their excellent cameras. While the Vivo V29 Pro is similar to its predecessor in terms of hardware and design, the phone made it to our best mid-range smartphone list because of its 12MP telephoto lens and the 50MP primary sensor that takes natural-looking photos.
The MediaTek Dimensity 8200 chipset does not heat up and performs well even under heavy workloads. However, the phone misses out on some much-needed features like stereo speaker, NFC and official IP rating. And while FunTouch OS may not be the best Android skin, the company seems to be heading in the right direction with the Android 14 update.
While OnePlus may have disappointed fanboys with the last year’s OnePlus 10R, the OnePlus 11R makes up for that. Powered by last year’s flagship chipset – Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, the device can easily run the latest games without lag and will get 3 years of Android updates and 4 years of security patches, which is in line with other mid-range devices.
This is complemented by the triple camera setup that takes excellent regular as well as macro photos. The OnePlus 11R ticks all the right boxes and offers excellent value for money for the asking price of Rs 39,999.
