Best Smartphones Under £500 in 2023: Guideline for Your Choice

Irfan
5 min readSep 23, 2023

--

Smartphones have become part of our lives. From our business to every single work in our life, Everything includes the role of smartphones in one way or another. You can understand from the research that mobile phones have become so important to our lives that in America, about 89% of people check their phones within 10 minutes after waking up.

People choose their mobile phones according to their requirements. One of them needs a mobile phone for multitasking, and the other needs one for Gaming.

But, the problem the majority of people face is selecting the desired one. So we have categorized some phones that you may find helpful in choosing for your requirements

Preference list

  • Best fast-charging phone: Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus
  • Phone with good specs overall: OnePlus Nord 2t
  • Best gaming phone: Poco F5 pro
  • Phone with best features: Google Pixel 7a
  • Best camera phone: Samsung A54

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus

Redmi Note 12 Pro may be the rule breaker with its fast charging of 120 watts in 2023. It charges the phone to 100% in less than 30 minutes. Another significant feature is its camera quality, with a 200-megapixel main camera. But megapixels are not the only thing that counts for a top-notch camera. Its quality is good but not the best in this price range.

This mobile can also be a partner of a gamer with its MediaTek Dimensity 1080, which can run some giants of gaming industries, including Genshin Impact and some other games. You can run some Games on high settings and can get up to 60 FPS.

Pros

  • 5000mAh Battery
  • Gorilla Glass Protection 5

Cons

  • Heavyweight (208g)
  • The camera is not as good as mentioned by the company

OnePlus Nord 2t

OnePlus Nord 2t is for a person who needs a touch of every aspect. This mobile with a Dimensity 1300 processor has made a significant effect in the market of this price range. This processor can compete with some flagship devices. This mobile is like a complete package. It feels premium in hand with its matt finish in the back and the new design of the camera.

Its battery is 4500mAH, which is not good in this price range. Mobiles in the same price range have batteries up to 5000mAH, but this won’t bother you because they give 80W charging. If you are an Old OnePlus user then you may or may not find their new Oxygen OS (Operating System) more useful.

Pros

  • 5G Support
  • Gorilla Glass 5
  • Medium Weight (190g)

Cons

  • 90hz display

Poco F5 pro

Poco F5 Pro has made a large gap in the Gaming industry. Mobile with SnapDragon 8 gen 1 has completely overcome this price range. It can run Pubg on ulta Fps on UHD settings which is kind of absurd in this price range. It is rich in features. It can be about gaming and other stuff. The battery of 5000 mAh with 67W charging is a complete setup for gaming.

Its camera quality and stabilization in video recordings are breathtaking. However, this mobile is good in features but not in design. If you are the type of person who looks for a premium design and hand feeling, then this mobile may or may not be for you.

Pros

  • 120hz
  • Dolby-supported screen
  • Dolby atmos speakers
  • Wireless Charging

Cons

  • Heavyweight (204g)
  • Big bezels

Google Pixel 7a

The best thing about Google phones is that Google makes its software and hardware. The majority of companies, excluding iPhones, use Google software which is why they usually decrease their value in the long run. Google Pixel 7a has a moderate camera in terms of hardware, but you will be bamboozled by their software and AI support in the camera and also in other aspects.

The fingerprint sensor is in display, but it feels kind of slow as compared to other flagships. Battery capacity is 4400mAH, which is low for its price, and also battery life is not impressive. Despite having a plastic back, this phone has a good hand feel and premium look.

Pros

  • Numerous AI features
  • Aluminum Body
  • Moderate weight (193.5g)

Cons

  • 90hz
  • Wireless Charging by name

Samsung A54

Samsung A54 is overall a good choice, but the thing that throws some more light on this is its camera. The 50-megapixel main camera can allow you to shoot snaps in every quality of light. A 12 mp camera is also good but not top-notch. Coming to the front camera, I can say it is one the best quality front cameras you can find in 2023. Also, the video stabilization and 4k 30 fps recording on the main and front camera is something significant.

The camera is good, but the mobile is kind of mediocre in other aspects. It provides only 25W charging, which is a big no in this price range

Pros

  • 120hz
  • Bright screen (1000 nits)
  • Numerous Camera features

Cons

  • Heavy Weight (202g)

Buying Guide

As I have said earlier, people choose their mobile phones based on their desires. If one mobile is a love for one person, then it doesn’t mean that it will be a choice for others too. The following are Points to think about before buying

  • Battery and Battery life

If a mobile has a large battery, say 5000mAH, it doesn’t mean that the battery life of the mobile is also good. Some mobiles are not power efficient and they consume more battery. They may have low battery life despite having big batteries.

  • Megapixels and Camera Quality

Megapixels are not the only thing that matters in a camera. The above-mentioned phone, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus, claims to have a 200mp camera, but if you compare its photos to some 64mp camera without knowing, you will not be able to tell which one is better.

Camera quality depends on the quality of sensors, lenses, and the supported software. For example, in the case of Google Pixel 7a, the camera gets a huge boost through its software.

  • Features

Features of some mobile phones may or may not work in your country. For example, in Google Pixel 7a, there are numerous non-camera features backed by AI that can’t be supported by some countries: Call-related features and many more.

Conclusion

Given the current usage of mobile, we should ensure that we have a decent mobile to be up to date with the world. We have shown you some phones that can give you a taste of some high-end flagship phones but at a low price compared to them. Every year, mobile phone companies launch their mobile phones. So to select the one with the required specs is difficult. So, we have mentioned some of the best picks for 2023.

Also, Comment below your reviews about this list, and do share some of your experience with these mobile phones if you have one.

--

--