When buying a new phone, it can be difficult to know how much to spend.
The best budget phones offer a great everyday experience, but are often lacking in premium features that you might miss. At the other end of the scale, flagship handsets have it all, but unfortunately, with high price tags to match.
A mid-range phone could be the sweet spot. Tech Advisor defines this category as costing between £300/$300 and £700/$700, meaning there are lots of options. But only the very best deliver an all-round experience that’s comparable to phones that are far more expensive. Here are our three favourites from 2025.
Best New Mid-Range Phone of the Year – Winner: Samsung Galaxy S25 FE
Foundry
Samsung’s Fan Edition phones don’t have a brilliant reputation, but the Galaxy S25 FE has emphatically changed that – at long last. Despite being much cheaper than the same size Galaxy S25+, the S25 FE doesn’t feel like a significant downgrade.
Basically, the only real thing you’ll notice is the reduced quality of supporting cameras, but the main and selfie lenses are good enough for you not to worry about that. With Snapdragon 8 Elite performance, a stunning 6.7-inch display and strong battery life from the 5000mAh cell, the S25 FE has some of the best hardware we’ve ever seen from a mid-range phone.
You can’t get a better phone for under £700/$700 than the Galaxy S25 FE right now
It’s arguably even better on the software side, where One UI 8 delivers a slick, intuitive user experience that doesn’t miss out on any of the flagship Galaxy AI features. You also still get a full seven years of updates, which is up there with some of the very best support you’ll find on any phone.
While the other options in this article are better value picks, you can’t get a better phone for under £700/$700 than the Galaxy S25 FE right now.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy S25 FE review.
$474.99
Best New Mid-Range Phone of the Year – First Runner-Up: Google Pixel 9a
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
For much of the year, the Pixel 9a was the best mid-range phone you could buy. And if you have a budget of £500/$500, it remains the outstanding choice.
It takes the best of the Pixel experience – most notably a superb main rear camera, gorgeous display and superb software – and repackages it in a more affordable device. You also get seven years of updates here, plus solid battery life and strong everyday performance.
It’s a phone that’s very easy to recommend, especially if you can find it at a discount.
Read our full Google Pixel 9a review.
$399
Best New Mid-Range Phone of the Year – Second Runner-Up: Nothing Phone (3a)
Luke Baker
The Nothing Phone (3a) is an incredible phone for the money. It’s only just expensive enough to be considered a mid-range phone, with regular discounts dropping it into budget territory, yet it looks and performs like a device that’s two or even three times the price.
A gorgeous design, slick, highly customisable software and strong battery life are the highlights, but there aren’t any major weaknesses, either. The Nothing Phone (3a) is a lot of phone for not much money, making it an obvious inclusion in our top three.
Read our full Nothing Phone (3a) review.
$455
For more great options, see our full guide to the best mid-range phones you can buy.
