Best midrange all-rounders 2026 - buyer’s guide

The Motorola Edge 60 Fusion is the best phone you can get for about €200. It has a durable build, an excellent OLED screen, decent chipset, and solid camera kit and quality.

Despite having an average chipset for the asking price and a camera app that can be laggy at times, the Edge 60 Fusion is easy to recommend. It has a few standout features like a higher-end display, exceptional build and unorthodox design, unrivaled speakers (loudness and quality-wise), fast charging, and pretty solid camera performance with all three cameras. The Edge 60 Fusion also adds a microSD card slot this year, and the default storage configuration offers 256GB. The extra connectivity features and the desktop-like environment via Smart Connect are great bonuses too. And we didn't even mention the great software experience - an area where the company is constantly making strides forward as well.

With its recent price cut, the Edge 60 Fusion has become one of the most attractive phones in its price bracket and you should consider it.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 is exactly what it looks like on paper - a very sensible, very balanced midranger that doesn't try to wow you with a single standout feature, but also avoids any major blunders.

Its strongest aspects are the display, battery life and overall day-to-day usability. The AMOLED panel is bright, smooth and HDR-capable, making it one of the nicer screens you can get around this price. Battery endurance is comfortably above average, and while the 45W charging isn't class-leading, it's fast enough to keep range anxiety at bay. Add to that the great thermal behavior and stable performance of the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, and you get a phone that feels reliable and predictable - two qualities that matter more than raw benchmark numbers in this segment.

The main 108MP camera also pulls more than its weight. In good light, it captures detailed, lively photos with dependable dynamic range, and it remains competent after dark. The ultrawide and selfies are merely okay, and video is a bit of a mixed bag due to the lack of stabilization in 4K, but stills are where this Redmi does most of its convincing.

Where the compromises show is in the details. The lack of a telephoto camera, modest GPU performance for gaming, and the somewhat cut-down feature set in HyperOS (including the missing AI tools on some units) remind you that this is not a "Pro" model. Charging is only mid-pack, the speakers favor loudness over finesse, and connectivity is missing a few modern extras like Wi-Fi 6.

At roughly €250 or less, the Redmi Note 15 5G makes a strong case for itself. It's a safe pick for anyone who wants a big, high-quality display, long battery life, and a dependable main camera, all wrapped in a durable body with solid software support. Power users and mobile gamers can find faster options, and camera enthusiasts may want a more versatile setup, but for the average user, this Redmi hits a very agreeable sweet spot.

It's really hard to find any glaring faults with the Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G, as should frankly be the case with a phone that has all the makings to become insanely popular sales-wise. Xiaomi just knows how to deliver value at this competitive mid-range price point.

The Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G might not sport the most premium of materials, but it is extremely well made and also, new for this year, extremely well protected against the elements. An SD card slot would have been great, and we are sure some will mourn the demise of the trusty old 3.5mm audio jack, but other than that, we can't say anything is missing or out of place in this design. The controls are where they should be. The stereo speakers are symmetrical, well-balanced and quite nice-sounding. The display bezels are very reasonably seized, with practically every sensor hidden away somewhere and not in the way. This makes for an overall very clean and, dare we say, even classic design language.

The MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Ultra is far from a chart-topper in the grand scheme of things, but it is still a modern and efficient chip with all the connectivity features you may expect at this price point. There's ample battery to get most users through a full day, which is pretty adequate in our book. The same goes for the charging rate.

The Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G has a perfectly adequate and versatile camera setup. There are no glaring faults in either the photos or videos it captures. These are not quite flagship-grade by any means, but again, we can't realistically ask for much more for the class.

All things considered, the Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G is an excellent overall package, and you can hardly go wrong when choosing the Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G or its Poco X7 counterpart.

The €220 Galaxy A36 is the most balanced Samsung midranger with an improved design, more powerful graphics, and faster charging over the Galaxy A35. It has been promised 6 major Android updates, which is a lot.

The Galaxy A36 delivered excellent screen brightness, and it is indeed slightly faster to charge. We are happy with its speakers' loudness and quality, and its overall performance is adequate. The battery life is adequate too, though not chart-topping for sure.

The disappointment came from the lack of improvement in the camera department and the photo and video quality. The model has been sort of stuck since the Galaxy A34. And speaking about the Galaxy A34, we can also say the raw performance hasn't improved since, despite featuring new chip models.

If you are shopping for a midranger at about €200 right now, the Galaxy A36 is a good alternative to Xiaomi’s offerings and it deserves a spot on your shortlists.

The Poco X8 Pro is the epitome of a flagship killer with high-end specs at a bargain price. It has a likable and durable body, an excellent OLED screen with all sorts of perks and high brightness, capable cameras, amazing battery life, and, of course, impressive raw and sustained performance.

We expected the selfie camera to be a disappointment, but it turned out rather okay, so we are gladly admitting when we're wrong. We'd still prefer a 50MP AF shooter here, of course, but that's reserved for Xiaomi's more expensive phones.

The Poco X8 Pro is probably our easiest recommendation for 2026 so far. There is just no better phone at the same price, let alone at the early bird price.

The Poco M8 Pro brings the Redmi Note 15 Pro+ level hardware into a lower price bracket, where it feels more coherent and considerably more competitive. It even raises the question of whether Xiaomi has deliberately priced the Redmi Note 15 Pro+ aggressively high to make the Poco M8 Pro appear like the better value by comparison.

The phone offers a solid and durable build, a well-specced OLED display, impressive battery life, and very fast charging. The stereo speakers are notably loud, while chipset performance is adequate for the class, even if it does not stand out.

Camera expectations were modest, yet the supposedly downgraded main camera proved more capable than anticipated, delivering reliable results in both daylight and low-light conditions. The ultrawide and selfie cameras, however, remain unremarkable.

The most persistent issue was the aggressive bloatware. Numerous preinstalled apps, including system apps, generated frequent notifications with limited options to fully disable them. While most of the bloat can be removed, the experience remains intrusive and is likely to frustrate users over time.

Overall, the Poco M8 Pro is a strong device at a sensible price. It would have been an easy recommendation if not for the intrusive ads and the presence of better phones. As it stands, it is worth considering, but not without reservations.

The price of the Redmi Note 14 Pro+ has significantly dropped and we cannot but recommend it. There are quite a few things to like in the Redmi Note 14 Pro+, like the extra durable build and smooth design, the very nice screen, the new battery chemistry, the solid performance with awesome thermal stability, the great video recording and the very fast charging. Convinced, yet?

We hoped for better battery life, better photo quality and a bigger performance bump but these things have not changed in the new model a full year later. And there are phones in this price range that can offer you an even better chipset and longer battery life.

The Redmi Note 14 Pro+ does not have any glaring issues and at its current price, it is one of the best options in this price segment, if not the best considering its all-round feature set.

The Motorola Edge 60 is a decent all-rounder for the asking price of about €300, with some caveats in mind. The display is excellent, one of the brightest in the class, even, the camera experience is pretty good, despite the underwhelming 2x zoom photos and inconsistent performance from shot to shot.

The Edge 60 also supports speedy charging, offers a nice and lightweight all-leather design with high IP68/69 ingress protection. And we are huge fans of the desktop-like environment feature offered by the Hello UI under the collective Smart Connect feature.

Nevertheless, the flat-sounding loudspeakers and the relatively slow chipset for the price bracket keep us from making this phone our top pick. We are also disappointed to see the wireless charging is no longer available and the software support shortened to just 3 major OS upgrades instead of 5 like on the Edge 50. But the Edge 60 is still a formidable contender in the €400 price category and it should be considered.

The now €300 Galaxy A56 tries to ride on the success of its predecessors and though it brings modes updates, it is still one incredibly solid offer. We liked the sturdy design, the excellent raw and sustained performance, and we are generally happy with the speakers, battery life and software package. Display quality is competitive, although it's not hard to find bright 120Hz OLEDs nowadays.

We are not fans of the virtual proximity sensor and the mediocre camera quloty. While none of these is a real deal-breaker, they should be considered when shopping for a phone.

The Galaxy A56 looks like a good all-rounder on paper, it has a decent price and that is why should earn a consideration.

The Poco X8 Pro Max is exactly the kind of phone that helped build Poco's reputation in the first place. It offers a well-rounded package with very few compromises and a handful of standout features, all while keeping the price firmly in the "flagship killer" territory.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the X8 Pro Max is its battery. The massive 8,500mAh unit delivers outstanding endurance in our tests, easily ranking among the longest-lasting phones we've ever reviewed. Combine that with 100W charging, and you end up with a device that is not only hard to drain but also quick to refill when you eventually do.

Performance is another strong point. The Dimensity 9500s might not be the absolute top-tier silicon in MediaTek's lineup, but it delivers excellent real-world performance and plenty of headroom for demanding games and heavy multitasking. HyperOS 3 runs smoothly on top of it.

The display is also easy to like. It's large, sharp, very bright and supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+. The symmetrical stereo speakers complement it nicely, making the phone well-suited for media consumption.

The camera system is headlined by a very capable 50MP main camera that produces lively photos with plenty of detail both during the day and at night. The ultrawide is less exciting, and the lack of a dedicated telephoto might disappoint some users, but the overall camera experience remains solid for the price class.

Ultimately, the Poco X8 Pro Max manages to deliver a lot of flagship-grade features without straying too far from Poco's value-focused roots. Between the excellent battery life, strong performance, capable cameras and bright AMOLED display, it's a very easy phone to recommend for anyone looking for maximum bang for their buck.

The Motorola Edge 60 Pro was once an unpopular flagship phone, which has transformed into the best mid-range phone you can get right now for €400. It literally packs everything and lacks nothing.

There is a lot to like here. For instance, the very bright, 10-bit, HDR10+ capable display, the very nice stereo speaker system with Dolby Atmos, the overall good camera quality with the special highlight on the new 50MP ultrawide camera and the dedicated 3x telephoto, the powerful Dimensity 8350 chipset with fast UFS 4.0 storage and the large 6,000 mAh Si/C battery.

The selfie camera delivers, too, there is fast wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and fast and clean software.

If your budget is around €400, this is the phone you should consider first.

The €369 Nothing Phone (4a) is one of those devices that doesn't try to win the spec sheet race, yet still manages to carve out a very compelling position for itself in the midrange segment. It leans heavily into what Nothing does best - distinctive design, clean software, and a cohesive user experience - and backs that up with solid, well-rounded hardware.

Starting with the obvious, the design remains a key selling point. The refined Glyph Bar and the recognizable semi-transparent aesthetic continue to stand out in a sea of generic slabs. But importantly, the Phone (4a) isn't just about looks - build quality is solid, the display is sharp and bright enough, and the overall ergonomics are well thought out.

Performance is perfectly adequate for the class. The Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 isn't a powerhouse, but paired with faster UFS 3.1 storage and Nothing's well-optimized software, the phone feels responsive and smooth in day-to-day use. Thermal behavior is excellent too, with virtually no throttling under load.

The camera setup is another highlight - not because it's flawless, but because it's interesting. The addition of a proper 3.5x periscope telephoto is rare in this price bracket and genuinely useful. It delivers strong results, even stretching to 7x zoom. The main camera has a distinct character that won't be to everyone's taste, while the ultrawide remains fairly basic. Low-light performance is where the system shows its limitations, but overall, it's still a capable and versatile setup.

Battery life is solid, and charging speed is okay. The lack of wireless charging is hardly expected at this price.

Software remains one of the Phone (4a)'s biggest strengths. Nothing OS 4.1 offers a clean, near-stock Android experience with a unique visual identity and a growing set of smart features. The AI additions and Essential Space are interesting, if somewhat niche in execution. That said, the relatively modest software support commitment does take away some long-term appeal.

Ultimately, the Nothing Phone (4a) feels like a more sensible buy than its Pro sibling. The two are surprisingly close in overall capability, yet the vanilla model comes at a noticeably lower price. Unless you specifically want the extra features of the Pro, the Phone (4a) arguably hits the sweeter spot in the lineup.

All things considered, the Nothing Phone (4a) is an easy recommendation for anyone looking for something a bit different without sacrificing core smartphone fundamentals. It's not the most powerful, nor the most camera-focused device in its class, but it offers a balanced, thoughtfully put-together package with plenty of personality.

The Galaxy A57 looks and feels like an S-series phone, no two words about that. It has an improved design and build, slimmer screen bezels, and lighter body. It's become more refined, and it feels more premium.

The new Exynos chip with LPDDR5X RAM is alright - it provides balanced everyday performance, but the competition has upped its game a lot this year, and the A57 is trailing behind.

The camera department turned out to be surprisingly good, with excellent main and selfie cameras. The ultrawide shooter did okay, but the macro lens is there just for earning the "triple-camera" title for the A57.

Finally, the battery life is now improved despite the identical battery capacity as last year.

The One UI on the A57 is a typical Samsung affair minus DeX and a few AI tricks.

The A57 is a good phone, all things considered. It is a very balanced phone with hardly any shortcomings so it's well worth a recommendation.

The €450 Redmi Note 15 Pro+ is more than a decent all-rounder with dependable battery life, quick charging, excellent display and durable design. The camera system leaves more to be desired, but we can't expect too much from a midranger.

However, if you factor in the pricing, the phone's prospects look bleak. At its launch price, the new Pro+ faces rivals, many of which are superior (even ones by Xiaomi itself). And in this context, the Redmi Note 15 Pro+ doesn't stand out at all.

Still, judging by the price movements of the previous Redmi Note 14 Pro+, we expect the newer 15 Pro+ to become much more competitive with time. It is a very good phone and we do recommend giving it a chance.

The €360 Honor 400 makes a good first impression with its sharp and vibrant OLED display. It's well-calibrated, bright, and pleasant to use outdoors, giving the phone a premium feel in day-to-day interaction. Though more angular than the Pro model, the design has its distinct charm and feels solidly built.

There is a lot to like about the 400, including the highly customizable software and its iOS-like Magic Capsule. Camera performance is good and it covers 2x zoom duties quite successfully in both day and night. We are also fans of the nicely fast wired charging and Honor is usually throwing a free charger if you get the 400 from its website.

While performance is adequate for casual use, it lacks the snappiness and power we've come to expect from phones in this price range. Demanding apps and heavier multitasking reveal the limitations of the chipset, and there's noticeable hesitation in some scenarios. The battery life is another weak point. With a below-average endurance score in our testing, the Honor 400 lags behind much of the competition in terms of longevity.

Overall, the Honor 400 steps in an over-saturated market and price segment, but it can score easy wins with its great cameras, screen and fast charging. MagicOS has a certain charm, too.