Smartphones under 400 and 500 euros – the 11 TOP in the world

A 500 euro smartphone is a device that must guarantee good performance.

True, we will always find devices even at double the price, but as we see it, the market range of smartphones around 500 euros (and actually even a 400 euro smartphone) must guarantee high-quality performance.

Not only.

Today the smartphone is no longer a technologically revolutionary object, and in fact, the new models rarely introduce innovative features.

This means that, by choosing carefully, a good 500 euro smartphone can guarantee duration of years, without major problems of slowdowns, battery loss, or chipset that suddenly becomes obsolete.

A 500 euro phone I expect to last at least 3 years, high performance. In most cases, it will last 4 years. If we treat it well, I can assure you it will be up to 5 years.

• But how should a smartphone of this level be chosen?
• And above all, what are the best smartphones under 500 euros?

Today we answer these questions, once and for all.

PS- IN THE RANKING THAT WE WILL SEE, SMARTPHONES ARE CONSTANTLY UPDATED. THEREFORE, YOU WILL ALWAYS FIND THE TOP OF THE MOMENT FOR QUALITY PRICE!

Smartphone 500 euro and Smartphone 400 euro- The Ranking [Updated]

Best smartphone 500 euros for a quality price

1. OnePlus – 8T 5G Smartphone

• Display– 6.67 ” FHD + AMOLED
• Chipset– Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G
• Storage memory– 256 GB
• RAM– 12 GB
• Battery– 4500mAh, 66W fast charging
• Camera– 48 MP rear quad camera
• Weight– 188 g

OnePlus 8T is a smartphone released in 2024, which has seen an impressive price reduction considering that it cost 600 euros at the exit. This, of course, is to the advantage of the value for money.

If it is true that it cannot be defined as a true “top of the range,” we can be sure that we are talking about a smartphone with awe-inspiring power in any case.

Let’s start with the display. The transition of the smartphone sector to display certainly did not find OnePlus unprepared, which in the 8T sports a display with a Full HD, 120Hz refresh rate.

While the lower resolution doesn’t compete with today’s flagships, the display is still stunning. Sharp, colorful, and monstrously responsive.

It is important to note that the refresh rate is constant and non-adaptive, which means that the refresh rate remains stuck at 120Hz. Adaptive displays are more energy-efficient but suffer from very slight slowdowns, which we do not find in fixed frequency ones.

The battery, I would call it average. OnePlus 8T lasts about 6 hours when the screen is on and under load. A “normal” use allows the battery to survive the day, arriving in the morning of the next day. This is thanks to the relatively low resolution of the display. The charging speed is excellent, ranging from 0 to 70% in just under 40 minutes, thanks to the included 65 W charger.

On the performance side, this is a phone that really stands out among many.

While not having the “Plus” version of the Snapdragon 865, the processor is super responsive. The Italian version of the phone comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage , and that’s more than 90% of users will ever need. Whether it’s apps, games, or navigation, we’ll never feel a lack of responsiveness.

Finally, I want to reassure the skeptics of the updates. OnePlus has a good track record for long-term support, as much as Samsung does.

The main “flaw” of this phone is the camera. While there have been some updates since release, the images produced by the 47MP main sensor tend to be low in contrast.

The details are adequate, but the overall sharpness makes it unnatural. It may not be a problem for many, but in any case, it must be recognized that the graphics sector is not among the best.

So, if we are passionate about photography, this is not the smartphone I recommend. However, it remains one of the best smartphones from 500 euros for value for money in all other cases.

PROS

• Solid build quality
• Exceptional 120Hz display
• Top-of-the-range hardware performance
• Good battery life
• Very fast charging

CONS

• Below average camera performance

OnePlus – 8T 5G Smartphone – Price: 490.90 euros

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Best smartphone 500 euros Samsung

2. Samsung – Galaxy S20 FE

Samsung Galaxy S20 Fe

• Display– 6.5 ” FHD + Infinity-O
• Chipset– Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G
• Storage– 128GB, SD slot
• RAM– 6 GB
• Battery– 4500mAh, 25W fast charging
• Camera– 12MP rear tri-camera
• Weight– 190 g

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is everything you can ask for in a 500 euro smartphone. Indeed, it was also ok at the release price, 649 euros.

With fast performance, solid cameras, and an increasingly competitive price, the S20 FE 5G is among my absolute favorite Samsung for value for money.

The S20 FE has a 6.5-inch 2400 x 1080 screen at 120Hz frequency. There really isn’t any downside; the frame rate makes scrolling smooth, and the battery in 120Hz mode holds up quietly. As this is one of Samsung’s recent AMOLED displays, the colors are gorgeous and highly contrasted.

The S20 FE has the same Snapdragon 865 processor as the S20 line, along with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, plus a microSD card slot.

The result is an extremely fluid smartphone on any occasion, which is not really afraid of heavy apps or overheating. He is able to manage everything in a more than adequate way.

The battery life is excellent. The FE has a 4500mAh battery and, combined with the 1080p screen, allows for over 13 hours of video playback at 75% brightness. So really good, and able to easily overcome the day of autonomy.

The phone features 22W fast charging, wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging. It takes about 90 minutes to reach full charge.

The photographic sector is excellent. The S20 FE has three cameras on the back- a 12-megapixel f / 1.8 main camera, a 12-megapixel f / 2.2 wide-angle camera, and an 8-megapixel f / 2.4 3x telephoto lens. We find a 32-megapixel camera on the front.

The 30x Space Zoom is truly impressive, and the combination of 3x optical zoom and 30x zoom offers truly excellent results. Overall, all the images taken are of very high quality and of great sharpness, especially in daylight. A little flawed in low light conditions, but more than forgivable.

The Galaxy S20 FE 5g perfects rather than innovates and does it really well.

It’s a phone that overbalances what to aim for and what not- yes to a Snapdragon 865 chipset and a solid 3x lens and no to (expensive) glass design or megapixel exaggeration.

And as of this writing, the S20 FE is the best $ 500 smartphone from Samsung, which frankly doesn’t have too much to envy its nearly $ 1000 top-of-the-range counterpart.

PROS

• Stunning 120Hz display
• Good battery
• The powerful triple camera system
• Excellent performance

CONS

• The quick charger costs more
• Camera not top in low light

Samsung – Galaxy S20 FE – Price: 489.00 euro

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Best iPhone 500 euros

3. Apple – iPhone XR

• Display– 6.1 ” Liquid Retina HD (LCD)
• Chipset– Apple A12 Bionic Neural Engine
• Storage– 64GB / 128GB
• RAM– 3 GB
• Battery– 2942mAh, 18W fast charging or wireless
• Camera– 12MP rear camera
• Weight– 194 g

With the iPhone XR, Apple has created an iPhone that offers 95% of the high-end iPhone XS experience at 75% of the price. Yes, there are trade-offs – the screen and camera take small steps back from the XS models, along with a few other features.

However, I remain firmly convinced that this is the best iPhone on the market for quality/price.

The iPhone XR is equipped with a 7 nanometer A12 Bionic chip which is faster and more efficient than the previous generation iPhone X A11.

Flanked by a 3GB of RAM and a 64 or 128GB capacity, this is an iPhone that maintains Apple’s typical responsiveness standards.

Two high-performance cores in the A1t are calculated at 15% faster than the A11 Bionic and four high-efficiency cores that consume up to 50% less power. The A12, combined with a larger battery, allows for unexpectedly long battery life for an iPhone.

With 2942 mAh of battery, the iPhone XR offers up to 25 hours of talk time and 15 hours of internet use. It’s an iPhone that covers the whole day quietly and sometimes surpasses it.

The Face ID is really useful, a unique feature of Apple for quality and precision. It uses a detailed 3D face scan that can’t be fooled by a photo, mask, or other facial imitation. Much more responsive than fingerprint reading.

The photographic sector uses a single-lens camera system, but it is a really well-exploited camera, particularly enhanced from a software point of view. Although it may seem “small,” it is proof that MPs are not everything.

The photos of the iPhone XR are bright and sharp in all lighting conditions, and even the videos are extremely focused and bright. Surprisingly above average.

Other noteworthy features are wireless charging, Dual Sim support, and NFC for contactless payments.

We conclude.

The iPhone XR is the least expensive of the family but offers most of the iPhone X and XS features, including an excellent screen (comfortable to handle), fast performance, Face ID, wireless charging, and a camera as good as the iPhone . iPhone XS.

True, we do not find optical zoom, and the 64GB of memory is not a lot. However, all in all, the iPhone XR is the absolute best iPhone for value for money, offering most of the benefits of the XS for a lot less money.

PROS

• Almost as capable as superior iPhones (at 300 euros less)
• Great battery life for an iPhone
• A convincing camera on every occasion
• Extremely responsive
• Attractive range of colors

CONS

• Some apps are not fully optimized yet
• Below average storage memory

Apple – iPhone XR – Price: 569.00 euros

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Best smartphone under 500 euros

4. Xiaomi – Mi 10T Pro

• Display– 6.67 ” FHD + AMOLED
• Chipset– Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus
• Storage– 128 GB
• RAM– 8 GB
• Battery– 5000mAh, 33W fast charging
• Camera– 108MP rear quad camera
• Weight– 218 g

The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is a smartphone of enormous value, even considering that it has fallen in price compared to the release.

We are talking about a smartphone with a powerful latest generation Snapdragon 865 chipset, flanked by 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM that performs very high reactivity, making the Xiaomi 5G a truly powerful smartphone.

I don’t think there is a process/app that this Mi 10T Pro can’t handle. Build quality is also top-notch, despite the lack of water resistance.

The only semi-serious problem could be the thickness and weight, together with the positioning of the volume in the right hand and the power inputs- it is a rather large smartphone, and therefore we must be aware of it.

The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro’s screen is its most interesting feature. It contains a 6.67-inch IPS LCD, with 2,400 x 1,080 resolution. But the main reason it stands out is the 144Hz refresh rate. This allows compatible games to be extremely smooth and, together with the high screen polling speed, truly top-of-the-range performance is guaranteed.

The photographic sector is good, without excelling. We find 108 MP in the rear and 20 MP in the front from a lens point of view. The images are sharp and are more than sufficient for basic use or for non-professionals. Low-light performance deteriorates quickly, but this is standard on most phones and more than forgivable.

The Xiaomi MI 10T Pro is also to be rewarded in terms of battery. It is powered by a mega battery of 5000 mAh and equipped with a variable refresh rate for energy saving.

It is no coincidence that on a “typical” day, it reaches the end of the day with half a charge. It means that it is a phone that can last even two days without recharging without too much effort.

The charging speed is solid; thanks to the 33W of absorbable power, it takes about an hour to recharge fully. Not bad, really.

Adding all these features, you get a truly high-level smartphone, with an additional charm given by a screen with a very high maximum frequency of 144 Hz.

We combine all this with the fact that it can be found at a truly discounted price compared to the release, and here we are talking about a smartphone under the 500 euros that is truly excellent for a quality price.

PROS

• Fast 144Hz display
• Great photos in both light and dark
• Excellent value for money
• Fast and responsive processor
• Good battery life
• Excellent fingerprint scanner

CONS

• The back gets dirty easily
• LCD instead of OLED

Xiaomi – Mi 10T Pro – Price: 480.00 euro

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Best phone 400 euros for quality price

5. OPPO – Reno4 Pro

Oppo Reno4 Pro 5g

• Display– 6.5 ” FHD + AMOLED
• Chipset– Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G 5G
• Storage– 256 GB
• RAM– 12 GB
• Battery– 4000mAh, 65W fast charging
• Camera– 48MP rear tri-camera
• Weight– 172 g

Oppo Reno 4 Pro 5G is a 400 euro smartphone capable of competing with anyone from every point of view.

The phone screen is AMOLED, with all the benefits that come with it. It is bright and contrasting, with vivid and rich colors. It also has the added advantage of a 90 Hz refresh rate, which corresponds to an excellent average between display fluidity and battery protection.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 700 series is top-rated in the middle phase of smartphones and is this OPPO’s choice. The 765G chipset is flanked by a generous 12GB RAM and 256GB of storage, which is more than enough for any need… for several years to come.

The hardware sector doesn’t really have any slowdowns. In fact, for most activities, this OPPO will behave as and how much top-of-the-range phones. It’s fast and responsive, partly because of the smoothness of the display, partly because the 765G platform is powerful enough.

It must be said, in any case, that the Snapdragon 765G belongs to a previous generation compared to the 8 series that we already find on some mid ranges. To date, however, the user experience remains excellent in all cases.

The 4000mAh battery is almost standard in terms of capacity. It covers the day well and is calibrated for the display’s 90Hz frequency. Let’s say it does its job well.

However, a separate note for the 65 W Super VOOC 2.0 flash charging technology allows charging from 0% to 66% in just 15 minutes and will finish charging in 35 minutes.

The Oppo Reno 4 Pro’s 48-megapixel main camera is flanked by a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera and a 13-megapixel 2x zoom lens. What’s interesting here is that the 12-megapixel ultra-wide is also labeled a “night” camera. This is largely due to the fact that Oppo has improved night performance, especially when shooting video.

All in all?

The Oppo Reno 4 Pro is a smartphone that guarantees daily performance and reliability. It doesn’t excel at anything in particular, but it holds the bar high on all points.

An excellent smartphone under 500 euros, perfect for all “tastes.”

PROS

• Superfast charging
• Distinctive design and convenient to use
• Good display and audio sector
• Great photos and videos in low light

CONS

• Older chipset than other competitors

OPPO – Reno4 Pro – Price: 429.00 euro

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Best smartphone 400 euros per battery

6. Samsung – Galaxy A72

Samsung Galaxy A72

• Display– 6.7 ” FHD + Super AMOLED
• Chipset– Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G
• Storage– 128 GB
• RAM– 6 GB
• Battery– 5000mAh, 15W fast charging
• Camera– 64MP rear tri-camera
• Weight– 203 g

The Galaxy A71 was a hugely successful under $ 500 smartphone.

The successor, the A72, brings quite significant improvements, including a high refresh rate of 90Hz, a 5,000mAh battery, and a very effective camera system. But let’s see it in more detail.

Surrounded by relatively thin bezels, the Galaxy A72’s screen is a Super AMOLED Plus offering deep and rich, but not overly saturated, colors, and is definitely a pleasure to look at.

A notable aspect to consider is the degree of protection against water and dust IP67, which sadly lacked the A71. This feature is an important addition, especially in the often absent segment of phones in this range.

The Galaxy A72 comes with Snapdragon 720G, a slight upgrade over last year’s Snapdragon 730 on the A71. Overall, it makes a small improvement to CPU speed, but it can handle everyday tasks, such as social media browsing and video streaming, with ease.

Storage and RAM are averages for the price range at 128GB and 6GB, respectively.

One of the areas where the A72 offers tangible upgrades to both its predecessors and other smaller Samsung series is the camera segment. It still relies on a 64MP Quad-Bayer main camera, with a fairly wide f / 1.8 aperture.

The result is excellent photographs in all cases, even in poor visibility conditions. Also noteworthy is the video stabilization, which always remains very bright and in focus without uncertainty.

Finally, the 5000 mAh battery that equips the Galaxy A72 is excellent, which Samsung not surprisingly calls a “two-day” battery. And it’s true- the phone’s battery life is, in fact, capable of supporting two days of average use. Games and YouTube, of course, consume the battery faster, but the large battery can guarantee almost 15 hours of battery life when the screen is on.

There is a 15W charger included in the box, which takes an hour and 27 minutes to charge the smartphone from 0 to 100%. However, it is compatible with chargers up to 25W.

Let’s get to the point.

The Galaxy A72 is a sub-$ 500 smartphone from Samsung capable of delivering truly reliable performance for several years.

That said, its value is based on a unique mix of features, including camera quality, waterproofness, and excellent battery life.

If the aspects it “touches” are exactly what we are looking for, there is really no reason not to choose it!

PROS

• Large OLED display with 90Hz refresh rate
• Excellent camera in any occasion of brightness
• Guaranteed at least 4 years of updates
• Waterproof
• Great battery

CONS

• No 5G support
• Fingerprint reader not too accurate

Samsung – Galaxy A72 – Price: 449.00 euro

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Best smartphone under 400 euros

7. OnePlus – NORD 5G

• Display– 6.44 ” FHD + AMOLED
• Chipset– Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G
• Storage– 128 GB
• RAM– 8 GB
• Battery– 4100mAh, 25W fast charging
• Camera– 48 MP rear quad camera
• Weight– 184 g

OnePlus Nord is an excellent mid-range smartphone.

We are talking about a well-built smartphone with a great display, excellent performance, and clean and snappy software. Battery life is solid too, and OnePlus DASH charging continues to be blazing fast.

Although 4115 mAh may seem few, the North far exceeds the typical day. Thanks to the low-power Snapdragon 765G chipset, the phone achieves runtimes of over 13 hours.

An important part of this smartphone is the user interface. OnePlus has carefully chosen a design language that closely mimics Google’s design. This gives the user the impression of using a much more customizable user interface.

This customization works at all levels, from the launcher to the default OnePlus apps, to the operating system itself.

In addition to cleanliness, OnePlus also prioritized speed. This involves having faster animations and transitions and identifying stress points to eliminate any targeting or dropped frames. This has resulted in a consistent and smooth user interface that is a joy to use, especially on these high refresh rate displays.

Also, from a gaming point of view, the phone performs well without overheating . On the other hand, we are talking about a phone with 8GB of RAM, practically a memory that now exceeds some mid-range PCs!

OnePlus Nord has the most cameras for any OnePlus phone; four on the back and two on the front. All in all, however, the image quality isn’t as exciting as others. Perhaps this is one of the few “average” aspects of this smartphone.

True, the photographic sector and battery are only in the “average,” … but everything else is at the top of the category in this price range.

Another problem is that it is often not found!

PROS

• Good design and build quality
• Good overall display performance
• Fast and responsive user interface
• Good battery life with fast charging

CONS

• The camera can be improved
• Limited availability

OnePlus – NORD 5G – Price: 369.00 euro

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Smartphone under 400 euro 108 MP

8. Xiaomi – Mi 10T

Xiaomi Mi 10t

• Display– 6.67 ” FHD +
• Chipset– Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G
• Storage– 128 GB
• RAM– 6 GB
• Battery– 5000mAh, 33W fast charging
• Camera– 108MP triple rear camera
• Weight– 216 g

Xiaomi Mi 10T is an exceptional value-for-money smartphone with a large, fluid screen, tailor-made for gaming and watching movies.

But let’s go in order.

This is probably one of the best LCDs on the market. The 6.67-inch 20- 9 display with 1080 x 2400px resolution impresses with high brightness, HDR10 + support and a 144Hz refresh rate. This is perhaps one of the more advanced LCD panels for gaming, primarily due to its adaptive sync support.

The adaptive synchronization function is fascinating- the system is able to detect static images and animations. As soon as you stop interacting with the display, the refresh rate is adjusted to 60Hz and sometimes 50Hz, and when you tap the display, it picks up to 144Hz or the maximum allowed depending on your settings.

This also affects the battery’s performance, which does not have to sustain too high a frequency constantly. The result is excellent battery life, which even on heavy use (such as with daytime gaming) exceeds a day and a half of autonomy.

The base variant of the Mi 10T offers 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, managed by a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor and an Octa-Core CPU. Compatibility with 5G is also guaranteed.

The sum of the features makes it truly a powerful phone, in some respects comparable to some far more expensive smartphones. Unfortunately, there is no microSD card slot.

The camera is another really impressive aspect of this smartphone. With its 108 MP, the rear camera is able to offer monstrously detailed images in any light conditions. Also excellent from this point of view.

Let’s be clear. It was a 500 euro smartphone on release date. Today, however, it has largely become a smartphone under 400 euros, making it particularly attractive.

I recommend, if we buy it online, be careful that it is not branded!

PROS

• Excellent for gaming
• Superfast 144Hz screen
• Solid performance
• Good battery life
• Compelling camera

CONS

• A little heavy design

Xiaomi – Mi 10T – Price: 329.00 euro

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Best Smartphone 300 euros Samsung

9. Samsung – Galaxy A52

Samsung Galaxy A52 5g

• Display– 6.5 ” FHD + Super AMOLED
• Chipset– Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G
• Storage memory– 128 GB, MicroSD slot
• RAM– 6 GB
• Battery– 4500mAh, 25W fast charging
• Camera– 48 MP rear quad camera
• Weight– 189 g

On the Android side, the Galaxy A52 5G is one of the more interesting options. It includes some features that aren’t too common, such as the fast refresh rate screen , an IP67 water resistance rating, and the Gorilla Glass 5 warranty.

The 6.5-inch screen of the A52 is an OLED display with great contrast, which is really nice to use. But its best feature is the 120Hz refresh rate which gives a much smoother look to animations and content as you use it.

We’ll likely see this feature make its way into more smartphones soon, but for now, the A52 is one of the few to offer a better-than-60Hz screen in its class and makes for a truly rewarding experience of using the phone.

The phone performs well for its price class in performance, with a Snapdragon 750G processor and 6GB of RAM. Storage is good, with internal 128GB expandable up to 1TB.

Despite an energy-hungry display, the Galaxy A52’s 4500 mAh battery is able to guarantee excellent performance, typically above the typical day.

Overall, the entire software part is fluid, with no obvious pointing. For a large chunk of users who mostly use the usual set of apps, the performance will be more than satisfactory. It is worth mentioning that there is an 8GB RAM variant with the same storage space.

One of the less bright spots of the A52 5G is Samsung’s current version of Android, which puts a lot of pre-downloaded apps on your phone that you probably don’t want, including push notifications of the weather, which I hate.

For a cleaner Android skin, you will have to do a good cleaning by uninstalling several of them and blocking the notifications of those that cannot be uninstalled.

All in all, we are talking about a Galaxy smartphone that is offered at an excellent quality/price ratio, in my opinion.

True, some competitors (which we will see) offer even higher performance. However, Samsung remains the preferred choice of many for what it conveys in terms of reliability (questionable or not).

All in all, in my opinion, the A52 undoubtedly remains a solid choice for those looking for a smartphone under 400 euros that can last several years.

PROS

• Beautiful color options and a new silky finish
• IP67 (waterproof) rating with Gorilla Glass 5
• Bright AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate
• Solid battery life
• The promise of OS updates

CONS

• A 15W base charger is provided in the box, although 25W charging is supported.
• Chipset not at the top for the price

Samsung – Galaxy A52 – Price: 309.00 euro

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Best Smartphone 300 euros Xiaomi

10. Xiaomi – Mi 11 Lite

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite

• Display– 6.55 ” FHD + AMOLED
• Chipset– Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G
• Storage– 128 GB
• RAM– 8 GB
• Battery– 4250mAh, 33W fast charging
• Camera– 64MP rear tri-camera
• Weight– 196 g

Xiaomi has released a mid-range smartphone in the Mi 11 series, which has left several insiders, including myself, amazed. l Mi 11 Lite.

The Chinese manufacturer advertises the Lite model as the world’s thinnest 5G smartphone. A Snapdragon 732G powers tA Snapdragon 732G powers the Mi 11 Lite.

This mid-range smartphone is equipped with a Wi-Fi 6 module, a triple camera system, and stereo speakers. The Mi 11 Lite has a 6.55-inch AMOLED screen, which is only 0.53mm wide. It is almost half a millimeter thinner than a typical LCD screen.

The version with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory has landed just under 400 euros but is already at a strong discount. In these cases, it is the best buy.

Five minutes in your hand, and you fall in love with the sleek and elegant body of the phone. Note on the design.

The Mi 11 Lite runs an Android 11-based MIUI 12, which means it has a custom skin and extra features. In fact, it comes with many customization options and user-defined settings.

Given its hardware specifications, fluidity is practically guaranteed. Daily tasks like email, social media and messaging travel quickly, but it also fits well with heavier apps like gaming without getting into crisis. The 90Hz refresh rate does the rest.

The battery may seem relatively small compared to the others, but it’s calibrated to cover the day. It will last more than 12 hours, so it will cover the typical day, even with heavy apps in between.

Good photos too. The 64-megapixel camera is convincing and manages to work well in even rather dark conditions.

Having said all this, in my opinion, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite is a mid-range smartphone that stands out. From the moment you look at it until you start playing around with themes and customizing photos and overall performance.

It’s not a perfect phone, of course. No water resistance, it doesn’t offer wireless charging, and it doesn’t have 5G connectivity.

However, if these are not insurmountable problems, we are talking about a “little monster” of power capable of putting smartphones that cost hundreds of euros more on the wall. You will hardly be disappointed.

PROS

• Attractive glass design, incredibly light
• Great OLED screen, 90Hz refresh, HDR10
• Excellent photo and video quality

CONS

• A faster chipset would have been more attractive
• No 5G

Xiaomi – Mi 11 Lite – Price: 299.00 euro

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Best smartphone 500 euros Apple

11. Apple – iPhone SE

• Display– 4.7 ” HD Retina
• Chipset– A13 Bionic Neural Engine
• Storage memory– 64 GB
• RAM– 3 GB
• Battery– 1821mAh, 15W fast charging
• Camera– 12MP rear camera
• Weight– 148 g

Not everyone loves Android, and indeed, there are not a few who ask me which is the best iPhone for value for money.

The SE is a full-fledged budget iPhone by Apple standards, and it certainly ranks as one of the most interesting sub-$ 500 smartphones ever.

The iPhone SE is recognized as a phone that strikes the right balance between camera, build quality, speed, battery life, software, and longevity.

Born in 2024, the iPhone SE follows a very proven formula that guarantees a very high longevity. It has the same body and 4.7-inch LCD screen that Apple has used since the iPhone 8. This places the display as one of the smallest in the industry, something particularly loved by some.

It’s a familiar design and not a particularly modern one. In return, there is a good proposal inside. The SE is part of the A13 Bionic processor generation, which remains one of the fastest processors ever on any phone, especially in this price range.

The reason that processor really matters, however, is overall longevity. Apple consistently supports its phones for four or more years with software updates. (This is in opposition to Android, where getting software updates is still a struggle.) So Apple’s choice of a fast processor means that, over the years, the iPhone SE will still be up-to-date and smooth despite iOS updates.

Battery life is good but not the best in class. It will last about a day. Fortunately, this iPhone supports wireless charging, which is still rare at this price point. And since it’s the same shape as the iPhone 6, 6S, 7, and 8, there’s a huge ecosystem of chargers and cases for it.

The iPhone SE has only one camera on the back and one selfie camera on the front, 12 megapixels and 7 megapixels, respectively. Neither compartment is great, but both are significantly better than those provided by Apple in older iPhones. However, it must be said that Apple offers a variety of exciting and easy-to-use features, including portrait and HDR.

Let’s get to the point.

I know that Apple products always spark discussions between those who love them and those who hate them.

The point here is to understand that Apple has tried to offer an iPhone with basic features at one of the lowest prices that can be remembered for an Apple smartphone.

I advise?

If we love the Apple ecosystem, this iPhone has nothing wrong with it and, indeed, I’m sure it will be traded a lot in the next few years too.

In this sense, if we think of buying it and then maybe reselling it in a couple of years, it is one of those that offer a guaranteed value over time like no other.

PROS

• Compact and lightweight, water-resistant
• Bright, high-contrast screen
• Outstanding performance from the A13 chip
• Really precise and responsive Touch ID and Face ID
• Good photos, excellent videos with efficient stabilization
• Upgrade-proof thanks to the modern chipset
• The value of the phone lasts for years

CONS

• Battery at the limit- covers the day
• Slow charger in the 5W pack

Apple – iPhone SE – Price: 439.00 euros

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Frequent questions

THERE ARE THOSE WHO I CONSIDER THE BEST SMARTPHONES UNDER 500 EUROS, FOR EVERY NEED!

I regularly update the ranking, so you will constantly find the top devices for price-quality (which are not necessarily the ones released in the last few months …)!

As always, if you have any questions or if you want to compare yourself, you can find me available in the comments.

Until next time!