The Best Smartphones for Less Than 300 Euros

The Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE offers a good bang for the buck.

In our review, the slim Xiaomi smartphone turned out to offer a highly color-accurate and very fast 90 Hz AMOLED display, very accurate location services, and modern communication standard support with both 5G and Wi-Fi 6. However, the SoC is slightly slower than its predecessor’s and the front is only protected by Gorilla Glass 5.

In the USA, interested users can order Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE via Amazon starting from $294.50.

OnePlus' Nord CE 2 5G is a strong mid-ranger with three years of Android updates. 

In the review, the few innovations compared with the predecessor and the fact that its weaknesses have been taken over are particularly striking. In this regard, the weak Wi-Fi performance and the mediocre ultra-wide-angle are noteworthy. On the plus side, there is a good panel, long battery runtimes and fast charging. The OnePlus smartphone has been supplied with Android 12 in the meantime, and the beta for Android 13 has been announced for the first half of 2023. 

The Nord CE 2 5G is widely available, for example on Amazon, with prices starting at around $400.

Samsung's Galaxy A33 5G offers an attractive overall package with a long update supply. 

The equipment is rounded off with Wi-Fi 5, 5G, NFC, a large 5,000 mAh battery, and a nominally fast mid-range SoC. Unfortunately, Samsung did not quite manage to elicit an impeccable system speed from it at the time of the test. The below-average slow memory certainly plays an important role in this.

The Samsung Galaxy A33 5G is available via Amazon in the US, UK, Canada, and some other countries.

The Poco X4 Pro offers an attractive overall package with an AMOLED screen, 5G and a good 108 MP camera.

Xiaomi provides a comprehensive upgrade for the main camera sensor, which now has 108 MPix. Fast charging with up to 67 watts and a large 5,000 mAh battery are also included. However, it is a pity that only Android 11 is preinstalled; even the predecessor already runs Android 12. 

Interested users can purchase the device through Amazon for $324.5.

Motorola's Moto G72 is an appealing mid-range smartphone that unfortunately does without 5G.

In addition, Motorola provides a 5,000 mAh battery, Bluetooth 5.0, an audio jack, 30 watt fast charging, and a 108 MPix triple camera. Security patches are supposed to be available until October 2025 and Android 13 is already confirmed. However, it is a pity that the 5G standard is omitted and the LTE frequency equipment is a bit thin. 

In the review, the Redmi Note 11 Pro convinces with a bright display, good speakers and long battery runtimes, but it is a bit heavy, only supports Full HD video and was still shipped with Android 11. 

The device does not require any major compromises. It lacks microSD card support and therefore expandable storage, its Wi-Fi modem is not the fastest, and its ultra-wide-angle lens not the best.

Currently, Amazon lists the Redmi Note 11 Pro, starting at $281.70.

Samsung's Galaxy offers an attractive overall package that only demands little compromise from the user.

The panel is not as bright as in the current models of the A-series, but it does not need pulse width modulation. 5G is also on board, as well as a 5,000 mAh battery that enables long runtimes. However, the device does not have an IP certification and the update supply is probably not as long as in the more expensive models - Samsung does not provide exact details in this regard. 

Seemingly, it is hard to purchase Samsung Galaxy M23 in the USA.

Motorola Moto G52 is a pretty well-equipped LTE smartphone that could have become an insider's tip with a slightly more modern SoC.

Motorola also provides the smartphone with a radio receiver and an audio jack. The 5,000 mAh battery provides very good runtimes in the test. The triple camera consists of a 50 MPixel sensor as well as a macro and an ultra-wide-angle lens. It is only a pity that owners of a G52 have to do without 5G. 

At the time of writing, Motorola Moto G52 is listed on Amazon US for $445.

The Poco M5s convinces with extensive features and a bright display, but it does without 5G.

The Poco M5s convinces with its bright panel, long battery runtimes and extensive features in the test. Unfortunately, there is no power supply included and the modern 5G standard is not supported.

The device is available for use in non-US countries from Amazon for $233.

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G is a pretty complete mid-range smartphone that has a PWM-free PLS display.

Among other things, the Galaxy A23 convinces with a fast system speed and long battery runtimes in the test. The screen could have been a bit brighter and the ambient light sensor does not always work reliably. 

The smartphone can be purchased directly from Samsung or Amazon.