Every week we try to find the best smartphone deals from around the world (with the occasional smartwatch or maybe some headphones). This week the focus has been on discounts as there are no special sale events. Use the links below to jump to your region:
Germany
The Poco X4 GT is a mid-budget gaming phone: the Dimension 8100 chipset isn’t the fastest, but the 144Hz IPS LCD display (6.6″ FHD+) can run some high FPS games with less demanding titles. Also , the 5,080mAh battery will last long gaming sessions (and is quick to recharge at 67W, 46 minutes max.) There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack in addition to the stereo speakers.
The Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is from 2021, but for €300 you get a Snapdragon 778G, a 90Hz AMOLED (6.55” FHD+). The camera configuration features a 64MP main camera and an 8MP ultra-wide camera, as well as a 20MP selfie cam, the battery is 4,250mAh with 33W charging.
You might prefer the Google Pixel 6a – for a bit more it offers a better Android OS updater (and it’s Pixel Experience compared to MIUI). Its 6.1″ FHD+ display runs at just 60Hz, the original Tensor chipset holds its own against the Snapdragon. The camera uses two 12MP sensors on the back (with the coveted Gcam image processing), the battery is a bit bigger but slower at 4,410mAh and 18W
Next, the Poco M5 and the M5 at 200 and 160 euros respectively. The M5s has a 6.43″ AMOLED LCD vs. 6.58″ IPS on the M5 (both FHD+), it also has an 8MP ultra-wide angle camera on the back (vs. 13MP (versus 5MP) . While both phones have 5,000mAh batteries, the more expensive model charges at 33W, the other at 18W. Finally, the M5 comes with double the storage. Is all this worth the extra €40? It’s up to you to decide.
Leaving Android land for some Apple offerings. The iPhone 13 mini (128GB) is currently $80 cheaper than the same phone on Apple.com. This could be the last mini for a while, unless a future SE model takes over.
By the way, a refurbished iPhone SE 2020 costs just over 200 euros. It’s not fabulous, but depending on how used you are to the Apple ecosystem, this could be a better choice than an entry-level Android.
There’s also an Apple Watch Series 8 (aluminum) up for grabs, but it’s not cheap. The 45mm model costs €35 more than the 41mm one.
ZTE Blade A72 5G is an affordable way to access 5G connectivity. However, the phone’s Dimension 700 chipset is the next best thing. The 6.52-inch HD+ 90Hz IPS LCD display isn’t anything to write home about, the same goes for the 13MP main camera. The 4,000mAh battery is a decent size, though it lacks fast charging.
Here’s a strange one: the rugged Samsung Galaxy Xcover 5 (IP68, MIL-STD-810H). The hardware isn’t great (Exynos 850, 5.3-inch HD+ display), but the phone can run Android 13 and has a user-replaceable battery. It’s not a great daily driver, but if you want something relatively inexpensive like a work phone or something to take on hikes, this could be an attractive choice.
Xiaomi Watch S1 Active is not a Google Wear device, on the plus side, it has better battery life than those: Xiaomi claims it lasts up to 12 days, we got about 7 days when we tested it. The watch still offers niceties like contactless payments and voice commands with Alexa.
Netherlands
The Galaxy S23 Ultra is quite expensive and doesn’t even fold, but the Galaxy Z Fold4 does. And you can pick one up for €1,200, less than you’d pay for the Ultra. The question really is whether you want a big screen in a next-gen form factor or better cameras.
Xiaomi 12T features a 108MP (1/1.67″) main camera with OIS, a 5,000mAh battery with blazingly fast 120W charging, and a 6.67″ 120Hz 12-bit AMOLED display with 1,220 x 2,712 px resolution. It has its flaws, for example the ultra-wide camera is only 8MP, but that’s a lot of hardware for €500 and the Dimensity 8100-Max is fast enough for most use cases.
For €100 less you can instead have the Samsung Galaxy M53, also with a 108 MP main camera (and 8 MP ultra wide angle). However, the 120Hz AMOLED is lower resolution (1,080 x 2,408px) and uses the older Dimension 900 chipset, not to mention the 5,000mAh battery charges at just 25W. ‘is a microSD slot and One UI software is already on Android 13.
The Nokia XR20 has been on the way for a couple of years, but today it’s running Android 13 and should get v14, plus a total of 4 years of security patches. It’s not the 3310, but it’s pretty tough with an IP68 rating and MIL-STD-810H testing, including being dropped onto concrete from 1.8m/6ft. Add in 5G connectivity (Snapdragon 480) and a 6.67-inch FHD+ IPS LCD, wireless charging (at 15W, 18W wired, 4,630mAh battery) and this looks pretty good for its sub-€300 price tag.
Alternatively, for a little more you can get the Sony Xperia 10 IV. It’s not as durable but still has an IP68 rating. And it’s smaller with a slim 6.0″ OLED display (FHD+, 21:9), plus 12+8+8MP camera with (2x) zoom lens. The 5,000mAh battery delivers stellar battery life (no wireless charging, though).
UK
While the 80 series has been around for a few months, the slightly older Honor 70 is still keeping up. It has a 54MP 1/4.9″ main sensor (instead of 160MP 1/1.56″ on the newer model), but it also has a 50MP ultra-wide-angle camera (versus only 8MP). The 6.67-inch 120Hz OLED displays are pretty similar, the 4,800mAh batteries with 66W charging are essentially identical, and there’s not much difference between the Snapdragon 778G+ and the 782G either.
Next, a pair of 5G phones costing around £200. The Samsung Galaxy A23 5G has a larger 6.6″ 120Hz LCD display, the Oppo Find X3 Lite has a 6.43″ 90Hz AMOLED display. The Oppo is older (2021 model) but has the better chipset, a Snapdragon 765G versus a 695. The Galaxy has a microSD slot, but the Oppo has double the RAM and storage.
The A23’s 50+5MP camera includes OIS for the main module, the Oppo’s 64+8MP camera does not. Even so, the better chipset allows the Find phone to record 4K videos. Finally, the Galaxy’s 5,000mAh battery is larger but slower to charge at 25W than the 4,300mAh and 65W.
The Samsung Galaxy M13 isn’t as capable as the A23 – no 5G and the Exynos 850 chipset wasn’t as impressive even last year. Still, it’s a budget phone with a 6.6-inch LCD display (FHD+, 60Hz), a 5,000mAh (15W) battery, and a 50+5MP camera.
The Galaxy A03s is a £100 phone. Its Helio P35 won’t wow anyone, but the 3GB of RAM is just enough to run full Android 12 with One UI 4.1 Core. The 32GB memory is expandable via the microSD slot. The camera setup is pretty basic with just a 13MP main camera, not ultra wide angle. Unless you can really spare the £30 we’d go with the M13.
Finally, some accessories. The 40mm Samsung Galaxy Watch4 costs £150 for the Bluetooth model, and £30 more if you want LTE connectivity too.
Galaxy Buds Live, aka The Beans, are some of the least intrusive TWS buds you can find, but their active noise cancellation isn’t the best. The Galaxy Buds2 do a better job. Both support 360 audio.
United States of America
The Galaxy S23 Ultra sells for $1,200 on Samsung.com (unlocked, no trade-ins), and you get $100 in Samsung credit. However, if you prefer a $100 Amazon gift card, you can get the Ultra from the retailer for the same $1,200 price.
Similarly, the price of the Galaxy S23+ is the same on Samsung.com as it is on Amazon ($100 off MSRP), and you still get $100 in Samsung credit or an Amazon gift card.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 is only $50 off, and Samsung won’t give you credit. However, Amazon offers a $50 gift card.
The Moto G Play (2023) is a basic 4G phone for $150. It has an HD+ screen, which isn’t ideal but matches the capabilities of the Helio G37 chipset. The 5,000mAh battery is pretty big, though it would have been nice if it supported faster 10W charging. Still, that’s $150 for a brand new phone.
That’s the least you could pay for Apple AirPods Pro 2. We’ve called them the best TWS buds you can get for your iPhone, and we stand behind it. You can check last week’s post for some deals on refurbished iPhones if you’re on a budget.
India
The iQOO Neo 7 has a pretty clean look for a gaming phone. It is powered by a Dimensity 8200 chipset and features a large 6.78-inch 120Hz AMOLED (FHD+) display. Plus, once the 5,000mAh battery runs out, you can quickly get back to the action with the 120W charger (1-100% in 25 minutes). Note that the battery isn’t great, there’s really just a 64MP module on the back (with OIS) and a 16MP camera on the front.
The Samsung Galaxy M33 has a huge 6,000mAh battery (1,000mAh more than the international version of the M33) and the charging speed is fine at 25W. The phone also comes with a 6.6″ LCD at 120 Hz (FHD+), has a microSD slot, 50 + 5 MP cameras and is powered by the Exynos 1280 chipset.
Next, a little bit of sibling rivalry. The iQOO Z6 Lite is a budget 5G phone powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1. For a little less money you can get the 4G-only iQOO Z6 44W (with Snapdragon 680). As the name suggests, its 5,000mAh battery charges at 44W – the Lite has the same battery capacity but only manages 18W. The Lite has a 6.58″ 120Hz IPS LCD, its sibling has a 6.44″ 60Hz AMOLED. Their cameras are identical, 50MP modules and some 2MP helpers.
Then a trio of phones for ₹7000 or less. All three use HD+ displays, all at 60Hz. All three use 5,000mAh batteries (10W charging). And all three have basic cameras with 1080p video recording. The Tecno has twice the storage space, but the Narzo is the only one with an octa-core CPU and a gig more RAM. At this point it’s more about which operating system you prefer: the Narzo runs Android 11, the Tecno Android 12, and the Redmi Android 11 Go Edition.
Those three are super affordable, but let’s compare them to the Redmi 10A or Galaxy M04, which are slightly more expensive (though still under ₹10,000). They still have 60Hz HD+ displays and the cameras feature 13MP sensors with 1080p video recording. The batteries are no better, 5,000mAh and 10W of charging.
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