We have reviewed online offers in different countries and selected the most attractive offers. We try to keep it updated, so we will try to avoid repeating the same offers from last week, even if some are still active and others have improved. Use the links below to jump to your region:
Germany
The Xiaomi 13 series was presented this week and the vanilla model looks quite good. However, it is unclear when it will reach international markets. Also, the vanilla 12 originally cost €800, so the 13 should be in the same ballpark. This is an old price for the Xiaomi 12, of course, you can pick it up from Amazon Germany for €540 right now.
While not the head-tuner it once was, it’s quite small compared to Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 phones (6.28″ 120Hz 12-bit AMOLED display), has a very similar main camera (50MP 1/1 .56″) to the new model (without tele, however) and a 4,500 mAh battery with 67W wired and 50W wireless charging.
Another phone that’s smaller than most is the Sony Xperia 10 IV. With its 6” 21:9 display it is only 67mm wide and weighs 161g. That display is a 10-bit HDR-capable panel, by the way (still no high refresh rates, though). The Snapdragon 695 is a bit slow in this price range, but Sony has included a camera (8MP, 54mm) to match the 12MP main (OIS) and 8MP ultra wide angle. Plus, battery life is staggering (we got an endurance rating of 163 hours).
Next, a couple of Motorolas that offer great value for money. The Moto G200 is down to $350, and that budget fits in with a large 6.8″ 144Hz (HDR10) LCD, a fast Snapdragon 888+, and a 108MP camera. The 888+ tends to run hot, but the company has equipped the phone with a solid cooling system. Also, the chipset is powerful enough for Motorola’s Ready For desktop mode. The camera is also quite good. So while this is not the best gaming phone or the best camera phone money can buy, it might just be the best you can get for $350.
The Motorola Edge 30 is €50 cheaper, but loses the flagship chip: on the plus side, the Snapdragon 778G+ is more efficient. The phone is also mid-sized with a 6.5-inch 144Hz AMOLED (HDR10+) display. As for the cameras, you get a better 50MP ultra-wide-angle camera (vs. 13MP) and a main camera. 50 MP (with 1.0 µm vs. 0.7 µm, although the G200 supports 9-in-1 binning).
UK
The Sony Xperia 1 IV is unique with its 4K-class 120Hz OLED display, 6.5 inches in size, as well as the 12MP telephoto camera, which can vary its focal length between 85mm and 125mm ( 3.5-5.2x). It has a notchless, punchless design, a microSD slot, a 3.5mm jack – everything some of you could want from a flagship. It’s by no means cheap, but if you’ve been thinking about buying good noise-canceling over-ear headphones, this Amazon UK deal includes some of the best: the Sony WH-1000XM4 (worth £250 alone).
The most compact – and cheapest! – alternative is the Sony Xperia 5 IV. This too has the no-nonsense design of the 1 IV, although the 120Hz OLED display is only FHD+ resolution and the camera is locked down to 60mm. Also, “cheaper” is relative, as this skips the free headphones.
If you’re looking for something cheap that will last you a while, the Samsung Galaxy A23 (4G) comes with a 3-year warranty and has already received the Android 13 update. Other pluses include a 6.6″ LCD at 90Hz a decent size (FHD+ resolution, although the screen quality left a lot to be desired) and solid battery life (130 hours of battery life).
Even cheaper is the Samsung Galaxy A04s. This too comes with a 3 year warranty to give you some peace of mind. With lower specs it is better suited for a small child or older parent.
United States of America
Many flagships make compromises, such as using an FHD+ screen or skipping the telephoto lens. Still, the OnePlus 10 Pro is a real flagship, offering a 6.7-inch 120Hz QHD+ display (it’s an LTPO2 panel to boot), plus a trio of Hasselblad cameras: main from 48 MP, 8 MP 3.3x telephoto and 50 MP ultra wide angle (150°) . The 5,000mAh battery can be recharged using 65W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. Also a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, that’s a lot of hardware for $550. This is well below something like a Galaxy S22+ (which has a non-LTPO FHD+ display).
The Sony Xperia 1 IV (with 512GB of storage) was $1,400 last week, but it didn’t drop another $200. It’s still among the most expensive non-foldables on the market, but its unique 120Hz OLED display Its 4K-class and variable focal length telephoto lens (plus necessities like a 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD slot) put it in a league of its own.
Is newer always better? The Motorola Edge (2022) has a 6.6″ 144Hz OLD display and a Dimensity 1050 chipset, as well as a 50MP (1/1.55″) main camera and 13MP ultra wide angle. Plus, a 5,000mAh battery with 30W wired and 15W wireless charging. All for $350.
The Motorola Edge (2021) is $50 less but offers a larger 6.8″ 144Hz display, this time an LCD, plus a Snapdragon 778G (the two chipsets are comparable in performance). The main camera goes up to a 108 MP sensor (same size, 1/1.52″), the ultra wide angle drops to 8 MP. The battery has the same 5,000mAh capacity and 30W wired charging, but not wireless.
India
People from various parts of India have posted tests comparing the speed of a 4G connection to a 5G connection. The difference is huge, to put it mildly. This might be the time to let an older 5G phone like the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE shine. It has a Snapdragon 778G chipset, 6.55-inch AMOLED display at 90Hz and a 4,250mAh battery with 33W wired-only charging. The main camera has a 64MP sensor and is flanked by an 8MP ultra-wide-angle module and by a 5 MP tele macro module. This is the 6/128GB model, but there’s a microSD slot if you need more storage.
If you’re not quite ready to upgrade to 4G, there are plenty of budget options. The Redmi Note 11, for example, has a 6.43-inch 90Hz AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 680 and a 5,000mAh battery with 33W wired-only charging. The camera features a 50MP main module and a 8MP ultra wide. This one has 6GB of RAM like the NE above but half the storage – it also has a microSD slot and a 3.5mm jack.
We will wrap things up with some rivalry between Xiaomi and Tecno in the sub-₹10,000 segment. Most often this means Android Go phones like the Tecno Pop 6 Pro and Xiaomi Redmi A1. Both have the same Helio A22 chipset, similar 6.56/6.52-inch (HD+) displays, and mere 8MP cameras (5MP selfies). Also the same 5,000mAh batteries, though both use microUSB (ugh). The Tecno boasts basic splash resistance and a side-mounted fingerprint reader compared to the Redmi.
Less than ₹10,000 doesn’t have to mean Go edition, the next pair are running full-blooded Android. The Tecno Spark9 has the better screen – 6.6” 90Hz vs 6.53” 60Hz – both IPS HD+ LCDs. It uses the Helio G37 while the Redmi 9 Activ has a G35, but they are basically the same chip. Both have very similar camera configurations (13MP modules on the back) and also batteries: 5,000mAh with microUSB for recharging. The Tecno has an edge as it runs a newer version of Android, v12, while the Redmi was recently updated to MIUI 12.5/Android 11.
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