Buyer's Guide: The best midrange phones to get (Summer 2021)

Buyer's Guide: The best midrange phones to get (Summer 2021)

It’s the middle of the year, and the dust between high-profile phone launches has just settled. Seems like a prime time to get a look at what the midrange has to offer if you are in the market for a new phone and you don’t necessarily want to wait until the usual barrage of releases in the fall.
Here’s ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW about the best midrange phones of summer 2021 – tried and tested by GSMArena’s staff.

Timestamps|Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:27 Redmi 9
1:15 Realme 8
2:01 Poco X3 NFC
3:04 Poco X3 Pro
3:59 Redmi Note 10 Pro
4:48 Oneplus Nord CE 5G
5:24 Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
6:15 Poco F3
7:19 Conclusion

▶ You can read our full smartphone buyer’s guide here
https://www.gsmarena.com/smartphone_buyers_guide-review-2036.php

50 Comments

  1. B Sumer on August 25, 2021 at 10:35 pm

    Awesome



  2. JagFan Hilton on August 25, 2021 at 10:38 pm

    What’s the best midrange phone that films video in either HD or 4k with image stabilization? Either optical or electronic? Nobody seems to include this in phone reviews and these days it’s becoming important.



  3. Ran Tausi on August 25, 2021 at 10:40 pm

    You’ve missed the NORD 2.



  4. Mr Brandon Ho on August 25, 2021 at 10:43 pm

    Watching it on my F3



  5. To Kai on August 25, 2021 at 10:43 pm

    X3 Pro wins at only 199 🔥



  6. Ganga Boy A.K.A. Smokey on August 25, 2021 at 10:45 pm

    true that , xiaomi rocks ,
    i myself own a redmi note 8
    and my wife redmi note 10s



  7. LoveTech on August 25, 2021 at 10:45 pm

    Which phone has best gaming perfomance? Example pubgm,codm, omega legends etc…



  8. WVMUSIC on August 25, 2021 at 10:47 pm

    Poco f3 has the worst camera I have ever seen in a phone. I had it one day. What a gorgeous screen, fast experience …but then the camera that only produces extremely dull photos that lost all the life in it. Grayish , dull unsaturated and fake colors. Had to bring it back and exchanged it for the samsung a52 4g. Way way way better camera and still a great bright screen. Satisfied!



  9. Ori Nahari on August 25, 2021 at 10:49 pm

    I’ve had the Poco f3 for about a month it’s really good. definitely would recommend



  10. babulal singh on August 25, 2021 at 10:51 pm

    Very nice and knowledgeable thank you gsmarena well done 👍👍



  11. Rich Burmond on August 25, 2021 at 10:51 pm

    Aaah where the mi 11 lite 5g 😮



  12. Tronci on August 25, 2021 at 10:53 pm

    I’d avoid Poco like the plague. The ROM is absolute dogshit.



  13. Ren Suzugamori on August 25, 2021 at 10:54 pm

    Poco X3 Pro is amazing



  14. Joakim Lindholm on August 25, 2021 at 10:54 pm

    OnePlus Nord CE. Great phone wish it was a little more compact.



  15. burgerpatty on August 25, 2021 at 10:54 pm

    Do not support Chinese products.



  16. TheMimony on August 25, 2021 at 10:55 pm

    Wait, why isn’t the Motorola edge series not included?



  17. penunggang unta on August 25, 2021 at 10:57 pm

    Samsung A52 5G should be at 2nd place



  18. Milos Tuvic on August 25, 2021 at 11:01 pm

    Great video. I think poco m3 should be on the list as best low budget phone…



  19. Broken soffa on August 25, 2021 at 11:02 pm

    The amount of poco advertising bots here is astounding



  20. Anonymous on August 25, 2021 at 11:03 pm

    Please suggest me a phone below category
    Amoled display – 6-8gb ram – Good processor – 90 or 120 Hz Refresh rate – Better camera – 6 inches display – 5g



  21. Muhammad Zamar on August 25, 2021 at 11:03 pm

    Hello Angie 🙋🏼 i’m here to steal ur ♥️



  22. lone wanderer on August 25, 2021 at 11:05 pm

    I thought the m11 lite would have been in this list.



  23. MARVEL vs DC on August 25, 2021 at 11:06 pm

    I love you ❤️



  24. Vijay Anand on August 25, 2021 at 11:07 pm

    Where is moto



  25. Joe Black on August 25, 2021 at 11:08 pm

    xiaomi is the best on the mid range list.



  26. My Planet Earth on August 25, 2021 at 11:08 pm

    I will definitely buy
    Xioami Redmi Note 🔟



  27. Mr X Xavier on August 25, 2021 at 11:09 pm

    Realme gt lineup nice too..realme gt neo,neo flash,master…



  28. rm on August 25, 2021 at 11:09 pm

    If you need a cheap phone where games are important xiaomi is the best choice.

    But in my experience they have allot of bugs in day to day use.
    The mi 9 i only had to review for a couple of weeks but had allot of issues.

    I have dash cams and security cams from them and after a couple of months they are having weird problems.



  29. Jovan Malic on August 25, 2021 at 11:11 pm

    You forget to mention that all Xiaomi and Poco phones come with an IR blaster. It’s very cool feature and needed for some users.



  30. freaze on August 25, 2021 at 11:11 pm

    Realme 8 has some shitty build quality and th didnt even mentioned the display protection .
    In my opinion redmi note 10/10s should have been here too



  31. JALAL JAMI on August 25, 2021 at 11:13 pm

    Note 9
    Real me 8
    Poco x3 nfc
    Poco x3 pro
    Mi note 10 pro
    Oneplus nord ce 5G
    A42 5G
    Poco f3



  32. Rends YouDontKnowMe on August 25, 2021 at 11:15 pm

    I’m glad that poco m3 isn’t here lmao haha. But i think redmi note 10 should be here.



  33. Wouter Klewais on August 25, 2021 at 11:16 pm

    Pixel 4a? Unlimited photo storage…



  34. Rommel Angeles on August 25, 2021 at 11:17 pm

    Her face expressions looks worried.



  35. EastCoastGaminq on August 25, 2021 at 11:18 pm

    I’d say the galaxy a52 and 5g model as well should be here. The 42 kind of sucks



  36. SilverLink on August 25, 2021 at 11:19 pm

    Poco X3 Pro has it all.
    It’s is the KING OF MIDRANGE PHONES.

    sd860/48mpQuad/120hz/5kBatt/iRblaster/nfc/256GBinternal/SDCARD AND HEADPHONE JACK!!!

    what more can i ask for it’s price?

    actually, it would’ve been Poco F3, minus the sd card. What a bummer



  37. Mr X Xavier on August 25, 2021 at 11:19 pm

    Hottest phone of the summer? Yep its overheats lol



  38. Seye Olokundun on August 25, 2021 at 11:21 pm

    We missed you angie ❤



  39. Stephen Louden on August 25, 2021 at 11:21 pm

    Great but I disagree. The best midrange phones are always the last years flagship at half the cost. Like my Not 10+ 5g I got for $500 on black Friday this is the best phone for the money. great processor 512gb memory SD slot, good cameras, bright screen, spen, superfast 45 watt charging. I’ll keep it til it dies 👍



  40. Mazin Sami on August 25, 2021 at 11:22 pm

    Google services ?



  41. Festival on August 25, 2021 at 11:23 pm

    I have had the PoccoX3 for around a year now… Definitely slowing down and sometimes I never receive messages unless open the app which is really annoying



  42. Nico Volker on August 25, 2021 at 11:24 pm

    All of them have garbage on the screen. What a shitty time to buy a phone….



  43. Warmachine69 on August 25, 2021 at 11:25 pm

    We’re leaving in the time where good specs phones matches your budget.



  44. fly fury on August 25, 2021 at 11:25 pm

    What the best midrange phone for video recording..any suggest?



  45. Thomas Friedl on August 25, 2021 at 11:26 pm

    What about the Oneplus Nord 2?



  46. Dennis Fedak on August 25, 2021 at 11:26 pm

    Angie is sure looking good!



  47. Motoryzen on August 25, 2021 at 11:28 pm

    (sigh) and on EVERY ..single one of these phones..the idiot manufacturers kept putting the damn front camera on the screen in a way that interrupts the experience ( unlike the Sony xperia phones where they had SENSE enough..NOT to do this)

    And yes..I know so many mid and flagship phones are like this these days. That doesn’t make it sensible or wise just because they’ve made it that way.

    I don’t want a damn camera interrupting the screen…ever..period…Watching movies, playing games, viewing screen shots or photos..I don’t care what the situation is.

    Hell I’d rather not have a damn front face camera..period if i had the choice.



  48. Kotarou Yuuyami on August 25, 2021 at 11:29 pm

    waiting for Galaxy S21 FE..



  49. Daniel Miller on August 25, 2021 at 11:30 pm

    Galaxy S20 for $400 in 2021 right now on Fi



  50. Prajjwal Pawar on August 25, 2021 at 11:32 pm

    I will wait for festival season sales