The best mid-range phones for 2017
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What's the best mid-range phone you can buy in Asia?
- 1 LG G5
- 6 Moto G5
- 2 Moto G5 Plus
- 7 Honor 6X
- 3 HTC One M9
- 8 Samsung Galaxy A3
- 4 Xiaomi Mi5s
- 9 Huawei P8
- 5 Lenovo P2
- 10 UMI Z
Your buying guide for the best mid-range phones in 2017
We're defining a mid-range range phone as one which you can buy for under $350 (as low as $150 which is the higher limit of our budget phones chart.
The price criteria means that this list includes new phones which fit the price bracket but also older ones, namely flagships, which have since dropped in price but are still readily available and make for a great buy.
You may need to ignore the RRP listed as this was correct at the time we published the review or updated it since. Live pricing means you can see how much they are right now.
Because the star ratings are also decided at the time of publishing they are not always comparable so please bear this in mind too while browsing the list.
The phone at the top spot might not be the right one for you, depending on your needs and tastes.
Specifications to look for in a mid-range phone
It's very hard to define a mid-range phone by specs because some will offer more in a particular area. For example, some manufacturers will give you the best cameras possible while others will focus on design or the screen.
Which phone is right for you will depend on many things, such as whether you're bothered about looks or pixels per inch.
It's certainly true that the previous generation flagship phones from the likes of LG, HTC and Sony are going to get you good bang for your buck now they are cheaper. However, rivals such as OnePlus and Xiaomi simply offer decent specs at an already mid-range price.
Remember, we've hit something of a ceiling when it comes to smartphone tech so many of these phones aren't exactly far off some of the new high-end phones of this year.
Best mid-range phones 2017 Asia - best mid-range phone reviews
1. LG G5
The LG G5 is one of the most radical phones to come along in a while and we’re glad the firm has
shaken things up with the modular design. The G5 is innovative and interesting with unique features but it’s a shame the design and build feels unfinished in areas. It’s a top-notch device which can hold its own with the best phones in performance and cameras, but it’s LG’s modular design which is the real selling point here. There is bags of potential but the future of this is unclear so it’s hard to be definite right now. The G5 is one of the best phones around but for completely different reasons to the Galaxy S7.
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 5 May 2016
- RRP: US$349.99
2. Moto G5 Plus
The Moto G5 Plus is an impressive phone for under £250. It's barely any bigger than the normal model which is odd but it might well be worth spending the extra to get more storage, a better processor and a significantly better camera.- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 6 April 2017
- RRP: £249, US$299
- Buy from Lenovo
3. HTC One M9
The HTC One M9 is a genuinely desirable smartphone with the best design and build available in Android land, even with Samsung upping the ante. It's good to see the powerful Snapdragon 810 and more memory, however, some key hardware remains the same meaning M8 users are unlikely to be tempted to upgrade – and the old model is now an attractive buy at around £350. The fact the Galaxy S6 is the same price with more impressive specs is also not a good thing for HTC.- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 18 January 2016
- RRP: £579, US$549
4. Xiaomi Mi5s
We cannot recommend the Xiaomi Mi5s enough. This is the smartphone every 2016 flagship wanted to be, and it comes with a price tag half that of theirs. Fantastic build quality, fantastic
performance, fantastic storage, battery and connectivity options - the Xiaomi Mi5s gets a big thumbs-up from us.
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 29 November 2016
- RRP: £282.75, US$352.69
5. Lenovo P2
The Lenovo P2 is really being sold on the strength of its battery, and the great news is that it lives up to the company’s hype, offering you days of usage and a power bank in a pinch. Throw in the premium design and build quality, and you have a phone that delivers tremendous value for money. It may not boast flagship performance, but by the time you hit your third day without charging, you’re not likely to care that much.- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 26 January 2017
- RRP: £199.99
6. Moto G5
There’s plenty of competition in Android’s budget market, but the Moto G5 is the best around right now. The build quality alone feels like it belongs on a much more expensive phone, while the fingerprint gesture controls genuinely improve the Android experience. The benchmarks and battery hold it back, but they're not unreasonable given the price - and you won't find a much better looking phone at £169.- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 1 June 2017
- RRP: £169
7. Honor 6X
The Honor 6X manages to be a budget phone but not remotely feel like one. This is high praise, and while it could never hold a candle to the performance of phones three times the price, that’s not the
point – the Android experience you get is still nigh-on top drawer.
As long as you can get on with Huawei’s still-not-there EMUI skin, the Honor 6X is one of the best, most affordable mid-range Android handsets going – and it’s easy to pick one up in Asia.
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 12 January 2017
- RRP: £224, US$249
8. Samsung Galaxy A3
- Overall, the A3's improvements for 2017 are pretty significant and make this nice-size, reasonably priced phone even more appealing for those who like the idea of the Galaxy S7 but can't quite stretch their budget that far. Its waterproofing and fingerprint sensor are both convenient and practical, and the good-looking design makes it easy to forget that this phone has a price tag that's half that of many flagship phones.
That said, there are alternatives if you're willing to look to other brands, and you might be surprised to find that you'll get more for your money. We'd recommend checking out the Moto G5 and Nokia's new offerings before you buy the Samsung Galaxy A3 to see whether they appeal to your wallet a bit more.
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 27 March 2017
- RRP: £279
9. Huawei P8
The Huawei P8 has excellent design and build for a price lower than other flagship rivals. On the whole hardware is decent too, particularly in the photography department. However, poor performance and buggy software taint the experience to frustrating level which make it very difficult to recommend.- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 5 June 2015
- RRP: 499 Euro, US$499
10. UMI Z
The UMI Z is an excellent-value Android phone with a large battery, a decent screen, the most powerful MediaTek processor you can get and a very good selfie camera. Unfortunately the primary camera doesn't quite live up, but it's otherwise difficult to fault. With full UK 4G connectivity it's a great buy.- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 31 January 2017
- RRP: £239.99, US$239.99
11. Motorola Moto G4
Although the new Moto G4 is more expensive than the third-generation, Motorola is offering a Full HD screen, better processor, more storage and memory. Not everyone will enjoy the jump to
5.5in or the lack of full waterproofing but this is still a brilliant phone for under £200. Just bear in mind that the 3rd-gen Moto G is now a great buy at £149 and the Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 offers similar specs for just £125 (albeit SIM-locked).
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 18 November 2016
- RRP: £169, US$245 (TBC)
12. Honor 7
Honor has once again impressed us with a flagship smartphone at an outrageous price. For under £250 you get a lot of phone for your money. Performance is good with the main camera and fingerprint sensors being the highlights on the hardware side. Emotion UI isn't our favourite Android skin but it's perfectly usable and you can always change it if you like.- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 4 February 2016
- RRP: £249, US$249
13. Google Nexus 5X
Those looking to upgrade from a Nexus 5 will be happy and sad in almost equal measure. The 5X is a fantastic phone overall, with excellent cameras, a good turn of speed and an excellent screen. But it's noticeably bigger than its predecessor despite the small increase in screen size, it has limited storage compared to the Nexus 6P and it lacks a couple of camera features due to the slower processor. The absence of wireless charging is another blow for some, but additions such as the fingerprint scanner will make it a great upgrade for others.- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 12 April 2016
- RRP: £299
14. Apple iPhone 5S
The iPhone 5S is still a decent phone, but our current advice is to go for the iPhone SE if you can afford it. Although it doesn't have an upgraded screen compared to the iPhone SE, the huge leap in performance and camera quality makes it a much better - not to mention more future-proof - choice.- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 30 June 2016
- RRP: £379 (16GB); £419 (32GB), US$549
15. Motorola Moto X Play
Overall, the Moto X Play is a decent mid-range phone. But, it's not the great upgrade which Moto X owners were looking for. The camera is good, as is the screen, but performance could be better -
as could battery life. Had Motorola offered the dual-SIM version in the UK and made the phone waterproof, it would have had enough to be a decent alternative to the OnePlus 2. For many, this more powerful rival will be more appealing. It's also cheaper and has optical stabilisation and the option to shoot 4K video. Yet, if you like the idea of creating your own custom phone and don't want the hassle of getting an invite to buy a OnePlus 2, it's really not a bad deal at all.
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 15 December 2015
- RRP: £279
16. Samsung Galaxy A5 2016
The Galaxy A5 2016 is an enormous improvement over the Galaxy A5 2015, and now resembles last year’s flagship Galaxy S6.
Unfortunately, it’s not quite as fast or feature-packed as that phone, making its now-£50 price difference seem insane. If you can afford the Galaxy S6 we’d recommend it over the A5, but if not you won’t be disappointed with this excellent mid-range Android phone.
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 1 June 2016
- RRP: £319, US$319
17. Sony Xperia XA
We quite liked our time with the Sony Xperia XA, and it represents much better value for money than the flagship Xperia X, which is overpriced. We recommend the XA if you want a sleek, smart, mid-range phone that does everything acceptably well. If you get it on contract it’ll be about £20 per month, so for about half the price of a 2016 flagship. It’s solid, but we are strangely still waiting for Sony’s world-beater. We’re beginning to think it might never appear.
- Rating:
- Reviewed on: 12 July 2016
- RRP: £159.99
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