Top 10: The best smartphones up to 150 euros – Xiaomi ahead of Samsung

Smartphones up to 150 euros are located in the entry-level class. If you don’t have too many demands, you will still find a reliable companion for everyday life here. You get a lot for your money that was unthinkable in this price range just a few years ago.

Most of these devices now have an octa-core chipset, there is an amazing amount of memory, large displays and even fingerprint sensors and NFC. We summarize what works and what doesn’t.

Our leaderboard shows what we think are the ten best smartphones that you can get for up to 150 euros. These are snapshots at the time of creation – prices can fluctuate significantly on the same day. We have placed particular value on the performance of the chipset and display – especially on resolution, technology and refresh rate.

The design shows the low price, at least at second glance. Plastic predominates in the materials, the edges around the display are wider than in more expensive models and there is another, mostly clear indication of the low price: the integration of the front camera. It rarely looks through a modern punch-hole notch, but is mainly designed as a teardrop notch. But that is also changing more and more.

In terms of display size, there are few differences to more expensive models, but more so in terms of technology. Full HD as a resolution is not yet normal here, but is becoming more and more common, OLED is more of an exception. This also applies to refresh rates higher than 60 Hertz. In the meantime, the first models with 90 Hz or even 120 Hz have made it into this low price range. In any case, interested parties shouldn’t expect too much when it comes to the important points of brightness, contrast or viewing angle stability. Displays in this list of the best are definitely useful.

The cameras are one of the biggest differences compared to more expensive models – even if you don’t always see that immediately on the data sheet. Main lenses with a low number of megapixels (12 to 16 megapixels) are often used, which are sometimes accompanied by lenses that are superfluous in everyday life, such as depth or macro sensors. Although wide-angle lenses are more common in this price range, they are not yet standard. The image quality of the cameras up to 150 euros is usually suitable for everyday use in daylight at best. Front cameras often only offer 5 to 8 megapixels, but 16 megapixels or more are becoming increasingly common.

In the meantime, chipsets from well-known manufacturers such as Qualcomm and Mediatek are often found in the price range up to 150 euros, while smaller providers such as Unisoc are now rather rare. You shouldn’t expect a lot of performance compared to the middle class, but in everyday use the operation is mostly smooth and sufficiently fast – especially in models with a 720p resolution. After all, the often modern chips ensure that typical standards such as WLAN, Bluetooth and GPS are on board in sufficiently up-to-date versions.

NFC is not necessarily one of them, buyers have to be careful here. In addition, although there are more and more cheap smartphones with USB-C as a charging and data port, micro-USB can still be found in this price range. We advise against this, USB-C is easier to use and more durable.

Fingerprint sensors can now be found in most smartphones up to 150 euros, although not in all. You usually look in vain for IP certifications as protection against water, but there are now exceptions here too – at least IP52 is sometimes available. 4G can be found in all models up to 150 euros – albeit with comparatively low data rates. 5G is still too expensive at the moment, but the first current models have already been spotted here.

Here comes perhaps one of the biggest surprises: the days when buyers of cheap smartphones had to make do with 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory are over. Almost all of the models in our top 10 offer a whopping 4/64 GB or more, and most of the internal storage is expandable. 3/32 GB should be the lower limit.

There is no difference in battery size to more expensive smartphones, but the charging speed is much slower. 18 watts or even 25 watts as with Samsung are considered fast here. Convenient technology such as wireless charging using the Qi standard (here we have compiled the cheapest smartphones with the Qi charging standard) are not available for so little money. Almost all batteries are now permanently installed and cannot be changed easily. In return, this offers minimal protection against moisture even without IP certification and makes the inexpensive models flatter.

With the hardware mentioned, it is no wonder that the models in this top 10 do not have to rely on Android Go, but come with “full” Android. Even the age of the operating system is better than expected: nobody has to tolerate less than Android 11, and some models now even offer Android 13.

There is a lot of movement in our top 10. The previous number one is now well above the 150 euro mark, but the Xiaomi Poco M5 has moved up. A look at the data sheet shows that this is a worthy successor: the manufacturer uses a 6.6-inch IPS LCD with 1080p resolution and 90 Hz refresh rate for the display, and the main camera has a decent 50 megapixels. The Mediatek Helio G99 is quite strong for this price range and, together with 4 GB of RAM, makes the smartphone sufficiently future-proof in terms of performance. In addition, there is 64 GB of internal memory, which can be expanded (as with all devices in this leaderboard up to 2nd place) and a battery with 5000 mAh.

The Realme Narzo 50 even has a display with 120 Hz, but with the Helio G96 it has the slightly weaker chipset, although it is still very strong in this price range. As with the number one, the camera is a main lens with 50 megapixels plus macro and instead of 4/64 GB there are even 4/128 GB for the same price. The battery also charges faster at 33 watts. There is only Android 11 for that.

Motorola uses an OLED display in the Moto G42 as one of the few models on this list of the best. It is 6.4 inches in size and offers Full HD resolution at 60 Hz. The buyer has to weigh up whether smooth scrolling at 90 Hz or a rich black value thanks to OLED technology is more important. Otherwise, the Moto smartphone also scores with a main and wide-angle camera with 50 and 8 megapixels, a front camera with an impressive 16 megapixels and a Snapdragon 680 as the drive. It is supported by 4/64 GB of memory. Another plus point: The device is protected against splash water according to IP52, which is rare in this price range.

The Realme 9i does not have an OLED display, but instead an IPS LCD with 90 Hz. The camera again has 50 megapixels, and the chipset is also the same: a Snapdragon 680 provides sufficient propulsion. The memory equipment is great: a whopping 4/128 GB provide plenty of space. Again, there is a battery with 5000 mAh and 33 watt charging speed.

An IPS LCD with 90 Hz is also used in the third Xiaomi model in this list of the best, but for the first time the camera not only has a decent main lens with 50 megapixels, but even a wide angle with 8 megapixels. The built-in Mediatek Helio G88 is no longer the youngest chip, but it offers sufficient performance. Together with 4/64 GB (expandable here again), the 2022 model is also sufficiently future-proof. Again: Android 11 and a battery with 5000 mAh.

The Gigaset GS5 Lite (test report) only has a 60 Hz LCD, and the 48-megapixel camera is similar to the competition. Instead of a macro, there is a wide-angle lens. The Mediatek Helio G85, together with 4/64 GB of memory, is easily sufficient for most apps. The battery is a bit weaker than other models with 4500 mAh and only 18 watt charging speed.

The Realme C35 also relies on an IPS LCD, the camera has the main camera with 50 megapixels, which has already been seen several times, but here in combination with a superfluous macro camera with 2 megapixels and a depth lens that is also useless. The model is powered by a Unisoc Tiger T616, which can fall back on 4/64 GB and is better than its reputation. The battery with 5000 mAh can be charged with 18 watts, unfortunately Android 11 is still on board. NFC is missing.

Samsung also makes it into the best list under 150 euros – that’s not always the case. The Galaxy A13 already has Android 13 and comes to the buyer with a PLS display with FHD resolution, but as with many smartphones on this list, the refresh rate ends at 60 Hz. There are also 50 megapixels for the main and 8 megapixels for the wide angle. With the Helio G80, however, it is gradually becoming weaker here, although it is still strong enough. A bit of a shame: Samsung only offers 3/64 GB of memory, but also relies on 5000 mAh for the battery. With a charging speed of 25 watts, Samsung is even at the forefront in the entry-level class in contrast to more expensive categories.

Two almost identical smartphones from TLC follow in 9th and 10th place, namely the 30+ and the 30. Both devices have the 6.7-inch OLED display with 60 Hz in common, and there is also agreement with the camera. Both models rely on a main lens with 50 megapixels plus macro lens and depth of field sensor. Also the same: the Helio G37 as a drive, which is supported by 4 GB of RAM. The 5010 mAh battery charges with a maximum of 18 watts. We go into the differences with the TLC 30 in 10th place.

There are only a few differences between the TCL 30 in 10th place and the 30+ in front of it. One of them is the front camera, which offers 8 megapixels in the 30 model instead of 13 in the Plus model. The second noteworthy difference is the internal memory: The TCL 30 is only 64 GB in size, the model in 9th place offers an impressive 128 GB for only around 5 euros.

An amazing amount of memory and even the latest Android is available for up to 150 euros, as is a Full HD display. The camera and chipset are usually not overly strong, but there are now displays with 90 Hz and even OLED – it’s exciting how much technology is in it for so little money.