Discover our guide to buying the best smartphones, the price of which is between 400 and 500 euros. In this price bracket, the smartphones offered are either high-end devices over a year old whose price has fallen since their release, or mid-range just released. A selection of premium smartphones in which you might find your next mobile.
Our selection of the best smartphones under 500 €
These prices were updated on 12/14/2021 by All4affiliates. They are listed in ascending order and excluding delivery costs. Only the prices displayed at the merchants are valid.
These prices were updated on 12/14/2021 by All4affiliates. They are listed in ascending order and excluding delivery costs. Only the prices displayed at the merchants are valid.
Today we offer you a selection of the best smartphones under 500 euros. A selection of premium devices released either this year or last year. Some have managed to drop below the fateful barrier of 500 euros after a price drop. Others, more recent, have arrived on the market with a value for money clearly superior to the competition. Either way, you should like this selection and we’re pretty sure you’ll find the smartphone that fits both your needs and your budget. Let’s go !
Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
The Galaxy A52S is the upgraded version of the standard Galaxy A52. The Galaxy A52s incorporates a large number of elements that made the success of its predecessor: screen of the same size and the same composition (6.5-inch Super AMOLED Full HD), a photo part made up of four sensors on the back and a sensor on the front (which is strictly the same, a 32 megapixel model) and a design combining glass on the front (Gorilla 5) and polycarbonate on the back.
The only notable difference between the Galaxy A52 and the Galaxy A52S is the integration of a new SoC. The Snapdragon 750G thus gives way to the more powerful Snapdragon 778G. The smartphone is also IP67 certified, like the Galaxy S21. The refresh rate of the screen passes is 120 Hz. The audio part has been revised and improved compared to the Galaxy A51 of last year. The smartphone incorporates two Dolby Atmos certified speakers.
The battery has a capacity of 4500 mAh. And the 25 watt fast charge. The main sensor is a 64 megapixel model with optical stabilizer and phase detection autofocus. The other sensors, without stabilizer or autofocus, are 12-megapixel (wide-angle), 5-megapixel (macro) and 5-megapixel (depth) models.
- Screen : 6.43 ″; 2400 x 1080 px; 90 Hz
- SoC : Snapdragon 778 5G; 6nm
- RAM : 6/8 GB
- Storage : 128 GB; 256 GB (expandable via a microSDXC port shared with the second SIM slot)
- Rear photo sensors : 64 MP wide angle + 12 MP ultra wide angle + 5 MP macro + 5MP ToF
- Front sensor : 32 MP
- Drums : 4500 mAh, fast charge 25W
Must see: the best deals to buy the Galaxy A52 at the cheapest price
OnePlus Nord 2
The new OnePlus Nord 2 has a MediaTek Dimensity 1200 AI processor on board. A first for a OnePlus smartphone. The manufacturer promises us that the latter is as powerful as a Snapdragon 865. For the rest, we notice a better photo module (with a main 50 megapixel sensor) as well as a fast recharge of 65 Watts.
The OnePlus Nord 2 runs Android 11 with one of the best software overlay on the market, OxygenOS 11.3. It does not have a microSD port, an important detail to take into account especially if you want to store a lot of things on your smartphone.
There is a 6.43-inch Full HD + AMOLED screen. It supports sRGB and Display P3 color spaces in addition to offering a 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10 + compatibility. The most advanced version with 256 GB of internet memory and 12 GB of RAM memory is displayed at the best price at 394 € at Amazon instead of 400 €.
- Screen : 6.43 ″; 2400 x 1080 px; 90 Hz
- SoC : Dimensity 1200 5G; 6nm
- RAM : 6/12 GB
- Storage : 128 GB; 256 GB (no micro SD)
- Rear photo sensors : 50 MP wide angle + 8 MP ultra wide angle + 2 MP monochrome
- Front sensor : 32 MP
- Drums : 4500 mAh, 65W fast charge (0 to 100% in 30 minutes)
To see: the best offers to buy the OnePlus Nord 2 at the cheapest price
Realme GT Neo 2
It is the third Realme smartphone from the GT range to land in France. Launched in November 2021, it comes after the Realme GT and GT Master Edition. The recipe used here remains true to the brand’s guiding principle, namely to offer a smartphone that is attractive in many respects, for a very competitive price. The GT Neo 2 is based on the platform Snapdragon 870 5G. This high-end SoC launched in mid-2021 is a cheaper but satisfying alternative to the Snapdragon 888.
The Realme GT Neo 2 thus offers high performance and above all optimized for gaming. The basic version offers 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. But the most powerful, launched at a price of between € 400 and € 500, has 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal storage. His AMOLED type screen has a diagonal of 6.2 inches in Full HD + definition. The refresh rate rises to 120 Hz, which allows it to ensure exemplary fluidity.
The other advantage of the Realme GT Neo 2, like most of the brand’s smartphones, is its very fast charging of 65W. She allows to recharge its 5000 mAh battery (0 to 100%) in 37 minutes according to our own tests. Finally, for the photo part, the smartphone has three sensors: a 64 MP main module supported by an 8MP ultra wide-angle sensor and a 2MP macro.
The characteristics of the GT Neo 2 are more or less the same as those of the Realme GT Standard. Unlike the SoC which is here an S870 against an S888 for the second. The smartphone is priced at € 379 in its version with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage and € 455 in its version with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. To go further, read our full review of the Realme GT Neo 2.
- Screen : 6.62 ″; 1400 x 1080 px; 120 Hz
- SoC : Snapdragon 870; 7nm
- RAM : 8/12 GB
- Storage : 128 GB; 256 GB (no micro SD)
- Rear photo sensors : 64 MP wide angle + 8 MP ultra wide angle + 2 MP macro
- Front sensor : 16 MP
- Drums : 5000 mAh, fast charge 65W (0 to 100% in 37 minutes)
Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE
Excellent smartphone offered under the 500 € bar, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE is a new version of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G launched in February 2021. The most recent arrived on the market at the same time as the Xiaomi Mi 11T range, either in October 2021. Aesthetically the two models share the same design with a screen punched in the upper left corner. The major difference is under the hood and is limited to the SoC.
Indeed, Xiaomi replaced the Snapdragon 780G of the standard edition with a Snapdragon 778G inside the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G NE (with NE for New Edition). The performance of the two platforms is very similar. The SoC is supported by 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. For a smartphone of this price, you get very good fluidity.
For the photo part, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G features a 64 MP main camera with f / 1.8 aperture, an 8 MP f / 2.2 ultra-wide-angle sensor and a 5 MP f / 2.4 macro lens. Its 4250 mAh battery is compatible with fast charging of 33W. Its price: € 400 for the 8/128 GB version.
- Screen : 6.55 ″; 2400 x 1080 px; 90 Hz
- SoC : Snapdragon 778; 6nm
- RAM : 6/8 GB
- Storage : 128 GB; 256 GB (expandable via a microSDXC port shared with the second SIM slot)
- Rear photo sensors : 64 MP wide angle + 8 MP ultra wide angle + 5 MP telephoto
- Front sensor : 20 MP
- Drums : 4250 mAh, fast charge 33W
To see: the best offers to buy the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 and 10 Note 10 Pro at the cheapest price
Honor 50
Fans of the defector brand from Huawei find it after two years of absence. Honor is therefore back, with Google services. It is a victory for this brand which has nevertheless left feathers following the American sanctions. Officially, Honor is no longer under the fold of Huawei but the Honor 50 strangely inherits many of the characteristics of the recent Huwei Nova 9 which is marketed in France without Google services.
We can say that this is a Huawei smartphone clone fully benefiting from access to the Google Play Store. The Honor 50 thus embeds a 6.57-inch curved OLED screen in Full HD + definition. The refresh rate is 120 Hz, for a fluid and responsive experience. The smartphone is powered by a Snapdragon 778G SoC, the same one that equips the Xiaomi 11 Lite NE. This SoC offers very good performance for the vast majority of uses. It is supported by 6 or 8 GB of RAM and 128 or 256 GB of storage.
For the photo part, there is a block of 4 sensors at the back, including a main module of 108 MP which ensures beautiful shots as we could see during our test of the Honor 50. Finally, the 4300 mAh battery is fully charged in 44 minutes thanks to the 66W charging block. Its price: from 440 €.
- Screen : 6.57 ″; 2340 x 1080 px; 120 Hz
- SoC : Snapdragon 778G; 6nm
- RAM : 6/12 GB
- Storage : 128 GB; 256 GB (no micro SD)
- Rear photo sensors : 108 MP wide angle + 8 MP ultra wide angle + 2 MP macro + 2 MP ToF
- Front sensor : 32 MP
- Drums : 4300 mAh, fast charge 66W (0 to 100% in 44 minutes)
Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G
The Mi 10T embeds the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor and 6GB / 8GB of RAM as well as 128GB / 256GB of internal memory depending on the variant. The photo part is to the advantage of the Mi 10T Pro with the integration of a 108MP Samsung HMX 1 / 1.33 ″ module against a 64MP Sony IMX682, 1 / 1.7 ″ sensor. Difference also in digital zoom: up to 30x for the Mi 10T Pro against 10x for the Mi 10T. The Mi 10T Pro allows slow motion shooting at a rate of 120 fps while the Mi 10T allows slow motion shooting at a rate of 240/960 fps.
For the rest, the smartphones are almost identical, same dimensions, 165.1 x 76.4 x 9.33 mm with a difference of 2 grams only 218 grams for the Mi 10T Pro and 216 grams for the Mi 10T. Its price: 365 € instead of 485 € on Amazon.
- Screen : 6.67 ″; 2400 x 1080 px; 144 Hz
- SoC : Snapdragon 865 5G; 7nm +
- RAM : 6/12 GB
- Storage : 128 GB (no micro SD)
- Rear photo sensors : 64 MP wide angle + 13 MP ultra wide angle + 5 MP macro
- Front sensor : 20 MP
- Drums : 5000 mAh, fast charge 33W
To see: the best offers to buy the Xiaomi MI 10T / 10T Pro at the cheapest price
📱Which manufacturers offer the best smartphones?
Almost all manufacturers offer excellent smartphones in this price range. Special mention that says to Samsung with its Galaxy A52S, to Xiaomi with its Mi 11 Lite 5G and Mi 10T and to Honor with its Honor 50. Realme also deserves a good mention with its GT Neon 2. All of them have serious arguments to make. and are fighting a fierce battle to offer the best smartphone.
🤔What can I do with a smartphone in this price range?
For a smartphone priced between $ 400 and $ 500, you can easily do whatever you want with a device in this price range. The photo part is generally up to par, as is the performance, thanks to the integration of processor and a comfortable amount of RAM memory. At this level, you have features that are found on high-end smartphones such as wireless charging, IP certification or even the fingerprint reader under the screen.
