Amazon Prime Big Deal Days are the perfect time to pick up new flagship products, but we also found plenty of great mid-range deals.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of the most popular smartphones on the market, but is it the best? We have reviews of all the phones linked below. Especially when it comes to the S24 Ultra, it sports a stunning anti-reflective 6.8-inch QHD+ LTPO OLED display with built-in S Pen, is also powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in Europe, and flaunts an impressive camera. It starts with a 200MP main, two telephoto modules (50MP 111mm and 10MP 67mm), and a 12MP ultrawide. 7 more years of support.
If the camera is your most used feature on your phone, you might want the Xiaomi 14 Ultra instead. It has three Leica cameras: 50MP main (with 1-inch sensor), 50MP 75mm tele, and 50MP ultrawide. It also uses SD 8 Gen 3 and has a 6.73-inch QHD+ LTPO OLED display. What stands out is the 5,000mAh battery that can be charged at 90W wired or 80W wirelessly (45W/15W for Samsung). Xiaomi has promised four OS updates, plus an additional year of security patches.
Another contender for the title of camera king is the Sony Xperia 1 VI. It features a unique 12MP telephoto module with smooth zoom from 85mm to 170mm. This is joined by a 48MP main (1/1.35 inch) and 12MP ultrawide, as well as an integrated Sony camera app. The Xperia also uses Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, but only gets three OS updates (the first, Android 15, introduces Video Pro mode for the camera). The 6.5-inch display is an LTPO OLED panel, but Sony has let go of its 4K obsession and this is just an FHD+ panel.
The Samsung Galaxy S24+ isn’t the most popular product, but it’s probably underrated. It has a 6.7-inch LTPO OLED display with QHD+ resolution and 12GB of RAM, which was exclusive to the Ultra until recently. However, in Europe, the S24+ uses the Exynos 2400 chipset. And the camera is more basic with 50+10+12MP. However, the 7-year support is top notch as is DeX (both wired and wireless).
Moving further into the mid-range range, the Google Pixel 9 offers the latest (if not particularly superior) Tensor G4 chip, and also comes with seven years of support. Google has upgraded the vanilla series to 12GB of RAM to accommodate the new AI features (the S24 model uses the same AI). Although not a Pro, the phone has a 50MP 1/1.31-inch main camera and a 48MP ultrawide, as well as a 6.3-inch 120Hz OLED display (non-LTPO).
Once upon a time, metal unibodies were ubiquitous on flagships. Nowadays, glass backs are the norm. However, it gives it a unique look and feel that the OnePlus Nord 4 doesn’t have. The phone comes with a 6.74-inch 1240p+ OLED display (120Hz) and Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3. The cameras are more basic with a 50MP main (1/1.95 inch) and an 8MP ultrawide. There’s no wireless charging, of course, but the battery is large at 5,500mAh and charges 100W via USB-C. Nord receives four OS updates.
For a little more, you can get the OnePlus 12R. This is the successor R model, and its successor should be announced soon. Still, the price is a bargain for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and 6.78-inch 1264p+ LTPO OLED display. It has the same battery as the Nord, 5,500mAh/100W, and a slightly better camera with a 50MP 1/1.56-inch main.
There will be no new 5 Series models this year, and the future of the line is at stake. This makes the Sony Xperia 5 V the latest compact model with a 6.1-inch phone. It uses Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and a 48MP main (1/1.35-inch) plus 12MP ultrawide, but unlike the previous generation, there’s no telephoto. The 5,000mAh battery provides long battery life, but limited Sony software support means this phone will be obsolete before long.
Google Pixel 8a will receive seven years of updates. It has an older Tensor G3 chip, so you might want to wait a bit until the next 9a is announced. However, with the current price drop, 8a remains a viable option.
It’s not small, but if you have a 6.5-inch or larger phone, the Motorola Edge 50 Neo feels small enough to fit in your hand. It has a 6.4-inch display, an LTPO panel to boot, and a 50+10+13MP camera, including a telephoto module, something you won’t find on the likes of the Pixel 9 or OnePlus Nord 4. This phone is also tough. IP68 rated and MIL-STD-810H compliant. Another great feature is the 5 OS updates, which is more than most brands offer. The 4,310mAh battery may be small, but it lasts a long time and offers both 68W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. The only disappointment is the Dimensity 7300 chipset, but you can’t get everything at this price.
We know not everyone is ready to jump on a foldable, but there are some solid discounts on Prime Day that might give you a boost.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 combines the productivity of a 7.6-inch inner display with S Pen support (although the S Pen is included separately). It also comes with all sorts of AI features, some of which benefit from the S Pen. The 6.3-inch cover display has been reworked to be easier to use than the taller, slimmer displays of previous Z Folds. This product and its siblings are the only foldables that are dustproof and have an IP48 rating.
Speaking of which, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 has upgraded a 50MP main camera and a larger 4,000mAh battery compared to the previous generation. Both Z Foldables use Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chips and come with seven years of support.
The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra is a bit cheaper because it uses a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip (note the “s”). However, it has a larger 4-inch cover display with full app support (Galaxy does as well, you must use Good Lock to enable it). The Z Flip doesn’t have a telephoto lens, while the Motorola has a 50MP main and a 50MP tele (2x), but no ultrawide. It has a 4,000mAh battery with 45W wired charging and 15W wireless charging (25W/15W for the two Galaxy Z models).
Alternatively, you can save around £130 and buy the regular Motorola Razr 50. However, you lose out on processing power (the vanilla model has a Dimensity 7300X) and the cover display is a bit smaller at 3.6 inches. This does however have an ultra-wide camera (13MP).
CMF Phone 1 is a super popular model. There is a reason for this too. For less than £200, you get a high-quality 6.67-inch FHD+ OLED display (HD+ panels are very common in this segment) and a Dimensity 7300 chipset (similar to the Moto Edge 50 Neo). . The 50MP camera is decent, but there’s no ultra-wide lens. The battery is also very good, with a capacity of 5,000mAh and relatively fast charging of 33W. CMF phones have a very unique look, and the customization options make them even more unique. Storage is expandable via microSD.
Nothing Phone (2a) (not Plus) is a top-end phone with 50MP main (1/1.56 inch) and 50MP ultrawide. Following the Nothing design language, it features a transparent back with LED lights. Despite the name, the Dimensity 7200 Pro is more powerful than the 7300. The 5,000mAh battery also supports slightly faster 45W charging. The 2a’s display is a 6.7-inch OLED panel with 10-bit color, but it’s not as bright as a CMF display (1,300 nits vs. 2,000 nits).
The Motorola Edge 50 Fusion also has a 6.7-inch FHD+ OLED display with 10-bit color, which runs at 144Hz instead of 120Hz and is slightly brighter at 1,600 nits. There’s nothing special about the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2, but it’s a rather affordable phone. It has a 50MP main camera, a 13MP ultrawide camera, and a fast charging 5,000mAh battery (68W wired charging only).
The Sony Xperia 10 VI has a 6.1-inch display and is relatively small, but its 5,000mAh battery offers great durability. It’s not as camera-focused as the 1 series, but it’s no slouch with a 48MP camera and an 8MP ultrawide camera. This is an odd duck, with a 60Hz FHD+ OLED panel display and both a microSD slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Note that you can claim a pair of Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones (no, there’s no option to connect these to a 3.5mm jack).
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