What are the best smartphones under 500 euros in 2024?

Navigating the ever-evolving smartphone landscape can be overwhelming, especially when seeking the perfect blend of features and affordability. The sub-€500 segment in 2024 is teeming with compelling contenders, each offering distinct strengths and characteristics. To empower your smartphone selection journey, we'll delve into the details of some top performers in this price bracket.

The top 3 best smartphones under 500 euros

Although smartphones can now reach stratospheric prices, the best value for money is around 500 euros. Processors powerful enough to play, OLED screens, and good photo performance are commonplace in this segment.

Compromises are mainly made on comfort functions such as waterproofing or wireless charging. Photography is also an area in which we notice differences with more expensive models, even if brands are making more and more efforts on this point, and the photos will be largely satisfactory for 90% of the population.

The best value for money: Samsung Galaxy A54

The successor to the Galaxy A54 does not disappoint, quite the contrary. This new generation quite simply takes the honorary title of the smartphone with the best quality/price ratio available at the moment. The Samsung Galaxy A54 offers a quality design and a good grip, whatever the size of your hand.

As with its predecessor, the primary quality of the smartphone lies first in its screen. It's a nice 6.4-inch Super AMOLED panel that's set up. In terms of benefits, we can also note a nice refresh rate of up to 120 Hz and Full HD definition. During our measurements, we noted a peak in brightness at 1275 cd/m2. You are treated to one of the best screen experiences for a smartphone.

One of the big strengths of this Samsung Galaxy A54 is its durability. The range benefits from 5 years of Android updates. This is a good investment if you are looking for excellent value for money. In terms of internal power, the Exynos 1380 accompanied by 8 GB of RAM offers good performance even if the competition at the same price sometimes does better. The autonomy is capable of withstanding two days of use, a great performance.

In terms of weaknesses, we can first regret a recharge that is not as fast as hoped. 100% is achieved in one hour and twenty minutes. Likewise, the photography is good but suffers from weak points, particularly at night. Compared to a Pixel 7a, the phone does not compare. Sold for less than 500 euros, this Samsung smartphone is the best in this price bracket.

The best camera at this price: Google Pixel 7a

Sold initially at 509 euros, the Pixel 7a has, in 2024, seen its price drop below 500 euros. Why choose it? The Pixel 7a is an excellent mid-range smartphone with a compact form factor. The design follows that of its big brothers, with marked angles that give it a very recognizable character.

It has a 6.1-inch OLED screen, refreshed at 90 Hz, with very good brightness (in HDR, 1230 cd/m3 max). Google's phone also benefits from the Pixel Experience, which is both simple and efficient. Behind the interface is the Tensor chip, a champion of artificial intelligence, and also present on the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro.

Pixel smartphones are known for their photo prowess: the Pixel 7a is no exception. Very versatile, it manages to provide superb shots in all situations (landscape, night, portrait, movement, etc.), notably thanks to the AI ​​which works wonders. Its two sensors (64 Mpx wide angle and 13 Mpx ultra wide angle) perform very well and provide a sharpness that is very pleasing to the eye.

The autonomy, on the other hand, turns out to be not very flamboyant: count on only one day, not to mention that the recharge is not exactly fast (18W).

The Pixel 7 for less than 500 euros?

If you're lucky, you may come across a promotional period for the big brother, namely the Pixel 7, released in 2022 and which we liked at the time during its test. Instead of 649 euros when it was released, the latter is now regularly sold at 499 by Google. This is a great price, especially if you want good photo quality.

The most elegant: Nothing Phone (1)

The Nothing brand was founded by Carl Pei, former CEO of OnePlus, and aims to make a name for itself in tech with high-quality products. Does phone (1) succeed in satisfying the expectation generated? One thing is certain, this smartphone for less than 500 euros will not leave you indifferent.

This starts with a very original design, with this transparent back covered in LEDs and a shape that looks exactly like an iPhone. In addition to the rather remarkable design for a smartphone, the handling is also very successful. The fingerprint sensor is well located and the rear light glyphs provide real functionality. Finally, the product is IP53 certified.

The second great asset of the phone is its internal power. The phone (1) is equipped with a Snapdragon 778G+ chip accompanied by 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage for its basic version. Despite accusations of cheating on benchmarks, the smartphone can run demanding software such as Genshin Impact or Fortnite. The autonomy is also convincing, offering a full day of use.

For the rest, a few concessions should be noted. On paper, you are entitled to a beautiful 6.55-inch OLED screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate. It will cover all uses, but some inconveniences should be noted. The brightness at 652 cd/m² is a bit low compared to what is available on the market…

Finally, on the photo part, the phone (1) has a dual 50-megapixel sensor. The main lens is quite talented and can recover a lot of detail. The Glyph at the back allows you to vary the lighting, like a ring light. However, we would have liked a slightly faster night mode.

With the release of the Phone (2), sold more expensively, the Phone (1) is however less and less available.

The safe bet at Xiaomi: Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus

For 2023, Xiaomi has released a new range of Redmi Note products. The Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is the most premium of them. Priced at 499 euros, it is a balanced device that has many strong points. Its technical sheet is large enough to be attractive in terms of quality/price ratio.

In terms of services, several things are interesting, starting with a very nice 6.67-inch Oled panel at 120 Hz. This offers Full HD definition, but above all a fairly good calibration. During our measurements, the brightness peaked at 799 cd/m2 and a nice Delta E. This is one of the best possible experiences for a smartphone for less than 500 euros.

In terms of performance, the Dimensity 1020 chip offers fairly impeccable overall operation. Above all, the 120 W charge provided in the box allows you to be at 100% in less than half an hour. In terms of endurance, the phone is capable of lasting a day and a half. Here again, for less than 500 euros, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus is interesting.

However, the phone boasts a 200-megapixel sensor. In itself, the photography is good, but the main objective does not contribute anything and above all turns out to be capricious as soon as the conditions are not met. Likewise, the MIUI software is interesting daily but has too much dross to be fluid. In terms of quality/price ratio, its placement at 499 euros still makes it quite disappointing compared to the competition.

We haven't been able to test it yet, just take it in hand, but its successor, the Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus, has been released. It looks very promising. The panel is this time slightly curved on the sides and the display also goes to a definition of 2712 x 1220. This model is equipped with a Dimensity 7200 chip associated with 8 or 12 GB of RAM and 256 or 512 GB of storage.

We recommend it if you are a fan of the Redmi Note.

The Apple option: Apple iPhone SE 5G (2022)

The long-awaited iPhone SE 2022 has the power of an iPhone 13 in the body of an iPhone 8. In other words, it is a product that is both efficient and particularly compact. It is even one of the last smartphones under 5 inches that can be found on the market. The counterpart is therefore a small screen, only 4.7 inches, which does not make it ideal for consuming video... but allows it to fit in the pocket without problem. On the other hand, in terms of design, the iPhone SE is no longer up to date at all and this may put off more than one person.

Since it's an iPhone, you will find all the joys of the Apple ecosystem, iOS in the lead. Its simple 12 Mpx photo sensor will not allow it to compete with the other smartphones in this selection, it must be admitted. The Apple terminal is however decent in terms of autonomy, thanks to the optimization of iOS.

Among the other strong points of the terminal, we can mention its waterproofness. It's also one of the only waterproof phones in its category, and that's a real plus. Former iPhone users will also have the joy of finding the fingerprint sensor integrated into the physical “Home” button. The counterpart is the presence of wide borders… In 2022, it is an undeniably dated design.

We recommend the iPhone SE 2022 to people who do not want or cannot do without iOS and the Apple ecosystem - however be aware that at the same price, there is better Android.

In addition, if you are looking for an iPhone at a more affordable price, we advise you to look at refurbished products. Refurbished iPhones are indeed legion on specialized sites and you can treat yourself to an iPhone 12 in perfect condition, for less than 500 euros.

What to know before buying a smartphone for less than 500 euros

What can you do with a smartphone for less than 500 euros?

If you are ready to pay this price, it is because you want to obtain an almost premium smartphone, in any case, one that

comes as close as possible to a so-called high-end experience. These devices will generally boast a technical sheet close to those sold at double their price. Power, photo performance, and autonomy are generally there to meet all the needs of their users.

What concessions should I make at this price?

Just a few. Smartphones in this price range are considered almost high-end, yet affordable phones. This is not the case for all references, but it is not uncommon to find small features reserved for top models, such as IP certification, an efficient fast charging system, or even compatibility with wireless charging. They are also good in photos, but you should know that they will not reach the quality of the flagships on the market - even if they come very close.

Furthermore, the design, materials, and finishes could be a notch below what is done above 600 euros.

If you want truly high-end services at 500 euros, our advice is also to turn to refurbished smartphones.

What are the trusted brands for a smartphone at this price?

The champions at less than 500 euros vary more often than on the more premium brackets, so we cannot systematically trust a brand. We therefore advise you to refer to regularly updated purchasing guides, such as ours. That being said, Xiaomi and Samsung regularly appear in our selections. Overall, these are two reliable brands.

Which plan should I choose to save money after purchasing my smartphone?

Buying a smartphone in this price range represents an investment. To save money, we recommend that you choose your package by going through the no-obligation offers from the various French operators.

Be careful, however, this iPhone is priced at 529 euros in 64 GB, so we advise you to wait for a promotion to take full advantage of it and go below the 500 euros mark.