Most of us tech enthusiasts tend to look for the best in the market when it comes to gadgets, and the same goes for smartphones as well. Our eyes are always on the prize(s), which are usually the top flagships of major smartphone brands. But those smartphones just aren’t for everyone, especially when you factor in their price tags. To get a smartphone worth around the lines from RM 2,500 to RM 3,000 isn’t the most ideal solution for our tech needs, hence the existence of mid range smartphones. While entry level devices are generally not suitable for the average consumer, mid range handsets mostly satisfy our basic needs and wants in a smartphone, plus a little more. A good thing about mid range smartphones is that most of them don’t break the bank, which translates to a smaller hole burnt in your pocket. Here are 5 affordable mid range smartphones that you should get in 2017.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4
This is the fourth iteration phablet from Xiaomi’s Redmi lineup, although a 5.5-inch phone isn’t really considered as a phablet by 2017’s standards. The Redmi Note 4 doesn’t look very much different from its predecessor the Redmi Note 3, but is regardless a slightly more polished and refined model. It retains the metal unibody design for its chassis to top off the premium look. On the front is a 2.5D curved glass with a 5.5-inch display in Full HD resolution.
The Redmi Note 4 is powered by a Snapdragon 625 processor which definitely screams mid range, with up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, which can be further expanded via the micro SD slot. Although the Redmi Note 4 has a lower camera megapixel count than its predecessor, the handset’s 13MP snapper should perform better, given its 1.12μm pixel size and the ultra fast 0.1s PDAF technology. Xiaomi also claims it to fare better in low light conditions. The front facing selfie camera is of a standard affair at 5MP.
Xiaomi has been focusing on battery life for its non-flagship models, and that includes the Redmi Note 4. The 4,100mAh battery packed by the phone should well last you throughout the day or more, as the battery capacity is significantly larger than the average 3,000mAh battery.
The Redmi Note 4 is currently available in Malaysia through the official Mi Store on Lazada. The variant that is being sold here is the higher end 4GB RAM/64GB storage model, and it only comes at RM 949, making it the cheapest of the bunch in this list.
Huawei P10 Lite
Huawei has been making some impressive strides lately. This is especially made known with the company’s recent Huawei Mate 9 and P10 handsets. Despite the two being affordable flagships, the P10 has a Lite variant which costs only a little more than half the price of the regular P10, making it an excellent choice to consider for a mid range smartphone.
The Huawei P10 Lite sports the same 1080p display resolution as the regular P10, but is a tad larger at 5.2-inches. Underneath the hood you’ll once again find Huawei’s own Kirin 658 processor, alongside 4GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage.
When it comes to the camera department, Huawei’s recent flagships are definitely comparable with the elite out there, hence we expect the P10 Lite’s rear camera to not slouch in performance as well. The handset features a 12MP camera with 1.25μm sized pixels for better light capture. The front facing 8MP camera will produce the sharp selfie images without complains and the 3,000mAh battery should be sufficient enough for the P10 Lite’s day to day usage, at standard capacity.
The Huawei P10 Lite is available for sale at Vmall and all Huawei outlets nationwide for RM 1,299, affordable by today’s standards.
Nokia 6
HMD Global has revived the once famous Nokia brand from the dead. Once the most popular among feature phones, Nokia joined forces with Microsoft for its Lumia lineup and everything went downhill from there, but HMD decided to revive the brand once again, this time adopting a more familiar operating system – Android. The Nokia 6 is currently the most expensive of HMD’s new Nokia series, but still remains below the RM 1,000 mark.
The Nokia 6 handset, like the other phones in this list features a display with Full HD resolution. It measures at 5.5-inches. The phone also sports a 6000 series aluminum chassis, and is powered by a decent Snapdragon 430 chipset with up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
The Nokia 6 is equipped with an impressive camera package for a mid range smartphone. The rear camera is a 16MP PDAF sensor with a dual tone LED flash which is claimed to perform well under low light. The front camera on the other hand should meet the needs of the average selfie hobbyist, at 8 megapixels. The phone packs a 3,000mAh battery, which on paper is enough for a day’s use. A caveat that comes with the Nokia 6 is that it is equipped with a slightly out of date micro USB port instead of a USB Type-C port so that’s one thing to note.
The Nokia 6 was just made available in Malaysia not too long ago and is currently put out for sale in selected outlets. It comes with an attractive price tag of RM999.
Honor 6X
Apart from Huawei’s lineup of smartphones, the company has a subsidiary which makes cheaper handsets with similar specs. For instance, the Honor 9 is similarly spec-ed to the Huawei P10 at a significantly lower price point. Here is the only dual camera smartphone in the list – the Honor 6X.
The Honor 6X was unveiled at CES 2017 after launching exclusively in China late last year. It is currently the one of the most affordable dual camera phones in the market right now. The phone is enclosed in a premium metal body with a matte texture. The 1080p 5.5-inch screen is undoubtedly the standard for mid rangers in the market today.
Underneath the hood lies once again a Huawei made Kirin 655 processor, plus 3GB of onboard RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. The Honor 6X’s camera package is what makes it stand out from the rest in this list. The dual rear camera setup of the phone managed to gain some praises from professionals and consumers alike. It has 12MP + 2MP sensors to provide a depth of field or bokeh effect to captured images. On top of that, after capture focus selection gives users the liberty to adjust the depth of field and tweak focus points after capturing an image. The 8MP camera on the front is built to impress as well.
To top everything off, the Honor 6X packs a larger than usual 3,340mAh battery to accommodate the whole processing package plus the extra rear sensor. The affordable dual camera handset comes with a RM 1,199 price tag.
iPhone 6
This one might come as a surprise to most of you here. But the 2+ year old iPhone 6 definitely stands a chance among the more recent mid rangers, taking its recent price slash into account. Apple’s flagships are always known to last much longer than Android handsets due to its unparalleled software optimization, and the iPhone 6 has aged very well till today.
Specs don’t matter as much when it comes to Apple’s devices, but the iPhone 6 comes with a 4.7-inch Retina HD display, and is house in a metal unibody design. Underneath the hood sits an older Apple A8 chip with an M8 motion co-processor. The measly 1GB RAM does not matter with Apple’s iOS optimization. It comes with up to 128GB of storage.
The rear camera of the iPhone 6 is of 8 megapixels, but can still pack a punch even when compared to the low light performance of modern mid rangers as it is an flagship, though aged. The 1.2MP front facing camera might sound like a letdown but it definitely puts up a decent front as well, no pun intended. The phone packs a 2,915mAh battery, which will not disappoint as well.
Apple has just launched a 32GB storage variant of the iPhone 6 which never existed before, and it comes at a steal right now, by Apple standards. It is currently available for only RM 1,499 via local Apple authorized resellers such as Machines and Switch, hence why it has made it to this list.
Wrap Up
Any thoughts on this list? I hope this will be of help if you’re on the hunt for an affordable mid range smartphone that suits your needs. It is safe to say that these handsets will not disappoint for the price tags they have. Let me know if I happen to miss out any worthy candidates from this list at the comments section below!
