You don’t need to spend over $1,000 to get a premium phone! We’ve picked the best high-end smartphones for you, all under $700.
Top 3 Best Smartphones Under $700
Apple iPhone 13 mini
- Compact and pleasing form factor
- Top-notch performance
- Improved battery life
- No 120 Hz display
Google Pixel 7
- Excellent design and build quality
- Stunning display
- Incredible photo and video performance
- Slow charging
Xiaomi 12T Pro
- Impressive performance
- Adaptive 120 Hz display
- Fast charging
- Room for improvement in photography
For several years, the smartphone market has seen the emergence of ultra-premium devices. These phones boast the latest technology, materials, and cutting-edge design. However, they come with a hefty price tag, often well above $1,000.
Fortunately, manufacturers have been competing to offer ambitious and more affordable models, dubbed “flagship killers.” You don’t need to burn a month’s salary to get an excellent high-end smartphone that will last you for years. You can find high-quality smartphones between $500 and $700.
These devices often have the same powerful processors as their more expensive counterparts but make minor sacrifices in comfort features to reduce the price. If you’re looking for a top-tier smartphone, this is where you’ll find the most appealing price-to-quality ratios.
Here is our selection of the best smartphones priced between $500 and $700.
For a wider range of choices, check out our comparison of the best smartphones. Interested in an iPhone without paying full price? Read our comparison of refurbished iPhones. Many of the smartphones listed here are compatible with wireless charging, so we’ve chosen the best wireless chargers for you. If you prefer portable charging, our guide to external batteries is available to help.
Google Pixel 7: The Premium Choice by Google
- Stunning design and finish
- Beautiful display
- Incredible photo and video performance
- Slow charging
Price: $448 on Amazon
With its Pixel lineup, Google has made an aggressive breakthrough, offering high-end models at unbeatable prices. Following the success of the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, Google repeats the experience in 2022 with the Pixel 7, worthy successors to their predecessors. The device’s design continues the trend, with an elegantly refined and improved camera module.
The 6.3-inch OLED display is simply magnificent, featuring a 90 Hz refresh rate and excellent maximum brightness of 922 cd/m². The color accuracy is near perfection. In terms of photography, the Pixel 7’s 50 MP main lens repeats the Pixel 6’s feat, delivering stunning photos. Google’s further refined AI works wonders, especially with the “Unblur” feature that can fix a blurry photo and the “Super Res Zoom,” which manages to outperform a telephoto lens by offering 8x zoom. The portrait mode is still beautiful, and the video performance is very satisfying.
The new Pixel is equipped with the Tensor G2 chip, which performs admirably in most use cases but may struggle with gaming performance. The software is also excellent, featuring a special version of Android 13 called “Pixel Experience,” which offers a very clean user experience.
Battery life is the only minor drawback of the device. The Pixel 7 can comfortably last a day and a half of use: it’s not exceptional, but it’s standard. This decent score is slightly marred by the slow “fast” charging (1h30 for a full charge), which is a shame in 2023.
In summary, the Pixel 7 excels in all areas and avoids the pitfalls of its competitors, easily establishing itself as one of the best phones in this price range.
Pixel 7 Pro: A True Telephoto Lens
We can also recommend its bigger sibling, the Pixel 7 Pro, now available for under $700. It features a larger display (6.7 inches at 120 Hz), an additional 48 MP telephoto lens, and a more substantial battery. If you want a bit more power, a slightly better screen, and especially an effective zoom, it’s a good option for about $200 more.
Samsung Galaxy S22: A Cheaper Galaxy S Option
- Sleek design
- Stunning 120 Hz display
- Very versatile camera
- Weak battery life
Price: $699 on Amazon
In 2022, Samsung unveiled its high-end smartphone lineup, including the S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra. While the first two comfortably exceed the $1,000 mark, the standard S22 is now sold for around $750. Unfortunately, its successor, the S23, is priced at $859 for its base configuration.
The S22 is a small phone, featuring a 6.1-inch AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate. The screen is particularly beautiful and enjoyable to use daily. The design, materials, and finish are top-notch. One UI 4 (Android 12) software is also particularly well-executed.
The photo and video performance is flawless, with the wide-angle, ultra-wide-angle, and 3x telephoto lenses providing relevant photographic versatility, making the S22 one of the best in its price range.
As always with Samsung, one of the phone’s weaknesses is the lack of fast charging, which remains capped at 25W. This wouldn’t be so limiting if the battery life were excellent, but it’s not. The second weakness lies in the Exynos 2200 chip’s performance, which lacks graphical power for a device in this range but performs well in other areas. If power is essential to you, consider the Galaxy S23. However, you’ll need to increase your budget by $100.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE: Samsung Quality for Less
- Successful design and well-utilized plastic
- Great display
- Generally balanced
- Software slowdowns
Price: $599 on Amazon
Delayed by various shortages, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE finally arrived well after the S21 lineup. It maintains the philosophy of offering a streamlined, quality device. The FE model is a cost-effective alternative if you don’t have the budget for the latest S22, now priced at $700.
The smartphone’s design remains very efficient, with effective materials and excellent handling. As always, Samsung showcases its expertise with the touchscreen display. The 6.4-inch OLED screen offers Full HD+ resolution with a 120 Hz refresh rate. The Vivid mode provides a beautiful array of colors, even if they aren’t entirely accurate.
In terms of performance, the Snapdragon 888 processor, accompanied by 6 GB of RAM, performs well in almost every aspect. However, the configuration struggles with Fortnite when settings are maxed out. The downside is that battery life drains quickly when the smartphone is heavily used, and there’s no fast charging to compensate for this weakness.
Photography is handled by three complementary lenses, offering fairly accurate shots in their composition, although some details are lacking. Selfies are of slightly lower quality.
Asus Zenfone 9: Compact and Premium Choice
- Compact design with top-notch performance
- Stunning display
- Photography falls short
Price: $594 on Amazon
The Asus Zenfone 9 is perfect for those who love compact devices. Despite its small size, it is still a premium smartphone. Its 5.9-inch AMOLED display easily fits in your pocket and offers FHD+ resolution (2400 x 1080 pixels) with an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz.
Asus has put its expertise into this compact powerhouse, featuring a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor for impressive performance, especially in gaming. The device also has 8GB of RAM and an exceptional battery life, lasting up to two days, despite its small size. The 30W charging is decent but not outstanding.
The main drawback of this smartphone is its camera (only two sensors), which doesn’t quite match its price range. It performs well but doesn’t stand out compared to other devices in the same price bracket.
Xiaomi 12T Pro: Power and a Large Screen
- Excellent performance
- Adaptive 120Hz display
- Fast charging
- Room for improvement in photography
Price: $579 on Amazon
With the price of the 11T Pro dropping, we recommend considering the next generation. The Xiaomi 12T Pro is a great choice if you’re looking for a smartphone under $700. It has a refined design and is comfortable to hold, although it lacks water resistance certification.
The strength of this phone lies in its touchscreen display, featuring a 6.67-inch AMOLED screen with an adaptive refresh rate ranging from 30 to 120Hz. The contrast and maximum brightness (910 cd/m²) are also good. The MIUI software is decent, but too many third-party apps come pre-installed.
The Xiaomi 12T Pro’s other main advantage is its internal power. It houses a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage, allowing it to run the most demanding mobile games. The battery life is sufficient for a day’s usage, and with 120W charging, it takes less than 30 minutes to recharge the 12T Pro.
Regarding photography, the 200-megapixel sensor lives up to its promise. In good conditions, the images are sharp and detailed. The ultra-wide-angle lens is useful, but results could be better. The macro lens doesn’t add much to the user experience.
Apple iPhone 13 mini: A Nearly Affordable iPhone
- A compact and pleasant form factor
- Top-notch performance
- Improved battery life
- No 120 Hz display
Price: $540 on Amazon
With the iPhone 12 mini, Apple had introduced a unique device that became one of the few truly high-end compact smartphones on the market, before the arrival of the Zenfone 9. The iPhone 13 mini is the latest small-sized iPhone version, as Apple has discontinued this variant with the iPhone 14 series.
Featuring a compact and pleasing form factor, top-notch performance, improved battery life, but no 120Hz display, the iPhone 13 mini is the latest small-format iPhone, following the iPhone 12 mini, before Apple discontinued this variant with the iPhone 14.
The main advantage of its small size is exceptional ergonomics, especially when holding it with one hand. It’s also one of the few phones that fit comfortably in any pocket. The Retina display offers excellent quality, with a 476 PPI OLED panel. Although the Pro models now feature 120Hz displays, the mini is limited to 60Hz.
Powered by the A15 Bionic processor, the iPhone 13 mini is a powerhouse, even though it’s slightly less powerful than the Pro versions. The iPhone 12 mini’s major weakness was its battery life, but with a larger battery and better-optimized processor, users can now get through the day without needing a charger.
The iPhone 13 mini also inherits the sensors from the iPhone 12 Pro, offering improved low-light performance. However, it still lacks a telephoto lens.
The smallest iPhone is relatively affordable, making it an easy contender in this selection. Officially priced at $809.
OnePlus 10T: The Premium Gaming Smartphone
- The Most Powerful Android Smartphone
- Ultra-Fast Charging
- User Experience
- Hesitant Camera Performance
Price: $499 on Amazon
In the OnePlus smartphone lineup, the high-end models are always the stars. The OnePlus 10T is no exception, although with a few compromises, such as the disappearance of the Alert Slider. This is an excellent smartphone for under $700.
The phone’s strength lies in its core, boasting a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor with a solid configuration for everyday apps. As for gaming, it can run Genshin Impact or Fortnite for extended periods without excessive heating.
Additionally, it has a 4700mAh battery that lasts all day without issues. The device supports ultra-fast 150W charging, reaching 100% in under 30 minutes. The OxygenOS software is still present to enhance your daily life.
The OnePlus 10T is also consistent in other aspects. It features a beautiful 6.7-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The only downside is the slightly lower brightness compared to competitors. The camera department sees the partnership with Hasselblad disappear along with the telephoto lens, resulting in slightly less impressive photography.
If you’re willing to spend up to $850, the OnePlus 11, the brand’s new flagship in 2023, is an excellent smartphone to consider.
Oppo Reno 8
Lastly, we’ll mention the Oppo Reno 8, a well-balanced 6.4-inch smartphone. This device meets various demands for different user profiles, with no significant drawbacks. Versatile, reliable, stylish, and easy to handle, it excels in all areas. It may soon secure a spot in our selection.
Price: $499 on Amazon
Choosing the Right Smartphone for Under $700
What compromises should you expect compared to top-tier smartphones?
At this price range, you’re already getting high-end devices with the best performance and high-quality displays. Compromises on smartphones at this price point mostly involve small details related to comfort or luxury. Depending on the model, you may miss out on water resistance or wireless charging. The materials used are often slightly less premium. The camera module serves as the primary differentiator, with less advanced and fewer sensors.
Which brands offer the best value at this price range?
Aside from the “usual suspects” like Samsung and Apple, more and more Chinese manufacturers are entering this market. The two most prominent at the moment are Xiaomi and OnePlus.
Which mobile plan should I choose to save money after purchasing my smartphone?
Buying a smartphone in this price range is an investment. To save money, we recommend choosing a no-contract offer that’s more attractive in the long run.
