Best Smartphones under $500, Google Pixel 4A, Mi 11X and more

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4 years ago

Best Smartphones under $500: $500 dollars is a price range where you get some premium features along with powerful processors. Looking for the best picks in this segment, here are some devices that we recommend.

Best Smartphones under $500

IQOO 7

Not many have heard about this brand. It may be thought of as a sub-brand of Vivo. Recently, IQOO has arrived with some great products which have really good value for money. And one of them is the IQOO 7. Let us have a look at the specs.

- 6.62″ FHD+ sAMOLED display with 394 PPI
- 120 Hz Refresh rate with 300 Hz Touch Sampling Rate
- 1300 nits peak brightness
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 Processor
- 48 MP OIS Rear Quad Camera Setup with 13 MP Telephoto and a 13 MP Ultra-Wide Sensor
- 16 MP Selfie Camera
- 4000 mAh Battery
- 66 Watt Fast Charging
- Glass Back
- Liquid Cooling System
- Funtouch OS 11.1 based on Android 11
- 5G
- Wifi 6
- Stereo Speakers
- In-Display Fingerprint Scanner
- 209 gm

IQOO 7 has all the specs that make it an excellent buy. The decent camera system, powerful processor, excellent display and fast charging.

Some of the aspects that may disappoint:

Battery capacity could have been more.
Below average selfie camera performance.
Though Funtouch OS has improved over the years, regular updates are still a concern.

Mi 11X

Mi 11X has launched recently, and it has some great features under the hood. Let’s have a look at some of the key specs.

6.67″ FHD+ E4 AMOLED display with 395 ppi
120 Hz Refresh rate with 360 Hz Touch Sampling Rate
1300 nits peak brightness
Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 Processor
48 MP OIS Rear Quad Camera Setup with 5 MP Tele-macro and a 8 MP Ultra-Wide Sensor
20 MP Selfie Camera
4520 mAh Battery
33 Watt Fast Charging
Gorilla Glass 5 on the back and front
MIUI 12 based on Android 11
5G
Wifi 6
Stereo Speakers
In-Display Fingerprint Scanner
196 gm

Mi 11X is a great buy under $300. However, there are some things that could have been better.

MIUI 12 has bugs. The UI needs are improved.
48 MP for the primary sensor looks a bit obsolete. Could have given a 64 or a 108 MP sensor, knowing the fact that the cheaper Redmi devices have that.
Average selfie camera performance.

Google Pixel 4A

If you want a device that is compact, has decent performance, and excellent cameras, then Pixel 4A is the device for you. Let us have a look at the specs.

5.81″ FHD+ sAMOLED display with 443 ppi
60 Hz Refresh rate
Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G Processor
12 MP OIS Rear S Camera
8 MP Selfie Camera
3140 mAh Battery
18 Watt Fast Charging
Plastic Back
Stock Android 11
Rear-mounted Fingerprint Scanner
143 gm

The camera here is one of the best you will find for photography. It clicks amazing pictures and stable videos as well. The UI experience is excellent. It may not be the beefiest device in the segment, but it has all the aspects that make it a good, reliable device. Some downsides:

No high refresh rate.
Battery life could have been better.
No In-Display Scanner.
The screen size can also annoy some as small screens are not the most beautiful thing to look at.

Besides these, you can also have a look at the Mi 10T. So these were our picks for smartphones under $500. What do you think about these devices? Do you think they are the best under $500? Do you have other choices as well? Let us know in the comments.