5G smartphones up to 400 euros in the test: enough!

The costs for high smartphones are climbing to dizzying heights. Essentially the most highly effective iPhone prices slightly below 1,800 euros, and there are fashions from Sony and Samsung in the same worth vary. However does it actually have to be? COMPUTER BILD has discovered actually good smartphones that value nicely below 400 euros, are technically robust – and thanks to 5G even go into the new quick community.

Check winner: (Xiaomi) Poco F3

Costs at the time of testing: 270 euros (Poco F3), 300 euros (Realme GT Neo 2), 300 euros (Xiaomi 11T).

Worth tip: Realme GT Grasp Version

As well as to 5G, the Realme GT Grasp affords a vivid OLED display screen, a good digicam and good workmanship for little cash. The technical efficiency shouldn’t be fairly on the degree of the Realme GT Neo 2 from the identical firm, however the Grasp Version is sort of low cost.

Worth at the time of testing: 242 euros.

Model tip: Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G

Those that would quite purchase a smartphone from a longtime model ought to check out the Galaxy A52s. It does not provide the extras, high efficiency or the elegant design of the S-Class, but it surely has a particular position inside Samsung’s mid-range: The processor is considerably quicker than the predecessor A52 and the newer A53. It is waterproof, has a very good digicam, a good-looking matte plastic physique, and a good replace assure.

Worth at the time of testing: 285 euros.

fashion and dimension

By way of optics, the gadgets in the take a look at wouldn’t have to cover from the higher class. The times of thick case edges are over. The entrance of all gadgets is about 85 p.c crammed with the show – related to the iPhone 13 Professional Max, which is about 5 occasions as costly. The circumstances are usually not fairly as stylish as in the higher class – not less than the Poco F3, Xiaomi 11T has an actual glass again and Vivo V21. However in the take a look at, the Galaxy A52s and the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE with a matte case additionally appealed. The Oppo Discover X3 Lite, on the different hand, regarded a bit low cost. Consideration: Just one smartphone in the take a look at is waterproof – the Galaxy A52s.

The great previous deal with

For those who nonetheless have a headset or traditional headphones with a cable, you may be joyful: The mid-range gadgets from Realme, Oppo and OnePlus nonetheless have a traditional jack socket – Samsung’s A52s nonetheless has a jack socket, however the successor A53 now not has it. With the exception of Sony gadgets, that is now not the case with high smartphones. In fact, all take a look at candidates have Bluetooth for wi-fi headphones. Nevertheless, a TV or monitor connection by way of HDMI adapter shouldn’t be doable with the gadgets. The one factor left right here is wi-fi display screen mirroring by way of Chromecast or Miracast, which isn’t at all times easy.

OLED so far as the eye can see

For those who have a look at your smartphone, you will note a show with OLED know-how on all fashions – with correspondingly robust contrasts and crisp colours as with high gadgets! The Poco F3 and the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE delivered significantly good colours in the take a look at. The shows of each gadgets additionally achieved a really excessive degree of brightness at round 900 candelas per sq. meter. The Samsung Galaxy A52s, Realme GT Grasp Version and Oppo Discover X3 Lite 5G have been satisfactory right here. At 520 candelas per sq. meter, the OnePlus Nord CE 5G is just too darkish for a sunny day outdoor. For easy show, the body charge may be elevated to 90 or 120 hertz on all gadgets. The issue: The facility requirement then will increase and the charge doesn’t routinely lower. A high gadget like the iPhone 13 or Galaxy S21 Extremely can do this.

Batteries: who lasts longer? Who masses quicker?

Most $400 gadgets last more than the finest Android smartphones. The Vivo V21 5G, Poco F3 and OnePlus Nord CE 5G achieved high battery life values ​​of over ten hours. For comparability: The presently finest Android cellular phone, the Galaxy S21 Extremely, solely lasts for slightly below 9 hours. However no person can maintain up with the newest iPhone era: The iPhone 13 Professional Max manages virtually 14 hours.

Realme and Oppo cost with 65 watts

Digicam: Many lenses, higher photos?

The numerous cameras of the take a look at candidates are partly window dressing. All of them have an extremely wide-angle digicam, however of all issues the actual telephoto lens, which may be very useful in on a regular basis life, is lacking. As a substitute, there are sometimes macro cameras – little greater than a pleasant gimmick. And the impact of the extra depth sensors or greyscale sensors on photograph high quality is unclear.

Picture high quality in the take a look at

The very best photographs have been delivered by the cameras of the Vivo V21 5G and the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE. The photographs are convincing each throughout the day and in low mild – however neither of them can fairly match the degree of the finest digicam smartphones. Poco F3 and Galaxy A52s additionally take good photographs in low mild. Realme GT Grasp Ed and Oppo Discover X3 Lite are mediocre in low mild.

The lacking telephoto digicam is the largest weak point in the worth vary. In fact, zoom recordings are nonetheless doable. Nevertheless, since the smartphone solely digitally enlarges a bit of the digicam sensor after which optimizes it utilizing picture processing, the high quality is considerably decrease than with actual telephoto lenses with an extended focal size. No less than: All take a look at candidates profit from high-resolution digicam sensors (64 or 48 megapixels) when zooming. And the gadgets even have just a few methods up their sleeve.

Usually, the digicam bundles 4 sensor pixels for higher mild output and creates an optimized picture pixel (pixel binning) from them. In good lighting circumstances, nevertheless, this bundling shouldn’t be mandatory. Then the full decision can be utilized – both for a really detailed image or for a satisfactory image with zoom.

Regardless of all the gimmicks: none of the take a look at candidates handle actually good telephoto pictures; the Realme, Oppo and, with limitations, the Samsung do the finest. With the fashions from Poco, OnePlus and Xiaomi, on the different hand, robust zooming causes pixelation.

Tempo: Good for Android

All gadgets have quick 5G with all the typical frequencies in Germany. Actually quick WiFi (Wifi 6 with a number of antennas) is simply out there from Poco, Realme and Xiaomi. The Wi-Fi connections on OnePlus and Vivo are a bit gradual.

sustainability and updates

If you need to use your smartphone for so long as doable, you must deal with the battery gently. As a result of a easy battery change by hand shouldn’t be doable with any of the examined fashions. It seems to be higher with software program updates: Most producers promise them for 2 years from the launch of the gadget. For the Galaxy A52s, Samsung even needs to ship three years of Android updates and 4 years of safety patches.

Conclusion: how good are low cost 5G smartphones?

The Android center class has gotten fairly robust! Extras like wi-fi charging, cameras with superzoom and (aside from the Samsung Galaxy A52s) waterproof circumstances are lacking, however the test-winning Poco F3 is nearly as quick as high Android gadgets, has a big vivid OLED show and a protracted battery life. The worth-performance winner is the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G, not least due to the finest digicam in the take a look at with the Vivo V21. The Xiaomi 11T can also be price a glance.