TechPhonesDo you need to buy a top spec phone in 2023?With technology advancing so fast, mid-range handsets are becoming more and more powerfulWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

TechPhonesDo you need to buy a top spec phone in 2023?With technology advancing so fast, mid-range handsets are becoming more and more powerfulWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

With technology advancing so fast, mid-range handsets are becoming more and more powerful

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Xiaomi)

Four of the Redmi Note 12 Pro devices, showcasing the different finish options and the display, on a white background

(Image credit: Xiaomi)

Right now, the phone market is arguably the most competitive it has ever been. From thebest iPhonesto topAndroid phones, users have more choice than ever, and the quality of those options is incredibly high. There’s even a strong line-up offoldable phones, if that’s your thing.

Since the start of this year, we’ve seen top notch devices like theSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultraand theXiaomi 13 Protake centre stage. Plus, familiar favourites fromAppleandGooglelook set to get a substantial update later in the year, with theiPhone 15and theGoogle Pixel 8, respectively.

These phones are packed with features. Some have whopping 200MP camera sensors. Others have a processor under the hood which could comfortably tackle intensive computing tasks. But does anyone really need all of that horsepower?

For most users, I suspect that answer is no. If your average use for your phone involves a few hours of scrolling social media, taking the odd photo and checking your emails, you’re never going to put the full power of something like aSnapdragon 8 Gen 2to use.

Last week, theSnapdragon 7+ Gen 2was unveiled. That chipset promises a massively upgraded performance for mid-range handsets, with improvements across the CPU, GPU and AI engine which will make a massive difference to some of the best cheap phones on the market.

That could bring 200MP cameras, improved mobile gaming, and lossless audio to phones in the £400-£600 range. Plus, it should be pretty hot on battery life, thanks to the 4nm fabrication process, which begs the question: why would you pay more for a flagship?

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And I should add, I’ve got nothing against premium phones. We’re all tech lovers here, and watching the continual evolution of phones from primitive 8-bit screens slapped onto a brick with a dial pad, to the fully-fledged computer-in-your-pocket that exists today, is always exciting.

But hey, times are tough. Many tech lovers may struggle to justify buying a thousand-pound handset right now. And if that’s you, don’t panic. The mid-range is catching up in a big way, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

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