Google unveiled the Pixel 9a this week, but it won’t be out until April. The mid-ranger will start at £500 for a unit with 128GB storage. This is a good opportunity to explore the mid-range segment and see what phones are available around the £500 mark – we will look a bit above and a bit below that.
Also this week, the Samsung Galaxy A56, A36 and A26 hit stores in Europe and select other markets. The Galaxy A56 flaunts an Exynos 1580, which features AMD RDNA 3 graphics, plus a 5,000mAh battery with 45W fast charging – this is what Samsung uses for its flagships. The software support is at a near flagship level with 6 OS updates.
There’s no discount, but Amazon is bundling the phone with some freebies: a Galaxy Fit3, a 45W charger (there isn’t one in the box) and a silicone case. Together, these are valued at £138.98.
The Samsung Galaxy A36 comes with the same freebies. It costs £100 less than the A56 and here is what you lose. The chipset, Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, is slower and the storage is UFS 2.2 instead of 3.1, which further reduces performance. Also, the body is plastic instead of aluminum and the ultra-wide camera is knocked down to 8MP (from 12MP). Saving £100 is good, but some of these downgrades hit hard.
Going £100 further down the price ladder, we find the Galaxy A26. Note that you don’t get the freebies with this one. The A26 features the Exynos 1380, the chipset used in last year’s A35. You also lose the 45W charging for the 25W battery and the 50MP main camera has a smaller sensor, but OIS is still available. You do gain a microSD slot, but not a 3.5mm jack.
Again, the Pixel 9a starts at £500. Its predecessor, the Pixel 8a, is currently £150 cheaper. The older Tensor G3 doesn’t have the best reputation, especially its modem. The 6.1” display is also a bit smaller (vs. 6.3” on the 9a) and isn’t as bright. There are a few other minor differences like IP67 vs. IP68, 18W wired charging vs. 23W and so on. The main camera is different too with a larger 64MP 1/1.73” sensor vs. a 48MP 1/2.0”. Still, the chipset is the main concern here.
Going £150 up instead of down brings us to the Pixel 9. The Tensor G4 beats Galaxy A56’s Exynos 1580, even in terms of performance – not unexpected, given that the A56 is priced the same as the Pixel 9a. Both will receive 7 OS updates, however. The Google phone also has a better ultra-wide camera (48MP vs. 12MP), while the Galaxy has faster charging (45W vs. 23W), but it is wired only.
The Apple iPhone 16e is £600, making it the priciest budget model. With a 6.1” display, it’s smaller than the Pixel 9a, but has some of the best performance available on mobile thanks to the Apple A18 chipset. Unfortunately, the sole 48MP camera on the rear is a throwback to the distant past. And while the 16e has wireless charging, it’s just Qi – there’s no MagSafe here.
The Nothing Phone (3a) is under £400, even if you get the 12/256GB model. The Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 is faster than the 6 Gen 3 inside the Galaxy A36, but lags behind the Tensor G4 inside the Pixel 9a. The IP64 rating is also the lowest of the three. However, this one combines a 50MP main camera with a 50MP 2x (50mm) telephoto lens and an 8MP ultra-wide. Charging for the 5,000mAh battery is wired-only, but it is decently fast at 50W. Nothing has committed to only 3 OS updates, which isn’t much, especially considering that Android 16 is a couple of months away.
You can try out the flip foldable form factor with the Motorola Razr 50. It is priced at £600, but you get £40 off that at checkout and Prime Students can knock another £35 off the price, bringing it almost on par with the Pixel 9a. And keep in mind that the Razr has 256GB storage, which closes the price gap.
If you have a Prime subscription, check out the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE offer. It has a £113 discount plus £30 more at checkout and Prime Students can get an extra £25 off (that would drop the price to £532). The phone is bundled with a free pair of Galaxy Buds FE and a Galaxy Fit3 to boot.
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