Despite the not exactly rosy period we are experiencing, the smartphone market does not stop and is indeed ready to make fans experience a rather intriguing period. Passion is always stronger than problems and it is for this reason that companies are organizing to bring devices such as Red Magic 5G, OnePlus 8 Lite, Xiaomi Mi 10, OPPO Reno 3, Google Pixel 4a and VIVO IQOO 3 onto the market. , we certainly cannot complain about upcoming arrivals. In addition, the last few weeks have seen several interesting price drops, which have made us slightly change some choices in the range between 300 and 500 euros. Here are our decisions. We remind you that the prices taken into consideration are only those of Amazon Italy and the official websites of the manufacturers.
Xiaomi Mi Note 10
Arrived in Italy in November 2019, Xiaomi Mi Note 10 is a smartphone that has made people talk about itself mainly because of its photographic sector with 108MP main sensor. Just the latter is one of the major strengths of the device, together with the excellent autonomy, the complete connectivity compartment (NFC, audio jack and USB Type-C are present) and the good display. For more details on the data sheet of the device, we refer you to our news dedicated to Xiaomi Mi Note 10.
The main flaws are found in the performance not exactly at the top and in some software side flaw, but nothing transcendental. If you are wondering why we decided to add it months after the release, the answer is to be found in the recent drop in price. The smartphone was in fact initially sold for 599 euros, a cost not exactly the most contained. However, in recent weeks it has dropped to about 395 euros on Amazon Italy through resellers (variant 6 / 128GB). In short, now Xiaomi Mi Note 10 is decidedly more interesting than the output and can therefore be a good deal for a certain type of user.
Realme X2 Pro
Realme X2 Pro is a smartphone that has been defined by many as the king of this price range. On the other hand, net of some burrs like the ColorOS interface, which can be liked or not, of the non-expandable memory and of the weight not exactly "feather", Realme's proposal is quite valid, as you can read in our review of X2 Pro. The main point in favor of the smartphone is its excellent quality / price ratio. In fact, the device has above average performances (thanks also to the SoC Snapdragon 855+), an excellent screen with a 90Hz refresh rate, a fast 50W recharge, a good photographic sector, excellent construction solidity and an autonomy that does not disappoint expectations.
As for the connectivity sector, NFC, 3.5 mm headphone jack and USB Type-C port are in place. Realme X2 Pro is currently sold for € 419 on Amazon Italy (model 8 / 128GB).
OPPO Reno2
Landed in Italy in the second half of 2019, OPPO Reno2 is a smartphone that starts from the good base of the first generation and manages to offer a next level experience. All this without raising the price, something well seen by fans. For more information on the smartphone, we invite you to consult our review of OPPO Reno2. The device gives its best in the excellent screen, in good design, in autonomy that does not disappoint expectations, inexcellent constructive solidity and in the photographic sector capable of not disfiguring in front of higher-end devices. In this regard, we invite you to consult our in-depth test on cameras, in which we have compared Reno2 with one of the most famous smartphones on the market.
OPPO Reno2 also has some flaws, from the dimensions not the most contained to the usual ColorOS, passing through the performance not exactly at the top. For the rest, the connectivity department is complete: NFC, 3.5 mm headphone jack and USB Type-C port are in place. OPPO Reno2 is currently sold at a price of 439 euros through the official channels (variant 8 / 256GB).
Red Magic 3S
If you love video games, surely you have to take a look at Red Magic 3S. It is a device sold at 479 euros on the official website (8 / 128GB model) able to bring the typical characteristics of gaming smartphones in a lower range than the usual one. For more information, we advise you to consult the review of Red Magic 3S. The smartphone has been praised especially for the above average performance of the price range, the excellent screen with a 90 Hz refresh rate, the interesting gaming features (RGB LED, trigger and much more), the granite autonomy (5000 mAh battery) and the possibility of using accessories such as the Magic Adapter. However, there are some pain points, from the software not exactly the most cared for to the below-average photographic sector, passing through the non-expandable memory and for some lack of connectivity (there is no NFC).
Special mention: Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G
Sooner or later we will all have to move on to a 5G smartphone, this is little but sure. For this reason, the recent price drop suffered by Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G, device arrived in Italy in 2019, can be particularly interesting for those who do not want to be found unprepared. The smartphone is sold for about 380 euros on Amazon Italy through resellers (model 6 / 64GB). For the rest, we are talking about a device from last year, which mounts a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor. The smartphone gives its best, in addition to the complete connectivity sector (which also includes NFC and USB Type-C port, but lacks the jack), in good autonomy, in the camera that does not disappoint expectations and in the interesting all-screen design (there is the "slider" to let the body come out).
The main pain points are to be found in the weight not exactly contained and in the software (which unfortunately Xiaomi is not keeping too updated). You must also consider that it is a smartphone released in 2019, so we are not exactly talking about the latest model available. However, its predisposition to 5G at such a price certainly makes it noteworthy.
Market choice: Samsung Galaxy A71
Arriving in Italy for relatively few weeks, Samsung Galaxy A71 quickly convinced critics and audiences. We are talking about a device that finds its main strengths in good autonomy, in the photographic department that does not disappoint expectations and inexcellent connectivity sector (complete with NFC, 3.5 mm audio jack for headphones and triple Dual SIM + microSD slot). The pain points are the performance not exactly at the top, albeit in line with the price range, and some burrs related to the speed of the unlocking sensors. For the rest, some users have also "criticized" the launch price, since it has been slightly increased compared to the previous generation.
In particular, Galaxy A71 is sold at a recommended price of 479.90 euros, although in reality it can already be found at 375 euros on Amazon Italy through resellers (variant 6 / 128GB). In short, there has been a drop in price and it is important. It is therefore no coincidence that the device is the first choice of Italians in this price range, according to the ranking of Bestsellers smartphones on Amazon Italy.
Upcoming Arrivals: OnePlus 8 Lite, Red Magic 5G, OPPO Reno 3, Vivo IQOO 3 and Pixel 4a
If you are wondering whether or not news will arrive in a period like the current one, don't worry: the manufacturers are working to the maximum of their ability to guarantee the launch on the market of their devices. The smartphones involved are many, so enthusiasts certainly cannot complain. Starting from the devices already announced, Red Magic 5G is a gaming device that has been trying since the launch to bring 5G connectivity in this price range. For the time being, it has only been unveiled on the Chinese market, where the starting cost is set at 3799 yuan (about 480 euros). For more details, we invite you to consult our news dedicated to Red Magic 5G. For the rest, we find the interesting Vivo IQOO 3 5G, already announced in India (where it has an equivalent starting price of about 475 euros). We do not have more details regarding the European launch, but it seems that soon there may be news in the gaming and 5G fields.
Remaining in the field of devices already announced, do not forget the Reno 3 range, announced, a little muted, in China a few months ago. We are talking, also in this case, of 5G smartphones, with a starting price equivalent to about 430 euros. It is not yet clear what OPPO will decide to do globally, but we'll see. Speaking instead of smartphones that have yet to be officially unveiled, they are certainly worth mentioning Pixel 4a and OnePlus 8 Lite. The first has already appeared in some billboards in the USA and everything suggests that it will have a single rear camera, a display with a hole for the camera and a price of 399 dollars. It could therefore be an interesting mid-range, also knowing the software side of Google. OnePlus 8 Lite could instead be the variant that fans of the Chinese company have been waiting for for some time: the one that brings the price back to the levels of the past. The presentation of the OnePlus 8 range is scheduled for April 15, 2020, but this model could be announced later. In any case, surely we will see some in the beautiful over the next few months in this price range.
