It’s always tough to recommend budget smartphones to prospective buyers. For less than $200 (no contract) there are a few standout offerings – the excellent Moto G4 Play is one such example at $150 – but the situation is more complicated in the $200 to $300 price bracket. Here we see a mix of new mid-range devices competing against last-generation flagships at reduced prices, and the latter usually win.
It’s almost always better to purchase a last-generation flagship over a current-gen mid-range device. Last-gen flagships routinely pack better hardware, superior cameras, better performance, and more software features. You won’t be getting the freshest hardware, however you’ll be surprised at the value some year-old products can provide.
Forget about the more expensive Moto G4 variants, Sony Xperia XA, Xiaomi Redmi Pro and other such mid-range phones: you should be purchasing these instead.
