These underrated smartphones of 2024 are still worth your money

There was no scarcity of great Android phones in 2024. Whether or not it’s the Galaxy S24 collection, OnePlus 12, or Xiaomi 14 Extremely, we noticed some improbable units this yr.

These aforementioned telephones grabbed many of the headlines, however there have been loads of nice handsets that went underneath the radar. So we’re recognizing them by selecting essentially the most underrated telephones of the yr.

The Taiwanese producer took a really completely different course with the Zenfone 11 Ultra. As an alternative of providing a compact Android telephone as we noticed in earlier years, ASUS mainly used the ROG Phone 8 gaming telephone as a foundation for the brand new Zenfone.

Certain, you missed out on a pocket-friendly type issue, however the finish outcome was an excellent flagship telephone nonetheless. The telephone doesn’t scrimp on premium options, together with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, wi-fi charging, an IP68 ranking, and a versatile triple rear digital camera setup. We additionally praised the handset for its fashionable AI options (together with summarization and name translation capabilities), nice construct high quality, and light-weight Android pores and skin. One other level within the Zenfone’s favor is that the massive battery didn’t require a proprietary charger to hit the 65W prime pace.

The Zenfone 11 Extremely has its justifiable share of points, although. We lamented the disappointing replace coverage (simply two OS upgrades), inconsistent digital camera high quality, and lack of 4K recording for the tele lens.

Nothing launched three nice mid-tier telephones in 2024, however its first handset underneath the CMF sub-brand was a breath of contemporary air. This was primarily as a result of telephone’s semi-modular method.

Certain, you don’t have the flamboyant magnets of the outdated Motorola RAZR collection or the modular elements of the Fairphone. Nevertheless, the CMF Phone 1 affords a detachable rear cowl and an “Accent Level” connector that allows add-ons like a card case, lanyard gap, and kickstand. It was clearly much less formidable than rival modular choices, however who cares when it solely prices $200 within the US?

The remainder of the CMF Telephone 1 is fairly good for the worth too. There’s a decent Dimensity 7300 chipset, a 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED display screen, a 5,000mAh battery with 33W wired charging, and a 50MP+2MP rear digital camera pairing. The largest situation with the telephone is the extraordinarily restricted community assist within the US, which isn’t a shock because it’s solely accessible by way of a beta program. However these in international markets searching for a really low-cost but distinctive telephone ought to positively add this to their record.

The Motorola Razr 2023 was a great mid-range foldable telephone, but it surely was unquestionably a step or two beneath the Plus mannequin. Luckily, Motorola bounced again with the Razr 2024, which is likely to be a greater purchase than the Plus variant.

The Razr 2024 lags behind its dearer stablemate with regards to efficiency, digital camera zoom, and charging speeds. However the usual mannequin brings a big, full-featured cowl display screen, significantly better battery life, and swaps out the Plus mannequin’s 2x tele digital camera for an ultrawide lens if that tickles your fancy. Both approach, the usual Razr telephone was a great deal at its $699 launch worth, and it’s a good higher deal now, due to frequent reductions.

Metallic telephones are a rarity lately, as many manufacturers undertake glass, plastic, or pleather backs. So we have been excited to see OnePlus buck the pattern with the £429 (~$547) Nord 4. The mid-ranger affords a metallic again with a glass visor across the cameras, bringing early Pixel telephones to thoughts. Discuss a throwback.

The remainder of the Nord 4 stays fairly compelling, too. It has a strong Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3 chip, a 50MP+8MP rear digital camera pairing, a 6.74-inch OLED display screen (1.5K, 120Hz), and a big 5,500mAh battery with 100W wired charging. The Nord 4 even bests the OnePlus 12 by providing an additional yr of safety updates, bringing it to 6 years of safety patches and 4 main OS upgrades.

Sadly, the telephone lacks wi-fi charging and water resistance, however these omissions aren’t a giant shock for the worth. Nevertheless, the largest disappointment is likely to be the shortage of a US launch, though the OnePlus 12R goes an extended method to addressing this.

Sony’s telephones are perennial entries on this record, and 2024 isn’t any completely different. Nevertheless, the Xperia 1 VI makes a powerful argument for being the corporate’s most spectacular flagship telephone in years.

We praised the Xperia 1 VI for its nice battery life, versatile cameras, and stable software program. The telephone additionally continues Sony’s custom of providing multimedia and camera-focused additions, together with a 3.5mm port, pro-focused digital camera options, and an assortment of wi-fi audio codecs/requirements.

It’s not all excellent news, although. We criticized the telephone’s ho-hum update policy (three OS upgrades and 4 years of safety patches), the £1,299 price ticket, and the shortage of US availability. Nevertheless, smartphone photographers and people who need one of the best audiovisual expertise ought to nonetheless take into account the Xperia 1 VI.

Have a look at the core specs and Samsung’s Galaxy Xcover 7 appears extra like a low-end Galaxy A collection telephone than the rest. The telephone is supplied with a 6.6-inch FHD+ LCD display screen (60Hz), a budget-tier Dimensity 6100 Plus chip, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 4,050mAh battery with a mere 15W wired charging. Don’t anticipate an excellent digital camera expertise, both, that includes a solitary 50MP rear shooter. It doesn’t also have a fingerprint scanner, so what makes this system worthy of our record?

Effectively, the Galaxy Xcover 7 packs a microSD card slot, a 3.5mm port, and a detachable battery. Simply one in all these fanatic options is sufficient to stand out in 2024, however all three? That’s nearly extraordinary for a contemporary Android telephone. There’s even a remappable {hardware} button if that floats your boat.

Both approach, this rugged Galaxy telephone retails for £349 (~$445). And with 4 main OS upgrades and 5 years of safety patches, it’ll be supported for a very long time in comparison with equally low-cost units.