There are no two ways to do this, smartphone prices are skyrocketing, and there are no signs of slowing down any time soon. I still remember the day Apple announced the iPhone X in 2017, with its thousand pound/dollar price tag – and since then we’ve seen Samsung, Sony and Oppo all release phones that exceed that figure.
Fortunately, there are plenty of brilliant budget phones that buck this inflated price trend, with Google’s Pixel a-Series, Sony’s Xperia 10 and newcomer Nothing Phone (1) not compromising too much when it comes to crucial aspects like the screen, sound and performance . So why mention these phones when we’re eagerly awaiting the iPhone 15 and Xperia 1 V? It looks like 2023 will be a big year for budget phones, with Google and Sony unveiling their respective devices just hours apart.
Last week, Google held its annual I/O event, which focused mainly on AI and Android upgrades, but we did see some new hardware. This includes the ridiculously expensive Pixel Fold and the versatile smart display/tablet hybrid, imaginatively titled Pixel Tablet. While the latter is worth keeping an eye on, the real star of the show in my eyes is the new Pixel 7a, which looks to offer most of what the regular Pixel 7 does, with £100 off the price.
The Pixel 7a gets a 1080p/90Hz OLED display, the same spec as the Pixel 7, but it’s a bit smaller at 6.1in compared to the 7’s regular 6.3in screen. The 7a also gets wireless charging, more RAM, face unlock and a much higher resolution camera system compared to last year’s Pixel 6a. The 7a even gets the latest Tensor G2 processor found in the Pixel 7 Pro, meaning performance should be buttery smooth. Overall, the 7a looks like a pretty attractive budget smartphone to most people; but there is an even nicer option for AV enthusiasts.
Introducing the Sony Xperia 10 V, which also debuted last week. If the name sounds familiar, you may recognize its predecessor from the 2022 What Hi-Fi? Awarded the Best Smartphone category as the 10 IV wowed us with its great AV performance at a very reasonable price. I’m serious about Sony’s commitment to AV performance with its smartphones, with the 21:9 aspect ratio on all of its devices and commitment to keeping the 3.5mm headphone jack alive after every other smartphone manufacturer has kicked it to the curb.
The 10 V inherits many of its predecessor’s best features, including that 1080p 21:9 OLED display that wowed us last year and Hi-Res audio support for both wired and wireless headphones. It’s getting some AV-focused updates, though, including a brighter screen and better speakers – the latter of which is especially exciting as the 10 IV’s speakers were my biggest issue with the device. The only caveat is that it’s not much in the way of internal upgrades, with the same Snapdragon 695 5G chip powering the device. I would have preferred a more up-to-date processor in this latest generation smartphone, given that the 10 IV occasionally stuttered, but I can look past it – especially if the picture and sound performance is as good as it last year’s model.
In the end, both the latest Google and Sony announcements prove that you can get a lot of smartphones for not a whole lot of money. That said, I’ve got my eye on the Xperia 10 V, as it could be the next great movie-focused phone that doesn’t break the bank.
MORE:
You get first look at the Sony Xperia 1 V and 10 V
Read our full Sony Xperia 10 IV review
And check out our picks for the Best Android Smartphones