Weekly deals: the best smartphone deals from the Germany, UK, India and the US

As IFA week comes to a close we look back at all the new models that were unveiled – and also at all the new phones that technically weren’t at IFA too, it was a busy week. We also offer some alternatives to those phones.

• USA
• The UK
• Germany
• India

USA

The Motorola Razr+ costs $100 less than the Galaxy Z Flip5 and while it has the older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (vs. the 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy), it has a faster 165Hz internal display and an impressive 144Hz cover display with cutouts for the 12+13MP dual camera. The endurance rating is slightly in favor of the Samsung (87h vs. Moto’s 83h).

The OnePlus 11 is one of the cheapest ways to get the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the US – $600 for the 8/128GB model or $650 for 16/256GB. We prefer the latter option as double the RAM, double the storage is a great update for just $50. You’re also getting a 6.7” 120Hz LTPO AMOLED display with QHD+ resolution, a 50MP camera (1/1.56”) with OIS, 48MP 115° ultra wide and 32MP 2x portrait cam, plus a 5,000mAh battery with 80W charging. In other words, 2023 flagship specs at $650.

OnePlus also has the Nord N30, a relatively cheap 5G phone with a Snapdragon 695 chipset. It has a 6.72” 120Hz IPS LCD (FHD+) and a 108MP main camera (no ultra wide and no tele, though). There’s also a 5,000mAh battery with 50W charging support.

Here’s an odd pick, the Doogee V Max. This one has a beastly battery – 22,000mAh! – with a relatively slow 33W charging. It’s a big phone at 27.3mm thick but it is tough (rated IP69K and drop-to-concrete from 5ft). It has a 108MP wide and 16MP ultra wide regular cameras and a 20MP night vision camera (with two IR LEDs for illumination).

If you want a work phone but the V Max is a bit much, check out the Cat S42 H+. The H+ stands for “hygiene plus”, a combination of silver ion-based antimicrobial coating and resistance to bleach and other chemicals, so you can sterilize the phone with bleach wipes. This one is also rated IP69K and has been drop tested up to 6ft.

Amazon is offering a free storage upgrade for the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 – or a $120 discount on the 12/256GB version, whichever way you prefer to think about it. This tablet has the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip, DeX support and an optional first-party keyboard cover, so it’s a multitasking powerhouse. The S Pen comes as standard.

Do you want to listen to music or a podcast but need to constantly be aware of your surroundings? Most earbuds with ANC have a transparent mode of some sort, but most sound pretty odd. The Sony LinkBuds have a hole in them so your hearing is never blocked. It’s a niche product, but it’s hard to beat for certain use cases.

For a more traditional design, there are the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro. Earlier this week Samsung added new Auracast capabilities with an update – Auracast is a Bluetooth version of radio, you can listen without pairing the buds to your device. In this case, it is intended to work seamlessly with select Samsung smart TVs.

There are also the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 at a lower price. No fancy Bluetooth features besides the usual in this class (multi-device pairing and fast pairing). They support ANC and the high quality LHDC codec.

As a cheaper alternative (less than a third of the price), there are the OnePlus Nord Buds 2. This model added ANC (which was lacking from the original Nord Buds) and have low latency with game mode enabled.

Germany

The long-awaited Sony Xperia 5 V is here and while it performed quite well in our review, it’s still a €1,000 phone with just 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage – there isn’t even a charging cable in the box! Worse still, this year there isn’t even a tele camera.

Wouldn’t you be happier with an Xperia 1 V instead? Yes, it’s €300 more, but at least you get a 12/256GB phone and the so-far unique 85-125mm camera with continuous zoom.

If the cost seems too high, the Xperia 1 IV is cheaper than the 5 V by €100 (again for a 12/256GB phone). This one is missing the cool new stacked ExmorT sensor, but the old 12MP shooter was quite good too. This one also has the 85-125mm continuous zoom camera.

And if size is the issue, the old Sony Xperia 5 IV is even cheaper – €220 less than the Mark 5. Again, you will miss out on the larger, higher resolution main sensor of the 2023 generation. And you will get the older Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. On the plus side, there is a 60mm tele camera on board.

And if both money and size are an issue, the Xperia 10 V isn’t a bad pick – you get Sony’s clean Android build, its no nonsense design and (funnily enough) an 8MP 2x zoom camera, plus a 48MP main, though with a small 1/2” sensor. With 175h endurance rating, the 10 V lasts longer than even the 5 V (which got a very respectable 130h).

The Fairphone 5 was unveiled this week and it drew in a huge crowd. It’s pricey at €700 but this is the phone to get if you want a phone to last for years – you get 5 years warranty, cheap and easy self repairs for all components and 8 years of software support (possibly up to 10 years) with at least 5 OS updates. On top of all this, the phone has 70% recycled and fair materials and the people at the assembly line are paid a living wage.

Moving on to more standard phones, the Honor 90 packs a 200MP camera (1/1.4” sensor, 0.56µm pixels) and an impressive 50MP selfie camera with a wide 100° lens (plus a 12MP 112° ultra wide on the back). You get a 6.7” 120Hz display (1200p) and a modded Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, plus a 5,000mAh battery with 68W wired charging. This offer includes a free Honor Watch 4.

Alternatively, you can pick up the Poco F5 with the faster Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chipset for €100 less. This one falls behind in the camera department with a 64MP main (a small 1/2” sensor), 8MP ultra wide and 16MP selfie. Also, the 6.67” display has a slightly lower pixel density, but it is a 12-bit panel with Dolby Vision. Also, the 5,000mAh battery supports 67W charging.

Then there are the Poco X5 and X5 Pro. The Pro model costs 50% more but it has the faster Snapdragon 778G (vs. 695 on the vanilla X5) and a better 108MP main camera (vs. 48MP), stereo speakers and a faster 67W charging for the 5,000mAh battery (vs. 33W, so 100% in 45 minutes rather than 60 minutes). The vanilla phone does have a microSD slot, however.

The Redmi 12 is a fairly affordable 4G phone with a huge 6.79” display – an FHD+ IPS LCD with 90hz refresh rate. The 5,000mAh battery isn’t huge, but it’s big enough for 117h endurance. The phone also features a Helio G88, expandable storage and a 3.5mm headphone jack, plus a 50+8+2MP rear and 8MP front cameras.

Sony’s WF-1000XM5 TWS buds are quite new, but they already have a €20 discount. It’s not much, but it’s a start. These offer superior active noise cancellation compared to the XM4 models and better sound in the lower frequencies.

Alternatively, there are the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II at €80 less. These have ANC too. The buds last 6 hours, the case adds 18 hours more. For comparison, the Sony buds last 8 hours before needing to be recharged. Both are rated IPX4 for splash resistance.

Bose has over ear headphones for around the same price too. As you can tell from the name, they have ANC and are actually placed higher than the popular QuietComfort 35 II.

Finally, the Kindle Scribe is great for reading documents, taking notes and sketching ideas – its e-ink display will be easier on your eyes than a typical tablet. Also, this has battery life measured in days. Note that this is not a smart device, so its functionality is limited, but it is great at the things that it can do.

UK

The long-awaited Sony Xperia 5 V is here and while it performed quite well in our review, it’s still a £850 phone with just 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage – there isn’t even a charging cable in the box! Worse still, this year there isn’t even a tele camera.

Wouldn’t you be happier with an Xperia 1 V instead? Yes, it’s £267 more, but at least you get a 12/256GB phone and the so-far unique 85-125mm camera with continuous zoom.

Unfortunately, the Xperia 1 IV is too pricey right now, so it’s probably best to skip it.

If size is the issue, the old Sony Xperia 5 IV is cheaper than – £97 less than the Mark 5. Again, you will miss out on the larger, higher resolution main sensor of the 2023 generation. And you will get the older Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. On the plus side, there is a 60mm tele camera on board.

And if both money and size are an issue, the Xperia 10 V isn’t a bad pick – you get Sony’s clean Android build, its no nonsense design and (funnily enough) an 8MP 2x zoom camera, plus a 48MP main, though with a small 1/2” sensor. With 175h endurance rating, the 10 V lasts longer than even the 5 V (which got a very respectable 130h).

The Fairphone 5 was unveiled this week and it drew in a huge crowd. It’s pricey at £620 but this is the phone to get if you want a phone to last for years – you get 5 years warranty, cheap and easy self repairs for all components and 8 years of software support (possibly up to 10 years) with at least 5 OS updates. On top of all this, the phone has 70% recycled and fair materials and the people at the assembly line are paid a living wage.

The Nokia G22 is also built with repairability and sustainability in mind, but it is much cheaper and (of course) much lower end than the Fairphone. A battery replacement can be done at home in 5 minutes thanks to the parts and tools sold by iFixit. Parts of the phone are recycled, e.g. the back cover is made out of 100% recycled materials. HMD has committed to 2 OS updates and 3 years of security patches. Not bad for a £127 phone.

The stylish Nothing Phone (2) is too new for discounts, at least if you look at the official store Metafone will sell you a unit for £70 less, however. A step up from the original, this one has a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, a 6.7” 120Hz LTPO display and a 50+50MP rear and 32MP front cameras, plus a 4,700mAh battery with 45W wired and 15W wireless charging.

The Poco F5 is powered by the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 and a 5,000mAh battery with 67W charging. It features a 6.67” display, a 12-bit panel with Dolby Vision, along with a 64MP main camera, 8MP ultra wide and 16MP selfie.

The Honor 90 Lite is a pretty cheap way to get a high resolution camera – it is equipped with a 100MP sensor. There is also a 5MP ultra wide and a 16MP selfie camera on board. The phone has a 6.7” 90Hz IPS LCD (FHD+), it runs on a Dimensity 6020 and a 4,500mAh battery with 35W wired only charging.

The TCL 40 SE also has a large display, a 6.75” 90Hz IPS LCD. This is one of the cheaper models so it only has HD+ resolution and is powered by a Helio G37 and a 5,010mAh battery (18W). On the plus side, there is a microSD slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack and stereo speakers.

The iPad 10.2 is a couple of years old now, but it is still the latest entry in the line. Maybe that will change in a couple of weeks during Apple’s big event, but at least this model is cheap. It has a chipset from the iPhone 11 generation and still uses a Lightning port (most other iPads have moved on to USB-C). It will stay on the latest iOS for years to come, however.

The Honor Pad X9 is an 11.5” Android tablet. The LCD has 120Hz refresh rate and 2,000 x 1,200px resolution (15:9) and it is flanked by 6 speakers, so this is a perfect Netflix machine on a budget. The Snapdragon 685 chipset can handle some gaming too. The 7,250mAh battery could have been bigger, but this is a solid tablet for the price.

India

Motorola unveiled the Moto G84 this week and it will go on sale next week (but you can already pre-order it). This 5G phone uses the Snapdragon 695 and has a 6.5” 120Hz OLED display (10-bit, FHD+). There is a 50MP main camera (1/1.5”) with OIS and an 8MP 120° ultra wide on the back, plus a 16MP selfie on the front. Storage is expandable, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack plus stereo speakers. The 5,000mAh battery does 30W wired only charging.

The vivo V29e is also launching next week. This one goes for a larger 6.78” 120Hz AMOLED display (10-bit, FHD+) and features an impressive 50MP selfie camera with a wide 22mm lens with autofocus and dual LED flash. The rear 64MP main cam (with OIS) and 8MP ultra wide seem almost boring in comparison. This one also uses the Snapdragon 695 and its 5,000mAh battery charges faster at 44W. There’s no headphone jack or stereo speakers, though (but there is a microSD slot).

The price of the iQOO Neo 7 Pro is sliding down. This phone pairs the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset with a 6.78” 120Hz AMOLED (10-bit, FHD+) and a fast 5,000mAh battery with 120W charging (50% in 8 minutes). There is a 50MP (1/1.57”) main cam with OIS and 8MP ultra wide on the back, 16MP selfie on the front. Stereo speakers yes, headphone jack no.

The iQOO 9 from last year is cheaper, but the ₹5,000 savings come at a cost – you will drop down to a Snapdragon 888+ chip and a smaller 6.56” 120Hz AMOLED (10-bit, FHD+). The camera department features a 48MP main (1/2.0”) with gimbal stabilization, 13MP ultra wide and a 13MP 2x portrait cam. The phone also supports 120W charging, but it has a smaller 4,350mAh battery. The iQOO 9 managed 105h endurance in our tests, so the battery situation isn’t bad by any means.

Another ₹5,000 step down and we get to the Oppo F23. Like the vivo V29e, this one focuses on the selfie camera – a 32MP unit with a wide 22mm lens – more so than the rear camera (64MP main, plus a 2MP microscope and a 2MP depth sensor). It’s powered by the same Snapdragon 695 as the vivo, plus another 5,000mAh battery, except this one has faster 67W charging. Also, the F23 has stereo speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack over the vivo. Also, instead of an AMOLED, this one has a 6.72” IPS LCD (120Hz, FHD+).

We go ₹5,000 down again to meet the Tecno Camon 20 Pro 5G. Note the “5G” since there is a 4G variant too. This one has a Dimensity 8050 chipset and its 64MP main camera (1/1.7”) has OIS. The 6.67” 120Hz AMOLED (FHD+) and 5,000mAh battery with 33W charging are the same between the two models.

The Realme Narzo 60 costs around the same. It is a bit smaller with a 6.43” 90Hz AMOLED display (FHD+) and uses the weaker Dimensity 6020 chipset. Its 64MP camera has a smaller sensor (1/2”) and lacks OIS. Plus, this one has a 16MP selfie camera, compared to the 32MP 24mm on the Camon (which also has its own dual LED flash). The 5,000mAh battery on this one charges at the same rate, 33W.

A cheaper 5G option can be found in the Infinix Zero 5G 2023 (that’s its name, even though it launched in 2022). This one bets on the Dimensity 1080 and has a large 6.78” IPS LCD (120Hz, FHD+) and yet another 5,000mAh battery with 33W charging. There’s a 50MP main camera on the back and a 16MP unit on the front (with dual LED flash).

We’ll take a quick detour to the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra. It costs ₹10,000 less than the Galaxy Z Flip5 and while it has the older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (vs. the 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy), it has a faster 165Hz internal display and an impressive 144Hz cover display with cutouts for the 12+13MP dual camera. The endurance rating is slightly in favor of the Samsung (87h vs. Moto’s 83h).

We’ll wrap up with the OnePlus Pad. This tablet has an 11.6” IPS LCD with a sharp 2,800 x 2,00px resolution. This is a high quality 10-bit panel with Dolby Vision support and 144Hz refresh rate. It has a pretty square aspect ratio (4.2:3), which is better for and photos than it is for multimedia and gaming. With a Dimensity 9000 chipset this tablet can game and the 4 speakers make for great audio when streaming, plus the 9,510mAh battery with 67W charging means that you can be back in the game quickly.

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