Our buying guide for the best smartphones between 300 euros and 400 euros lists rather premium models, often offering value for money well above the competition. Recent smartphones released this year offering good performance, a quality screen and a top camera… but also a few surprises.
Our selection of the best smartphones under 400 €
here is our selection of the best smartphones under 400 euros. For this price, you will find either high-end models offering exemplary value for money or intermediate smartphones offering a technical sheet halfway between the high-end and mid-range. This category is very competitive and several manufacturers compete there while more and more users are turning to this segment to the detriment of recent premium smartphones whose price now fluctuates between 800 € and more than 1000 euros.
In our selection, you will find handpicked models offering both a quality screen, good performance, a good camera and good battery life. Reliable phones that also benefit from excellent build quality.
Poco F3
Launched at a price of €399 in its version with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, the Poco F3 is a mid-range smartphone. We find there a Snapdragon 870 SoC which is barely less efficient than the Snapdragon 888 which is at the heart of most high-end smartphones of 2021. In terms of performance, the user therefore has little to envy to the “top models” of this year .
Especially since the chip of the Xiaomi Poco F3 is not supported 8 GB of RAM, enough to ensure unfailing fluidity. Fluid, the screen is also thanks to its refresh rate of 120 Hz. We are here in front of a Samsung Super AMOLED display and which offers Full HD+ definition, HDRD10+ compatibility and a maximum brightness of 1300 nits.
It is the same for the performances which guarantee a most pleasant experience in video games as in the most common situations of daily use. The photo part also benefits from an honorable treatment. The Poco F3 thus integrates three compound sensors a main module (wide angle) of 48 megapixels (f/1.8, 1.2″), an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle module (f/2.2) and a 5-megapixel macro sensor for close-up shots. Finally, the Xiaomi Poco F3 has a 4520 mAh battery compatible with 33W fast charging. The manufacturer promises a full charge in less than an hour: 52 minutes to be precise.
- Screen : 6.67″ AMOLED; 2400x1080px; 120Hz
- SoCs : Snapdragon 870 5G; 7nm
- RAM : 6/8 GB
- Storage : 128 GB; 256 GB (not expandable)
- Rear photo sensors : 48 MP wide angle + 8 MP ultra wide angle + 5 MP macro
- Front sensor : 20MP
- Battery : 4520 mAh, fast charge 33W (0 to 100% in 52 minutes)
The + | The – |
---|---|
A very successful design |
No 3.5mm Jack |
Top-flight performance | No microSD expansion |
Very fast charging | Photo part a bit behind |
Excellent value |
Oppo Find X3 Lite
The smartphone has a 6.43 “AMOLED panel with a refresh rate of 90 Hz. It features the Snapdragon 765G processor coupled with 8 GB of RAM memory. The assurance of being able to run all your applications and games on a daily basis, without slowing down.
For the photo part, there is a quadruple sensor of 48 + 8 + 2 + 2 megapixels as well as a front camera of 32 megapixels. The photos are of good quality, whether for selfies, portraits or landscapes. Its autonomy is entrusted to a 4,300 mAh battery, compatible with 65 W fast charging. However, it ignores wireless charging, reserved only for Find X3 Pro and Find X3 Neo.
5G compatible, there is also a fingerprint scanner located under the screen, splash resistance. For the audio part, no 3.5 mm jack port but Dolby Atmos certification. Finally, the terminal runs on Android 11 with the ColorOS 11.1 interface.
- Screen : 6.43″ AMOLED; 2400x1080px; 90Hz
- SoCs : Snapdragon 765G 5G; 7nm
- RAM : 8 GB
- Storage : 128 GB (not expandable)
- Rear photo sensors : 64 MP wide angle + 8 MP ultra wide angle + 2 MP macro + 2 MP ToF
- Front sensor : 32MP
- Battery : 4300 mAh, fast charge 65W (0 to 100% in 35 minutes)
The + | The – |
---|---|
Good autonomy | No microSD slot |
Very fast charging | Not waterproof |
Top performance | |
Good photo quality |
To see: the best offers to buy the Oppo Find X3 Lite at the cheapest price
OnePlus Nord 2
The new OnePlus Nord 2 features a MediaTek Dimensity 1200 AI processor. A first on a OnePlus smartphone. The manufacturer promises us that the latter is as powerful as a Snapdragon 865. For the rest, we notice a better photo module (with a main sensor of 50 megapixels) as well as a fast recharge of 65 Watts.
The OnePlus Nord 2 runs Android 11 with one of the best software overlays on the market, OxygenOS 11.3. It does not have a microSD port, an important detail to take into account especially if you want to store a lot of things on your smartphone.
There is a 6.43-inch Full HD + AMOLED screen. It supports sRGB and Display P3 color spaces in addition to offering a 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ compatibility.
- Screen : 6.43″ AMOLED; 2400x1080px; 90Hz
- SoCs : Dimension 1200 5G; 6nm
- RAM : 6/12 GB
- Storage : 128 GB; 256 GB (no micro SD)
- Rear photo sensors : 50 MP wide angle + 8 MP ultra wide angle + 2 MP monochrome
- Front sensor : 32MP
- Battery : 4500 mAh, fast charge 65W (0 to 100% in 30 minutes)
The + | The – |
---|---|
Successful design | The improvements put forward are in the detail |
Powerful, ideal for gamers | No Jack port, no IP68 certification, no microSD port |
Very good autonomy |
Successful photo part but which would have deserved more care |
Superb overcoat |
To see: the best offers to buy the OnePlus Nord 2 at the cheapest price
Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
The Samsung Galaxy A42 is positioned halfway between the Galaxy A32 and the Galaxy A52. It is one of the cheapest 5G smartphones in the Korean manufacturer’s catalog. It has a neat finish for its price. Enough to enjoy a semblance of a premium smartphone, even if it does not claim to be as affable as Samsung’s high-end models.
Under the hood, there is a Snapdragon 750G SoC. We just regret the amount of RAM which is 4GB, the lower limit of the acceptable. However, the A42 5G provides decent performance overall. Its screen is one of its assets. Super AMOLED type, displays a diagonal of 6.6 inches in 1600 x 720 pixel definition (HD +), with a 20:9 ratio. Despite the limited definition, the screen is well calibrated and offers a good rendering.
Special mention also to the battery of the Galaxy A42 5G which has a capacity of 5000mAh. This allows the smartphone to hold up to 34 hours in local video playback, or until 9 p.m. in internet use. Finally, on the photo side, there are 4 sensors at the back including a 48 Mp main module opening at f / 1.8, an 8 Mp ultra-wide-angle sensor, a 5MP macro and finally a TOF of 5Mp. The smartphone is currently displayed at a price of 386 €. Do not hesitate to read our complete test of the Galaxy A42 5G.
- Screen : 6.6″ AMOLED; 1600x700px; 60Hz
- SoCs : Snapdragon 750G 5G; 8nm
- RAM : 4/8 GB
- Storage : 128 GB (expandable)
- Rear photo sensors : 48 MP wide angle + 8 MP ultra wide angle + 5 MP macro + 5 MP ToF
- Front sensor : 20MP
- Battery : 5000mAh, 15W charging
The + | The – |
---|---|
Its well-calibrated screen | Not waterproof |
Comfortable autonomy |
The amount of RAM at the threshold of acceptable |
Decent photo quality | Not waterproof |
Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G is the lite version of the high-end Mi 11 series. It offers comfortable power and battery life, very decent quality photos and an overall neat design. The smartphone is powered by a Snapdragon 780G SoC which allows it to provide excellent performance. The latter is supported by 8 GB of RAM.
The Mi 11 Lite 5G is equipped with a 6.55-inch AMOLED screen (2400 x 1080 pixel definition), 128 GB storage space and a 4200 mAh battery compatible with fast charging (33W). For the photo, the smartphone has three rear sensors including a 64 MP main module supported by an 8 MP ultra wide-angle sensor and a 5 MP macro.
- Screen : 6.55″ AMOLED; 2400x1080px; 90Hz
- SoCs : Snapdragon 780G 5G; 5nm
- RAM : 6/8 GB
- Storage : 64/126/256 GB (expandable)
- Rear photo sensors : 64 MP wide angle + 8 MP ultra wide angle + 5 MP macro
- Front sensor : 20MP
- Battery : 4250 mAh, fast charge 33W
The + | The – |
---|---|
Its excellent value for money | Autonomy: little better |
Well calibrated screen | |
Top performance | |
Quick charge |
OnePlus North
We continue our selection with the Oneplus Nord. This smartphone is equipped with the Snapdragon 765G processor (5G compatible) coupled with 8 GB or 12 GB of RAM and 128 or 256 GB of internal storage memory in UFS 2.1. Very durable, it offers excellent autonomy with its integrated 4115 mAh battery compatible with Warp Charge 30T (30W / 0-70% in 30 min).
The display part is provided by a 6.44-inch panel in 20: 9 format, with 90 Hz refresh rate and HDR10 + and Gorilla Glass 5 protection on the front and back with a plastic casing around it. The smartphone also stands out for its photo part, which is rather neat for a smartphone in this price range: it is made up of a 48-megapixel main module designed by Sony (IMX586), an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor, a 5-megapixel depth sensor and macro module;
To see: the best offers to buy the OnePlus Nord at the cheapest price
- Screen : 6.44″ AMOLED; 2400x1080px; 90Hz
- SoCs : Snapdragon 765G 5G; 7nm
- RAM : 6/12 GB
- Storage : 64GB, 128GB; 256 GB (no micro SD)
- Rear photo sensors : 48 MP wide angle + 8 MP ultra wide angle + 5 MP ToF + 2 Macro
- Front sensor : 32MP + 8MP
- Battery : 4115 mAh, fast charge 30W (0 to 70% in 30 minutes)
The + | The – |
---|---|
Good performance | No waterproof certification |
Excellent autonomy | No wireless charging |
Picture quality | |
Very fast charging/strong> |
📱Which manufacturers offer the best smartphones between 300 and 400 €?
In this price range, the majority of manufacturers offer smartphones with excellent value for money. Whether Xiaomi with its Mi 11 Lite 5G, Samsung with its Galaxy A42 5G, OnePlus with its Nord 2 or even Oppo with Find X3 Lite, all have serious arguments to make and are fighting a fierce battle to offer the best smart phone.
🤔What can I do with a smartphone in this price range?
Pretty much anything you want. From photography to gaming, including multitasking, smartphones between 300 and 400 euros generally keep their promise. However, some features are missing, or they are not all present. For example, if wireless charging is in the game, it may well be that IP certification is absent subscribers.
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