The best smartphones up to 600 euros

For less than 600 euros you can find smartphones that convince with a strong equipment – brands like Google and Samsung are impressive. You can find out which Android models are worth a look in our selection.

Smartphones up to 600 euros, such as the Google Pixel 6 and the Xiaomi 12, contain technology that sets new standards – be it with the camera, intuitive operation or features such as Fast charging and inductive charging. In addition to Xiaomi and Google, there are other Android phones that are worth the price and surprise with a strong interior. We have decided on 4 models that we want to recommend to you.

Google Pixel 6: security over 5 years

GIGA tip For a smartphone up to 600 euros, this is fulfilled Google Pixel 6 (See Otto) Many wishes: Thanks to OLED technology, the display shows authentic colors and ensures smooth performance despite “only” a 90 Hertz refresh rate. The processor developed by Google ensures a lot of performance. Since the operating system also comes from Google, both work well together – by the way: With the Pixel 6 you benefit from one Update promise over 5 years.

The only weakness is the battery: You can get through the day, but you have to reckon with almost 2 hours of charging time. If you charge your smartphone at night, that’s no problem either. You can also charge the Google Pixel 6 wirelessly – which, by the way, applies to all smartphones in our selection.
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Sarah Börner, GIGA editor, expert for consumer electronics (mobile) and sustainability.

I recently reviewed the Google Pixel 6 and used it daily for a month. Above all the intuitive operation and the camera performance convinced me. It’s just fun to have your cell phone with you and capture beautiful moments with it.

Advantages:

• strong performance
• intuitive operation
• IP68 certification

Disadvantages:

• short battery life
• no expandable storage

OnePlus 9: Chic camera from a professional

price tip in the OnePlus 9 (view at Amazon) hide some special features for a smartphone up to 600 euros. The AMOLED display ensures a colour-intensive image. Together with the refresh rate of 120 Hertz and the SoC Snapdragon 888, the 5G cell phone is suitable for more demanding tasks and for gaming. There the well-known manufacturer Hasselblad contributed to the camera software, you can look forward to the shutter sound of a Hasselblad camera, among other things, but the recordings at Stiftung Warentest are less convincing.

While the OnePlus 9’s battery doesn’t break the mold and lasts about a day on one charge, it is in less than 40 minutes fully charged. Spontaneous refueling in between is therefore not a problem. But you have to do without an expandable memory. Documents and images must be stored on the internal memory (128 GB in the Amazon offer).

Advantages:

• very good performance
• strong screen
• fast battery charging

Disadvantages:

• Camera with weaknesses
• no IP certification

Samsung Galaxy S21FE: “If I recommend a smartphone, this is it.”

As the name suggests, it was Samsung Galaxy S21 FE (“fon Eedition”) (view at Amazon) developed for true Samsung fans. With a display diagonal of 6.5 inches, it ranks alongside the Pixel 6 and OnePlus 9. The refresh rate adapts to your use – it goes down with little interaction and, for example, when gambling to a maximum of 120 hertz high. Together with the (no longer up-to-date) system-on-a-chip (SoC) Snapdragon 888, you can enjoy strong performance.

With a 4,500 mAh battery, the smartphone has a similar capacity as the Google Pixel and OnePlus above, but the runtime is slightly shorter. You can still get inductive charging with the Samsung cell phone. Here you come according to our GIGA test Even with intensive use, it lasts almost a day and a half. So whether for true Samsung fans or not: The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has a lot to offer for a smartphone up to 600 euros. Our editor Peter praises:

Peter Hryciuk, GIGA expert for smartphones, tablets, Android, Windows and deals.

Due to the sharp drop in price, the Galaxy S21 FE is currently the Samsung cell phone that you can buy without hesitation. It convinces with a great display, good performance, long battery life and a solid camera. If I currently recommend a smartphone, then this is it.

Advantages:

• very good performance
• convincing camera quality
• wireless charging possible

Disadvantages:

• Memory not expandable

Xiaomi 12: Super fast battery charging

Of course, a smartphone from the Chinese high-flyer Xiaomi should not be missing from our list. While the manufacturer is best known for its affordable yet well-equipped smartphones, it has itself with the 12 series ventured into higher price ranges. With the Xiaomi 12 (view at Notebooksbilliger.de), the manufacturer has done a lot right: The current Snapdragon 8 Gen1 processor provides a lot of power, which, together with the color-intensive display and the high refresh rate, invites you to gamble. With a display diagonal of almost 6.3 inches, the smartphone is also very handy.

Users benefit from good camera performance, with above all the optical image stabilizer stands out in the main camera. Xiaomi also remains true to the fast charging competition: the capacity of 4,500 mAh is enough for a day and a half and the battery is fully charged in less than 30 minutes. However, you have to do without a few things with this smartphone up to 600 euros: There is no certified water resistance and the memory cannot be expanded either.

Advantages:

• handy design
• Camera with OIS

Disadvantages:

Smartphones up to 600 euros: This is how the selection was made

Many mobile phone models compete with each other for smartphones up to 600 euros. Certain characteristics were an exclusion criterion for us, such as being too old. We based our tests partly on our own tests, but also on the results of other test sites. User ratings also influenced the selection. The latter were helpful because they didn’t judge based on benchmark numbers and other laboratory values ​​that didn’t say much, but instead emphasized individual impressions.

Sources used: Stiftung Warentest (Edition 7/2022)

With our research we want to recommend you suitable products and avoid bad purchases. Your trust is important to us – that’s why you can rely on us.

In a separate article you will learn how GIGA handles product recommendations and tests:

I myself have been dealing with mobile phones and smartphones for years. All generations have fascinated me, from the Nokia classics to the first clamshell and sliding cell phones to smartphones. Personally, not only technical innovations are important to me, but also sustainability.

Finally, a note on the prices: Strong price fluctuations are always to be expected for smartphones. As soon as a new generation appears, the previous series can quickly suffer a price drop, which means that models that were previously too expensive suddenly fit into your personal budget. Deal events such as Black Friday or Cyber ​​Monday also have a strong impact on prices. We keep you up to date on current offers in our deal overview, it’s worth checking out the daily offers regularly!

Are you still looking for the right mobile phone? Then our mobile phone advisor will help you:

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