These Underrated Smartphones of 2024 Are Still Worth Your Money

There was no shortage of great Android phones in 2024. Whether it’s the Galaxy S24 series, the OnePlus 12, or the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, we’ve seen some fantastic devices this year.

These aforementioned phones have grabbed most of the headlines, but many great handsets have gone unnoticed. So we recognize them by choosing the most underrated phones of the year.

The Taiwanese manufacturer has taken a very different direction with the Zenfone 11 Ultra. Instead of offering a compact Android phone like we’ve seen in previous years, ASUS essentially used the ROG Phone 8 gaming phone as the basis for the new Zenfone.

Sure, you missed out on a pocket size, but the end result was a great flagship phone nonetheless. The phone doesn’t skimp on premium features, including a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, wireless charging, IP68 rating, and a flexible triple rear camera setup. We also praised the handset for its modern AI features (including call summary and translation capabilities), excellent build quality, and lightweight Android skin. Another point in favor of the Zenfone is that the large battery does not require a proprietary charger to reach the maximum speed of 65W.

The Zenfone 11 Ultra has its share of problems, however. We lamented the disappointing update policy (only two OS upgrades), inconsistent camera quality, and lack of 4K recording for the telephoto lens.

Nothing launched three excellent mid-range phones in 2024, but its first handset under the CMF sub-brand was a breath of fresh air. This was mainly due to the phone’s semi-modular approach.

Of course, you don’t have the fancy magnets of the old Motorola RAZR series or the modular parts of the Fairphone. However, the CMF Phone 1 offers a removable back cover and an “Accessory Point” connector that allows for add-ons such as a card case, lanyard hole, and kickstand. It was clearly less ambitious than competing modular offerings, but who cares when it only costs $200 in the US?

The rest of the CMF Phone 1 is also pretty good for the price. There’s a respectable Dimensity 7300 chipset, a 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED display, a 5,000mAh battery with 33W wired charging, and a pair of 50MP + 2MP rear cameras. The biggest problem with the phone is the extremely limited network support in the US, which isn’t a surprise since it’s only available through a beta program. But those who are looking in the global markets for a very cheap yet unique phone should definitely add this to their list.

The Motorola Razr 2023 was a good mid-range foldable phone, but it was definitely a notch or two below the Plus model. Fortunately, Motorola has bounced back with the Razr 2024, which might be a better buy than the Plus variant.

The Razr 2024 lags behind its more expensive counterpart in performance, camera zoom, and charging speeds. But the standard model brings a big full-coverage screen, much better battery life, and replaces the Plus model’s 2x tele camera with an ultra-wide lens if that tickles your fancy. Regardless, the standard Razr Phone was a bargain at its launch price of $699, and it’s an even better deal now, thanks to frequent discounts.

Metal phones are rare these days, as many brands are moving to glass, plastic, or leather backs. So we were pleased to see OnePlus buck the trend with the Nord 4 at £429 (~$547). The mid-range features a metal back with a glass visor around the cameras, reminiscent of the first Pixel phones. Talk about a step back.

The rest of Nord 4 also remains quite convincing. It has a powerful Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3 chip, a pair of 50 MP + 8 MP rear cameras, a 6.74-inch OLED display (1.5K, 120Hz), and a large 5,500 mAh battery with a 100W wired charging. The Nord 4 even surpasses the OnePlus 12 by offering an extra year of security updates, bringing it to six years of security patches and four updates. major operating system upgrades.

Unfortunately, the phone lacks wireless charging and water resistance, but these omissions aren’t a big surprise for the price. However, the biggest disappointment might be the lack of a US version, although the OnePlus 12R goes a long way towards solving that problem.

Sony’s phones are perennial entries on this list, and 2024 is no different. However, the Xperia 1 VI makes a strong case for being the company’s most impressive flagship phone in years.

We praised the Xperia 1 VI for its great battery life, versatile cameras, and solid software. The phone also continues Sony’s tradition of offering multimedia and camera-focused additions, including a 3.5mm port, pro-oriented camera features, and an assortment of wireless audio codecs/standards.

But it’s not all good news. We criticized the phone’s update policy (three OS upgrades and four years of security patches), the £1,299 price, and the lack of availability in the US. However, smartphone photographers and those who want the best AV experience should still consider the Xperia 1 VI.

Look at the basic specs and Samsung’s Galaxy Xcover 7 looks more like a low-end Galaxy A series phone than anything else. The phone features a 6.6-inch FHD+ (60Hz) LCD display, a budget-friendly Dimensity 6100 Plus chip, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, and a 4,050mAh battery with wired charging of just 15W. Don’t expect a great camera experience either, with just a 50MP rear shooter. It doesn’t even have a fingerprint scanner, so what makes this device worthy of our list?

Well, the Galaxy Xcover 7 packs a microSD card slot, a 3.5mm port, and a removable battery. Just one of these enthusiastic features is enough to stand out in 2024, but all three? This is practically unheard of for a modern Android phone. There’s even a remappable hardware button if that floats your boat.

Either way, this rugged Galaxy phone costs £349 (~$445). And with four major OS upgrades and five years of security patches, it will be supported for a long time compared to similarly inexpensive devices.