Under €300 you can now buy a smartphone with a 120 Hz OLED screen, 5G and a battery of 5,000 mAh or more. The real differences lie elsewhere: how many years of updates you get, how well the phone stands up to water and how the camera copes in low light. We compared five models that cost less than €300 in Italian shops, cross-checking reviews from Italian publications with the manufacturers’ spec sheets.
In brief
- The safest choice for almost everyone: Samsung Galaxy A26 5G. Six years of updates, a Super AMOLED screen and a price that now starts at €245 from Euronics.
- The cheapest: Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 5G (8/256 GB), at €249.99; at about the same price there is also the Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G at €247, with a 200 MP sensor.
- The most complete for ruggedness: Motorola Moto G86 5G, at €269, with IP68/IP69 and a very bright screen.
The prices are those we read today on the Euronics pages. Almost all the models show as “not available online” for home delivery, but the price is the one displayed on the site: it is worth checking availability at your nearest store.
Samsung Galaxy A26 5G: the longest-lasting
Euronics price today: €245 (128 GB). The launch list price was €319.90 for the 6/128 GB version, so there is a considerable saving today.
From Samsung’s official spec sheet: a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED screen up to 120 Hz, a 5,000 mAh battery, IP67 certification and a triple camera with a stabilised 50 MP main sensor. The strong point is the software: six generations of system updates and six years of security patches, which is far more than the competition in this price range.
The limitation is performance, which is fine for everyday use but not for anyone who games a lot. Altroconsumo rates its overall quality as average and recommends it mainly to those who want to spend little. The charger is not in the box.
Who it’s for: people who keep their phone for three or four years and want a simple experience and widespread after-sales support.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G: the 200 MP camera
Euronics price today: €247 (8+256 GB). HDblog points out that it cost €399 at launch and that after six months it had already dropped below €300, a price that makes it far more appealing.
The official spec sheet lists a MediaTek Dimensity 7300-Ultra chip, a 6.67-inch AMOLED screen at 120 Hz with a 3,000-nit peak, a 5,110 mAh battery with 45 W charging and IP68 protection. The main camera is a 200 MP unit with optical stabilisation.
The reviews point out the trade-offs: digital zoom that isn’t very convincing beyond 2x, pre-installed apps to clear out the first time you switch it on, and no wireless charging.
Who it’s for: people who take photos often in daylight and want a bright, water-resistant screen.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 5G: the cheapest and most recent
Euronics price today: €249.99 (8/256 GB). The price drops further for the 6/128 GB version, but Smartworld advises against the 6 GB RAM model.
The 6.77-inch OLED screen at 120 Hz reaches a peak of 3,200 nits, the chip is a Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 and the main camera is a stabilised 108 MP unit. Smartworld finds it slim and light (7.4 mm, 178 g), with good battery life and an excellent display, and gives it 7.7 out of 10.
On the downside: rather slow UFS 2.2 storage, a mediocre ultra-wide camera, and adverts and pre-installed apps. The phone launched with Android 15 and HyperOS 2.
Who it’s for: people who want the newest model in the Redmi Note family at the lowest price, without any photographic ambitions.
Motorola Moto G86 5G: the toughest
Euronics price today: €269 (8/256 GB). The list price was €349.
According to Motorola’s official spec sheet, it has a 6.67-inch AMOLED screen at 120 Hz with a 4,500-nit HDR peak, a Dimensity 7300 chip, a 5,200 mAh battery with 30 W charging, dual SIM with eSIM and IP68/IP69 protection with MIL-STD-810H military certification. The storage can be expanded with a microSD card.
HDblog and TuttoAndroid give it 7.5 out of 10: an excellent display for the price and good battery life, but only decent cameras and short software support, with two Android updates and four years of patches.
Who it’s for: people looking for a rugged phone with an excellent screen and near-stock Motorola software, who don’t expect many years of updates.
Motorola Moto G77: the biggest screen
Euronics price today: €299.99 (256 GB). It is the most expensive on the list and sits just under the threshold: before buying it, it is worth looking for a deal.
Smartworld describes a 6.78-inch pOLED at 120 Hz, a Dimensity 6400 chip, 8 GB of RAM, a 108 MP main camera, a 5,200 mAh battery with 30 W charging and Android 16 with three system updates. The phone is slim (7.4 mm) and resists dust and splashes with IP64 certification. The final score is 7.1 out of 10, with a launch price judged too high: and the publication recommends it mainly if you can get it for around €250.
Who it’s for: people who want the biggest screen and a slim phone, and can find it on offer.
How to choose
Before looking at the specs, decide how long you want to keep the phone and what you’ll use it for: photos, social media and messaging need far less than heavy gaming and 4K video. Then compare these points.
- Updates. If you want to keep the phone for a long time, they matter more than megapixels. The Galaxy A26 promises six years; the Motorolas far fewer.
- Resistance. If you use your phone outdoors or in the kitchen, look for IP67 or higher: the IP68/IP69 models are the Moto G86 and the Redmi Note 14 Pro.
- Camera. 108 or 200 MP sensors perform well in plenty of light. In low light the differences are more visible, and the ultra-wide is almost always the weak point.
- RAM and storage. 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB are best: the 6 GB versions are the ones that age fastest.
- Charger. In this price range it is often not in the box: add about €15-20 if you don’t have a compatible one.
If your budget is even lower, see our guide to cheap smartphones; if you want to spend more, there is the one on mid-range smartphones.
Frequently asked questions
Which smartphone under €300 has the best battery?
On paper, the Moto G86 and Moto G77 have 5,200 mAh batteries, the Redmi Note 14 Pro 5,110 mAh and the Galaxy A26 5,000 mAh. In real-world use, optimisation and the screen also count: the reviews cited speak of good battery life for the Redmi Note 15 and Moto G86.
Is an older model with a big discount worth it?
Often yes, like the Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G, whose price has fallen a long way from launch. Do check how many years of updates remain, though: a recently released model is covered for longer.
Do I need 5G?
All the models on the list have it. In this price range there is no longer any reason to go without.
Do prices change often?
Yes, even from one day to the next and between different colours of the same model. The figures above are an indication for today, not a guaranteed price.
Prices checked on 6 October 2026 at Euronics.
Written by the SpazioiTech newsroom with the help of AI tools, from facts verified across at least two independent outlets, and checked before publication. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Translated from the Italian original. Read in Italian
