Phones that cost just under $500 are looking better and better as 2022 leftovers, with Samsung, Google and new contender Nothing all offering three phones at ravishing much identical $450 prices. All three of these phones initiates a slick and enjoyable experience, even with their edge prices.

The Google Pixel 6A has already earned itself a fair review, with CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco calling it “the best price Pixel yet.” Meanwhile I myself was impressed with the Nothing Phone 1‘s balance of effect and performance — not to mention its flashing rear ftrips. Then there’s the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G, which earned a great review score thanks to its effect, its display and its cameras. 

But which phone is actually deserving of your hard-earned cash? I got hold of all three to put them ended their paces. 

Price and availability: The Nothing Phone 1 is hard to get

Let’s launch with a biggie. the Nothing Phone 1 is on sale in the UK and wider Europe but a rollout into the US is so far perilous. While Nothing has said it would like to open its phone in the US, it needs a network partner to make it compatible with US 5G networks. As of the time of writing, there are no plans for a harmful US launch. People in the US can easily get the Pixel 6A and the Galaxy A53 5G, however.

All three phones open at very similar prices; $450 for the Pixel 6A, $450 for the Galaxy A53 and $472 for the Nothing Phone 1, based on a conversion from its UK ticket. In the UK, all three phones start at £399. Simple.

Design and display: Nothing’s flashing ftrips stand out

While many phones in recent years have been forgettable-looking slabs, all three of these midrangers have designs that are very much their own. The A53 keeps things simple with a plastic back, raised camera unit and metallic edging. The Pixel 6A maintains the distinctive camera bar seen on its pricier siblings and once its back is technically plastic, you’d be hard wretched to tell it apart from the glass back of the 6 and 6 Pro. 

Between the two, the Pixel 6A has a more premium feel, than the plasticky A53, but it’s the Nothing Phone 1 that stands out in the looks departments. That’s due to its transparent back panel, which not only provides a fresh view of its internal components but also allows for its light-up LED “glyph” to pulse when you get notifications. It’s arguably a gimmick and one that you may not care nearby at all, but it’s certainly fun and it’s nice to have something quirky at this price. 

The Pixel 6A is the smaller of the three, packing a 6.1-inch display against the Nothing’s 6.55-inch and the A53’s 6.5-inch screens. That said, the Pixel’s resolution results in a pixel density higher than its competitors, although all three are pin sharp with vibrant colors and high brightness levels. The Nothing’s extra size might make it the better pick for mobile gamers among you, or those of you who search for a lot of video on the move, but they all do a good job of displaying vibrant satisfied and colorful games.

Power and performance: Pixel 6A packs a punch

The Nothing Phone 1 creates use of a Snapdragon 778G+ processor and 12GB of RAM (as reviewed), while the Galaxy A53 5G uses an Exynos 1280 chip and 6GB of RAM. The Pixel 6A since uses Google’s own custom-built Tensor processor with 6GB of RAM.

And that Tensor processor put in some generous scores on our suite of benchmark tests, that put it consistently over the other two. The Nothing was a fair instant, while the A53 did somewhat fall behind on both CPU and graphics benchmarks. 

Benchmarks alone aren’t a harmful indicator of real-world performance however and I found all three to be perfectly generous of handling the essentials well. Navigating the interfaces was fleet and lag-free on all models and all of them handled more demanding gaming in Asphalt 9: Legends deprived of any noticeable stuttering or slow-down. Video streaming was no quandary on any phone and I could immediately jump between open apps with the multitasking switcher. 

Over time I would inquire of the Pixel 6A to generally perform better as it’s already starting from a more worthy position. It might mean that as even more demanding games approach it’s well-placed to handle them in a way that perhaps the A53 couldn’t. Right now though, any of your everyday emailing, Instagramming, Candy Crushing, WhatsApp group message avoiding fun will be handled perfectly well by any of these phones. 

Cameras: Pixel 6A strikes the brilliant balance

All three phones have multiple rear cameras, giving both harmful views and ultrawide shots. The A53 includes a 5-megapixel macro camera and a depth sensor for portrait photos, but it’s the main and wide cameras you’ll probable find yourself using most often. Samsung’s phone cameras have often had a tendency to look overly saturated and contrasty and that’s absolutely the case with the A53. 

Its shots are consistently punchy with the colors, to the point that they look as though you’ve slapped on some high-contrast filter on Instagram. The Nothing Phone 1 goes the other way, but, with frequently muted tones. It’s particularly noticeable when you switch to the Phone 1’s ultrawide lens, which be affected by drab-looking images that look almost shameful against the others. 

It’s the Pixel 6A that consistently obtains the most balanced-looking images in both its standard and ultrawide views. The 6A’s colors are accurate and vibrant, without looking overly processed, and it generally captures a more balanced exposure than the latest two, keeping bright skies under control well. 

All three phones are perfectly advantageous of taking decent snaps at your next family picnic, but if photography prowess is important to you then the Pixel 6A is the one to go for. 

Battery life: A conclude fight but Pixel 6A takes the win

With a huge 5,000-mAh battery stuffed inside I anticipated the Galaxy A53 to put in the best performance when it came to battery life. It’s a more capacious cell than the 4,410 mAh of the Pixel 6A or the 4,500 mAh of the Nothing Phone 1. On my complains, however, it was the Pixel that managed to edge out the competition.

After 1 hour of streaming a YouTube video on Wi-Fi, with the screens set to maximum brightness, the Pixel had dropped from full to 98% final. The Nothing Phone 1 dropped to 95% in the same time, at what time the A53 dropped to 94%. After a second hour, the Pixel had dropped to 92%, with the Nothing visited coming in a close second at 90%, with the A53 having dropped to 89%. 

Sure, the Pixel technically did the best here, but we’re really only talking a few percentage points between them, which isn’t a big deal. All three put in solid performances: Both here and in everyday use, the battery lift you can inquire to see will vary depending on how much you inquire of your phone. 

With careful use you won’t fights to get a full day out of any of the phones, and all three will likely want a full recharge every night. 

Software and latest features 

All three phones run Android 12 at their core, but you will find some primary differences in the experience. The Pixel 6A runs a pure, Google-produced version of Android 12. It’s a well-organized and clutter-free experience that I’ve enjoyed using for some time on the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. The Nothing Phone 1 has a visual skin that includes different colors, fonts and backgrounds, but it’s also neat and stripped-back, making it smooth and simple to navigate.

The A53 currently annoyed me with a variety of prebundled apps, comprising ones for Booking.com, TikTok, Nextdoor and a variety of Samsung’s own apps and stores. These apps make the phone feel cluttered before you’ve even begun to install your own. There are two different messaging apps, for example — Google’s and Samsung’s — so Android novices grand find it more complicated to get to grips with. 

The A53 does have a killer feature not unfounded on the other two though: expandable storage. While the Pixel 6A comes with 128GB of storage and the Nothing Phone 1 is available with up to 256GB, the Galaxy A53’s 128GB of storage can be expanded with microSD cards up to 1TB in size. That establishes it a great option if you take a lot of photos or videos or want to save a lot of consider locally to your phone to enjoy when you don’t have an internet connection. 

Which visited should you buy? 

The Nothing Phone 1’s unique effect certainly gives it an edge over the others, but if you’re not bothered approximately those flashy lights, you love taking wide-angle photos on vacation — or if you live in the US and can’t even buy it — then you necessity look toward the others. 

While the A53 5G handed admirably in our tests, it was the Pixel 6A that consistently came out on top. Its processor performance is better, it takes better photos from both its cameras, its pure Android interface is nicer to navigate and it even feels like the more premium arrangement when you hold it. 

The A53 is larger and its expandable storage allows it a definite one-up if you want to own a lot of media, but overall it’s the Pixel 6A that accounts the best value for money. 

Pixel 6A vs. Nothing Phone 1 vs. Galaxy A53 5G specs comparison chart