At this point, there’s little doubt in my mind: Android will always rule the affordable smartphone game.It’s not because Apple hasn’t tried,nor is it because every cheap android phone is realy that good,but rather because I don’t think a cheap iPhone works anymore. At least, it doesn’t work in the way that Apple keeps trying to present it.
Put another way, the iPhone 16e is the least sensible phone of 2025, and I’m at a loss to understand why Apple thought it was an excellent idea. I’ve reviewed it alongside all of its closest Android rivals, and I think it’s best served as a reminder that copying Apple isn’t always a good idea. Here’s what I think it gets so wrong in the face of so many good Android options.
There’s not much to love about another stripped-down design
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Samsung Used to Make Boring Phones, and It’s Kind of a Relief
Samsung has been on a journey with its Galaxy A series, and frankly, it’s a relief to see them moving away from a period of blandness. It wasn’t long ago that Samsung seemed determined to strip the personality out of its Galaxy A series, and I don’t say that with love.
“It’s better than an iPhone 8, but the iPhone 16e still feels four years out of date.”
I mean, you problably remember those days. Samsung steadily erased every last bit of style from its cheapest phones, minimizing their camera bumps and flattening their sides until they looked like the generic Android devices that Apple would point to while trying to flex its iPhone muscle. It seemed to think it was above designs like this, yet here we are.
Don’t get me wrong, Samsung is still kind of here, too, but at least it’s making progress. Its mid-range Galaxy S25 FE doesn’t fall far from the (boring) flagship tree, but recent tweaks to the Galaxy A series have placed all three cameras on the Galaxy A56 in a single raised pill, and the subtle Key Island helps to break up the otherwise unremarkable brushed frame.
## The Mid-Range phone Race is… Boring?
For years, the mid-range smartphone market has been a hotbed of innovation. Every year brought bigger batteries, faster processors, and more cameras. But lately? it feels… stagnant. We’re seeing incremental upgrades, not leaps forward. And honestly, it’s a little depressing.
Take the latest rumors surrounding the samsung Galaxy A56 and the upcoming Google Pixel 9a and iPhone 16e. The chatter isn’t about groundbreaking features; it’s about slightly larger batteries and… well,that’s about it. The Galaxy A56 is expected to boast a 5,000mAh battery, a modest bump from its predecessor. The iPhone 16e is also getting a battery boost, but still lags behind the competition.