iPhone SE Black
The iPhone SE (Black) earns its position by packing Apple's recent A‑series performance into a compact, familiar design, delivering flagship speed and long-term iOS support at a midrange price. Compared with the other phones here, it undercuts the iPhone 13 Mini on cost while outperforming similarly priced Androids in single‑core performance and resale value, though it sacrifices the multi‑lens camera versatility found on the Pixel and Samsung models.
Pocket powerhouse
Touch ID nostalgia
Pocket powerhouse
Touch ID nostalgia
Review Summary
"Users praise the iPhone SE (black) for its compact form, reliable A15 performance and clean iOS experience, but many complain about the dated design, small display and mediocre battery life."
Sleek black charm
Classic compact 4.7-inch design with Home button and Touch ID.
Sleek black charm
Classic compact 4.7-inch design with Home button and Touch ID.
Tech-Savvy Living
Aesthetic & Personal Appeal
Optimized Work Efficiency
The iPhone SE (Black) earns its position by packing Apple's recent A‑series performance into a compact, familiar design, delivering flagship speed and long-term iOS support at a midrange price. Compared with the other phones here, it undercuts the iPhone 13 Mini on cost while outperforming similarly priced Androids in single‑core performance and resale value, though it sacrifices the multi‑lens camera versatility found on the Pixel and Samsung models.
Pocket powerhouse
Touch ID nostalgia
Sleek black charm
Classic compact 4.7-inch design with Home button and Touch ID.
A15 Bionic chip delivers fast performance and long iOS support.
Pocket powerhouse
Touch ID nostalgia
Sleek black charm
Classic compact 4.7-inch design with Home button and Touch ID.
A15 Bionic chip delivers fast performance and long iOS support.
Google Pixel 7a
The Google Pixel 7a is the market leader for computational photography and clean software experience, offering class‑leading night and portrait shots and multi‑year Android update promises. Versus the iPhone SE Black it typically provides a larger display and superior multi‑frame imaging for a comparable midrange price, while outperforming the Samsung A35 and Motorola on camera quality despite similar hardware budgets.
Pocket AI hero
Pro-level photos
Pocket AI hero
Pro-level photos
Review Summary
"Buyers appreciate the Pixel 7a's excellent camera, clean Android and strong value for money; a few report battery life and occasional software quirks."
Pure Android bliss
Excellent camera system with strong low-light processing and Night Sight.
Pure Android bliss
Excellent camera system with strong low-light processing and Night Sight.
Tech-Savvy Living
Intellectual Stimulation & Creativity
The Google Pixel 7a is the market leader for computational photography and clean software experience, offering class‑leading night and portrait shots and multi‑year Android update promises. Versus the iPhone SE Black it typically provides a larger display and superior multi‑frame imaging for a comparable midrange price, while outperforming the Samsung A35 and Motorola on camera quality despite similar hardware budgets.
Pocket AI hero
Pro-level photos
Pure Android bliss
Excellent camera system with strong low-light processing and Night Sight.
Clean Google Android experience with timely OS and security updates.
Pocket AI hero
Pro-level photos
Pure Android bliss
Excellent camera system with strong low-light processing and Night Sight.
Clean Google Android experience with timely OS and security updates.
Samsung Galaxy A35
The Samsung Galaxy A35 stands out by delivering a bright AMOLED screen, long battery life and solid value for media consumption at a competitive midrange price. It is a more affordable choice than the iPhone SE Black and iPhone 13 Mini for screen real estate and endurance, though it trails Pixel and Apple on software update cadence and computational camera processing.
Vivid AMOLED display
All-day battery
Vivid AMOLED display
All-day battery
Review Summary
"The Galaxy A35 is noted for its bright AMOLED screen, solid battery life and timely software updates for the price, while reviewers say performance and cameras lag flagship competitors."
Colorful value pick
Large AMOLED display with smooth refresh rate ideal for media consumption.
Colorful value pick
Large AMOLED display with smooth refresh rate ideal for media consumption.
Sustained Energy & Focus
Aesthetic & Personal Appeal
Time-Saving Convenience
The Samsung Galaxy A35 stands out by delivering a bright AMOLED screen, long battery life and solid value for media consumption at a competitive midrange price. It is a more affordable choice than the iPhone SE Black and iPhone 13 Mini for screen real estate and endurance, though it trails Pixel and Apple on software update cadence and computational camera processing.
Vivid AMOLED display
All-day battery
Colorful value pick
Large AMOLED display with smooth refresh rate ideal for media consumption.
Long battery life and dependable day-to-day performance.
Vivid AMOLED display
All-day battery
Colorful value pick
Large AMOLED display with smooth refresh rate ideal for media consumption.
Long battery life and dependable day-to-day performance.
iPhone 13 Mini
The iPhone 13 Mini remains the premium compact option, offering a superior dual‑camera system, Face ID convenience and an OLED display that outclasses the SE's single‑lens setup. It costs more upfront than the SE Black but generally preserves value better over time, making it appealing for buyers who want a true flagship compact experience rather than a budget‑minded small phone.
Tiny flagship
Powerful pocket
Tiny flagship
Powerful pocket
Review Summary
"Owners of the iPhone 13 Mini love its pocketable size, top-tier performance and camera quality, but some criticize its modest battery life compared with larger iPhones."
One-hand wizardry
True compact 5.4-inch form factor with Face ID for a pocketable iPhone experience.
One-hand wizardry
True compact 5.4-inch form factor with Face ID for a pocketable iPhone experience.
Aesthetic & Personal Appeal
Tech-Savvy Living
Optimized Work Efficiency
The iPhone 13 Mini remains the premium compact option, offering a superior dual‑camera system, Face ID convenience and an OLED display that outclasses the SE's single‑lens setup. It costs more upfront than the SE Black but generally preserves value better over time, making it appealing for buyers who want a true flagship compact experience rather than a budget‑minded small phone.
Tiny flagship
Powerful pocket
One-hand wizardry
True compact 5.4-inch form factor with Face ID for a pocketable iPhone experience.
Dual-camera system that outperforms single-lens budget models in versatility.
Tiny flagship
Powerful pocket
One-hand wizardry
True compact 5.4-inch form factor with Face ID for a pocketable iPhone experience.
Dual-camera system that outperforms single-lens budget models in versatility.
Motorola Moto G 5G (2023)
The Motorola Moto G 5G (2023) is the budget specialist in this group, delivering reliable 5G connectivity, a large battery and near‑stock Android for the lowest outlay among these options. It's a financially smart pick for basic performance and long battery life, but it doesn’t match the camera quality, chipset speed or software support longevity of the Pixel, iPhone SE Black or iPhone 13 Mini.
5G on budget
Sturdy battery life
5G on budget
Sturdy battery life
Review Summary
"The Moto G 5G (2023) is frequently praised for long battery life and good value, though users commonly call out average cameras and occasional performance hiccups under heavy load."
Built tough
Very affordable 5G option with a large battery for extended use.
Built tough
Very affordable 5G option with a large battery for extended use.
Sustained Energy & Focus
The Motorola Moto G 5G (2023) is the budget specialist in this group, delivering reliable 5G connectivity, a large battery and near‑stock Android for the lowest outlay among these options. It's a financially smart pick for basic performance and long battery life, but it doesn’t match the camera quality, chipset speed or software support longevity of the Pixel, iPhone SE Black or iPhone 13 Mini.
5G on budget
Sturdy battery life
Built tough
Very affordable 5G option with a large battery for extended use.
Competent everyday performance for calls, messaging, browsing, and apps.
5G on budget
Sturdy battery life
Built tough
Very affordable 5G option with a large battery for extended use.
Competent everyday performance for calls, messaging, browsing, and apps.
Nothing Phone (3a)
The Nothing Phone (3a) differentiates itself with distinctive industrial design and a signature LED 'Glyph' interface, giving it aesthetic cachet compared with the plain black SE and many generic Android devices. It competes on unique visual appeal and competitive specs at its price point, though buyers should weigh that creative design and emergent software ecosystem against Apple’s stronger resale value and update assurances.
Transparent charm
Glyph light show
Transparent charm
Glyph light show
Review Summary
"Early adopters of the Nothing Phone (3a) like the distinctive design, clean software and good price-to-performance ratio, with critics pointing to inconsistent camera output and limited software polish."
Community darling
Distinctive transparent-style design and signature Glyph lighting for visual notifications.
Community darling
Distinctive transparent-style design and signature Glyph lighting for visual notifications.
Aesthetic & Personal Appeal
Tech-Savvy Living
The Nothing Phone (3a) differentiates itself with distinctive industrial design and a signature LED 'Glyph' interface, giving it aesthetic cachet compared with the plain black SE and many generic Android devices. It competes on unique visual appeal and competitive specs at its price point, though buyers should weigh that creative design and emergent software ecosystem against Apple’s stronger resale value and update assurances.
Transparent charm
Glyph light show
Community darling
Distinctive transparent-style design and signature Glyph lighting for visual notifications.
Clean Nothing OS with balanced midrange hardware and smooth display.
Transparent charm
Glyph light show
Community darling
Distinctive transparent-style design and signature Glyph lighting for visual notifications.
Clean Nothing OS with balanced midrange hardware and smooth display.
$399-499 CAD