It has been a great year for phones, particularly in the mid-range segment. I got to use all the phones in this category, as well as all the flagships, foldables, and budget phones released this year, and if you're looking to buy a phone for Black Friday and need recommendations, you've come to the right place.
I used well over 90 phones throughout the course of 2023, and while I didn't put my main SIM in all the devices — that just wouldn't have been feasible — I tested all the phones that crossed my desk. Right off the bat, the one phone that stood out the most was the Pixel 7a. Google's Pixel A series always delivered a good value, but the brand had a tendency to hobble the hardware; that isn't the case in 2023.
