Which affordable phone wins the mid-range race: the iPhone 16e, Nothing 3a, or Samsung Galaxy A56? Our latest podcast tells all
Mid-range, but top-tier phones

We've seen a litany of new phones released since the beginning of the year, and a fair few of them have been in the more affordable, mid-range bracket, but which one is best?
For this episode, Hamish Hector and I are joined by TechRadar's Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff, Mobiles Editor Axel Metz, and special guest (slash friend of the show) Alex Walker-Todd to discuss all things phones.
We also discuss new gadgets like Apple's latest iPads and Macs, the pro-grade photography beast that is the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, and new foldable tech that could make its way into upcoming phones.
You can catch the episode in the video player above, or you can stream it directly via our YouTube channel, on Spotify or via Apple Podcasts.
While you’re there, you can also catch up on all of our older episodes – including our CES 2025 and iPhone 16 specials – and if you’re on YouTube, you can check out all our other amazing video reviews and features.
In the next episode, we'll be talking about some more new phones we're expecting this month and a roundup of the best wearables we've seen so far this year. See you there!
This episode is brought to you by NordVPN. To get the best discount off your NordVPN plan - go to https://nordvpn.com/techradar - our link will also give you 4 extra months on the 2-year plan. There's no risk with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee!
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Josephine Watson (@JosieWatson) is TechRadar's Managing Editor - Lifestyle. Josephine is an award-winning journalist (PPA 30 under 30 2024), having previously written on a variety of topics, from pop culture to gaming and even the energy industry, joining TechRadar to support general site management. She is a smart home nerd, champion of TechRadar's sustainability efforts as well and an advocate for internet safety and education. She has used her position to fight for progressive approaches towards diversity and inclusion, mental health, and neurodiversity in corporate settings. Generally, you'll find her fiddling with her smart home setup, watching Disney movies, playing on her Switch, or rewatching the extended edition of Lord of the Rings... again.
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