A smartphone under €600 covers a very large part of the market, but it is between €350 and €600 that the scores change the most: median performance goes from 9 to 51 out of 100 and memory from 8 to 12 GB. For each model, Picksly tracks a verified new price and scores drawn from public sources. Here is what the catalogue shows, the ranking of the five best-rated models for the Smart profile under €600, and what to check before you buy.
The figures below are from 4 October 2026, for smartphones that have a verified new offer in France; the prices quoted were recorded between 13 September and 3 October, and the date is given each time. Prices move: always check the displayed price before buying.
What the catalogue shows
Of the 107 tracked smartphones with a verified new price in France, 64 cost €600 or less (median price: €324): 39 at €350 or less (median: €249) and 25 between €350 and €600 (from €359 to €599, median: €505). 43 cost more. Median scores out of 100, criterion by criterion (in brackets, the number of models scored when not all of them are):
| Criterion | €350 or less | €350 to €600 | Over €600 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | 9 | 51 | 65 |
| Memory (RAM) | 20 (8 GB) | 60 (12 GB) | 60 (12 GB) |
| Battery | 62 | 58 | 61 |
| Camera | 39 (12 models) | 53 (15 models) | 79 (28 models) |
| Screen | 59 (5 models) | 80 (11 models) | 82 (14 models) |
| Updates promised | 25 (23 models) | 100 (14 models) | 100 (30 models) |
Read it with care: these are the models Picksly tracks, not the whole market, and a score is always relative to a frozen scale. Camera and screen are only scored for models tested by DXOMARK: the samples are small, especially under €350.
What changes when you go from €350 to €600
Performance: most of the gain comes before €600
The median score goes from 9 to 51 between the first two bands, then only from 51 to 65 above €600. Performance is read from the public Geekbench 7 ranking (multi-core), failing that from AnTuTu or the model's GSMArena page; the scale runs from entry-level to the top of the market. A 51 does not mean "twice as fast": it places the model on that scale.
Memory: from 8 GB to 12 GB
A score of 20 corresponds to 8 GB, 60 to 12 GB. In the €350 to €600 band, 11 of the 25 models have 8 GB, 11 have 12 and 2 have 16 or more. Under €350, the median stays at 8 GB. Memory is read from the configuration tested by AnTuTu, or from the median variant on the GSMArena page: the offer you are looking at may sell another one, so check it.
Screen and camera: only when DXOMARK has tested them
Between the bands, the median screen score goes from 59 to 80 and the camera from 39 to 53, but on only 5 to 15 models. When no DXOMARK score exists, the model page says so instead of inventing one, and the overall score then relies on the other criteria.
Updates: 4 versions under €350, 7 above
The updates promised by the manufacturer (major system versions) are a declared value, not a measurement. The median is 25 under €350 (that is 4 versions) and 100 (7 versions or more) in the two upper bands. This criterion weighs little in the score, but it matters if you keep your phone for a long time.
Battery: no gap
Medians of 62, 58 and 61: you do not pay more for a better battery. Picksly reads the DXOMARK Battery score when it exists, otherwise the announced capacity in mAh (a score of 62 corresponds to about 5,000 mAh), and a capacity is not a measured battery life.
The Picksly ranking under €600 (Smart profile)
The Smart profile only keeps new models whose Smart score reaches 50 out of 100; value for money weighs 20% in it. Here are the five best-rated among new models at €600 or less, as recorded on 4 October 2026 (score rounded):
| Rank | Model | Smart score | Price recorded | Share of the scale covered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honor 200 Pro | 80 | €324 (eBay, 23 Sep) | 100% |
| 2 | Xiaomi Poco F8 Ultra | 79 | €591.99 (Amazon, 20 Sep) | 76% |
| 3 | Xiaomi Poco F8 Pro | 74 | €475 (Amazon, 20 Sep) | 76% |
| 4 | Realme GT 7T | 72 | €484.63 (Amazon, 20 Sep) | 79% |
| 5 | Xiaomi Poco X8 Pro Max | 70 | €539 (Amazon, 20 Sep) | 76% |
How to read it:
- It is not a buying recommendation, it is a ranking of scores. It says nothing about everyday comfort or software: what Picksly does not measure is detailed on the method page.
- The last column matters. The three Pocos and the Realme have no DXOMARK camera or screen score: their score rests on 76 to 79% of the scale, the Honor 200 Pro's on 100%. The former have a performance score from 100 (Poco F8 Ultra) to 51 (Realme GT 7T) and a battery score of 100; the Honor 200 Pro has a camera at 82, a screen at 83 and a performance of 36.
- An eBay price is not an Amazon price. The Honor 200 Pro offer comes from eBay: open the listing and check the "new" condition, the seller and the version before buying.
- The ranking moves with the price. Value for money is a rank computed on current prices: if a price changes, the Smart score changes. The up-to-date ranking is on the Smartphones page, sorted by Smart score.
According to your profile
- 🟢 Budget: this profile only keeps models at €350 or less, new or refurbished. At €600 you are above its ceiling: see our article on smartphones under €350.
- 🟣 Smart: new, with a Smart score of at least 50. Under €600, 32 of the 64 models pass this bar (19 at €350 or less, 13 between €350 and €600).
- 🔵 Premium: new, released at most 24 months ago (unknown date: not excluded), Premium score of at least 60, never refurbished, and the price does not enter the calculation. No model at €350 or less meets it; 6 of the 25 models in the €350 to €600 band do, against 24 of the 43 above €600.
To go further: a smartphone's processor, screen size and choosing by value for money.
Frequently asked questions
Is €600 a good budget for a smartphone?
Our scores let us say where most of the gain lies: it is between €350 and €600 that median performance goes from 9 to 51 and memory from 8 to 12 GB, while above €600 performance only gains 14 points at the median (from 51 to 65). Whether that is worth the spend depends on how you use your phone, and that judgement is yours.
Can I buy a refurbished smartphone for under €600?
Picksly only accepts refurbished for the Budget profile, at €350 or less. The Smart and Premium profiles only keep new models, and the ranking above only covers new ones. Our guide refurbished or new details the rules.
Why can the ranking change from one day to the next?
Because the Smart score contains a value-for-money rank computed on current prices: a price that moves can push a model up or down. The performance, memory or battery scores only change if their source changes.
Where do the scores and prices come from?
Scores come from public sources (Geekbench, AnTuTu, DXOMARK, GSMArena and Wikipedia pages), each with its date and link on the model page. Prices come from re-read merchant listings, on the date shown. Picksly may earn a commission through affiliate links, at no extra cost to you, and this affects neither the scores nor the ranking. What affiliation can change is explained on our transparency page.
Install the Picksly extension: it recognises the product you are looking at, finds verified alternatives suited to your profile — Budget, Smart or Premium — and tells you when the listing you are on is not the best deal.
