Microsoft’s $13 billion investment in OpenAI might not trigger EU antitrust restrictions since it is unlikely to be viewed as an “acquisition” in the legal sense in that jurisdiction.
A report Wednesday by Reuters said this means Microsoft would likely avoid more formal investigation procedures and potential regulatory stumbling blocks as a result of its investment in the generative AI LLM provider.
Reached for comment, a European Commission spokesperson said that for a transaction to be “notifiable” to EC as a merger, it has to represent a change in control of the affected company “on a lasting basis.”
The spokesperson did not rule out a more formal and rigorous regulatory approach and said its investigation into the Microsoft-OpenAI deal is ongoing.
“While this transaction has not been formally notified, the Commission has been following very closely the situation of control over OpenAI already before the recent events involving its management, including Microsoft’s role on the OpenAI board and the investment agreements between Microsoft and OpenAI,” the spokesperson said.
The EC has yet to conclude, however, that the relationship between the two companies rises to the level of a “change of control” as a result of Microsoft’s investments.
Reuters’ report on the matter notes that UK and US antitrust regulators are also still in the preliminary stages of approval for the deal, with both the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority and the US Department of Justice and FTC thought to be considering their next steps in terms of formal reviews and probes.
Under EU law, a “concentration,” which would be subject to antitrust review, can take place when the change of control in one company is accomplished. This, according to the Consolidated Jurisdictional Notice, can be done by acquiring “sole control” of a company, in the sense of the controlling entity being able to exercise decisive influence over the other.
Sole control can also, however, be found to exist on a purely legal or factual basis, reflecting the myriad of board, stockholder and voting rights arrangements available to corporations doing business in the EU. A majority of voting rights, for example, could provide effective sole control, while a minority shareholder who is likely to succeed in achieving majorities at shareholders’ meetings could be found to be in de facto control.
UK and EU regulators had warned Microsoft in January that its investments in OpenAI could be subject to review despite the company’s insistence that its position on the board is non-voting and therefore that it had no ownership of OpenAI.
When deciding on a new smartphone, how much you’re willing to pay will be one of your first decisions.
For some people, nothing less than the absolute best phones will do, and they’re willing to pay for it. At the other end of the scale, some people will be able to get everything they need from a budget phone.
But what if you’re looking for something in between? Mid-range phones, which we define costing between £250/$250 and £700/$700 at launch, will be the sweet spot between price and performance for many. Of course, these are the prices when buying outright, so the the situation will be a bit different when buying on contract.
The only mid-range iPhone that Apple sells is the iPhone SE (2022), but that’s not good enough for inclusion here. It means the list below is exclusively Android phones, though there’s still plenty of choice. Below, you’ll find devices from Google, Samsung, OnePlus, Nothing, Motorola, Oppo, Realme and Fairphone.
All 10 phones are available in the UK, but not every one is sold in the US – we’ll indicate where that’s the case. And at the bottom of the page, you’ll find detailed buying advice for mid-range phones.
Why you should trust us: Smartphones are our bread and butter here at Tech Advisor. We’ve been reviewing them since the original iPhone back in 2007, and 17 years later they’re more important than ever. We perform in-depth, real-world testing on every new mid-range phone that’s worth considering, moving our main SIM card to it for at least a week for the most authentic experience possible.
The Pixel 7a is a superb mid-range phone that often feels like a flagship.
An outstanding main camera combines with water-proofing, wireless charging, excellent Google software, and powerful performance to outclass almost every other mid-ranger around.
There are compromises. The wired charging is sluggish, and Google doesn’t include a charger in the box. Battery life isn’t bad, but it isn’t great either. Check out our round-up of the best phone chargers.
You’ll also have to put up with a 90Hz refresh rate display, lagging behind the smoother 120Hz panels found elsewhere.
Those are small negatives in an otherwise excellent phone though, and overall the Pixel 7a offers the best bang for your buck out there right now.
An outstanding follow-up to 2022’s OnePlus Nord 2T, with the same 80W fast charging, 5G, OnePlus’s signature Oxygen OS interface, and a near-flagship main camera.
The OnePlus Nord 3 again demonstrates that the company is brilliant at taking exactly what’s needed in a phone, packaging it into a nice, well-built exterior, and topping it with a competent Android skin. What’s not to love?
The Nord 3 misses out on flagship niceties like wireless charging and waterproofing, and its additional cameras are nothing to write home about. But these are really the only compromises you have to make.
There’s also the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite, which delivers a stripped-back version for a slightly lower price.
In 2022, the Nothing Phone (1) made quite a splash when it finally launched. It promised to shake up the phone market, and in some ways – especially design-wise – it really did.
Its successor continues the project with much better performance, even more lights, and an even better (and less buggy) Android software experience.
Unfortunately, it also sticks with last year’s cameras, which weren’t the best of the bunch back then.
Set aside the lights, and the Nothing Phone (2) is really just a regular mid-range device, albeit one of the better ones around. Battery life is stellar, but the trade-off is you get a display that is a bit dim. You can make a light show on the back if you really want to, though.
There are two mid-range phones in the Redmi Note 13 range, but we think you’re better off with the cheaper one.
As good as the Note 13 Pro+ is, it’s also £110 more expensive at launch than the Note 13 Pro. For a slightly more powerful chipset, IP68 water and dust resistance (as opposed to IP54) and faster 120W charging (rather than 67W), we don’t think it’s worth it.
For just £339, the Note 13 Pro still delivers a premium experience, including the excellent 120Hz OLED screen. Performance and charging are still key strengths, as is the high-end design and strong battery life.
The only real issues are on the software side, where Xiaomi’s MIUI skin still leaves a lot to be desired and the company only officially commits to two years of updates.
If you can put up with that, though, the Redmi Note 13 Pro is a superb phone for the money,
The OnePlus 12R isn’t the best mid-range phone at any one thing, but it performs well in nearly all key areas.
That includes a large, gorgeous 120Hz OLED display, strong performance from the older flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and a 5500mAh battery that can stretch to two full days. Alongside 100W fast charging and slick software, it’s almost the full package.
However, cameras are an obvious weakness, with a decent main rear sensor supported by some underwhelming secondary lenses. It’s also missing some of the features you might be hoping for at this upper mid-range price, including wireless charging and a flagship-level IP68 water resistance rating.
But if you can live without these, you won’t be disappointed with the OnePlus 12R.
At £699/$699, the Pixel 8 is only just cheap enough to be considered a mid-range phone. It certainly feels like a flagship, and one of the best compact phones you can buy at any budget.
The main camera lens remains the highlight, delivering stunning stills in a variety of environments – including at night. The ultrawide and selfie lenses aren’t bad either, though you miss out on the telephoto from the Pixel 8 Pro.
Performance from Google’s Tensor G3 chip is only slightly inferior to Qualcomm’s latest and greatest, and it enables a range of clever software features – including Best Take. The rest of the Android 14 software isn’t bad either, especially with Google promising seven years of updates.
Battery life is the main weakness, and becomes even more frustrating when combined with slow 27W charging and no charger in the box.
But the combination of premium design and 6.2-inch, 120Hz OLED display mean the Pixel 8 is definitely worth considering. Don’t rule out the older Pixel 7 though, which is much more affordable.
Put simply, the Edge 40 Neo is the best phone you can buy for under £300. It’s such a shame it isn’t sold in the US, though it may be possible to import one.
That’s not something worth considering for most handsets, but the Edge 40 Neo isn’t like most phones at this price.
A stunning 6.55in, 144Hz OLED display is the best example of this, delivering a excellent viewing experience. If only it wasn’t curved, which does more harm than good. MediaTek’s Dimensity 7030 chipset might not sound like anything special, but it ensures consistently excellent performance.
The cameras are good, provided you use the 50Mp main rear sensor for most of your photos. The 13Mp ultrawide is useful in some situations, but not nearly as high quality. Battery life is average, but it’s nice to get fast 68W charging using the included power brick.
However, while Motorola’s take on Android is impressive, the company only commits to two years of OS updates and three years of security updates. It means nothing beyond Android 15 and 2026, but the Edge 40 Neo is still easy to recommend.
If you’re looking for something more premium, though, consider the regular Motorola Edge 40.
The Poco X6 Pro is the second Xiaomi phone in this round-up, though its Poco sub-brand is focused on speed.
And that’s very apparent here, with the X6 Pro offering some truly excellent performance. Its MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra chipset speeds through pretty much all tasks – including gaming.
It’s supplemented by a very good 120Hz OLED display a core part of a very premium albeit plain design. Strong battery life pretty much guarantees a full day of usage, while the necessary 67W fast charger is included in the box.
Cameras are the obvious weakness, and Xiaomi’s MIUI replacement (known as HyperOS) still needs work, but it’s still a stellar cheap phone for day-to-day usage.
You can save some money by opting for the regular Poco X6 5G instead, but there are a few downgrades there.
Compared to flagship phones, cameras are often compromised on mid-range handsets. But the Oppo Reno 10 5G proves that doesn’t have to be the case.
An excellent 64Mp main sensor delivers excellent shots in a variety of different environments, and it’s specifically designed for great portrait-style photos. The telephoto and selfie lenses (both 32Mp) are also impressive, though it’s probably worth avoiding the 8Mp ultrawide.
But with decent MediaTek Dimensity 7050 performance, all-day battery life an impressive 6.7in OLED 120Hz display, the Reno 10 5G has a lot going for it. You’ll have to put up with a lack of IP rating and extra apps you don’t need, though.
Whether you buy this phone might come down to your opinions on ColorOS 13, Oppo’s skin over Android 13. It makes relatively subtle changes to the experience on Pixel phones, but there are lots of annoying pre-installed apps. And Android 15 will be the last major version it gets, despite four years of security updates.
There are two ways of looking at Fairphone 5. If you look at its specs alone, it really is nothing special. Its processor is quite slow, the screen isn’t the best, and the whole package is chunky and not as sleek as the competition.
On the other hand, you can look at it as a cause. It’s so repairable that you can take it apart with only a screwdriver and replace every part just as easily, with replacements available straight from Fairphone. It’s a statement against all the other brands that make your phone impossible – or uneconomical – to repair.
What’s more, it has other things going for it. The five-year warranty and eight-year software support are in a class of their own. It also has some nice tricks up its sleeve such as a desktop mode if you want your phone to be your only electronic device, plus a nice, retro-looking back panel.
So, don’t buy Fairphone 5 if you want all the performance and specs you can get for your money. Buy it if you support what it stands for.
There’s no technical definition, but as mentioned above, we define mid-range phones based on price: anything that costs more than £250/$250 but less than £700/$700 if you buy it SIM-free.
Anything cheaper than that is really a budget phone, and anything more expensive is a flagship.
Some mid-range phones will take the all-round good-value approach, with capable specs in each area; others will focus on a key trait, such as the camera or display, and promise flagship-rivalling capabilities in that one aspect; others still used to be those flagships, so will offer fantastic specs at a brilliant price, but may be running on slightly older hardware.
2.
What specs do I need?
Every mid-range phone offers a compromise, trying to deliver the best of a flagship without costing quite so much. Still, there are some specs you don’t want to skimp on. Look for at least 6GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 7 or 8 chipset for smooth performance (or another brand equivalent), along with at least 128GB storage.
After that, it’s about deciding on your priorities. Are you looking for long battery life, fast charging, an OLED display, or a powerful camera? Few mid-range phones offer all of them, so pick which matters most to you.
One common element is that you’ll likely have to give up on nice-to-haves like wireless charging or a waterproof rating – these still tend to be reserved for the most expensive phones on the market, though a few mid-range devices do offer one or the other.
Try to remember that it’s not always about specs either. We’ve hit something of a ceiling when it comes to smartphone tech anyway, so although these phones may not be as fast as your average flagship, they are almost certainly fast enough for most users. Go for a phone that balances value, performance, features and design in a way that appeals to you and your needs.
3.
Is there a mid-range iPhone?
There is one mid-range iPhone on the market – the 2022 iPhone SE – but we don’t think it offers great value compared to Android rivals. Consider it if you know you need an iPhone, but otherwise steer clear.
Instead, you’re probably better off looking at an older flagship iPhone, especially with discounts common at third-party retailers. Since Apple’s software support runs for so long, even an old iPhone should still run well for a few years, but bear in mind that you’ll likely miss out on some of the more modern features found in modern Android mid-rangers.
4.
Why isn’t every mid-range phone on sale in the US?
If you’re in the US or Canada, you may find that not every phone in our round-up is available for you to buy. Unfortunately that’s because many of the biggest Chinese phone manufacturers simply don’t sell their products in the US.
Chinese phones are a great choice in the mid-range market because they often balance very good specifications with a lower price than you’d expect. The likes of Xiaomi, Realme, and Poco often offer staggering value, but for anyone in the US they’ll be import-only.
In the report’s introduction, Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president for environment, policy, and social initiatives, confirms that Apple is working in multiple directions to achieve its 2030 target.
“The proof of Apple’s commitment to climate action is in our progress: We’ve slashed emissions by more than half, all while serving more users than ever before,” said Jackson. “More hard work is ahead of us, and we’re focused on harnessing the power of innovation and collaboration to maximize our impact.”
Energy from sun and wind
To get there, the company is making deep investments in wind and solar power, new recycling, and materials process technology, and seeking to build sustainability right inside its product designs. It means climate action is on the agenda at every product design meeting, and means the packaging it uses is constantly being optimized to reduce the cost of freight.
It’s important to understand the scope Apple has in this.
The company is already carbon neutral across its own business operations, But in the last few years, it has been working with a rapidly growing number of its own suppliers to achieve the same goal in product manufacturing. More than 320 Apple suppliers have committed to using renewable energy, the company says, while more than 20% of the materials used in Apple products came from recycled sources. Its recently introduced MacBook Air is made with over 50% recycled material.
That’s why it matters that the company wants to use 100% recycled rare earth materials in its products. The iPhone 15 range uses 100% recycled cobalt in smartphone batteries. These valuable materials are often described as “conflict minerals,” because they come from active war zones and are often mined at gunpoint by forced labor — including kids. I suppose that Just as Find My iPhone makes stealing Apple’s phones less attractive, dramatic reductions in demand for such minerals might well make even forced labor less profitable.
Apple wants carbon offset transparency
The company has lots of reasons to take pride in much of what it has achieved to mitigate the consequences of running its business, but not every process or use can be avoided or reduced. To make up for this, Apple makes big use of carbon credits.
A lot of people don’t have much faith in carbon credits as a route to environmental sustainability, which Apple seems to recognize. Not only does it call its use of these an “interim solution,” but stresses that its priority is to reduce emissions rather than rely on that kind of mitigation.
To me, this means Apple’s reliance on carbon credits is the weakest link in the Apple 2030 story. But the fact the company sees it as an interim solution and its investment of over $200 million in high quality offset projects such as those in Africa’s Chyulu Hills or in Guizhou, China show tangible recognition of this.
Apple also gains some brownie points for transparency on its use of carbon offsets because it has published an extensive white paper explaining its approach in a great deal more depth. This includes some key recommendations to perhaps improve the quality of such projects on an industry-wide basis.
We need standards of trust
Apple wants more independent transparency of carbon offset projects, calls for more coordination and collaboration around them, and better national and international policies to support rapid scale up of carbon removal.
“We believe that a market gap still exists for a centralized transparent process to review individual carbon projects against agreed-upon standards,” the Apple white paper says. That’s as close as you can get to conceding that many of the carbon credit schemes being run and relied upon by big companies now might not actually be making a difference.
But what is at least somewhat reassuring is Apple’s stated willingness to work to improve the quality of carbon offsets, and the urgency with which it seems to see these goals. “We recognize that the current carbon markets aren’t equipped to deal with the scale and integrity of impact needed to achieve a 1.5℃ pathway and remove tens of billions of tons of carbon by 2050,” the white paper states.
“We intend to work to improve the quality of these markets. We’re also aiming to build a pipeline of projects that meet the highest-quality standards that can scale to meet the growing demand for nature-based removals. And we’ll continue to progress our goal of building much-needed solutions for high-quality engineered carbon removals to complement these efforts.”
‘Our planet is in crisis‘
Overall, this year’s Apple environmental report shows a company that has moved far beyond lip service to try to tackle the big challenge all of us share today. “Our planet is in crisis, and without urgent action on climate change, we won’t be able to keep global warming to 1.5℃, and avoid the worst climate change impacts,” Apple said.
Google might’ve been late to the foldable party, but it was worth the wait.
The Pixel Fold is undoubtedly one of the best folding phones you can buy, combining a slender, premium design with impressive cameras and great displays. But there are a few key drawbacks, including that high price tag.
So, what will change on the upcoming second generation? There’s evidence that Google is working on a potential Pixel Fold 2, and we already have a good idea of what to expect.
When will the Google Pixel Fold 2 be released?
Google unveils new flagships in the Pixel series every year. Assuming the Pixel Fold series also adopts this schedule, it’s reasonable to anticipate Pixel Fold 2’s arrival at some point in 2024.
Given that Google officially launched the Pixel Fold at its Google I/O developer conference in May 2023, we may see a new model this year. It is likely to happen at the next Google I/O on 14 May 2024.
However, as Android Authority reports, Google may skip straight from the current Tensor G2 to Tensor G4 in the Fold 2, so might not be ready in time for the summer. Additionally, according to their latest report, Google has renamed the upcoming foldable phone the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
If true, this could mean that Google might unveil the device in October, along with the Pixel 9 series.
Despite this, respected analyst Ross Young says that panel production for the Pixel Fold 2 starts in April 2024. If true, a potential launch could happen 1-2 months later. Samsung also updates its book-style foldable each year, with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 likely in 2024. These two devices will likely go head-to-head once again.
How much will the Google Pixel Fold 2 cost?
As for pricing, it is currently also a matter of speculation.
The original Pixel Fold starts at £1,749/$1,799, putting it right in line with the £1,748/$1,799.99 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5.
However, the Honor Magic V2 has recently launched, and it undercuts both at £1,699.99/€1,999.
There’s also the OnePlus Open, which remains the cheapest of them all with a price tag of £1,599/$1,799.
Will Google reduce the price to put the Pixel Fold 2 in line with OnePlus or Honor? It’s unlikely, especially if there are significant upgrades. But foldables also need to get cheaper in order to achieve mainstream appeal, so the next Pixel Fold may start moving in that direction.
What specs and features will the Google Pixel Fold 2 have?
In October 2023, 9to5Google has discovered a device with the codename “comet’ in an update of the Google Pixel Buds app. Despite being positioned between the Pixel 8 series phones, a “comet” doesn’t quite align with the dog breed theme associated with this series (“shiba”, “husky”, and “akita”).
It’s also unlikely that “comet” corresponds to the Pixel 9, as Google was expected to employ reptile-related codenames for that particular generation. That’s why it is believed that it may be the upcoming Pixel Fold 2.
And indeed, Google has reportedly updated its naming convention for the Pixel 9 series, as per information from Android Authority. The new names assigned to the devices are as follows: the Pixel 9, codenamed “tokay”; the Pixel 9 Pro, codenamed “caiman”; the Pixel 9 Pro XL, codenamed “komodo”; and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold (previously known as the Pixel Fold 2), codenamed “comet”.
Additionally, software designed for Google’s 2024 devices has confirmed these new names as well. So, all indications are that Google is indeed working on its next foldable phone, but this year it is likely to belong to the Pixel 9 series.
However, not until recently, Google referred to the device codenamed “comet” as the Pixel Fold 2. The name Pixel 9 Pro Fold may also change, but reportedly it’s what Google is currently using.
Design
In February 2024, CAD-based renders from popular leaker OnLeaks (via SmartPrix) offer the most detailed look yet at the device.
So #FutureSquad… Here comes your first comprehensive and detailed look at the massive #Google#PixelFold2 (360° video + gorgeous 5K renders + dimensions)!…😏
Based on these, the Pixel Fold 2 features a taller, rounded outer display and a new camera module, a departure from previous Pixel designs. When folded, the Pixel Fold 2 measures 155.2 x 77.1 x 10.54 mm, making it thinner than the 12.1mm original.
The new camera module is split into two sections, and houses three cameras, a flash and a microphone. That tallies with early Pixel 9 renders (also from OnLeaks) that share very similar camera module design.
Display
In October 2022, respected analyst Ross Young suggested that the Pixel Fold would be getting a bigger screen:
We published the display sizes for the Google 9a, 9, 9 Pro and next Pixel Fold in our latest Advanced Smartphone Report. All of them will be bigger than this year’s models…
Young’s March 2024 post gets much more specific when it comes to display sizes:
The leaks on the Pixel Fold 2 don’t have the display sizes right. 8.02″ for the foldable display and 6.29″ for the cover display. Panel production starts in April! It is coming.
February 2024 renders back up the larger displays, but not those numbers. According to OnLeaks (via SmartPrix), the inner display measures 7.9 inches (8.1 inches with corners), an upgrade from the original Pixel Fold’s 7.6-inch screen, with a smaller and more uniform bezel. The outer display has also apparently been increased from 5.8 to 6.4-inches.
The hinge design resembles that of the OnePlus Open, with a rounded display meeting a sharper hinge corner. The aspect ratio and display sizes are also similar to the Open, making the Pixel Fold 2 a noteworthy competitor in the foldable market. It could also rival the Honor Magic V2, which is the thinnest foldable at the moment at just 9.9mm.
Performance
An undisclosed source revealed to Android Authority that Google is testing the Pixel Fold 2 internally with the Tensor G4 chipset (codenamed “zumapro”), shifting from earlier versions using the Tensor G3 (codenamed “zuma”).
If true, it’d mean the Fold 2 would probably use the same chipset as the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro. However, even the Tensor G3 would be a significant upgrade on the current Tensor G2.
Jim Martin / Foundry
Jim Martin / Foundry
Jim Martin / Foundry
The Tensor G4 is anticipated to bring slight improvements over the G3, though it’s not clear what these might entail.
According to the Android Authority leak, prototype versions of the Pixel Fold 2 boast 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS 4.0 storage, both of which would be upgrades. The original Pixel Fold shipped with a base 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
The increase to 16GB of RAM is significant, as it would mark the first time Google launches a smartphone with more than 12GB of RAM. This upgrade also seems to support Google’s strategy to enhance on-device AI capabilities through its assistant named Pixie, as per The Information.
Cameras
There’s no evidence of this yet, but it’s possible the Pixel Fold 2 will see improvements to some or all of its current five camera lenses. On the original model, there were five lenses: 48Mp main, 10.8Mp ultrawide, 10.8Mp telephoto, 9.5Mp front, 8Mp inner.
In general, camera performance was very good, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Google leave the hardware alone. Even if that ends up being the case, there may be improvements to the software image processing, though.
Battery
A report from MySmartPrice uncovered a certification for an upcoming, unidentified Pixel model.
The device in question features a 4942mAh battery, so it’d make sense if this was the Pixel Fold 2. The original model featured a 4800mAh battery, so this would be a useful upgrade.
As highlighted in our Pixel Fold review, we found that some days concluded with battery levels comfortably remaining around 20-25%, yet it needed charging in the evening on other occasions. A larger and better optimised battery could make battery life longer and more consistent.
Jim Martin / Foundry
Jim Martin / Foundry
Jim Martin / Foundry
However, there’s still no information as to whether the 30W wired and 7.5W wireless charging will get any upgrades. However, according to 9to5Google, the Pixel Fold 2 might support the latest Qi2 wireless charging standard.
Software
The Pixel Fold 2 is almost certain to run Android 14 at the very least. If it isn’t released until later in the year, this could be Android 15 instead.
However, unlike the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, which received seven years of OS and security updates, there’s no assurance that the same extended support will be available for the Fold 2. Nevertheless, it’s reasonable to anticipate at least the current five years of security updates.
This is all the information we have at the moment, but stay tuned, as we’ll continue to update this article as more details emerge.
In the meantime, you may also be interested in the best foldables and best Android phones to see what the Fold 2 will be up against.
AI-powered search. This provides personalized answers to questions based on an organization’s knowledge base. Slack AI helps users locate subject matter experts, or find information on anything from work projects to understanding unfamiliar acronyms.
Channel recaps. This highlights key discussion points for a Slack user after a period away from the app, or for those who have recently joined a channel.
Thread summaries. This feature recaps faster-moving discussions, provides thread summaries, and offers an overview of long conversations, with links to sources in each summary that enable users to check information where necessary.
In addition, Slack has added a “daily digest” that provides users with a recap of what’s been going on in channels they might only visit occasionally.
Slack AI queries are processed using the firm’s large language models (LLMs), which are hosted in its own virtual private cloud running on Amazon Web Service servers, the company said in a blog post Thursday. The company said customer data is not used to train the Slack AI LLM.
Slack is one of many collaboration and productivity software vendors to introduce genAI features in the past year. Some, like Google and Microsoft charge an additional fee for access to these capabilities; others such as Zoom include them for free in paid subscriptions. IDC expects that premiums charged for AI features will contribute to growth in business spending on collaboration apps, which is forecast to reach $71.6 billion in 2027, according to a report by the analyst firm.
Irwin Lazar, president and principal analyst at Metrigy,believes Slack customers will find value in using Slack AI to summarize conversations and improve the ability to search and surface information within chats.
“Our research shows that about 86% of companies are willing to purchase generative AI assistants/copilots for at least some users, though most have not yet determined measurable benefit,” he said.
For companies that use Slack intensively, the $10 a month per user license fee is “a bit easier to swallow”than more expensive genAI products, such as the $30 a month fee for Microsoft 365 Copilot, he said.
Cheaper options for genAI assistants are starting to appear, too. This includes the $20 Copilot Pro from Microsoft, and a recently introduced Google Workplace “add-on” that provides access to genAI features for its Meet video conferencing and Chat messaging apps. This, like Slack AI, costs $10 per user a month, and forgoes access to genAI features in the wider Workspace productivity suite in favor of features targeted specifically at collaboration. (Google also offers $20 and $30 per user/month subscriptions to its Gemini AI assistant.)
The appearance of lower-priced genAI options likely reflects “the need to monetize a service that can be onerous for vendors to provide,” said Raúl Castañón, senior research analyst at 451 Research, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence.
This can be good news for customers, he said. A growing range of payment options means business can opt to provide a full set of genAI features to those employees more likely to use them extensively in their day-to-day work, while providing a cheaper option for a wider user base to accelerate adoption, he said, and avoiding the risk of leaving behind a substantial number of workers.
The proliferation of AI assistants throws up other challenges for customers. In many cases, organizations will use some combination of Microsoft Teams, Google Meet/Chat, and Slack products for productivity and collaboration. This potentially means paying for two or more disconnected AI assistants, should customers wish to access genAI features in multiple products.
“[T]he challenge for organizations in mixed vendor environments, [is that] they must consider paying for multiple generative AI tools, each only having insight into one vendor’s data,” said Lazar. “We’re continuing to look at whether or not vendors will share data, or whether or not generative AI copilots will drive vendor consolidation.”
Slack has other AI features in the works. The company plans to extend its AI search and summarization capabilities to access a wider range of data sources, including Slack apps, canvases, clips, and files uploaded to the collaboration app. This will enable more detailed, contextual responses to queries. Slack’s AI will also be used to create summaries of conversations held in its “huddle” audio and video call tool.
An integration with Salesforce’s Einstein Copilot is also on the way; it will enable Slack users to query the CRM chatbot about sales data from within the Slack app.
If you’re like most people, a smartphone is probably the single most important piece of technology that you own.
It can do almost everything, from keeping in touch with people and taking photos to getting work done and even gaming.
However, to get a device that do all that and much more, you don’t need to pay the premium for a flagship phone or foldable.
While mid-range phones strike a good balance between specs and affordability, you can get a great handset for even less.
Each of the smartphones in this list starts at under £250/$250, but they all offer everything most people need for solid day-to-day usage. If value for money is your top priority, these are the phones to get.
To help you choose, we’ve also included detailed buying advice on what to look for in a budget phone at the bottom of the page.
Why you should trust us: Smartphones are our bread and butter here at Tech Advisor. We’ve been reviewing them since the original iPhone back in 2007, and 17 years later they’re more important than ever. We perform in-depth, real-world testing on every new budget phone that’s worth considering, moving our main SIM card to it for at least a week for the most authentic experience possible.
In 2023, the regular Galaxy A14 was a slightly better buy than the A14 5G. But this year, the A15 5G’s better performance and 5G connectivity gives it the edge, and there’s no competition in the US – the A15 (4G) featured below isn’t sold there.
Essentially, what you’re getting here is a sub-£200 that nails the fundamentals of a great smartphone. It has a well-designed, premium build that could easy pass for a much more expensive device. Battery life is excellent, stretching to two full days with light usage. And the 90Hz display is a joy to use.
The A15 5G might not have the AI features or seven years of updates from the flagship Galaxy S24 series, but One UI remains the best software you’ll find on a cheap phone. And Samsung’s commitment to four OS updates and five years of security patches is still better than any budget rival.
If you can put up with unremarkable performance, no official water resistance rating and mediocre charging speeds, the Galaxy A15 5G is the budget phone to buy.
The Moto G84 is undoubtedly one of the best budget phones you can buy. The only reason it isn’t top is the lacklustre software support, with Motorola offering just one Android version update and three years of security support.
You’ll also have to put up with average cameras and a back that’s prone to getting dirty, but that’s about where the negatives end.
The 120Hz OLED display is the finest on any budget phone, while the Snapdragon 695 delivers solid performance and 5G support. Battery life from the 5000mAh cell is solid, and you even get relatively quick (for a budget phone 30W charging).
If you don’t like the look of the Galaxy A15 5G, this is the cheap phone to get.
Given how good the Galaxy A15 5G is, why would you pay extra for the A25 5G?
There are a few reasons, especially as it still costs under £250/$250. A shift to Samsung’s Exynos 1280 chipset boosts performance, while the display is even more impressive with a 120Hz refresh rate. You also get an improved 8Mp ultrawide camera and stereo speakers.
Throw in the already-solid battery life, decent main and selfie cameras and those five yeas of updates and you’re on to a winner.
The only real reasons not to buy the A25 5G are the limited storage options and a design that won’t be to everyone’s tastes. Or if you’d prefer one of the two phones above.
Can you really get a good phone for under £100? As it turns out, the answer is yes, and the phone to get is Motorola’s Moto G04.
It costs just £89.99 in the UK (not available in the US), yet still delivers all the fundamentals of a great smartphone. Performance is absolutely fine for the basics, and the display delivers a decent viewing experience, albeit with limited brightness.
Battery life is a real highlight, with two full days of everything except heavy usage. And the Motorola software is reassuringly familiar, even if it only gets two years of security updates.
There’s no 5G support or official water resistance rating and the cameras aren’t great, but these can easily be excused at this price. The Moto G04 still offers incredible value for money.
The Note 13 5G isn’t quite the cheapest phone in the Redmi Note 13 range – that award goes to the Note 13 (4G) – but this is the one we recommend to budget buyers.
At £279, it’s slightly more expensive than our usual £250 limit, though it makes more sense to consider it a budget phone than a mid-range handset.
And you still get a lot for your money here. A premium design makes the phone feel a lot more high-end, as does the excellent display. It’s also nice to see expandable storage in addition to 256GB on board, and Xiaomi is offering a generous four years of security updates.
Battery life, software and cameras could all do with work, but the big disappoint is that the Redmi Note 13 5G isn’t available in the US. Despite its flaws, it’s one of the finest cheap phones around.
As mentioned above, the Galaxy A15 5G is a better buy than the 4G model. But the latter is still worth including here, and it might be worth you saving £30 in the UK, though there’s no US availability.
Basically, the only things you’re losing out on are a bit of performance and 5G support. Everything else we said about the A15 5G still applies here, including the attractive display, strong battery life and long software support.
If you only use your phone for the basics and don’t live in an area with good 5G support, the regular A15 is definitely worth considering.
The Moto G23 is another great choice from Moto that can regularly be found for less than it’s already-decent £199.99 RRP. Unfortunately, it’s not available.
The G23 looks and feels more expensive than it is and delivers where it matters. The screen is bright, it’s main camera will do the job fine, it has loud clear dual stereo speakers, and it charges at 30W with the included charger.
It has a dual SIM slot and storage is expandable via microSD, though the built in 128GB storage is very generous for the price.
The ultrawide and macro cameras aren’t much cop, there’s no 5G support, and the processor is only fast enough to play quite basic mobile games – you won’t want to fire up Fortnite on this phone. But if you want an affordable smartphone that nails the basics and is running a nice plain version of Android 13, this is it.
It’s great to see the Nokia brand (the phones are actually made by Finnish company HMD) represent good value phones once more. The Nokia G60 is an excellent budget phone choice at under £200 (it’s not officially on sale in the US but you can get it via Amazon).
With 5G, a large screen, great battery life and a perfectly capable main camera, the G60 ticks all our top boxes for a phone that doesn’t cost too much, considering. Three years of software support is also above average for this price segment.
At this price it’s hard to fault the G60, though it does charge very slowly.
Motorola sure knows how to make a budget phone, as this round-up proves. And the combination of an excellent 120Hz display and 5G support on a handset that costs under £200/$200 means the G54 5G is undoubtedly worth considering.
Other highlights include surprisingly good performance, plenty of RAM and storage and slick software. You even get a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Battery life is decent, though 15W charging is frustratingly slow. You’ll also have to put up with hit-and-miss cameras and a tinny speaker, but these are easy to overlook at this price.
Overall, the Moto G54 5G offers a lot of phone for not very much money. Looking for something even more affordable? Go for the Moto G34 5G or Moto G13 instead.
If you like the idea of repairing your phone rather than replacing it every few years, the Nokia G22 could be the phone for you. If you can cope with the fact this is quite a slow phone – perhaps you only need one for basic functions like calls and messages and Google Maps – then it’s a good buy.
iFixit sells several official repair kits for the G22 including for screen cracks and new battery. It means you can grab a smartphone for £150 and be safe in the knowledge you can easily repair it yourself.
One thing to note is this phone will only have software support for two years from launch, which somewhat contradicts the idea this is a product you should keep for far longer and replace its failing parts. That aside, this is an interesting concept and a budget phone you should consider if you don’t need a powerful device.
In our experience, the ideal way to get a cheap phone is to buy it SIM-free, then grab a great-value SIM-only deal. You won’t be paying loads every month for a phone for the next two years and you can swap it for a newer model whenever you fancy without a massive impact on your wallet.
2.
Should you buy a locked phone?
You’ll quickly find that some of the best deals on cheap phones are sold via mobile operators (also known as carriers). What you need to watch out for is whether these phones are sold locked to that operator’s network.
In such situations, you won’t be able to put another operator’s SIM card into your carrier-locked handset and will likely have to call the device’s carrier to get the phone unlocked, which can cost money.
3.
What’s the best phone for a child?
Most children want to make up their own mind about choosing a phone when it comes to entering young adulthood, but if they’re a little younger you’ll probably want to make the decision for them.
You’ll want to look at something ultra-affordable for a first smartphone (so you’ve come to the right place), it’ll need to have a decent-sized screen, long battery life and be fairly durable, so you should probably avoid phones with a glass back.
As it’ll likely be your main point of contact with your child, you’ll also want to look for good call quality, something that’s often overlooked on modern smartphones.
We’d recommend a more affordable phone here too, but many of the options in this chart may be within reach.
General buying decisions should be whether you prefer a near-stock version of Android (as is available on Google’s Pixel phones, plus Nokia and Motorola phones), or don’t mind a heavier skin, as found on devices from Samsung, Xiaomi, or Oppo.
Also, considering what the most important aspect of a phone is to you is key, and how many compromises you’re willing to make in other areas. Many handsets at this price point will target one specific feature, meaning corners are inevitably cut elsewhere.
5.
What will you get for your money?
If you’re looking for a cheap phone, you have to accept the fact that the manufacturer is going to cut some corners to achieve that low price and you aren’t going to get the same performance, features or display quality as that of a phone costing two, three, or four times the price.
It used to be the case that budget phones were instantly recognisable by their low-resolution displays, meagre storage and chunky, plastic bodies, but things are improving in this area all the time. These days, for around £250/$250 or less, it’s quite possible to buy a phone with a Full HD display, a slim body, and a camera that takes pictures you might actually want to share.
Most will support 4G (or even 5G) connectivity but features such as NFC, wireless charging and water resistance might be absent, unless specifically stated.
