January has been a quiet month so far and the focus is on discounts on older models. That said, there are a couple of interesting additions to look at.
The OnePlus 15R shows up as “coming soon” on Amazon, though it should switch to “available” soon. This year’s R-model brings a massive battery – 7,400mAh vs. 6,000mAh on the 13R – along with improved water resistance (IP68/IP69K vs. IP65). It also features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 (non-Elite), up from the two-year-old Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
There have been some downgrades, however. First, the telephoto camera is gone, while the main camera (50MP 1/1.56”, OIS) and ultra-wide camera (8MP) are the same. Also, the 6.83” display may run at a higher refresh rate (165Hz vs. 120Hz), but it is not an LTPO panel like on the old model. Still, the 15R starts at $700 and you can get a $100 gift card with it, which helps the value-for-money proposition.
While looking at the 15R, we also need to consider the flagship OnePlus 15. It had some downgrades of its own compared to the 13. However, it’s only $200 more than the 15R, so let’s compare it with that (it has the same $100 gift card offer too).
It does have an LTPO display and the proper Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, plus a similarly huge 7,300mAh battery with both 80W wired and 50W wireless charging. And it has a 50MP 3.5x/80mm periscope on board.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge was a failed experiment, but leftover units are sold with a solid discount. It has a 6.7” LTPO OLED display with a higher pixel density than the OnePlus models. And the Snapdragon 8 Elite may be an older chip, but it outperforms the new vanilla Gen 5.
There’s no dedicated telephoto camera on here either, but there is a 200MP 1/1.3” main camera for in-sensor zoom. The one thing that is lacking – and it’s a big one – is the battery. With only 3,900mAh capacity, it doesn’t last much (12:06h Active Use score vs. 23:07h on the OnePlus 15).
Moving into the mid-range, the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE is under $500 for the base 128GB model. However, as it doesn’t have a microSD slot, you may want to consider the 256GB model.
Either way, the Samsung Galaxy A56 is $50/$60 cheaper, depending on which storage configuration you get (alas, no microSD slot here either). The S25 FE has the more powerful chipset (Exynos 2400 vs. 1580), a better camera setup (including an 8MP 3x/75mm telephoto module), better water resistance (IP68 vs. IP67) and a similar battery (4,900mAh vs. 5,000mAh) with 45W charging plus 15W wireless. The A56 needs a bigger price cut to make sense.
The A56 also has the Google Pixel 9a to worry about as it costs the same $400 for the 8/128GB model. It’s a smaller phone with a 6.3” display (vs. 6.7”) and measures 73.3mm wide (vs. 77.5mm). While it’s no speed demon, the Tensor G4 beats the Exynos 1580. Charging is slower (23W wired vs. 45W), but it does add a wireless option, albeit a very slow one (7.5W). Battery capacity and endurance are about the same (12:42h vs. 12:08h).
The Motorola Moto G Power (2026) launched just last week, so there are no discounts yet. This $300 mid-ranger is still worth keeping an eye on, though. It has a 6.8” 1080p+ 120Hz IPS LCD, a 5,200mAh battery with 30W wired and 15W wireless charging and a sturdy build (IP68/IP69, MIL-STD-810H). It’s powered by the Dimensity 6300 and it does have expandable storage. The camera setup is basic with a 50MP main (a tiny 1/2.88” sensor) and an 8MP ultra-wide.
Finally, another cheap 5G phone – the Samsung Galaxy A17. This one is powered by the Exynos 1330 (with expandable storage) and has a 6.7” 1080p OLED (a 90Hz panel). It has a 5,000mAh battery with 25W wired-only charging and basic ingress protection (IP54). The camera is basic too with a 50MP main (1/2.76”) and a 5MP ultra-wide.
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