Samsung Galaxy A36

The A36 sits below the A56 and keeps the important things: a 120Hz AMOLED, IP67 water resistance and six years of software updates, which is remarkable at this price. Performance is adequate for messaging, social apps and video rather than gaming, and the camera is a daylight performer. Build is plastic-framed but solid. If your budget is firm and you want a phone that will still receive security patches in five years, this and the Pixel 8a are the two to compare.