Rating of flagship smartphones that can be bought at a budget price. Rating of flagship smartphones that can be bought at a budget price New Russian flagship smartphones

Updated 05/06/2019

Mobile phones are improving, and the rating published in February-March in April is no longer relevant. Next is a selection of the coolest “newest” phones; the review uses the testing results of the GSMArena studio, which allows you to objectively approach the rating. Let's start with TOP-class phones.

Flagships

Flagships include the best smartphones, running on the latest hardware and equipped with the widest functionality, expensive sensors that allow you to take photos of the highest quality.

1st place – Huawei P30 Pro

The new device of the Chinese brand Huawei impressed everyone - from ordinary users to experts who considered it the best camera on the market. And it’s true - the DxOMark studio put the phone in 1st place in the camera phone rating. The device received a score of 112 points, ahead of everyone else. The closest competitors in terms of shooting are Huawei Mate 20 Pro, P20 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S10 with a score of 109 points each.

The main feature of the phone is its telescopic telephoto lens, which provides 5x optical zoom, which has never been seen in any smartphone before. And together with digital zoom, 10x and even 50x zoom is possible, although the quality will suffer slightly. There is also a wide-angle camera, the main one with a resolution of 40 megapixels and optical stabilization, and a 3D ToF sensor.

The device takes pictures better than anyone else, here is a comparison with its closest competitor – Mate 20 Pro:

You can find more examples of photos from the P30 Pro below.

The smartphone is powered by the new HiSilicon processor – Kirin 980. This is a cool chip made using a 7-nm process technology. It will run all available games, but in terms of performance it is slightly inferior to the Snapdragon 855 and Exynos 9820 chips. Still, the phone is valuable not for its performance, but for its shooting quality. Plus, it is made in a water-protected case according to the IP68 standard, and is equipped with an OLED screen from BOE. Apparently Huawei decided to abandon LG screens, which were constantly turning green on the Mate 20 Pro – the P30 Pro uses only BOE matrices, and that’s good.

As for the battery, its capacity is 4200 mAh, the kit includes a 40 W adapter, which gives a 100% charge in 1 hour and 70% in the first 30 minutes. It lasts for 27:40 hours of communication, 14:21 hours of web surfing and 20 hours of video playback. The P30 Pro is perhaps the most battery-powered flagship, as they usually try to make top-class phones very thin, which means using a low-capacity battery.

Huawei offers an incredibly cool camera phone that will cost less than the flagships of American and Korean manufacturers. Plus, it supports wireless charging and is equipped with a fingerprint scanner under the display.

As for the shortcomings, first of all it is the lack of a 4K/60 FPS shooting function, headphone output, stereo speakers and autofocus on the front camera. In all other respects, the device is excellent and deservedly takes 1st place.

2nd place – Samsung Galaxy S10+

South Korean manufacturer Samsung has released the world's first phone with an HDR10+ screen. Before him, there were no such matrices on smartphones; they were found only on TVs. However, there is actually not much benefit from supporting HDR10+, because 95% of the content on the Internet does not have an HDR10+ component.

The Samsung Galaxy S10+ is housed in a case with water protection according to the IP68 standard, the latest Gorilla Glass 6 is installed on the front and back, and inside there is a new 8-nm Exynos 9820 processor with productive Mongoose M4 and Cortex-A75 units, as well as energy-efficient Cortex-A55. In terms of power, this chip is ahead of the Kirin 980, but inferior to the more productive Snapdragon 855. However, the difference in operating speed between the flagships is visible only “on paper”, and not in practice.

Camera - with three modules. Two of them are carried over from the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, plus a new sensor with a resolution of 16 megapixels and a wide-angle lens has been added. The main one is 12 megapixels with a variable aperture f/1.5-2.4, the secondary one has a telephoto lens and a resolution of 12 megapixels, optical stabilization and 2x zoom. Unfortunately, the Samsung Galaxy S10+ cannot compete with the Huawei P30 Pro in terms of photography, and even in the DxOMark camera phone rating it ranks lower than the older models - Huawei Mate 20 Pro and P20 pro.

Still, the phone takes pictures very well – no one can argue with that. Examples of photos below, under the spoiler.

Autonomy is not a smartphone’s strong point. The 4100 mAh battery provides 24 hours of communication, 11:50 hours of web surfing and almost 15 hours of video playback. There is fast and wireless charging, reverse charging technology, which turns the phone into a power bank and allows you to share energy with other smartphones.

The Samsung Galaxy S10+ is an expensive phone with the world's best display (recognized by DisplayMate), good battery life and a great camera, but it also has its drawbacks. First of all, this is a slow and not always accurate fingerprint scanner under the display, a wide-angle camera without autofocus, and a “night mode” of shooting, which is noticeably worse than on Huawei and Pixel phones.

3rd place – Xiaomi Mi 9

The Chinese developer Xiaomi has released a cool, but most importantly - inexpensive smartphone based on the new and most powerful Android processor in the world - Snapdragon 855. It will cost approximately 2 times less than Huawei P30 Pro or Samsung S10+, while it outperforms them in terms of performance -for a more powerful processor.

However, the low price is justified by the lack of water protection, reverse charging technology and a less cool camera. The smartphone has a 6.4” Super Amoled screen, Full HD+ resolution, HDR10 support and DCI-P3 color space coverage. Its brightness was 620 cd/m2, the contrast was infinite, and the average color accuracy was 1.5.

The 3300 mAh battery provides 32:32 hours of communication, 12:16 hours of surfing and almost 17 hours of video playback. Fast and wireless charging are present, but reverse charging is not. As for speed, the phone gets 45% in half an hour with the native adapter, but you can separately buy a compatible QC 4+ charger and charge the phone even faster - 70% in 30 minutes. Unfortunately, it is not included in the kit.

Camera – Sony IMX586 with a resolution of 48 megapixels and a quad Bayer filter, which allows you to capture the same color on four adjacent pixels, which gives a large size of one pixel – 1.6 microns. As a result of shooting, we get a photo with a resolution of 12 megapixels, a wide dynamic range, and a small amount of noise.

Plus, the Mi 9 has 2 more cameras - with telephoto and wide-angle lenses and optical stabilization on the first of them. The flagship takes excellent photos - in the DxOMark rating it comes right behind the Samsung Galaxy S10+, giving it only 2 points.

Examples of photos on Xiaomi Mi 9 are below, under the spoiler.

Mi 9 is a cool and affordable flagship that can be purchased for an average of $500+. Everything about it is great, except for some shortcomings: lack of water protection, optical stabilization, microSD card slot, 3.5 mm headphone output.

4th place – Nokia 9 Pure View

The controversial phone was created by Nokia. On the one hand, this is a super-modern flagship, perhaps with the best camera in the world; on the other hand, there is old hardware here - Snapdragon 845, which was relevant in 2018.

The phone also features an OLED screen with HDR10 support, is a member of Android One, and has five cameras that take one frame at a time. The final image is saved in RAW format and becomes available for fine post-processing. Even the Google Photos application had to be improved specifically for this smartphone. In fact, Nokia 9 is a real camera phone, which in terms of photography is not inferior to SLR cameras with full-size matrices. There are no testing results from DxOMark yet, but you can see what masterpieces this smartphone can perform:

NFC, fast charging, 3320 mAh battery, under-display fingerprint scanner included. If we put the camera aside, the smartphone is generally unremarkable, but the quality of shooting changes things.

5th place – Honor View 20

Huawei has created the coolest flagship. The phone was released in December 2018, hit the Russian market in February, and in March it is the best, outperforming other TOP-class phones in terms of shooting and price/quality ratio.

Of course, the device is not perfect - it has an IPS matrix instead of OLED, and this is the only serious drawback. In a flagship in 2019, you'd expect to see an OLED screen with infinite contrast. Still, the IPS matrix on the Honor View 20 is of high quality – with a brightness of 479 cd/m2, a contrast ratio of 1313:1, and an average color rendering error of DeltaE of 1.5 with manual calibration. Plus, at the weakest backlight, the brightness reaches 1.1 nits, and without PWM.

The processor is HiSilicon Kirin 980, which was previously installed on Huawei Mate 20, Mate 20 Pro and Honor Magic 2. This is a 7 nm processor built on Cortex-A76 cores with a frequency of 2.6 GHz and 1.92 GHz + Cortex-A55 1.8 GHz. The Mali-G76 MP10 is responsible for graphics processing. Of course, in terms of performance, the Kirin 980 is inferior to the Apple A12 Bionic and Snapdragon 855, but in any case, it is a powerful modern chip with power reserves for the next 3-4 years. It will perform any games and tasks without noticeable heating.

The main feature is a camera with a resolution of 48 megapixels. It has a new Sony IMX 586 sensor, optics with an f/1.8 aperture, as well as a 3D TOF camera, the functionality of which has not yet been fully revealed. However, View 20 can scan objects and create 3D projections; secondly, when shooting with the camera, you can correct a person’s figure, that is, make him slimmer. Girls will like this feature, but it cannot be considered a serious advantage.

When it comes to shooting quality, the Honor View 20 aims to be one of the best. So far, DxOMark studio has not tested the smartphone, but it’s obvious that it takes great pictures. The reason is partly the quad Bayer filter and the technology of combining four pixels into one. That is, four pixels on a 0.8 micron matrix are “painted” in one color, which gives the size of one pixel 1.6 microns. But the resolution as a result drops to 12 megapixels. You, of course, can take photographs in the original 48 megapixel size, but the quality suffers from this.

Next is autonomy. The phone is equipped with a 4000 mAh battery and supports SuperCharge fast charging from a 22.5 W adapter - it gives 59% charge in 30 minutes; 94% – in an hour. The phone can withstand 30 hours of communication on a 3G network; 15.26 hours of web surfing and almost 15 hours of video playback at a brightness of 200 cd/m2.

NFC, USB Type-C, 5 GHz Wi-Fi and a fast fingerprint scanner are included. There are few disadvantages: not an OLED display, no slot for a microSD card, weak functionality from the 3D camera.

Middle and low segments

No money for a flagship? It doesn’t matter - for little money you can get a cool smartphone that will run all the games, provide high speed and allow you to take cool photos with your camera.

1st place – Xiaomi Mi 9 SE

This device looks the same as the full-fledged Mi 9, it also has an Amoled matrix and 3 cameras on the back, although the sensors are different. Plus, the phone is powered by the mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor, a new 10nm chip for budget phones.

The main feature of the smartphone is a camera with a resolution of 48 megapixels and a quadruple Bayer filter. The meaning of the work is the same as on a full-fledged Mi 9, but the shooting quality is lower. Additional cameras - with a resolution of 13 + 8 megapixels and wide-angle and telephoto lenses, there is no optical stabilization, as well as photo examples.

3070 mAh battery, fast charging, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.0 with aptx HD support and NFC included. There will be no details on autonomy, screens and cameras, since the phone has not yet been tested by specialists - there is simply nothing to imagine. Still, taking into account the hardware, technologies and modules, it is appropriate to include the device in the TOP of the best.

2nd place – Xiaomi Redmi Note 7

Another phone from the Chinese brand Xiaomi gets its triple-deserved place. It just came out, but is already on sale on Aliexpress and in some Russian stores. Powered by a Snapdragon 660 processor - this is a relatively old chip that is now found in cheaper phones. It has 8 energy-efficient cores and not a single productive one, so you shouldn’t count on power.

Screen – IPS with a resolution of 6.3 inches, Full HD+ resolution and Gorilla Glass 5. During testing, its brightness was 479 cd/m2; black brightness – 0.358 cd/m2, contrast – 1338 cd/m2. Color accuracy is not the highest - DeltaE is only 5.4, which is not very good. Obviously, this IPS screen is not the best on the market.

The battery capacity is 4000 mAh, its charge is enough for:

• 32:35 hours of communication.
• 14 hours of surfing the Internet.
• 14:12 h video playback.

And these are amazing battery life results, which makes Redmi Note 7 one of the most durable phones on the market in general, and not just among the best models.

Camera – with a resolution of 48 megapixels and a quadruple Bayer filter. The technology works the same way as on Xiaomi Mi 9, that is, adjacent pixels combine and form one large one – 1.6 microns in size. The photo quality is high, but you shouldn’t expect miracles; Redmi Note 7 is not a flagship and takes worse pictures than the aforementioned smartphones.

Examples of photos on Redmi Note 7:

To uncover

All significant announcements have died down. Only the most desperate companies will risk introducing new devices in December. There is very little left before the New Year, and most buyers already have an idea of ​​what exactly they want as a gift (if we are talking about phones as a gift at all), and convincing them is a difficult matter. After the New Year, no one will remember. First, the traditional exhibition in Las Vegas, and then the market will live with leaked announcements from the International Mobile Congress in Barcelona. I suggest we start summing up the results and first look at the best flagships of 2018.

The best all-round flagships

It may sound provocative, but I remain convinced that in 2018 there are two flagship companies in the market - Apple and Samsung. For this reason, the list of flagship devices is quite simple.

Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+

Specifications:

• Operating system: Android 8, Samsung Experience 9
• Memory: 4/6 GB, 64/128/256 GB, microSD support up to 400 GB, combo slot
• Screen: 5.8/6.2 inches, Super AMOLED, 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio, 1130 nits, 570 ppi, Always-on display, Corning Gorilla Glass 5
• Battery: Li-Ion 3000 mAh / 3500 mAh, built-in WPC/PMA wireless charging, fast charging in 70 minutes to 100%
• Main camera: S9: 12 MP (f/1.5-2.4, 26mm, 1/2.5", 1.4 µm, Dual Pixel PDAF), optical stabilization, LED flash, HDR; S9+: dual 12 MP (f/1.5-2.4, 26mm, 1/2.55", 1.4 µm, Dual Pixel PDAF) + 12 MP (f/2.4, 52mm, 1/3.6", 1 µm, AF), 2x optical zoom, video recording 2160p@60fps, 1080p@240fps, 720p @960fps
• Front camera: 8 MP (f/1.7, 25mm, 1/3.6", 1.22 µm), autofocus, video recording 1440p@30fps, Auto HDR
• Sim card: 2 Nano-SIM
• Network and data transmission: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE, LTE-A Cat. 18, bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), VHT80 MU-MIMO, 1024QAM, Bluetooth® v 5.0 (LE up to 2Mbps), ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo
• Sensors: Fingerprint (rear), accelerometer, barometer, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, Hall sensor, heart rate sensor, proximity sensor, RGB lighting sensor, pressure sensor
• Other: Samsung Pay, IP68, two simultaneous connections of Bluetooth devices, the ability to simultaneously listen to sound from different programs on different accessories, no radio
• Color: black, blue, purple, gray
• Materials: glass and aluminum
• Dimensions: 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5 mm, 163 grams; 158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5 mm, 189 grams

I chose the Galaxy S9+ as the main flagship of the year, since, despite the fact that the smartphone was released in February, it is still the most current, ultimate and balanced device. It is undeniable that Samsung has gotten its head around top-end smartphones, which, unfortunately, cannot be said about the mid-range and economy segments.

Strengths of S9+:

• AMOLED screen with brightness of more than 1000 nits
• Quality photography in the dark + slow motion photography
• IP68 protection
• Samsung Pay with the ability to pay at any terminal
• subjectively the lightest and most thoughtful shell

I imagine that last point might cause some snorting in the comments. However, Samsung, like Apple, has a nice feature - their gadgets simply work and do not require any dancing with tambourines.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Specifications:

• Processor: Exynos 9810 Octa, Octa-core (4x2.7 GHz Mongoose M3 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55), Mali-G72 MP18 graphics
• Operating system: Android 8.1
• Memory: 6/8 GB / 128/512 GB, combo microSD slot up to 512 GB
• Screen: 6.4 inches, Super AMOLED, 1440 x 2960 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio, density 516 ppi, brightness 1050 nits, Always-on screen, HDR10, Corning Gorilla Glass 5
• Battery: Li-Ion 4000 mAh, has Quick Charge 2.0 fast charging function
• Main camera: 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm, 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, optical stabilization + 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm, 1/3.4", 1µm, autofocus, optical stabilization, 2x optical zoom, video recording 2160p@60fps, 1080p@240fps, 720p@960fps, LED flash
• Front camera: 8 MP, f/1.7, 25mm, 1/3.6", 1.22µm, autofocus, video recording 1440p@30fps
• Sim card: 2 Nano-SIM
• Network and data transmission: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX, A-GPS, GLONASS , BDS, GALILEO, NFC
• Sensors: fingerprint scanner (rear), retina scanner, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, oxygen
• Other: Samsung Pay, Samsung Dex, Bixby (not for Russia), wireless charging, has a 3.5 mm jack, 32-bit/384kHz audio recording, no radio
• Color: copper, black, lavender, deep blue, like the Pacific Ocean on a sunny day
• Materials: glass and aluminum
• Dimensions: 161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm, weight 201 g

Everything that was written about the Galaxy S9+ above can easily be applied to the Note 9. However, the Note 9 has several advantages. Firstly, the camera has improved a little bit and, by the way, takes 4th place in the DxOMark photo rating. Secondly, the stylus. Currently this is the only phone with a stylus. If you think otherwise (for example, you can remember LG), then you are mistaken. Only Apple can compete with the quality of the Samsung stylus, but the latter's pen only comes with tablets, and for some reason it is sold separately.

I see the Galaxy Note 9, like the Blackberry Key2, as more of a work tool than a regular smartphone. A stylus, Samsung Dex, a slightly larger screen - all this is needed so that a smartphone can replace a laptop on the road.

iPhone XR

Specifications:

• Processor: Apple A12 Bionic (7 nm), Hexa-core (2x Vortex + 4x Tempest), Apple GPU (4-core graphics)
• Operating system: iOS 12
• Memory: 4 GB / 64/256/512 GB
• Screen: 6.1 inches, IPS LCD, 828 x 1792 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio, pixel density 326 ppi, True Tone technology, 120 Hz screen
• Battery: 2942 mAh, wireless charging, fast charging – 50% in 30 minutes
• Main camera: 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide-angle), 1/2.55", 1.4μm, OIS, PDAF, video recording 2160p@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR, LED flash
• Front camera: 7 MP, f/2.2, 32mm, HDR, video recording 1080p@60fps
• Sim card: 1 Nano-SIM + eSIM
• Network and data transmission: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, NFC
• Sensors: FaceID, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, barometer
• Other: IP67 protection, Apple Pay, no radio, no memory cards
• Color: black, yellow, red, white, coral, blue
• Materials: steel and glass
• Dimensions: 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm, weight 194 g

While haters, objective statistics and the boss claim that the iPhone XR is a failure (at least in Russia), I will argue that this is the best flagship from Apple in 2018. We recently released a video on our YouTube channel where Eldar names all the weaknesses of the device. And the screen resolution is not the right one, and the frames are large, and it can’t do a lot of things. In theory, all these disadvantages can depress you only if you are one of those perfectionists who are enraged by a stain on the wallpaper, even if it is covered with a painting. Just the very awareness of its presence is annoying. Nothing annoys me. The same iPhone XR screen looks much better than many with a higher resolution. In general, all IPhones are devices for those who just want to use it and not think about it. Yes, you have to pay extra for this. Especially recently, when Apple openly went into the luxury segment, but what can you do?

I chose the XR over the XS, since the design is much more interesting, and also has a better price-quality ratio.

The most innovative smartphone

Huawei Mate 20 Pro

Specifications:

• Operating system: Android 9.0 (Pie), EMUI 9.0 shell
• Memory: 4/6 GB / 128 GB combo nanoSD slot up to 256 GB
• Screen: 6.53 inches, IPS LCD, 1080 x 2244 pixels, 18.7:9 ratio, pixel density 381 ppi / Pro: 6.39 inches, AMOLED, 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio, pixel density 538 ppi; both smartphones have Corning Gorilla Glass, DCI-P3
• Battery: Li-Po 4000 / 4200 mAh, fast charge 57% in 30 minutes / Pro 70% in 30 minutes
• Main camera: 16 MP + 12 MP + 8 MP (f1.8 + f2.2 + f2.4) (1x + 2x + 0.6x); optical stabilization for the zoom camera / Pro: 40 MP + 20 MP + 8 MP (f1.8 + f2.2 + f2.4) (1x + 3x + 5x + 0.6x); optical stabilization for the zoom camera. Both have video recording: 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 1080p@30fps (gyro-EIS), 720p@960fps
• Front camera: 24 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide-angle), video recording 1080@30fps
• Sim card: 2 Nano-SIM
• Network and data transmission: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS, NFC, IrDa, USB Type-C
• Sensors: Fingerprint (rear/under-display), accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, barometer, compass
• Other: IP53 / IP68, Leica optics, Mate 20 has radio, Pro has wireless charging, no 3.5 jack
• Color: blue, black, twilight, green/blue, twilight, gold, black
• Materials: glass and aluminum
• Dimensions: 158.2 x 77.2 x 8.3 mm, weight 188 g / 157.8 x 72.3 x 8.6 mm, weight 189 g

Both Samsung and Apple make simply good devices. To some extent, these manufacturers have recently deigned to rest on their laurels. For which the market did not fail to punish: a decline in sales in both places. Now Samsung is thinking about changing management, and Apple is thinking about how to raise the price even more. I wonder whose approach will be better.

But Huawei is still hungry for success and is trying to loudly make itself known. Huawei Mate 20 Pro is just such an attempt. There is IP68 protection, a bunch of cameras, a long-forgotten infrared port, and even a new nanoSD memory card format, and an under-screen fingerprint scanner. In the hope of impressing the well-fed buyer, Huawei even installed a wireless charger that allows you to charge other devices. And, of course, all this miracle runs on the latest generation chipset using 7 nm technology.

This is probably a smartphone for geeks or simply wealthy buyers who just want the most technology from a device. To Huawei’s credit, it is worth noting that they released a smartphone and it seems there have been no problems so far. I expected that such a cramming with technology would not pass without a trace and that the device would turn out to be buggy. That didn't happen, so I think the Mate 20 Pro is a solid entry to start thinking about considering Huawei on par with Samsung and Apple.

The best photo flagship

Huawei P20 Pro

Specifications:

• Processor: Hisilicon Kirin 970, Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A53), Mali-G72 MP12 graphics
• Operating system: Android 8.1 (Oreo), EMUI 8.1 shell
• Memory: 6 GB / 128 GB
• Screen: 6.1 inches, OLED, 1080 x 2240 pixels, 19:9 ratio, 408 ppi, brightness 582 nits
• Battery: Li-Po 4000 mAh, fast charging function (58% in 30 minutes)
• Main camera P20 Pro: triple 40 MP (f/1.8, 27mm, 1/1.7", OIS) + 20 MP B/W (f/1.6, 27mm) + 8 MP (f/2.4, 80mm), Leica optics, 3x optical zoom, phase detection and laser autofocus, LED flash, video recording 2160p@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@960fps
• Front camera: 24 MP, f/2.0, 720p
• Sim card: 2 Nano-SIM
• Network and data transmission: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2 A2DP, LE, EDR, aptX HD, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC, infrared port, USB Type C 3.1
• Sensors: Fingerprint (front), accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, color sensor
• Other: no radio, no 3.5mm jack, IP67 protection
• Color: black, blue, pink
• Materials: glass and aluminum
• Dimensions: 155 x 73.9 x 7.8 mm, 180 grams

Recently, the site published a text dedicated to mobile chipsets in general and the new Kirin 980 in particular.

In the text, I called Huawei the leader in artificial intelligence in smartphones. And Huawei P20 Pro is the best confirmation of this. It’s no secret that today the quality of mobile photography largely depends on the algorithms that process the frame. If you don’t believe me, then look at what Google’s Pixel smartphones, which have only one camera, are doing. And Huawei P20 Pro is a demonstration of what happens when you combine excellent software and optics. The DxOMark rating is certainly not absolute in terms of objectivity, and there are questions about the methodology. But the fact remains: the P20 Pro debuted back in April 2018. After it, many devices came out, but no one could even come close to the P20 Pro - 114 points for photography and 109 overall score.

Otherwise, this is also an excellent flagship. I didn't include it in the best all-around lists for a simple reason. My experience with Huawei devices shows that in terms of shell they still need work. And subjectively, I don’t like the visual design of EMUI.

Six months later, the P20 Pro is still an extremely good buy. The device has dropped a little in price, and on the Market you can find a price tag of 42 thousand rubles. For this money: the best camera, IP67 water protection, 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory, a screen with a brightness of 600 nits and a fingerprint scanner on the front (not in the screen, but under the screen).

Best affordable flagship

Xiaomi Pocophone “Speed ​​Master” F1

Specifications:

• Processor: Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845, Octa-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 385 Silver), Adreno 630 graphics
• Operating system: Android 8.1, MIUI 9.6 shell (POCO custom)
• Memory: 6/8 GB / 64/128/256 GB, combo slot for microSD up to 256 GB
• Screen: 6.18 inches, IPS LCD, 1080 x 2246 pixels, 18.7:9 ratio, density 403 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass
• Battery: Li-Po 4000 mAh, Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging function
• Main camera: 12 MP, f/1.9, 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF + 5 MP, f/2.0, 1.12µm, depth sensor, dual LED flash, video recording 2160p@30fps, 1080p@30fps ( gyro-electronic stabilization), 1080p@240fps
• Front camera: 20 MP, f/2.0, 0.9µm, video recording 1080p@30fps
• Sim card: 2 Nano-SIM
• Network and data transmission: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, USB Type-C 1.0
• Sensors: Infrared face recognition, fingerprint scanner (rear), accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, barometer, compass
• Other: no NFC, radio, 3.5 mm jack
• Color: black, blue, red, armored version with Kevlar
• Materials: glass and plastic body
• Dimensions: 155.5 x 75.3 x 8.8 mm, weight 180 g

To be honest, the Pocophone F1 is not even close to a flagship, but this is a great opportunity to get a feel for how a proper smartphone should work for those who have never bought anything more expensive than 20 thousand rubles before.

The strength of Pocophone F1 is its performance and speed. I think that such a device is needed to excite and whet the buyer’s appetite. After using a top-end chipset, simpler phones will be perceived as slow. But over time, you will come to the realization that performance is, of course, good, but a better camera would be nice. And now, hello, Xiaomi Mi8! And then, when you get the taste, you will want more and more. Xiaomi grows its customers by giving them a try and getting them used to technology. This is a strategically correct policy.

I would also like to note the excellent battery life. Customers liked the smartphone. I can judge this by the number of views of the smartphone review on our website.

Best flagship outsider

LG V40 ThinQ or LG V35 or LG V30

Specifications:

• Operating system: Android 8.1 (Oreo), LG UX 7.1 shell
• Memory: 6 GB / 64/128 GB, dedicated microSD slot up to 512 GB
• Screen: 6.4 inches, P-OLED, 1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, pixel density 537 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, Always-on display, Dolby Vision/HDR10, brightness 630 nits
• Battery: Li-Po 3300 mAh, Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging
• Main camera: triple: 12 MP, 27mm, f/1.5, 1/2.6", 1.4μm, 3-axis OIS, dual pixel PDAF + 12 MP, 52mm (telephoto), f/2.4, 1.0μm, 2x optical zoom, OIS, PDAF + 16 MP, 16mm (ultra-wide-angle), f/1.9, 1/3.1", 1.0μm, no autofocus, video recording 2160p@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps (gyro-EIS video stabilization)
• Front camera: 8 MP, 26mm, f/1.9, 1.4μm + 5 MP, 21mm (wide-angle), f/2.2, 1.4μm
• Sim card: 2 Nano-SIM
• Network and data transmission: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, NFC , USB Type-C with PowerDelivery 2.0
• Sensors: fingerprint scanner (rear), accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, barometer
• Other: there is a radio, IP68, MIL-STD-810G protection, fast wireless charging 10 Wh
• Color: Grey, Red, Black, Moroccan Blue
• Materials: glass and aluminum frame
• Dimensions: 158.8 x 75.7 x 7.6 mm, weight 169 g

In the New November issue, I used a gif that best summed up LG's attempts to break into the market:

Everything is absolutely true. In the picture, the girl is beautiful, and her legs are so strong that you will sway, and the beater is almost anti-tank, and there are broken pumpkins all around, which represents past victories.

Likewise, LG produces the most functional devices, which, in addition to impressive characteristics, also have protection according to the military standard MIL-STD-810G, not counting the banal IP68. Along the way, LG often offers various gifts in addition to the phone. They even donate a TV and replace a broken screen for free. But buyers don't care. And people remember LG only for a brief moment of the next announcement.

As a result, smartphones lose half their value in six months, but no one buys them, and the company reports losses quarter after quarter. Perhaps it's time for LG to stop, take a deep breath and rethink its strategy?

Sony Xperia XZ3

Specifications:

• Processor: Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm), Octa-core (4x2.7 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver), Adreno 630 graphics
• Operating system: Android 9.0 (Pie)
• Memory: 4 GB / 64 GB, microSD combo slot up to 512 GB
• Screen: 6.0 inches, P-OLED, 1440 x 2880 pixels, 18:9 ratio, pixel density 537 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, HDR BT.2020 compliant, Triluminos display
• Battery: Li-Ion 3300 mAh, fast charging, wireless charging
• Main camera: 19 MP, f/2.0, 25mm (wide-angle), 1/2.3", 1.22μm, PDAF and laser AF, recording 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 1080p@30fps (5-axis gyro-EIS), 1080p @960fps
• Front camera: 13 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide-angle), 1/3", 1.12μm, video recording 1080p@30fps (5-axis gyroscope-EIS)
• Sim card: 2 Nano-SIM
• Network and data transmission: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO , NFC, USB Type-C
• Sensors: fingerprint scanner (rear), accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, barometer, compass, color spectrum
• Other: IP68, no radio, no 3.5 mm jack, Always On display
• Color: black, white, green, red
• Materials: glass and aluminum
• Dimensions: 158 x 73 x 9.9 mm, weight 193 g

Sony is another company whose mobile devices are not popular. It's funny. Sony is doing great with games, movies, music, cameras and mobile phone cameras. What is the reason for the failures? Answer: XZ in this case is 3, but XZ Premium is also possible. The bottom line is the same: there are too many flagships, they come out too often, and they are too expensive. The buyer cannot answer the question why buy Sony when there is something better, bigger and more profitable.

Sony has always followed its own special path, but it seems to me that in the last few years the mobile division has lost its way and is wandering into the thicket of the forest, not making sense of the road. Despite the fact that Sony has always been a premium manufacturer, today buyers do not understand why they should pay more for the brand. I have exactly the same question. It’s quite easy to justify buying Samsung, Apple and even Huawei, but I can’t do that with Sony. Like LG, Sony’s mobile division can only be advised to stop, stop churning out the same type of expensive devices every 3 months and find its own way, since the company has all the components to be a leader in the market.

The strangest flagship

Huawei Honor Magic 2

Specifications:

• Processor: HiSilicon Kirin 980 (7 nm), Octa-core (2x2.6 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2x1.92 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55), Mali-G76 MP10 graphics
• Operating system: Android 9.0 (Pie), EMUI 9.0 shell or Magic UI 2.0
• Memory: 6/8 GB / 128/256 GB
• Screen: 6.39 inches, AMOLED, 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, pixel density 403 ppi, DCI-P3 color gamut
• Battery: Li-Po 3500 mAh, fast charging function
• Main camera: 16 MP, f/1.8, PDAF + 16 MP, f/2.2 + 24 MP B/W, f/1.8, video recording 2160p@30fps, 1080p@30fps, 720p@480fps
• Front camera: mechanical dual 16 MP, f/2.0 + 2 MP, f/2.4, depth sensor + 2 MP, f/2.4, depth sensor
• Sim card: 2 Nano-SIM
• Network and data transmission: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, dual-band A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS, NFC, USB Type-C 1.0 with USB On-The-Go function
• Sensors: Face ID, fingerprint (under display), accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass
• Other: no radio, no water protection
• Color: blue, purple
• Dimensions: 157.3 x 75.1 x 8.3 mm, weight 206 g

There could have been a Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 here, but it still turned out to be Honor. The slider form factor is a new trend for those who want something new. However, Honor Magic 2 also has a triple camera, both front and back. I don’t know why three front cameras are needed, but so far this is the most unusual thing I’ve seen all year. By the way, suggest your options in the comments.

Vivo NEX S

Specifications:

• Processor: Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845, Octa-core (4x2.7 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver), Adreno 630 graphics
• Operating system: Android 8.1 (Oreo), Funtouch OS 4 shell
• Memory: 8 GB / 128/256 GB, no memory card slot
• Screen: 6.59 inches, Super AMOLED, 1080 x 2316 pixels, density 388 ppi
• Battery: Li-Ion 4000 mAh, fast charging 22W
• Main camera: 12 MP (f/1.8, 1/2.5", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF) + 5 MP (f/2.4), 4-axis optical stabilization, dual dual-tone LED flash, video recording 2160p@30fps, 1080p @30fps
• Front camera: retractable 8 MP (f/2.0)
• Sim card: 2 Nano-SIM
• Network and data transmission: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, A -GPS, BDS, GNSS, USB 2.0 Type-C 1.0
• Sensors: fingerprint scanner (under the display), accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass
• Other: no radio, no NFC, 3.5 mm jack, 32-bit/192kHz audio recording
• Color: black, red
• Materials: glass
• Dimensions: 162 x 77 x 8 mm, 199 grams

You may have already forgotten about them, but, in my opinion, Vivo and OPPO smartphones showed the market that experimenting is not scary. On the one hand, it seems like complete absurdity when the camera moves out of the body, on the other hand, it’s unusual and cool. It was Vivo that was the first to not be afraid to integrate a fingerprint scanner into the screen and made mechanical cameras.

Smartphones have their drawbacks, which prevents us from recommending them for purchase as a device for every day, but they definitely have a highlight.

The most productive flagship

BlackBerry KEY2

Specifications:

• Processor: Qualcomm SDM660 Snapdragon 660, Octa-core (4x2.2 GHz Kryo 260 & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 260), Adreno 512 graphics
• Operating system: Android 8.1 (Oreo)
• Memory: 6 GB / 64/128 GB, microSD combo slot up to 256 GB
• Screen: 4.5 inches, IPS LCD, 1080 x 1620 pixels, 3:2 ratio, 434 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Main camera: 12 MP (f/1.8, 1/2.3", 1.28µm, dual-pixel PDAF) + 12 MP (f/2.6, 1.0µm, PDAF), phase detection autofocus, dual dual-tone LED flash, 2160p@ video recording 30fps, 1080p@30fps
• Front camera: 8 MP (f/2.0, 1.12µm), 1080p
• Sim card: 2 Nano-SIM
• Network and data transmission: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, EDR , A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS2, NFC, USB 3.0 Type-C 1.0
• Sensors: fingerprint scanner (front), accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass
• Other: 3.5 mm jack, FM radio
• Color: black, silver
• Materials: glass, 7000 series aluminum, plastic back
• Dimensions: 151.4 x 71.8 x 8.5 mm, 168 grams

I repeat, as I already wrote in the review of the device, that in the case of the Blackberry Key2, the technical characteristics are absolutely not important, since the smartphone is made as thoughtfully as possible in order to fulfill its job duties.

I still continue to use the device, using it as my main second smartphone. This intricate formulation was due to the fact that I initially continued to use Key2, since I was writing a text about phone features, but I noticed that it was dragging me down, because every time I need to respond to a letter or in a messenger, I reach for it . Also, the smartphone ends up in my hands every time I need to work on the road, but I can’t get my laptop. It turned out that editing text on a 4.5-inch screen, thanks to the keyboard and hotkeys that allow you to jump between applications, is much more convenient than on a device with a 6-inch screen.

For my taste, the ideal combination of smartphones for a good life and work is the Galaxy Note 9 and Blackberry Key2.

The most unnecessary flagship

OnePlus 6

Specifications:

• Processor: Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845, Octa-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver), Adreno 630 graphics
• Operating system: Android 8.1, Oxygen OS shell
• Memory: 6/8 GB/64/128/256 GB, no memory card slot
• Screen: 6.28 inches, Optic AMOLED, 1080 x 2280 pixels, 19:9 ratio, density 402 ppi, extended color gamut DCI-P3, Corning Gorilla Glass 5
• Battery: Li-Po 3300 mAh, fast charging function
• Main camera: dual: 16 MP (f/1.7, 27mm, 1/2.6", 1.22μm, gyro-electronic stabilization, optical stabilization) + 20 MP (f/1.7, 1/2.8", 1.0μm), PDAF, LED -flash, video recording 2160p@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@480fps
• Front camera: 16 MP (f/2.0, 20mm, 1/3", 1.0μm), gyro-electronic stabilization, auto HDR, 1080p video recording
• Sim card: 2 Nano-SIM
• Network and data transmission: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, NFC, USB Type C 1.0
• Sensors: Fingerprint (rear), accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, compass
• Other: splash protection
• Color: matte black, shiny black, luxury white
• Dimensions: 155.7 x 75.4 x 7.8 mm, 177 g

Still, the strategy to release two or more devices per year raises many questions. It seems that the smartphone was released only in May, but no one needs it anymore. For what? After all, there is a 6T. Well, no one needs OnePlus smartphones in Russia at a price of 49,990 rubles, since for that money you can get a real flagship, and if you need bare performance, then there is Xiaomi. I no longer understand what OnePlus is and who needs it. I wonder how soon the fans will be disappointed in it and the company will go to the bench of LG and Sony?

The flagship that failed

HTC U12+

Specifications:

• Processor: Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845, Octa-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver), Adreno 630
• Operating system: Android 8.0 (Oreo), HTC Sense UI shell
• Memory: 6 GB / 64/128 GB, microSD combo slot
• Screen: 6.0 inches, Super LCD6, 1440 x 2880 pixels, 18:9 ratio, density 537 ppi, wide color gamut DCI-P3, HDR10, Corning Gorilla Glass
• Battery: Li-Ion 3500 mAh, Quick Charge 3.0
• Main camera: double: 12 MP (f/1.8, 1.4μm, Dual Pixel PDAF) + 16 MP (f/2.6, 1.0μm), PDAF and laser autofocus, optical stabilization, gyro-electronic stabilization, 2x optical zoom, video recording 2160p@60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, smart audio recording
• Front camera: dual 8 MP (f/2.0, 1.12μm), 1080p video recording
• Sim card: 2 Nano-SIM
• Network and data transmission: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, aptX HD, LE, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, NFC
• Sensors: fingerprint scanner (rear), accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass
• Other: IP68, Edge Sense, no 3.5mm
• Color: translucent blue, black, red
• Materials: aluminum frame and glass
• Dimensions: 156.6 x 73.9 x 8.7 mm, 188 g

HTC is, in fact, another outsider company, but, unlike Sony and LG, it is trying to find its way. For example, only recently they talked about the HTC Exodus 1 crypto smartphone. In the U12+, HTC focused on the photo and video capabilities of the device. The camera can do a smooth cinematic zoom, and there are directional microphones. Probably, this device can be called a good solution for those who like to shoot or conduct their own video blog. By the way, according to the DxOMark rating, the smartphone is in 3rd place, slightly ahead of the Galaxy Note 9. It is also interesting that the U12+ has fallen in price slightly. Now the smartphone can be bought for 48,990 rubles.

One of the features of the device is the touch-sensitive edges that are used in Google Pixel. They can be controlled by calling applications or contacts.

The trouble with HTC is that the company failed to convey to consumers the full value of the smartphone and it went unnoticed. The second point is that, having lost its position, HTC is no longer perceived as a brand for which you can pay full price. It's also frankly strange that the screen brightness is only about 400 nits, which is more typical of a laptop screen rather than a mobile phone. And such a flaw is unacceptable in flagship devices.

Conclusion

Write in the comments which flagships you remember this year. In this article we are talking only about top-end smartphones (we will discuss simpler devices separately in thematic issues).

According to the definition offered by Wikipedia, a flagship is considered to be the best model at the moment in the line produced by a certain company. To put it simply, a flagship smartphone is a device that has top-end characteristics and technical equipment.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION!

The term “flagship” itself was first used in the navy. This was the designation for the ship on which the command was located, and from where the entire battle was controlled.

When assessing the qualities of a smartphone, its performance, battery life, camera and screen quality are taken into account. Additionally, the devices that will top the manufacturer’s product line are equipped with a certain feature that distinguishes them from other devices. At one time, smartphones without frames were considered flagships, but recently such a solution has become the norm in the production of mobile devices.

How do the best smartphones today or “flagships” differ from budget devices?

Flagship devices are considered to be superior to their smaller cousins ​​by default. There is partly a grain of truth in this. But in order to know exactly why it makes sense to purchase the most advanced gadget, you should list the main differences between this segment and budget models.

• construction and design. Flagship devices are distinguished by higher quality and more expensive materials. Most often it is metal and glass, in contrast to the plastic used in inexpensive smartphones;
• screen. To receive the title of flagship, a smartphone must have a large display. Manufacturers are in a relentless race for quality and screen size. It has also become a rule to produce phones without frames around the display. Another characteristic of the flagship model is high resolution, which is sometimes simply not perceived by the human eye;
• application of unique technologies. This could be input via a stylus, facial or retinal recognition, or keyboard pressure sensitivity. Nobody says that these functions will be in demand, but they distinguish a top-end gadget from an “average” one;
• latest hardware parts. Flagships use the most modern processors, which allows such devices to support multitasking (simultaneously opening several resource-intensive applications);
• long-term technical support. The flagship line is treated with a special approach from the manufacturer. These devices will receive software updates and improvements for several years after release, which is not available for budget devices.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION!

Also, each company, when developing top solutions, tries to adhere to the principle of the wow effect. This means a unique design that should attract the buyer with its appearance.

Speaking about the positive qualities that distinguish the best smartphones from simple devices, we should also mention several disadvantages of such devices.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION!

If it doesn’t matter to a person what brand of smartphone he uses, then the best option would be to purchase a Chinese device, which will cost half as much as its famous counterpart.

Leading smartphone manufacturers

Manufacturers of mobile gadgets regularly conduct market analyzes to evaluate the leaders. Traditionally, the leading brands that offer quality flagships are a number of companies that demonstrate the highest level of sales. by the end of 2018 it looks like this.

1. Samsung. A company that is . The brand accounts for almost a third of all mobile devices sold. One of the advantages of the manufacturer is the use of its own components.
2. Apple. The well-known company from Cupertino takes an honorable second place. Some decline was observed against the backdrop of the release of the unsuccessful iPhone 8, which technically was practically no different from the previous model. Another reason for the inability to become a clear leader is the high cost of products from a brand that does not have budget models in its line.
3. . The top three is closed by a Chinese company, which since 2013, when it accounted for only 1% of sales, has managed to push aside such “monsters” as LG, Motorola and Nokia. The brand also uses its own processors in its smartphones, which helps reduce the cost of the finished device.
4. Xiaomi. Another Chinese A-brand, which over the past 5 years has shown strong growth in its mobile device market share. One of the advantages of the manufacturer is not just the production of smartphones, and in a wide range, but also various gadgets from the Smart Home system and other accessories.
5. LG. The second Korean manufacturer in the ranking, which shows a decrease in sales every year. This is due to the unsuccessful engineering solutions of the latest flagship models while maintaining the high cost of the devices.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION!

The release of the failed Samsung Galaxy Note 7, which had an exploding battery, slightly moved the company from first place, but management managed to redeem itself with the release of the successful S8/S8+, S9/S9+, Note 8.

When compiling mobile phones, we should mention the Nokia brand, which has lost ground due to its adherence to its own operating system (Windows Mobile), which does not have sufficient flexibility in comparison with other mobile operating systems.

Top best smartphones of 2018

Many users who are interested in the question of which phone is the most powerful in the world have doubts when choosing the optimal flagship device. The presented g does not break gadgets into places, it was created rather for the purpose of informing: each model has its own advantages and has some disadvantages. The final choice is the subjective opinion of the consumer.

Sony Xperia XZ2

Which, despite some shortcomings, was included in the ranking of top flagships. The company still does not want to follow new trends and equips its devices with a single camera. The latest processor from Qualcomm, Snapdragon 845, is used as filling, which allows you to use the smartphone not only for work, but also for resource-intensive games. The amount of RAM is 4 GB, which is not a record. To store your own files, the user is offered 64 GB. The resolution of the single rear camera is 19 megapixels. Features include support for 4K video format, as well as the ability to record at a resolution of 960 frames per second. Among the shortcomings, users note the insufficient battery capacity of 3180 mAh, as well as the slippery case. The cost of the device is 56,999 rubles for the premium version.

Review of Sony Xperia XZ2

More details on Otzovik: http://otzovik.com/review_6705146.html

LG G7 ThinQ

Which absorbed the best features from the V30 and G6 models. The device is equipped with a 6.1-inch screen with a non-standard aspect ratio: 19.5:9. Like the famous product from Apple, which was also included in the rating, there is an “eyebrow” on top: the front camera, proximity and light sensor, and speaker fit inside it. The smartphone is equipped with the latest version of the Snapdragon 845 mobile processor. Like the entire flagship series of this brand, the gadget boasts high-quality sound: there is support for DTS:X 3D surround sound, and a Hi-Fi Quad DAC support system. The device is equipped with a dual main camera of 16 MP and a front camera of 8 MP. Among the disadvantages, one can highlight the small battery capacity (3000 mAh), which leads to the need to recharge every day. The cost of the model is 44,990 rubles.

Reviews for LG G7 ThinQ

More details on Yandex: https://market.yandex.ru/product--smartfon-lg-g7-thinq-64gb/41449031/reviews

Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+

A new product from the Korean brand, which became a logical continuation of last year’s flagship. This is not a cosmetic redesign, but is a qualitatively new device, although the appearance remains unchanged. There are also beveled edges with Edge technology. The older model has a screen diagonal of 6.2 inches, the younger one has a 5.8-inch display. Innovations affected the location of the fingerprint scanner, which moved to the middle and became more convenient. The camera has also been completely redesigned, allowing it to take even better pictures. The model comes with different processor configurations - Exynos 9810 or Snapdragon 845. The retail price is 37,000 rubles for the S9 and 48,990 for the S9+.

Review of Samsung Galaxy S9

Samsung Galaxy S9

Apple iPhone XS Max

Which is the most powerful in the world, which is why it can be considered the leader of the rating. The only drawback is the cost, which is 109,900 rubles for the version with 256 GB of memory. This is the company's largest phone in terms of screen diagonal size - 6.5 inches. An OLED matrix is ​​used, which ensures the highest quality image transmission. The heart of the model is Apple’s own A12 Bionic processor. It has enough power for the most demanding applications. There is a dual camera at the back (each module is 12 megapixels), the front has a resolution of 7 megapixels. The battery capacity is 3,174 mAh. According to customer reviews, the company's engineers have gone overboard with the automatic processing of finished photos, which turn out unnatural in comparison with the pictures taken with the previous iPhone X model.

Review of Apple iPhone XS Max

More details on Otzovik: https://otzovik.com/review_7022606.html

Apple iPhone XS Max

The best smartphones today by category

In addition to the general division of devices on the market, in order to determine the best devices for use, you can make a selection according to certain parameters.

Flagship smartphones of 2018 with powerful batteries

According to users and experts, Google Pixel 2 XL can be considered one of the best long-lived devices of 2018. Despite the fact that not long ago the company presented the next model in this line, it turned out to be a failure. The battery capacity is 3520 mAh, but this indicator is not decisive, since additional battery life depends on the balanced operation of the processor and all other components. According to the manufacturer, the device can work up to 88 hours on one full charge. This is a lot, taking into account the screen diagonal of 6 inches. The cost of the gadget is 40,490 rubles for the 64 GB version.

Review of Google Pixel 2 XL

More details on Otzovik: https://otzovik.com/review_6248524.html

Google Pixel 2 XL

Flagship smartphones of 2018 with a good camera

The winner of this category is Huawei, the P20 Pro model. According to the results of the DxOMark rating, which specializes in checking the quality of cameras, the device left its competitors far behind. The main module uses a triple camera and an artificial intelligence system based on a neural unit. The camera resolution is amazing, which is 20 and 40 megapixels. There is also a powerful zoom, during which the maximum resolution level is only 10 megapixels to maintain clarity and naturalness of the picture and prevent the appearance of digital noise. There is optical stabilization for one camera, the rest use software processing methods. The cost of the device is 49,990 rubles, and this can be considered the main disadvantage.

Review of Huawei P20 Pro

More details on Otzovik: https://otzovik.com/review_6931250.html

Chinese flagship smartphones 2018

In addition to world-famous brands, the market offers a large number of interesting ones that provide worthy competition to more expensive devices from well-advertised brands.

Honor View 10

A model with a 5.99-inch display with a resolution of 2160 × 1080 pixels. The device is equipped with the brand's proprietary HiSilicon Kirin 970 processor, which provides good performance. The capacity of the built-in battery is 3750 mAh. There is a fingerprint scanner. The main camera is equipped with a dual module of 16 and 20 megapixels, respectively, the front one has a resolution of 13 megapixels. Android 8.0 is preinstalled as the operating system. The cost of the device is 28,300 rubles for the version with 128 GB of internal storage.

Review of Honor View 10

More details on Otzovik: https://otzovik.com/review_6108494.html

Xiaomi Mi 6 64GB

An updated line of devices under the Mi index, which is distinguished by an attractive design and improved case materials. This device is equipped with the previous version of the processor – Snapdragon 835, but has 6 GB of RAM. Battery capacity – 3350 mAh. The screen diagonal is 5.15 inches. At the back there is a dual 12 MP camera module. One drawback is the lack of a standard headphone jack. The cost of the model is 23,000 rubles.

Review of Xiaomi Mi 6 64GB

Special treatment of the surface of the back cover of Huawei Honor 9 made it possible to achieve an amazing play of light

Huawei Honor 9

A model that can already be considered outdated in terms of release time, but still retains its position on the market as a fairly powerful device. The hardware platform consists of a HiSilicon Kirin 960 processor and also has 6 GB of RAM. The screen diagonal is 5.15 inches. Battery capacity – 3200 mAh. A dual module is used as the main camera: 12 MP color, 20 MP monochrome. The cost of the device is 20,990 rubles for the version with 64 GB of memory.

Review of Huawei Honor 9

More details on Otzovik: https://otzovik.com/review_6020496.html

Xiaomi Mi 8

Another model from the brand’s successful line, which appeared in Russia on June 8, 2018. The device has a 6.21-inch display made using AMOLED technology. The volume of RAM is 6 GB, ROM is 128 GB. The battery capacity is 3400 mAh. The smartphone is equipped with a new Snapdragon 845 processor. According to the AnTuTu rating, the model is in third place in terms of performance at the time of release. There is a dual camera of 12 megapixels, the front one has a resolution of 20 megapixels. The device also boasts a 3D scanning facial recognition system. The cost of the new item is 30,390 rubles.

There is no single recipe for choosing the optimal smartphone. It all depends on the requirements and needs of the end user. If the issue of price-quality ratio comes first, then it is better to take a closer look at Chinese manufacturers offering models that are in no way inferior to flagships from famous brands.

If you need a functional phone for work, then the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 can be considered one of the best today. This device, with a screen diagonal of 6.3 inches, has a high-quality dual camera, a convenient fingerprint location, the most modern processor, and a nice bonus - a stylus. In this modification, additional functions were added to it, and an ordinary plastic pen became a full-fledged working tool.

Review of Samsung Galaxy Note 9

More details on Otzovik: https://otzovik.com/review_6849437.html

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

For those who don’t count money and want to become the owner of the coolest smartphone, the choice is clear - a new product from Apple, which will not only be an indicator of the status of its owner, but will also become a reliable working tool.

Expected new products in the smartphone market

Each company has already announced some new products - or rather, their ideas regarding the release of flagships next year.

Samsung is talking about the fact that very soon flexible smartphones that will be both a tablet and a phone will see the light. Apple promises to release an updated version of the iPhone X, from which it is planned to remove the “eyebrow” that irritates users.

Also, most manufacturers are talking about mass production of smartphones with an on-screen fingerprint scanner. But so far only some Chinese models have received the implementation of this idea.

Among the most anticipated smartphones in the near future is OnePlus 7. The sixth version was not such a breakthrough as the first modifications were, but users believe that the company will be able to regain its former glory.

Another innovation expected in all flagships expected in 2019 will be the presence of support for fifth generation networks (5G), which have already been tested.

You can find out how to choose the right flagship smartphone, as well as what features they have, from the video presented.

Despite the fact that the bulk of smartphone sales in the world are made up of models in the budget and mid-price segments, the main attention is usually drawn to the release of so-called flagships - the best and most expensive smartphones in the model range of various manufacturers. Flagships are interesting because they primarily implement technical innovations, which then migrate to cheaper devices. The price of flagships from the world's leading brands at the start of sales can exceed a thousand dollars. Those who are unable to pay that kind of money, but want to get their hands on a flagship smartphone, can either wait for the price to drop after a few months or buy last year's flagship, the price of which usually drops after a replacement is released on the market.

This ranking presents the top 10 best flagship smartphones for December 2017. The rating is based on technical characteristics, price-quality ratio and reviews in the Yandex Market (this rule does not apply to new products that have not yet accumulated reviews). The rating includes the flagships of six of(American company Apple, South Korean Samsung and LG, Chinese Huawei and Xiaomi). The top ten global manufacturers also include Chinese brands Oppo, Vivo, TCL, Lenovo, ZTE, but the products of the first three are not represented in Russia. As for Lenovo, this company has been focusing in recent years on the budget segment, and produces flagship models under its subsidiary Motorola brand, which is mainly focused on the American market. ZTE has not yet released a truly bright flagship in 2017. Instead, the ranking includes leading Taiwanese manufacturer ASUS, Chinese brands OnePlus (which is a subsidiary brand of Oppo) and Meizu.

Honor 9 4GB/64GB

The average price in Russia is 19,500 rubles. Buy Honor 9 on AliExpress possible for 18.7 thousand rubles (delivery to Russia is free).

The new flagship of the Huawei sub-brand went on sale on July 6, 2017 and today has received 68% of five reviews in Yandex Market.Number of recommendations in Yandex Market - 83%.

Technical characteristics of the model: 5.15-inch screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, Android 7.0 operating system, 64 GB of permanent and 4 GB of RAM, support for two SIM cards, the slot for the second SIM card is combined with a slot for a memory card up to 256 GB. Battery capacity 3200 mAh. Eight-core Kirin 960 processor of its own design with Mali-G71 MP8 graphics accelerator. Fingerprint scanner on the front panel. Body made of 15 layers of tempered glass.

The cameras are almost the same as the flagship of the main brand Huawei P10: a color dual camera module with a 12-megapixel sensor and an f/2.2 aperture collaborates with a 20-megapixel black and white camera, 2x zoom without loss of quality. The only difference is that there is no optical stabilization. Software stabilization remains, but it copes worse with shaking during video recording and taking photos on the go. At the same time, when shooting under normal conditions, you will not notice any difference in the quality of shooting, so there is little point in overpaying 4.5 thousand for optical stabilization, as well as the logos of Huawei and Leica (which helped develop the camera for Huawei P10) on the body. The front camera, like the Huawei P10, has an 8 megapixel sensor.

9th place.

Huawei Mate 10 Pro 6/128GB

The average price in Russia is 44,700 rubles. You can buy Huawei Mate 10 on AliExpress for 42 thousand rubles (delivery to Russia is free). As of today, the model has scored 71% of fives according to reviews in Yandex Market. The number of recommendations in Yandex Market is 79%.

Huawei has three flagship lines, the eldest of which is the Mate family. At the same time, the cost of the Mate models does not fit into the Chinese standards of affordable prices, although it is worth considering that Huawei is a representative of the top three smartphone manufacturers in the world along with Samsung and Apple, and if you compare the price of the Mate 10 Pro with the flagships of these manufacturers, it is noticeably lower . For example, Apple iPhone X 64GB costs 68 thousand rubles, that is, one and a half times more expensive, and Samsung Galaxy S9+ 128GB costs 54 thousand rubles, that is, 20% more expensive.

Like the Samsung and Apple flagships mentioned above, the Mate 10 Pro, which went on sale in October 2017, follows the trend of almost frameless smartphones, due to which the body is approximately the same as a 5.5-inch smartphone with a 6-inch OLED screen with a resolution of 2160x1080.

Huawei has been collaborating with the famous German camera company Leica in recent years, resulting in some of the best camera quality in the world. This model has a dual main camera, one of the sensors of which has a resolution of 12 megapixels and is responsible for colors, and the second with a resolution of 20 megapixels is monochrome and provides high image clarity. The camera's aperture is a fantastic f/1.6 (the smaller this figure, the better; for comparison: the Galaxy Note 8 has f/1.7, and the 10th iPhone has f/2.4). In practice, this means that low-light photos will be even clearer, and black and white photos will be very expressive. Optical image stabilization should also help with image clarity. In addition, the camera has a 4-in-1 autofocus combo, which greatly reduces the time required to focus. The front camera has an 8 megapixel sensor with f/2.0 aperture. Photo resource Dxomark gave the Huawei flagship camera an average score of 97, 100 points for photography, and 91 points for video.

Other characteristics: Android 8.0 OS, 8-core HiSilicon Kirin 970 processor, 128 GB of internal and 6 GB of RAM, no memory card slot, support for two SIM cards. The battery has a capacity of 4000 mAh, this is one of the best indicators among flagships. There is a fast charging function. There is a fingerprint scanner on the back panel.

At the presentation of this model, the following was said: “The Huawei Mate 10 series introduces the first neural processor with support for artificial intelligence, ushering in the era of smart smartphones.”

Xiaomi Mi Note 3 64Gb - the most inexpensive of the best camera phones

Average price in Russia - 19,980 rubles. Buy Mi Note 3 64Gb on AliExpress possible for 19 thousand rubles (delivery to Russia is free). The phone, introduced in September 2017, has currently scored 79% of five reviews in Yandex Market and received 93% of recommendations for purchase.

Technical characteristics: 5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 1920x1080, 64 GB of internal memory and 6 GB of RAM, 2 SIM cards. Battery capacity 3500 mAh. 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor. There is a fingerprint scanner. Metal body.

The main thing you need to pay attention to in this model is the cameras. Mi Note 3 has 3 cameras: dual main and front. The main cameras produce a 12-megapixel image. One of them is wide-angle with a focal length of 27 mm, f/1.8 aperture and optical stabilization. The second has a focal length of 52 mm, an aperture of f/2.6 and does not have optical stabilization. The second main camera is used for dual optical zoom. The cameras are accompanied by a two-tone flash, allowing for more natural color reproduction when shooting indoors. The front camera received a 16-megapixel matrix from Samsung. Specialists from the photo resource Dxomark gave the Mi Note 3 camera very good marks - 94 points for photography, which corresponds to seventh place. For comparison, the iPhone 8 scored 93 points for photography. The video shooting did not impress the Dxomark editors so much; Mi Note 3 received 82 points for it. The average score was 90, which corresponds to an overall eighth place. For a smartphone costing less than 20 thousand rubles, the result is simply amazing. For comparison: iPhone 8 costs 2 times more, and almost all camera phones from the top ten cost at least 35 thousand rubles (with the exception of HTC U11 EYEs for 25 thousand, which will be discussed above). Therefore, Mi Note 3 is the best choice for those who want a smartphone with a very good camera, but are willing to spend no more than 20 thousand rubles on the purchase.

Meizu Pro 7 Plus 64GB

Buy Meizu Pro 7 Plus 64GB on AliExpress possible for 21.5 thousand rubles (delivery to Russia is free). The older version of the new flagship went on sale in September 2017 and today has received 57% of five reviews in Yandex Market and 84% of recommendations for purchase.

The main thing that distinguishes this model from the entire previous Meizu model range is the second display with a SuperAMOLED matrix with a diagonal of 1.9 inches and a resolution of 240x536 pixels. This display is designed to display information about time, weather and incoming notifications. With it you can take selfies with the main camera. The main display is also SuperAMOLED, 5.7 inches diagonal and 2560x1440 resolution. Technical characteristics: Android 7.0 operating system, 64 GB of storage and 6 GB of RAM, without a slot for an external memory card. Two SIM cards. Battery capacity - 3500 mAh. There is a fingerprint scanner. MediaTek Helio X30 10-core processor. Metal body.

Dual camera 12+12 megapixels. One module is color, the second is monochrome. Aperture at f/2.0 each. The front camera has the same aperture, its resolution is 16 megapixels. It is worth noting that the photographic resource Dxomark was not impressed with the Meizu Pro 7 camera and gave it a slightly higher photography score than the iPhone 6 - 74 points. For comparison: the Xiaomi Mi Note 3 camera (which costs 4 thousand rubles cheaper than the Meizu Pro 7) received 94 points for photography, beating the 8th iPhone.

The technical characteristics are largely the same as in the Meizu Pro 7: a second 1.9-inch 240x536 display, Android 7.0 operating system, 64 GB of permanent memory, without a slot for an external memory card. Two SIM cards. There is a fingerprint scanner. Metal body. Dual camera 12+12 megapixels. Front 16 mp.

Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus 64GB is the most popular smartphone in the Xiaomi catalog

Average price in Russia - 12,500 rubles. Buy Redmi 5 Plus 64GB on AliExpress possible for 10.1 thousand rubles (delivery to Russia is free).

Model from Xiaomi,presented in December 2017 andwhich went on sale in Russia in January 2018, has currently scored 81% of fives according to reviews in Yandex Market and received 95% of recommendations for purchase there.This delight of buyers is easily explained: while leading smartphone manufacturers are trying to conquer the market of frameless models, focusing on the flagship segment, Xiaomi follows this trend in the budget segment (although it is worth noting that in the flagship segment, Xiaomi has a decent frameless model Mi Mix 2), namely in the new Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus. We chose the older model for rating mainly because of its better display.

The first thing you need to notice about the Redmi 5 Plus is the huge 5.99-inch IPS screen. A couple of years ago, a phone with such a screen would have been a shovel for a narrow circle of connoisseurs of such models, but in the era of frameless smartphones, an increase in screen size had virtually no effect on the increase in body size. If we compare the 6-inch Redmi 5 Plus with the standard 5.5-inch Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X, we will see that the Redmi 5 Plus is half a millimeter smaller in width and thickness, only the length has changed, it is 7.5 mm longer, but this means that the Redmi 5 Plus, just like the standard models, will easily fit in your pocket or hand. The resolution is also impressive at 2160x1080, while budget smartphones tend to offer a maximum resolution of 1920x1080.

Other characteristics: Android 7.1 OS with MIUI 9.1 proprietary shell. 64 GB of permanent memory and 4 GB of RAM, there is a slot for a memory card (combined with a slot for a second SIM card). Powerful battery with a capacity of 4000 mAh. 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor. There is a fingerprint scanner. Metal body. Main camera 12 MP, front camera 5 MP.

LG V30 Plus

The average price in Russia is 49,140 rubles.

The flagship of the South Korean manufacturer went on sale in December 2017 and today has received 81% of fives in Yandex Market and 89% of recommendations for purchase.It’s worth saying right away that there is a standard version of the LG V30, and it differs from the “plus” version not in the size of the case, but in the memory capacity, it is half the size, and the price in Russia is no lower, so the “plus” model was chosen for the rating.

The V30+ continues the tradition of a frameless screen, started in the spring of 2017 by the LG G6, while the screen, due to the disappearance of the “LG” inscription from the front panel, has become even larger - 6 inches (in the G6 it was 5.7 inches) with the same QHD+ resolution (2880x1440) . The display matrix has become noticeably better: the LG G6 had IPS, and the new flagship has P-OLED.

Another major improvement over the G6 is the more powerful Snapdragon 835 processor with 4GB of RAM. The volume of built-in memory is 128 GB. Usually, with such a memory capacity, manufacturers do not consider it necessary to support a memory card, but not LG: the V30+ supports a memory card, and even of a fantastic size of 2 GB.

Android 7.1 OS, dual SIM support. Battery 3300 mAh. The battery life in talk mode is 12.2 hours, in standby mode - three and a half days. To fully charge (0-100%) the smartphone will take approximately 1 hour 45 minutes. Fingerprint scanner on the back panel.

The main camera of the LG V30+ has two modules with different focal lengths. The first 16 megapixel sensor received hybrid autofocus (PDAF + laser), optical stabilization and a lens with an excellent f/1.6 aperture. The second is wide-angle with a resolution of 13 megapixels and an aperture of f/1.9. The front camera is underwhelming: the resolution is only 5 megapixels, f/2.2 aperture and 90° viewing angle.

The Dxomark resource gave the LG V30+ a low score - 87 points for photography, not making it into the top 10 best cameras. In blind tests, the LG V30+ performed better: in a comparison of six flagships conducted by the Phonearena resource, the LG V30+ won two out of nine tests, losing only to the iPhone X and sharing second place with the Google Pixel 2 XL. They lost to OnePlus 5T and Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (each of which won only one test), and Huawei Mate 10 Pro (which did not win a single test).

It is worth noting the excellent sound in the headphones even with a standard headset. This is due to the fact that an advanced ESS Saber ES9218P audio chip is installed inside the LG V30+, which includes a 4-channel 32-bit DAC, an amplifier and a harness.

see also

ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom ZE553KL 64Gb - flagship with the most powerful battery

The average price in Russia is 27,000 rubles. Buy ZenFone 3 Zoom ZE553KL on AliExpress possible for 24.2 thousand rubles (delivery to Russia is free). The new flagship in the ZenFone 3 line from the leading Taiwanese manufacturer went on sale in March 2017 and today received 56% of the five reviews in Yandex Market (see. ). The number of recommendations in Yandex Market is 62%.

Technical characteristics: 5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, Android 6.0 operating system, 64 GB of permanent and 4 GB of RAM, there is a slot for a memory card up to 2 TB (combined with a slot for a second SIM card). Battery capacity - 5000 mAh. Battery life in talk mode on 3G networks is up to 48 hours, when browsing websites over a Wi-Fi network up to 25 hours, standby time up to 42 days. ZenFone 3 Zoom supports fast charging technology (10 minutes of recharging will be enough for an additional 5 hours of talk time). 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 MSM8953 processor. There is a fingerprint scanner.

ZenFone 3 Zoom is equipped with two high-quality main cameras. The first, based on the latest Sony IMX362 sensor with large pixels (1.4 microns), has a wide-angle lens with a large aperture (f/1.7) and a 12 megapixel matrix with support for ASUS SuperPixel technology. It is designed for shooting everyday scenes, including in low light. SuperPixel technology allows for a 2.5x improvement in light sensitivity compared to the iPhone 7 Plus. In addition, the camera supports optical and electronic image stabilization to minimize blur when shooting photos and videos, uses a color correction sensor to improve color reproduction, and allows you to record video in 4K/Ultra-HD format. The second of the main cameras - with the same resolution of 12 megapixels and optical zoom of 2.3 times - is used for obtaining high-quality close-up shots. In addition to optical zoom, you can use the digital zoom function, which gives a total image magnification of 12 times. Switching between cameras is instant, and the combination of the two produces stunning depth of field—and professional-looking photos. In manual camera mode, ZenFone 3 Zoom allows you to customize many different photography settings, such as white balance, exposure value, focal length, ISO level and shutter speed.

ZenFone 3 Zoom features ASUS TriTech+ Triple AF system, which includes dual-pixel phase detection autofocus technology similar to that found in DSLR cameras. Phase sensors for focusing are contained in each pixel of the photosensitive matrix, which ensures the fastest and most accurate focusing, even for moving objects. In addition, the ASUS TriTech+ system includes tracking autofocus (for both photos and video) and laser autofocus that fires in just 0.03 seconds.

On its official website, ASUS posted comparative photos of ZenFone 3 Zoom and iPhone 7 Plus, which show that ZenFone 3 Zoom demonstrates better shooting in panorama mode, better color rendition, and copes better with night photography and macro photography.

In a blind comparison test between cameras of flagship smartphones and the Canon 5D Mark II DSLR, conducted in June 2017 among readers of hi-tech.mail.ru, ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom took 4th place, beating the DSLR camera, as well as the best in the world ( according to the authoritative resource Dxomark) smartphone camera HTC U11. The editors of hi-tech.mail.ru commented on this: “ZenFone 3 Zoom surprised. The smartphone does not belong to the premium category, but readers liked its bright photographs.”

ZenFone 3 Zoom has a high-quality front camera with a 13-megapixel Sony IMX214 sensor and ASUS SuperPixel technology, which further doubles light sensitivity. When shooting in low light conditions, the smartphone screen turns bright white, acting as a flash. Combined with software features like Portrait Enhancement and 140-degree Panoramic Selfies, this camera lets you take highly detailed, great-quality self-portraits—and with all your friends in the frame.

Listening to music with ZenFone 3 Zoom immerses you in a world of sounds that regular smartphones simply can't reproduce - because only ZenFone 3 Zoom supports SonicMaster 3 technology and is certified for high-resolution audio playback.

As we can see, this smartphone has no weak points at all. Typically, flagships suffer from a very average battery, while the powerful battery of the ZenFone 3 Zoom allows you to work without recharging twice as long as the iPhone 7 or Samsung Galaxy S8, while its price is half the price.

ZenFone 3 Zoom takes third place in .

see also

Apple iPhone X 64GB

Average price in Russia -68,000 rubles. The tenth iPhone (X in this case represents the Roman numeral 10) went on sale on November 3, 2017 and today has scored 58% of five reviews in Yandex Market. The number of recommendations in Yandex Market is 64%.

This year the iPhone celebrates its 10th anniversary: ​​the first iPhone went on sale on June 29, 2007. Apple, which in recent years has been offering customers the same eggs, only in profile, finally decided to release something fundamentally new to the market, and it was successful, however, a significant part of the innovations was simply repeated by Android manufacturers, and the rest turned out to be ambiguous. Firstly, the iPhone X received a frameless screen, and even with an OLED matrix. However, this is new only for iPhones, since the frameless display first appeared back in the spring on the Samsung Galaxy S8, and the Galaxy Note 8, which went on sale in September, also has it. As for the OLED display, it is not original, but made by Samsung, and, apparently, Samsung left the best displays for its models, and sold it to Apple with worse quality, since after the release of the iPhone X, users began to complain about screen flickering when the brightness was reduced. The design of the front panel above Apple had the spirit of Samsung in the air, because... if you arrange everything in the best possible way, you will get an exact copy of the Samsung flagships. Apparently for this reason, a strange inclusion in the screen appeared on top of the front panel, which users called a “codpiece”, “beard” or “unibrow”, and it is not convenient to view content in all applications, because the unibrow sometimes creeps up on him. But now it’s very easy to distinguish the iPhone X from all other smartphones.

Samsung has introduced three types of unlocking in its new flagships: the usual fingerprint scanner, face scanning and iris scanning. Apple acted more radically, removed the fingerprint scanner and left only a face scanner, which creates a three-dimensional model of the face and then learns to recognize its owner in new images. But this function has two disadvantages. Firstly, the system does not understand the fact of growing up in children and one day it will stop recognizing them. Therefore, Apple does not recommend using the tenth iPhone for children under 13 years of age. Secondly, facial recognition will not be able to distinguish between twins, so the tenth iPhone is also not recommended for those who have twin brothers or sisters. And also to those who have children similar to them. Available on YouTube video of a 10-year-old boy unlocking his mom's iPhone just by looking at it.

The edge-to-edge display leaves no room for physical buttons. Samsung simply made the buttons touch sensitive. Apple, instead of following a successful example, chose a not very convenient option: gesture control. As a result, using the phone with one hand became impossible in many situations.

When looking at the back panel, you can also immediately distinguish the 10th iPhone from all the others, because The camera block is located not horizontally, but vertically. In this case, the block protrudes so much that the phone cannot lie flat on the table. The problem can only be solved by purchasing a cover. Now about the cameras themselves: they are almost the same as in the iPhone 8 Plus: dual main 12 MP and front 7 MP. At the same time, the aperture was improved from f/2.8 to f/2.4, dual stabilization was introduced, and a portrait mode was added when taking selfies. The Dxomark resource gave the iPhone X camera an average score of 97 (third place after Samsung Galaxy S9+ and Google Pixel 2): ​​101 points for photography (second place afterSamsung Galaxy S9+) and 89 points for video shooting.

Other characteristics: 5.8-inch screen (actually smaller, since the black notch eats up part of the screen space) with a resolution of 2436x1125 pixels, iOS 11 operating system, 64 GB of storage and 3 GB of RAM, support for one SIM card. The smartphone does not support an external memory card. Battery capacity 2716 mAh. 6-core Apple A11 Bionic processor. Case material - glass. Like other recent iPhones, there is no standard headphone jack, no support for a memory card or a second SIM card.

To summarize, we can say that the iPhone X is a technologically advanced phone that cannot be confused with any other, but some innovations are unique to Apple (since they already exist on Android), while others are ambiguous and do not always lead to user convenience. The high price also does not add to its attractiveness, and the reviews for this model are the worst in our rating. Therefore, the iPhone X is clearly not worthy of first place.

OnePlus 5T 64GB is the most powerful smartphone in the world

The average price in Russia is 32,000 rubles. Buy OnePlus 5T on Aliexpress possible for 29.4 thousand rubles (delivery to Russia is free).

This model, which went on sale in December 2017, is the successor to the OnePlus 5 and differs from its predecessor primarily in the recently fashionable almost frameless screen. The replacement in the form of OnePlus 5T turned out to be very worthy: today this model has 83% of five reviews in Yandex Market, 95% of recommendations for purchase and is the most popular model in the OnePlus catalog.

OnePlus 5T received a 6-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2160x1080. In comparison with OnePlus 5, which had a diagonal of 5.5 inches, the dimensions of the case (it is made of metal, as in OnePlus 5) have remained virtually unchanged: it has increased only 1 mm in width and 2 mm in height. This was achieved by moving the fingerprint scanner from the front panel to the back and generally more efficient use of the front panel.

Android 7.1 OS, support for two SIM cards (of which only the first one supports 4G LTE, and the second only 3G), 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. 64 GB of permanent memory and 6 GB of RAM. If OnePlus 5 was the most powerful Android smartphone in the world, then OnePlus 5T, judging by the tests of several video bloggers, is the most powerful smartphone not only among Android models, but also surpasses the iPhone X. For example, a test on the EverythingApplePro YouTube channel demonstrated that While the tenth iPhone launched one application, the OnePlus 5T launched six.

OnePlus 5T received a battery with a capacity of 3300 mAh, like OnePlus 5. Like its predecessor, OnePlus 5T, despite the average battery capacity, shows good battery life, comparable and even superior to models with a battery of at least 4000 mAh . For example, the OnePlus 5T has a reading time of 19 hours and 20 minutes, which is 20 minutes longer than the Xiaomi Mi Mix with a 4400 mAh battery and an hour longer than the Huawei Mate 10 Pro with a 4000 mAh battery. If we compare OnePlus 5T with Samsung Galaxy Note 8, which has a battery with the same capacity, then OnePlus 5T outperforms its competitor quite significantly, working 4 hours 20 minutes longer in reading mode and 2.5 hours in video mode.

Fast charging is still just as fast: in 30 minutes, the OnePlus 5T charges up to 57%, which is enough for a day of use. It takes 1 hour and 10 minutes to charge a smartphone from 0 to 100%.

The 5T has a dual photo module consisting of a 16-megapixel Sony IMX 398 sensor and a second 20-megapixel Sony IMX 376. Both sensors are equipped with optics with an f/1.7 aperture. If in OnePlus 5 the second main sensor was used for 2x optical zoom, now it serves for better shooting in low light conditions. The front camera is equipped with a 16-megapixel Sony IMX371 sensor, supports auto-retouching and allows you to use light from the screen instead of flash.

OnePlus 5T has a face recognition feature that works in 0.4 seconds. However, for security reasons, facial recognition cannot be used for payments.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 64GB - the flagship with the largest screen

Average price in Russia - 54,450 rubles.

Samsung's autumn flagship went on sale on September 15, 2017 and today has scored 70% of the five stars according to reviews in Yandex Market. The number of recommendations in Yandex Market is 83%.

Samsung has made it a rule to release two flagships a year: in the spring, the flagship of the Galaxy S family, and closer to the fall, a more advanced flagship of the Galaxy Note family with a stylus. However, last year the Galaxy Note 7 was withdrawn from sales shortly after they began due to battery problems, so the new flagship Galaxy Note 8 was actually the first in its class in two years.

Samsung in its new flagship follows the recent trend towards large screens, while being one step ahead of its competitors. While Apple in the 10th iPhone came to the need to increase the diagonal to 5.8 inches (as in the spring Galaxy S8), the Galaxy Note 8 received a fantastic diagonal of 6.3 inches (the resolution is also impressive: 2960x1440). It has become slightly larger in body size than the Galaxy S8: width 7.5 cm versus 6.8, height 16.2 cm versus 14.9, but due to the competent use of screen area (it is frameless, like in the Galaxy S8) the dimensions and the weight of the glass-metal body are comparable to the classic 5.5-inch models of competitors. For example, the Apple iPhone 8 Plus with a 5.5-inch screen is 0.3 cm wider and 7 grams heavier than the Galaxy Note 8, although the latter is 0.4 cm longer. The quality of the AMOLED display itself deserves all praise: the authoritative resource DisplayMate claims that the Galaxy Note 8 has "the most innovative and high-performance screen the site has ever tested."

If from the front the Galaxy Note 8 differs from the Galaxy S8 only in the size of the body, then when looking at the back panel these models definitely cannot be confused. Samsung followed another trend in the new flagship: it used a dual main camera for the first time (the Galaxy S8 still had one main camera). The first camera is wide-angle, with a focal length of 26 mm and an aperture of f/1.7. The second is a narrow TV camera with 52 mm. This roughly corresponds to the viewing angle of the human eye, so it is also suitable for taking portraits without distorting perspective. Both modules have a resolution of 12 megapixels. Both modules have optical stabilization (the same technique was later repeated by the iPhone X). Now you can shoot smooth videos and sharp photos not only in normal mode, but also with 2x optical zoom. The Dxomark resource named the Galaxy Note 8 the best smartphone for zoom (enlarging the image when shooting). For example, according to this indicator, it received 66 points versus 58 for the iPhone X. Samsung added a “dynamic focus” function for the second camera. By turning it on, you can adjust the amount of background blur before and after releasing the shutter. In this case, the smartphone saves photos from both cameras. The front camera of the Galaxy Note 8 has the same aperture as the main one - f/1.7, resolution 8 megapixels.

Now about the stylus, which comes included and distinguishes the Galaxy Note 8 from other flagships. What is it for? Draw, write down reminders, make notes on photos. You don't even need to unlock the screen to write and edit notes. In addition, by pressing with the stylus, you can translate words in a foreign language text. Of course, most people will rarely need a stylus, but for creative people it will be a real boon.

Galaxy Note 8 has 64 GB of internal memory, as well as support for an external memory card up to 256 GB (iPhone X does not support memory cards), but you will have to choose what to insert into the tray: a second SIM card or a memory card. The 8-core Samsung Exynos 9 8895 processor, coupled with 6 GB of RAM, makes the Note 8 the second most powerful Android smartphone in the world (the first is OnePlus 5).

After the failure with the batteries of the Galaxy Note 7 in the new flagship, Samsung decided not to experiment with this component and equipped the phone with a standard 3300 mAh battery, this allows the Note 8 to work 22 hours in talk mode and 74 hours in music listening mode. There is a fast charging function. Half an hour at the outlet, and the battery will last for 3-4 hours. Charging from 0 to 100% will take 1 hour 41 minutes.

There are three types of unlocking: the usual fingerprint scanner, face scanning and iris scanning. At the same time, the fingerprint scanner located on the rear panel will be more convenient for men, because... It will not be very convenient for women to reach it due to the size of the case.

It’s obvious that even after the release of the iPhone X, the Galaxy Note 8 remains the best smartphone in the world. A lot has already been said about technical differences, now let’s compare reviews, recommendations and prices for the two main flagships of the fall: Galaxy Note 8 scores 69% of fives in Yandex Market vs. 55% for the iPhone, the number of recommendations in Yandex Market is even more in favor of Samsung: 71% versus 43%, while the price of the Galaxy Note 8 is 16.4 thousand rubles less than the iPhone X.

Those buyers who are interested in smartphones constantly hear the word flagship. Recently, it has often been heard on TV screens and used in reviews of mobile phones. Of course, an advanced user immediately understands what we are talking about, but a simple person does not. Let's figure out what a flagship smartphone is and how it differs from a regular gadget. The article will also provide a description of several models that occupy leading positions in the 2017 ranking.

The concept of "flagship"

If we consider this word as a term, then it was first used in the navy. The flagship was the main vessel from which command was exercised. Currently, this term has become often used for mobile gadgets. Sometimes manufacturers even abuse this word.

If there are several new models in the product range, then the most expensive one with top technical equipment will be considered prestigious. Its performance, battery life, screen resolution, cameras, etc. are evaluated.

So what is a flagship smartphone? First of all, the device must be unique. As a rule, developers use non-standard solutions that add a unique twist. Before the start of sales, the manufacturer organizes a large-scale advertising campaign, which increases the demand for the gadget. Vivid examples are the flagships from Apple or Samsung, which create a real sensation.

Rating of flagships 2017

In order not to be unfounded and to show what a flagship smartphone is, it is necessary to consider several models of gadgets. In 2017, well-known global brands are still in the lead. Of course it's Apple. It has never happened before that an Apple company has weakened its position in the global market. This manufacturer has a worthy competitor. We are talking about a fairly well-known Korean company. Flagship models of Samsung smartphones have been leading the ratings for several years now. Another well-known brand is added to them - LG. Of course, other companies regularly release attractive flagships, but the top 3 included the following smartphones:

• iPhone 8;
• Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus;
• LG G6.

Let's look at their characteristics in more detail.

iPhone 8

The ranking of flagship smartphones will be opened by another gadget from Apple. The company does not develop devices for the middle and budget classes, so each model can safely bear the title of “flagship”. In 2017, according to experts and users, the iPhone 8 was the best. Despite some features, this model still rightfully takes first place thanks to its own iOS operating system, the Apple Store and excellent technical characteristics. The developers used protection that complies with the international standard IP67. The screen diagonal is small - 4.7 inches. Type - Retina HD. The resolution is decent - 1334 × 750 px. Density - 326 ppi. This smartphone features True Tone technology, which automatically adjusts the white balance depending on the lighting. The “heart” of the gadget is the A11 Bionic processor. It is based on six cores that operate on a 4x2 principle. The first ones are responsible for efficiency, the remaining ones are responsible for productivity. There is only two gigabytes of RAM, but all applications, even the most demanding ones, work perfectly. The main indicator of the performance of any gadget is games. This model simply “flies” when running World of Tanks Blitz at the highest settings.

The cost of the iPhone 8, of course, is also flagship. There are two modifications available on the Russian market. They differ in the amount of integrated memory. For a version with 64 GB you will have to pay about 53 thousand rubles, and for a device with 256 GB - more than 65 thousand rubles.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus

The flagship smartphone Samsung Galaxy S8 was supposed to restore the company's reputation after the failure of Note 7. And, it is worth noting, the Korean manufacturer succeeded. Non-standard solutions were used for the flagship, which attracted the attention of the buyer. This model is available in two versions. The “younger” is equipped with a 5.8-inch screen, and for the “older” with the Plus prefix, the developers chose a display with a diagonal of 6.2 inches. It is this element that has become the “feature” of the smartphone. In both the first and second cases, the screen is made using SuperAMOLED technology. The resolution corresponds to Quad HD+ quality. The performance of the device is ensured by top content. The ultra-powerful Exynos 8895 chipset is responsible for its performance. The characteristics are supplemented with 4 gigabytes of RAM. The developers have integrated 64 GB storage, which can be increased up to 256 GB using a flash card. The optics are represented by 12 and 8 megapixel modules with f/1.7 aperture. A 3000 mAh battery is responsible for autonomy (in the Plus version - 3500 mAh). In talk mode, the device operates for 20-24 hours on a single charge.

Sales of the Korean flagship started in the spring of 2017. For the standard version they ask for about 55 thousand rubles, and the S8 Plus will cost about 5 thousand more.

LG G6

In order to understand what a flagship smartphone is, it is enough to study the characteristics of the G6 model from LG. This gadget has some similarities with the Samsung Galaxy S8. The huge 5.7-inch screen has become the hallmark of the smartphone. It occupies almost the entire front panel. The manufacturer has applied the IP68 protection standard. Under the body lies a powerful Snapdragon 821 chipset. RAM is 4 GB, and built-in storage is 64 GB. The device copes with all tasks perfectly. A dual 13+13 megapixel module is used as the main camera. It would be unnecessary to talk about the quality of the photographs. Such a flagship in Russia is displayed in stores with a price tag of 52 thousand rubles.