The best smartphone firms. The best Android smartphones according to customer reviews Which Android smartphone to buy

The huge range of smartphones on the market makes it difficult to choose them, since not all of them can boast of high-quality performance. We analyzed the current offers on the market and ranked the best phones in terms of build quality, sound, performance and a number of other parameters. Among them there are both inexpensive models and mobiles of average cost and premium class. Having studied this TOP, you can quickly find the right and good device.

• Samsung - a major manufacturer of telephony, computer and household appliances. The main office of the company is located in South Korea. It has both budget lines and premium models, Galaxy flagships. The company focuses on functionality and high build quality of devices, but does not pursue innovations.
• Lg electronics - Samsung's main competitor in the South Korean and Asian markets. The brand's lineup is extremely rich, there are many models with an optimal ratio of cost and quality. The company attracts by the presence of technological "filling" and original design of products.
• Xiaomi Is a Chinese company specializing in the production of smartphones in the middle price range and at the same time with good quality. Premium models are rare here. The manufacturer pays special attention to cameras, recently he began to equip his mobile phones with their dual type.
• Apple - the smartphones of this American company symbolize success, status and popularity. Recently, there has been a tendency to reduce the cost of the company's devices and simplify them, but no one cancels the quality of components and the modernity of technologies.
• Huawei Is another fairly well-known Chinese brand that offers a wide range of smartphones at an average price - from 10,000 to 60,000 rubles. They are of interest to buyers because of their manufacturability, convenience and practicality, rare marriages, they work without lags for a long time.

Rating of the best phones by quality

This TOP is based on user reviews and expert opinions. When selecting candidates, we took into account the following nuances:

• Weight and dimensions;
• Design and color;
• Functionality;
• The convenience of use;
• Price;
• The country of manufacture;
• Diagonal and display quality;
• Build quality;
• The number of pixels for cameras and other multimedia capabilities;
• Simplicity of the menu;
• What the body is made of;
• Convenience of the interface;
• The novelty and type of processor, the number of cores;
• Performance;
• Volume and clarity of sound;
• Equipment;
• Battery capacity and operating time in various modes;
• Charging methods;
• The level of protection against water and dust;
• Built-in memory;
• The number of SIM cards.

Good inexpensive phones up to 10,000 rubles

This is a worthy representative of the line of quite powerful and at the same time inexpensive smartphones. Users choose this model for its impeccable build quality and reliable components, which together make it virtually indestructible. Buyers also note his nimbleness. Fresh Android 6.0, large amount of RAM (1.5 GB) and 4 cores ensure fast and stable performance. It will not be superfluous to mention the estimate of Roskachestvo at 3.655 points.

The back cover of the gadget is not slippery, the phone does not fall out of hands, and even with a diagonal of 5 inches, you need to try to do this. The smooth and neat edges of the mobile phone are comfortable in the palm of your hand. Its main feature is a long-lasting 2600mAh battery that can last up to two days. Nothing extra is installed in the OS. The camera is not of particular interest here, it was limited to 5 or 8 MP.

Advantages:

• The presence of a connector for OTG;
• Light;
• Looks stylish;
• Loud noise;
• Good performance;
• "Pulls" toys.

Disadvantages:

• Not the most convenient slot for the main SIM card;
• System files take up a lot of space;
• Fingerprints remain.

The inexpensive and high-quality Samsung Galaxy J2 Prime SM-G532F phone has clear settings, a pleasant interface, and a competent menu organization.

average price: 5900 rub.

LG X Power K220DS

With the release of this model, LG further strengthened its position in the smartphone market, as it released a modern, powerful gadget. It has an optimal size of 5.3 inches and fits comfortably in the hand. The reliable MediaTek MT6735 processor in the device predetermined good performance and a good set of functions. The device has everything that music lovers need - FM radio, MP3, loud sound. The 13MP camera takes pictures with good detail.

The main plus of the LG X power K220DS mobile phone is a capacious 4100 mAh battery, which allows you to charge your phone less often. If necessary, this can be done faster than usual using the fast charge function. Buyers speak positively about the built-in memory of 16 GB, which allows you to do without a card. Selfie fans appreciate the ability to capture by hand gesture.

Advantages:

• Fast work;
• In quiet mode, it holds a charge for 3-4 days;
• High build quality;
• Large, bright display
• Excellent usability;
• Convenient operating system;
• The ability to connect a flash drive.

Disadvantages:

• Common slot for a SIM card and a memory card;
• The location of the mono speaker on the back of the case.

Average price: 7000 rubles.

The best phones for quality up to 15,000 rubles

The new representative of the Galaxy series, which has become a worthy continuation of it due to modernity. An 8-core processor has been successfully used here, the amount of internal memory has been increased to 32 GB and a 13-megapixel main camera with a flash is built in, which takes good photos. The front one also works properly, it will work out without problems to talk on Skype or vibe, the interlocutor is heard well thanks to loud speakers.

Experienced gadget lovers will appreciate the novelty with high performance and stunning color reproduction. The smartphone does not have the usual mechanical button under the screen, the front panel is smooth, the device is made in a minimalistic style. Conveniently, you do not need to remove the second SIM card if you need to install a memory card. But the lack of a brightness control sensor is a little disappointing, the backlight needs to be adjusted manually.

Advantages:

• Latest Android 8.0 operating system;
• 4G availability;
• Nice design;
• Not strongly felt in the hand;
• Face recognition function.

Disadvantages:

• Heats up during calls;
• 4G signal reception is not the most confident.

The reviews write that on an inexpensive and high-quality phone "Samsung Galaxy J6" you can play various games without freezing, but you will have to sacrifice the effects.

average price: 12 600 rub.

This is a real discovery among the models in the middle price range. The manufacturer focuses on the quality of assembly and components. There is a pleasant opinion about the metal, almost "indestructible" case, which is increasingly rare. Due to its thinness and rounded edges, the gadget is pleasant and comfortable to hold in the hand, despite the 5.5-inch diagonal above average.

Buyers of the Xiaomi Mi A1 64GB smartphone like the wide range of brightness and good viewing angles, calm color reproduction and protection of the screen with shock-resistant glass, which increases its service life. The gadget works flawlessly even with the simultaneous opening of several applications, and it can handle almost any games, however, the graphics quality in them leaves much to be desired. The device perfectly implements the portrait mode, but when shooting at night and in bad weather, even a dual camera of 12 MP each does not significantly improve the photo quality.

Advantages:

• High screen resolution - 1920 × 1080;
• Dual camera;
• Excellent value for money and quality;
• The camera makes great portraits;
• Double zoom;
• Updated Android;
• Efficiency of work;
• A powerful processor that does not "eat up" the charge.

Disadvantages:

• The inability to turn off the backlight of the navigation buttons;
• Little noise in low impedance headphones.

In reviews of the Xiaomi Mi A1 64GB mobile phone, buyers point to a deep, clear and powerful sound from the speakers, but with headphones the situation is somewhat different. A well-deserved top five can be given for a decent 3080 mAh battery, working in mixed mode for more than 30 hours, but games quickly drain him.

Average price:RUB 10,000

The best phones with good quality under 20,000 rubles

The range of models costing 15,000-20,000 rubles. the most diverse and interesting, here you can already count on some "chips" and technological delights. This is evidenced by the 3 models included in this category.

With the release of this model of the smartphone, the popular company Apple did not hit its face in the mud, but did not offer anything new either. In terms of its characteristics, the smartphone is average, with good build quality and the same functionality. A 12 MP camera, a fingerprint scanner, a 1624 mAh battery are hidden in a compact metal and glass case. At the same time, the device weighs only 113 g and is not felt in the pocket. The screen is small and is clearly aimed at women, as evidenced by 4 inches and white.

The model of the smartphone "Apple iPhone SE 32GB" is traditionally equipped with a proximity sensor, which during a conversation allows you not to accidentally drop a call due to the automatic screen lock. Thanks to NFC, you can exchange information with other devices over a short distance. The built-in memory of 32 GB is enough to store it. In the talk mode the smartphone can withstand up to 14 hours, while listening to music - up to 15 hours, and "resting" - over 10 days.

Advantages:

• Nice headphones complete with a remote control;
• High performance;
• Convenient size;
• Reliable case;
• Well-developed interface.

Disadvantages:

• There is no slot for a second SIM card;
• Rear camera only;
• Not the strongest front-facing camera at 1.2 million megapixels;
• Individual charging;
• Lack of memory card slot.

Apple iPhone SE 32GB inherits the characteristics of its predecessor, the iPhone 6s, and the design is almost completely copied from the Phone 5s. The manufacturer pursued the goal of making a similar option for budget buyers, which he quite succeeded.

average price: 19 600 rub.

Samsung Galaxy A6 + 32GB

The novelty from Samsung has received a rear dual camera at 16 and 5 MP, a large 6-inch screen, a reliable metal case. Its sleek, ergonomic shape is comfortable for the hand, but you can't handle it alone. Due to the matte finish, prints are practically invisible. There are no complaints about the build quality, no backlash was noticed. The fingerprint reader is conveniently located right in the center and works the first time.

The gadget is functional and interesting partly because it is personalized - another person cannot unlock the screen without the owner. The large size of the display allows you to comfortably use it for Internet access. The ambient light sensor prevents eye fatigue thanks to automatic adjustment. The autonomy of the device is excellent, with a capacity of 3500 mAh it can work stably for more than two days. The performance is excellent, the games are good.

Advantages:

• High screen resolution - 2220 × 1080;
• The amount of RAM - 3 GB;
• 3500 mAh battery;
• Front camera with 24 million pixels;
• 8 processor cores;
• Powerful flashlight;
• Android 8.

Disadvantages:

• The case will not be superfluous due to the slipperiness of the case;
• Old type of charging connector;
• Not the best external speaker sound;
• Not protected from water and dust.

Some discomfort when using the Samsung Galaxy A6 smartphone is caused by the rest of the fingers on the lower side keys when using the upper ones.

average price: 19 500 rub.

This is a simple, but extremely interesting representative of the Huawei phone line, positioned as a flagship. The device is pleasant to use because of the sloping side edges, non-slippery metal-glass body. But for the same reason, scratches may remain on it. Fingerprints on the lid remain, but faint, and are almost invisible on black. The gadget measures 148 × 71 × 7.4 mm, 5.84 inches diagonal and fits securely in the palm of your hand. The phone does not make noise during conversation, the sound is clear, it is comfortable to hold it near the ear.

The operating time of the Huawei P20 Lite model on a single charge is standard - about 25 hours when using the Internet. Power saving mode allows to slightly increase the "life" of the 3000 mAh battery. 16/2 MP dual cameras capture details more clearly, but at night they do not help to get perfect photos. This is the clear leader in our rating of phones in terms of quality - in particular, in terms of built-in (64 GB) and RAM (4 GB), so you can expect stable operation from it.

Advantages:

• NFC availability;
• Face recognition;
• Large selection of settings and their flexibility;
• Slim body;
• Ease;
• Fast charging;
• Good color rendering.

Disadvantages:

• Protruding rear cameras;
• Not the best headphones included;
• Non-removable middle battery;
• The combination of a slot for a SIM card and a memory card.

Huawei didn’t pay too much, equipping the “P20” smartphone, equipping it with a charger, headphones, USB-cable, screen protector and case, a card ejecting tool.

average price: 15 490 rub.

Nice expensive premium smartphones

These phones include the flagships of the leading companies in the mobile device market - Huawei, Samsung, Apple. They have both unusual design and “tasty” filling.

The phone deserves the title of the best in all important criteria - reliability, quality, convenience. It is definitely worth the money. Its popularity was facilitated by a large battery capacity of 4000 mAh, simply huge, as for our time, the volume of internal memory of 128 GB, a super-powerful front (24 million megapixels) and a rear camera, the latter is generally double at 40/20 MP. For the quality of the photo, the device can be awarded 95 out of 100 points.

The manufacturer copied its competitor Apple, using glass and glossy metal in the design. The housing is protected from moisture and dust, which along with durable materials increases the service life. The dimensions of the smartphone are large, the screen has a diagonal of 6.1 inches, fits in the hand, but it is not very convenient to operate it alone. The battery provides good autonomy, up to 2 days of operation, but the device heats up a little during games.

Advantages:

• New OS - Android 8.1;
• The ability to shoot slow motion video;
• Nice portrait mode
• Clear shots in motion;
• Reliable monochrome sensor
• Convenient automatic screen brightness adjustment;
• You can work with gloves.

Disadvantages:

• No memory card slot;
• Lack of a button to quickly launch the camera;
• There is no xenon flash;
• Friction may be felt due to the not strongest oleophobic coating.

According to reviews of the flagship Huawei P20 Pro, its camera remains unrivaled, and super-fast charging along with a powerful battery only increase the hype around it.

average price: RUB 33,500

This is one of the top Samsung smartphones included in our ranking of cell phones for quality due to its technical simplicity and practicality. The company this time offered a 5.8-inch display, which is slightly above average. "Chips" of this model - customizable color rendition, support for HDR10 and Always-On, which saves battery life. Image detail is at a height due to the good quality of the matrix with excellent resolution at 2960 × 1440 and normal viewing angles.

This model again uses the increased display sensitivity mode, which allows the device to more confidently perform tasks. The OS Android 8.0 Oreo installed here allows you to abandon the "native" settings and programs of the gadget. The device bribes motorists with the support of the landscape-orientation launcher. The battery capacity is average, 3000 mAh, it is enough for 1-2 days of active work.

Advantages:

• Wireless charging function;
• Fast battery recharge;
• Iris scanner;
• Good performance;
• Smart Wi-Fi;
• The presence of a cover in the box.

Disadvantages:

• The location of the volume button on the left side;
• In low light, the camera gives off yellowness.

average price: RUB 31,450

This is one of the highest quality smartphones from Apple with good stuffing and characteristics. Compared to competitors, it is primarily distinguished by a functional 12 MP camera, which allows you to shoot in various modes - portrait light, stage lighting, etc. The TrueTone screen is bright enough, with excellent viewing angles and a convenient 4.7-inch diagonal.

Apple iPhone 8 leads in over 15 hours of battery life and fast and wireless charging. The battery is not the most powerful, but efficiency is provided by the new 6-core processor. The device is reliably protected from splashes of water and dust, has a stylish glass body and a low weight of 148 g, although a little slippery.

Advantages:

• Excellent sound quality;
• Clear camera photos;
• Strong glass;
• Fast touchpad;
• Nice OS;
• Excellent build quality;
• High-quality communication.

Disadvantages:

• Not thin frames;
• Water resistant according to the old standard;
• Space for only one SIM card.

Average price:RUB 32 600

Which is the best quality phone to buy

An important criterion for choosing a smartphone is battery capacity. If you do not plan to play on the phone, often listen to music and surf the Internet a lot, then good inexpensive mobile phones up to 3000 mAh will be enough. For the tasks listed earlier, more powerful gadgets will be needed, and it is desirable that they have more than two cores in the processor. Those wishing to take photos with a smartphone should choose options with a camera of at least 12 MP.

Before you finally decide on the choice, you should pay attention to the following tips:

• For selfie fans, the Huawei P20 Pro is the best choice.
• For active calls and listening to music, you can choose the Huawei P20 Lite with a capacious battery.
• Gamers should pay special attention to the gadget "Samsung Galaxy A6" and "Samsung Galaxy J6" 2018 release.
• For those who want to emphasize their high status and have a large budget, a good choice would be Apple iPhone SE or Apple iPhone 8 64GB.
• Teenagers can get the Xiaomi Mi A1 64GB, which works great and is not very expensive.
• Those who drive a lot should look at the Samsung Galaxy S9.
• For women, the LG X power K220DS and the Samsung Galaxy J2 Prime SM-G532F in white are ideal.

Despite the fact that the bulk of smartphone sales in the world falls on models of the budget and mid-price segment, the main attention is usually riveted by the release of the so-called flagships - the best and most expensive smartphones in the lineup of various manufacturers. The flagships are interesting in that they primarily implement technical innovations, which then migrate to cheaper devices. The price of flagships from leading global brands at the start of sales can exceed a thousand dollars. Those who are not able to pay that kind of money, but want to get their hands on a flagship smartphone, can either wait for the price reduction after a few months or buy last year's flagship, the price of which usually drops after a replacement enters the market.

This ranking presents the top 10 best flagship smartphones for spring 2019. The rating is compiled according to technical characteristics, price-quality ratio and reviews in the Yandex-market (this rule does not apply to new items that have not yet received reviews). The ranking includes the flagships of six of the top 10 leading smartphone manufacturers in the world (American company Apple, South Korean Samsung and LG, Chinese Huawei, Xiaomi, ZTE). The top ten global manufacturers also include Chinese brands Oppo, Vivo, TCL and Lenovo, but the products of the first three are not represented in Russia, and as for Lenovo, this company has focused in recent years on the budget segment, and produces flagship models under a subsidiary brand Motorola. which is focused mainly on the American market. Instead of Oppo, Vivo, TCL and Lenovo, the ranking includes leading Taiwanese manufacturers ASUS and HTC and the Chinese brand OnePlus.

10 Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X 32Gb

The average price in Russia is 10,000 rubles. You can buy Redmi Note 4X on Aliexpress for 8.7 thousand rubles. The flagship of the mega-popular Redmi Note family of the Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi, presented at the end of January 2019, scored 72% of the top fives in reviews in the Yandex Market (see reviews about Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X). Last year's flagship of this family, Redmi Note 3 Pro, became the most popular Android smartphone in the world, Russia, India and some other countries at the end of 2017 (see The most popular smartphones in Russia in 2017).

Specifications Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X: 5.5-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, Android 6.0 operating system, 32 GB of constant and 3 GB of RAM, there is a slot for a memory card up to 128 GB (combined with a slot for a second SIM card ). The main camera is 13 megapixels, the front one is 5 megapixels. Battery capacity 4100 mAh. 8-core processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 MSM8953, 2000 MHz. Video processor Adreno 506. There is a fingerprint scanner. Metal case with plastic inserts on the top and bottom of the rear panel.

If we compare this model with last year's flagships of the family (winter Redmi Note 3 Pro and summer Redmi Note 4), then thanks to the new processor and graphics chip, Redmi Note 4X has added autonomy and performance, and thanks to the new Sony IMX258 camera module, the shooting quality has noticeably improved. Apparently, Redmi Note 4X will become one of the most popular models of 2019 (and the most popular phone in the Xiaomi catalog today, Redmi Note 4X has already become), which is facilitated by the excellent combination of "price-quality", which is what Xiaomi is famous for.

9 Apple iPhone 7 Plus 32Gb

The average price is 48,900 rubles. The flagship from the iconic American company went on sale at the end of September 2017. Apple iPhone 7 Plus has two more varieties: with 128 GB of internal memory and 256 GB. But for the rating, the model with 32 GB was selected. this amount of memory is quite enough for the average user, moreover, this type is the most affordable.

iPhone 7 Plus 32gb scored 50% of the fives in reviews in Yandex-Market (see reviews of Apple iPhone 7 Plus).

Specifications Apple iPhone 7 Plus 32Gb: the latest operating system iOS 10 (sixth iPhones had iOS 9), 5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 1920x1080, 32 GB of internal memory and 3 GB of RAM. Like all iPhones, there is no support for an external memory card and there is no support for a second SIM card. The battery capacity is 2900 mAh. Talk time - 21 hours, standby time - 384 hours, listening to music - 60 hours. There is water protection.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus ranks second in performance (after HTC U11) in AnTuTu study in June 2019.

iPhone 7 Plus has a dual main camera (2 modules of 12 megapixels). Compared to the sixth iPhone, the aperture has been improved to f / 1.8 (formerly f / 2.2), which allowed 50% more light to pass through; six-lens lens; optical image stabilization (OIS) for photo and video shooting; Slo-Mo shooting in resolution up to 1080p; a special processor for processing information from the camera (Image signal processor), which does it 60% faster than before. At the same time, both professional reviews and blind tests show that in 2019 the camera of Apple's flagship is inferior to at least a dozen smartphones on Android. For example, in the Dxomark ranking, the camera of the 7th iPhone shares 12th place with the 2016 Samsung S6 Edge. On the basis of this fact, one can understand that in terms of the quality of cameras, Apple is 2 years behind Samsung. Blind tests also show that the 2019 iPhone 7's camera does not hold up. In a blind test of flagship cameras held in April 2019 by the hi-tech.mail.ru portal, the seventh iPhone took the penultimate place. The editors of the portal agreed with the opinion of their readers: "Few people liked the yellowish and dark photos from the iPhone 7 Plus. The camera suffers from incorrect determination of the white balance, which influenced the result. The pictures have good detail and sharpness (except for text), but before the flagships on Android falls short. "

The creators of the 7th iPhone decided to abandon the analog audio output in their smartphones in order to switch to the all-digital CDLA or Continual Digital Lossless Audio standard. However, this is not a revolution at all; back in the spring, the Chinese used this in the flagship LeEco Le Max 2. In practice, this means that standard headphones for the 7th iPhone will not work: either you need an adapter or wireless headphones from Apple, which are not cheap, namely $ 159, which is the rate is about 10 thousand rubles.

Why was the Apple iPhone 7 Plus chosen for the rating, and not the standard version of the Apple iPhone 7? A 4.7-inch standard iPhone with a very modest resolution of 1334x750 looks anachronistic in 2017, when tablet phones (i.e. smartphones with a screen of at least 5.5 inches and a resolution of at least 1920x1080) finally took over the world market. In addition, the Plus version outperforms the standard version in performance. The standard 7th iPhone doesn't even have an interesting 3-camera solution (like the iPhone 7 Plus variant). In general, the owners of the 7th iPhone note that it has not made much progress in comparison with the iPhone 6s model, so only owners of iPhones of 2015 and earlier should switch to the 7th.

8 Huawei P10 64Gb - the flagship with the best reviews

The average price in Russia is 34,000 rubles. You can buy Huawei P10 64Gb on AliExpress for 30.3 thousand rubles (delivery to Russia is free). The P10 is Huawei's new flagship, unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in late February 2019. To date, the model has scored 80% of the fives in reviews in Yandex-Market (see reviews of Huawei P10), this is the best result in our rating.

Technical characteristics of the model: 5.1-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 the slot for the memory card. Battery 3200 mAh. Self-developed eight-core Kirin 960 processor with Mali-G71 MP8 graphics accelerator. The fingerprint scanner is built into the touch button on the front panel, which is slightly recessed into the body. The Huawei P10 is made from a single piece of aluminum.

Cameras on smartphones of the leading Chinese manufacturer Huawei are developing by leaps and bounds: in 2016, the company introduced the world's first smartphone with two main cameras (now this technique is used by Apple and other manufacturers), in 2017, Huawei began cooperation with the famous German company for the production of Leica cameras ( For example, the Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev uses a Leica camera worth 5 million rubles), and in 2019 Huawei did everything to make the cameras on their smartphones the best in the world, namely, connected Leica not only to work on the dual main module cameras, but also to work on the front camera. But that's not all: starting with the P10, Huawei began partnering with the iconic American manufacturer of GoPro video cameras. As part of the collaboration, GoPro will release an exclusive Quik mobile app for Huawei P10 for fast video processing. The video editor will be built into the standard EMUI shell gallery. The essence of the Quik app is to combine photos and videos with music in the background to create a beautiful memorable video. It should be noted that GoPro has not previously released apps for either Android or iOS.

What happened in the end? The Huawei P10 uses a combination of two f / 2.2 aperture sensors: monochrome, which captures light information, and color RGB. Color resolution is 12 megapixels, and monochrome - 20 megapixels. This combination provides the following advantages: the camera of the Huawei P10 has a 2x zoom without loss of quality, it also allows you to take pictures with a blurred background - the so-called bokeh effect. There is a special mode, developed by Leica specialists, in which you can take high quality portrait photos using the monochrome sensor. Leica and Huawei have collaborated on the P10's front-facing camera with an 8MP sensor that produces selfies that are twice as bright and with a wider dynamic range, even in low light conditions.

The camera Huawei P10 received 87 points on the Dxomark resource, which is 3 points less than the leader HTC U11 and took 7th place. At the same time, in the blind test of hi-tech.mail.ru in April 2019, the Huawei P10 camera took first place, beating the models that scored more points in Dxomark, for example, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Google Pixel. The editorial staff of hi-tech.mail.ru commented on the choice of readers as follows: "The majority appreciated the bright and contrasting images, not paying attention to details" and put Huawei P10 in 4th place after Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG G6 (however, the difference Huawei P10 and LG G6 scored just one point).

7 Xiaomi Mi 6 64GB - the most powerful Chinese smartphone

The average price in Russia is 28,000 rubles. You can buy Mi 6 64Gb on AliExpress for 24.9 thousand rubles (delivery to Russia is free). The official start of sales of the new Xiaomi flagship took place on July 4, 2019. To date, Mi 6 64Gb has scored 60% of the top fives in reviews in the Yandex-Market (see reviews about Xiaomi Mi6).

Technical characteristics: IPS screen 5.15 inches with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, Android 7.1 operating system, 64 GB of permanent and 6 GB of RAM, support for two SIM cards. There is no support for an external memory card, although 64 GB is more than enough for the average smartphone user. Battery capacity 3350 mAh. Battery life in video viewing mode is 9.7 hours, in gaming mode - 7 hours. In terms of autonomy, the Mi 6 is about one and a half times superior to flagships such as the iPhone 7 Plus or Huawei P10. The 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998 processor, together with the already mentioned 6 GB of RAM, give excellent performance: Mi 6 is the third most powerful smartphone in the world (and the second of Android smartphones), it is second only to HTC U11 and iPhone 7 Plus (antutu rating results .com). There is a fingerprint scanner. There is water protection.

Xiaomi smartphones have always had excellent technical characteristics, but they could not boast of a perfect camera. The camera of the new flagship in Xiaomi is positioned as a real alternative to the iPhone 7 Plus. The main camera of Mi 6 is equipped with two lenses, a wide-angle and a telephoto lens, both with a resolution of 12 MP, as well as a 4-axis optical stabilization system. Working in pairs, these cameras allow you to take beautiful and clear pictures in any conditions. Portrait mode allows you to take clear and high-quality photos. The Mi 6 has a 52mm portrait lens. The camera with 2x optical zoom captures stunning landscape shots, while the 10x digital zoom can capture even fine details from a distance. Mi 6 with 4-axis OIS technology captures clear images, capturing even the smallest vibrations. The built-in accelerometer and gyroscope stabilize the tilt and movement of the smartphone while shooting.

The front camera has received 8 megapixels and new firmware. The technology of beautiful filters Beautify 3.0 reacts differently to men and women - it changes the appearance of men a little less. For women, the cheeks are reduced, the skin smoothed and the eyes are slightly enlarged to a greater extent.

The hi-tech.mail.ru portal in the June 2019 flagship camera comparison gave the Xiaomi flagship camera the same points as the Sony Xperia XZ Premium. At the same time, Mi 6 was able to bypass the flagship of ASUS - ZenFone 3 Zoom, which is positioned as a camera phone.

So, Xiaomi's new flagship has a good camera and battery life, as well as excellent performance. All this is at a price twice lower than that of the flagships of Samsung or Apple. At the same time, this model will not suit fans of large screens - the display diagonal is only 5.15 inches.

6 ZTE Nubia Z11 Mini S 64Gb

The average price in Russia is 17,600 rubles. You can buy Nubia Z11 Mini S on Aliexpress for 16.1 thousand rubles (delivery to Russia is free). Slightly reduced in size and the most technically advanced version of the flagship of the ZTE Nubia family, released in October 2017, received 72% of the top fives in reviews in the Yandex Market. Specifications: 5.2-inch screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, Android 6.0 operating system, 64 GB of constant and 4 GB of RAM, there is a slot for an external memory card. Support for two SIM cards. Battery capacity - 3000 mAh. There is a fingerprint scanner, which, in addition to unlocking the smartphone, can be used to control the camera, take screenshots, and also make mobile payments using NFC.

The main camera is 23 MP, the front camera is 13 MP. The main camera uses the Sony IMX318 module, as in the ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe.

5 OnePlus 3T 64Gb

The average price in Russia is 26,500 rubles. You can buy OnePlus 3T 64Gb on Aliexpress for 25.7 thousand rubles (delivery to Russia is free). Released in mid-November 2017, this model is an improved version of the OnePlus 3, which appeared in June 2017, earned the title of "flagship killer" due to its excellent technical characteristics and affordable price, and also made it into the top 6 best-selling smartphones in the world. at the end of the year. Today, the updated version of OnePlus 3T has 76% of the fives according to reviews in the Yandex Market (see reviews on OnePlus 3T). Specifications: Android 6.0 OS, 5.5 inch AMOLED screen with 1920x1080 resolution, 64 GB of permanent memory. OnePlus3T has 6 GB of RAM, which allowed it to enter the top five most powerful Android smartphones for June 2019 (data from AnTuTu resource). In practice, this performance means that you can keep two dozen tabs open in Chrome and a couple of games in the background.

The OnePlus3 does not support an external memory card, although with 64GB of storage it is not particularly needed. The battery capacity is 3400 mAh. There is a fingerprint scanner. Support for two SIM cards.

The advantages of the model include incredible strength. The toughened Gorilla Glass 4, which protects the screen, passed the scratch resistance test (similar tests are carried out by the famous YouTube blogger Zach Nilsson). Representatives of OnePlus, in order to prove the strength of their flagship, took a bold step and dropped OnePlus3 from a flying plane at an altitude of about 230 meters (for comparison: the main building of Moscow State University is 240 meters high). The smartphone fell to the ground with the screen down, but this did not affect its appearance or performance in any way.

The OnePlus 3T has a 16-megapixel Sony IMX298 sensor with f / 2.0 aperture, OIS, phase detection autofocus and a pixel size of 1.12 microns. The front camera has a 16MP sensor. The Phonearena resource in July 2017 conducted a comparative test of flagship cameras, as a result, the Phonearena editors gave OnePlus 3 (OnePlus 3T has the same main camera) fourth place, it lost to HTC 10, LG G5, iPhone 6s and surpassed the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Sony Xperia X Performance. However, if we compare the cameras of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and OnePlus 3, the OnePlus 3 clearly wins only as a front camera, the pictures from it are better than most of the main cameras of smartphones. As for the main camera of the Samsung Galaxy S7, it is visually better than the main camera of the OnePlus 3.

The OnePlus 3T, without a doubt, has no competitors among Chinese smartphones due to its chic performance, good battery life and quality camera, as well as durability.

4 Samsung Galaxy S8

The average price is 50,000 rubles. The flagship from the leading smartphone manufacturer in South Korea and in the world went on sale at the end of April 2019 and today received 57% of the top fives in reviews in Yandex-Market.

Fans of the South Korean brand had to wait for the new flagship for a whole year (last year's summer flagship Galaxy Note 7 does not count, since Samsung was forced to withdraw this model from sales soon after its launch due to battery problems) after its appearance in March 2017 Galaxy S7. As a result, the release of the Galaxy S8 caused an incredible excitement: in the first two days, the number of pre-orders for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus (an enlarged version of the model) amounted to 550,000 pieces (for comparison: 100 thousand people ordered Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge in the first 2 days) ... Of course, a one-year waiting period for a flagship in itself is not capable of causing such a stir, for example, Apple consistently releases flagships once a year, but at the same time, sales of the seventh iPhone turned out to be rather weak due to the fact that the new iPhone turned out to be mostly the same eggs. only in profile, if you compare it with the 6th iPhone. Samsung did not repeat the mistakes of a competitor and presented a truly innovative model that cannot be confused with any smartphone on the market today.

Specifications Samsung Galaxy S8: 5.8-inch screen with QHD + resolution (3840x2160), Android 7.0 operating system with Samsung Experience 8.1 proprietary shell, 64 GB of permanent and 4 GB of RAM. There is a slot for memory cards up to 265 GB (combined with a slot for a second SIM card). Battery capacity - 3000 mAh. The battery life is 20 hours of talk time, 67 hours of music listening. Let's dwell on these specs a bit and compare them to last year's Galaxy S7 Edge. The diagonal of the screen has increased by 0.3 inches, the resolution has also increased noticeably, while the phone itself, paradoxically, has become even slightly smaller and lighter. This effect was achieved due to the fact that the screen now occupies more than 80% of the front panel area: physical buttons have disappeared (they have become touch-sensitive), the Samsung inscription, there are practically no side frames, the free space and occupied the screen. The amount of permanent memory has doubled. However, there is a small step back: the battery capacity has decreased, in this regard, the battery life has become shorter, while it is about the same as, for example, the seventh iPhone. The processor is a proprietary Samsung Exynos 8895.

In terms of cameras, Samsung decided to ignore the trend of dual main camera in the flagship model, which was followed by Apple, Huawei, LG and in the old-fashioned way has a single main camera, improved over the already excellent S7 camera. The S8 has a new 12MP Sony IMX333 sensor with DualPixel technology. The front camera (8MP) has a fast lens for perfect selfies even at night, and also supports Intelligent AF with Face Detection. By the way, face recognition has become one of the interesting features of the S8: you don't need to use a fingerprint scanner to unlock your smartphone, just show your face to your smartphone. There is also a third method: scanning the iris of the eye (however, this method will be inconvenient because wearers of glasses or contact lenses).

Of course, in terms of technical innovations, the Galaxy S8 has no competitors today. However, in terms of price-quality ratio, the Galaxy S8, in our opinion, is still slightly inferior to another Korean flagship in spring 2019 - LG G6.

3 LG G6 64GB

The average price is 42,300 rubles. The Korean flagship went on sale at the end of March 2019 and has received 76% of the top fives in Yandex-Market reviews.

Like Samsung, LG has revealed a heavily updated flagship to the world when compared to last year's G5. The South Korean company decided to abandon the modularity of the G5, which amazed everyone, while offering a new interesting solution: the screen in the LG G6 is the world's first IPS-display with a QHD + resolution (2880x1440) with a non-standard aspect ratio of 18: 9 (2: 1). The screen-to-body ratio is pretty much the same as the Samsung Galaxy S8, and the LG G6's 5.7-inch body is smaller than last year's 5.3-inch G5. At the same time, LG did not remove the brand name from the front panel, there was a place for it. The buttons on the front, like in the Galaxy S8, are touch-sensitive rather than physical.

Other characteristics: operating system Android 7.0 with proprietary shell LG UX 6.0, 64 GB of permanent and 4 GB of RAM. There is a slot for memory cards with support for a fantastic volume - 2 TB (combined with a slot for a second SIM card). Battery capacity - 3300 mAh. The processor is a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821. At first glance, it is surprising that the processor is not the newest, but it can handle any applications and games for Android available today without any problems, therefore, apparently, LG did not consider it necessary to reinvent the wheel and raise the price of your flagship with the latest processor. The fingerprint scanner is located on the back.

The LG G6 follows the trend of dual rear cameras, but offers probably the best solution out there. If usually the main cameras are not the same in quality, and the second main camera is needed only to simulate the program effect of a strong background blur (bokeh), the LG G6 developers have abandoned this effect altogether. Here, both main cameras are of equal quality (13-megapixel Sony IMX258 sensor), but they have different lenses: one standard with a 71 ° field of view, and the other ultra-wide angle with a 125 ° field of view and f / 2.4. Due to this, the lens is able to capture as much space as possible in the frame where it is needed. Switching between the two cameras takes place instantly and without delay. To do this, just click on the special icon in the viewfinder.

LG G6 took part in two blind camera tests conducted among readers of the hi-tech.mail.ru portal in 2019. In the April test, the Korean flagship came in third behind Huawei P10 and Samsung Galaxy S8. The portal's editors also gave the LG G6 bronze in a professional assessment, and the first two places were taken by Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy S8. In the June blind test, the LG G6 took third place again, this time behind the Honor 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S8. The editors gave the first place to the Samsung Galaxy S8, and the LG G6 shared the second place with the HTC U11 and Honor 8 Pro. In the ranking of the best camera phones (smartphones with a good camera), the LG G6 is in 10th place.

The 5 megapixel front camera also has an increased (up to 100 °) angle of view, due to which you can take selfies with a good capture of the surrounding space, even without using a selfie stick. It will also allow more friends to be captured in a group selfie.

The editors of the w3bsit3-dns.com portal awarded the LG G6 a victory in the "Best Look" nomination for excellent design and ergonomics, noting at the same time: "LG engineers managed to make one of the most user-friendly smartphones with a large display, which combines aesthetics and certified resistance to external effects of the design ".

If we compare the LG G6 and the Samsung Galaxy S8, then the difference in price of about 8 thousand rubles in favor of the LG G6 is immediately evident. At the same time, reviews of the LG flagship are noticeably better than those of the Samsung flagship. Both models have an innovative huge display in a standard housing. The LG G6 at the same time has a dual main camera with a useful wide-angle function, as well as a front camera with a wide viewing angle, which the flagship from Samsung cannot boast.

2 HTC U11 64Gb - the smartphone with the world's best camera and also the most powerful smartphone in the world

The average price is 45,000 rubles. You can buy HTC U11 64Gb on AliExpress for 43.2 thousand rubles (delivery to Russia is free). The new flagship from the Taiwanese manufacturer went on sale in June 2019 and has yet to receive customer feedback. At the same time, already at the start of sales, it is obvious that, unexpectedly for everyone, HTC released the brightest flagship of the first half of 2019, which surpassed competitors in camera quality and performance. The superb camera quality on the HTC U11 was to be expected, given that last year's flagship HTC 10 was the best camera of 2017 for most of the year, only surrendering its place to the Google Pixel in October. Now the Google Pixel camera has moved to second place in the ranking of the Dxomark resource, and the HTC U11 topped the rating with a record 90 points (Google Pixel has 1 point less).

The main module has a 12-megapixel UltraPixel 3 sensor with a pixel size of 1.4 microns, optics with an f / 1.7 aperture and optical stabilization. The UltraSpeed \u200b\u200bAutofocus system is responsible for focusing, in which every pixel is involved.

The review on the hi-tech.mail.ru portal says about the camera of this model:

"The U11 aims instantly with no miss, even in low light.

I was impressed by the work of the software. You do 10 frames in a row - and all 10 will be the same. That is, the settings for exposure, shutter speed, ISO do not go astray at the slightest movement of the phone, and the built-in algorithms do not recognize this as a change in composition. This is often found in Chinese smartphones, and even in some flagships, such as the Google Pixel or LG G6. There, the two photos can differ in brightness or graininess - as the automation wishes.

When shooting against the sun or bright skies, HDR Boost "stretches" details even in the darkest areas. The dynamic range is as wide as the Google Pixel shots. The logic is there: the companies collaborated on the Pixel. Perhaps HTC has lent the capacity of its factories, and in return, Google has shared secret HDR + algorithms. "

The front camera has an incredible 16 megapixel resolution, f2.0 aperture, video is recorded in 1080p.

In a blind test of comparison of cameras of flagship smartphones and Canon 5D Mark II DSLRs, conducted among readers of hi-tech.mail.ru HTC U11 took the penultimate place, gaining 1 point less than a DSLR. The portal's editors explained it this way: "HTC U11 fell into the same trap as the camera: excellent detailing, correct exposure, but looks too simple against the background of bright competitors." In this case, not the final sample was used in the test, but the test one, which could affect the quality of the shooting.

Other specifications: Android 7.1 OS, 5.5-inch Super LCD screen with 2560x1440 resolution, 64GB of permanent memory and 4GB of RAM. Support for external memory card up to 2 TB. Support for two SIM cards. Battery capacity - 3000 mAh. Talk time - 24.5 hours, standby time - 336 hours. There is a fingerprint scanner on the front. HTC U11 has pressure-sensitive edges, which means that by simply squeezing the smartphone in your hand, you can take a photo with the camera, launch applications, and turn on the flashlight.

HTC U11 is IP67 protected and can be immersed in water up to 1 meter for 30 minutes and sprinkled with sand.

Also worth noting is the beautiful glossy body.

At the moment, HTC U11 ranks first in terms of performance in the study of the AnTuTu resource, beating not only all Android smartphones, but also the seventh iPhone, which has been in first place for a long time.

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

The average price in Russia is 28,000 rubles. You can buy ZenFone 3 Zoom ZE553KL 64Gb on AliExpress for 24.6 thousand rubles (shipping to Russia is free). The new flagship in the ZenFone 3 line of the leading Taiwanese manufacturer went on sale in March 2019 and today has received 66% of the top fives in reviews in the Yandex-Market (see ZenFone 3 Zoom reviews).

Specifications: 5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, Android 6.0 operating system, 64 GB of constant 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). The battery capacity is 5000 mAh. Battery life in 3G talk mode up to 48 hours, when browsing websites over Wi-Fi up to 25 hours, standby time up to 42 days. ZenFone 3 Zoom supports fast charging technology (10 minutes of charging is 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 at once. 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 sensor with ASUS SuperPixel technology. It is designed for shooting everyday scenes, including low light. SuperPixel technology achieves a 2.5x light sensitivity advantage over iPhone 7 Plus. In addition, the camera supports optical and electronic image stabilization to minimize blur in photos and videos, uses a color correction sensor to improve color reproduction, and can record 4K / Ultra-HD video. The second of the main cameras - with the same 12 megapixel resolution and 2.3x optical zoom - serves for high-quality close-up shots. In addition to optical zoom, you can use the digital zoom function, which gives an overall image magnification of 12 times. Switching between cameras is instant, and the combination of the two delivers stunning depth of field - and professional-looking photos. In manual camera mode, ZenFone 3 Zoom gives you the ability to adjust many different photo parameters such as white balance, exposure value, focal length, ISO level and shutter speed.

ZenFone 3 Zoom is equipped with ASUS TriTech + triple AF system, which includes dual-pixel phase-detection AF technology similar to that found in DSLR cameras. Phase sensors for focusing are contained in each pixel of the image sensor, 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, which fires in just 0.03 seconds.

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

In a blind test comparing cameras of flagship smartphones and Canon 5D Mark II DSLRs, conducted in June 2019 among readers of hi-tech.mail.ru, ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom took 4th place, and bypassed a DSLR camera, as well as the best in the world ( according to the authoritative resource Dxomark) the HTC U11 smartphone camera. The editors of hi-tech.mail.ru commented on it this way: "ZenFone 3 Zoom surprised. The smartphone does not belong to the premium category, but readers liked its vivid photos."

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

When you listen to music with ZenFone 3 Zoom, you are immersed in a world of sounds that regular smartphones simply cannot 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. Usually, flagships have a very average battery, while the powerful ZenFone 3 Zoom battery allows you to work twice as long on a single charge as an iPhone 7 or Samsung Galaxy S8, while its price is half the price.

This ranking presents the top 15 best smartphones for December 2018. The rating is compiled according to technical characteristics, price-quality ratio, reviews and popularity in Yandex-Market. The rating includes models (mainly flagships) from the top 10 leading smartphone manufacturers in the world: American company Apple, South Korean Samsung and LG, Chinese Huawei and its subsidiary brand Honor, Xiaomi, (represented by a subsidiary brand OnePlus), American Motorola,finnish Nokia. The list also includes leading Taiwanese manufacturer ASUS, Japanese Sony and ChineseOUKITEL. In addition to the flagships, the rating includes the three best smartphones for today in the price category up to 20 thousand rubles, as well as the best smartphones up to 15 and 10 thousand rubles.

15th place.

Motorola Moto G5s Plus 32GB - an inexpensive smartphone with NFC and a dual camera

The average price in Russia is 9,500 rubles.

The smartphone, which went on sale in Russia in September 2017, received 57% of fives in reviews in Yandex-Market and 96% of recommendations for purchase (see reviews of Motorola Moto G5s Plus 32GB).

Specifications: 5.5-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, pure Android 7.1 operating system, 32 GB of permanent memory and 3 GB of RAM, there is a slot for an external memory card up to 128 GB. 2 sim cards. Battery capacity - 3000 mAh. Fingerprint scanner at the bottom of the front panel. 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor. There is NFC.

The main camera is double: 13 + 13 mp. Front camera 8 MP.

Motorola Moto G5s Plus is ranked # 1 in.

14th place.

Nokia 7 Plus is the most popular Nokia smartphone

The average price in Russia is 23,000 rubles.

The Nokia model, which appeared in February 2018, received 61% of the top fives in reviews in Yandex-Market and 82% of recommendations for purchase (see reviews of the Nokia 7 Plus). This is the most popular model in the catalog of Nokia smartphones in Russia (data from Yandex-Market).

Specifications: fashionable now narrow-bezel screen 6 inches with a resolution of 2160x1080, Android 8.0 operating system, 64 GB of built-in and 4 GB of RAM, there is a slot for a memory card up to 256 GB (combined with a slot for a second SIM card). Battery capacity 3800 mAh. 8-core processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 660. There is a fingerprint scanner.

The main camera is double: the main module is 12 megapixels with an aperture of f / 1.75, the second module is 13 megapixels (aperture 2.6) provides a 2x optical zoom and the implementation of the background blur effect in portrait mode. Front camera 16 MP.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro 4 / 64GB is the best budget smartphone

The average price in Russia is 15,000 rubles. You can buy Redmi Note 6 Pro on AliExpress for 13.2 thousand rubles (delivery to Russia is free).

The sales start date in Russia is October 25, 2018. The new model from the budget family Redmi Note received 76% of fives in reviews in Yandex-Market and 91% of recommendations for purchase (see reviews of Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro).

The heir to the most popular Xiaomi model of 2018, Redmi Note 5, has not yet reached the popularity of its predecessor, but it is close to this: 6 885 Redmi Note 5 and 4 305 Redmi Note 6 Pro phones have been purchased through Yandex Market in the last 2 months (data for versions from 64 GB of RAM, these models sell better than those with 32 GB of RAM).

Specifications: 6.25-inch bezel-less screen (with monobrow) with a resolution of 2280x1080 pixels, Android 8.1 operating system, 64 GB of permanent memory and 4 GB of RAM, a slot for a memory card with a capacity of up to 256 GB is combined with a slot for a second SIM card. 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor. Rear-mounted fingerprint reader. The battery capacity is 4000 mAh. No NFC.

The main camera is dual: the first 12 MP lens with f / 1.9 aperture, the second 5 MP lens with f / 2.0 aperture, the front camera is also double: the first lens is 20 + 2 MP.

What has changed compared to Redmi Note 5? The design has changed and Redmi Note 6 Pro has acquired a classic frameless look with a monobrow, as a result of which the size (from 5.99 to 6.25) and the display resolution have increased. The processor and battery remained the same, but the cameras have improved: Redmi Note 5 had a single front camera of 13 megapixels, the new model has a dual front camera of 20 + 2 megapixels. Redmi Note 6 Pro today costs 1,750 rubles more. Of course, the innovations are worth the money, although the new model may not appeal to those who do not like the monobrow.

see also

Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact is the best compact smartphone

The average price in Russia is 37,800 rubles. A scaled-down version of Sony's flagship, which went on sale on April 12, 2018, scored 61% of the top fives in reviews in Yandex-Market and 80% of purchase recommendations (see reviews of the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact).

Specifications: 5-inch screen with a resolution of 2160x1080 pixels, Android 8.0 operating system, 64 GB of permanent and 4 GB of RAM, support for an external memory card up to 400 GB. Two sim cards. The battery capacity is 2870 mAh. 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. There is a fingerprint scanner.

The smartphone is equipped with a main camera with a 19MP Sony IMX400 sensor and a 5MP front camera. The Motion Eye camera is capable of recording 4K HDR video, as well as Super slow motion at 960 frames per second in Full HD resolution.

The w3bsit3-dns.com portal named the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact the best compact smartphone of 2018: "Against the background of mainstream mobile phones, today's winner looks almost like a toy. But the filling is installed in the flagship: Snapdragon 845, an excellent camera and a high-quality display. A powerful smartphone that is convenient to use with one hand."

OUKITEL K10

The average price in Russia is 20,000 rubles. You can buy OUKITEL K10 on AliExpress for 17.6 thousand rubles (delivery to Russia is free). The model from the Chinese manufacturer, which appeared in January 2018, received 70% of fives in reviews in Yandex-Market and 88% of recommendations for purchase (see reviews of OUKITEL K10).

Battery capacity - 11,000 mAh. The manufacturer indicated the following battery life: talk time 90 hours, standby time up to 42 days. UL Benchmarks test result - 28 hours 49 minutes (second place among smartphones in terms of battery life).

Here's what they write in the reviews:

"Powerful battery, I kept it for exactly 2 weeks and still 13% left."

"I am generally delighted. Everything works, it catches satellites in 2-3 seconds, the applications that I need fly, the memory is large, and so on. Yes, it's heavy, but so what? But with intensive video use three days without charging." ...

Other specifications: 6-inch screen with a resolution of 2160x1080 pixels, Android 7.1 operating system, 64 GB of permanent and 6 GB of RAM, a memory card slot is combined with a slot for a second SIM card. 8-core processor MediaTek Helio P23. There is a fingerprint scanner. There is NFC.

The main camera consists of a 16-megapixel Samsung S5K3P3 sensor (interpolated to 21 megapixels) and an 8-megapixel auxiliary sensor. Phase autofocus, double flash. The front camera is also dual 13 + 8 MP.

ASUS Zenfone Max Pro (M2) ZB631KL 4 / 64GB - an inexpensive smartphone with a powerful battery

The average price in Russia is 17,000 rubles.

The novelty, which went on sale in Russia on December 12, 2018, received 49% of fives in reviews in Yandex-Market and 88% of recommendations for purchase (see reviews of ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M2).

Technical characteristics: IPS-screen with monobrow 6.3 inches with a resolution of 2280x1080 pixels, Android 8.0 operating system, 64 GB of constant and 4 GB of RAM, there is a slot for a memory card with a capacity of up to 2 TB, 2 SIM cards. 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor. Rear-mounted fingerprint reader. The battery capacity is 5000 mAh. Battery life in talk mode is 45 hours, in standby mode 35 days. There is NFC.

The main camera is double: the first sensor is 12 megapixels with aperture f / 1.8, the second sensor is 5 megapixels with aperture f / 2.4. Front camera 13 MP with aperture f / 2.0.

Honor 8X 4 / 64GB is the best mid-range smartphone

The average price in Russia is 17,700 rubles. Buy Honor 8X 64GB on AliExpress you can for 14 thousand rubles(delivery to Russia is free).

The date of the start of sales in Russia is October 15, 2018. The model received 61% of fives in the Yandex-Market and 88% of recommendations for purchase (see). Today it is the most popular smartphone in Russia in the Honor / Huawei catalog (see).

Specifications: 6.5-inch bezel-less huge screen (this is the largest screen in the Honor phone catalog) with a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels, Android 8.1 operating system, 64 GB of permanent and 4 GB of RAM, a slot for a memory card with a capacity of up to 400 GB, support for 2 SIM cards ... The battery capacity is 3750 mAh. 8-core HiSilicon Kirin 710 processor. Rear-mounted fingerprint reader. There is also a face unlock function.

The main camera is dual: the first module is 20 megapixels with an aperture of f / 1.8, the second module is 2 megapixels with an aperture of f / 2.4. Front camera 16 MP with f / 1.6 aperture.

The w3bsit3-dns.com portal named Honor 8X the best mid-range smartphone of 2018: "Although the Honor 8X belongs to the middle class, the smartphone looks an order of magnitude more expensive than its category - which is only the back cover design. The hardware did not disappoint: a smart chipset, advanced camera settings with support neural networks, large display and decent autonomy brought the device a well-deserved victory. "

ASUS ZenFone 5 ZE620KL 4 / 64GB

Average price in Russia -23,000 rubles.

The Asus flagship went on sale in April 2018 and has received 61% of the top fives in Yandex-Market reviews and 90% of purchase recommendations (see reviews on ASUS ZenFone 5).

Specifications: a screen with narrow frames and a monobrow of 6.2 inches with a resolution of 2246x1080 pixels, the Android 8.0 operating system, 64 GB of constant 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). The battery capacity is 3300 mAh. Battery life in 3G talk mode up to 25 hours, when browsing websites over Wi-Fi up to 17 hours, standby time in 4G networks up to 22 days. ZenFone 3 Zoom features fast charging technology, which can be charged up to 60% in 38 minutes. 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor. Rear-mounted fingerprint reader. There is a face unlock function.

ZenFone 5 features dual stereo speakers, each with five magnets and metal voice coils. The speakers are 36% larger than the ZenFone 4 for a more powerful, richer sound, which is also enhanced by the optimized acoustic chambers. The NXP Intelligent Dual Amplifier not only suppresses distortion but also protects speakers from damage at high volume levels.

The main camera is double. The first 12MP Sony IMX363 module, f / 1.8 aperture, 4-axis optical stabilization, LED flash. The second module is 8 megapixels, f / 2.2, 120-degree viewing angle. Front camera 8 megapixels, no autofocus, f / 2.0, viewing angle 84 degrees.

Scene Recognition uses artificial intelligence technology to analyze and match a subject to one of 16 templates, so that the camera settings are optimal for it. At the same time, the algorithms used by ZenFone 5 for this function are constantly improving, which means that photography will become more intelligent.

A smart portrait function has been implemented that analyzes facial features in selfies and makes small but highly effective and natural-looking enhancements, regardless of age, gender or skin color. Moreover, this function can work in real time when streaming video over the Internet.

Specialists of the photo resource Dxomark gave the camera of the fifth ZenFone a total score of 90, 93 points for photography (the same, for example, for the iPhone 8) and 86 points for video.

Despite the release of the more powerful flagship ZenFone 5Z in June, ZenFone 5 remained the most popular flagship of Asus, because at a cost of 10 thousand rubles cheaper it has a better battery, exactly the same camera, losing to the newer model only in performance. Therefore, overpaying for the new flagship is recommended only for fans of mobile games.

see also

LG G7 ThinQ 128GB is the best reviewed flagship and the best music smartphone

The average price in Russia is 32,700 rubles. The LG flagship went on sale on June 1, 2018 and has received 100% of the top fives in Yandex-Market reviews and 96% of purchase recommendations (see reviews on LG G7).

Specifications: 6.1-inch frameless IPS-screen (with monobrow) with a resolution of 3120x1440, Android 8.0 operating system, 128 GB of permanent and 6 GB of RAM. There is a slot for memory cards up to 2 TB. Support for two SIM cards. Battery capacity - 3000 mAh. The processor is an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845.

The main camera is dual 16 megapixels with aperture of f / 1.6 + wide-angle 16 megapixels with aperture of f / 1.9, the front camera is 8 megapixels with aperture of f / 1.9. The LG G7 ThinQ camera did not impress the specialists of the resource dxomark.com, they gave it 84 points for photography.

Fingerprint scanner on the back.

Protected by MIL-STD 810G military standard.

The w3bsit3-dns.com portal named the LG G7 ThinQ the best music smartphone of 2018: "Quad DAC technology (eight DAC modules, four per channel) and a gain control system depending on the load impedance. The LG smartphone is able to pump 300 Ohm headphones without any problems - this can be done not every Hi-Fi player. "

Specifications: frameless IPS-screen with a 6.18-inch monobrow with a resolution of 2246x1080 pixels, 64 GB of permanent and 6 GB of RAM, there is a slot for a memory card (combined with a slot for a second SIM card). No NFC. Battery capacity 4000 mAh. 8-core processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. In the ranking of the most productive smartphones of the resource, Pocophone F1 ranks tenth in the world. This is the most inexpensive model in the top ten. Therefore, for fans of mobile games Pocophone F1 will be ideal because of the excellent combination of "price-quality".

Fingerprint scanner on the back. Plastic case.

The main camera is dual 12 + 5 MP, aperture f / 1.9, front camera 20 MP.

5th place.

Apple iPhone Xs Max 64GB

Average price in Russia - 79,500 rubles. The sales start date is September 28, 2018. Apple's new flagship has received 75% of fives in reviews in Yandex-Market and 83% of recommendations for purchase (see reviews of Apple iPhone Xs Max).

The Xs Max lineup also has versions with 256 and 512 GB of memory, however, the version with 64 GB was chosen for the rating. it has the best reviews and is also the most affordable.

The Xs Max has the largest screen in the history of iPhones - 6.5 inches. Screen type - OLED. The resolution is 2688x1242. IOS 12. 64 GB of permanent and 4 GB of RAM, without a memory card slot. Apple A12 Bionic processor. In terms of performance, the iPhone Xs Max leaves far behind all Android models. But the question is whether such performance is needed in 2018, since, for example, the Xiaomi Pocophone F1, which costs 4 times less than the Apple flagship, can confidently cope with even the most difficult games (and for those who are not fond of games, the performance of even mid-range models is enough) ...

Battery capacity 3,174 mAh. The manufacturer indicated the following battery life: talk time 25 hours, listening to music 65 hours.

The main camera is double 12 + 12 mp. Despite Apple's statement that "the iPhone Xs camera opens a new era in the history of photography," the specialists of the photo resource DxOMark, after testing the iPhone Xs Max, put it only in third place after two Huawei flagships. Therefore, if you want the best mobile camera, then you should not buy a new iPhone at all, but the flagship Huawei, which is also almost half the price. Front camera 7 MP. According to user reviews, selfies are too glamorous as a result of excessive automatic processing, while on last year's iPhone X, selfies are much more natural.

If the already mentioned iPhone X a year ago was really a new word in the world of smartphones (for example, many other manufacturers later adopted a monobrow), then the iPhone Xs Max may surprise only with a huge screen, and even then only for Apple fans, tk. other manufacturers already have such huge screens.

OnePlus 6T 8 / 128GB

The average price in Russia is 34,700 rubles.

The sales start date in Russia is November 30, 2018. On today the model has scored 69% of the top fives in reviews in Yandex-Market and 95% of recommendations for purchase (see.

The smartphone market is growing every year. It becomes more and more difficult to choose the right model as the market offers many alternatives. Many rely only on personal preference, choosing a means of communication by appearance. There are also those who start only from technical characteristics and prices. And there is one more category of people, guided by the opinion of the majority. Especially for them, we have prepared an extensive overview top of the most popular smartphones in the world market and in Russia in the following categories:

• Budget and ultra-budget segment. Includes a category up to 5000 rubles. These phones should be considered only as a means of communication.
• Middle segment and top models. In this category, we examined both smartphones with a price of up to 20,000 rubles (the category most demanded among the mass buyer), and more expensive phones, the main purpose of which is not calls, but a demonstration of the owner's solvency.

One more regularity should be noted. The higher the price, the better the technical characteristics. But sometimes you can find a Chinese phone with better specifications at a cheaper price than most branded counterparts.

The most popular smartphones: budget segment

The segment of inexpensive mobile devices for calls. They play the role of classic communication means and educational models for children and the elderly.

5 DOOGEE X70

Large battery capacity
Country: China
Average price: 4330 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.0

Doogee X70 looks elegant in black, unusual in yellow and blue. And its main advantage is the 4000 mAh high-capacity battery. In turn, this made the device heavier and it weighs 167 grams, when the weight of competitors varies from 130 to 150 grams. We also like the IPS-format matrix with a bright picture. Security functions are assigned to the fingerprint ID and face control from the camera. A big plus is that the battery is removable and if it becomes unusable, it can be replaced. At the same time, there is no risk of breaking the back cover, it turned out to be of very high quality, which has a positive effect on shock resistance.

Inside there is a slot for two SIM cards or one card and a flash drive. Despite its cheapness, the smartphone looks good for satellites and works without recharging for 2-3 days when surfing the Internet. Without viewing social networks and a browser, autonomy can be enough for 4 days.

4 Micromax Q357

The lowest price
Country: China
Average price: 2339 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.0

The Micromax Q357 is a typical entry-level classic smartphone. This model will be an excellent option as a spare mobile phone or a gift for a child or elderly person. There is nothing superfluous here. The Android 7.1 operating system is simple and primitive, does not abound with factory debris and works stably under any load. The battery with a slightly higher capacity than the competition contains 2400 mAh of energy, which, together with energy efficient hardware, guarantees up to 24 hours of talk time and 254 hours of standby time.

Cameras are standard - 5 megapixel rear and 2 megapixel front. Pictures from both come out mediocre and fall short of the amateur level. The body is assembled from plastic without soft touch coating.

3 Fly View Max

Dual main camera
Country: China
Average price: 4705 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.2

An inexpensive phone that stands out from the competition with its dual camera, created according to the scheme of 8 + 0.30 Megapixels. The main camera is also not bad, 5 Megapixels are better than 2, which are found in most ultra-budget models. Support for many communication networks and the Internet, including 4G LTE, will help you stay connected. The amount of RAM is already 2 GB, which means that you can play simple games. However, not for long due to the meager capacity of the 2200 mAh battery.

Additional security features include a fingerprint scanner. Buyers advise to record video only in the daytime, otherwise noise will appear on the camera. It is difficult to find a cover or a bumper, and it will take a lot of time on various sites.

2 ZTE Blade L8

Increased strength
Country: China
Average price: 3490 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.2

For almost 3,500 rubles, the craftsmen from ZTE managed to create an inexpensive mobile phone that is unkillable according to buyers. The body is made not of plastic, but polycarbonate, and the parts are fitted in such a way that it is sometimes difficult to remove them manually. Buyers believe that it is the L8 that can be safely taken on an extreme vacation or fishing. You can drop it, take it with dirty hands, and it will work, but you don't need to do it purposefully. The factory did not skimp on the built-in memory, which is not 8, but 16 GB, which for the first time will eliminate the need to buy a flash drive.

The disadvantages are typical for their segment. There is no NFC module, security features are almost completely absent, as well as high-quality shooting due to the 8 Megapixel camera shooting soap. Despite the stated diagonal of 5 inches, in fact it is 4.9. A trifle hidden by the manufacturer limits the L8 to only the second place in this top category. The overly heavy battery with a volume of only 2000 mAh also raises questions.

Having traced the global dynamics of market changes in the world and in Russia, we discovered several interesting facts. In 2009, Nokia products were the most popular. The Finnish brand was the undisputed market leader with its clamshells and non-kill push-button phones. 2010 was marked by the emergence of the leadership of Apple, which introduced the iPad, which fueled interest and increased demand for the first versions of the iPhone.

In 2012, "apple" with a fight displaces Samsung and retains the world leadership to this day. And if over the past 7 years only Apple and Samsung have competed for the championship, now Huawei has come close to them. Next comes Xiaomi and the trend is that due to the economic crisis, people are increasingly preferring "Chinese" due to a more humane price tag.

1 VERTEX Impress Click NFC

Best Selling Smartphone
Country: China
Average price: 3530 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.3

The best-selling and cheapest smartphone with a housing made of cheap plastic, from which its shockproof properties are minimized. In terms of functionality, everything is gorgeous, the presence of NFC eliminates the need to carry a wallet, and all cards can be downloaded to Google services. MediaTek MT6580M with 4 cores and 1.3 GHz frequency is nimble with 1 GB of RAM exactly as long as you do not start games. The screen turned out to be quite good for its price segment, the viewing angles are acceptable, the sensitivity is estimated as average, but you need to get used to it.

In 4 hours of use, on average, you will lose about 10% of your charge. You will spend the same amount of time on detailed configuration and analysis of what is written in the instructions. Finally, 4 hours of mobile talk time without interruption will completely drain your 2000mAh battery. Of the 8 GB of internal memory, only 5 are available, since everything else is occupied by the factory software, which can be removed without delay. It is recommended to use the camera only during the day, as the built-in flash is rather weak.

Most popular smartphones: mid-range to high-end models

The middle segment and top models with good options for the mass consumer and modern youth.

5 Samsung Galaxy A50 64 GB

Triple camera
Country: South Korea
Average price: 16650 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.9

More than 12 million Galaxy A50 units were sold in the first half of 2019. The smartphone gained success and popularity thanks to its balanced characteristics and a triple camera. The case fits perfectly in the hand, on the back when choosing the blue version and hitting it with the sun, complex iridescent effects are formed. The screen is bright and large enough to read text without straining your eyes, and the color gamut here is simply prohibitive. The software shell turned out to be somewhat cumbersome and at first, the synchronization between Samsung and Google services can be very tiring.

Separately, it should be said about the triple camera, assembled according to the scheme of 25 + 8 + 5 megapixels. This combination makes it possible to shoot selfies with high image quality and electronic stabilization. However, in the features of the smartphone, the manufacturer's desire to save money is still guessed, which is expressed in the plastic back, which can be easily scratched. The battery is also worthy of condemnation, which, despite the volume of 4000 mAh, only lasts a couple of days.

4 Samsung Galaxy A40 64GB

Excellent body color
Country: South Korea
Average price: 15590 rub.
Rating (2019): 5.0

One of the leaders in terms of color range among current novelties. There are white, blue, red and black colors to choose from. All of them are made to the highest level and justify the cost of a smartphone, and the white color does not collect fingerprints and marks at all. Quite compact, even with a 5.9-inch screen. There is no NFC system, instead it is Samsung Pay's proprietary development called MST. The bezels of the screen are narrow enough, which makes it virtually bezel-less.

Distribution and connection via Wi-Fi go smoothly, the fingerprint scanner works 98% without errors. The sore subject of the Chinese, namely the speakers, is fixed here. The speaker is very loud, and the main one, according to buyers' feelings, can produce surround sound. The plastic of the case feels expensive to the touch.

3 Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 4 / 64GB

The most popular Chinese smartphone
Country: China
Average price: 12,790 rubles.
Rating (2019): 5.0

The best-selling phone in Russia and rightly earned the first place in the top category. Over 10 million units were sold in the first half of 2019. Everything about him is perfect. It's worth starting from the display, looking at which you will not find any flickering and, as a result, fatigue, headaches and other side effects from prolonged interaction with technology. The camera is simply gorgeous and pushes most, if not all smartphones in its segment to its knees, thanks to its 48 + 5 megapixel design. Excellent gaming performance is provided by a combination of Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor and Adreno 512 graphics accelerator, which work with 4 GB of RAM. According to tests on YouTube, the smartphone has a very durable screen glass that can withstand most shocks.

The 4000 mAh battery will provide Redmi Note 7 with an autonomy for a period of 3 days, and the optimized Android 9.0 operating system will help this. The glass body is very pleasant to the touch and looks expensive.

2 Apple iPhone 8 64GB

Top quality quality
Country: USA
Average price: 37 948 rub.
Rating (2019): 5.0

The most popular model from the previous generation iPhone series on the official market. In the first half of the year, about 10.3 million units were sold. The performance is simply amazing due to the 6-core Apple A11 Bionic processor. The quality parameters of photos and videos are still unattainable for many analogues - even 4K videos with 60 frames are easy to write. An important innovation is the Slow Sync flash, thanks to which you can get a high-quality photo in the dark without flaring the subject and even illumination of the background. The Taptic Engine's adaptive vibration feedback system works in such a way that you do not miss a call, but also do not get annoyed by rumbling and buzzing.

The physical control button has been replaced with a touch button and has a minimum delay when unlocking the smartphone. One of the best IPS matrices with a high DPI number and, accordingly, a reasonable resolution without exorbitant large numbers in the screen resolution parameters, which gives less load on the hardware and the battery. The 8 model still has a drawback, and it lies in the overly aggressive noise reduction when taking photos.

Tracking the Russian market, one can establish that our people continue to prefer Chinese models more if it is a budget market. The leaders here are Xiaomi products. They also show good results in the premium segment, but they cannot replace the already popular Apple and Samsung.

As for the secondary market, everything is more interesting here. The sales leader is the iPhone 7 and some versions of the 6s.

1 Apple iPhone X

Style icon
Country: USA
Average price: 56 580 rub.
Rating (2019): 5.0

The most popular new generation American smartphone sold in Russia. "Monobrow" in the center of the case set a new style, which is followed by many other manufacturers. Of the interesting things, the new iOS 11 should be highlighted, which is made in the best traditions of the company with maximum stability and performance, as well as a complete absence of garbage. The face recognition technology has powerful AI with self-learning and error correction function. The screen has vibrant and beautiful colors and full-fledged whites and blacks. There is also a protection against dust and dirt, which perfectly copes with its tasks in a domestic environment.

Such a powerful system has a relatively low autonomy, the talk time of the smartphone is 21 hours, and the listening time of music is 60 hours. Overweight is considered the main disadvantage. The digital indicator has been removed altogether, instead of it there is now a regular battery icon.

How to choose a smartphone?

The popularity of the models perfectly characterizes their demand and consumer attitude. We want to give some additional advice from ourselves:

Smartphones in the budget segment, for example, up to 5000 rubles should not be taken as the main mobile device if you have a budget. But as a backup "dialer" they will fit perfectly. Smartphones costing from 7,000 to 25,000 rubles can be considered optimal models. Anything above is already a matter of prestige.

What about Chinese models and should you pay attention to them? Definitely yes. Huawei and in particular Xiaomi have significantly increased production and are almost on a par with Apple, Samsung and LG, and the price is 15-20% lower. We would like to point out the most interesting models:

• If the ultra-budget segment, then we recommend VERTEX Impress Click NFC.
• Focusing on an average budget? You won't find a better Xiaomi Redmi Note 7.
• Looking for a high-quality smartphone with a long lifespan? Apple iPhone 8 is the best choice.