50 best smartphones in 2023

50 best smartphones in 2023

What smartphone do you want to buy?

In 2023, there are several hundred manufacturers of various equipment in the world. It is not surprising that with such a variety, choosing a smartphone is quite problematic. Each gadget is unique and has its own characteristics.

Apple continues to play first fiddle. But due to the volatility of the exchange rate, Apple gadgets are increasingly farther from the average buyer. Several trends stand out in the smartphone market in 2023:

• New players from China. Xiaomi’s past successes haunt its competitors. Mi gadgets have ceased to be exclusively democratic and have risen to the middle and high segment. Now in the eternal dialectic of price/quality, Realme, Itel, Oppo, Poco (a sub-brand of Xiaomi) and Tecno rule the roost with a bias towards the latter.
• Legends of the past are returning. Nokia, Alcatel and Motorola at a certain stage lost the fight for users and went into the shadows. Nowadays, gadgets are again storming the storefronts, and among them there are worthy examples.
• In the high segment, Apple’s main competitors remain Samsung, Google and Asus. The first South Korean brand is almost always expensive (but not always justified), stylish, pretentious, while the second brands gained fame as mobile phones for tech geeks – people passionate about technology and mobile games.
• Two niche lines, Doogee and Blackview, compete with each other. Conditionally armored smartphones with an increased safety margin.
• A little further from the rest are a couple of Huawei and Honor – the second is considered more youthful. Part of the device is still deprived of Google services (due to sanctions against the brand). They haven’t released revolutionary and breakthrough gadgets for a long time, but they have their admirers.

To make the right choice, you need to take into account a lot of parameters. Thus, the concept of “best smartphone” becomes very relative. In this material we will analyze in detail the features of the models that are most popular among buyers today.

Editor’s Choice

Sony Xperia 5 III

Sony makes the coolest cameras. Sony has high-quality audio equipment. And in general they succeed in electronics. But they have not yet been able to take away any significant part of the smartphone market. Moreover, there were several attempts at expansion. Perhaps the flagship Xperia 5 III will correct this misunderstanding? The processor is one of the best in 2023 – 888 Snapdragon. Games and apps click.

Note that the model slightly falls out of the general trends for smartphones with very large screens – it is smaller than its competitors. And it’s great when you can choose a more compact form factor.

The cameras also have an interesting feature. In most modern gadgets, when you zoom in on a picture, the smartphone simply crops part of the frame and thereby enlarges the image in the center. As a result, quality disappears. Sony has a real zoom hidden in the lens, which enlarges and brings images closer, which is why the shooting quality does not drop to certain values.

Main characteristics

Rating of the top 5 best inexpensive smartphones

Nokia 2.4

This model is equipped with a 6.5-inch IPS display, which can be called frameless: at the bottom there is a small “chin” with a logo. The 8 MP front camera is hidden in a drop-shaped cutout in the center of the display. As for the internal components, there is 3 GB of RAM and a 64 GB drive.

Main characteristics

Redmi Note 9T

The device is equipped with a large 6.53-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1080×2340 pixels (395 ppi). The small hole in its top left corner houses a 13-megapixel selfie camera with a maximum aperture of f/2.25. There is a fingerprint scanner built into the on and off button on the side of the device. On the back of the Redmi Note 9T there is a block of three cameras and an LED flash. The device looks good and feels good in the hands. Its textured polycarbonate back provides enhanced grip and anti-fingerprint protection, while Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protects against damage from accidental drops.

Main characteristics

Blackview A100

At the beginning of our review of the best smartphones, we mentioned that Blackview seems to be a niche device, because it is shockproof. But there is a line of classic mobile phones within the brand. And the A100 model is very good. What’s good about it?

And the fact is that although the MT6771T chipset is not the newest, it was originally a flagship one. And today it performs very well in gadgets in the mid-low price segment. And play, and solve everyday problems.

The cameras are good for their price. The charge will easily last for a whole day of work and will still last in the morning. The company has produced a solid middling product at a good price.

Main characteristics

realme Narzo 50A

A device with a powerful 6000 mAh battery. At average load it works for two days. The G85 chip handles all modern applications and games well. True, 3D shooters and racing games run well only on medium graphics settings. For its price, this is an excellent option for the average user.

The remarkable rear panel also attracts attention. It, unlike most modern gadgets, is ribbed. It is not only interesting to the touch, but also practical: you can wear it without a case and not be afraid of mini-scratches. The cameras take good pictures. There is an expert mode with aperture and shutter speed settings.

Main characteristics

vivo Y31

If the best smartphone for you is one that combines all the modern interfaces for reasonable money, then consider this option. NFC, dual-band Wi-Fi, high-speed Bluetooth protocol available. You won’t be able to comfortably play modern virtual war games on it. You’ll have to be content with only simple arcade games and solitaire games. But for messenger, reading news and the Internet, the processor is enough for the eyes.

Despite the budget, the camera in this model takes good pictures. Even the video turns out decent. But there is no question of stabilization or shooting at an increased frame rate – at least 60 fps. But the sound from the phone’s speaker is excellent. Users also note the good quality of the display.

Main characteristics

Rating of the top 5 flagship smartphones

Apple iPhone 14 Pro

The smartphone is balanced both externally and functionally. There is nothing fundamentally new in the new model. This is a well-loved, understandable, simple and high-quality gadget. Of course, one of the main advantages of this smartphone is the camera: main (48 MP with optical zoom), telephoto and ultra-wide-angle (12 MP each). There are four models in total: iPhone 14 Plus (instead of the usual mini), iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.

The operating time without recharging is decent – the battery capacity is only 3200 mAh, but thanks to constant optimization of iOS, the battery life is enough for a day and a half of normal use. The A16 Bionic chip provides high performance, so the processor power is enough for stable operation in multitasking mode, as well as in resource-intensive programs and games.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

For those who need “expensive, rich and not like everyone else.” Not all brands dare to release phones with a stylus, or as they are now called – “pen”. Indeed, why would you if you don’t do graphic design? And if you do, you probably bought a tablet. Of course, the pen has other functions besides drawing. For example, writing messages, interacting with the display, and so on. The processor performance is enough for any modern tasks.

Externally, the smartphone seems to be created to complement the magnificent image of a lady in a cocktail dress in the interiors of the Bolshoi Theater or La Scala. True, this style is not suitable for everyone. The display is interesting, with a signature “Samsung” twist in the form of an image “flowing” onto the side edges. And again: beautiful, but is it functional? And you will have to pay for it.

Main characteristics

Huawei P50

Huawei P50 is equipped with a clear and bright 6.5-inch screen with a resolution of 2700×1224. The size of the device is quite large – 156.5 x 73.8 x 7.9mm. However, the smartphone weighs only 181 g. A distinctive feature of the gadget is the processor from Qualcomm – Snapdragon 888. Built-in memory of 128 GB and RAM of 8 GB will be enough for almost any task. The device went on sale in July 2021. The main camera with a 50 MP sensor takes excellent pictures, and the front camera with a 13 MP sensor is responsible for selfies. Now the price of a smartphone is minimal, so it is worth buying for everyone who is already accustomed to the HarmonyOS 2.0 operating system.

Main characteristics

Apple iPhone 12 Pro

iPhone 12 Pro has a wide range of functionality anda stylish, modern design. The model has a durable body with reliable protection from dust and moisture (protection class – IP68). A bright and rich image is provided by a 6.1-inch screen protected with a special Ceramic Shiel coating; the smartphone is powered by a powerful A14 Bionic processor. Its distinctive features are high performance and good energy efficiency.

In addition, it supports 5G networks . A three-camera system (ultra-wide-angle, wide-angle and tele-camera with 2x optical zoom) allows you to take multiple shots at once. Even in poor lighting, the user can be confident in the high quality of the photos.

Main characteristics

realme GT NEO2

Such models are called “sub-flagships”. That is, it’s not top yet, but the characteristics are much higher than standard models. The only thing it loses to its competitors is its appearance – everything here is succinctly simple. Fans of bright colors can only be pleased with the blue-neon body. But in other aspects it is a very good model.

Take performance – the 870th “dragon”, as the Qualcomm processor is called, is a very powerful chip. In any games and 4K videos, it will show itself to be cooler than most smartphones for a couple of years. In standard use cases, such as news feeds, social networks, instant messengers and photo editors, it works and will work perfectly.

This model can be considered as a kind of profitable investment: it will last a long time and is optimal for the money. The screen here is Super – this is not only a compliment, but also the name of modern AMOLED display technology, known for its contrasting picture.