Best phone 2021: The top 10 smartphones available
Today's smartphones provide incredible mobile computing experiences to help you get work done away from the office, in the field, and wherever your remote location may be. Certainly, people have different mobile needs, but every smartphone on this list is more than capable of providing all the essential functions that most users could ever want in a mobile device.
Some smartphones excel at photography, some phones can serve as a small tablet, and still others are rugged enough to withstand a drop in the field. The term "best" may be specific to your needs, but there are some truly standout smartphones that are better than others.
These top 10 smartphones that we currently recommend as the best of the best.
Best overall smartphone
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Display: 6.7-inch OLED (2,778 x 1,284-pixel resolution) at 458 ppi | CPU: Apple A15 Bionic chip | RAM: TBD | Internal Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | Rear cameras: 12MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide (120-degree field of view), 12MP telephoto (6x optical zoom) | Front camera: 12MP | Weight: 240g | Dust/water resistance: IP68
Apple's biggest and most feature-rich iPhone is a mouthful, the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Apple listened to customers and while the phone looks just about the same as last year's 12 Pro Max it is a tad thicker with a larger capacity battery and longer battery life.
The display now supports a refresh rate up to 120 Hz while optical zoom on the telephoto camera is improved to 6x. Macro photography and cinematic video modes are new features in the camera system that are sure to please photographers and videographers alike.
Apple continues to actively improve iOS 15 while also offering 1TB of internal storage so you can capture content to your heart's delight.
Pricing for the iPhone 13 Pro Max starts at $1,099 for the 128GB model and ranges up to $1,599 for the 1TB storage capacity. The iPhone 13 Pro Max is available in graphite, silver, gold, and sierra blue.
Pros:
- High quality ceramic glass and stainless steel materials
- Best video recording performance
- High-quality cameras
- Stable and well supported by Apple
Cons:
- Expensive
- Wide and heavy
Best foldable phone
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G
You get the fastest RAM and internal storage speeds available, S Pen support, water resistance, triple rear cameras, a 10MP front-facing camera, a unique 4MP under-display camera, and much more. The 4,400mAh battery easily gets you through a full day, even when using the large main screen.
Pros:
- Stunning engineering marvel
- Incredible AMOLED displays
- S Pen support
- IPX8 water resistance
- Software optimizations for foldable and large display usage
Cons:
- Expensive
- No S Pen support on cover screen
- Not the best Samsung cameras on the back
While the iPhone 13 Pro Max is clearly the best iPhone 12 model available, it is also a large smartphone with a hefty price tag. For most people, the iPhone 13 is the clear winner, with a starting price of $799 and six color options.
The Apple iPhone 13 is an interesting device since it has the exact same 6.1-inch display seen on the iPhone 13 Pro so size and battery capacity are not differentiators here. There is one less rear camera on the iPhone 13 and there is no support for the LiDAR scanner. If the telephoto capability is not important to you then you can save some money with the iPhone 13 and it does support 2x optical with the existing cameras.
It's great to finally see Apple start with a 128GB base model rather than charging people for a reasonable level of internal storage when there is such a focus on the camera capability. The phone also supports Apple's new Cinematic mode for video recording.
The iPhone 13 is 0.25mm thicker and 10 grams heavier than the iPhone 12, but users are sure to appreciate the improved battery life that comes with a bit more depth.
Pros:
- Fast, reliable, and well supported
- Good quality cameras
- Attractive and fun color options
- Tons of accessories, including MagSafe
Cons:
- No high refresh rate display as seen on Pro models
- No dedicated telephoto camera
Display: 6.5 inches (3x200 x 1x440-pixel resolution) 120Hz Infinity-O AMOLED | CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | RAM: 6GB LPDDR5 | Internal Storage: 128GB storage (with microSD card) | Rear cameras: 8MP rear f/2.4 telephoto, 12MP f/1.8 wide-angle camera, and 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera (123-degree field-of-view) | Front camera: 32MP f/2.2 camera | Weight: 190g | Dust/water resistance: IP68
While the Samsung Galaxy S20 series that launched in early 2020 provide compelling options, they are flagship smartphones priced in the $1,000-and-higher range. In order to offer customers another alternative, Samsung released the Galaxy S20 FE (Fan Edition) 5G phone. The S20 FE is available in six lovely colors to suit your style.
Pros:
- Full Samsung experience
- Affordable and colorful
- High level of dust/water resistance
- Good quality cameras
Cons:
- Limited RAM
Best phone with a stylus
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G
The Galaxy Note 20 devices bring everything we saw on the Galaxy S20 series along with some improvements in the cameras. Of course, the S Pen is a staple of the Note series, and with the Note 20, we see more Air Actions that are actually proving to be quite useful and reliable this year. While LG has solid support for stylus use, nothing beats the functionality and capability of the S Pen. It is also housed inside of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G, making it easily accessible for use all day long.
Pros:
- Complete S Pen support with silo on the device
- Incredible AMOLED displays
- IP68 dust and water resistance
- High quality cameras
Cons:
- Expensive
- Big phone
The Google Pixel 4A 5G was a great 5G phone, but in 2021 Google replaced it with the 5A 5G that offers more and has a price $50 less. At $449, it's one of the most affordable 5G phones we have seen released and it includes some upper level features such as IP67 dust/water resistance and a metal unibody design..
In addition to the software being a focus for Google, the camera is another reason to buy the Pixel 5A 5G over other, better smartphone hardware. However, while others have three or four rear cameras, Google provides just two so there are some limits on its capability as a daily shooter.
Android 11 powers the phone, but Android 12 is coming very soon. The phone will receive OS upgrades for three years. Monthly Android security updates are the most important software support for the enterprise, given major firmware updates tend to break things and be less stable immediately after release.
Pros:
- Google Pixel camera is fantastic
- 5G support
- Affordable
- Long battery life
- Timely updates and years of support
Cons:
- Limited RAM and storage
- Reports of overheating with extended camera use
Best Google phone
Google Pixel 5
Google's Pixel 5 is the first 5G smartphone available from Google and appears to check the boxes needed for a competitive smartphone. Unlike past Pixel phones, it is not designed to compete with the high-end flagships from Apple, Samsung, and others, but it provides the essentials along with Google's software chops.
Google's past Pixel phones always lacked some features and couldn't compete with Apple and Samsung flagships -- so this approach makes much more sense. Priced at $699, the Pixel 5 is a great option for getting 5G into your hands with Google's software and reliance on regular updates for years.
Google's Pixel 5 also has the best smartphone camera for still photos, thanks primarily to Google's advanced algorithms and software. The iPhone 12 lineup takes the cake for video creation, but Google and Apple go head-to-head on smartphone camera software.
Pros:
- Timely updates and support for years
- Affordable for a flagship
- Outstanding camera performance, largely due to Google software
Cons:
- Mid-range processor
- RF performance not as good as Samsung
Best Samsung camera phone
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
Display: 6.8 inches (3,200 x 1,440-pixel resolution) 120Hz Infinity-O AMOLED | CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | RAM: 12GB/16GB LPDDR5 | Internal Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB | Rear cameras: 10MP rear f/4.9 telephoto with 10x optical zoom and second 10MP f/2.4 telephoto with 3x optical zoom, 108MP wide-angle camera, and 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera (120-degree field-of-view) | Front camera: 40MP f/2.2 camera | Weight: 229g | Dust/water resistance: IP68
Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is one of the best overall smartphones today and the best that Samsung has to offer for camera performance. With a $200 price cut at launch, compared to the Galaxy S20 Ultra, the phone is also one of the more affordable high-end flagship offerings.
In addition to the latest and greatest specifications, the S21 Ultra 5G provides support for Samsung's S Pen so you are no longer limited to just the Note line if you want stylus support.
Pros:
- High quality and capable quad-camera system
- Best telephoto shooter available
- S Pen support
- Incredible AMOLED displays
- More affordable than S20 series
Cons:
- Large size phone
Best Microsoft phone
Microsoft Surface Duo
Pros:
- High-quality hardware
- Capable software for multi-tasking experiences
- Intuitive gestures
- Stylus support
Cons:
- Outdated specifications
- Terrible single-camera performance
Best OnePlus flagship
OnePlus 9 Pro
Display: 6.7 inches (3,216 x 1,440-pixel resolution) 120Hz AMOLED | CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | RAM: 8GB/12GB LPDDR5 | Internal Storage: 128GB/256GB | Rear cameras: 8MP rear f/2.4 telephoto, 48MP f/1.8 wide-angle camera, and 50MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera, 2MP monochrome camera | Front camera: 16MP f/2.4 camera | Weight: 197g
OnePlus used to be the "flagship killer" brand, but has since evolved into higher-priced flagships directly challenging the likes of Samsung and Apple. Compared to Samsung, OnePlus offers an experience that is free from ads and bloatware while also now providing some interesting features such as reverse wireless charging and adaptive 120Hz displays.
The OnePlus 9 Pro is priced about $200 less than Samsung's S21 Ultra, which is significant given that Samsung's price is also $200 less than its launch price in 2020. For less than $1,000 the OnePlus 9 Pro is a serious flagship smartphone to consider.
Pros:
- Lovely, high quality design
- Ultra fast wireless and wired charging capability
- Outstanding specifications
- Capable cameras
Cons:
- Expensive
- Hasselblad partnership in its infancy
- Water-resistance level not certified
thanks for reading
Related Posts :
Subscribe by Email
Follow Updates Articles from This Blog via Email
No Comments