Let's figure out which company's smartphone is better

The smartphone market has already reached a certain level of saturation and has revealed consumer preferences, so it is quite difficult for manufacturers to stand out from the crowd. Some of them continue the “arms race”, some companies have focused on design and ergonomics, and there are others who are trying to expand their range through niche solutions. To make the review as impartial as possible, manufacturers are arranged in order of decreasing sales volumes in Russia in quantitative terms.

SAMSUNG
The most popular smartphone manufacturer

The market leader also takes first place in the number of families, lines and model series.

Flexible displays promised by Samsung that we still haven't seen.

Moreover, in Lately the company decided to name its smartphones in strict accordance with the “Occam’s razor” principle, i.e. without multiplying the number of marks beyond what is necessary. Well, it’s very convenient - once you figure out their positioning, and then you just navigate by year. Of course, this joke does not apply to flagships, so there is only one numerical index (at the time of updating the article - 9).

Premium segment fairly divide the S and Note model ranges. Both families are equipped with efficient Super AMOLED displays, the disadvantages of which include only a Pentile-type matrix with a characteristic ladder, and powerful hardware, whose performance is even excessive today. If we can characterize the differences between these models in a few words, the Note is designed for a stylus and has a larger display.

Behind average price category is now solely responsible Galaxy line A, whose main talent is the ability to shoot well. And to emphasize this fact, the flagship model of the family was equipped with four rear cameras. So to speak, for all occasions.

Well "budget", in the understanding of SAMSUNG. The letter J rules the roost here, and the variety of variants of its “spelling” can be the envy of more than one manufacturer. The emphasis in this line is on practicality.

On the picture: Samsung model Galaxy A9 2018

APPLE
Trendsetter in the field of high technology

Trendsetter in the area high technology and the prices for the corresponding products do not need any special introduction.

Apple legend - Steve Jobs.

Stylish design, a convenient operating system of our own design, the highest quality of devices and, of course, an extensive application store make Apple phones a kind of standard of mobile devices - an object to be emulated, fanatical devotion or equally radical rejection.

We won’t once again inflate the holivar about which iPhone is the best and most successful, we’ll just note that the lifespan of most Apple gadgets is really impressive and, at the time of updating the article, the sixth, seventh, and eighth model series are selling quite well.

Concerning new products. The budget niche is now occupied by the iPhone Xr. And the fact that the money asked for this model is more than enough to buy the flagship of any B-brand - fans of the apple brand will always find something to justify. In fact, we have before us exactly the same middle class that the company formally did not have before. At the same time, we still haven’t seen a replacement for the truly affordable iPhone SE.

Among the most significant changes in the 2018 Apple lineup is undoubtedly the appearance of dual-SIM iPhones. Unfortunately, domestic telecom operators do not support the eSIM version they use, and all interested parties need to look for the iPhone Xr or iPhone Xs Max for the Chinese market. With regard to the possibility of memory expansion, Apple's fundamental (negative) position has not gone away, but the severity of this problem is gradually fading away due to increased availability cloud services and increasing content storage limits. In other aspects, the changes are predominantly quantitative: faster, stronger, etc.

The photo shows the Apple iPhone Xs model

HUAWEI

The Chinese company HUAWEI has recently taken third place among manufacturers in terms of smartphone sales globally, while its share continues to grow rapidly. Moreover, according to the results of the 2nd quarter of 2018, it even overtook Apple and climbed to the second step of the podium. And already in the summer, one of the company’s top managers directly stated that they would undoubtedly become “number two” next year, and maybe even displace Samsung.

Huawei production buildings.

Be that as it may, no other manufacturer has such a wide range of smartphones. On a shelf with a sign "main flagship" The Mate line of smartphones has settled - the embodiment of all the best and most advanced that Huawei had at the time of development of the next generation. Below are sequentially placed the “simpler” flagships - the older models of the P family and the Honor sub-brand. The first is achieved not by the number of representatives, but by their ability to take photographs. Strengths The second is considered to be a spectacular design and an attractive quality/price ratio. However, they also film “honors” quite decently. It is noteworthy that the company has already used all its resources to name inexpensive models of this line.

As middle class Huawei has the Nova family. Moreover, within the framework of its third generation, models on a variety of hardware platforms peacefully coexist within the same price limits.

The photo shows the Huawei Mate 20 Pro model

Budget The Huawei Y line is nothing outstanding - ordinary workhorses with their own pros and cons.

LENOVO & MOTOROLA

The smartphones of this company systematically won the sympathy of customers and are no longer associated in our minds with “overt China.” All the more offensive is the strange “crisis of the genre” that has engulfed the manufacturer, and the almost complete absence of new models. They seem to be announced, but they don’t reach the windows of our stores. The closest thing to them was an interesting device running “pure” Android, equipped with a particularly capacious battery - Motorola One Power.

The photo shows the Motorola One Power model

The fate of the former flagship line Moto Z is unclear. The former, because there are rumors that from the entire Moto family it is planned to leave only the G series on a budget (G6) or mid-level platform (as is expected for the G7), and move the leader “under the canopy” of the Lenovo brand. Again, with a downgrade. Lenovo's K and S lines will now be responsible for the segment of low-cost devices.

As for the high place in our ranking the best companies-smartphone manufacturers, the current position of the Lenovo & Motorola tandem was achieved by the results of the analytical agency StatCounter, according to which smartphones of these brands generate more than 5% of mobile web traffic. And what is especially interesting is that the corresponding figure is only increasing every year.

In the photo: festival Lenovo Vibe Fest.

XIAOMI

It’s quite a “people’s” brand, popular in Russia, delighting its fans not only with affordable price tags for the smartphones it produces, but also with the excellent technical characteristics of the devices themselves.

In the photo: presentation of 2017 models in Moscow

Moreover, as a rule, they are based on a modern component base, and not on outdated solutions. Research results from such reputable analytical centers as IDC, Gartner and Counterpoint Research indicate that Xiaomi is now the fastest growing global brand. As for smartphones, last year the company almost doubled its supply volumes, and at the same time its market share.

Pictured: new Xiaomi factory in India

It should also be noted that there is a steady increase in the overall quality of this brand’s products, although this statement does not yet apply to accompanying software. Including at the level flagships companies. But in terms of innovation, the latter can even serve as an example to follow. In particular, Mi8 with its dual-frequency GPS system, Mi Mix 3 with its practical slider design, and Black Shark with its convenient wireless gamepad. If you arrange the brand’s model ranges in descending order of “steepness,” you will get the following chain: Mi MIX - Mi - Mi Note - Mi A - Redmi Note - Redmi S - Redmi. Formally, to middle class This applies only to devices from the Mi Note line, but here you need to take into account that more than pleasant price tags significantly interfere with the correct positioning of Xiaomi products. For example, the Pocophone F1 model with its flagship hardware also falls into this price category.

At the moment, the most significant complaint about the Chinese company's smartphones is the stubborn reluctance of developers to equip their inexpensive devices with NFC modules.

BBK Electronics

This is perhaps the most difficult case in our review of the best smartphone manufacturers. Few people associate the brands OnePlus, OPPO or VIVO with the manufacturer of the most popular former USSR DVD players (in the recent past), although this is the reality. Of course, fans of brands can have their own opinion, but OPPO is a “daughter” of BBK and, at the same time, the unofficial parent company of OnePlus - so from a formal point of view, everything is correct.

If those same players were aimed primarily at our market, then the brand OPPO was created specifically for the American one. Smartphones of this brand are successful (in general, they occupy 4th place in the world in terms of sales), but are extremely poorly represented in our stores. The brand's products are distinguished by high-quality execution, the presence of unique “chips” and a fairly high cost. Current models not much.

In principle, until recently, it was possible to describe smartphones with similar phrases VIVO, with the only difference being that they were initially aimed at the Asian market. Now the appetite has grown (still, fifth place in sales) and the company is already well represented in our retail. It’s probably worth noting that this brand was the first to implement the idea of ​​a fingerprint scanner built directly into the smartphone display. VIVO's line positioning is simple: the Y series is responsible for relatively budget models, X for particularly thin ones, Xplay for productive ones, Xshot for camera phones and V for the middle class. Not without variations, but somewhere like that.

In the photo: VIVO Nex model with a retractable camera and a fingerprint scanner built into the display

OnePlus In general, it can be considered a brand of a single model represented by several generations. These smartphones are most often called flagship killers, meaning excellent technical characteristics, stylish design and the price tags are more modest. Is it true, latest version OnePlus can no longer be called inexpensive, even if one wants to.

LG

Back in 2014, the South Korean company developed and released 41 smartphone models. In 2018, the fingers of two hands are enough to count its new products. And if you believe the words of the vice-chairman of LG, said at the last CES exhibition, they now plan to update their assortment only as needed.

In the photo: presentation of the updated LG K8 model at CES 2018

First of all, this concerns flagship lines V and G. It is noteworthy that the company stopped searching own path in terms of design and construction and joined in replicating other people’s ideas, including the notorious screen cutout and increasing the number of cameras. Of their developments, the audiophile sound path and the high level of security of smartphones remained untouched. Behind middle class LG’s Q series models correspond, but only the eldest of them, the “eighth”, fully corresponds to this positioning. From budget Among the brand's smartphones, the most interesting are devices with high-capacity batteries of the X Power family.

NOKIA

Past achievements and the aggressive marketing policy of the new owner still attract a lot of attention to this brand. Its place in our review of the best smartphone manufacturers was ensured by 2% of global web traffic, as well as almost four and a half million smartphones sold in 2017. According to the latest indicator, the Nokia brand has surpassed the achievements of Sony and Asus. In addition, the brand became the leader in the number of nominations received at MWC 2018.

In the photo: Nokia presentation at MWC 2018

At the same time, we must admit that the current Nokia does not stand out as particularly attractive. Perhaps the whole point is that we never saw the super-flagship promised a year ago. In the meantime, this role has to be played by the far from flawless Nokia 8 Sirocco. Understanding the positioning of devices from a well-known brand is as easy as shelling pears - the older the number after the name, the cooler the smartphone. And in order not to produce those very redundant entities, the manufacturer made an elegant decision - to denote the next generation of the model with a decimal index.

This is what the camera part of the Nokia 9 prototype looks like

SONY

Despite the extensive the lineup Xperia, SONY's market share is constantly declining. The company is looking for different ways to win back its customers, including through the fantastic characteristics of new smartphones.

All that was left was fire and copper pipes.

At least her last one budget line L1 has not gained much popularity among users, nor has middle class, represented by the XA family. We would venture to assume that SONY will follow the example of some other brands and focus exclusively on solutions top level and production of components. Whatever you say, SONY optical image sensors are a kind of standard of quality.

The only strange thing is that the “Japanese” themselves have still not been able to realize their own potential advantages. Continuity of traditions is wonderful. A peculiar angular design - okay, let it be a “trick” of the brand. What reason prevents you from installing SONY smartphones more capacious batteries? This is practically half of the “negative”, and it was voiced a long time ago.

On the picture SONY model Xperia XZ3

HTC

Another former leader with unclear prospects. HTC even stated that it plans to focus its main efforts on business areas that have little to do with smartphones. True, then there was talk of leaving only entry-level models from the market, and at the beginning of 2018 the manufacturer even made an attempt to revive its budget Desire line.

Photo: www.laphamsquarterly.org

HTC is assembled here.

On the other hand, many analysts again noted the clear discrepancy between the manufacturer’s price requests and real ones. technical specifications these smartphones. The flagships remain, and everything is not so gloomy here. Moreover, if previously HTC’s traditional weak point was the camera, now the U12+ model occupies one of the top lines in the ranking of the authoritative resource DxOMark. An additional feature of the company's flagships continues to be Edge Sense technology, which has been updated to the second generation. But not everyone will like replacing mechanical side buttons with touch ones.

ASUS

If until relatively recently the company was content with the role of a manufacturer primarily inexpensive smartphones for undemanding users, then its latest offerings can also interest quite sophisticated “users”.

In the photo: presentation of the ZenFone 5 line at CES 2018

Continuing to develop the main ZenFone line, which received one of the most prestigious design awards in 2014, ASUS decided to expand its signature Republic Of Gamers family to mobile devices. The result of the developers' efforts is a very interesting ROG Phone, running on an overclocked Snapdragon 845, equipped with a cooling system with an evaporation chamber and boasting cool gaming accessories. As for the “regular” models, it is worth noting the relatively successful attempts of ASUS to gain a foothold in all significant segments. Generally speaking, the main complaints of Asusphone owners are the quality of the accompanying software.

GOOGLE

In fact, the first five “Nexuses” were complete copies of certain smartphones from different manufacturers, which were simply produced parallel to the originals, but under the Google brand.

Google Pixel 3 presentation

Starting with Nexus 6, there were no more “twins”, and the company’s products acquired their own individuality. It must be assumed that the abandonment of the “old” brand and the launch of the Pixel family were intended to rehabilitate Google as much as possible in every sense, and the recent acquisition of the HTC research division was intended to give weight as a serious figure in the smartphone market. Actually, this Taiwanese company helped in the development of the first generation of “pixels”, and also produces them at its own facilities.

It is noteworthy that the Nexus One is also the work of HTC. The situation obliges, therefore the main ideologist of the most widespread mobile operating system It’s even indecent to release unusable smartphones.

However, the company unpleasantly surprised everyone with the third generation Pixel. You might even think that Google designers had the task of setting a record in the disciplines of “largest unibrow” and “widest frames of 2018” (for the XL version and the basic model, respectively). But new smartphones have learned to shoot even better and make do with a single sensor.

The photo shows the Google Pixel 3 XL model

MEIZU

The company started out as a manufacturer of interesting and quite original music players, but its first smartphone (M8) imitated APPLE products to such an extent that the latter even looked for legal ways to completely ban sales of this model. Actually, certain features of iPhones are still visible, if not in the guise of devices from the Chinese brand, then in their Flame shell. However, many other smartphone models are guilty of the same thing.

Photo: meizu-m8.ru

Opening of another MEIZU brand store

In the past, MEIZU has released some really cool devices, but lately it has been experiencing a better times. Its smartphones were superior to most competitors in terms of design and convenience, although the capabilities of the filling could be noticeably inferior to them. Fortunately for fans of the brand, the company was able to get together and release an excellent model, in every sense. So far this is only a flagship, but who knows...

Which brand's smartphone is better?

A very difficult time for manufacturers, forced to look for new ideas in the face of fierce competition and price pressure from numerous little-known companies, turns into an excellent opportunity for users to choose their own optimal smartphone option. Each smartphone manufacturer has its own strengths and weaknesses. Productive hardware, the highest image detail, stylish design, convenient software shell - everyone decides for themselves what is more important to them. The best thing about this situation is that there is such a choice.

An abundance of options is not always a plus. If the product you need is sold in many stores, you can become so overwhelmed when choosing that you forget what criteria you initially considered the most important. As a result, you will find that you spent a lot of time and still came to the decision to take the first option.

Yandex.Market is a service that allows you to avoid wasting time searching for the best option. Once you learn how to use this platform, you can quickly find smartphones with the desired characteristics and buy them at the lowest prices.

“Yandex.Market” is not a store subordinate to “Yandex”—more recently, this role has been played by the “Beru!” marketplace. . Yandex.Market is more of an information portal that helps the user select the right product and compare prices. YAM accumulates offers from many stores, determines the minimum and average prices on the product item, tells you where to buy specific model smartphone is the cheapest.

Yandex.Help provides the following figures: The Market works with 20 thousand stores and has already placed 100 million product offers.

Yandex.Market takes on the role of an intermediary broker. If the user has found a product in YAM, he follows the link to the seller’s online store and places an order there. The buyer does not pay anything, but Yandex still has a benefit - sellers transfer him money for clicks every day.

How to find the cheapest offer on Yandex.Market?

Let's look at the example of a smartphone. We find the gadget through the search bar.

Already at this stage we can see that 239 stores have put up offers for this product on YaM, and the minimum price of the product is 38,000 rubles. This should intrigue and alert the buyer at the same time, since in a regular Svyaznoy showroom the gadget costs 59,990 rubles. Do you feel the difference?

Let's determine which store offers such fabulous conditions. We go to the product card, move to the tab “ Prices».

The cheapest offers immediately “crawl” to the top.

Mobile phones are present in almost every country in the world. Customer preferences are changing very quickly and hence the mobile market is a world of constant innovation. High camera resolution, fast processor, ease of use, stylish design - these are the important differences between the devices leading smartphone manufacturers 2018 and new developing companies. We offer you the top 10 time-tested brands that offer well-built, attractive-looking and highly functional devices at an affordable price.

The distribution of seats was based on statistics on smartphone sales in Europe and the Russian Federation for the first half of 2017 according to International Data Corporation () and customer satisfaction with product quality, research.

Vendors Oppo and Vivo are not included in the list, since they are not officially sold in Russia and the CIS. However, we have included them in our .

10. Meizu

The flagship mobile phone is Meizu Pro 7.

Opens the rating of smartphone manufacturers Chinese company Meizu, whose history began with the production of MP3 / MP4 multimedia players. Its models, such as Meizu MX, Meizu E3 and MiniPlayer (M6) were very popular due to their strong, clear sound and low price. However, since 2008, the market for portable players began to experience a decline and Meizu switched to producing promising smartphones.

In February 2009, Meizu announced the M8 smartphone with Windows CE 6.0 OS, but with a modified interface. And in 2011, Meizu M9 entered the market with Android OS and the proprietary Flyme shell. This shell was subsequently used on all Meizu devices.

In 2015, Meizu became interested in the Chinese giant Alibaba Group, which invested $590 million in the company. This allowed Meizu to significantly expand its range of smartphones, adding budget M-series devices and music flagships from the Pro line.

Users appreciate Meizu smartphones for their intuitive and beautiful interface, durable body, long-lasting battery and excellent technical characteristics.

Popular modern models:

• Meizu M5 Note;
• Meizu MX6;
• Meizu M3 Note.

9. Nokia

The flagship is Nokia 8.

In ninth place in the ranking of the best smartphone manufacturers of 2018 is the creator of the legendary “indestructible” model Nokia 3310 (its updated version was released in 2017). As for smartphones, the Finnish company has not released them since 2014, having sold its mobile division to Microsoft, along with the rights to temporarily use the brand. However, in 2016, Nokia decided to return to the mobile market with stylish, powerful devices running under latest version Android OS. They are produced by the Chinese company Foxconn.

Popular models:

• Nokia Lumia 640 XL;
• Nokia 5;
• Nokia 6.

The best smartphone is Xiaomi Mi 6.

Xiaomi is one of the most famous smartphone manufacturing companies based in China. It was founded in 2010, and has firmly established itself in the segment mobile phones, thanks to its high-quality devices and low prices. We even prepared a separate one, including the top models of 2017.

Xiaomi has an established and extensive sales market in countries such as India, Singapore, Malaysia (in addition to China). Apart from mobile phones, the company also has a significant global market share in segments such as tablets, smart home devices and laptops. The Xiaomi logo is written as "MI" which means " Mobile Internet" However, due to the complexities of the mobile market, the company also humorously deciphers its logo as “Mission Impossible”, as it managed to overcome serious difficulties in this competitive environment and stay afloat. Here are some of the most famous smartphones:

• Redmi Note 3 Pro;
• Redmi 4;
• Mi Mix – .

These are all extremely popular phones as they have all the features offered by leading mobile phone manufacturers and are priced lower than many of their competitors. Xiaomi always puts the interests of customers first and develops its technologies according to their needs and requirements.

Flagship smartphone - Huawei P10.

Which smartphone brand should you choose if you are primarily interested in camera quality and a high-performance processor? The answer is Huawei smartphones. This Chinese company was founded in 1987, but the mobile phone division appeared in 2003. Huawei Consumer Business Group (BG) is the group responsible for smartphones and its products are present in 170 countries around the world.

Popular offers include:

• Huawei Honor 8;
• Huawei Honor 6A.

Huawei is known for its sponsorship activities, it supports various sports clubs, such as Arsenal, Real Madrid, Athletic Bilbao and the Indian Royal Challengers Bangalore. These sponsorships strengthen the brand's reputation and help it respond quickly to the consumer market in Europe and Asia.

Flagship smartphone - Lenovo P2.

The company was founded in 1984 and is a leader in consumer electronics. In 2013, Lenovo entered the mobile and smartphone segment and since then has only been increasing the pace of sales. In 2014, it bought phone maker Motorola Mobility from Google to further strengthen its position in the mobile market.

The company has factories that produce 40 million phones a year. Lenovo gained a significant share of sales in China thanks to its new range of smartphones, which were advertised very aggressively. Some of the most popular Lenovo models are:

• Lenovo Vibe;
• Lenovo K series;
• Lenovo Z series;
• Lenovo Phab series.

Currently Lenovo time has focused on large-scale marketing strategies by advertising its products on TV, online platforms, magazines, etc. Apart from point-of-sale sales, the company has increased its presence on e-commerce platforms through its own website. This has allowed it to be on par with all other leading brands when it comes to using different sales channels.

5. Asus

The top new product is Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom.

Taiwanese manufacturer Asus has firmly taken its place in the global market over the past few years. The brand is known for its impeccable quality devices. Intel based and Qualcomm SoCs (all with the Android platform) and is counting on an audience that is attracted by the stylish design and wide functionality of smartphones. Another one distinguishing feature brand, production, capable of providing battery life up to 2 days of active use.

The most famous models:

• ZenFone Go;
• Asus Zenfone 3;
• ZenFone 4 Max.

4.LG

The flagship of 2017 is the LG G6.

LG Electronics is one of the leaders in the production of consumer electronics and appliances, mobile phones, and many other devices. The LG Group employs over 80,000 people and has offices in 80 countries around the world.

Users praise LG smartphones for their excellent “long-lasting” batteries, user-friendly interface, beautiful design and reliability.

The company's most popular smartphones include:

• LG Optimus series.
• LG G Flex.
• LG Nexus.
• LG Tribute.

LG is strongly focused on developing innovations in the mobile industry. This brand was the first to introduce such an innovation as the modular design of a smartphone, it was the LG G5. Thanks to it, the device can be equipped with various replaceable modules, for example, a camera control module (the result is an analogue of a digital camera) and an audio module that can play super high-definition audio.

LG is associated with popular sporting events such as Formula 1 and football clubs throughout Europe. These associations have allowed the company to build a strong positive reputation and have given it a competitive advantage over other quality smartphone manufacturers.

3.Sony

Flagship - Sony Xperia XZ Premium Dual.

The company formerly known as Sony Ericsson, has taken the market by storm with its amazing Xperia series that comes with some unmatched features like 2-day battery life, easy to use, highly capable camera with amazing selfie mode features. All this, coupled with the trust and loyalty that the brand has accumulated over the years, helps Sony remain in the top three smartphone sellers.

Popular smartphones:

• Sony Xperia XZ Premium;
• Sony Xperia XA1;
• Sony Xperia E Dual.

Flagship - Samsung Galaxy S9.

One of the best smartphone companies of 2018, with representative offices in 80 countries.

Currently, Samsung is fiercely competing with Apple in the smartphone segment, pitting its Samsung Galaxy series against the pretentious iPhones. Quite recently, the Samsung Galaxy S8 went on sale, and if you are looking for a smartphone from which company is better to buy based on reviews, then you will not pass by the Galaxy S8. This is one with the ability to record video in 4K format, a fast Exynos 8895 chipset, a 3000 mAh battery (3500 mAh for the S8 Plus version) and useful options like fast charging, a fingerprint sensor and an iris scanner make this device a new standard for the flagships of the best smartphone companies and a worthy opponent to the latest iPhone 7 Plus.

Popular mobile models Samsung phones are:

• Samsung Galaxy S7;
• Galaxy A3;
• Samsung Galaxy C5.

1. Apple

The flagship of 2017 is the iPhone 7 Plus.

If you ask users, many will first name Apple, the American company that produces the famous iPhone. It was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne as a computer company, but today its main income comes from mobile devices.

Apple has created a complete ecosystem of its products and services, which includes:

• iPhone smartphones;
• iPods;
• iOS operating system;
• iTunes media player;
• music service Apple Music;
• and the Apple Online Store.

Thanks to the iPhone, Apple is perceived as a prestigious and high-quality brand. We can say that the iPhone is not only a phone, but also a symbol of wealth and success in many countries, occupying prestigious places in the world from year to year. However, there are many smartphone companies breathing behind Apple, the quality of their products is not much different from “a girl’s best friend after diamonds.” For example, strong competition for Apple products comes from Samsung, LG and Chinese manufacturers - Xiaomi, Huawei, Vivo, etc. But so far, Apple has managed to retain the title of king of the mobile world. And the company has a huge advantage - a loyal community that can help it develop even more successfully.

The latest phones released by Apple are:

• iPhone 7;
• iPhone 6S;
• iPhone 6S Plus.

It’s impossible to say which company’s smartphones are better in 2018. Each of the brands presented in the rating has models with their own “highlights”. For example, Xiaomi has a large screen and a capacious battery, Asus and Lenovo have an energy-efficient processor and displays with a large brightness reserve, Apple has an elegant design and excellent application optimization, Samsung, Sony and Huawei have excellent cameras, Meizu - the most convenient interface, LG’s is solid appearance and durability, Nokia has excellent sound and a large number random access memory.

To paraphrase the famous lines of V. Mayakovsky “All smartphones are good, choose according to your taste.”

2018 has just arrived, but many manufacturers mobile devices have already presented interesting smartphone models. Today we will talk about five the latest flagships, which can be purchased by spring of this year. The rating of devices was compiled according to the principle of “the newest and best smartphones,” so you should not be surprised that the usual leaders were not included in it: Apple and Samsung. The first manufacturer will show a new device (what the new iPhone will be called is not even known yet) only in the fall, and the Samsung Galaxy S9 will go on sale only in April.

Honor View 10

Honor smartphones from Huawei have long been considered strong players in the market. However, this time the manufacturer decided to go further: View 10 should push the company into the big league.

Honor View 10 is powered by an 8-core HiSilicon Kirin 970 paired with a Mali-G72 MP12 graphics accelerator. The amount of RAM is almost a record 6 GB, the internal volume is 128 GB, there is also support for a memory card. The operating system in the device is Android 8.0 with the proprietary EMUI 8.0 launcher. Battery capacity is 3800 mAh. Of course, there is no point in talking about what this device can and can’t do – it copes with any task. The interesting thing is that Honor View 10 uses technology that made a lot of noise last year (remember the self-learning Huawei Mate 10 Pro?) View 10, powered by a neural network, will only become smarter day by day, while others Smartphones will quickly become obsolete!

Externally, it is a typical modern flagship made of aluminum and glass. It is difficult to distinguish him from his brothers. The View 10 can be purchased in four colors - black, dark blue, gold and red, all with a matte back panel. What you might not like about the design is the significantly protruding main camera block. The device has a gigantic 5.99-inch display (2160 x 1080 pixels), and despite the minimal bezels, it is still large, so it is worth considering that the phone is not for everyone. Otherwise, it is a perfectly assembled and pleasant gadget in all respects.

The smartphone has an excellent dual camera of 16 and 20 megapixels. Features of the camera include the presence of a manual mode and RAW support, which allows for fine processing of images. The front camera resolution is 13 megapixels. The photo capabilities can be rated as excellent. And don’t forget that this is a self-learning smartphone, so the pictures will get better every day.

You can buy a new product at a price of 30,000 rubles

Undoubtedly, Nokia's return to the market late last year was a big event. The manufacturer presented several devices at once - from budget ones to the stuffed Nokia 8, which will be discussed. We have a device with a small, flagship-like 5.3-inch screen with a resolution of 2560 by 1440 pixels. The performance is ensured by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, Adreno 540 video chip and 4 GB of RAM. As you can see, the hardware is a little lower than other flagships, but this performance is absolutely enough for any task.

The device stands out with its classic design. At first glance, there is nothing revolutionary in the design, but this does not prevent the device from looking solid. The body is made of aircraft aluminum, making it look expensive. Everything is done reliably, it’s impossible to find fault with the build quality - everything is like other flagships. Interesting done back panel, especially the camera block - it protrudes slightly and is divided into two parts: there are two cameras at the top, and a flash at the bottom, but what attracts the most attention is the Zeiss inscription.

The very fact that Zeiss glass is used in the camera optics suggests that we are looking at something special. The smartphone has a dual camera (13 and 2 MP). She shoots with two lenses at the same time, creating images with the background blurred. It’s hard to find fault with the result: it turns out beautifully under any conditions. The dual-tone LED flash perfectly highlights all the color features, neatly shading the background. The characteristics of the front camera are the same as those of the main camera.

Nokia 8 is offered at a price of 25 thousand rubles

ASUS ZenFone 4 Pro

This manufacturer usually produces smartphones in the mid-price range. There are no budget devices in its assortment, and expensive ones appear extremely rarely. At the beginning of 2018, ASUS decided to surprise everyone with an expensive flagship. ZenFone 4 Pro has a 5.5-inch screen with FullHD resolution. Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and 6 GB of RAM are responsible for performance. Adreno 540 is installed as a video accelerator. The internal memory capacity is 64 GB; lovers of storing large amounts of data will appreciate the fact that there is support for memory cards up to 2 TB.

The body is completely devoid of plastic: only metal covered with Gorilla Glass. However, we know all this, but the design is based on old techniques, thanks to which the smartphone is recognizable even if the logo is removed from it. Fans of wired headphones will be especially pleased, as they will notice the much-loved 3.5mm audio jack. By the way, regarding the sound, the earpiece plays in unison with the main one - a very interesting move. What’s also interesting is the design of the speaker itself - the designers decided to hide LED indicators under its grille; in the dark, the owner will experience a real wow effect. Otherwise, both the design and build quality are fully consistent with modern flagships.

The dual camera received Sony matrices (12 and 16 megapixels). Distinctive features of the camera: color correction sensor, optical stabilization and laser focus that tracks objects in real time. The camera takes pictures in quality no worse than other flagships. The night mode falls a little short of what it should be. The 13-megapixel front camera not only can take excellent selfies, but also has a full set of “improvements” for girls, however, this is one of the main features of all ASUS smartphones.

ASUS ZenFone 4 Pro can be purchased at a price starting from 39,000 rubles

The new flagship from LG, first of all, surprises with its design, which has nothing in common with its predecessors. This may disappoint many, as fans of the V-Series loved its brutal design. Now we have before us an elegant, girlish smartphone with almost no side frames, with rounded corners. The only exceptions are the huge 6-inch screen and the dimensions of the device itself, respectively. But the device boasts a magnificent metal case that is moisture-resistant according to the IP68 standard.

The second bold move is the statement that this time the main focus is not on performance and cameras, as all manufacturers decide today, but on sound. V30 can really be called best choice for music lovers, sound in quality headphones impeccable, the same applies to external speakers. However, the filling is also quite serious: inside there is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and an Adreno 540 graphics chip, but 4 GB of RAM will not be enough for a flagship.

Regarding the cameras, everything here is also at the highest level. The LG V30 has two modules: the first is 16, and the second is 13 megapixels. The proprietary application boasts a huge variety of settings. There is even Focus Peaking (a function that illuminates objects in focus), which will be the envy of owners of expensive cameras. The front-facing 13-megapixel camera also boasts excellent photos in any conditions and has the same functions in the application as the main camera.

You can buy LG V30 at a price starting from 40,000 rubles

Unnoticed by everyone, smartphones from this manufacturer have lost their former glory. If HTC devices appeared on sale, they were simple and nondescript mediocre devices. But it was this manufacturer that opened the era of Android smartphones, and just five years ago it competed on equal terms with Samsung and LG. HTC U11 is a new expensive flagship released at the end of 2017 that deserves attention.

The design of the smartphone turned out to be slightly brutal, and it does not have any tricky design moves, like a curved screen or a unibrow. On the other hand, are these chips necessary? The smartphone is made simply, like a single block. Although the surface is glossy, the device does not slip in the hand and does not collect fingerprints. The body colors are especially pleasant, although there are only four options: black, dark blue, light blue and dark red. The colors are deep and pleasing to the eye, even blue looks solid.

The smartphone has a 5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. The performance is driven by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with 8 cores, an Adreno 540 video accelerator and 6 GB of RAM. The internal memory is 64 GB, which is expandable up to 2 TB using a memory card. HTC U11 runs on the Android 7.1.1 operating system with the proprietary HTC Sense launcher.

The main camera received two sensors of 16 megapixels each. The developers did everything possible to bring background blur to perfection, and they succeeded: the effect on the HTC U11 camera is smoother than its competitors and aesthetically pleasing. The color rendering of the camera is also surprising - the colors are more natural than those of the Galaxy S8. Additionally, the HTC U11's camera excels at night photography and fast-moving subjects. And here front-camera let me down. No, it’s quite good: a 16-megapixel matrix, flash, many functions in the application, but the lack of autofocus is unacceptable for a modern flagship.

On HTC U11 it is offered at a price of 32,000 rubles.

The best phone brand always produces high-quality equipment. But how to identify such a manufacturer? In a sea of ​​huge selection of the most unusual gadgets, it is difficult to choose a phone that would meet all individual requirements. The 2018 rating, compiled according to the Mark.guru portal, gives a brief overview of each manufacturer.

Some people value their phones for their performance, some prefer models that are mini-computers, and others for their quality and long service life. In each case, it is necessary to remember that there are selection criteria:

1. Country of Origin– high-quality models are assembled in Japan, Korea and China. For example, Japanese specialists are recognized throughout the world as the best in terms of engineering education and skill.
2. Power and performance figures- each brand, due to fierce competition, tries to provide maximum opportunities for its customers, for example, Apple - software protection, Samsung - the best picture and shooting quality, and ZTE - a large battery capacity.
3. Design– brands of modern gadgets are produced according to the latest trends, have streamlined shapes, compactness or, conversely, extended screens. Individual preferences play a key role.
4. Build quality– it is preferable to choose manufacturers who produce phones in a hard, impenetrable case, with protective coatings. For example, glass parts are very difficult to maintain and require additional costs if damaged.
5. Price- is another important criterion that can tell how strong a brand is in the technology market. As a rule, the highest quality companies offer both budget and expensive models.

1. Apple

The ranking of smartphone manufacturers opens, of course, with Apple. In first place is the brand that dictates fashion in the field of high technology. For several years in a row, it has received the palm in terms of the number of units sold in Russia and second place in sales volumes throughout the world.

What distinguishes the brand is the stylishness of the phones and the simplicity of the main working system. In addition, the gadgets are different:

• increased system reliability;
• protected from viruses;
• have huge selection applications.

All this makes the brand a kind of standard against which all others are measured.

As for the budget segment, the company can offer the iPhone 4S. Slightly higher in cost are the 5C and 5S assemblies. Their diagonal is wider, but the picture quality remains unchanged. Firstly, the differences between the models relate to the materials of manufacture and the case frame. Secondly, advanced processors and the presence of a “home” button on the panel, which scans a fingerprint. The company is in favor of the best and latest developments in operational support, but does not participate in the race to modernize the permit.

The 6th and 7th generation flagships occupy the segment of expensive models and are distinguished by larger screens and support for 4k quality.

And the main difference between these phones is the absence of a USB connector, instead there is a Lightning connector.

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 10 have already been released.

Apple iPhone 8 prices:

Apple iPhone 10 prices:

2. Samsung

Samsung occupies a leadership position in several indicators at once - the capabilities of smartphones, the number of families and model lines.

The most economical models are represented by the Ace 4 and Core 2 lines. A familiar body with a single button that returns to the main page and good camera performance are the main differences between these phones.

In addition, regardless of the model, powerful quality indicators for the camera are a fundamental point for the company’s developers.

The mid-price segment includes the Galaxy A3/A5, but big differences they don't have.

Luxury models are S and Note. They have excellent quality displays and a powerful operating assembly, the characteristics of which are even slightly redundant. The only drawback of the brand is the Pentile matrix system. Note models are designed for a stylus, so the diagonal is expanded to 5.7 inches. However, according to reviews, the fifth row of models is not popular.

Galaxy are equipped with a 5.1-inch screen and are capable of playing full HD. The S6 Edge+ has a curved screen and is generally great, but only until you start actively using the phone: viewing photos and turning on the full screen when playing videos is difficult.

Prices for Samsung Galaxy S8:

3.Sony

Although Sony offers an extensive prayer range, its market sales are only decreasing every year. The brand is trying to return attention to its developments by modernizing new lines of smartphones.

The Xperia Z5 Premium model, for example, has 4K playback and support on a 5.5-inch diagonal. But this indicator only affected photos and videos; otherwise, full HD is included.

Due to the fact that the company has its own sensor and optics department, all Z5 models are equipped with 23-megapixel cameras and powerful zooms.

The middle and budget segment of models is at a high level, but it is premium class models that contribute a significant share of budget turnover. Another feature from the company is that the models have a dust-repellent coating and water protection.

Prices for Sony Xperia XA1 Dual:

4.LG

The Korean company LG is distinguished by the fact that it tries to use the most Newest technologies to budget models, albeit in a lightweight version. The best lg smartphones have curved screens and panel buttons located on the back. There are plenty to choose from - Magna, Spirit and Leon. The Max model range received a unique flash with a glow in different directions.

In the middle price segment there are models with an all-metal body - a very decent edging that protects the screen from damage.

The G3 and G4 phone lines, although they provide little autonomy and heating, are loved by buyers. The Flex 2 is a truly portable device - its compactness and long battery life are its main advantages. But the temperature increase when loading the system remained.

Price range - from 4840 to 41700 rubles.

Prices for LG V30+:

5. Xiaomi

The company, which was founded just a few years ago, has already established itself well in the global market, ranking third in sales last year.

The main advantage of the company is the budget price for high quality, comparable to Samsung and iPhone.

In order to keep the cost level low for the entire line of smartphones, the company began selling only through its own website. The excitement is also fueled by a marketing ploy - operating system updates are released every week for the unique Mi line.

The best model from the company with excellent characteristics is the Xiaomi Mi Note Pro. Quad HD display, fast 4-core processor and 3 GB of RAM are just minor indicators. The company is developing confidently and proof of this is the flagship Xiaomi Mi Note 2, which has 8 GB of RAM and 16 GB of software memory. According to leading experts, Note 2 is the main competitor to Samsung Note 5 and iPhone 6s+.

Price range – 5400 to 25490 rubles.

Prices for Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus 4/64GB:

6.Huawei

Thanks to the best Huawei smartphones, the company ranked 3rd in terms of units sold last year in the global market. It doesn’t have much choice on the domestic platform, but it is included in the ranking of the best manufacturers and smartphones produced.

In the economy class, Huawei presents the Ascend Y series - very productive, standard models. The mid-segment includes Mate S models, although they are based on outdated working platform modules.

Nexus under the designation 6P is characterized by high performance and is among the top best smartphones by quality.

Distinctive features of the brand in the high price segment:

• presence of a finger scanner and excellent operating functions;
• patented program control using “knock”;
• clear voice transmission during conversation;
• fast charging capability and non-removable battery.

Price range: 6950 – 42450 rubles.

Prices for Huawei P20 Lite:

7.ZTE

ZTE company produces high-quality gadgets. Each new model is designated by the slogan “ best phone", but, of course, has both advantages and disadvantages.

Flagships from ZTE are equipped powerful processor, a reliable and large high-definition display, as well as a camera with the ability to record high-definition video.

Phones from ZTE are especially popular among young people, as they have a relatively low cost and excellent technical characteristics.

Price range – 2480 rubles to 16500 rubles.

Prices ZTE Blade A6:

8. Lenovo

Lenovo has long been known to Russian buyers. Phones have gradually gained popularity and are no longer associated with cheap Chinese products. By purchasing the rights to the Motorola brand, the company finally secured its place in the market.

The inexpensive niche is represented by A-series smartphones, which have standard but powerful capabilities.

The S and P series occupy the middle and high price classes, respectively, you can choose from endless models - huge diagonals, HD video playback, high-performance processor and large battery capacity.

Some phone models are already optimized for selfies and are as autonomous as possible.

Price range – 4200 to 25300 rubles.

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro prices:

9.Micromax

An Indian brand that appeared on the domestic market quite recently, but has already proven itself well, which is why it is included in the rating of smartphones and represents one of the world's electronics manufacturers.

Phones from the company are distinguished by a design that is resistant to damage, high quality software system and low cost.

The Quad Dual and Fire lines have standard performance indicators. Such smartphones are perfect for gaming, video recording, and long work. Memory and built-in functions allow for caching and software updates.

What differentiates the brand is its design. Many models resemble small blocks in shape and are quite compact. In general, the brand can be associated with quality, low cost and long service life. However, you cannot get top-notch processing speed and high resolution from Micromax models.

Price range – 1990 to 9100 rubles.

Micromax Q465 prices:

10.HTC

HTC has good development prospects. But these are just perspectives. It has a market share of 2%, in particular due to Desire phones and One.

For example, the Desire model range is presented in the economy segment and has only a basic set of functions and average characteristics. The second One series occupies the high price segment. If we compare both lines, we can conclude that they are not very different in terms of operational performance, except that the latter have larger amounts of memory and screen sizes.

The One is slightly overpriced, but the positive differences between smartphones and other brands are their almost complete autonomy and exceptional design.

Price range - from 5670 to 60200 rubles.

Prices for HTC U11 128GB:

11.ASUS

ASUS is better known for producing laptops and tablets, and recently decided to enter the smartphone niche. For the most part, ASUS is developing the side of performance and information processing speed, and the main series of ZenFone smartphones has such advantages as:

• economical cost;
• unique design (most models are made in an iron case);
• use of unique technologies.

It is noteworthy that each phone has its own feature, for example, AR – support for AR and VR technologies, and Ultra – high-definition images and high-quality sound.

Prices ASUS ZenFone 4 Max ZC520KL 16Gb:

In conclusion, it is worth adding that each brand has its own distinctive features. By understanding the main directions of each company, choosing the best smartphone manufacturer will not be difficult.