The smartphone has come to define computing in recent years. With this new role, public demand for more powerful and useful hardware persists in every market. As the calendar turns to 2020, the flagship phones offer a computing experience that is remarkable. Today, we take a look at a few of the best options you will find, and provide you with their specifications.
Before we roll out the list, we want to be transparent. We don’t have a horse in this race. Any manufacturer’s flagship smartphone will be more than enough for the lion’s share of things it’s needed for. Regardless who makes your smartphone, the important part is to get one that will sufficiently handle the applications, storage, and action you will need it for.
Widely regarded as the best phone on the market, the Samsung Galaxy s10 Plus improves on the remarkable Galaxy s9 Plus across the board; improving on form factor, processing, camera, and battery. The device is Gorilla Glass 5 on top of an aluminum frame and weighs in at 6.17 oz. The display comes in at 6.4 inches and uses most of the phone’s available real estate. The form factor of the device has had a bit of a renovation, featuring sharper edges than previous models.
Inside the device, the Galaxy s10 Plus has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor with 8-to-12 GB of RAM and storage capabilities that range from 128 GB to a full terabyte. The Galaxy s10 Plus features three rear-facing cameras, including a wide angle, ultra wide angle, and a telephoto option. Samsung also increased the battery to a solid 4,100 mAh. It is shipped with Android 9 Pie, but some carriers already deliver an upgrade to Android 10.
Available in Prism White, Prism Black, Prism Green, Prism Blue, Canary Yellow, Flamingo Pink, Ceramic Black, Ceramic White, Cardinal Red, and Smoke Blue this device can be had on most carriers for between $799 and $1,199.
Samsung Galaxy s10 Plus
Body: Aluminum frame with Gorilla Glass 6 front, Gorilla Glass/Ceramic back
Display: 6.4-inch Dynamic AMOLED (~522 ppi)
OS: Android 9.0 with Samsung One UI skin
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
Memory: 128 GB/8 GB RAM; 512 GB/8GB RAM; 1 TB/12GB RAM
Expandable Memory: microSD up to 1 TB
Cameras: Three back-facing (12 MP, 26mm wide angle; 12 MP, 52mm telephoto; 16 MP, 12mm ultrawide); Two front-facing (10 MP, 26mm; 8 MP, 22mm)
Sounds: Stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack
Battery (battery endurance rating): 4,100 mAh battery (91 hours)
Security: Ultrasonic, under display fingerprint reader; IP 68 resistant
Miscellaneous: Nano-SIM, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, 15W fast charging, wireless charging, reverse wireless charging, NFC, FM Radio
Other versions: Samsung Galaxy s10, Samsung Galaxy s10e
This year Apple’s flagship is called the iPhone 11 Pro Max and it continues Apple’s dedication to creating elite-level smartphone experience.
The iPhone 11 Pro Max is glass front and back, built on a stainless steel frame and providing users a 6.5-inch Super Retina display. Inside the device there is Apple’s proprietary A13 Bionic chip, four GB of RAM, and either 64 gigabytes or 512 gigabytes of onboard storage.
The biggest improvement over the iPhone XS are the cameras. Users will have the use of three 12-megapixel lenses including an ultra-wide angle lens, a wide angle lens, and a telephoto lens. The device runs on the iOS 13 operating system and can be had from most major carriers in Space Gray, Gold, Silver, and Midnight Green for around $1,100.
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Body: Stainless steel frame with glass front/back
Display: 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED; 1,242 x 2,688 (~458 ppi)
OS: iOS 13
Chipset: Apple A13 Bionic
Memory: 64 GB/4 GB RAM; 256 GB/4 GB RAM; 512 GB/4GB RAM
Expandable Memory: None
Cameras: Three back-facing (12 MP, 26mm wide angle; 12 MP, 52mm telephoto; 12 MP, 13mm ultrawide); Two front-facing (12 MP, 23mm; SL 3D camera)
Sounds: Stereo speakers
Battery (battery life): 3,969 mAh (102 hours)
Security: Face ID, IP 68 resistant
Miscellaneous: Nano-SIM, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, 18W fast charging, wireless charging, NFC
Other versions: Apple iPhone 11, Apple iPhone 11 Pro
Years away from the Galaxy Note battery issue that cost Samsung upward of $5 billion, the new Galaxy Note 10 Plus is a strong contender for best smartphone on the market. The new Note offers users a 6.8-inch display made from Gorilla Glass 6. The integrated s-pen stylus offers additional functionality and is stored inside the chassis of the phone for convenience.
The specs of the phone are impressive, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, up to 12 GB of RAM, and 45-watt fast charging on an ample 4,300 mAh battery. The Note 10 Plus features three 12 megapixel cameras that are paired with a time-of-flight 3D depth sensor to give a user some serious power for their content creation. The Note 10 Plus also features wireless Qi charging as well as device-to-device Qi charging, adding extra value.
The Note 10 Plus is available in Aura Glow, Aura White, Aura Black, and Aura Blue and can be purchased at most major carriers for somewhere between $849 and $1,200.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus
Body: Aluminum frame with Gorilla Glass 6 front and back
Display: 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED, 1,440 x 3,040 (~498 ppi)
OS: Android 9.0 with One UI skin
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
Memory: 256 GB/12 GB RAM; 512 GB/12 GB RAM
Expandable Memory: microSD up to 1 TB
Cameras: Four Back-Facing (12 MP, 27mm wide angle; 12 MP, 52mm telephoto; 16 MP, 12mm ultra wide angle; TOF 3D VGA camera); Front-Facing 10 MP, 26mm wide angle
Sounds: Stereo speakers
Battery (battery life): 4,300 mAh (~107 hours)
Security: Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint, IP68 resistant
Miscellaneous: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, 45W fast charging, wireless charging, reverse wireless charging, NFC, S-Pen functionality
Other versions: Samsung Galaxy Note 10
The Pixel 4 XL was one of the last of these phones to market, but with a constantly-updated, stock Android option and some top-of-market features Google’s newest flagship is trying to carve out a spot in a market dominated by Samsung and Apple.
The Pixel 4 XL features a 6.3-inch P-OLED display, with about 537 pixels per inch. It runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor with 6 GB of RAM and either 64 GB or 128 GB of onboard storage.
The Pixel 4 XL also features one of the best cameras available on a smartphone, especially in low light. With a 12.2 MP wide-angle lens and a 16 MP telephoto lens included, users enjoy multiple lens options with one of the best camera experiences found on a smartphone.
The Pixel 4 XL comes in Clearly White, Just Black, and Oh So Orange, and is available for most major carriers for the first time for between $899 and $999.
Google Pixel 4 XL
Body: Aluminum Frame with Gorilla Glass 5 front/back
Display: 6.3-inch P-OLED, 1,440 x 3,040 (~537 ppi)
OS: Android 10
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
Memory: 64 GB/6 GB RAM; 128 GB/6 GB RAM
Expandable Memory: No
Cameras: Two back-facing (12.2 MP, 28mm wide angle; 16 MP, 45mm telephoto) Two front-facing (8 MP; 22mm
Sounds: Stereo speakers
Battery (battery life): 3,700 mAh (~73 hours)
Security: Face ID
Miscellaneous: Bluetooth 5.0, 18W fast charging, wireless charging, NFC, Squeeze for Google Assistant
Other versions: Google Pixel 4
The best smartphones don’t have to come from the elite device manufacturers. This year, the OnePlus 7T Pro offers users a top-of-market smartphone experience for hundreds less. This device is one of the first smartphones to feature a refresh rate of 90 hz, a feature that is sure to impress even the most dedicated Apple or Samsung user.
The optimized experience comes from the use of Qualcomm’s best processor, the Snapdragon 855+. With a 6.67-inch fluid AMOLED display, and a 4,080 mAh battery, the One Plus 7T Pro has the onboard specs most smartphone enthusiasts are looking for in a device. It features three rear-facing lenses, including a 48 megapixel wide-angle lens.
When you compare it to the other flagship phones on the market, the One Plus 7T Pro seems like a complete winner. It’s faster, more affordable, and has otherwise comparable specs. This version will cost users around $700.
OnePlus 7T Pro
Body: Aluminum frame with Gorilla Glass 5 front/back
Display: 6.67-inch Fluid AMOLED, 1,440 x 3,120 (~516 ppi)
OS: Android 10 with OxygenOS 10.0.4 skin
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+
Memory: 256 GB/8 GB RAM; 256 GB/12 GB RAM
Expandable Memory: No
Cameras: Three back-facing (48 MP wide angle; 8 MP, 78mm telephoto; 16 MP, 13mm ultra wide angle); Motorized pop-up 16 MP, 25mm wide angle
Sounds: Stereo speakers
Battery (battery life): 4,085 mAh (~100 hours)
Security: Optical in-display fingerprint reader, pop-up facial recognition
Miscellaneous: Bluetooth 5.0, 30W “Warp” charge, NFC
Other versions: OnePlus 7T
Other phones to consider: Huawei Mate 30 Pro, Huawei P30 Pro, Sony Xperia 1, LG v50 ThinQ, Samsung Galaxy Fold
These may be the best phones you can purchase at your local provider, but is far from a comprehensive list of flagship smartphone options. Two of the very best smartphones produced for 2019-2020 were manufactured by Huawei. The Mate 30 Pro and the P30 Pro are both top-of-the-line options, but because Huawei is blacklisted from doing business in the U.S. as of this writing, many western consumers won’t be exposed to these devices.
Innovation in OLED technology has manufacturers creating foldable devices for the first time. Devices like the Samsung Galaxy Fold, the Huawei Mate X, and the Motorola Razr are a new breed of device that may be of interest to some consumers.
What’s more, 5G is becoming a reality, as select cities have begun to launch it, and some phones are now 5G-capable. However, the standardization of 5G is still years away. Nevertheless, expect to see more and more options coming to market.
What smartphone do you currently have? Are there any features we mentioned that you’re interested in? Leave some of your thoughts in the comments!
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