So far, an ideal smartphone has not been constructed. It is also difficult to point to the one and only phone on the market that would be universal enough and at the same time profitable to buy to meet the expectations of all users.
That is why we offer you our, certainly somewhat subjective, but also the ranking of the most interesting smartphones in several basic functional and price categories resulting from the tests carried out in the editorial laboratory. It will certainly allow you to narrow the search for a new smartphone to only a few proven and really worthy of attention models.
The list below will, of course, be updated from time to time, as new, sometimes very successful designs are constantly appearing on the market.
Best & Expensive: The First League
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G
This year’s Samsung flagship is a well-made smartphone, very efficient, with a waterproof housing with an interesting design, a sensational AMOLED screen (QHD +, 120 Hz), a solid and universal camera with 10x optical zoom, fast 5G modem and a stereo speaker system. In each of the above-mentioned respects, the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is one of the market leaders.
Unfortunately, it is also a very expensive device … too expensive in my opinion. In view of such a high price, it is even ridiculous to save the manufacturer who does not add a mains charger and a headset to the factory set.
It’s also hard to understand why the newest Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G supports slower battery charging than the older Galaxy S20 Ultra. Nevertheless, this year Samsung has constructed a truly successful flagship for the most demanding.
Xiaomi Mi 11 (Global)
While last year’s Xiaomi Mi 10 was a phone without a clear stylistic idea, and even a bit colorless, Xiaomi Mi 11 looks more impressive and is a very characteristic device. Its housing was made of the best materials – aluminum, Gorilla Glass Victus glass and Gorilla Glass 5 (back) and only the waterproof certificate was missing.
Mi 11 is also a very efficient device (Snapdragon 888 chipset), supporting 5G networks, having a very good quality AMOLED screen (120 Hz, QHD + resolution) and equipped with a stereo set of speakers.
On the other hand, the cameras used are a bit disappointing (no tele module, photo quality at a fairly average level in the flagship rate) and the high price by Xiaomi standards. Nevertheless, it is a sophisticated smartphone and definitely worth attention.
Efficient Smartphones at a Good Price
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
The Galaxy S20 FE 5G is a peculiar sensation in last year’s flagship series from Samsung. It appeared a bit later, as if by accident, but also as the only one equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset. This meant that the cheapest Galaxy S20 also turned out to be the most efficient smartphone in the entire line, even faster than the Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G.
In addition, right out of the box, it worked correctly with all Polish 5G networks, which at the beginning could not be achieved by other models equipped with the Exynos 990 chipset. The advantages of the Galaxy S20 FE also include: a decent Super AMOLED screen (FHD +, 120 Hz) , solid, triple camera, waterproof housing and a powerful battery with a capacity of 4500 mAh. There were some compromises, mainly regarding the quality of workmanship, but they do not change the fact
Xiaomi Mi 10T
The Xiaomi company strongly promoted the Mi 10T series, but it was noticeable that the models belonging to it stood out from other Xiaomi flagships already at the time of the market premiere due to the lack of an AMOLED screen and the functionality of the camera used. In these respects, they were beaten by the much older, mid-range Mi Note 10.
However, the price reduction meant that the initially least interesting Mi 10T unexpectedly took on consumer blushes.
At the current, attractive price, it gives us the very good performance of the Snapdragon 865, a 5G modem, an LCD screen refreshing the image with a frequency of 144 Hz, stereo speakers and maybe not very sophisticated, but at this price still a very solid 64 MP camera with a 13-megapixel module wide angle. In addition to the AMOLED screen, the Mi 10T lacks mainly: a headphone jack.
Related: Best Smartphones Under USD 400: Middle Class King Phones
POCO F2 Pro
In a moment, we expect the premiere of the newer version of the flagship smartphone under the sign of POCO, but it must be said openly that the older POCO F2 Pro is still doing very well, and after the premiere of the successor, we can additionally expect a further reduction in its price.
POCO F2 Pro uses the Snapdragon 865 chipset, has a solid aluminum-glass (Gorilla Glass 5) housing, a 6.6-inch AMOLED screen without indentation, a front camera that slides out of the housing and a decent main digital camera with a resolution of 64 megapixels with an additional wide-angle and macro module.
There is also a headphone jack, but only one speaker (mono). One of the biggest disadvantages of this phone is also the lack of support for Polish 5G networks. However, if you don’t care about it, the POCO F2 Pro is a great alternative to the Mi 10T.
The Best in Smaller Smartphones
Samsung Galaxy S21 5G
The smallest of this year’s Samsung flagships is a very neat smartphone with a 6.2-inch AMOLED 120 Hz screen with FHD + resolution. The screen is covered with the latest and most resistant Gorilla Glass Victus glass, and the massive aluminum frame makes a very solid impression.
The design weaknesses of the waterproof Galaxy S21 5G (IP68) include the back made of plastic. It would not be a bad thing in a mid-range smartphone, but here we are dealing with a device that costs over PLN 3,500. Great performance, support for 5G networks, Dual SIM, inductive charging and stereo speakers encourage you to buy the S21 5G.
However, the presence of the same camera as in the Galaxy S20 model, no memory card slot, no headphone jack and … of course, no mains charger included, is a bit disappointing.
Sony Xperia 5 II
Sony Xperia 5 II is a minimized edition of the flagship Xperia 1 II. Interestingly, in some respects even a bit more interesting than the big sister.
First of all, it is a truly compact smartphone, Dual SIM (Xperia 1 II has only one SIM card slot) and supports 5G networks (except for the Plus operator). It has a great OLED screen (without indentation) refreshing the image at a frequency of 120 Hz. However, it retained the good quality Xperia 1 II camera and its solid, waterproof construction.
The Xperia 5 II also remains one of the last smartphones with a flagship configuration to have a minijack headphone jack. The disadvantages of the small Xperia include the lack of inductive charging.
The Best in Mid-range Smartphones
Mi 10 Lite 5G
MI 10 5g appeared In the market almost a year ago, but it still successfully defends itself with both price and specification. The phone uses the power of Snapdragon 765G, which is the same chipset that goes to devices even twice as expensive.
In addition, it supports 5G networks, has a 6.57-inch AMOLED screen with FHD + resolution and a decent 48-megapixel camera with an additional 8-megapixel wide-angle module.
The screen is protected by durable Gorilla Glass 5, and the built-in 4160 mAh battery is enough for a whole day of multimedia work and supports fast charging with a capacity of 20 W. This smartphone has everything that a good mid-range smartphone should have.
However, if someone does not care about the AMOLED screen, and needs a smartphone with 5G network support, a solid and slightly cheaper alternative may be Redmi Note 9T using the MediaTek Dimensity 800U chipset.
POCO X3 NFC
POCO X3 NFC is not a smartphone for those looking for a 5G device. However, apart from this fact, we are dealing here with a phone with a very interesting configuration without any serious disadvantages.
POCO X3 NFC is equipped with a 6.67-inch 120 Hz LCD screen with FHD + resolution, uses a solid, mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G chipset, has a capacious 5160 mAh battery, stereo speakers and a housing resistant to accidental splashes (IP53).
We will also take good quality photos with the smartphone, using its 64 megapixel camera. Photography enthusiasts can only miss the tele module.
Realme 7 Pro
The Realme brand is taking our market by storm. After the well-priced 6 series models, a slightly more controversial device from the 7 line appeared on it, although there are also some gems among them.
It is, for example, realme 7 Pro … a mid-range with a 6.4-inch OLED screen with FHD + resolution, a solid 64-megapixel camera (with an 8-megapixel wide-angle module), stereo speakers and a 4500 mAh battery, which we can charge in just over half hours (charging 65 W).
Of course, having the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G chipset, it remains a typical medium and does not support the fifth generation GSM network, but it offers a lot at its price.
Cheap Smartphones Worthy of Attention
Xiaomi Redmi 9
We associate an inexpensive smartphone with a device that forces us to make many compromises. There is a lot of truth in this, but the Xiaomi company with its Redmi 9 model proves that there does not have to be so many of them.
Redmi 9 costs about 500 zlotys, and has a screen with FHD + resolution, allowing even an amateur to play the MediaTek Helio G80 chipset, a 13-megapixel camera with a wide-angle module with a resolution of 8 megapixels, a USB type C port and a really capacious 5020 mAh battery with fast charging o performance of 18 watts.
At this price, it’s hard to even complain about the plastic back, which, by the way, looks pretty good. The smartphone screen is protected by the Gorilla Glass 3+ branded glass.
Xiaomi POCO M3
The POCO M3 is an interesting entry-level phone, but … provided that it goes to people who can do without smartphone payments in stores. It does not have an NFC module.
Others will appreciate the large, 6.53-inch LCD screen with FHD + resolution, protected by Gorilla Glass 3, stereo speakers, a huge 6000 mAh battery and made of plastic, but with an interesting natural leather texture and a back panel ensuring a firm grip.
The smartphone’s camera has a very solid, for this price shelf, a resolution of 64 megapixels, but it lacks both a wide-angle module and a telephoto module. At this price, however, it is difficult to complain too much about this fact.