Best smartphone 2020: don’t settle for a bad iOS or Android phone

There has never been a better time for smartphones. We’ve come a long way from brick-shaped phones that come with a shoulder strap or have to be plugged into a car for use. Almost every smartphone is a thin glass-covered rectangle with a high-resolution display and plenty of performance, but it’s a double-edged sword because almost all phones look and work the same. Obviously, you want something a little more special or that offers the most features so that you get the most bang for your buck. Luckily, we’ve seen and tested all the new smartphones available today and can tell you which ones are the best.

We understand that choosing the right phone is unlike any other device. After all, it’s something you rely on and must use every day. Trust us, we won’t steer you the wrong way in your quest for the best smartphone.

TL; DR – These are the best smartphones:

1. iPhone 12

Best smartphone

The iPhone 12 had a major chance in the arm this year. Not only does it work with an A14 Bionic processor, but the screen has also been upgraded to a Super Retina XDR display. This means that you can enjoy one of the most amazing displays on the market with a peak brightness of 1200 nits and really deep blacks for just $ 829. This is a major change for Apple, which previously locked the Super Retina XDR display on its high-end Pro devices.

The iPhone 12 also has high performance dual wide-angle and ultra-wide cameras that can shoot both 4K movies in Dolby Vision, so you can play all your HDR movies on its stunning display. If you’re an accomplished mobile gamer, this is a great handset for gaming on the go and Apple Arcade is easily the biggest collection of quality apps right now. It’s a bit pricey at $ 700, but no other phone combines an amazing display, a heck-fast processor, and a full suite of features like this.

2.Google Pixel 4a 5G

Best budget smartphone

Google has gone out of its way to make its Pixel phones affordable again and we’re so glad we did. The Pixel 4a 5G is by far the best budget phone with its large 6.2-inch display and fast Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G processor. For $ 500, you also get premium camera quality from Google at a great price, not to mention dictation, duplex phone calls, and other smart features – and you’ll be ahead of the curve in Android updates. for years.

3.iPhone 12 Pro Max

Best iPhone

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is Apple’s biggest and best smartphone yet. While in most years any iPhone Max would be just a larger-screen version of the regular model, this device does offer some meaty upgrades. For starters, you get a larger main camera sensor with built-in image stabilization at the sensor level. Additionally, the telephoto camera has a bit more range with a 2.5x zoom, rather than just 2x on the standard iPhone 12 Pro.

Of course, the other big advantage of the iPhone 12 Pro Max is having a larger 6.68-inch screen to watch all of your HDR10 and Dolby Vision content without having to squint as much. The larger frame of this device also means more battery life and you should be able to spend more than two days with its 3,687mAh battery.

4.OnePlus 8T

Best Android Phone

Specs For specs, the One Plus 8T is the closest thing to an iPhone 12 Pro, except it doesn’t cost much. For a starting price of $ 739, this phone gives you a 6.55-inch AMOLED display that can both reach a peak brightness of 1,100 nits and support a high refresh rate of 120Hz.

It also runs the fastest 865 processor while giving you 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage right off the bat – double the amount seen on the base iPhone 12 model. It also packs two 2250mAH (4500 mAh in total) which allow you to recover a full day in just 15 minutes. You also get three cameras, although the macro lens is forgettable compared to the 48MP main camera and the much higher quality 16MP Ultrawide cameras.

5. Asus ROG Phone III

Best gaming phone

If you’re a serious mobile gamer looking for the fastest smartphone and the most complete family of accessories, you need the Asus ROG Phone III. It has a huge 6.59 inch (1080 x 2340) AMOLED display running at 144Hz to get the silkiest screen you can get on a smartphone.

It also comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor paired with at least 12GB of memory and 512GB of storage, or at most 16GB of RAM. To make this phone even more of a beast, you can get a second screen box to turn it into a Nintendo 3DS, a controller box to turn it into a Nintendo Switch, or combine the two into a spooky Voltron of gaming phones.

6. Google Pixel 5

Best camera phone

Google is still the king of the castle when it comes to mobile photography and luckily getting its flagship smartphone is cheaper than ever at $ 699. The Google Pixel 5 is an amazing smartphone that still manages to capture photos with more detail and color without too much softening and saturating the photos. Plus, it always offers the best night shots and portraits.

The Google Pixel 5 is also the only aluminum-covered smartphone that can wirelessly charge both itself and whatever you put in the back. Of course, the biggest advantage of the Pixel phone is all the features of Google Assistant and priority access to Android updates.

7. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

Best phablet

If you’re just looking for the biggest screen phone you can buy, nothing beats the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (read our review). The company has seriously tested the limits of our pockets, and its latest flagship note features a 6.9-inch (1440 x 3088) AMOLED display that is large, beautiful, and supports HDR10 +.

Of course, the other hat trick of the Note 10 Plus is that it’s the best device for taking notes thanks to its built-in stylus and refined software. Otherwise, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is a serious powerhouse of a phone that can let you run up to three apps at the same time and not sweat while doing it.

8. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

Best high-end smartphone

As it is, smartphones aren’t much higher-end than the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (read our review) unless you’re looking for fancy foldable phones that may still lack some of the high-end features and polish you’ll see in the S20 Ultra. This smartphone monster offers a 6.9-inch screen that effectively stretches to cover the entire front of the device. The screen even operates at 120Hz for smooth visuals and controls that will feel even more responsive thanks to the 240Hz touch sensitivity.

Then there are the stars of the show: the cameras. The Galaxy S20 Ultra has an array of four sensors on the back that can capture 108 MP wide, 12 MP ultra-wide, and 48 MP telephoto shots. These are helped by a depth sensor. The telephoto lens even offers 10x lossless zoom that you can increase up to 100x when you need to get extremely distant details. The phone can also record 8K videos. And, with broad support for 5G connections, the Galaxy S20 Ultra is poised to deliver lightning-fast cellular connectivity as 5G networks expand.

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Kevin Lee is IGN’s material and rounding editor. Follow him on twitter @baggingspam