The Mobile Phone industry advances every year by leaps and bounds. This complicates the task of searching for a terminal when it is time to renew it. The offer is overwhelming and has more and more technologies or functionalities to choose from. Many factors must be taken into account and that complicates decision making.
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Since it depends on the preferences that each one has between iOS and Android, and also the use that we are going to give it. For example: to take photos, to play, by Screen size or cheaper. Many times, it is arbitrary like choosing between Pepsi and Coca-cola. We don't know why we like it, but we like it.
In 2020 there have been many new features that, given the Covid-19 health crisis, could not be properly presented in Spain. Manufacturers and brands have been careful with new designs and updates of their models that in 2019 led the ranking of the best smartphones. This is the case, for example, of the Google Pixel 4 and the latest version of Apple, the iPhone 11 Pro Max.
The best smartphones of 2020
Below we have developed a comparison with expert analysis and buyer comments on the best mobiles on the market available today.
To present the best in the telephony market, we will ignore the budget issue. We will mention which components are not intrinsically necessary on a mobile phone, but which nevertheless make the product more expensive (perhaps unnecessarily).
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To consider
What you have to take into account to buy a good mobile phone:
screen
The screen is an element that has many factors. The most obvious is size: Every year we see how smartphone screens grow. However, depending on the use you usually give it, it will be better to go towards the larger models or opt for something more discreet.
For normal phone use, the screen should be up to 5.5 inches in size. Except for the iPhone SE, which maintains its most popular size with a 4.7-inch screen, the rest of the models in this comparison exceed these measurements with an average of 6.5 inches. This is mainly because video consumption over the phone increases as the years go by.
The inches of a screen are paid at a golden price: better to make sure that we need them and that we are going to enjoy them.
Another important factor will be the resolution of the screen that is measured in pixels. If we are looking for a good smartphone, we should not go below a Full HD + resolution (1920x1080px) which is the most common, even in medium ranges.
The next level of resolution is QHD (2560x1440px) also called 2K. Recently, QHD + (or 4K) resolution appeared on the market that is capable of displaying 2880 × 1440 pixels.
However, we will not be able to enjoy the latter until new virtual reality technologies are developed and democratized. Until then, take QHD resolution as the maximum resolution that the eye will be able to appreciate.
If we tend to watch movies or other audiovisual content with the smartphone regularly, we will enjoy the QHD. Of course, let's not forget to choose a screen of a minimum of 6 inches to be able to fully enjoy it.
Another factor to consider is the type of screen. The range of colors or the contrasts between one and the other can vary quite a bit. They also affect battery life. Broadly speaking, there are three main types of screens:
- LCD screens: They are the usual ones in low or medium range mobile phones due to their low production cost. In general, this type of screen consumes a lot of energy, which will directly affect the battery life.
- OLED screens: This is typical of high-end phones. Its main feature is that they do not need the power to show the black color, which makes it more energy-efficient and the battery lasts longer.
These screens achieve a higher color contrast. It has several variants: AMOLED (improves colors and brightness) and Super AMOLED (focus on achieving superior sharpness and definition). Whenever we can choose, we will opt for this type of screen.
- The Retina screen: They are a variant of LCD screens, although they enjoy a higher pixel density. You'll find them on iPhones before 2017. iPhone currently works with OLED screens since the launch of the iPhone X.
Internal memory and RAM
Internal memory is not the same as RAM. Although many terminals allow you to increase the capacity of internal memory with microSD cards, this does not happen with RAM. Therefore, it is important to take into account some minimum requirements when investing in a phone.
As for RAM, if we are going to bet on a high-end phone (with the outlay that entails) we will demand a minimum of 4GB. The latest more powerful models offer from 6 to 12 GB of RAM.
These references on RAM are for Android. However, in IOS other data is handled: the system is optimized on the iPhone, so they do not need as much RAM.
With internal memory, it is something else. Although some telephones allow us to increase their capacity through cards, we should not underestimate it.
The latest generation models include a minimum of 64 GB, reaching up to 512 GB for the most ambitious, which technology experts advise for photography fans or gamers.
Since we are going to invest in a good phone, we will ask for around 32GB of storage.
If we want to go towards medium ranges, we can lower this capacity to a minimum of 16GB. In this way, we can take and receive videos or photographs without having to free up space in too short periods.
However, if you are a fan of mobile photography, you should choose phones with a larger memory. In high ranges, you can find 128GB internal memories that you will appreciate.
Autonomy
Battery life is a touchy subject as users look for fast and efficient charges that promise long device life at peak performance.
For reference, if we want the phone to last a full day without charging it, we will look for models that have at least 3000 mAh. In 2020 this aspect has come a long way, being able to find devices with a range of up to 5000 mAh, ideal for those who enjoy streaming content or use their phone for many hours.
Almost all of them offer the option of fast charging and many even wireless.
Photo camera
The photo camera is one of the features that will further raise the price of the phone. Therefore, if we are not too interested in the world of photography, in mid-range phones we can find great options with which to save money.
If, on the contrary, the camera is an important factor to deny a fact: megapixels do not ensure that a camera is good. Therefore, we will stop looking at that figure as an indicator.
From now on, we will focus on the optics, focusing all our attention on the aperture of the camera (also known as the f-number).
The opening is what allows greater sensitivity and treatment of light, so we will see better results (especially in low visibility circumstances).
The minimum opening that we will require from our phone will be f / 2.0.
A warning about this indicator: greater openness is indicated by a smaller f-number. That is, an aperture of f / 1.7 will always be better than one of f / 2.0.
Currently, the photographic equipment of smartphones that no longer conform to the Dual Camera has been developed a lot —which has become obsolete—, so the large companies have incorporated several rear sensors of different magnifications and utilities to obtain the best result in every shot; in addition to one or two fonts for lovers of the selfie.
It may interest you: Samsung Galaxy S20 series: where to get these new smartphones now
Operating system
There are numerous operating systems available when choosing a mobile. However, three have the largest market share:
Android (from Google): This is the most flexible operating system. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why it has more than 80% of the Spanish market share.
Despite its flexibility, it usually requires more powerful hardware than iOS to run. However, this is supplemented by the immense variety of models and manufacturers, being able to choose from a multitude of options in all the available ranges.
The latest news already incorporates the latest version, Android 10.
iOS (from Apple): It is an exclusive operating system for Apple products (unlike Android, which is open source and can be integrated into any device by any manufacturer).
Although it is a functional, fast, stable, and simple system, it is much more closed in options and interface.
Another drawback is that there is not much variety of mobiles with this system (only the iPhone) and they are all quite expensive. But if the budget does not worry you, iOS will always be a great option. The latest version of this operating system is iOS 13.
Windows Phone (from Microsoft): In the third position, very far from iOS, is Windows Phone. It is a very stable system, but with many shortcomings still compared to the other two (especially on update issues).
It has the advantage that it allows the integration of telephone, computer, and web applications (includes Office applications). Despite everything, it is expected that this system will increase more and more market share. The latest version of the system is Windows 10 Mobile.
There are other systems not as established as the previous ones. For example, Blackberry or Firefox OS. Even being good systems, if we want the best on the market we will go to the top three.
materials
Although the design of the terminal is a matter of taste, we can look at the material with which they are made. As a general rule, plastic or metal is used. In high-end phones, it will be difficult to find plastic. If you find it, run away from it and opt for the metal.
Some manufacturers also use glass. However, the attractiveness that this material may have is detrimental to its resistance.
Currently, it is rare to find high-end phones that are not waterproof. As a general rule, all will be IP68 certified (the maximum resistance to dust and water).
Short-range connectivity
Although short-range connectivity is somewhat established and established in the mobile industry, the phone we choose must have NFC and Bluetooth.
The NFC is a connection system that allows the pairing of two devices just by bringing them closer to each other. However, the current trend is to use the NFC to make payments from the mobile and, in this way, not need the bank card for our purchases.
Although the current Bluetooth offer is not a big deal, it is interesting to have it. The trend is to do without cables as much as possible and we will notice it in the accessories for mobile phones. For example, for the use of wireless headphones.
Other extras
Among the interesting extras, especially if we are going to enjoy a good screen, are the stereo speakers. These speakers will allow us to listen hands-free, make video calls, or watch videos without distorting the audio. Preferably, we will choose a terminal in which the speakers are on the front.
You will also find devices that have different authentication methods: facial, eye, or fingerprint recognition. They can be useful if you like to lock your mobile and are looking for quick and easy unlocking methods.
Other interesting extras are wireless charging, Dual SIM support, or the possibility of pairing the phone with virtual reality accessories.
The best mobile phones of 2020
Favorite: Google Pixel 4
Google Pixel 4 14.5 cm (5.7 ") 6 GB 64 GB Black 2800 mAh Pixel 4, 14.5 cm (5.7"), 1080 x 2280 Pixels, 6 GB, 64 GB, 16 MP, Black
