The year 2017 saw a lot of devices making their way to become the most powerful devices in the market. With so many new brands entering into the market and previous ones capturing their share, the competition was surely a very heated affair. But, in this article, we are going to share with you, the smartphones with the best performance in different budgets. We’ve selected the three categories as follows:
- Flagship Devices
- Mid Range Devices
- Budget Devices
FLAGSHIP DEVICES
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Samsung Galaxy Note 8
Samsung launched the much-awaited phone of the year – Galaxy Note 8 soon after Galaxy S8’s launch. Galaxy S8 was itself a complete package but lacked the Dual camera setup and S-pen. Samsung had to give their best shot at this year’s Note variant to compensate for last year’s huge disaster- the Note 7.
Well, it does look like they have indeed done a great job and forced their customers to forget about the past. Galaxy Note 8 has one of the most beautiful displays of all times and is Samsung’s personal best so far. It has a massive 6.3″ Super AMOLED Infinity Display (18.5:9) with a resolution of 1440 X 2960 pixels and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
It is powered by a 10nm based Exynos 9 Octa (8895) SoC along with 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 64GB storage.It has a Dual 12MP (f/1.7) + 12MP (f/2.4) camera setup which supports OIS, PDAF, 2X Optical Zoom and LED Flash. It is backed a Non-removable Li-Ion 3300 mAh battery. Currently, it runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat and is expected to get Android Oreo update soon.
The performance of Galaxy Note 8 is top notch, thanks to the Exynos 9 (8895) SoC which is equivalent to Qualcomm’s latest and most powerful processor as of now- Snapdragon 835 and a massive 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM, multitasking and multimedia experience is a treat on this device. Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is available for ₹67,900 in India.
2. PIXEL 2 XL
Google Pixel 2 XL was launched in November 2017. The phone comes with a 6 inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1440X2880 pixels with 538 PPI. Going with the trend, Google also decided to launch the device with 18:9 aspect ratio and it does make the display of the phone look great.
The Pixel 2 XL is powered by a 1.9GHz Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and comes with 4GB of RAM. It comes with 64GB of internal memory which is not expandable. It runs on the latest version of Android which Android 8.0 Oreo and is backed by a 3520 mAh battery.
On the camera front, it packs a single rear camera which is a 12.2 MP shooter along with the 8MP camera for selfies.
Google Pixel 2 XL is priced very costly in India just like the Pixel and Pixel XL was last year. Apart from the price, the performance of the device is top notch. The Snapdragon 835 processor along with 4GB RAM makes this phone one of the most fluent phones in the market. Although it packs a single camera unlike its rivals, the performance is still much better than the rest. One thing we’re not so happy about is the design. The design of Pixel 2 XL looks like that of a 5 year old device, but since this article is all about performance, we can’t really complain regarding that. Google Pixel 2 XL was launched at a price of ₹73,000 but is currently being offered for ₹56,999.
3. LG V30+
LG V30+ is LG’s second flagship of 2017, first being LG G6. Their first flagship didn’t seem to have done good in terms of sales and was beaten by Galaxy S8 and S8+. However, LG V30+ seems quite promising considering the specifications and price of the device. It comes with a 6″ QHD+ P-OLED display (which is manufactured by LG itself) and has rounded corners along with 18:9 aspect ratio which gives it a clean and stylish look. The front of LG V30+ is much better than what we get to see in Pixel 2 or even Pixel 2 XL.
The back is equally stylish and has a Dual camera setup. The primary camera being 16MP (f/1.6) and secondary being a 13MP (f/1.9) shooter. For selfies, a 5MP (f/2.2) camera is provided which supports 1080p video recording. Coming to the hardware, it is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 along with 4GB RAM and 128GB internal memory which is expandable up to 256GB. It runs on Android 7.1.2 Nougat and is expected to get Android Oreo update soon. It is backed by a Li-Po 3,300 mAh battery which is non-removable.
The LG V30+ is a true champion in its price segment and is a direct competitor to OnePlus 5T or even the costlier flagships. For security, there’s support for Fingerprint scanner as well as Face Unlock. One of the highlighted features of LG V30+ is it’s support for the high-resolution audio format, including DSD, FLAC and more. With a pair of headphones connected one can directly get the access to Hi-Fi DAC settings through the music app itself. Overall, LG V30+ is a high performing device with all future proof specifications and security. The device will be available for ₹44,990 in India.
MID-RANGE DEVICE
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Honor 8 Pro
The Honor 8 Pro smartphone was launched in April 2017. The phone comes with a 5.7-inch display with a resolution of 1440 X 2560 pixels with 515 PPI. The Honor 8 Pro is powered by a 1.8GHz octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 960 processor along with massive 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 128GB via Micro SD card. It runs on Android 7.0 Nougat with EMUI 5.1 on top and is backed by a 4,000 mAh non-removable battery.
On the back is the Dual camera setup which consists of two 12MP f/2.2 shooters which support PDAF and Laser Autofocus. The rear camera supports video of 2160p@30 fps and 1080p@60 fps. For selfies, an 8MP f/2.0 camera is provided which can shoot videos up to 1080p. Huawei has been manufacturing devices with Dual cameras for quite some time now and they have become quite good in this department.
The Honor 8 Pro is a complete performer in every aspect. The Quad HD display is very sharp and vivid with very good sunlight legibility. The Kirin 960 processor is one of the most powerful processors made by Huawei and the massive 6GB RAM takes the performance to the next level. Dual cameras work great in both indoor and outdoor conditions. The massive 4,000 mAh battery gives at least 1.5 days worth of juice and the Quick Charge support is cherry on top. The Honor 8 Pro is available for ₹25,999 in India.
2. MOTO X4
The Moto X4 is a device under a series which was very successful in its initial days. But, after being acquired by Lenovo, the Moto Z series was much more focussed upon rather than the Moto X series. However, the series is back with a bang and the Moto X4 is launched in two versions. The first version is Moto X4 Android One which is based on Google’s Project Fi wireless carrier and the other is the regular Moto X4 sold by Motorola and other retailers. Both of the versions have slight differences in them but the overall performance remains the same.Talking about the display, it’s a 5.2″ LTPS IPS LCD screen with Full HD resolution and 424ppi.
There is a Dual rear camera setup which is protruding and can be troublesome for most of the users as it is prone to scratches if kept on the back. The dual camera setup consists of 12MP f/2.0 main camera and 12MP f/2.2 secondary camera. The selfie camera provided is a 16MP f/2.0 shooter. It runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat and will get the Oreo update very soon.
It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 octa-core processor which is clocked at 2.2GHz along with Adreno 508 GPU. It is backed by a 3,000 mAh Li-Ion battery. The Moto X4 is available in two models: 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM and 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM.
The looks of this device are stunning with a beautiful glass back design. Although the back is a fingerprint magnet, it looks very sleek and stylish when held in hand. The Snapdragon 630 processor coupled with 4GB RAM is a beast in this price segment and makes this device one of the best performing devices in Mid Range segment. It supports IP68 Water resistance which makes it usable even in rains. Both the cameras do a great job in outdoor lighting conditions but the selfie camera struggles a bit in indoor lighting. Overall, it is a great device with most of the future-proof features and you can buy one if you have the budget. The Moto X4 is currently being offered for ₹22,999 for the 4GB/64GB variant.
BUDGET DEVICE
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REDMI NOTE 4
Xiaomi is known for their value for money products and their Redmi Note series is one of the most successful series. They came up with the latest edition of Redmi Note series- Redmi Note 4 in January 2017, which is the successor to their 2016’s most selling smartphone in India- Redmi Note 3. This time also Xiaomi didn’t upset their fans and launched Redmi Note 4 at an amazing and affordable price.
Redmi Note 4 has a 5.5″ Full HD display with 16:9 aspect ratio. The body is entirely made of Aluminium which gives it a good and stylish look and feel. It is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 625 processor which is an Octacore processor and comes with Adreno 506 GPU. It comes in two variants: 3GB RAM + 32GB internal memory and 4GB RAM + 64GB internal memory. It runs on MIUI 9.0 which is based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow (upgradable to Android Nougat).
It supports a rear 13MP f/2.0 camera and a selfie camera of 5MP with f/2.0 aperture. The rear camera supports PDAF and Dual LED -Dual tone flash. It is backed by 4,100 mAh Li-Po battery which is non-user-replaceable.
Considering the price of the device, it is a total value for money product with a good performing Snapdragon 625 and more than enough 4,100 mAh battery for continuous multimedia consumption.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is available for:
3GB/32GB – ₹10,999
4GB/64GB- ₹12,999
So these were our picks for the top performing devices in different price segments. Which ones were your favourite? Do let us know in the comments section below.
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