Experts have been testing smartphones for over a decade, spending a long time testing the latest batches of top flagship devices, including the latest iPhones and Android devices. The iPhone Xs tops the phone performance rankings today, helped by its powerful A12 Bionic processor, beautiful design, and impressive camera setup. As an equivalent alternative to this expensive device, users can turn to the OnePlus 6T. It has the same flagship features at a mid-range price. The Google Pixel 3 is also cheaper than the new iPhone and is the best Android phone available.
Apple iPhone Xs as leader
The phone processor performance ranking is topped by the iPhone Xs. It is a continuation of last year's experimental iPhone X. It has the same size, design, and price as the X, but includesimprovements to the camera, chipset and internal storage options.
The iPhone Xs has an all-glass body with a stainless steel strip around the edges. It features a 5.8-inch "Super Retina" OLED screen that looks beautiful and displays very accurate colors thanks to True Tone technology that adjusts the screen's white balance to complement the ambient light in your environment. The A12 Bionic processor is smaller and more efficient than its A11 predecessor in the iPhone X, 8, and 8 Plus. Starting with the Model X, apps load faster, AR becomes more immersive, the user interface is more intuitive, and even photos come out better.
Xs's use of smart HDR, bokeh, portrait filters, fast sensors, low light enhancements and variable depth of field creates stunning images. The TrueDepth front camera, which includes FaceID, remains one of the best. iPhone improvements don't come cheap, though. Model Xs costs from 68 thousand rubles with 64 GB of internal memory. It is also available in 256GB for 80K and 512GB for 100K. You can also opt for the iPhone Xs Max, which has the same chipset and camera as the Xs, but features a 6.5-inch screen and a larger battery. Its cost is higher - from 98 thousand rubles. However, both versions of the latest iPhone do not have fast charging, unlike Android devices. It will take more than three hours to fully charge these gadgets.
OnePlus 6T
This device,released in November 2018, is one of the top ten phones in Antutu performance ranking. It is a remarkable device not only because it costs a lot less than other flagship smartphones (from 44 thousand rubles), but also because of its impressive performance specs and innovative in-display fingerprint sensor.
6T is the continuation of the OnePlus 6 released earlier. Although the two phones have similar specifications, the 6T has a number of significant improvements over its predecessor. The most impressive thing is that it is the first Android smartphone with an in-display fingerprint sensor. In testing, the sensor is fast and accurate, especially when combined with Face Unlock.
6, The 41-inch AMOLED display is beautiful and has a tiny notch at the top center that houses the 16-megapixel front-facing camera. The all-glass back accommodates dual 16MP and 20MP lenses. Although the phone is made entirely of glass, it cannot be charged wirelessly. However, it retains the previous iteration's ultra-fast fast-charging capabilities (only one hundred minutes) that require only the included accessories. The downside of the 6T is that it doesn't have a headphone jack.
Despite the fact that the company constantly releases excellent budget devices, three main problems prevent OnePlus from leading the mobile performance rankingsphones. First, gadgets are still not water resistant. Secondly, OnePlus lags behind other devices in terms of camera quality. Finally, the devices were previously only available through the company's own store, though the OnePlus 6T is now available at other retail outlets as well.
Google Pixel 3
Launched in October 2018, the Pixel 3 is an intuitive device with unique, easy-to-use features. Its camera and AI options make it the best-performing Android phone.
The two most notable features of the Pixel 3 are the camera and the Call Screen feature. While the Pixel 3 has one rear lens instead of two like most flagships, it still takes incredible photos thanks to smart software including Top Shot and Super Res Zoom. The first takes several shots and chooses the best option, while the second keeps the details of the photo sharp even when zoomed in. The front camera has two lenses, including a wide-angle option for group selfies.
Call Screen uses Google Assistant to check your calls so you don't waste time replying to spam. The above options are the main advantages of the device, while the Pixel 3 performs impressively. The performance of the phone is driven by its fast Snapdragon 845 processor and stock Android 9 OS. As Google builds both the device and the operating system, they work intuitively, from integrationGoogle Assistant before backup.
Pixel 3 shows some definite improvements over Pixel 2. Its design is much more modern and allows for wireless charging, has smaller bezels and a larger OLED screen. However, the new phone does have a few downsides: a shorter battery life, less storage space, and lower screen brightness than many other smartphones we've tested.
The Pixel 3's 2920mAh battery lasted just eight hours and 27 minutes of web browsing during testing, compared to its predecessor's 11 hours. At the same time, the charging time is short - about 2 hours. While it's not perfect, it's a great phone and the best Android device currently available. True, its cost cannot be called low - it is about 55 thousand rubles.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
Everything about the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is good enough, from the display to the battery, memory and storage options. This smartphone is equipped with a beautiful 6.4 inch AMOLED display, a powerful 4000 mAh battery, 6 or 8 GB of RAM and 128 or 512 GB of internal storage, making it the perfect device. This gadget ranks at the top of many phone performance ratings.
The feature that sets the Note 9 apart from the many large smartphones on the market is the S Pen. This innovative accessory works like a programmable Bluetooth remote control that canphotos, open apps or take notes. The stylus button is also customizable and you can program it to interact with compatible apps.
In our tests, the S Pen does not run out of charge for a long time, but if it does, it can get enough charge for 30 minutes of use in just 40 seconds. Apart from this accessory, the Galaxy Note 9 features excellent phone processor performance. It has a large beautiful display, a dual rear lens for great photos in various lighting conditions, a fingerprint scanner and a Snapdragon 845 chipset.
This is a great phone for power users thanks to its long battery life. In benchmarks, the Note 9 lasts 11 hours and 26 minutes with constant web browsing. The charging time is less than two hours. There are some great storage and memory options in this device too, with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage for 71K, or 8GB RAM and 512GB storage for 96K. The biggest drawback of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is its Bixby voice assistant, which is not as intuitive or smart as Google Assistant.
HTC U12+
Rating phone performance would be incomplete without the HTC U12+. This device has an amazing quad-camera photo setup, but the weird buttons and disappointing battery life might put some users off. However, its charging time is short - about two hours.
HTC U12+ is a big smartphone thathas many similarities with large-sized devices on the market. It features a 6-inch LCD screen without a notch.
The HTC smartphone is one of the most attractive devices available in terms of design. The all-glass body and color finish make it truly stunning. The biggest drawback is the unusual touch buttons of the phone. The keys don't click when pressed, they simulate a non-mechanical click. The problem with these weird buttons is that it's very easy to accidentally press them. During testing, users often accidentally locked the phone by simply sliding the handle or moving the device.
The smartphone also has Edge Sense controls that allow you to interact with it by touching or squeezing the sides of its bottom. Of course, the main advantage in the HTC U12+ is the camera setup. Its second front lens and true-to-life colors give you amazingly accurate photos, although some people may prefer higher contrast or brighter results. The cost of the gadget is considerable - about 50 thousand rubles.
Budget options
If we compare the performance of phones, it may seem that only expensive gadgets have high performance. In fact this is not true. The budget brand Xiaomi can offer powerful and feature-packed devices at a modest price. New models today are practically not inferior to expensive flagships. In general, the rating of Xiaomi phones byperformance looks like this:
- Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 - for 30 thousand rubles you get a device with a powerful processor, 10 GB of RAM and fast charging. The smartphone is equipped with 5G support, which is a definite plus.
- Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro – the performance of the phone is very good: a new generation processor, 2 cameras with many settings, 6 or 8 GB of RAM, fast charging. However, its cost can hardly be called budgetary - about 40 thousand rubles.
- Xiaomi Mi 8 - for only 24 thousand steering wheels you can get a powerful device with a high-capacity battery. Testing shows that the device can work 13 hours in video mode. We can say that this is the best performance phone in the economy segment.
When the choice has already been made
Think of your Android device like a computer. As you fill it up with stuff-apps, photos, videos, files, and more-it starts to get slow, the battery drains faster, and it gets harder to find what you want. If the performance test of the phone shows a clear deterioration in parameters, some deficiencies should be corrected.
As with a computer, you should take care of your device: clean up, back up, download large files and unused applications, organize content, and take steps to improve security.
The following are some tips to improve your phone's performance. They must also be used regardless ofwho made your smartphone: Samsung, Google, Huawei, Xiaomi and others.
OS update
Updating your Android OS to the latest version means not only access to the latest features, but also the most up-to-date security patches. Depending on the specifics of your device and current operating system, this process will vary slightly, but in most cases it should be relatively easy.
Using the built-in file manager
How to increase phone performance with the help of special services? If your device is already updated to the latest version of Android, you can use the built-in file manager. Previously, you had to download third-party apps to manage your device's files. You can now manage your files by going to the storage and USB settings sections of your device. There you can see how much free space you have left, as well as the ability to view all the applications installed on your phone and copy files to the cloud.
Free up space
Like a computer, your smartphone or tablet can become slow if too much data is loaded onto it. Also, the more crowded your device is, the harder it is to find important information or images when you need them. Luckily, clearing space on an Android smartphone is relatively easy, even if it doesn't have a memory card. At the same time, you can back up your data so that it can betransfer to a new device or restore it in case of failure.
Make autocorrect work for you, not against you
When you type texts, emails and other messages from your smartphone all day long, typos and inaccurate auto-corrections can slow you down. You can save time by constantly working on autocorrect settings while adding to the dictionary. It is also worth trying third-party keyboards if their features are more convenient for you.
Try to extend battery life
Nothing ruins performance like a dead or dying battery. There are two simple solutions: carry a portable charger with you, or make your battery last longer. There are several ways to conserve battery life: turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when you're not using them, remove apps running in the background. You can also use the power saving mode that was introduced in Lollipop.
Setting default apps
Sometimes your device runs slower because the wrong app or web browser opens when you click on a link or try to view a photo. This is easy to fix. Just go to settings and see which apps are set as default for certain activities. You can clear them and customize your own options.
Using Android launcher
The Android interface is generally easy to use, but sometimes it can be modified by the manufacturer. If you have a deviceHTC, LG or Samsung, it's probably running a slightly modified version of "Android". There are two ways to deal with this.
First, you can switch to a smartphone that runs on the original Android (eg Nexus or Motorola X). Alternatively, you can download the Android launcher, which allows you to customize your home screens and manage apps. Launchers give you more options. With them, you can personalize color schemes, organize apps more easily, and even resize elements on the screen.
Studying the performance rating of phones before buying, do not lose sight of this circumstance.
Take safety seriously
Finally, Android smartphones are prone to security vulnerabilities, so it's important to be aware and careful. Don't click on links or open attachments from unknown senders and make sure your device is up to date with the latest security patches. The Device Manager setting helps you lock your smartphone remotely, track its location, or erase all data if you lose it. You can also encrypt your device for maximum privacy.
