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Over 30 different brands and prices ranging from € 50 to € 2,000: choosing a smartphone has become a real headache! Android or iOS operating system, screen size, power, internal memory size, camera quality, fingerprint reader. Here are the criteria to take into account when choosing a smartphone that suits your needs.
SUMMARY
- iPhone, the pioneer
- Samsung: smartphones at all costs
- Google Pixel, an entry by the top of the range
- Huawei, Xiaomi, OnePlus, the new challengers
- A large screen for more comfort
- Android, king of operating systems
- From 50 to € 2,000: smartphones for everyone
- Characteristics: from essential to secondary
IN SUMMARY:
Sold between 700 and 1,200 €, Apple iPhones remain confined to the top of the range. We can find a model dating from two or three years old 30 to 50% cheaper on the reconditioned market.
Samsung has conquered the market by structuring its offer around several ranges (entry, medium, high) to suit all budgets.
The Chinese Huawei, Xiaomi, and OnePlus are shaking up the market with models offering excellent value for money.
Google’s Android system largely dominates the market.
You can find decent smartphones at € 200, if you don’t expect anything from the camera and don’t run after the latest functions like facial recognition or fast charging.
You may also like to see>>> Best Phones for taking pictures
01. iPhone, THE PIONEER
In 2007, with its iPhone, the first phone offering a large touch screen and an intuitive interface, Apple defined the contours of the smartphone (see also our article 2007-2017: the smartphone revolution).
Today’s iPhone, however, has little to do with that of the time. Apple offers several models with different screen sizes, but it has remained faithful to its first line of action: selling costly premium devices.
The range currently available on the manufacturer’s website is limited to five models (see below), but older iPhones like the SE, 6S, and 6S Plus are still available at some resellers.
Note that the iPhone became waterproof from the iPhone 7.
This feature is to be taken into account because it allows daily stress relief (calls in the rain, glass of water spilled, etc.).
02. SAMSUNG: SMARTPHONES AT ALL COSTS
Samsung is by far the biggest seller of smartphones (a third of the devices sold in France are Samsung, and Apple is second with 18% of sales.
Source: Kantar, January 2019). It must be said that the Korean manufacturer multiplies the models to offer smartphones at all prices. Today, its offer is structured around four ranges of products renewed each year.
03. GOOGLE PIXEL, AN ENTRY AT THE TOP
After several generations of Nexus smartphones, developed by partner manufacturers, Google launched its Pixel range in 2016, now taking care to design the devices entirely.
Since then, the web giant, which has become a manufacturer, develops its smartphones each year by focusing on the high-end segment (Google Pixels generally sold for more than € 750 at launch).
Our laboratory tests reveal rather good performance, but also a certain fragility noted on several models, in particular the Pixel 4.
04. HUAWEI, XIAOMI, ONEPLUS, THE NEW CHALLENGERS
In recent years, several Chinese manufacturers have arrived on the market with smartphones offering excellent value for money. With advanced models sold for around 400 €, such as the Huawei P10 Plus, the Xiaomi Pocophone F1, or the OnePlus 6, these new manufacturers have responded to the heart of the market.
They then gradually widened their offer with entry-level models and are now playing in the yard of “star smartphones” with very high-end models (for example, the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro at 600 € or the Huawei Mate 20 Pro € 1,000).
05. A LARGE SCREEN FOR MORE COMFORT
Diagonal:
Restricted to screen diagonals less than 5 inches a few years ago, the smartphone market has gradually shifted towards models offering a more generous screen, between 5 and 6 inches.
It must say that a large display surface significantly improves the comfort of the device, which is now used very frequently in everyday life, for multiple uses (Internet browsing, video, photo, emails, GPS navigation).
But beware, from one model to another, the definition of the screen is not always the same (depending on the price of the smartphone). A 1440 × 3040-pixel screen will be more comfortable than a 1080 × 1620-pixel screen.
OLED and LCD:
High-end models now offer OLED screens instead of the traditional LCD.
The difference between these two technologies comes from the lighting of the panel: the LCD relies on liquid crystals, and the OLED on light-emitting diodes.
Consequence: OLED screens are thinner, brighter, and better contrast. However manufacturers don’t have the same mastery of this technology, and not all OLED filters are created equal.
Definition:
Smartphones adopt different screen definitions. The higher the description, the more comfortable the display is for browsing, photos, and videos.
We often confuse meanings and screen resolution. The narrative represents the total number of pixels displayed on the screen.
The story of a 1280 × 720-pixel screen is 921,600 pixels. The decision is the pixel density, measured in pixels per inch (PPI). It is mentioned in the technical sheets of smartphones (for example, 3040 × 1440 at 522 PPI in the case of the Samsung Galaxy S10 +). The higher the resolution, the more beautiful the display.
- The “real” 4K is a cinematic format of 4096 pixels.
06. ANDROID, KING OF OPERATING SYSTEMS
Today, 75% of smartphones run on Android, Google’s operating system. Its only competitor is iOS, the Apple system, integrated into the iPhone, which represents the remaining 25% (source: Kantar, March 2019).
Both offer an app store (Google Play Store and App Store, respectively).
Android:
High-end smartphones integrate the most recent version (Android 9) when they are released or are updated soon after.
On entry-level models, manufacturers are content with an older version and do not bother to develop updates.
Users, therefore, do not benefit from software improvements or security updates that protect smartphones from viruses.
To distinguish themselves from each other, manufacturers add a “homemade” software layer that allows them to offer a graphical interface and some private functions.
But they are forced to integrate Google applications by default like Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, etc.
It is important to properly configure your Android smartphone to keep control of your data. The sale of targeted advertising primarily drives Google’s business; the more he knows about you, the more successful his business is.
iOS:
The latest iPhones (iPhone XR, iPhone XS) run on iOS 12.
As always, this new version of the system is available for the five generations of previous iPhones (the iPhone 5S, released in 2013, is the last to enjoy). Just download it for free and install it from your iPhone.
07. FROM 50 TO € 2,000: SMARTPHONES FOR EVERYONE
Less than 200 €:
Many manufacturers offer models at fair prices, around € 200, and performance is at the rendezvous.
These smartphones do not incorporate all the latest technologies. No ultra-high-definition screens either, nor large storage capacities, but they largely cover daily needs.
Note that these smartphones are not benchmarks for photos and videos. Our buying guide dedicated to cheap smartphones will help you see more clearly.
From 250 to 400 €:
According to our survey carried out in April 2018, the average budget spent on a smartphone is € 326. It is more than enough to afford a good smartphone.
Between 250 and 400 €, you will find appropriately equipped smartphones (processor, connectors, screen quality), offering good audio quality on-call and correct photos and videos.
But more often than not, you will not benefit from the latest technological innovations, initially reserved for high-end smartphones.
For example, if the smartphone has a fingerprint sensor, it will be a medium-quality sensor, far from the ultrasonic sensor built into the screen of the Galaxy S10.
From 400 to 600 €:
This budget allows you to afford an excellent quality smartphone, equipped with a perfect touch screen, offering enough storage (below 64 GB, make sure there is a memory card port), provided with a good camera. In this price range, you will also benefit, a priori, from regular updates of the operating system of the device (the sesame to long enjoy a smartphone protected against viruses).
This budget also allows considering a version of the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy a little old (but very efficient!), Or a refurbished smartphone (that is to say restored by a professional before being put back on sale).
Between 700 and 1,200 €:
On a very comfortable budget, a very high-end smartphone!
Beyond 700 €, you will enjoy a device equipped with a large high-definition screen, sufficient storage (128 GB most often), and a good camera, probably equipped with several sensors (with ultra-wide angle and telephoto lens to accompany the primary sensor).
The materials will be chosen (glass and aluminum), and the finishes neat.
The internal components will be the most efficient of the moment (processor and graphics chip), which will allow you to play games, even greedy in resources.
Note that the battery life and the solidity of the phone vary significantly from one model to another, whatever the price. These two criteria are, of course, systematically evaluated during our laboratory tests.
08. CHARACTERISTICS: FROM ESSENTIAL TO SECONDARY
Screen size and resolution:
A large smartphone is undoubtedly a little bulky, but it offers an undeniable comfort of use to consult his mail or write text from the virtual keyboard.
Storage:
Install applications, take photos, and store videos, and music. You are going to need internal storage! Opt for a smartphone with a minimum of 64 GB.
A memory card reader will allow you to increase the storage capacity if necessary.
Note that on some models offering two SIM card slots (see below), the memory card reader and the second SIM card slot are sometimes located in the same place: you will have to choose!
Camera:
Good cameras are reserved for smartphones at a minimum of € 400. On some models, manufacturers have incorporated photo-specific technologies, such as optical stabilization, and software processing has improved significantly.
Several smartphones even equipped with a double lens, wide-angle, and telephoto lens (Huawei P9, iPhone 7 Plus, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, iPhone X, etc.) or even a triple-lens (Samsung Galaxy S10 and S10 +, Samsung Galaxy A7 2018).
Video:
Many smartphones now allow filming in 4K (UHD 3840 × 2160 pixels). If the device integrates a good processor and a powerful graphics chip, the quality of the capture, fluid, is considerable.
But 4K videos are heavy to store (at least 200 MB for 30 seconds of video). Of course, you can choose another resolution in the settings.
Dual SIM (or dual-SIM):
If you need two phone lines, choose a smartphone capable of accommodating two SIM cards.
You will very easily switch from one to the other, and you will not have to carry two phones!
Apple already integrated a second “new generation” SIM card into its latest iPhones: it is e-SIM directly integrated into the electronic circuit of the phone.
Which allows you to change plans with just a few clicks. Curiously, this functionality is not yet operational in France: the operators Bouygues, SFR, Orange, and Free would not see it in a favorable light… Bizarre!
Sealing:
Less than a quarter of the smartphones we have tested in the laboratory to date are waterproof; however, this characteristic is very apparent.
