Would you like to treat yourself to a high-end smartphone with a great camera and performance like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, iPhone 14 Pro or the Google Pixel 7 Pro? Or are you looking for the hottest foldable, a gaming smartphone, or simply the price-performance champion? NextPit has tested all major cell phones for you and selected the best smartphones available in 2023.
If you choose a high-end smartphone, you can usually be sure that you are getting the best screen, the best performance or the best camera. In recent years, high-end smartphones have increasingly become luxury devices, be it in terms of design, data sheet or ever-increasing price.
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Purchase advice: This is what smartphones will offer in 2023
Every year, smartphone manufacturers try to add exciting new features to their models – from cameras to batteries to the form factor itself. Here are a few tips on what to look for when buying a smartphone in 2023. Also consider: there are already many smartphone launches waiting for us in spring!
What features do current flagship smartphones offer?
- Form factor: Foldable displays are probably the most exciting development in smartphones in recent years. Thanks to flexible screens, the form factors of the cell phones themselves are also becoming more flexible. So in 2023 you have the choice between the ultra-compact Galaxy Z Flip 4, the standard formats from iPhone to Xiaomi or the folding tablet Z Fold 4. You can find an up-to-date overview of the foldable smartphones here:
Foldable smartphones in 2023: The first foldable MacBook or iPad Fold has two screens
- Cameras: The vast majority of high-end smartphones offer at least three cameras on the back – for ultra wide angle, standard wide angle and telephoto lens. Don’t be fooled by the resolutions here: The difference between 12 and 108 megapixels is not as big as the numbers suggest. Factors such as the sensor size or the image-processing algorithms are more important. You can read more about this in the respective smartphone tests or in the following article.
- Batteries: In 2023, battery life is no longer really an issue for flagships. Even with intensive use, you can get through the day with most models. On the other hand, the differences are greater when it comes to charging: While Xiaomi fully charges its smartphones with 120 watts in a few minutes, Apple and Samsung are more conservative. You can find more information about rechargeable batteries and fast charging in the following article.Computing power & Co.: In 2023, you hardly have to worry about sufficient performance in a high-end smartphone. All better mobile phones offer more than enough power for current games – and for everyday life anyway. The same applies to 5G, which is now standard on smartphones. When it comes to storage, however, you should think carefully about how much you need before you buy it. Because there are almost no more expansion options via microSD card in the upper class.
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- Display: First 60, then 90, 120 or 144 Hertz: Over the past two years, smartphones have gotten faster and faster displays – and since 2021, finally, the Pro models of the iPhone 13. High refresh rates ensure a smoother display, whether while playing or in everyday use. However, the high Hertz numbers also nibble on the battery, so that the manufacturers usually adjust the refresh rates depending on the content displayed. You can read more about screens behind the following link.
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- Computing power & Co.: In 2023, you hardly have to worry about sufficient performance in a high-end smartphone. All better mobile phones offer more than enough power for current games – and for everyday life anyway. The same applies to 5G, which is now standard on smartphones. When it comes to storage, however, you should think carefully about how much you need before you buy it. Because there are almost no more expansion options via microSD card in the upper class.
Techkiva recommends: These are the best smartphones of 2023
You want to know more about the different smartphones? In the following paragraphs we will briefly present our favorites and discuss the advantages and disadvantages. Because depending on the type of user, a different smartphone is the perfect choice.
The leading smartphone of 2023 is the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
If Antoine uses superlatives in his test report on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, something special must have happened since the Galaxy S22 Ultra (test). The exciting thing is that the comparison between the Galaxy S22 Ultra and S23 Ultra doesn’t seem to show that many differences right away. But don’t let the almost identical spec sheet unsettle you!
In any case, the slightly modified processor is new: the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 comes in a “For Galaxy Edition” specially produced for Samsung. The 200 MP main camera is also new. The insane number of megapixels isn’t the only reason why the camera has gotten so much better. The night photos have been greatly improved and there is also a new selfie lens.
In addition to the convincing performance and the great camera performance, the excellent battery life and the usual outstanding display are also impressive. Take a look around the market – you won’t find a better Android smartphone!
The best iPhone 2023: Apple iPhone 14 Pro
The iPhone 14 is not only the best iPhone until at least September, but also our best photo smartphone. Unlike previous years, Apple has made some key changes, replacing the notch with Dynamic Island, but most importantly, introducing a new camera. The iPhone 14 Pro has a new triple photo module with a new 48 MP camera on board.
Apple’s latest flagship takes very good photos that still have the natural rendering of iPhone cameras. The colors of the different sensors are uniform and with the new 2x zoom of the main camera, the ultra wide-angle lens that can also take macro shots and the telephoto lens with 3x zoom, the camera of the iPhone 14 Pro impresses with its versatility.
Beste Android-Alternative 2023: Google Pixel 7 Pro
The Pixel 7 Pro is the best Pixel smartphone ever! At least that’s what Camila thinks, and she should know, since she’s extensively tested the Californian flagship. The price-performance ratio is particularly impressive: you can get the Pro version of the 7 series from an RRP of 899 euros. In return you get a very complete smartphone, which hardly allows itself a weakness.
The device is well made and IP68 certified, has a nice 6.7″ LTPO OLED panel and is powered by the company’s own Tensor G2 SoC, which offers decent performance. The camera setup of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra includes a triple array at the rear, featuring a 50 MP main camera, a 12 MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 48 MP telephoto lens. Additionally, there is a 10.8 MP front-facing camera for capturing selfies. at the front presents itself as versatile as usual.
The catch with the really good battery life: The adapter is not included in the scope of delivery and charging is faster with the competition. According to the street price, you are already there for around 770 euros for a real flagship phone.
Best Camera-Smartphone 2023: Xiaomi 13 Ultra
Let’s talk about another smartphone with an extremely eye-catching back: in this case, the camera system of the Xiaomi 12 Ultra with four camera sensors looks like a large Leica cyclopean eye. We give this cell phone the label “Best camera smartphone”, although in the last NextPit camera blind test you seem to have a soft spot for the very artificial results of the Vivo X90 Pro+ (to the test).
What impressed us was that the array of four 50 MP sensors is extremely versatile. With Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 16 GB RAM, as well as 512 GB storage space and LTPO OLED display with 1440p resolution, the device hardly shows any weaknesses. In addition, there is a 5,000 mAh battery whose charging speed currently puts most of its competitors in the shade.
What’s annoying? The pre-installed bloatware, which actually has no place on an expensive flagship device. Presumably, the expected high purchase price also dampens enthusiasm a little. But we don’t know it yet, which is also the reason why we don’t want to give a final rating to a mobile phone that we’ve tested extensively. We are still waiting for the global version with the corresponding software.
Best Mid-Range Phone 2023: Nothing Phone (1)
Did you also get infected by the hype surrounding the Nothing Phone (1)? But even a sober look lets you see why we consider the device to be one of the best smartphones of 2023: It not only brings a fresh design to the admittedly dusty cell phone market, but also gives us both with its notification system called “Glyph”. stylish as well as useful feature.
The Nothing Phone (1) might not have the most powerful SoC out there, but its Snapdragon 778G is powerful enough for most people. The user interface comes without bloatware, is slim and promises three Android updates. Nothing can compete with most Chinese flagships on the market in this respect – or even surpass them.