Along with the remainder of 2020, it’s been a wild and unpredictable yr for smartphones. Samsung began the yr by delivery its most costly cellphone ever and completed with one in all its finest bargains. Google dropped its flagship Pixel to the mid-range and delivered its finest design ever, whereas a OnePlus cellphone topped a grand for the primary time. Apple shipped its smallest cellphone for the reason that iPhone 5. And all the things got here with 5G on board.
Which cellphone emerged from the chaos because the champion of 2020?
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The telephones
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is Samsung’s finest cellphone so far even when it has a barely inferior digicam and smaller battery than the S20 Ultra.
OnePlus 8 Pro: OnePlus went all out on its telephones this yr, attacking each the excessive finish and the low finish with extra fashions than ever earlier than. Even with the 8T arriving months later, the 8 Pro is my choose of the litter, particularly at its newly diminished price ticket.
Google Pixel 5: Google did an about-face with its smartphones this yr, however the Pixel 5 continues to be among the many finest Android cellphone, because of Android 11.
iPhone 12: You could make an argument that the $999 iPhone 12 Pro is price the additional cash, however except you’re taking lots of zoomed pictures, the iPhone 12 is the candy spot.
Note: The Android telephones right here characterize one of the best in North America. That means Huawei, which continues to innovate with its digicam and pace, and Xiaomi, which had a powerful entry with the Mi 10 Ultra, are out of the working.
iPhone vs Android: Design
The telephones right here won’t fold or swivel, however that doesn’t imply they don’t every have their very own distinctive identities. Their respective wheels most actually haven’t been reinvented, however every cellphone has sufficient little touches to each separate it from the others and lift it above the remainder of the pack.
The iPhone 12, far left, has a stunning design.
First, let’s have a look at the dimensions and display screen proportions.
Dimensions (listed from largest to smallest)
Note 20 Ultra: 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1mm
OnePlus 8 Pro: 165.3 x 74.3 x 8.5mm
iPhone 12: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4mm
Pixel 5: 144.7 x 70.4 x 8.0mm
Screen to physique ratio (listed from highest to lowest)
Note 20 Ultra: 91.63%
OnePlus 8 Pro: 90.79%
iPhone 12: 87.45%
Pixel 5: 86.75%
The Note 20 Ultra is unmistakably Samsung, with a large curved Infinity show, hole-punch selfie cam, and really skinny bezels above and beneath the display screen. Like earlier Notes, it has a really squared-off aesthetic that makes it appear a lot taller than it’s, whereas the digicam bump within the left nook is kind of a bit massive and far more bulbous than the opposite telephones right here.
Michael Simon/IDGThe Note 20 Ultra seems fairly in Mystic Bronze.
The finest coloration is the brand new matte Mystic Bronze that’s a cross between gold and rose gold. But you’ll in all probability wish to put it in a case. For one it’s it’s made completely of glass, and for one more, its dimension makes it difficult to carry even with two fingers. The squared corners, flat backside, and digicam bump look good, however they mix to create a really awkward and clumsy grip. It’s additionally extraordinarily heavy in comparison with the opposite telephones right here.
Weight (listed from heaviest to lightest)
Note 20 Ultra: 208g
OnePlus 8 Pro: 199g
iPhone 12: 164g
Pixel 5: 151g
The Pixel 5 isn’t simply the lightest on this group, it’s additionally one of many nicest. Google did an excellent job with its newest Pixel cellphone, delivering the primary design that doesn’t have monumental bezels. In reality, it’s the one Android cellphone that I’m conscious of that has common bezels throughout, giving the Pixel 5 a balanced, symmetrical aesthetic just like the iPhone 12.
Michael Simon/IDGThe Google Pixel 5 has one other offbeat coloration: Sorta Sage.
Otherwise, it’s very a lot a Pixel. The silhouette is identical because it’s been for the reason that unique mannequin, and the sq. digicam array could be very a lot cribbed from the Pixel 4. With little or no bezel, the selfie cam is within the left-hand nook of the display screen and principally tucked out of sight.
Read extra
iPhone 11 vs Android’s best at PCWorld
OnePlus 8 Pro review at PCWorld
Galaxy Note 20 Ultra review at PCWorld
The Pixel 5 is the one cellphone right here that isn’t made from glass, nevertheless it’s not fairly aluminum both. The again is roofed in a plastic bio-resin that provides the cellphone a wierd texture and a less-than-premium really feel. The Sorta Sage coloration is sweet although and the chrome-wrapped energy backside is a pleasant contact.
The OnePlus 8 Pro might be the least recognizable of the group, however that’s to not say it’s a plain or boring cellphone. It has a unbelievable curved show and is the one cellphone on this bunch that doesn’t have a distractingly massive digicam array. The corners of the show completely match the cellphone’s form, and the bezels above and beneath the display screen are extraordinarily skinny, giving it a close to edge-to-edge aesthetic that feels nice to carry.
Michael Simon/IDGThe OnePlus 8 Pro Ultramarine Blue coloration is a magnificence in its personal proper.
The again is made from glass nevertheless it’s frosted so it doesn’t choose up fingerprints as simply because the Note 20 and iPhone 12. The two new colours, Glacial Green (8GB RAM) and Ultramarine Blue (12GB RAM), wrap across the sides of the show and look unbelievable.
At first look, the iPhone 12 seems quite a bit just like the iPhone 11 it replaces, however the refined modifications Apple has made are significant. The most blatant is the bezel dimension. On the iPhone 11, bezels have been fairly massive at 5.57mm throughout, however on the iPhone 12, they’re simply 3.47mm. The iPhone 12 can also be thinner and lighter than the iPhone 11, and since Apple has returned to a “flat” design for the edges and the display screen, the cellphone has an aesthetic that appears and feels even smaller than it’s.
Michael Simon/IDGYou don’t even have to snap a pic to see that the Note 20 Ultra’s digicam array is extra highly effective than the iPhone 12’s.
It’s additionally quite a bit lighter than the opposite all-glass telephones right here. Granted, it has a smaller display screen than the Note 20 and OnePlus 8 Pro, however the distinction in each weight and distribution is palpable if you’re holding it. By distinction, the Note 20 could be very high heavy and whereas the Pixel 5 is considerably lighter, feeling much less like a premium cellphone and extra like a plastic funds one. The iPhone 12 strikes a pleasant stability between stability and construct high quality.
The quite massive notch stays as does the attention-grabbing digicam array, however the iPhone 12’s total design is the nicest Apple has produced in years. It’s strong, symmetrical, and trendy, and simply stands out in a crowded area of rounded rectangles. As telephones grow to be homogenous with big screens and cameras, Apple continues to discover a option to cleared the path with sensible iterations and character.
Our choose: iPhone 12
iPhone vs Android: Display
Premium smartphone shows have reached the purpose the place they principally all get A+ rankings from DisplayMate, so regardless of which cellphone you get, you’re getting the most effective shows ever made.
Michael Simon/IDGThe telephones right here have totally different sized screens however all of them are beautiful.
Before we get into dimension, brightness, and and pixel density, the primary distinction between the Android telephones and the iPhone 12 is show pace. While the iPhone 12 is caught at 60Hz, the Pixel 5 operates at 90Hz, and the Note 20 Ultra and 8 Pro have 120Hz refresh charges. Higher refresh charges imply scrolling must be sooner and gaming and movies smoother on these telephones, particularly if you swap between 60Hz and 120Hz on the Note 20 Ultra and OnePlus 8T. But Apple does such an incredible job with its show calibration and OS optimization that the iPhone 12 doesn’t really feel noticeably slower than the 120Hz telephones.
The identical goes for the decision. The iPhone 12 and the Pixel 5 each have Full HD+ 1080p shows whereas the Note 20 Ultra and OnePlus 8 Pro have Quad HD+ 1440p shows. (One caveat, nonetheless: it’s essential to decrease the Note 20 Ultra’s decision to 1080p to make use of the 120Hz refresh price.) The distinction is negligible. While the Pixel 5 has separate points with coloration saturation and brightness, each shows are as crisp and pixel-dense because the QHD shows, and the iPhone 5 is each bit as wealthy and vibrant. If I didn’t see the spec sheet, I’d by no means know the iPhone 12 has fewer pixels.
Apple won’t have modified the decision for its “Super Retina XDR display,” nevertheless it did add a small change that elevates it even additional above the opposite telephones right here. Apple calls it Ceramic Shield and it’s designed to maintain your cellphone’s display screen from cracks when dropped from a excessive distance. I fortunately didn’t have an opportunity to check that, however after a month of use with out a display screen protector, I couldn’t see any micro scratches on my cellphone’s display screen like on different telephones, together with the latest iPhones.
While all the telephones right here fall into the “large” class, there’s almost an inch between the smallest and the most important. That won’t look like a lot on paper, nevertheless it makes an enormous distinction when utilizing them.
Screen dimension (listed from smallest to largest)
Pixel 5: 6-inch
iPhone 12: 6.1-inch
OnePlus 8 Pro: 6.78-inch
Note 20 Ultra: 6.9-inch
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra isn’t simply the most important among the many telephones right here, it’s one of many nicest shows I’ve ever used. Colors are vibrant with out being too saturated, pictures are wealthy and vibrant (with a peak that touched 1,600 nits), and movies are dynamic and clean. It’s exhausting to discover a grievance, besides maybe it’s a bit too huge.
Michael Simon/IDGThe Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (left) has a surprising 120Hz show.
The mentioned, the OnePlus 8 Pro isn’t all that smaller than the Note 20 and it, too, is visually beautiful. Like the Note 20, the edges are curved, and its Quad HD+ 3168 x 1440 is vibrant and vivid. It’s vibrant and crisp, however I discovered the white stability to be a bit off at occasions and I observed a slight purple tint when in comparison with the opposite shows.
And as I mentioned above, the iPhone 12’s show is outstanding as properly. But for pace, readability, brightness, and depth, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra stands alone. Even with 1080p decision, Apple could be very near the Note 20 Ultra, and if the iPhone 13 positive aspects a 120Hz ProMovement show as rumored, it is going to greater than possible catch up.
Our choose: Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Next web page: Performance, battery life, and OS comparisons