Last year brought out a number of memorable devices and while it was difficult to pick the best five, I finally succeeded. A little background on my phone preferences: I like them smaller or whatever I like to call them of reasonable size phones. You know, the ones that are comfortable to use with one hand.
While tiny phones are my preference, I can’t deny transcendent devices that let you do more than just browse social media apps, snap pictures, and listen to Spotify — I’m talking foldables here and have two in my top- five list .
Apple iPhone 14 Pro
The iPhone 14 Pro is my phone of the year and is the best overall package for a compact phone. Aside from battery life, there are no real compromises compared to the larger Pro Max variant. Performance is smooth and the Apple A16 chipset is still way ahead of the competition. Dynamic Island is still in its infancy and it will still take some time for the developers to take full advantage of it, but I’m a fan of this new approach and you can already tell that competitors are trying to implement similar features.
The new 48MP main camera takes the best photos on an iPhone to date in day and night scenarios, while video stabilization has undergone an overhaul and is once again the best solution in the smartphone world. The 3x telephoto module isn’t all that impressive, especially with the absence of the true periscope module like on competing Android flagships.
Apple’s flagship phones are known for their premium build quality, although I should mention that the weight on the Pro models has gotten a bit out of control (literally) in recent years. The 14 Pro tips the scales at 204 grams while the 14 Pro Max is a solid 240 grams. The stainless steel frames are nice and shiny when new, but they scratch quite easily and don’t look very good after a few months of use without a case.
Long-term software support is becoming more and more important and Apple is still the leader in this field. You can expect at least six years of iOS updates on the latest generation iPhones. Apple phones tend to hold their value better than any other brand out there, and the iPhone accessories market isn’t the best out there.
Google Pixel 7
Google’s Pixel range has always kept the Android purist crowd in check, and I believe the Pixel 7 series is the best yet. My preference for smaller phones made me choose the Pixel 7 for this list over the 7 Pro.
The Pixel 7 has all the basics right with a stunning 6.3-inch OLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate that looks quite smooth. The build quality is a step up from last year’s Pixel 6, and the prominent camera visor is still a unique design trait that I adore. The Pixel 7’s cameras leave little to be desired and deliver some of the most natural looking shots in the industry with lots of added tricks like the magic eraser feature. However, the ultrawide cam is a bit disappointing in low light.
There are a few other regional limitations: 5G, VoLTE and most of the built-in AI features won’t work in markets where Google doesn’t officially sell the Pixel 7 lineup. But the Pixel 7 is an adequately priced compact flagship phone with great software and capable cameras that are easy to recommend to most users.
Asus ZenFone 9
The compact theme continues with Asus, one of the very few Android manufacturers consistently putting out a small flagship in its Zenfone lineup. The Zenfone 9 is a great phone with flagship builds and specs: a 5.9-inch 120Hz OLED screen, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, and a 50MP main camera.
Asus has really nailed the design of the Zenfone 9 and it’s arguably the most comfortable one-handed phone to use on the market right now. I also liked the textured back which has a nice grippy finish and I think the dual camera cutouts on the back look really neat too. The added Smart Key that doubles as a power button and fingerprint scanner is another cool feature that lets you assign double-taps and long-presses for specific actions and app launches.
The only hardware downsides to the Zenfone 9 in my eyes are the asymmetrical bezels and reflective trim on the selfie camera. Asus promises only 2 major updates to the Android OS which is behind competitors like Samsung and Google and not ideal if you plan to keep the phone for a long time. You also don’t get wireless charging and a telephoto lens, but you kind of expect that from a compact phone.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
It’s a phone? Is it a tablet? Is it a desktop replacement? It’s the Galaxy Z Fold4, and it can be all three. Z Fold4 is the most versatile smartphone currently on the market. The fourth generation Z Fold is a refinement of the previous Folds in the lineup and is by virtue of it the best yet.
Samsung offers the best mobile viewing experience with the Z Fold4 and its 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x screen, but the big update is to the screen coverage that now boasts a wider aspect ratio that’s useful for improving typing. It also comes at the expense of bezels, so handling isn’t compromised.
Galaxy Z Fold4 is a multitasking machine with the new taskbar that lets you launch and quickly switch between apps as if you were on a desktop computer.
Performance is top notch with the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. The cameras are nearly identical to those of the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22+, which is good enough for most use cases, but a periscope telephoto lens and larger main sensor would make a future Fold a true no-compromise device. Oh, and the 4MP UD selfie camera here is still pretty cheesy, but it’s really only meant for video calling.
Hinge gap and screen crease are still annoying aspects on Z Fold4 and we hope they will be fixed in the next version. We’re also hoping for faster charging as the 25W speeds are quite disappointing on such a high-end device.
Versatility is where the Z Flip4 shines – it can replace your phone, tablet, e-reader, and even your laptop in DeX mode with the right peripherals. All of these features fit in your pocket with 5G connectivity and an optional active stylus – it makes you feel like you’re living in the future.
Oppo Find No
Oppo Find N was one of the most interesting devices arriving at the office this year. It is sad that we have never had an international version with this and sadly it will also be missing on the Find N2. I’m not including the N2 in this list as it arrived too late in the year and I’ve yet to decide if it’s a good enough upgrade.
The Find N is the first horizontally foldable phone that has made ergonomics a priority. The Find N feels like it was made to be used with one hand too with its large 7.1-inch main screen giving you plenty of room for multitasking. The 5.49-inch AMOLED outward is wide enough to look like a regular smartphone screen for typing messages and other day-to-day activities when you’re on the go.
The 7.1-inch AMOLED LTPO is still notable, and the crease in the center is much less noticeable than on other competitive foldables. The seamless frame where the two halves of the phone meet is also a reassuring aspect of the design. Performance is very good with the Snapdragon 888 at the helm despite being a generation old at launch, and the 4,500mAh battery offers adequate stamina in our tests.
The Find N may just be the catalyst for more compact vertically folding phones, including the rumored Google Pixel Fold, and that’s a welcome sight in a market where other manufacturers are prioritizing bigger screens.
Start a new Thread