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What a year 2020 has been. One welcome gentle in the darkness of these previous 12 months was the launch of tons of superb telephones. Yet, just one can take dwelling the title of Android Authority’s best smartphone of the year.
Even with out the compelled changes because of the ongoing world pandemic, 2020 was a year of main change for the cell business. We noticed recent kind elements emerge with the rebirth of clamshells, spinning telephones with two screens, and a tease of what rollables would possibly appear like. A handful of foldables that lastly felt ok (and durable sufficient) to genuinely contemplate shopping for made an look too.
We additionally noticed 5G take heart stage with its continued rollout. There have been even new value tiers of smartphones with $1,000+ ultra-premium telephones, tremendous mid-rangers, and even a really price range iPhone! Cats and canine. Mass hysteria.
2020 was a torrid year for a lot of, however we a minimum of had some superb smartphones.
2020 was additionally a year of change for us right here at Android Authority. If you’re an everyday, you’ve little question seen us steadily broaden our scope past cell as the years have passed by. We’ve typically introduced you all the newest information and evaluation in the audio, sensible dwelling, and computing classes, however we’ve expanded even additional this year to have a look at gaming, streaming, and far, rather more.
Next year we’ll be reflecting on that change after we come to awards season. Moving ahead, we need to present like to the very best the shopper tech world has to supply. Of course, we gained’t ever cease bringing you the best protection of the cell platform everyone knows and love — Android!
With that mentioned, it’s time to crown our Editor’s Choice smartphone of the year. As ever, we’re working two awards — one determined by us (Editor’s Choice) and the different decided by you, our fantastic readers (Reader’s Choice).
Here, we’re counting down the high 5 telephones chosen by members of our critiques and options groups at Android Authority. Be certain to move over to our Reader’s Choice voting to forged your individual vote.
How we determined and why
Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority
As with our mid-year award, this year we mixed uncooked information gleaned from Android Authority‘s objective testing suite with real-world considerations to determine an overall winner.
Thanks to our testing team, we were able to pick through crucial data on display accuracy, camera quality, audio clarity, as well as sustained performance and battery life. This was achieved through a custom version of Speed Test G designed by our very own Gary Sims of Gary Explains.
Each phone represented here reached or surpassed a threshold in our testing, proving their superiority versus dozens of rival handsets across various price tiers. However, we also wanted to factor in the intangible elements that separate good phones from great ones. These include software support, build quality, value, availability, and more.
To determine our winner, we balanced our objective testing with seasoned, subjective analysis.
That’s the place our seasoned editorial staff stepped in — a staff with sufficient expertise to look past a specs sheet full of massive, horny numbers or enticingly low value tags (or certainly each). We forged judgments with a watch on the larger image of the ever-changing smartphone panorama.
The voting was extraordinarily shut this year. There have been some surprises alongside the means, however we lastly arrived at 5 telephones that each one deserve the very highest reward. One undisputed champion rose above the relaxation.
Without additional ado and counting right down to the total winner of our Editor’s Choice 2020 award, these are Android Authority’s smartphones of the year.
Fifth place: Sony Xperia 5 II
Credit: Eric Zeman / Android Authority
In our overview, we put it on the market that the Xperia 5 II might be the best cellphone Sony has ever made. Considering the Japanese OEM’s ailing fortunes lately, which will sound like faint reward. However, its presence right here exhibits that’s completely not the case. In reality, it narrowly beat out the OnePlus 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus by only a single vote. That’s some critical competitors.
The Xperia 5 II distilled all that was nice about the Xperia 1 II — itself a notable improve over earlier Xperia telephones — diminished it to a extra compact kind issue. It dropped the value to a much more enticing sub-$1,000 tag in addition.
Everything it’s good to know: Sony Xperia 5 II purchaser’s information
As a {hardware} package deal, the Xperia 5 II is just incredible. The 120Hz show could also be Full HD+, however the elongated OLED panel delivers an nearly Samsung-level expertise with strong peak brightness, colour accuracy, and really low gamma error. The basic efficiency and triple digicam are equally nice, as is the colossal battery life. It pushed nearly 5 hours even in our most excessive stress take a look at — very practically matching common utilization for a typical flagship smartphone. There’s even a headphone jack.
Sony’s slimline cellphone may’ve ranked even larger, however legacy software program points — significantly the complicated digicam app scenario — prevented it from difficult for high honors. If Sony can repair these, then the sky’s the restrict.
Fourth place: Oppo Find X2 Pro
This is one for the books. The Oppo Find X2 Pro not solely blew our expectations out of the water in 2020, however it additionally ended up besting the OnePlus 8 Pro in the battle of the BBK-affiliated manufacturers.
OnePlus’ flagship (our mid-2020 winner, no much less) continues to be a incredible cellphone, however our love affair sadly pale over time. Meanwhile, our affection for the Find X2 Pro grew, capturing a particular place in our hearts.
It’s not laborious to see why both. Unlike its sister model, Oppo’s tuning of the BBK-exclusive Sony IMX689 sensor proved to be elegant. The cellphone persistently ranked close to the high of our digicam testing. The Find X2 Pro matched and in some instances bested the total chief, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro. That’s fairly an accomplishment.
Our verdict: Oppo Find X2 Pro overview
Throw in spectacular efficiency stats, speedy charging (just below 45 minutes from zero to 100%), and a cool, color-accurate QHD+ AMOLED show, and also you’ve obtained your self a high flagship. It could not have the innovation issue of its slider-toting predecessor, however it’s nonetheless a looker, particularly the good-looking vegan leather-based mannequin.
If Oppo is ready to proceed delivering aggressive flagships like this, we are able to’t wait to see what’s in retailer in 2021 with the Find X3 collection.
Third place: Google Pixel 4a
Credit: David Imel / Android Authority
The follow-up to 2019’s Editor’s Choice award winner, the Pixel 4a took the blueprint of the beloved Pixel 3a and one way or the other made it much more enticing.
Compared to the powerhouse gadgets of 2020, its Snapdragon 730 chipset was by no means going to set the world on hearth. Yet, elsewhere the Pixel 4a punches nicely above its weight. This is especially true of its stellar show, with very excessive peak brightness (720 nits), glorious colour accuracy, and low gamma error.
Everything it’s good to know: Google Pixel 4a purchaser’s information
Despite gradual charging, battery life can also be first rate and, once more, it’s good to see a headphone jack on any cellphone in 2020. Then there’s the 12MP digicam that after once more brings Google’s applauded computational pictures to the price range phase.
Speaking of price range, the Pixel 4a hit the market with an MSRP of simply $349. It might not be the most flashy cellphone of the year, however its unbelievable worth blows out different comparable telephones like the OnePlus Nord with an plain pairing of glorious {hardware} with glorious software program.
Second place: Google Pixel 4a 5G
Credit: David Imel / Android Authority
Coming in only one vote forward of its 5G-less sibling, the Google Pixel 4a 5G supplied a lot greater than its awkwardly affixed moniker would recommend.
Much like the Pixel 4a, the show is astonishingly good, however the battery life is even higher. Even our intense stress take a look at couldn’t cease the cellphone hitting just below six hours of display on time. The digicam additionally enjoys a welcome improve with a secondary ultra-wide shooter. While the Pixel 5’s pictures suite faltered just a little this year as others caught up, that very same digicam module shines right here. The digicam expertise is leaps and bounds above anything in the sub-$500 area, together with Apple’s iPhone SE.
Everything it’s good to know: Google Pixel 4a 5G purchaser’s information
That was the case throughout the board too. While there have been some nice mid-range telephones in 2020 like the Poco F2 Pro and Realme X50 Pro — toting flagship processors in addition — they couldn’t match the imaginative and prescient of Google’s completely balanced center baby. The undeniable fact that our staff resoundingly shunned Google’s 2020 flagship for the sweet-spot-hitting Pixel 4a 5G speaks volumes.
Stupid identify be damned, the Pixel 4a 5G was Google’s best cellphone of 2020. Arguably its best ever… however it nonetheless couldn’t topple the final winner of our 2020 Editor’s Choice award.
Android Authority‘s Editor’s Choice 2020 winner: Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
Credit: David Imel / Android Authority
Samsung launched an insane quantity of telephones in 2020, however it was its final massive launch of the year that stole the present.
Launched in an understated style only a month after the headline-grabbing Note 20 collection and the Galaxy Z Fold 2 (the best foldable of the year, no query), the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition was the good reply to a year the place the commoditization of smartphones reached fever pitch.
On one hand, you had the Ultras, the Pro Pluses, and the Pro Maxes — eye-wateringly costly luxurious flagships bursting with energy and bloated with extra extras. This, mixed with rising value tags throughout the business, pushed quite a bit of consumers in direction of the steadily bettering mid-range.
That wasn’t the solely choice although. 2020 noticed the rise of a brand new class of tremendous mid-rangers — equivalent to the Pixel 5 and LG Velvet. They eschewed flagship energy however nonetheless delivered premium design and options.
The Galaxy S20 FE would not essentially excel in anyone space, however it completely smashes expectations in all of them.
At a look, the Galaxy S20 FE seems to fit properly into this class with its $699 price ticket. But, no, it is a good quaint flagship killer with bleeding-edge silicon — one which beat out its personal Galaxy S20 members of the family in our collective voting.
With the S20 FE, you don’t should closely compromise in a selected space to save lots of a number of {dollars}. Its triple digicam can’t fairly grasp with the very best of the year, however it’s a punchy and splendidly versatile setup. The “glasstic” construct isn’t as premium as glass, however it’s way more sturdy. Samsung’s professional craftsmanship nonetheless shines by way of.
The Galaxy S20 FE is blazing quick, too. The Snapdragon 765G could have risen to prominence in 2020, however the Snapdragon 865 continues to be the place it’s at if you would like true top-tier efficiency. Samsung’s show pedigree is on present with its impeccable 120Hz panel. It drops the decision to FHD+, however delivers on brightness and accuracy. This is topped off with aggressive battery life, wi-fi and reverse wi-fi charging, 5G mmWave assist, UFS 3.zero storage, a microSD slot, an IP68 score, and Samsung’s One UI pores and skin that continues to mature over time.
The few trade-offs that the Galaxy S20 FE makes are exquisitely balanced towards its approachable retail value. While it doesn’t actually excel past the elite gadgets of 2020 in anyone space, it meets and surpasses expectations in all of them.
In a year the place many telephones appeared laser-targeted on a selected viewers — be it frugal consumers, early adopters, or energy customers — the Galaxy S20 FE was the cellphone for everybody. You can most likely even purchase it in your favourite colour, as the cellphone broke the monochrome monotony with its brilliant colorways.
Samsung referred to as its inexpensive S20 the Fan Edition — and you may rely us amongst them. The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is the deserved winner of Android Authority’s Editor’s Choice award.
Samsung Galaxy S20 FE All the best options of the Galaxy S20 collection at a cheaper price
If you do not thoughts chopping a number of corners, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE (which stands for “Fan Edition”) is perhaps the cellphone you might be in search of. It provides most of the flagship specs and options of the Galaxy S20 household however trims issues right down to preserve the value low.
Make your voice heard in our Reader’s Choice award!
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is our decide for the best smartphone of 2020. Don’t agree with our alternative? We need to hear from you! Head over to our Reader’s Choice survey beneath and vote to crown your favourite cellphone.
What was your favourite smartphone of 2020? Cast your vote in our Reader’s Choice survey
Also, you should definitely take a look at our 2020 retrospective articles beneath for extra on some of the best telephones of the year:
(This story has not been edited by Newslivenation employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)