This year, we’ve already seen quite a few worthy smartphones that are able to stand out from the crowd. Here are our picks of the lot.
APPLE IPHONE 7 RED
Apple recently launched a new Red variant of its iPhone 7 (and 7 Plus) that looks very different from any other phone launched by the company. Though Apple has launched red devices earlier, it has never released an iPhone in red. Its rear has a great finish, and the white front looks better in the flesh than in photos. With a great 12 MP rear camera that can shoot sharp and detailed shots in any conditions, the device’s 7 MP front camera is also capable of producing some of the best selfie shots from a phone today. As usual, the phone is snappy and responsive to use and has loads of accessories available. Oh, and Apple contributes some revenue from its Red line-up to the Red organization, which works on HIV/AIDS programs.
Price: Rs. 70,000
ONEPLUS 3T MIDNIGHT BLACK
The OnePlus 3T’s new Midnight shade makes this already well-rounded device even better. The anodized aluminium body feels premium to hold and doesn’t have any sharp edges. The 3T features a bright 5.5-inch full HD AMOLED screen, and a 3,400 mAh battery that gives a full day’s battery life with moderate usage. Plus, the phone charges from 1 per cent to 50 per cent in about half an hour, thanks to the powerful Dash charger that’s included in the box. Round it off with a 16 MP rear camera, a 16 MP front-facing camera that can take some sharp and bright selfies, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 chipset and 6 GB of RAM and you have the smoothest Android phone at this price point.
Price: Rs. 34,999
LENOVO P2
This smartphone excels at one critical thing – battery life. With its monster 5,100 mAh battery, the P2 can last two and half days, with heavy use; there’s no need to worry about plugging it in every day. On top of that, the phone, with its full HD 5.5-inch AMOLED display, isn’t as bulky to carry around as you might think. With 4G VoLTE support, you can check the latest YouTube videos or check on your social media streams more frequently than usual, without keeping an eye on that battery level.
Price: Rs. 16,990
GIONEE A1
If you want a great selfie camera and dependable battery life, but without dropping a small fortune, then Gionee’s A1 is well worth your money. This Android 7.0 device, with Gionee’s Amigo UI on top, has a whole lot of software customisation options, such that you can even change the function of touch keys at the bottom of the screen. With moderate to heavy use, the phone usually last about a day, with its 4,010 mAh battery. The front-facing 16 MP (f/2.0) camera is quick to take photos and performs well even in less-than-stellar light conditions.
Price: Rs. 19,999
SAMSUNG GALAXY S8
Samsung’s latest and greatest smartphone is truly worth taking a look at, figuratively and literally. The device is very thin, and the front of the body is really almost all of that shiny 5.8-inch Super AMOLED display, which has an unheard of resolution of 2960×1440 (18.5:9 aspect ratio). The taller and narrower screen is coupled with curved edges and Gorilla Glass 5, on the front and back. The usual physical home button has been replaced with a virtual onscreen key, which also vibrates when you press it. The brand new Exynos 8895 chipset, with 4 GB of RAM, can take on graphics-intensive games or a couple of dozen browser tabs very efficiently. Plus, that tweaked 12 MP camera on the back can take detailed and vivid shots in any conditions, with a bunch of shooting modes and without any shutter lag to deal with. It would have been great had Samsung also launched it in India in that unique looking Orchid Grey shade, but still, there are a couple of really nice colour options to pick from (Coral Blue and Black, apart from Gold).
Price: Rs. 57,990
