Content

1. Current rating option
2. Premium
3. Middle-
4. Economy
5. Conclusion

Current rating option

Бестселлер – a model with outstanding performance (it could be the price, not just the technical characteristics). Models marked with the word “Bestseller” are worth paying close attention to.

Player… Notable solutions, typical representatives of their class. These are mass-produced products that generate the main sales in certain segments.

Applicant… Phones in this category have not grown to the player’s class, but have a number of attractive features (for example, cost, but it can also become a negative factor, and then the player turns into a contender), they may lack many functions that have become standard for a particular class. As a rule, the “Contender” category includes devices from second and third tier manufacturers or overpriced phones from large manufacturers.

Technology for technology’s sake… Niche products, interesting for their technical solutions, but not intended for a wide audience. Based on the possibilities, the device is interesting, but its size and speed of operation negate its advantages and make it niche.

Not for all… Niche solutions, which are usually distinguished by an extraordinary design or the presence of unique, but unnecessary opportunities. Designed for a narrow group of buyers who buy original things for self-expression.

Mediocre product… This category includes devices that are initially aimed at everyone and no one. Phones that lack distinctive features, making them one of the many on the market.

Outsider… Phones that, contrary to common sense, enter the market and do not attract consumers even to a small extent. Dead products not made for any sales.

Also, all models are divided into 4 price segments, the main technical characteristics indicated by the manufacturer are listed. If any smartphone seemed interesting, then a little more detail is written about it. The price indicated in the description is the lowest I found in the official retail. Offers on the “gray” market, all their pros and cons are at your discretion. From time to time, devices may appear that are already available for purchase, but have not yet been presented in official retail.

Segment / Price	From	Before
Premium	45 001 rub.
Medium +	30 001 rub.	45 000 rub.
Middle-	11 001 rub.	30 000 rub.
Economy		11 000 rub.

Premium

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra

• Rating: player / bestseller
• Price: from 79 990 rubles / from 99 990 rubles

TECH SPECS:

	Note20	Note20 Ultra
Dimensions and weight	161.6 x 75.2 x 8.3 mm, 195 grams	164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm, 208 grams
Body materials	Stainless steel, Glastic	Stainless steel, Corning Gorilla Glass 7
Display	6.7-inch, FHD + (20: 9), SuperAMOLED Plus, auto-dimming, AlwaysOn Display, Corning Gorilla Glass 6, HDR10 +	6.9 inches, 1440×3200 pixels (20: 9), Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 511 ppi, automatic brightness control, AlwaysOn Display, Corning Gorilla Glass 7, HDR10 +, 120 Hz refresh rate for FullHD + resolution
Operating system	Google Android 10.0, OneUI 2.5	Google Android 10.0, OneUI 2.5
Platform	Exynos 990 chipset, 8 cores (2 Exynos M5 cores up to 2.73 GHz, 2 ARM Cortex-A76 cores up to 2.6 GHz, 4 ARM Cortex-A55 cores up to 2 GHz), Mali-G77 MP11, 64 bit, 7 nm Snapdragon 865 for US market	Exynos 990 chipset, 8 cores (2 Exynos M5 cores up to 2.73 GHz, 2 ARM Cortex-A76 cores up to 2.6 GHz, 4 ARM Cortex-A55 cores up to 2 GHz), Mali-G77 MP11, 64 bit, 7 nm Snapdragon 865 for US market
Memory	8/256 GB (224 GB available to the user) No memory cards UFS 3.0 RAM LPDDR5	8/256 GB (224 GB available to the user), memory cards up to 1 TB (combined slot) There are 12/512 GB options (5G version) UFS 3.0 RAM LPDDR5
Wireless Interfaces	Wi-Fi a / b / g / n / ac / ax, dual-band (WiFi 6 is not officially allowed in Russia by the state), Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, ANT + LTE: Enhanced 4×4 MIMO, Up to 7CA, LAA, LTE Cat.20, download speeds up to 2.0 Gb / s, downloads up to 150 Mb / s LTE Bands: B1 (2100), B2 (1900), B3 (1800), B4 (AWS), B5 (850), B7 (2600), B8 (900), B12 (700), B13 (700), B17 ( 700), B18 (800), B19 (800), B20 (800), B25 (1900), B26 (850), B28 (700), B32 (1500), B66 (AWS-3) B38(2600), B39(1900), B40(2300), B41(2500)	Wi-Fi a / b / g / n / ac / ax, dual-band (WiFi 6 is not officially allowed in Russia by the state), Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, ANT + 5G: NSA, 5G sub-6 LTE: Enhanced 4×4 MIMO, Up to 7CA, LAA, LTE Cat.20, download speeds up to 2.0 Gb / s, downloads up to 150 Mb / s LTE Bands: B1 (2100), B2 (1900), B3 (1800), B4 (AWS), B5 (850), B7 (2600), B8 (900), B12 (700), B13 (700), B17 ( 700), B18 (800), B19 (800), B20 (800), B25 (1900), B26 (850), B28 (700), B32 (1500), B66 (AWS-3) B38(2600), B39(1900), B40(2300), B41(2500) 5G Bands: N1 (2100), N3 (1800), N5 (850), N7 (2600), N8 (900), N28 (700) N40(2300),N77(3700),N78(3500)
Сеть	Dual SIM, nanoSIM eSIM	Dual SIM, nanoSIM (combo slot) eSIM
Navigation	GPS / Beidou / Galileo – Dual Band GPS	GPS / Beidou / Galileo – Dual Band GPS
Sensors and connectors	USB Type C (USB 3.2), USB OTG Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor, Light Sensor, Gyroscope, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor In-screen fingerprint sensor (ultrasonic) Face unlock	USB Type C (USB 3.2), USB OTG Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor, Light Sensor, Gyroscope, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor In-screen fingerprint sensor (ultrasonic) Face unlock
Main camera	Main: camera with three modules – Primary: 12 MP, 1.8 μm, F1.8, 2PD, OIS – Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, 1.4 μm, F2.2, OIS – Telephoto: 64 MP, 0.8 μm, F2.0, OIS, PDAF, 1/1.72 inch, x3 optical zoom, x10 hybrid Space Zoom – Hybrid Optic Zoom 3X – Super Resolution Zoom up to 30X 8K video recording	Main: camera with three modules – Primary: 108 MP, 0.8 μm, F1.8, PDAF, OIS – Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, 1.4 μm, F2.2, OIS – Telephoto: 12 MP, 1.0 μm, F3.0, OIS, PDAF, 1 / 3.6 inches, x4 optical zoom x5, x10 hybrid Space Zoom – Hybrid Optic Zoom 5X – Super Resolution Zoom up to 50X 8K video recording
Front-camera	10 MP (f / 2.2), 2PD, 1 / 3.4 inches, 1.22 μm bokeh effect, various additional effects, autofocus	10 MP (f / 2.2), 2PD, 1 / 3.4 inches, 1.22 μm bokeh effect, various additional effects, autofocus
Battery	Li-Ion 4300 mAh Quick charge 25W included, 100% in 65 minutes  Fast wireless charging (15W), reversible wireless charging (up to 9W) PD 3.0	Li-Ion 4500 mAh Quick charge 25W included, 100% in 65 minutes  Fast wireless charging (15W), reversible wireless charging (up to 9W) PD 3.0
Degree of protection	IP68	IP68
Colours	mint, bronze, black	white, black, bronze
Sound	Dolby Atmos, two speakers	Dolby Atmos, two speakers
Payment System	Google Pay, Samsung Pay	Google Pay, Samsung Pay
Features	Samsung DeX S Pen	Samsung DeX S Pen

After the iPhone launch, the August launch of Samsung’s Galaxy Note is my favorite smartphone event ever. But if I look at the iPhone as an interesting and exciting show, then I study the Galaxy Note announcement very carefully with a practical buying attitude, that is, I assess whether I am ready to go to the store for a purchase or not.

The curiosity about the Galaxy Note 20 was all the stronger since my current Galaxy Note 9 is 1.5 years old, and you can think about an update. Along the way, the Note 20 was supposed to receive a radical update and make a qualitative leap.

So far, there was an opportunity to turn the device in hands in the store, and the impressions are mixed.

I have never believed that a smartphone must necessarily be beautiful. Rather, he was of the opinion that he must be rational. An example of a rational smartphone for me is Galaxy Note 9. Not handsome, but ergonomic and comfortable. Longitudinal camera block that allows the smartphone to lie stably on the table, which is especially important given the stylus. Although the fingerprint scanner is located on the back under the camera block, it is located so that you can clearly get on it without touching the lenses. Dedicated Bixby button, made handy after being allowed to customize it to your liking. With a couple of exceptions, Galaxy Note 10 was even better than number 9: lighter, more compact, in-screen scanner, etc. And somehow I expected the Note 20 to be the crown of evolution. And because of the protruding camera block, all the ergonomics of the smartphone went down the drain. Live the block of cameras looks like a mountain range with steep walls. They tried to round off the Galaxy S20 somehow.

It is not the appearance that upsets, but the fact that the smartphone is becoming uncomfortable. It lies on the back, which is bad for using the stylus. Eldar wrote in his review that he had already dropped his smartphone several times, including on the asphalt. And all because of the camera block.

It seems, well, since it’s inconvenient, then put it in a case. We read Eldar’s review: holes for connectors were made on the bottom end and it is very difficult to get the S Pen out. That is, you give a significant amount of money, they force you to pay more money for the cover, but it turns out to be “very difficult” to use. It always seemed that there should be a different logic: the more money you pay, the more pleasant and comfortable life is.

In 2020, flagships are redundant for the average consumer. They are bought either by geeks or by certain categories of professional business users who simply want the most powerful. For this reason, I rate flagships like Formula 1 or any other elite sport. Yes, you guessed it right, we are talking about chipsets. I absolutely don’t care what kind of chipset is in a smartphone, and what it is called. Simply, if I pay money, I want to know what is the best there. Qualcomm has released the second generation Snapdragon 865+, while the Note 20 uses a six-month-old processor. Which, in principle, is absolutely normal, but not in the flagship category.

The stylus on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is a divine nib. Accurate, perfectly reading any touch and tilt. Taking notes or drawing is a pleasure. Samsung deserves a standing ovation for this level of technology.

Cameras can also be recorded in the strengths of the smartphone. Yes, there are smartphones that shoot better than the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, but in this case, the convenience of the application interface, as well as the ability to record video, also plays a role.

The battery raises questions … So, Note 8 could play video 15 hours, Note 9 – 17 hours, Galaxy Note 10+ – 19 hours. Continue the logical sequence. But no! Galaxy Note 20 Ultra – 13 hours It should be clarified here that the tests used the standard settings with which the smartphone comes out of the box. If you turn off the adaptive refresh rate, then the video scrolling time will be 17 hours, which is also a step back. If you look at Eldar’s review of the Note 10, we see “if in Note9 I got 6-6.5 hours of screen work in one day (Note: it’s true), then in Note10 + it’s already two days. That is, with a higher load, we will get 8-10 hours of display operation during the day. ” In a review about the Note 20 Ultra, Eldar writes: “But on average, without any restrictions in the settings, the device produces 4 hours of screen operation.”

It turns out that this is a smartphone for moving between the office and home, because on trips, when I have to use a smartphone a lot (navigation, photo-video, search for something on the Internet), the charge is simply not enough.

In the rating, I called the product a bestseller, as the strength is on the side of Samsung – the closest competitor is locked in the Chinese market, the brand’s power will crush everyone else. I have written more than once that changes are coming in the market when old leaders will be forced to give way to new companies. Such controversial decisions that Samsung allows itself demonstrate confidence that borders on arrogance. And how can you not quote Proverbs 16:18: “Pride comes before destruction, and arrogance before destruction.”

Microsoft Surface Duo

• Rating: not for all
• Price: from 1 399 USD

TECH SPECS:

• Processor: Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm), Octa-core (1 × 2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3 × 2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4 × 1.78 GHz Kryo 485), Adreno 640 graphics
• Operating System: Android 10
• Memory: 6 GB / 128/256 GB UFS 3.0, no memory card slot
• Screen:
  • 5.6 inches, AMOLED, 1350 x 1800 pixels, aspect ratio 4: 3, dot density 401 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 5
  • Unfolded 8.1 inches, AMOLED, 1800 x 2700 pixels, aspect ratio 3: 2, dot density 401 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 5
• Battery: Li-Po 3577 mAh, fast charging 18W
• Camera: 11 MP, f / 2.0, 23mm (wide-angle 84 degrees), 1.0μm, PDAF, 4K video recording 60 fps
• SIM card: 1 Nano-SIM + eSIM
• Network and data transmission: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX Adaptive, GPS, USB Type-C 3.1
• Sensors: Fingerprint scanner (side), accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, lighting, compass
• Audio: one speaker, 2 noise canceling microphones
• Other: no 3.5 mm jack, no water resistant, no radio, stylus sold separately
• Materials: glass
• Dimensions:
  • 145.2 x 186.9 x 4.8 mm – unfolded
  • 145.2 x 93.3 x 9.9 mm – folded, weight 250 g

A wonderful new toy from Microsoft that reimagines the logic of the Android operating system and smartphone form factors. As a first pancake, I perceive the device more than positively. Although it is a little upsetting that the solution is not universal, but clearly tailored for business users and designed to work near the office.

It is disappointing to have only one camera, and slightly outdated hardware.

My opinion is that for Microsoft, the new Surface Duo will become a kind of large-scale beta test, when the company can collect feedback, check if there is any traction in the market at all and, possibly, attract some of the manufacturers (such as Samsung) as partners. to bring your device to mind.

OnePlus North

• Rating: US market contender / in Russia only “gray”
• Price: 36 900 rubles

TECH SPECS:

• Processor: Qualcomm SDM765 Snapdragon 765G (7 nm), Octa-core (1 × 2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime & 1 × 2.2 GHz Kryo 475 Gold & 6 × 1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver), Adreno 620 graphics
• Operating system: Android 10, shell OxygenOS 10.0
• Memory: 6/8/12 GB / 128/256 GB, no memory card slot
• Screen: 6.44 inches, Fluid AMOLED, 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20: 9 pixels, 408 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 90 Hz, HDR10 +
• Battery: Li-Po 4115 mAh, fast charging 30 W, 70% in 30 minutes
• Main camera:
  • 48 MP, f / 1.8, 26mm (wide), 1 / 2.0 ″, 0.8μm, PDAF, OIS
  • 8 MP, f / 2.3, 119 ° (ultra wide angle)
  • 5 MP, f / 2.4, (depth)
  • 2 MP, f / 2.4, (macro)
  • Video recording 4K @ 30fps, 1080p @ 30/60 / 240fps, gyro-EIS
• Front camera:
  • 32 MP, f / 2.5, (wide), 1 / 2.8 ″, 0.8μm
  • 8 MP, f / 2.5, 105 ° (ultra wide angle), 1 / 4.0 ″, 1.12μm
• Sim card: 2 Nano-SIM
• Network and data transmission: GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, dual band A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, SBAS, NavIC, NFC, USB 2.0 2.0, Type-C 1.0
• Sensors: Fingerprint scanner (under display), accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass
• Other: no 3.5 mm jack, there is NFC
• Materials: Gorilla Glass 5 and plastic frame
• Dimensions: 158.3 x 73.3 x 8.2 mm, weight 184 g.

OnePlus followed the strategy of regular brands to the end and after the insanely expensive OnePlus 8/8 Pro introduced the more affordable OnePlus Nord, which can be attributed to the mid-plus segment. Nord should be the first smartphone of the new young and daring line. OnePlus has already matured and matured, and with the Nord you can still be kinky.

As shown in the advertisement, the camera was “stolen” from the OnePus 8, they installed a dual front camera, a 90Hz AMOLED screen with high brightness under 800 nits, fast charging, a good chipset and a decent battery. Plus, of course, the pretty clean OxygenOS shell.

Judging by the tests, the device is quite capable of producing 8-10 hours of screen operation in everyday mode.

The cons are also obvious. A plastic frame in a kind of premium product? Seriously? No 3.5 mm, no memory card support and no LED indicator? Are you saying you stole the camera from the OnePlus 8? But there “shirik” is 16 MP, and here there is only 8 MP. By the way, there is no telephoto either. They also saved money on Wi-Fi 6.

At a price of 37 rubles, the smartphone as a whole turned out to be quite interesting. And it can be considered for purchase. On the other hand, in our market, OnePlus 000 is only 8 thousand more expensive, so does it make sense to save?

Middle-

Google Pixel 4a

• Rating: not for everyone
• Price: 26 000 rubles

TECH SPECS:

• Processor: Qualcomm SDM730 Snapdragon 730G (8nm), Octa-core (2 × 2.2 GHz Kryo 470 Gold & 6 × 1.8 GHz Kryo 470 Silver), Adreno 618 graphics
• Operating System: Android 10
• Memory: 6 GB / 128 GB, no memory card slot
• Screen: 5.81 inches, OLED, 2340 x 1080 pixels, aspect ratio 19.5 by 9, dot density 443 ppi, HDR, Always-on, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Battery: Li-Po 3140 mAh, fast charging 18 W, USB Power Delivery 2.0
• Main camera:
  • 12.2 MP, f / 1.7, 27mm (wide), 1 / 2.55 ″, 1.4μm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS
  • 4K @ 30fps video recording, 1080p @ 30/60 / 120fps; gyro-EIS
• Front camera: 8 MP, f / 2.0, 24mm (wide-angle), 1.12μm
• Sim card: Nano-SIM + eSIM
• Network and data transmission: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, NFC, USB 3.1, Type-C 1.0
• Sensors: Fingerprint Reader (Rear), Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Lighting, Compass, Barometer
• Other: there is a 3.5 mm jack, there is NFC, no water protection, no memory cards
• Materials: glass front, plastic frame and back
• Dimensions: 144 x 69.4 x 8.2 mm, weight 143 g.

It is very interesting to look at the difference in perception. When the iPhone SE and Pixel 4a came out in the US, they received a generally warm welcome from the local press, which, by the way, whatever one may say, but much more harsh in terms of expressions and reviews. In Russia, the Google Pixel 4a will clearly be under attack. The reason is pretty commonplace. The US market is dominated by brands, and there are no players like Xiaomi or Realme. Accordingly, the market lives according to a clear structure. And they realize that for $ 350, the Pixel 4a is a good phone. However, in the Russian market, this is a slightly overpriced device, since it is easier to buy something from realme. For some reason, our journalists are trying to praise the Pixel 4a, apparently broadcasting logic from the Western media. The essence is simple. Each product is good for its market. And if Americans had the same amount of cheap realme and Xiaomi, then no one would look at the Google Pixel.

Although, frankly, it takes some courage to release a smartphone with 2020 single camera and 1 mAh battery at the end of 3.

Economy

Realme C11

• Rating: applicant?
• Price: 2/32 GB – 8 990 rubles

TECH SPECS:

• Processor: MediaTek Helio G35 (12nm), Octa-core 2.3 GHz Cortex-A53, PowerVR GE8320 graphics
• Operating System: Android 10
• Memory: 2 GB / 32 GB, separate slot for microSD
• Screen: 6.5 inches, IPS LCD, 1560 x 720 pixels, aspect ratio 20: 9, density 270 ppi
• Battery: Li-Po 5000 mAh, charging 10 W
• Main camera:
  • 13 MP, f / 2.2, (wide), PDAF
  • 2 MP, f / 2.4, (depth sensor)
• Front camera: 5 MP, f / 2.4, 27mm (wide-angle)
• Sim card: 2 Nano-SIM
• Network and data transmission: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi b / g / n, Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, microUSB 2.0
• Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, compass
• Other: there is a 3.5 mm jack, there is a radio, there is no NFC
• Materials: plastic and glass
• Dimensions: 164.4 x 75.9 x 9.1 mm, weight 196 g.

The situation with naming at realme and the release of models raises questions. There was the previous C3, now C11, and after 2 weeks the C12 came out, which differs from the C11 in the presence of a fingerprint scanner and an even larger 6 mAh battery.

I will not consider the 2/32 GB version for 8 rubles, despite the fact that we have a review of it from Ilya Subbotin. Here, after all, try to scrape together another thousand.

It is unlikely that the realme C11 will be a success, since in this price range it is worth catching the models of the previous months, which are selling at a discount. If you work hard, then it is quite possible to find devices that previously cost 13 thousand. And this is the next level of quality.

But I am sure that realme C11 will delight those who need a simple bugless smartphone with a long battery life.

In conclusion, I will quote Ilya’s conclusion from the review: “It seems that realme actually rushed to roll out a competitor to the upcoming smartphone from Xiaomi to the market, otherwise I can’t explain its positioning: an almost complete copy of the C3 in a different design with a less powerful processor and weaker configuration from memory, without NFC, which only gained popularity in Russia during the recent self-isolation. The visual resemblance to the Redmi 9C is in line with the trend, one look at the realme V5 is enough to understand this.

Apart from thinking about the place of a smartphone on the market, we can say that this is a typical ultra-budgetary device with a capacious battery, capable of charging other gadgets, shooting tolerably and allowing you to run into the royal battle at low settings. Of the advantages, one can also note the visually pleasing and tactilely comfortable backrest design with a thin camera block. Autonomy is expected to be high, but there are questions about performance. “

Conclusion

We are waiting for September, we are waiting for the presentation of the iPhone (whenever it happens), we enjoy life. Tell us in the comments what smartphones or other gadgets you pampered yourself with in August.

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