Cheerful editorsggdecided to ease the pain of choosing a new smartphone, and today we will try to answer
The content of the article:
- Honor play
- Xiaomi Pocophone F1
- Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018)
- Sigma mobile X-treme PQ39
- Meizu 16
- Apple iPhone SE
Best Choice: Honor Play
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If you take a list of what should be inmodern smartphone, the Honor Play checkbox will be in front of all points. Just do not consider it as a gaming solution. The eight-core Kirin 970 chipset, although it is the flagship of last season, is traditionally inferior to the top Snapdragon chips in terms of gaming performance. And the proprietary GPU Turbo technology works only with a couple of projects (PUBG Mobile fans are lucky, an online shooter is on the list). In some games at the maximum graphics settings, FPS drawdowns can be observed, it is treated by turning off shadows and lowering the quality of textures.
Honor Play received a quality 6.3-inch Full HD + display with cut-out on top. We sell a version with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory. There is a hybrid slot for a memory card or a second SIM. The main dual camera at 16 + 2 megapixels makes great shots in the afternoon, but in the evening there are noises and falling detail. Under conditions of poor lighting, night mode helps, although it is more suitable for static scenes. Artificial intelligence sometimes goes too far and glut colors, however, the smartphone retains the original photo without AI processing. Video is written in quality up to 4K, only poor image stabilization is frustrating. Selfie camera 16 megapixel.
The battery capacity is 3750 mAh.If you are not into gaming, you can get one and a half to two days of work on one charge. The international version of the device is also equipped with an NFC module for contactless payment. The Honor Play has an all-metal body; at the bottom there is a main speaker, a USB Type-C port and a mini-jack. Issue price -9000 hryvnia.
Read also: Honor Play review
pros
Minuses
- best value for money
- metal case
- NFC
- microSD / SIM hybrid slot
- non gaming chipset
Honor Play
Universal smartphone
Comprehensively good device, distinguished from the mass of models in glass cases. A great option for those who do not pursue maximum performance in games.
Buy at Comfy
Buy at TTT
Buy at Allo
the best choice
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Alternative: Xiaomi Pocophone F1
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Maximum performance at minimumPrice - so you can describe the Pocophone F1. The cheapest smartphone on the top Snapdragon 845 processor is made in the best traditions of the "flagship killers". With a focus on performance and no claim to the original design. The cherry on the cake was a powerful battery with support for fast charging, which is not even in the more expensive devices of the main line of Xiaomi.
From the front, Pocophone F1 looks like a typical oneChinese smartphone 2018: elongated 6.18-inch screen (2246×1080 pixels), “bangs” and a thicker bottom frame. LiquidCool technology is used to cool the chip. Behind the big name is an ordinary copper heat pipe, but thanks to it, the Snapdragon 845 is really able to work longer at full speed. All games just fly, and there is a lot of performance reserve for the future. A great option for mobile gamers.
Oddly enough, save heavily on cameras inPocophone F1 did not. Yes, the main module at 12 + 5 megapixels is inferior in its capabilities to the flagship system Xiaomi Mi 8, but the difference will be noticeable only in poor light. During the day, the smartphone shoots well, and in the video recording mode, electronic stabilization reduces picture jitter. The second sensor is responsible only for blurring the background, there is no optical approximation or other interesting features. And where the proprietary software fails, the ported Google Camera application will help with “smart” post-processing algorithms. The front camera of 20 megapixels can combine four pixels into one, so that selfies are bright even in the evening. If it is inconvenient to reach for a fingerprint scanner to unlock, the developers have added a face recognition feature. It works even in the dark thanks to infrared illumination.
Pocophone F1 confidently survives into the evening.The charge of the 4000 mAh battery can be extended for one and a half to a day, depending on the intensity of use. By the way, the smartphone has already been updated to MIUI 10 based on Android 9 Pie. There is a Bluetooth 5.0 module, dual-band Wi-Fi and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. They just forgot about NFC. Or did they not want to create unnecessary competition for Xiaomi Mi 8? To protect the plastic case, the package includes a silicone case, but this is more of an option for the first time. Issue price -10 000 hryvnia.
pros
Minuses
- the fastest processor for this price
- good autonomy
- the shooting quality is better than you might expect
- design in the style of budget china
- The memory card occupies the second SIM card slot
- no nfc
Xiaomi Pocophone F1
Flagship performance
The cheapest smartphone on top processorSnapdragon 845. For this, you can forgive him for a boring design and other shortcomings. If you have not had time to get hooked on contactless payment using Google Pay, the lack of NFC will not be a big problem.
Buy at Rozetka
Buy in Citrus
Buy at Allo
worthy alternative
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A-brand smartphone: Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
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More recently, mid-level Samsung smartphoneslooked like trimmed versions of the flagships. Now the concept has changed - the company promised to introduce new technologies to bypass the older lines. The first product of the new strategy was the Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 with a triple camera on the back. This is the main feature of the model, although in reality everything was not so clear. The system consists of three modules: the main 24-megapixel with f / 1.7 optics, 8 megapixel “shirik” with f / 2.4 aperture and a viewing angle of 120 degrees, as well as a 5-megapixel sensor to collect information about the depth of the frame. It plays a supporting role and is used only to create a bokeh effect.
With good lighting, the quality of images ondecent level, but in the evening and at night the details are not at all happy. Automation is constantly turning up the ISO values, because of what the photos turn into a "mess". It is possible to adjust the camera a little in manual mode, setting a lower sensitivity and playing with the exposure. The wide-angle module is only suitable for daytime shooting, it needs a lot of light. The front 24-megapixel camera supports face recognition to unlock the smartphone. And you can simply use the fingerprint scanner on the right side of the case.
The display of the Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 is 6 inchSuper AMOLED panel with an aspect ratio of 18.5: 9 and a resolution of Full HD +. The Always on Display feature allows you to display time and notification icons in standby mode. Very convenient, although it affects the autonomy. The device is built on the company's eight-core Exynos 7885 chipset with a frequency of 2.2 GHz and the ARM Mali-G71 MP2 video accelerator. RAM 4 GB. There is enough performance for any tasks - applications do not slow down, and only the most demanding games run on medium graphics settings. 64 GB drive, microSD memory card slot separate.
Hidden behind the glass back panel3300 mAh battery. The model easily lasts until evening exercise. With not very active use, you can get a day and a half of work. The only thing missing is fast charging, and it’s time to give up the Micro USB port. Wi-Fi 5 GHz, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS and NFC are supported. This is right, everyone would do it. Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 costs9500 hryvnia.
pros
Minuses
- AMOLED display with AoD
- wide-angle camera
- two sim cards + memory card
- NFC
- shooting in low light
- "Chinese" offer more powerful "iron"
Samsung Galaxy A7 2018
New Korean middle class
If you are looking for a Samsung device and are ready to spendno more than 10,000 hryvnia, the Galaxy A7 2018 has the most interesting price-performance ratio in the current A-series. The triple camera didn’t meet all expectations, but the wide-angle module is a really useful thing.
Buy at Comfy
Buy at MOYO
Buy in Citrus
Buy at Allo
for brand connoisseurs
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Protected alternative: Sigma mobile X-treme PQ39
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For buyers of "SUVs" comes firstIt is worth protecting the case, and it will be a big plus if the battery does not completely discharge by the evening. Sigma mobile X-treme PQ39 meets both of these criteria for8000 hryvnia. In terms of characteristics, everything is very modest, asand most other devices of this class. Inside there is an old eight-core MediaTek MT6753 processor at 1.3 GHz, 3 gigabytes of RAM and 32 gigabytes of internal memory with expandability (a microSD card occupies the second SIM card slot). A 5.5-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels is covered with Gorilla Glass 4.
The main thing in Sigma mobile X-treme PQ39 - protection fromIP68 dust and water. The case of rubber and plastic can withstand a 30-minute dive to a depth of one and a half meters. The smartphone has a high resistance to falls, you only need to protect the front panel. Glass is not shockproof. On the body made a button for quick launch of the camera. The main module is 13 megapixel, with a flash / flashlight for four LEDs. Frontalka 5-megapixel.
Battery is responsible for autonomous operation.capacity of as much as 9000 mAh. In normal mode, the smartphone will last 3-4 days, but it all depends on the usage scenario. Sigma mobile X-treme PQ39 also can charge other devices. With dimensions of 169x86x16 mm, the model weighs as much as 307 grams. On the back is a fingerprint scanner. Special thanks for the convenient USB Type-C port. There is also a 3.5-mm headphone jack, but with NFC somehow did not grow together. We'll have to do without contactless payment.
pros
Minuses
- IP68 protection
- decent autonomy
- large size and weight
- microSD / SIM hybrid slot
- no nfc
Sigma mobile X-treme PQ39
Protected smartphone-powerbank
The smartphone is protected by IP68 and is equipped witha powerful 9000 mAh battery with which you can forget about the socket for a long time. This is a typical "brick" with a brutal design to work in extreme conditions.
Buy at Rozetka
Buy at TTT
Buy in Eldorado
long-playing
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It was more expensive, now just right: Meizu 16
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Today for 12,000 hryvnia you can buy todaya full-fledged Chinese flagship Xiaomi Mi 8 or Honor 10, but this is already a noticeable 20% over budget. It’s better to take a closer look at Meizu 16, which recently cost 10,500 hryvnia, and now has dropped in price to9000 hryvnia. Also a very decent machine.
First, let's look at the names.Before us is a simplified version of the flagship Meizu 16th, which was released in China as Meizu 16X. In our market it was renamed Meizu 16 - perhaps because the smartphone is almost in no way inferior to the older model. There are only two main differences. Instead of a glass back, there is a more practical all-metal body (coated with ceramic in a white version), and the top-end Snapdragon 845 processor was replaced with the still powerful Snapdragon 710. The company did not skimp on the display. As in the “sixteenth”, there is an elongated 6-inch Super AMOLED matrix without cutouts, with a resolution of 2160×1080 pixels and the main feature - a built-in fingerprint scanner. It is convenient and accurate, but is inferior in speed to traditional sensors. The option with 6 GB of RAM and a 64 GB storage will cost the specified amount. Unfortunately, there is no slot for memory cards.
Rear dual camera smartphone shoots onflagship level. The main 20-megapixel module with an aperture of f / 1.8 and optical stabilization shows good results both during the day and at night. The second at 12 megapixels provides a threefold hybrid zoom (optical only 1.5x). There is a portrait mode with bokeh effect. The front 20-megapixel camera makes good selfies, and the facial recognition feature is also announced.
3100 mAh battery supportsfast charging via USB Type-C. In terms of autonomy, there are no records - Meizu 16 is enough for a full day of work. The smartphone has a 3.5 mm headphone jack, but does not have a separate DAC. The operating system is Android 8.1 Oreo with the proprietary Flyme 7 shell. As you may have guessed, Meizu does not release updates often. There is a dual-band Wi-Fi adapter, Bluetooth 5.0 and GPS. For some reason the manufacturer did not remember about NFC, and this is unfortunate.
pros
Minuses
- flagship design
- excellent display with fingerprint scanner
- best camera for the money
- no nfc
- cannot insert memory card
Meizu 16
Correct simplified flagship
Meizu 16 really turned out to be not much worsetop models of the manufacturer. A high-quality screen, a fast processor, an excellent camera - what else do you need? Only NFC, but let's hope that this is Meizu's last such “surprise” in the flagship line.
Buy white in Citrus
black
blue
lilac
worth the money
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And if you want an iPhone?
The situation hasn't changed at all in a year.The only new Apple smartphone under 10,000 hryvnia remains the compact iPhone SE. In some stores the price of the base model with 32 GB of memory has already dropped below8000 hryvnia.
Apple iPhone SE
Convenient small smartphone
iPhone SE is equipped with a 4-inch Retina display andApple A9 processor. The main 12 MP camera with f / 2.2 optics takes high-quality pictures day and night, and only night photography is not so good. A 1.2 MP FaceTime camera is not the best option for selfies. The 1642 mAh battery provides a guaranteed day of work on a single charge.
Buy at Allo
Buy at TTT
