The best smartphone up to 15,000 hryvnia

We continue the cycle of materials on the choice of smartphones in different price segments, and next in turn is a psychological

milestone at 15,000 hryvnia. This is the territory of the Chinese flagships, which, to the delight of customers, began to fall in price on the eve of the release of the new 2019 models. And that's what we managed to find in the official retail.

The content of the article:

• Xiaomi Mi 8
• Huawei P20
• Samsung Galaxy A8 + 2018
• CAT S41
• Apple iPhone 6s

Best Choice: Xiaomi Mi 8

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Jubilee flagship Xiaomi Mi 8 created in the bestthe company's traditions - with the top-end hardware and the price is two times lower than that of the famous competitors. Cherry on the cake will be a good camera, and given the starting price in 12 000 hryvnia, find something more interesting for the money will becomplicated. Just do not pull with the purchase, because a couple more months, and on the shelves of stores only the more expensive Mi 8 Pro with a fingerprint scanner in the display will remain.

Xiaomi Mi 8 got a big 6.21-inch display Full HD + (2248 × 1080 pixels) with protective glass Gorilla Glass 5 and "eyebrow." This is an AMOLED panel with real black color and support for the Always on Display function to display time and some notifications in standby mode. Responsible for the performance of the Snapdragon processor 845, 6 GB of RAM. The smartphone "flies" and has a decent margin of performance for the future. There is no slot for memory cards, and if 64 GB in the standard model is not enough, you should immediately look towards the older version at 6/128 GB for 14 000 hryvnia.

Rear dual camera consists of two12 megapixel modules. The core with a Sony IMX363 sensor and f / 1.8 aperture is equipped with four-axis optical stabilization. The second one with a Samsung S5K3M3 matrix and a f / 2.4 telephoto lens is needed for double approximation and portrait mode with background blur. Day to the quality of the photos do not carp. With poor lighting, Korean flagships shoot better. The night mode, added with updates, helps to draw out a better picture in difficult conditions, but the result is sometimes almost the same as auto mode. The recently released slow-motion shot at a frequency of 960 frames per second is more like a software revision of clips with 240 frames per second. The front 20-megapixel camera makes a cool selfie, and the infrared system allows you to unlock the smartphone on the face, even in the dark. The usual fingerprint scanner is on the back.

The back panel of Xiaomi Mi 8 is glass. Behind it is a battery capacity of 3400 mAh. Autonomy "normal" - with active use in the evening, the phone will ask for charging. There are dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS with support for two carrier frequencies (in theory, this should improve accuracy) and an NFC chip for contactless payments via Google Pay. The mini-jack was removed, but the bundle includes an adapter with USB Type-C to a 3.5-mm jack. Moisture protection and wireless charging in the available flagships have not yet delivered.

See also: Xiaomi Mi 8 review

pros
Minuses

• the best stuffing for the money
• high-quality AMOLED display
• very good camera

• no memory card slot
• saved on moisture protection

Xiaomi Mi 8

Balanced Chinese flagship

It would seem that the flagship released for the 8th anniversary of XiaomiIt should be bright and unusual, but instead the company released just a good smartphone with an attractive price tag. For this Mi 8 and love. For complete happiness, the smartphone lacks only moisture protection and wireless charging.

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128 GB

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the best choice

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Alternative: Huawei P20

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Huawei’s flagship P-series smart phone didn’t receive some of the important pieces of the older P20 Pro, but it costs much less. Today, the younger version of the Huawei P20 can be bought for 13 000 hryvniaAnd this is a great option for those who are looking for a relatively compact model with a good camera.

An elongated 5 is installed in the P20.8-inch IPS-display with an aspect ratio of 18.7: 9 and a resolution of 2240 × 1080 pixels. With AMOLED did not work out, so you can not even try to hide the cutout from above programmatically - it will still be noticeable. Although the "fringe" is not so big. Below the screen is a fingerprint scanner, which works with lightning speed and is able to replace the standard system navigation buttons. The heart of the smartphone has become a powerful eight-core processor Kirin 970. This is though the flagship solution, but the previous generation. In WoT Blitz, for example, it is better to immediately set the average graphics settings so as not to observe FPS drawdowns. But PUBG Mobile supports GPU Turbo acceleration technology and works smoothly. RAM 4 GB, built-in - 64 GB without the possibility of expansion. There is a version with a 128 GB drive, but the price for it is still in the area 18 000 hryvnia and does not fall.

The smartphone did not get a 40-megapixelsensor, or a separate module with a triple zoom. Instead, we have a classic for Huawei system with color and monochrome sensors: the main 12-megapixel module with an f / 1.8 lens and optical stabilization, auxiliary at 20 megapixels. Artificial intelligence selects the optimal settings for each scene. The camera does a good job even in low light, although it is far from the wonders of the night shooting “proshki”. You can shoot in RAW. 4K video is recorded at 30 frames per second, but stabilization only works in Full HD mode. The front 24-megapixel camera supports face recognition to unlock the device.

Huawei P20 is available in black, blue and gradient"Twilight" colors. Under the back cover of glass hides a battery with a capacity of 3400 mAh with fast charging via the USB Type-C port. The device lives up to two days, although with active use, it is really “planted” by the end of the day. The company has already released an update to EMUI 9 based on Android Pie. Do not forget about the NFC-chip to pay for purchases using a smartphone.

See also: Huawei P20 review

pros
Minuses

• interesting design
• great photo quality

• removed the 3.5 mm jack
• no microSD slot
• splash protection only

Huawei P20

Beautiful smartphone in a compact package

The Huawei P20 is half the price of the P20 Pro, butthis does not mean that he is twice as bad as his elder brother. The main dual-camera flagship shoots perfectly, the build quality is at a height, and for those who want to stand out there is an unusual gradient option. It upsets the tendency to abandon the slot for memory cards, and the top version of 128 GB unfortunately does not hurry to get cheaper.

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worthy alternative

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A-brand smartphone: Samsung Galaxy A8 / A8 + (2018)

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There is a category of buyers who chooseexclusively devices of "expensive manufacturers". We have bad news for them - the remnants of the Japanese flagships of the Sony Xperia XZ2 have almost been dismantled, so you have to choose among the middling Korean manufacturer. From the new Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) with a camera on four lenses, an unimportant photo merchant came out. Its main module shoots worse than the only camera Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8 +. Taking into account the reduction in prices, the G8 now look more interesting.

The main difference between smartphones isscreen size: the standard Samsung Galaxy A8 has got a 5.6-inch Super AMOLED display, and the plus is equipped with a 6-inch panel. The resolution here and there is the same - 2220 × 1080 pixels with an aspect ratio of 18.5: 9. There is a function Always On Display. Inside, the eight-core Exynos 7885 chipset with a frequency of 2.2 GHz and ARM Mali-G71 MP2 graphics is used. It is quite smart, although in demanding games it is better not to rise above average settings. Perhaps the main drawback of both models is 32 GB of internal memory. Most of the "Chinese" for the money will be at least 64 GB. I was also lucky that the slot for microSD cards is separate here and allows you to simultaneously use the second SIM card.

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Returning to the issue of cameras, on the backthere is a 16-megapixel module with f / 1.7 optics and phase autofocus. With good lighting, the pictures are excellent, but in the evening and at night the noise level overwrites all the details. Video - only in Full HD, 4K-video recording is not supported. The front-facing dual camera with 16 and 8 megapixel modules can blur the background. Face recognition is also provided to unlock a smartphone when it is inconvenient to drag your finger to the fingerprint scanner.

Both devices are enclosed in a glass case withmetal frame, there is IP68 protection against dust and water, which is rare in this price segment. Battery capacity is different: 3000 mAh for the more compact A8 and 3500 mAh for the A8 +. The battery life of devices is about the same - on average, this is one day, with not very active use, you can get one and a half days on one charge. Included is a quick charger. At the bottom are the USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. In addition to dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 and GPS, there is an NFC chip and a proprietary MST magnetic tape simulation technology. This means that if the Samsung Pay service is launched in Ukraine, it will be possible to pay using a smartphone even on ordinary terminals without the support of non-contact. Google Pay only works with NFC.

Samsung Galaxy A8 can already be bought for 11 000 hryvnia, and Galaxy A8 + will cost a thousand more - in 12 000 hryvnia.

See also:

• Samsung Galaxy A8 + review
• Samsung Galaxy A8 review

pros
Minuses

• high-quality AMOLED display
• protection against water and dust IP68
• separate trays for microSD and second SIM

• midrange chipset
• little memory
• night shot

Samsung Galaxy A8

Middle class with flagship ambitions

The older Samsung A-series models have mademost similar to the flagships. Galaxy A8 got an elongated Super AMOLED-screen with the function Always on Display, and the body of glass and metal is protected from water and dust according to IP68. The problem is that for each plus there is a “but”. The processor here is not the most powerful, only 32 GB of internal memory, cameras are decently filmed, but only during the day. At the start of sales, the smartphone was a little expensive, but gradually prices fell to a more adequate level.

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korean quality

Samsung Galaxy A8 +

All the same, only in a different size.

Samsung Galaxy A8 + is essentially no different from the more compact version. The capacity of the battery was increased by 500 mAh, but because of the increased screen diagonal it almost did not affect the operating time.

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for big hands

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Secure Alternative: CAT S41

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Licensed by CaterpillarSmartphone SUV CAT S41 is designed for extreme conditions. It conforms to the military standard MIL-STD-810G and can operate in the temperature range from -25 ° C to + 55 ° C. Plastic and rubber housing withstands a 1.8 meter drop on concrete. IP68 protection against moisture and dust is also available, the model is resistant to immersion to a depth of two meters for an hour. The bonus is a powerful battery with a capacity of 5000 mAh. Even with intensive use of charge enough for a couple of days.

As part of the other characteristics, everything is enoughmodestly. CAT S41 equipped with a bright 5-inch Full HD-display, which is covered with glass Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and adequately responds to the touch with wet fingers. Below - three mechanical buttons, they will be convenient to press with gloves. The MediaTek Helio P20 processor is already rather outdated, but for everyday tasks it suffices with a head. 3 GB of RAM, and in addition to the 32 GB drive, there is a slot for microSD memory cards.

What is a 13 megapixel rear camera thatfrontal 8-megapixel module of stars from the sky is not enough. CAT S41 can not even with inexpensive "Chinese" who have already learned how to shoot well during the day and acceptable in the evening. It is better not to turn on the HDR mode in the Caterpillar model - just spoil the shots.

The smartphone came out with Android 7.0 Nougat on board. Later, an update to Android 8.0 Oreo was released, which corrected including problems with the standard application for calls. There is no fingerprint scanner, but the manufacturer has not forgotten about the NFC-chip for contactless payments via Google Pay.

Ukrainian stores sell CAT S41 on 13 000 hryvnia.

pros
Minuses

• maximum protection
• the screen remains readable in the sun
• excellent autonomy

• weak cameras with useless hdr
• no fingerprint scanner
• budget "iron" at a non-budget price

CAT S41

Proven Brand Protected Smartphone

CAT S41 is suitable for well work and forays onnature The device is not afraid of water and severe frosts. Thanks to the powerful 5000 mAh battery, it will easily last several days without recharging. True, for all these "buns" you have to pay with simple features and mediocre cameras.

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Buy at TTT

unkillable

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If you want iPhone: Apple iPhone 6s

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Apple fans who don't want tolay out the latest money for the newest iPhone, it remains to look in the direction of models of past generations. In the segment of up to 15,000 hryvnia, we’ll have to rewind time back until 2015, when the company introduced the iPhone 6s. The 32 GB model will cost 13 000 hryvnia, and this is not some Refurbished, but a completely new device.

iPhone 6s is equipped with 4.7-inch Retina-display with support for 3D Touch and wide frames. Under the screen is a good old fingerprint scanner Touch ID. The Apple A9 chipset and 2 GB of RAM is enough for smooth operation of iOS 12, but it's hard to say how a smartphone will work in a year or two. The main 12-megapixel camera with f / 2.2 aperture even in 2019 can boast of good image quality with sufficient light, but in the night shooting competitors have gone far ahead. 4K video recording is supported, only it will eat up all the free space in a matter of minutes. Selfie camera 5 megapixels.

The 1715 mAh battery looks modestly onpaper, but for the day of full use it is enough. iPhone 6s is enclosed in a metal case, there is no moisture protection. Supports NFC payment via Apple Pay.

See also: Apple iPhone 6s Review

pros
Minuses

• this is an iphone
• does not slow down
• good camera

• this is an iphone
• little memory
• model life cycle comes to an end

Apple iPhone 6s

Classic iPhone for Apple fans

Last year millions of ownersThe “slow-motion” iPhones chose to replace the battery at a discount program, rather than buying a newer model. Today smartphones are becoming obsolete very slowly. And it's not a shame to buy an iPhone 6s in 2019. You just need to decide for yourself whether you have enough models with 32 GB of internal memory. If photos can still be uploaded to the cloud storage, then this number will not work with applications and games.

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Buy at MOYO

Buy at TTT

still here