The best flagship smartphone of 2021 - Apple, Samsung or Xiaomi?

It is difficult to argue with the fact that any of the smartphones included in this comparison looks very good. Each device is pleasant to the touch, as it is made of elite materials. Plastic was used only by Xiaomi. Her device also loses in terms of moisture protection - it only meets the IP53 standard, and therefore the phone cannot be immersed in water. However, ZTE, which is included in our top, has a similar problem. As for the other three gadgets, they can be used both in the pool and somewhere in the sea.

It should be noted that the OnePlus 9 Pro turned out to be lighter than the rest. The difference is especially felt in comparison with the "apple" device. But the iPhone 13 Pro Max is thinner than its competitors. However, this plays a minus for him - many buyers note that because of this, sometimes there are unpleasant sensations, as if the device is digging into the palm of your hand.

If we talk about design, then everyone knows that each of our readers has their own preferences. We only note that the flagship smartphone from ZTE stands out more than the rest.This device cannot be confused with the previous model of this manufacturer, as well as with any other device. One gets the impression that you are holding some advanced professional camera in your hands, and not a smartphone. Or some gaming gadget. Even if the case is painted not in pink-purple, but in black (this option also exists). The device differs from its competitors by the fact that its back panel glows. Interestingly, the backlighting of the logo is configured by the user separately from the side stripes, the behavior of which depends on what is happening in the game or the rhythm of the music.

Now, none of the manufacturers in their right mind will build an IPS display into their flagship. That is why all five devices we reviewed received a screen based on organic light emitting diodes. This means they don't need a separate backlight layer. As a result, smartphones produce perfect blacks and save battery power when displayed. However, this does not mean that all displays are exactly the same. Take a look at the plate and you will see the opposite.

On paper, the best screen was, oddly enough, not the most popular ZTE Nubia Red Magic 6.Under certain usage scenarios, its refresh rate can go up to an incredible 165Hz! This is especially felt in modern games, and when reading Internet pages too. But it must be admitted that the 120 Hz declared by other manufacturers is usually quite enough.

OnePlus 9 Pro is also capable of surprising. Its creators decided to up the resolution slightly, resulting in 525 pixels per square inch of the AMOLED panel (which is why we're giving it a little more). The top from Samsung has a similar parameter. The rest of the smartphones, including the aforementioned ZTE, have a lower resolution.

If we talk about protective glass, then all five models have no problems with this. Everything is in order with the viewing angles. Perhaps, Dolby Vision support can be separately noted. The flagships of Apple and Xiaomi have it. This allows you to get a little more experience from watching the best movies and series.

Three out of five smartphones are based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G. This is one of the most powerful processors ever released by this company. Be sure that if slowdowns do occur, they will be caused solely by the “curvature” of the developers of this or that application. By the way, a similar chip is being introduced into the Galaxy S21, but only in its version designed for the North American market. However, Exynos 2100 also shows its best side.

However, the most powerful processor today is still considered the Apple A15. This is confirmed by various reviews. They, as you might guess, are endowed with the iPhone 13 Pro Max. It is a pity that this device does not use all its capabilities. Such a chip could handle a huge amount of data, but it has to make do with a 12-megapixel camera. However, we will talk about this separately.

Modern flagships have at their disposal an unusual memory. It has a very high read and write speed. This is partly why a microSD card slot is becoming less common in such devices - manufacturers do not want you to suffer from the difference in data reading speed. In a word, do not be surprised that none of the five devices we have chosen has a corresponding slot. You have to puzzle over which version of the smartphone to choose, with what amount of internal memory. The maximum iPhone 13 Pro Max can have on board is 1 TB. But this option will cost quite wild money. Other manufacturers understand that often such a volume is not needed. Even 128 GB is enough for someone, so this figure is also found in the characteristics.

It is curious that the "apple" device is not endowed with a fingerprint scanner. You have to lower the mask a little to unlock this smartphone. Other phones don't have this problem.With the exception of the Xiaomi product, in which the corresponding scanner is on the side, which is also not very convenient.

If a smartphone should get into the top of the most expensive devices, then it must boast not only a capacious battery, but also support for a wide variety of wireless networks. For example, all the devices we have chosen are capable of working with the high-speed Wi-Fi 802.11ax standard. It will even encourage someone to purchase a new router. Also, many models have a Bluetooth 5.2 module, which is characterized by stable sound transmission to the headset and high bandwidth. Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus and ZTE show themselves better than others in this regard - they support the aptX HD digital codec, which improves sound quality. And, of course, all devices have an NFC chip, which is most often used to pay for purchases.

Curiously, five flagships are capable of operating in 5G networks. But not in all. If we talk about Russia, then in our ranges it is still the easiest way to make a Xiaomi product work. As for the connectors, now many manufacturers have begun to abandon the 3.5 mm jack.Alas, almost all the flagships we have chosen use USB Type-C (the speed corresponds to the USB 3.2 specifications). Or Lightning in the case of Apple. And only ZTE Nubia Red Magic 6 pleasantly surprises with the ability to use wired headphones without an adapter.

Of course, the rear camera of all selected devices is extremely delightful. It consists of several modules. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra allows you to switch to the longest zoom at any time when the picture is enlarged 10 times. No loss in quality! However, the maximum result will still be achieved when shooting with the main 108-megapixel module. A similar one is built into the Xiaomi 11T Pro, but here the physical size of the matrix is ​​\u200b\u200bslightly smaller, and therefore you will have more problems with low light around. Things are even worse for ZTE. Here, the matrix size is smaller, and the resolution is more modest (64 megapixels). However, during daylight hours and even somewhere indoors, the result will be worthy in any case.

Nothing bad can be said about the OnePlus 9 Pro. Yes, the 48-megapixel resolution of the main module is not amazing today. But on the other hand, the manufacturer has increased the resolution of the ultra-wide-angle camera, unlike its competitors. The only pity is that there was no place for a macro camera available from Xiaomi and ZTE (but the latter has a purely conditional one).

What about the iPhone 13 Pro Max? Will he surprise you? Yes, the same 12-megapixel resolution of all three cameras. And open to f / 1.5 aperture.In a word, in the dark this device shoots much better than its competitors. But still, one cannot but admit that the detail in the pictures will be lame.

As for the front camera, Apple still uses a huge cutout in the display to house it. Competitors, on the other hand, embed the lens directly into the screen, making it virtually non-distracting. The South Korean smartphone is able to boast of the best “front camera”. However, OnePlus and Xiaomi, if they are lagging behind, are not too far behind. ZTE shows itself worse than the others.

If you want to buy a long-playing smartphone, then you definitely should not buy Apple products. Alas, it is the iPhone that has the smallest battery. And good iOS optimization does not save you - with intensive use of the device, you will definitely need a charger by the end of the working day. By the way, it is not included in the kit - the American manufacturer forces you to buy it separately. As for the competition, the best battery is built into Samsung, Xiaomi and ZTE. However, this does not mean that these smartphones are able to stay on a full charge for a couple of days. No, now the emphasis is more on their fast charging than on long battery life.

The most powerful network adapter is supported by Xiaomi 11T Pro smartphone. All sorts of reviews show that when using it, the battery is fully charged in just 17 minutes. Incredible result! However, most of our readers will be satisfied with 29 minutes, during which the battery introduced in the OnePlus 9 Pro is filled with energy. By the way, the top-end iPhone will only be half charged during this time. The flagship from Samsung in this regard also does not impress with speed. But on the other hand, he is the only one capable of boasting support for wireless reverse charging. This means that he himself is able to transfer energy to another device applied to his rear panel.

Finally, we note the fact that not all flagships can be charged wirelessly. Xiaomi and ZTE, alas, are deprived of support for this technology. Samsung and iPhone can be charged this way, but the process will be quite lengthy. And only OnePlus supports powerful 50-watt wireless charging. A pleasant surprise!

Four out of five devices run Android, and only the iPhone uses iOS. Taking an "apple" product is recommended for those who are already in the Apple ecosystem. The rest will experience some difficulties with transferring contacts, photos and everything else when switching to iPhone.

OnePlus has a proprietary shell installed Oxygen OS. It works quickly and without errors.Of its amusing features, we can note the possibility of placing a photo outline on the screen in Always On mode. Also, the smartphone will offer you an abundance of all kinds of settings that are not usually found in the standard version of the “green robot”. But there is nothing particularly memorable here.

Shell used by Samsung One UI 3.1 looks more interesting. It has a great one-hand control mode. The side multifunctional panel is also available to the user. This firmware version supports the S Pen. However, you will have to buy it separately. And you will also have to purchase a branded case, because only it has a compartment for storing this accessory.

Smartphone from Xiaomi has, perhaps, the smallest number of software features. It is felt that the Chinese still do not seek to impress the buyer with something unusual. Or they simply decided to implement additional functionality only in gaming smartphones of the Black Shark series, where instead of MIUI 12.5 a completely different shell is used.

By the way, the device we chose from ZTE is considered to be a gaming one. In this regard, one should not be surprised that the device received additional trigger keys. They will be actively used in games where they are most often used for shooting and reloading. As for the shell Redmagic UI 4.0, then it will please the minimalism and smoothness of the interface. Pleasantly surprised by the abundance of topics, mainly related to mobile games. There is also a side toolbar similar to the one used by Samsung. With it, you can take a screenshot, record a video, create a GIF animation and perform other actions.

The modern mobile industry is experiencing serious problems associated with an insufficient number of semiconductors being produced. In this regard, many companies greatly increase the final price tag. This is most noticeable in Apple products. Her iPhone 13 Pro Max is outrageously priced, especially when considering the version with 1TB of built-in storage. However, the price of the Galaxy S21 Ultra cannot be called humane either. But it is not even the final one - in the future, someone will want to purchase the S Pen stylus we mentioned.

ZTE, Xiaomi, and OnePlus have roughly the same price tag. And it is almost half the amount that Samsung asks for its flagship. This seems like a tempting offer. Especially in the case of the Nubia Red Magic 6 gaming device. But one cannot but admit that each of the three devices has certain limitations. For example, Xiaomi 11T Pro is not able to survive underwater diving, and ZTE has an average front camera by modern standards. Whether you are able to come to terms with the shortcomings of the purchased device is up to you to decide.

It is almost impossible to identify a clear leader in the flagship market. You can't rely solely on one parameter. For example, an Apple product boasts the most powerful processor. But it does little to nothing for him. The chip in this device does not have to strain even when you start the camera, because it has a modest 12-megapixel resolution. If we focus on the design, then the gaming smartphone from ZTE looks more interesting than the rest. It's the only one that uses LED backlighting. But this device also has certain limitations, which were mentioned above - in particular, it received a modest amount of permanent memory.

We would call the best choice a top-end smartphone from Samsung. Especially if you first of all pay attention to the camera. It's nice when the device provides not only standard photography capabilities, but also a 10x optical zoom. But for this you will have to pay tangible money. Especially if you are not going to take the version with the smallest amount of memory.