The best budget smartphones with a good camera. Are there inexpensive smartphones with a good camera? The best smartphones under 20 thousand

Each smartphone manufacturer is trying to equip its new flagship with the best camera on the market, and this "arms race" is only for everyone's benefit. Mobile photography technology has already reached the point where it can compete even with professional mirrorless cameras. In this regard, we have selected seven smartphones from 2017 with the best cameras. For the sake of objectivity, this selection is based entirely on the results of detailed device camera tests from the reputable DxOMark profile resource. In this article, we described the strengths and weaknesses (if I may say so) of the cameras of various devices.

All specifications are for the main cameras of gadgets.

Google Pixel 2

• Camera resolution: 12 MP.
• ISO: f/1.8.
• Zoom: 2x optical.
• Image stabilization: optical (OIS) and electronic (EIS).

Medium and far zoom blur details, which significantly degrades the quality of photos. Under artificial lighting, flickering sometimes occurs.

Video
Movies have the same strengths as stills: good white balance, excellent detail outdoors and indoors, and fast and accurate autofocus. Excellent stabilization deserves special attention.

However, despite excellent stabilization, software algorithms cannot accurately match the white balance for shooting while walking. The flickering that occurs with tungsten light sources also spoils the whole picture. Unfortunately, the dynamic range when shooting video is far from that when shooting still images.

• Light sensitivity: f/1.8 (wide angle) and f/2.4 (telephoto).
• Autofocus: phase.
• Flash: four-color LED.
• Video: 4K at 60 fps.

However, the ideal at first glance picture is sometimes spoiled by slow autofocus, occasionally appearing red eyes in photos with a flash, and fuzziness when photographing moving objects.

Video
Good stabilization of both camera lenses makes itself felt when shooting video. All the positive aspects of the camera are also visible during video shooting.

However, the age-old problems of all iPhones when shooting in low light have not gone away: flickering is sometimes visible, and when focusing on an object, the overall brightness of the photo is slightly reduced.

Huawei Mate 10 Pro

• Camera resolution: 12 MP (RGB matrix) and 20 MP (monochrome lens).
• ISO: f/1.6 on both lenses.
• Zoom: 2x optical and digital.
• Autofocus: laser and phase.
• Flash: two-color LED.
• Video: 4K at 30 fps.

Despite everything, the testers noticed the appearance of "artifacts" when shooting the sky and the white balance that does not always work perfectly.

Video
When shooting video, the camera quickly focuses on subjects and reproduces natural colors. But in general, the video recording function in Huawei Mate 10 Pro is much “weaker” than taking photos.

The camera lacks dynamic range and detail, and orange "waves" appear when shooting with a tungsten light source.

• Camera resolution: 12 MP (wide angle lens) and 12 MP (telephoto lens).
• Light sensitivity: f/1.7 (wide-angle lens) and f/2.4 (telephoto lens).
• Autofocus: phase.
• Stabilization: optical (on both matrices).
• Zoom: 2x optical and digital.
• Flash: two-color LED.
• Video: 4K at 30 fps.

Not without drawbacks: lack of dynamic range, sometimes not working portrait mode and sometimes unstable white balance.

Video
But during video shooting, the white balance works flawlessly, as does color reproduction, exposure adjustment and stabilization.

Among the minuses, there is a lack of tracking autofocus in standard mode and various errors when recording high-contrast video.

HTC U11

• Camera resolution: 12 MP.
• ISO: f/1.7.
• Autofocus: phase.
• Flash: two-color LED.
• Image stabilization: optical (OIS).
• Video: 4K at 30 fps.

There are quite a few shortcomings: a narrow dynamic range, a “cold” color temperature and the transformation of blue shades into blue-green (cyan).

Video
The camera records video with low noise, good exposure, and fast focusing on subjects. But in general, the video recording function in HTC U11 turned out to be a little worse than taking pictures.

The poor color rendering, the work of the white balance and the limited dynamic range are striking.

Xiaomi Mi Note 3

• Camera resolution: 12 MP and 12 MP.
• Stabilization: optical.
• ISO: f/1.8 (primary lens), f/2.6 (secondary lens).
• Zoom: 2x optical (secondary lens).
• Autofocus: phase.
• Flash: two-color LED.
• Video: 4K at 30 fps.

Among the shortcomings: a clear deterioration in detail in poor lighting conditions, as well as the appearance of noise in shadow areas in sunlight.

Video
During video shooting, autofocus is also fast, and the tracking autofocus function is revealed in all its glory. Stabilization works tolerably well.

Unfortunately, the camera's strengths are overshadowed by poor detail in all lighting conditions.

• Camera resolution: 12 MP (color sensor) and 12 MP (monochrome lens).
• Stabilization: optical (at the main matrix).
• ISO: f/2.0 (for both lenses).
• Zoom: digital.
• Autofocus: phase.
• Flash: two-color LED.
• Video: 4K at 30 fps.

Perhaps the main drawback of the camera is the digital zoom: when approaching, it blurs the details of the image, which is unacceptable for a flagship-level smartphone. Also, not always stable operation of the background blur function (bokeh effect) is noted.

Video
When shooting video, the optical stabilization of the color sensor performs flawlessly, and autofocus accurately focuses on the right objects.

The strengths of the camera instantly disappear in low light.

The end of the year is approaching, it's time to take stock. In order to determine which smartphone has become the most successful over the past 12 months, we have compiled a sample of many solutions. When creating it, we relied on processor performance, display performance, photo capabilities and the amount of RAM. We bring to your attention our top 10, which contains only the best smartphones under 20,000 rubles in 2018-2019.

#10 – Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro

Price: 14 260 rubles

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro is one of the company's most successful smartphones released in 2018. The emphasis in the development was made on the photo capabilities of the gadget. Therefore, on both sides you can find a dual camera - the front one consists of a pair of sensors with a resolution of 12 and 5 MP, the rear - 20 and 2 MP. The pictures on them are detailed, plus there is a portrait mode for both modules. Photos taken at night are not overflowing with noise and a mess of pixels.

3 or 4 GB of RAM, depending on the configuration, and the Snapdragon 636 processor provide the gadget with a high level of performance in games. There are no critical shortcomings, but there is a small flaw in the form of the lack of NFC.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro

#9 – Samsung Galaxy J8 (2018)

Price: 13 990 rubles

The Samsung Galaxy J8 (2018) comes to Russia with a Snapdragon 450 processor. Due to the low resolution of the 6-inch screen of 1480 by 720 pixels, it is enough for most games at high settings. You will only have to lower the graphics settings in demanding games such as PUBG. With all this, despite the lack of Full HD, the display offers its user high detail, maximum viewing angles and good levels of saturation and contrast. In general, everything that AMOLED matrices are famous for.

Serious mistakes in the development of the Samsung Galaxy J8 (2018) were not made by engineers. However, the lack of NFC slightly spoils the impression of the model. The use of the aging microUSB connector is also not entirely clear.

Samsung Galaxy J8 2018

#8 - Huawei P20 Lite

Price: 16 390 rubles

Huawei has released several successful smartphones this year, one of them is the Huawei P20 Lite. The model has in its arsenal everything that a modern person needs - an NFC module, a fingerprint scanner that reads a print in a split second and a face recognition function that recognizes the owner even with glasses. At the same time, the Huawei P20 Lite has an excellent 5.84-inch display with a resolution of 2280 by 1080 pixels, showing rich colors and high detail, as well as a Kirin 659 processor, the performance of which is enough in any gadget operation scenarios.

With the photo capabilities of the smartphone, too, everything is in order. Both the main camera with 16 and 2 MP sensors and the 16-megapixel front camera produce detailed pictures with natural color reproduction. A 3000 mAh battery will last you a day of using your smartphone, you should not count on more.

No. 7 - Xiaomi Mi A2

Price: 13 970 rubles

Xiaomi Mi A2, of course, deservedly got into our ranking of the best phones under 20,000 rubles in 2018-2019. The gadget has high performance due to the Snapdragon 660 processor. With it, you can count on running any modern game, even in PUBG it will give stable FPS at maximum settings. At the same time, the smartphone has a low level of energy consumption, so a good battery with a capacity of 3010 mAh is guaranteed to last you all day. This is also affected by the pure version of Android, which is not oversaturated with pre-installed software.

Ergonomics lovers will like the way the engineers implemented the case - it is light, lightweight and overall makes the smartphone very comfortable to use. However, the model was not without flaws. First of all, they should include the lack of NFC, support for SD cards and a 3.5-mm headset jack, instead of it an adapter is used here. In general, if you are looking for a smartphone with a good battery and camera, then Xiaomi Mi A2 is what you need.

No. 6 - Huawei Nova 3i

Price: 17 770 rubles

The owner of Huawei Nova 3i gets at his disposal a 6.3-inch display with a resolution of 2340 by 1080 pixels, which has maximum viewing angles and high color reproduction. It is equipped with a light sensor, so it can independently select the desired brightness level. Under direct sunlight, the image remains clear, and the display is practically glare-free. Huawei Nova 3i became the first phone in the world to use the Kirin 710, created using the 12 nm process technology, thanks to which it copes with all tasks, including heavy games, with a bang and in 2019 the situation will not change. Depending on the version, the chipset is combined with 4 or 6 GB of RAM.

The disadvantages of the model include the lack of optical stabilization and optical zoom in the cameras, as well as not always correct operation when shooting in portrait mode - sometimes the object in the foreground is blurred. Far less significant is the lack of 5GHz Wi-Fi support. In general, none of the above disadvantages does not spoil the impression of using the phone.

Huawei Nova 3i 4/64GB

#5 - Nokia 7.1

Price: 18 990 rubles

First of all, Nokia 7.1 will appeal to those who care about the appearance of the device and ergonomics. The smartphone has a chic design and excellent build quality - there are no backlashes, squeaks and crunches. In technical terms, the smartphone also has something to please its owner. The 5-84 inch display with a resolution of 2280 by 1080 has an excellent margin of brightness, thanks to which the image remains clear in the sun, and pleasant color reproduction is also pleasing. The speed of the model is provided by the Snapdragon 636 processor, its combination with a pure version of Android leads to stable operation without lags and freezes.

A good camera with two sensors, the resolution of which is 12 and 5 MP, is responsible for the photo opportunities on the back side. Pictures are obtained with the correct color balance and sharpness. There were some drawbacks - the decision to abandon the 3.5-mm headset jack seems controversial. Also, when listening to music through the speakers, there are distortions.

#4 – Xiaomi Mi8 Lite

Price: 16 790 rubles

Xiaomi Mi8 Lite has a 6.26-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels. The feeling of using it is chic - there is enough brightness even on the beach on a sunny day, plus the viewing angles are maximum. The smartphone uses the Snapdragon 660 processor. This chipset is still relevant and most likely will remain so in 2019 - it can run absolutely any modern game at high graphics settings. At the same time, its resource requirements are modest, so a good battery with a capacity of 3350 mAh is enough until the end of the working day.

The main camera is represented by a combination of two modules - 12 and 5 MP. Pictures on it are detailed with natural color reproduction. It affects the presence of the functions of autoexposure lock and auto white balance. As for the Sony IMX 576 front sensor with a resolution of 24 MP, it allows you to take contrasting and rich selfies with decent sharpness. The disadvantages of the smartphone include the lack of NFC, a 3.5 mm jack and a protruding main camera. However, they do not interfere with recommending Xiaomi Mi8 Lite to all those who are looking for a smartphone with a good battery and camera.

#3 - Honor 8X

Price: 16 990 rubles

Honor 8X clearly claims to be the most beautiful model in our ranking - the glass with a 15-layer coating on the back of the smartphone looks very impressive, but for lovers of minimalism, this solution will seem too catchy. But everyone will no doubt like the 6.5-inch screen with a resolution of 2340 by 1080 pixels. It occupies 91% of the entire front surface and pleases with rich colors and viewing angles, but in the sun the situation is completely different - due to the average brightness margin, the image becomes difficult to distinguish.

The main camera, represented by two sensors with a resolution of 20 and 2 MP, produces excellent pictures with excellent detail. If you turn on the artificial intelligence mode, the colors will become more saturated. There is a special mode for shooting at night, the difference between it and the usual one is colossal - the number of captured details is much higher, although the noise from this does not disappear anywhere.

#2 – Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018)

Price: 19 990 rubles

The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) uses a 6-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2220 by 1080 pixels. The matrix is ​​perfectly calibrated - the saturation and contrast levels of the image are pleasing, the color reproduction is natural, and the viewing angles are maximum. In general, there is nothing to complain about.

However, the smartphone is interesting to others, namely the triple main camera. So, the first sensor with a resolution of 5 MP is needed to determine the depth of field and create portrait shots, 8-megapixel is wide-angle, and 24-megapixel is the main one. In addition, there is an intelligent definition of scenes, of which there are more than 20. Thanks to the combination of all components, the pictures are great, with the right color balance.

The low-power Exynos 7885 processor handles any task, including heavy games. It has the potential for power, so it should be enough for 2019. The negative sides of the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) include only the lack of water protection and fast charging, as well as the meager headset that comes in the kit.

Samsung Galaxy A7 2018

#1 – Xiaomi Mi Max 3

Price: 17,000 rubles

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 becomes the best smartphone in the category under 20,000 rubles at the end of 2018. Thanks to the powerful Snapdragon 636 processor and 4 or 6 GB of RAM, you will forever forget about lags and freezes. Even when running heavy games, you can safely set the maximum settings and enjoy a comfortable FPS. The gadget pleases with its 6.9-inch screen with a resolution of 2160 by 1080 pixels. The image on it is replete with bright and rich colors, and due to a good margin of brightness, the situation will remain so even in the sun.

There is an 8-megapixel sensor on the front, the main camera is represented by two modules of 12 and 5 MP. Compared to the previous model, the quality of the pictures has improved significantly - they have become clearer and brighter, and in general allow the smartphone to compete with flagships in this respect.

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Here is another article from a series of guides to choosing the best smartphones in various price categories, and today's material is devoted to interesting gadgets costing from 15 to 20 thousand rubles. As always, we will first describe the general characteristics. The smartphones under consideration today support 4G networks, are equipped with a screen with a diagonal of 5 to 5.5 inches, 2 or 3 GB of RAM, a drive of at least 16 GB, a battery with a capacity of 2500 to 3000 mAh and a main camera with a resolution of at least 13 Mp.

We have prepared a new article Smartphones up to 20,000 rubles in 2018)

Read also:

Cameraphones

First, we will talk about a specific and rare class today - camera phones. Against the background of competitors, they stand out, among other things, for their photographic capabilities.

LG X Cam

LG X Cam belongs to the X-line. This model was equipped not only with solid cameras, but also with hardware capable of providing fast work: an eight-core MediaTek MT6753 chipset with a frequency of 1.1 GHz, a 5.2-inch diagonal display with Full HD resolution, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory (supports microSD cards up to 2 TB). On the back of the device there are two cameras with sensors with a resolution of 5 and 13 megapixels. But the main thing is that one of the cameras (5 megapixels) is ultra-wide-angle. Thanks to this solution, you can shoot panoramic photos, plus the quality of pictures taken with a camera with a 13 MP sensor is improved. The front-facing 8MP photo module takes great selfies. There are also many shooting modes.

Lenovo Vibe Shot

The model with the speaking name Vibe Shot was introduced back in 2015. The camera phone boasts several advantages, the combination of which makes it one of the best in the class. Firstly, Lenovo Vibe Shot has an excellent 5-inch display with a resolution of 1080 by 1920 pixels, which, with a not very large diagonal, allowed engineers to achieve a high pixel density of 441 ppi. Secondly, the smartphone has almost a flagship filling: 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of expandable internal memory, an eight-core Snapdragon 615 processor, support for LTE-A and GPS and GLONASS navigation modules. Thirdly, Lenovo Vibe Shot has excellent cameras: the main one with a 16 megapixel sensor and the front camera with 8 megapixels. We note a convenient and simple camera application that allows you to take cool pictures. And today Vibe Shot pleases with an unusually favorable price-quality ratio. Interested? Then you can read the full gadget test.

Smartphones

HTC Desire 830 Dual SIM

HTC Desire 830 Dual SIM attracts attention due to its stylish body, large 5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels and high speed, which is provided by Helio X10 octa-core processor (1.5 GHz frequency), high-speed LTE-A module, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory. The latter can be expanded using a microSD memory card. HTC did not stint and installed here its 4-megapixel front camera, made using UltraPixel technology and a 13-megapixel main camera with autofocus, flash and an F2 aperture lens.

Huawei P9 Lite

Over the past two years, Huawei has literally jumped over its head and taken a place in the top 3 smartphone manufacturers. P9 Lite is a representative of a new generation of Huawei smartphones and a lightweight version of the flagship. The device is enclosed in a beautiful slim body, on the front panel of which there is a bright display with Full HD resolution and a diagonal of 5.2 inches. The “heart” of the smartphone is the proprietary HiSilicon Kirin 650 processor with 8 processing cores, the Mali-T830 MP2 graphics accelerator. The amount of RAM and internal memory is 2 and 16 GB, respectively. There is support for LTE-A and a slot for memory cards up to 128 GB. The battery capacity is 3000 mAh. The cameras are no frills, but they do their job 100%. The resolution of the main module is 13 megapixels, the front one is 8 megapixels.

Lenovo Vibe S1

The Lenovo Vibe S1 is the perfect choice for selfie lovers, as it has two 8MP front-facing cameras above its 5-inch Full HD screen. This not only improves the quality of the selfie, but also allows you to use unusual filters, post-focus, and many other creative tools. The 13 MP rear camera (F2.2) shoots better than the double front camera. Otherwise, Lenovo Vibe S1, of course, is not a flagship, but it tries to match its photo capabilities: the device is based on an eight-core MediaTek MT6752 processor with a frequency of 1.7 GHz, and it is assisted by 3 GB of RAM, a 32 GB drive with support for microSD cards up to 128 GB. It should also be noted that the design is very pleasant: the smartphone is available in white and blue colors, plus its glass back panel looks very impressive.

Highscreen Boost 3 SE Pro

Honor is Huawei's smartphone brand. Company motto: For The Brave ( English "For the brave"). But to purchase their smartphone, neither courage nor a large amount of money is needed. These devices stand out for their excellent value for money. Devices under the Honor brand sometimes even surpass Huawei gadgets. Honor 6X is an original device that, thanks to a few features, does not need advertising. It has a 5.5-inch Full HD display, an octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 655 processor, GPS and GLONASS modules, a 3340 mAh battery, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory. Honor 6X uses such non-trivial solutions as a dual main camera (12 + 2 MP), which allows you to take images in wide aperture mode. The smartphone pleasantly cools the hand with an all-metal thin body.

Alcatel Idol 4 6055K 16GB

If most of the smartphones described above stand out for something, then the Alcatel Idol 4 6055K does not have any original features. This is just a very fast smartphone in a high-quality case from a well-known manufacturer. It is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor, 3GB of RAM, and LTE-A wireless support. To make it all more convenient to use, there is 16 GB of internal memory (+ microSD up to 128 GB), a 5.2-inch screen with a resolution of 1080 by 1920 pixels (424 ppi) and a Wi-Fi 802.11ac module. The resolution of the main camera is 13 megapixels, the front camera is 8 megapixels.

Neffos X1 Max

The Neffos X1 Max also stands out from the competition, not with some crazy specs or revolutionary features, but just good value for money. Perhaps no other smartphone on the market can offer 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory for this price, a 5.5-inch display with Full HD resolution, a powerful eight-core processor (MediaTek Helio P10 (MT6755), good cameras for 5 and 13 MP, as well as support for 4G networks.

Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)

Those who care about the brand and appearance of a smartphone should take a closer look at the Samsung Galaxy J7. This device in an elegant aluminum case catches the eye with a stylish design, and thanks to the balanced hardware, it is comfortable to work with. The smartphone's 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 720 by 1280 pixels does not overload 2 GB of RAM and an eight-core processor with a frequency of 1.6 GHz, and even does not require large power consumption from a 3300 mAh battery, allowing the Galaxy J7 to last longer than competitors . The pluses include cameras with a resolution of 5 and 13 megapixels with an aperture of F1.9 for each of them.

ASUS Zenfone 3 Laser ZC551KL

We are used to the fact that ASUS smartphones have good cameras, and the Zenfone 3 Laser's 13-megapixel camera does not disappoint:

• there is an ultra-fast laser autofocus that determines the distance to the object in three hundredths of a second;
• electronic stabilization eliminates the slightest jitter during video shooting; lens aperture equal to F2;
• Implemented PixelMaster technology.

The rest of the specifications also correspond to a fairly high (for their price) level: an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), 2 GB of RAM, a 32 GB drive, support for LTE-A.

Sony Xperia XA Dual

Like the Samsung Galaxy J7, this Japanese smartphone is more suitable for lovers of fashion devices than those who are interested in advanced technologies. The hardware of the Sony Xperia XA Dual does not cause much enthusiasm: a 5-inch HD display, Helio P10 chipset, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory, work in LTE-A networks and GPS and GLONASS navigation modules. But on the other hand, the Sony Xperia XA Dual captures the soul with an attractive design (frameless design) and good cameras with a resolution of 8 (front) and 13 (main) megapixels. A nice bonus: Sony left the physical shutter button on the camera!

In the second quarter of 2017, this Sony Xperia XA1 smartphone will be updated, which will replace the XA Dual on the shelves and at the same time remain in the same price category. You can read more about the Xperia XA1 in the news.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 64 GB

Xiaomi once again surprises by offering a chic Redmi Note 4 for a nice price. The model is equipped with a bright Full HD-screen with a diagonal of 5.5 inches, a monstrous ten-core (!) Helio X20 processor with a frequency of 2.1 GHz and a Mali-T880 video accelerator, 3 GB of RAM, 64 GB file storage expandable with microSD cards and a module LTE-A. In addition, Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 has excellent cameras: 5-megapixel front and 13-megapixel rear with autofocus, flash and F2 lens.

Apple iPhone 5S 16 GB

Attention! In the range from 15 to 20 thousand rubles, you can buy an iPhone. True, the younger model. True, the iPhone 5S. By the way, we were not able to find out whether this smartphone is “native” or its restored version. However, the model has been on sale for more than three years. By the way, it supports the current version of iOS 10. It’s worth talking about the iPhone in isolation from its technical characteristics - everything is decided by optimization and unsurpassed design. And the rest (except for the camera) is unimportant. So, we are talking about a version with 16 GB of internal memory, which imposes certain restrictions (for example, on the number of installed games and applications, photos and videos). iPhone 5S performance improves after updating to iOS 10. If you are a fan of "apple" technology, but the budget is limited to 20,000 rubles, feel free to take the improved "five".

BQ Aquaris X5 Plus 2GB/16GB

Most of the devices featured in this guide have a 5.2-5.5-inch display. Often, increasing the size of the display forces you to compromise - the power of the gadget decreases. However, the BQ Aquaris X5 Plus has a 5-inch Full HD display, an octa-core Snapdragon 652 processor, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory. There is a slot for microSD cards up to 200 GB. Battery capacity - 3200 mAh. We also note the cameras: the main one with a resolution of 16 megapixels, which is rare at this price, and the front one with 8 megapixels.

Meizu M3E 32GB

Meizu is a quality Chinese brand with years of experience. We have known this company since the days of Meizu MX3. Meizu M3E can be called a slightly simplified and more affordable analogue of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4. It has the same 5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 1080 by 1920 pixels, the same 3100 mAh battery and the same amount of RAM. The Meizu M3E comes with a MediaTek Helio P10 octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage that can be expanded with a memory card. Cameras in Meizu usually shoot very well. The M3E has a 13MP main camera and a fast F2.2 lens. The front camera is simpler: 5 megapixels and an aperture lens of F2.

ZTE Nubia Z11 mini

ZTE is known for its loyal attitude towards Russian users: the company builds a reasonable pricing policy, offering us smartphones with the best value for money. Nubia Z11 mini was no exception. For less than Rs. also the front camera of 8 megapixels and the main camera of 16 megapixels with aperture F2.

Smartphones with a very good camera and special photographic features are called camera phones. The level of photo and video shooting of camera phones is growing every year and is gradually approaching the level of professional digital cameras and video cameras. There is also a case of direct cooperation between manufacturers of professional photo and video equipment and manufacturers of smartphone cameras. For example, the leading Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei, in the development of the new flagship P10, presented at the end of February 2019, collaborated with the famous German camera company Leica and the equally famous American manufacturer of GoPro video cameras.

This ranking will present the best camera phones for the summer of 2019. When placing places in the ranking, comparative tests of smartphone cameras from such resources as dxomark.com, hi-tech.mail.ru were taken into account. Both professional reviews and blind camera comparisons (when ordinary people compare photos taken by different phone models without knowing which photo was taken by one or another device) were taken into account. At the same time, the priority is given to professional assessments, because. only they can evaluate the correspondence of the photograph to the original, and an outside viewer is often inclined to give preference to bright colors and high contrast, which may not always correspond to reality.

Many will look for the 7th iPhone in the ranking, but you need to disappoint them right away: there is no seventh iPhone in the ranking, because. both professional reviews and blind tests show that in 2019 Apple's flagship camera is outperformed by at least a dozen Android smartphones. For example, in the Dxomark ranking, the iPhone 7's camera is tied for 12th place with the 2015 Samsung S6 Edge. Already on the basis of this fact, it can be understood that in terms of the quality of cameras, Apple lags behind Samsung by 2 years. Blind tests also show that the 2019 iPhone 7's camera doesn't hold up to the competition. In April 2019, the blind test of the flagship cameras conducted by the portal hi-tech.mail.ru, the seventh iPhone took the penultimate place. The editors of the portal agreed with the opinion of their readers: “Yellowish and dark photos from the iPhone 7 Plus were not liked by many. The camera suffers from incorrect determination of the white balance, which affected the result. Android is no longer up to the mark."

10 LG G6 64GB

The average price is 42,300 rubles. The Korean flagship went on sale at the end of March 2019 and today has received 76% of fives according to reviews in Yandex Market.

The LG G6 follows the dual rear camera trend, but offers perhaps the best solution available. If usually the main cameras are not the same in quality, and the second main camera is needed only to simulate the software effect of a strong background blur (bokeh), then the LG G6 developers abandoned this effect altogether. Here, both main cameras are equal in quality (13-megapixel Sony IMX258 sensor), but have different lenses: one standard with a 71 ° field of view, and the other is an ultra-wide angle with a 125 ° field of view and f / 2.4 aperture. Due to this, the lens is able to capture as much space as possible in the frame where it is needed. Switching between the two cameras is instantaneous and without delay. To do this, just click on the special icon in the viewfinder.

LG G6 took part in two blind tests conducted among the readers of the portal hi-tech.mail.ru in 2019. In the April test, the Korean flagship took third place behind Huawei P10 and Samsung Galaxy S8. The editors of the portal also gave bronze to the LG G6 in a professional assessment, and the first two places were taken by Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy S8. In the June blind test, the LG G6 took third place again, this time behind the Honor 8 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S8. The editors gave the first place to the Samsung Galaxy S8, and the LG G6 shared the second place with the HTC U11 and Honor 8 Pro.

The 5 MP front camera also has an increased (up to 100 °) viewing angle, due to which you can take selfies with a good capture of the surrounding space even without using a selfie stick. It will also allow more friends to get into the frame when taking a group selfie.

Like Samsung, LG has shown the world a heavily updated flagship compared to last year's G5. The South Korean company decided to abandon the modularity of the G5 that struck everyone, while offering a new interesting solution: the screen in the LG G6 is the world's first IPS display with a resolution of QHD + (2880x1440) with a non-standard aspect ratio of 18:9 (2:1). The screen-to-body ratio is almost the same as the Samsung Galaxy S8, and the LG G6's 5.7-inch chassis is smaller than last year's 5.3-inch G5. At the same time, LG did not remove the brand name from the front panel, there was a place for it. The buttons on the front, like in the Galaxy S8, are touch-sensitive, not physical.

Other characteristics: Android 7.0 operating system with LG UX 6.0 proprietary shell, 64 GB of permanent memory and 4 GB of RAM. There is a slot for memory cards with support for a fantastic amount - 2 TB (combined with a slot for a second SIM card). Battery capacity - 3300 mAh. The processor is a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821. At first glance, it is surprising that the processor is not the latest, but it can easily cope with any applications and games for Android available today, so, apparently, LG did not consider it necessary to reinvent the wheel and increase the cost of your flagship with the latest processor. The fingerprint scanner is located on the back panel.

The editors of the portal w3bsit3-dns.com awarded the LG G6 the "Best Look" award for excellent design and ergonomics, noting: "LG engineers have managed to make one of the most user-friendly smartphones with a large display that combines aesthetics and certified environmental resistance. influences of the structure.

9 Honor 8 Pro 6GB / 64GB

The average price in Russia is 34,000 rubles. You can buy Huawei Honor 8 Pro 64Gb on AliExpress for 27.2 thousand rubles (delivery to Russia is free). When buying in China, you should pay attention to the different model names in different markets: in China it is Honor V9, while in Russia and Europe the same model is sold as Honor 8 Pro.

The new flagship of the Huawei sub-brand went on sale in April 2019. To date, the model has scored 57% of fives according to reviews in Yandex Market.

Specifications of the model: 5.7-inch screen with a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels, Android 7.0 operating system, 64 GB of permanent and 6 GB of RAM, support for two SIM cards, the slot for the second SIM card is combined with a slot for a memory card up to 128 GB. Battery capacity 4000 mAh. Battery life 16 hours talk time, 3 hours 15 minutes gaming, 6 hours 45 minutes video playback, 453 hours standby time. As we can see, despite the impressive capacity of the battery, the huge screen plays its role, discharging much faster than with standard screen sizes. So this smartphone cannot be called long-playing. Kirin 960 octa-core processor with Mali-G71 MP8 graphics accelerator. Fingerprint scanner on the back.

Unlike the Huawei P9 or Huawei P10, the flagship of the Honor family does not have the Leica logo, but also uses a combination of two sensors: a monochrome one that captures light information and a color RGB one. Color resolution is 12 mp, monochrome is also 12 mp. Dual LED flash, laser focusing and phase comparison focusing. Aperture f/2.2. The front camera has an 8MP sensor.

In June 2019, the hi-tech.mail.ru portal conducted a comparative test of the cameras of 7 flagship smartphones of 2019, as well as a professional Canon 5D Mark II SLR camera. In the blind tests, the Honor 8 Pro won out ahead of the second-placed Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus. Next came LG G6, Sony Xperia XZ Premium, ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom, Canon 5D Mark II DSLR, HTC U11, and Xiaomi Mi 6 was in last place. which he shared with the HTC U11 and LG G6), giving the first to Samsung's flagship. Such an impressive result of Honor 8 Pro suggests that lovers of mobile photography can take this model without hesitation. And not only them, because. as much as 6 GB of RAM and a new processor guarantee excellent performance, which will come in handy for fans of heavy mobile games.

8 Sony Xperia XZ

The average price is 37,190 rubles. Sony's flagship, released in the fall of 2016 and designed to connect two families of the Japanese manufacturer - X and Z, scored 62% of fives in reviews in Yandex Market.

Dxomark gave this model the same points as the Huawei P10, while the Xperia XZ lost 1 point to the flagship of the X family - Xperia X Performance, although in fact the cameras on both models are almost the same: the same 23-megapixel 1/size sensor is used here. 2.3 as on the Xperia X or X Performance, and the same ƒ/2.0 aperture optics. The camera received an additional infrared sensor that reads information about the color of objects in the frame, which should affect a more accurate determination of the white balance even when shooting with difficult lighting. Another innovation is the built-in laser, which assists contrast autofocus with determining the distance to the object. Taking into account the use of phase sensors on the matrix and a predictive motion detection system in the XZ, we get some kind of focus block that was previously unthinkable for smartphones. The camera focuses instantly, making it easy to take photos of constantly moving subjects. For those who like to take pictures of children, this is very useful. The front camera has a 13-megapixel 1/3 sensor. Selfies are sharp and detailed even in poor lighting conditions.

Specifications: 5.2-inch display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, Android 6.0 operating system, 32 GB of permanent and 3 GB of RAM, support for one SIM card and an external memory card up to 256 GB. Battery capacity - 2900 mAh. Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996. There is a fingerprint scanner.

7 Huawei P10 64Gb

The average price in Russia is 34,000 rubles. You can buy Huawei P10 64Gb on AliExpress for 30.3 thousand rubles (delivery to Russia is free). The P10 is Huawei's new flagship, unveiled at the Mobile World Congress at the end of February 2019. To date, the model has scored 80% of fives according to reviews in Yandex Market (see reviews of Huawei P10).

Technical characteristics of the model: 5.1-inch screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, Android 7.0 operating system, 64 GB of permanent and 4 GB of RAM, support for two SIM cards, the slot for the second SIM card is combined with the slot for a memory card. Battery 3200 mAh. Octa-core Kirin 960 processor with Mali-G71 MP8 graphics accelerator. The fingerprint scanner is built into the touch button on the front panel, which is slightly recessed into the body. Huawei P10 is made from a single piece of aluminum.

The cameras on smartphones of the leading Chinese manufacturer Huawei are developing by leaps and bounds: in 2015, the company introduced the world's first smartphone with two main cameras (now this technique is used by Apple and other manufacturers), in 2016, Huawei began cooperation with the famous German camera company Leica ( the Leica camera worth 5 million rubles is used, for example, by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev), and in 2019, Huawei did everything to make the cameras on their smartphones the best in the world, namely, they connected Leica not only to work on the dual module of the main camera, but also to work on the front camera. But that's not all: starting with the P10, Huawei has partnered with iconic American camcorder maker GoPro. As part of the collaboration, GoPro will release an exclusive Quik mobile application for quick video processing for Huawei P10. The video editor will be built into the standard gallery of the EMUI shell. The essence of the Quik application is to combine photos and videos with music in the background to create a beautiful memorable video. It is worth noting that GoPro has not previously released applications for either Android or iOS.

What happened in the end? The Huawei P10 uses a combination of two sensors with an f/2.2 aperture: a monochrome sensor that captures light information and an RGB color sensor. Color resolution is 12 mp, monochrome - 20 mp. This combination provides the following advantages: the Huawei P10 camera has a 2x zoom without loss of quality, it also allows you to take pictures with a blurry background - the so-called bokeh effect. There is a special mode developed by Leica specialists, in which you can take high-quality portrait photos using a monochrome sensor. Leica and Huawei collaborated on the P10's front-facing camera with an 8MP sensor that makes selfies twice as bright and with a wider dynamic range, even in low-light conditions.

The Huawei P10 achieved a Dxomark score of 87, down 3 points from the leader HTC U11, in 7th place. At the same time, in a blind test by hi-tech.mail.ru in April 2019, the Huawei P10 camera took first place, beating models that scored higher in Dxomark, such as the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Google Pixel. The editors of hi-tech.mail.ru commented on the readers' choice as follows: "The majority appreciated bright and contrasting pictures, not paying attention to details" and put Huawei P10 in 4th place after Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG G6 (however, the difference Huawei P10 and LG G6 accounted for only one point).

6 Sony Xperia X Performance Dual

The average price is 29,990 rubles. The flagship of the X family, released in February 2016, scored 43% of fives according to reviews in Yandex Market. Specifications: 5-inch display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, Android 6.0 operating system (after purchase, the OS will be updated to Android 7.0), 64 GB of permanent and 3 GB of RAM, support for two SIM cards and an external memory card up to 200 GB. Battery capacity - 2700 mAh. Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996. There is a fingerprint scanner.

Main camera 23 MP, front camera 13 MP. Equipped with Sony's digital imaging technology, Xperia X Performance's predictive hybrid autofocus ensures that even moving subjects are captured clearly. As soon as you focus on an object, the camera automatically starts tracking its movement, so the image is always clear and detailed. According to Strategy Analytics, the Xperia X Performance outperforms all of the world's leading competitors in autofocus accuracy. DxOMark gave the Xperia X Performance a score of 88. This is the third result after HTC U11 and Google Pixel.

5 Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge 32Gb is the most popular Android smartphone in the US and Germany in 2016

The average price in Russia is 44,500 rubles. The flagship from the leading smartphone manufacturer in South Korea and in the world went on sale in March 2016 and today has received 45% of fives according to reviews in Yandex Market (see reviews of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge).

Galaxy S7 Edge at the end of 2016 became the best-selling smartphone of the South Korean company, and also entered the top three most popular Android smartphones in the world. This model became the most popular in the USA, where it took first place in sales at the end of the year. One in 10 Android smartphones sold in the US last year was a Samsung flagship. The Galaxy S7 Edge also took first place in sales in Germany and Hong Kong.

Specifications: 5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 2560x1440, Android 6.0 operating system, 32 GB of permanent and 4 GB of RAM. There is a slot for memory cards up to 200 GB. Battery capacity - 3600 mAh. Battery life in talk mode 27 hours, in music listening mode 74 hours. Dual SIM support.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge has a 12MP main camera and a 5MP front camera. Samsung cites the following advantages of the camera in this smartphone: a larger aperture lens (F1.7) and larger sensor pixels (1.4 microns) capture much more light, which allows you to consistently get clear and detailed photos even in low light conditions; smartphones support Dual Pixel technology: all sensor pixels have two photodiodes instead of one, which allows the sensor to focus as quickly and accurately as the human eye, and Dual Pixel technology ensures autofocus is so fast and flawless that you can capture even the sharpest movement in low light conditions; For the first time, you can capture motion in Animated Panorama mode.

Last year's flagship Samsung Galaxy S6 had a Sony IMX240 sensor and a 16MP main camera. The S7 has a new sensor - Sony IMX260 with a resolution of 4 megapixels less. The w3bsit3-dns.com portal in a review of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge 32Gb writes: “Samsung made an interesting step by completely changing the camera after the success of the previous generation. the decision to change an excellent module for one that is worse. In the opinion of the inhabitants, four megapixels are really lost, but an experienced amateur photographer will tell you that happiness is not in the number of megapixels. " "Samsung Galaxy S7 edge sets a new quality standard for cameras in smartphones for at least the next year. For excellent photos both day and night, spectacular videos, optical stabilization and many shooting modes, the w3bsit3-dns.com editors mark SGS7 edge with the "Nice Shot" badge."

Dxomark gave the Galaxy S7 edge 88 points, which is the third result. Also scored 88 points HTC 10, Sony Xperia X Performance and, oddly enough, the new Samsung flagship Galaxy S8. However, other comparisons suggest that the Galaxy S8 is still slightly superior to last year's flagship in terms of shooting.

4 HTC 10 32Gb

The average price in Russia is 34,390 rubles. You can buy HTC 10 on Aliexpress for 25.8 thousand rubles (delivery to Russia is free). The flagship from the second largest Taiwanese manufacturer was released in May 2016 and today scored 66% of fives according to reviews in Yandex Market. Specifications: Android 6.0 OS, 5.2-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2560x1440, 32 GB of permanent memory (of which 23 GB is available to the user) and 4 GB of RAM. Support for external memory card. Support for only one SIM card. Battery capacity - 3000 mAh. Talk time - 27 hours, standby time - 456 hours. There is a fingerprint scanner.

The main advantage of this model is its cameras. Main - 12 mp, front - 5 mp. Optical image stabilization is introduced for the first time in both the main and front cameras. The camera performs well in low light conditions. The manufacturer's website says: "You can expect perfect lighting for great photos. Or you can trust the HTC 10's main camera, which captures up to 136% more light in every shot. No magic - just a new generation of UltraPixel technology, complemented by optical stabilization and a fast lens ƒ/ 1.8". The front camera of the HTC 10 is no less impressive than the main one. The size of its photosensitive elements is increased, the lens has an aperture of ƒ / 1.8, and the screen plays the role of a flash perfectly. A wide-angle lens will allow you to capture not only your own portrait, but also a group of friends. The HTC 10 adds 4K video capture for the first time with 24-bit Hi-Res stereo audio recording. An audio track recorded in this format contains 256 times more detail and reproduces twice the frequency range. The HTC 10 camera starts in 0.6 seconds - that is, almost instantly.

Various reviews and comparison tests say that the HTC 10 has one of the best cameras in the world today. The Phonearena resource in July 2016 conducted a comparative test of flagship cameras, in which the HTC 10 took first place, beating the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Sony Xperia X Performance. The HTC 10 camera received 88 points on the Dxomark resource, this is the third result.

3 Samsung Galaxy S8

The average price is 50,000 rubles. The flagship from the leading smartphone manufacturer in South Korea and in the world went on sale at the end of April 2019 and today has received 57% of fives according to reviews in Yandex Market.

Fans of the South Korean brand had to wait a whole year for a new flagship (last year's summer flagship Galaxy Note 7 does not count, because Samsung was forced to withdraw this model from sales shortly after they started due to battery problems) after the introduction in March 2016 Galaxy S7. As a result, the release of the Galaxy S8 caused an incredible stir: in the first two days, the number of pre-orders for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus (larger version of the model) amounted to 550,000 pieces (for comparison: Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge were ordered by 100 thousand people in the first 2 days) . Of course, a one-year waiting period for a flagship in itself is not capable of causing such a stir, for example, Apple consistently releases flagships once a year, but at the same time, sales of the seventh iPhone turned out to be rather weak due to the fact that the new iPhone turned out to be the same eggs for the most part. only in profile when compared with the 6th iPhone. Samsung did not repeat the mistakes of a competitor and presented a truly innovative model that cannot be confused with any smartphone on the market today.

Specifications Samsung Galaxy S8: 5.8-inch screen with a resolution of QHD + (3840x2160), Android 7.0 operating system with Samsung Experience 8.1 proprietary shell, 64 GB of permanent and 4 GB of RAM. There is a slot for memory cards up to 265 GB (combined with a slot for a second SIM card). Battery capacity - 3000 mAh. Battery life in talk mode 20 hours, in music listening mode 67 hours. Let's dwell on these characteristics a bit and compare them with last year's Galaxy S7 Edge. The screen diagonal has increased by 0.3 inches, the resolution has also noticeably increased, while the phone itself, paradoxically, has become even a little smaller and lighter. This effect was achieved due to the fact that the screen now occupies more than 80% of the front panel area: the physical buttons have disappeared (they have become touch-sensitive), the Samsung inscription, there are practically no side frames, the vacated space and the screen has occupied. The amount of permanent memory has doubled. However, there is a small step back: the battery capacity has decreased, in connection with this, the battery life has become shorter, while it is about the same as, for example, the seventh iPhone. The processor is a branded Samsung Exynos 8895.

In terms of cameras, Samsung decided to ignore the dual main camera trend in the flagship model, followed by Apple, Huawei, LG and the old fashioned way has a single main camera upgraded from the already excellent S7 camera. The S8 camera received a new 12MP Sony IMX333 sensor with DualPixel technology. The front camera (8 MP) is equipped with a fast lens for perfect selfies even at night, and also supports intelligent autofocus with face detection. By the way, face recognition has become one of the interesting features of the S8: it is no longer necessary to use a fingerprint scanner to unlock the smartphone, it is enough to show your face to the smartphone. There is a third way: scanning the iris (however, this method will be inconvenient for those who wear glasses or contact lenses).

Dxomark gave the Galaxy S8 a score of 88, the third best. Galaxy S8 took part in two blind tests conducted among readers of the hi-tech.mail.ru portal in 2019. In the April test, the Korean flagship took second place behind the Huawei P10. The editors of the portal in a professional assessment also gave the Galaxy S8 silver after Google Pixel, commenting on the camera capabilities as follows: "The Galaxy S8 Plus camera is universal. It does not produce amazing sharpness, huge dynamic range or detailed shots in the dark. But in every scene, the Galaxy S8 Plus showed consistently excellent result and we can safely recommend it to mobile photographers." In the June blind test, the Galaxy S8 came in second again, this time behind the Honor 8 Pro. The editors gave the Galaxy S8 the first place, while the Google Pixel did not participate in the test.

2 Google Pixel 32Gb

The average price in Russia is 40,980 rubles. The model from the American manufacturer, presented in October 2016, received 65% of fives according to reviews in Yandex Market.

Specifications: 5 inch 1920x1080 pixel screen, latest Android 7.1 operating system, 32GB storage and 4GB RAM, single SIM support. The smartphone does not support an external memory card, but Google provides unlimited storage for photos and videos taken on the Pixel. In addition, all data is automatically backed up to Google Drive. After that, the phone will offer to free up space on the internal storage by deleting already copied files. Battery capacity 2770 mAh. Battery life in talk mode - 26 hours, in standby mode - 456 hours, in music listening mode - 110 hours. Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 MSM 8996 Pro quad-core processor with Adreno 530 graphics accelerator. Rear fingerprint scanner. Case material - aluminum and glass.

The main advantage of the Google Pixel smartphone is its camera. This is one of the best smartphone cameras in the world. Dxomark gave the Google Pixel camera an 89, making it the second best camera. In the April comparison of flagship cameras, the editors of the hi-tech.mail.ru portal awarded the first place to Google Pixel: "We liked the Google Pixel camera the most. Wide dynamic range, high contrast, close to perfect color reproduction." It outperformed the Samsung Galaxy S8, LG G6, Huawei P10 and the seventh iPhone.

What is the Google Pixel camera? There is a Sony IMX378 sensor with a resolution of 12 MP and aperture of F2.0. There is a laser focusing system. There is no optical stabilization, it is replaced by digital. HDR+ mode is enabled by default in the camera, which largely contributes to the excellent quality of shooting. It is worth noting that optics alone does not guarantee perfect shooting in smartphones. Software plays a big role. For example, last year's flagship Xiaomi Mi5S has the same Sony IMX378 sensor, but thanks to the superiority of the Google Pixel software, it squeezes everything that it can out of the camera. You should not be surprised at this, because. It is known that Google is the developer of the Android OS, therefore it has an advantage over all other smartphone manufacturers. If you want to use Android the way Google intended it, then you should buy a Google Pixel.

The front camera is equipped with an 8 MP sensor with F2.4 aperture and the ability to shoot video in 1080p.

1 HTC U11 64Gb

The average price is 45,000 rubles. You can buy HTC U11 64Gb on AliExpress for 43.2 thousand rubles (delivery to Russia is free). The new flagship from the Taiwanese manufacturer went on sale in June 2019 and has not yet had time to receive customer reviews. At the same time, already at the start of sales, it is obvious that, unexpectedly for everyone, HTC released the brightest flagship of the first half of 2019, which surpassed its competitors in camera quality and performance. The superb camera quality of the HTC U11 was to be expected, given that last year's flagship HTC 10 held the rank of best camera of 2016 for most of the year before losing that spot to the Google Pixel in October. Now, the Google Pixel camera has moved to second place in the Dxomark ranking, and the HTC U11 topped the ranking with a record 90 points (Google Pixel has 1 point less).

The main module has a 12-megapixel UltraPixel 3 sensor with a pixel size of 1.4 microns, optics with f / 1.7 aperture and optical stabilization. The UltraSpeed ​​Autofocus system is responsible for focusing, in which every pixel is involved.

The review on the portal hi-tech.mail.ru says about the camera of this model:

"U11 aims at the target instantly, without a miss, even in low light.

Impressed with the software. You take 10 frames in a row - and all 10 will be the same. That is, the exposure, shutter speed, ISO settings do not go astray at the slightest movement of the phone, and the built-in algorithms do not recognize this as a change in composition. This is common in Chinese smartphones, and even in some flagships, such as Google Pixel or LG G6. There, two photographs may differ in brightness or graininess - as the automation wishes.

When shooting against the sun or bright skies, HDR Boost pulls out detail even in the darkest areas. The dynamic range is as wide as in the Google Pixel shots. There is logic in this: the companies collaborated in the development of Pixel. Perhaps HTC provided the capacity of their factories, and in return, Google shared secret HDR + algorithms.

The resolution of the front camera is incredible 16 megapixels, f2.0 aperture, video is recorded in 1080p.

In a blind test comparing the cameras of flagship smartphones and the Canon 5D Mark II DSLR, conducted among hi-tech.mail.ru readers, the HTC U11 took the penultimate place, scoring 1 point less than the DSLR. The editors of the portal explained it this way: "HTC U11 fell into the same trap as the camera: excellent detail, correct exposure, but looks too simple against the background of bright competitors." At the same time, not the final sample was used in the test, but a test one, which could affect the quality of the shooting.

Other specs: Android 7.1 OS, 5.5-inch Super LCD screen with 2560x1440 resolution, 64GB ROM and 4GB RAM. Support for external memory card up to 2TB. Support for two SIM cards. Battery capacity - 3000 mAh. Talk time - 24.5 hours, standby time - 336 hours. There is a fingerprint scanner on the front. The HTC U11 has pressure-sensitive edges, which means that simply by squeezing the smartphone in your hand, you can take a photo with the camera, launch applications, turn on the flashlight.

HTC U11 is IP67 rated and can be submerged in water up to 1 meter deep for 30 minutes and sprinkled with sand.

It is also worth noting the beautiful glossy case.

At the moment, HTC U11 takes the first place in terms of performance in the study of the AnTuTu resource, beating not only all Android smartphones, but also the seventh iPhone, which has long held the first place.

The end of the year is approaching, it's time to take stock. In order to determine which smartphone has become the most successful over the past 12 months, we have compiled a sample of many solutions. When creating it, we relied on processor performance, display performance, photo capabilities and the amount of RAM. We bring to your attention our top 10, which contains only the best smartphones under 20,000 rubles in 2018-2019.

#10 – Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro

Price: 14 260 rubles

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro is one of the company's most successful smartphones released in 2018. The emphasis in the development was made on the photo capabilities of the gadget. Therefore, on both sides you can find a dual camera - the front one consists of a pair of sensors with a resolution of 12 and 5 MP, the rear - 20 and 2 MP. The pictures on them are detailed, plus there is a portrait mode for both modules. Photos taken at night are not overflowing with noise and a mess of pixels.

3 or 4 GB of RAM, depending on the configuration, and the Snapdragon 636 processor provide the gadget with a high level of performance in games. There are no critical shortcomings, but there is a small flaw in the form of the lack of NFC.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro

#9 – Samsung Galaxy J8 (2018)

Price: 13 990 rubles

The Samsung Galaxy J8 (2018) comes to Russia with a Snapdragon 450 processor. Due to the low resolution of the 6-inch screen of 1480 by 720 pixels, it is enough for most games at high settings. You will only have to lower the graphics settings in demanding games such as PUBG. With all this, despite the lack of Full HD, the display offers its user high detail, maximum viewing angles and good levels of saturation and contrast. In general, everything that AMOLED matrices are famous for.

Serious mistakes in the development of the Samsung Galaxy J8 (2018) were not made by engineers. However, the lack of NFC slightly spoils the impression of the model. The use of the aging microUSB connector is also not entirely clear.

Samsung Galaxy J8 2018

#8 - Huawei P20 Lite

Price: 16 390 rubles

Huawei has released several successful smartphones this year, one of them is the Huawei P20 Lite. The model has in its arsenal everything that a modern person needs - an NFC module, a fingerprint scanner that reads a print in a split second and a face recognition function that recognizes the owner even with glasses. At the same time, the Huawei P20 Lite has an excellent 5.84-inch display with a resolution of 2280 by 1080 pixels, showing rich colors and high detail, as well as a Kirin 659 processor, the performance of which is enough in any gadget operation scenarios.

With the photo capabilities of the smartphone, too, everything is in order. Both the main camera with 16 and 2 MP sensors and the 16-megapixel front camera produce detailed pictures with natural color reproduction. A 3000 mAh battery will last you a day of using your smartphone, you should not count on more.

No. 7 - Xiaomi Mi A2

Price: 13 970 rubles

Xiaomi Mi A2, of course, deservedly got into our ranking of the best phones under 20,000 rubles in 2018-2019. The gadget has high performance due to the Snapdragon 660 processor. With it, you can count on running any modern game, even in PUBG it will give stable FPS at maximum settings. At the same time, the smartphone has a low level of energy consumption, so a good battery with a capacity of 3010 mAh is guaranteed to last you all day. This is also affected by the pure version of Android, which is not oversaturated with pre-installed software.

Ergonomics lovers will like the way the engineers implemented the case - it is light, lightweight and overall makes the smartphone very comfortable to use. However, the model was not without flaws. First of all, they should include the lack of NFC, support for SD cards and a 3.5-mm headset jack, instead of it an adapter is used here. In general, if you are looking for a smartphone with a good battery and camera, then Xiaomi Mi A2 is what you need.

No. 6 - Huawei Nova 3i

Price: 17 770 rubles

The owner of Huawei Nova 3i gets at his disposal a 6.3-inch display with a resolution of 2340 by 1080 pixels, which has maximum viewing angles and high color reproduction. It is equipped with a light sensor, so it can independently select the desired brightness level. Under direct sunlight, the image remains clear, and the display is practically glare-free. Huawei Nova 3i became the first phone in the world to use the Kirin 710, created using the 12 nm process technology, thanks to which it copes with all tasks, including heavy games, with a bang and in 2019 the situation will not change. Depending on the version, the chipset is combined with 4 or 6 GB of RAM.

The disadvantages of the model include the lack of optical stabilization and optical zoom in the cameras, as well as not always correct operation when shooting in portrait mode - sometimes the object in the foreground is blurred. Far less significant is the lack of 5GHz Wi-Fi support. In general, none of the above disadvantages does not spoil the impression of using the phone.

Huawei Nova 3i 4/64GB

#5 - Nokia 7.1

Price: 18 990 rubles

First of all, Nokia 7.1 will appeal to those who care about the appearance of the device and ergonomics. The smartphone has a chic design and excellent build quality - there are no backlashes, squeaks and crunches. In technical terms, the smartphone also has something to please its owner. The 5-84 inch display with a resolution of 2280 by 1080 has an excellent margin of brightness, thanks to which the image remains clear in the sun, and pleasant color reproduction is also pleasing. The speed of the model is provided by the Snapdragon 636 processor, its combination with a pure version of Android leads to stable operation without lags and freezes.

A good camera with two sensors, the resolution of which is 12 and 5 MP, is responsible for the photo opportunities on the back side. Pictures are obtained with the correct color balance and sharpness. There were some drawbacks - the decision to abandon the 3.5-mm headset jack seems controversial. Also, when listening to music through the speakers, there are distortions.

#4 – Xiaomi Mi8 Lite

Price: 16 790 rubles

Xiaomi Mi8 Lite has a 6.26-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels. The feeling of using it is chic - there is enough brightness even on the beach on a sunny day, plus the viewing angles are maximum. The smartphone uses the Snapdragon 660 processor. This chipset is still relevant and most likely will remain so in 2019 - it can run absolutely any modern game at high graphics settings. At the same time, its resource requirements are modest, so a good battery with a capacity of 3350 mAh is enough until the end of the working day.

The main camera is represented by a combination of two modules - 12 and 5 MP. Pictures on it are detailed with natural color reproduction. It affects the presence of the functions of autoexposure lock and auto white balance. As for the Sony IMX 576 front sensor with a resolution of 24 MP, it allows you to take contrasting and rich selfies with decent sharpness. The disadvantages of the smartphone include the lack of NFC, a 3.5 mm jack and a protruding main camera. However, they do not interfere with recommending Xiaomi Mi8 Lite to all those who are looking for a smartphone with a good battery and camera.

#3 - Honor 8X

Price: 16 990 rubles

Honor 8X clearly claims to be the most beautiful model in our ranking - the glass with a 15-layer coating on the back of the smartphone looks very impressive, but for lovers of minimalism, this solution will seem too catchy. But everyone will no doubt like the 6.5-inch screen with a resolution of 2340 by 1080 pixels. It occupies 91% of the entire front surface and pleases with rich colors and viewing angles, but in the sun the situation is completely different - due to the average brightness margin, the image becomes difficult to distinguish.

The main camera, represented by two sensors with a resolution of 20 and 2 MP, produces excellent pictures with excellent detail. If you turn on the artificial intelligence mode, the colors will become more saturated. There is a special mode for shooting at night, the difference between it and the usual one is colossal - the number of captured details is much higher, although the noise from this does not disappear anywhere.

#2 – Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018)

Price: 19 990 rubles

The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) uses a 6-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2220 by 1080 pixels. The matrix is ​​perfectly calibrated - the saturation and contrast levels of the image are pleasing, the color reproduction is natural, and the viewing angles are maximum. In general, there is nothing to complain about.

However, the smartphone is interesting to others, namely the triple main camera. So, the first sensor with a resolution of 5 MP is needed to determine the depth of field and create portrait shots, 8-megapixel is wide-angle, and 24-megapixel is the main one. In addition, there is an intelligent definition of scenes, of which there are more than 20. Thanks to the combination of all components, the pictures are great, with the right color balance.

The low-power Exynos 7885 processor handles any task, including heavy games. It has the potential for power, so it should be enough for 2019. The negative sides of the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) include only the lack of water protection and fast charging, as well as the meager headset that comes in the kit.

Samsung Galaxy A7 2018

#1 – Xiaomi Mi Max 3

Price: 17,000 rubles

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 becomes the best smartphone in the category under 20,000 rubles at the end of 2018. Thanks to the powerful Snapdragon 636 processor and 4 or 6 GB of RAM, you will forever forget about lags and freezes. Even when running heavy games, you can safely set the maximum settings and enjoy a comfortable FPS. The gadget pleases with its 6.9-inch screen with a resolution of 2160 by 1080 pixels. The image on it is replete with bright and rich colors, and due to a good margin of brightness, the situation will remain so even in the sun.

There is an 8-megapixel sensor on the front, the main camera is represented by two modules of 12 and 5 MP. Compared to the previous model, the quality of the pictures has improved significantly - they have become clearer and brighter, and in general allow the smartphone to compete with flagships in this respect.

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