From Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max to Huawei Mate 40 Pro+: Check out best flagship smartphones of 2020

We are less than a week from the end of Techtober, and the number of smartphone launches doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Apart from regular smartphone launches, October has also been a massive month for flagships, with the unveiling of the new iPhone 12 series and Huawei’s Mate 40 series. So, we’ve decided to compile a list of the best premium smartphones of 2020. We are going to be looking at only the best smartphones from each series.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | The Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max offers the best of all worlds. There’s simply no comprise. The Pro Max goes all out on battery, performance, display, software, build, and camera. Speaking of the camera, the 12 Pro Max has an updated camera setup. Apple has added a 47-percent larger camera sensor, then on the iPhone 12 Pro, and sensor-shift OIS for improved stabilization. For more details on the iPhone 12 series, head on over to the link.

Huawei Mate 40 Pro+ | Another Techtober debutant is the Huawei Mate 40 Pro+. The Mate 40 Pro+ is one of the best smartphone camera setups to date. DxOMark rates the standard Mate 40 Pro has the best front and rear cameras, and we all know that the Mate 40 Pro+ has an even better rear camera setup than the regular ‘Pro’ model. Moreover, Huawei’s latest flagship also uses a 5nm chip like the iPhone. You also have super-fast wired and wireless charging, a vibrant high refresh rate OLED panel, and a stunning design. The main caveat on the Mate 40 Pro+ is the lack of Google services. For more details on the Mate 40 series, click here.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra | You can’t talk about flagships without talking about the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. The Note 20 Ultra offers is one of the best Android flagships you can buy at the moment. From the 108 MP camera to the 120Hz QHD+ AMOLED panel, there is simply no comprising with the Note 20 Ultra. Apart from being an ultra-premium smartphone, the Note 20 Ultra also features stylus support with the integration of the S Pen. You can check out our full review of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra here.

Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra | The Mi 10 Ultra is definitely Xiaomi’s most decked out phone in 2020. You only have to take one look at the Mi 10 Ultra to know its all about the cameras here. The Mi 10 Ultra had the best set of rear cameras on a smartphone, according to DxOMark, i.e. until it was recently dethroned by the Huawei P40 Pro. Apart from cameras, the phone also features a high refresh rate OLED panel, a powerful 5G chipset, and super-fast wired charging, 120W fast. For more details on the Mi 10 Ultra, head on over to the link.

Huawei P40 Pro+ | Before the Mate 40 Pro+, we had the Huawei P40 Pro+, which is almost as good as the Mate 40 Pro+. In terms of cameras, there seems to be a lot of differences, apart from the fact that the Mate 40 Pro+ has a new camera sensor, which is even bigger. However, the P40 Pro+ is still an excellent phone with some of the best cameras of 2020 as well as all the regular pickings of a flagship phone, including a high-refresh-rate OLED panel, a great design, a flagship chipset, and a massive battery. For more details, check out the link.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra | While the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is the company’s most premium offering, the Galaxy S20 Ultra doesn’t fall far behind. In fact, there are very few differences between the S20 Ultra and the Note 20 Ultra. DxOMark rates the camera on the S20 Ultra higher than that of the Note 20 Ultra. The Galaxy S20 Ultra also has a slightly larger battery than the Note 20 Ultra. However, the Note 20 Ultra certainly has an overall advantage. Check out our full comparison here.

OnePlus 8 Pro | There are a lot of super-premium smartphones on our list, but if you are looking for a premium smartphone that doesn’t break your bank, then the OnePlus 8 Pro is definitely worth considering. While the 8 Pro may not be able to deliver the same camera performance as some of the other phones on this list, it comes pretty dam close. And in many cases, at half the price. With the OnePlus 8 Pro, the company have built a flagship that can compete with the best of the best in every area, and completely outmatch them in price. Check out our long-term review of the OnePlus 8 Pro here.

Oppo Find X2 Pro | The Oppo Find X2 Pro has become mostly redundant because of its similarities with the OnePlus 8 Pro. But that hasn’t stopped it from being one of the best smartphones of 2020. While the specs of both devices, including camera, are indistinguishable, the Find X2 Pro can still deliver better results than the OnePlus 8 Pro in certain areas. However, we’d advise against going for the Find X2 Pro, if you can buy the OnePlus 8 Pro.

Vivo X50 Pro+ | This year, Vivo released an interesting phone with gimbal-like levels of stabilization in the form of the X50 Pro. However, the third and less talked about phone in the X50 series, the X50 Pro+ is the only one that can pass for a flagship. The X50 Pro+ may lack the gimbal stabilization, but still features one of the best set of cameras on a phone in 2020. However, unlike the X50 Pro, the ‘Plus’ version also gets a flagship chipset and a higher refresh rate panel at 120Hz.

Google Pixel 5 | We see this last phone as more of an honorary mention because of its transition from flagship to mid-ranger. However, the Pixel 5 still has one of the best cameras of 2020. Despite using older camera sensors, Google's computational photography on the Pixel 5 is better than ever, providing excellent results. The Snapdragon 765G chipset is still a downer, but you do get a high refresh rate panel, premium build, and the added bonus of software excellence.