The first quarter of the year is usually one of the busiest launch windows for flagship smartphones. 2023 is no exception. Samsung has upped its camera game even further with a 200MP lens on its premium smartphone while OPPO has launched its first foldable flip device for the Indian market. Xiaomi and OnePlus have leveraged their partnerships with the world’s premier imaging brands even as the iPhone and Google Pixel remain in the mix.
If you’re looking to splurge on a flagship smartphone, now is a great time:
This is probably the Android flagship to beat right now. Samsung has tweaked the design slightly. This one finds the balance between Samsung’s traditional curved screen design with a flat-edge form. It makes the device easier to clasp. A heavy-duty spec sheet is a given – the Ultra is propelled by a custom Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor while the 5000 mAh battery won’t let you down. But it’s the display, a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X (1440 x 3088 pixels / 501 PPI / 120Hz refresh rate), and the stellar rear cam with a 200MP sensor that give it the edge.
Price: Rs 1,24,999
The smaller of the iPhone 14 Pro duo comes in a gorgeous shade of purple but that’s not the only thing that will catch your attention. The Pro twins ditch the ‘Notch’ that we first saw on the iPhone X in 2017 for a new pill-shaped cut-out that houses Face ID components and the front facing camera. Apple calls it ‘Dynamic Island’ and it adds a whole new user experience. You can stay on your primary display as you control multiple apps from the cut-out. At its heart is the Apple’s new A16 bionic chip with two high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores. The new camera system includes the first-ever 48MP Main camera on an iPhone.
Price: Rs 1,29,900 onwards
Speed is OnePlus’ calling card. At its heart is the year’s preferred flagship chipset, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, that gets an extra boost with 16GB of RAM (in the top-end variant). It’s not just gaming, the OnePlus 11 is all about everyday speed. OnePlus’s ‘Super VOOC’ in-box charger takes this device from 1 to 100 percent in 25 minutes flat. The other story is OnePlus’ partnership for the rear cam with Swedish imaging brand Hasselblad. This smart shooter blends a 50MP Primary lens, a 48MP ultra-wide lens and 32MP telephoto lens.
Price: Rs 56,999
We waited four years for Google to unleash a flagship smartphone in India (the last one was the Pixel 3 in 2018) and it’s been worth the wait. We dig the cool ‘Hazel’ colour way; it’s where green meets grey and it looks refined with a polished aluminium chassis built with 100 percent recycled content. It’s powered by Google’s own Tensor G2 - a 4nm chipset with 2 Cortex-X1 cores, two Cortex-A76 cores and four Cortex-A55 cores and also features a vivid 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate that peaks at 1500 nits. But this one makes our list for its stellar rear cam with a whole bunch of computational photography tricks up its sleeve.
Price: Rs 83,999
Foldables are on an upswing. OPPO’s Find N2 Flip is the newest device to join the party. OPPO has reimagined the cover display (the second display of a flip device). This 3.26-inch display is the largest out there and allows you to get stuff done without having to flip open the device. OPPO has built this device with its proprietary Flexicon Hinge that has helped it reduce the heft of the device despite a robust 4300 mAh battery in the mix. Our favourite feature aside from the premium build, is the immersive 6.8-inch primary display with a 120Hz refresh rate.
Price: Rs 89,999
The Xiaomi 13 Pro marks the first device to hit the Indian market with a camera system co-developed with Leica. This is one of the best mobile shooters and not afraid of the dark. The rear cam includes a primary lens with a large 1-inch sensor. It’s not just this DSLR-style lens but also a 50MP telephoto camera with a 75mm floating lens and a ultra-wide lens with a 115-degree field of view. The device also scores with its design – a gorgeous ceramic finish that adds to its premium vibe. And then there’s the 6.73-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate that peaks at 1900 nits.
Price: Rs 79,999
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