Shopping for the best flagship smartphone for a Diwali upgrade? Build your wish list with this

Best flagship smartphone: Apple ditched stainless steel for a titanium alloy case with an aluminium substructure. It makes this year’s iPhone Pro Max and the smaller Pro the lightest Pro models we’ve seen in a while

It’s that time of the year when it’s raining flagship smartphones. The festive season is here, and it's the perfect time to indulge and step up your smartphone game. Apple’s 2023 iPhones kept their date with the top-of-the-line iPhone 15 Pro Max, stealing the thunder with its new telephoto lens and titanium build. Google’s new Pixel 8 twins are harnessing the power of generative AI, while OnePlus has made a stellar debut in the foldable space with it’s OnePlus Open. Samsung and OPPO are slugging it out in the flip smartphone space, each with their own vision for the cover display. If you’re looking for a Diwali upgrade, our round-up is a great place to build your wish list.

iPhone 15 Pro Max

It’s probably the most significant refresh of the premium iPhone since the debut of the iPhone X back in 2017. Apple ditched stainless steel for a titanium alloy case with an aluminium substructure. It makes this year’s Pro Max and the smaller Pro the lightest Pro models we’ve seen in a while. The other cool hardware update is the new ‘Action button’ that we first checked out on last year’s Apple Watch Ultra. The Lightning port makes way for a more universal USB Type-C port; the Pro towns are powered by the A17 Pro chip, the first 3-nanometer chip to power a smartphone. The rear camera gets an upgrade: the 48MP primary lens comes with a larger sensor and coated lenses for fewer reflections.

Price: Rs 1,59,900 onwards

OnePlus Open

Best flagship smartphone: The OnePlus Open features one of the best cameras on a foldable phone

OnePlus has been teasing its first foldable for a while now and it’s been worth the wait. OnePlus has found the balance between form and function with a foldable smartphone that feels great in your hand.  The Open comes with dual 2K 120Hz fluid AMOLED ProXDR displays. You get a flagship-level, 6.31-inch cover display and a large 7.82-inch Tablet display once the phone unfolds. Speed is a given with OnePlus, this device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and comes with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. The OnePlus Open also features one of the best cameras on a foldable. The Hasselblad partnership comes to the fore in Portrait mode. You also get a 64MP telephoto camera with 6x in-sensor lossless zoom.

Price: Rs 1,39,999

Google Pixel 8 Pro

Best flagship smartphone: The Google Pixel 8 Pro comes with a few new tricks, including a thermometer sensor and a bunch of AI-drive camera features

Google calls it the generative AI-era smartphone. Google has always been a step ahead in harnessing AI for its Pixel smartphones, the Pixel 8 Pro is probably the culmination of this journey. Google opts for a refined matte finish that plays out particularly well in the cool Bay (blue) colour way. It comes with quite a few new tricks including a thermometer sensor (placed under the LED flash) and a whole bunch of AI-driven camera features. There’s Audio Magic Eraser that scrubs out audio tracks within a video that you don’t need and Best Take that works particularly well in group shots. The Pixel 8 Pro (and the Pixel 8) are propelled by Google’s all-new Tensor G3 chip.  Google sweetens the deal with seven years of OS updates.

Price: Rs 1,06,999

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

Best flagship smartphone: The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is one of the most rugged flip phones

The showstopper at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event in Korea where Samsung unveiled its foldable line-up for 2023. The Z Flip 5 comes with a few key enhancements including a much larger 3.4-inch cover display (that Samsung calls Flex Window). It’s also one of the most rugged flip phones out there with an IPX8 water resistance certification. Samsung is also playing up the improved flex hinge that ensures the Z Flip 5 closes to a full flat, zero-gap position. The camera system (12MP primary lens + 12MP ultra-wide lens and a 10MP selfie cam) gets a boost from a new coating that reduces lens flare.

Price: Rs 99,999 onwards

OPPO Find N3 Flip

Best flagship smartphone: The rear camera of the OPPO Find N3 Flip comes with a Cosmos Ring

OPPO takes its foldable game a notch further with its new flagship that makes a strong case for a flip phone. We dig the premium design language, the rear camera is embellished with what OPPO calls a Cosmos Ring. OPPO addresses some of the perceived pain points for a flip device; this includes a triple rear cam co-designed with Hasselblad. The pro bokeh flare effect recreates the effect of a Hasselblad XCD lens. The other talking point is the creaseless main display once the phone unfolds. The Find N3 Flip boasts of a 6.8-inch LTPO AMOLED display that peaks at 1600 nits. We also approve of the vertical orientation of the 3.26-inch cover screen that allows you to check out apps in their native resolution.

Price: Rs 94,999

Xiaomi 13 Pro

Best flagship smartphone: The rear camera of the Xiaomi 13 Pro features three 50MP lenses

Recently Xiaomi premiered The Rolling Ball, a short film shot entirely on the Xiaomi 13 Pro to coincide with the launch of Xiaomi Studios. This platform showcases the camera prowess of the Xiaomi 13 Pro that features a camera system co-developed with Leica. The rear camera features three 50MP lenses including a primary lens with a large 1-inch sensor. At its heart is a best of breed Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. The other highlights include a gorgeous ceramic finish and a 6.73-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate.

Price: Rs 79,999