The Tech Next Hit List; Our favourite smartphones of 2023

CHENNAI: It’s that time of the year to travel back in time. One year is a long time in the smartphone space; 2023 has seen its share of innovations and upgrades.

From zoom photography to generative AI, smartphones have upped their game.

The debut of 5G networks at the end of 2022 has seen a slew of 5G-ready smartphones flood the market.

Foldable smartphones got better, while most smartphones got slimmer. We checked out multiple smartphones for Tech Next all through the year; these are our favourites from 2023.

iPhone 15 Pro Max

Probably the biggest revamp of the iPhone’s Pro line ever with improved zoom photography capabilities. The 2023 iPhone flagship is finished in a new titanium chassis that makes the Pro Max much lighter. It’s powered by the industry’s first 3-nanometer chip (A17 Pro) on a smartphone. Apple ditched the lighting port for the more universal Type-C port and also introduced a new Action button, a hotkey similar to what we first experienced on the Apple Watch Ultra in 2022. (Rs 1,59,900 onwards)

Redmi Note 12 5G

One of the best value-for-money smartphones of 2023. This 5G-ready smartphone features a 6.67-inch full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and peak brightness of 1200 nits as well as Gorilla Glass protection. It also flaunts a triple camera set-up that includes a 48-megapixel main sensor. At its heart is a Snapdragon 4 Generation 1 chip; the device packs a large 5000mAh battery in spite of being just 7.98mm thin.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

One of the best mobile shooters out there. It’s almost in a league of its own in the zoom photography department with 10X optical zoom. Samsung has packed the quad rear cam with a 200MP sensor. The Ultra also flaunts one of our favourite displays of 2023. You get a gorgeous 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (1440 x 3088 pixels / 501 PPI) with a 120Hz refresh rate.

OnePlus Open

If we have to pick one foldable for 2023, it would be the Open. You get two vibrant, Super Fluid AMOLED displays (6.31-inch and 7.82-inch) displays that are both equally functional and feature a 120 Hz refresh rate. OnePlus does a great job with weight distribution, the Open weighs around 240 gm and feels like a conventional smartphone in your hand. The rear cam has been co-designed with Hasselblad and the device offers 512GB of internal storage.

Vivo X90 Pro

One of the best mobile shooters of 2023, this device boasts the latest generation of Vivo-Zeiss co-engineered imaging systems. The X90 Pro is kitted with a Zeiss 1-inch Main Camera with an IMX989 sensor. The rear cam combines three lenses – a 50MP primary lens, a 50MP Portrait cam, and a 12MP ultra-wide lens. Other highlights include a vivid 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 4870 mAh battery that won’t let you down.

Honor 90

One of our favourite devices under Rs 30,000. It’s packed with a robust 5000 mAh battery and yet it’s just 7.8mm thin and weighs 183 gm. One of the highlights of the Honor 90 is the 6.7-inch Quad-Curved Floating Display. It’s one of the brightest displays at this price point (with a high-resolution of 2664 x 1200 pixels) and peaks at 1600 nits.

Google Pixel 8

Google called the Pixel 8 (and the Pixel 8 Pro) the generative AI era smartphone. It’s the AI camera tools like Best Take that are the talking point of this device. The Pixel 8 is also a significant step up over last year’s Pixel 7 – one of those enhancements is the 6.2-inch OLED display that peaks at 2000 nits and features a 120Hz refresh rate.

OPPO Reno 10 5G

One of the best smartphones under Rs 35K, this one makes our list for its portrait photography skills. It’s powered by a 32MP Telephoto Portrait camera that allows you to zoom in as you as you shoot portrait images. You can create blurred bokeh backgrounds like you would on a pro cam. The device also features a 5000 mAh battery under the hood.