JOIN US#DHRecaps | Pick of smartphones in 2018
This year saw an exciting number of phones released, some of which received a very warm welcome from buyers.
Deccan Herald lists some of the most popular phones that were released and sold during the course of the year.
iPhone XS/ XR/ XS Max
Released during the September-November time this year, the phones have 5.8, 6.1 and 6.5 inch screens respectively. All have 12MP main and 7MP front cameras but the XS and XS Max have wide angle and telephoto lenses. These phones are powered by the latest A12 Bionic processor. The other features they have are wireless charging and have storage capacities between 64 and 512GB. All X models are splash, water and dust resistant to various levels. The XS models have higher resistance. They also have face ID. Music is via EarPods from a Lightning Connector. All have dual SIM slots and cost between Rs 76,000 and 1,44,000, depending on the model.
Huawei P20 Pro
Released in April this year, the Chinese manufacturer’s offering sports the Hisilicon Kirin 970 chipset with an octa core CPU. This is combined with 8GB RAM/ 256GB storage or 6GB/ 128GB, but with no card slot. This is a dual SIM phone. The screen size is 6.1 inch and surrounded by a glass and aluminium frame. The big draw for this phone is the 40MP, 20MP and 8MP main cameras. The front camera is 24MP and the optics are from Leica. This phone is IP67 dust and water resistant. Presented with a USB Type-C connector, the set is powered by a 4000mAh lithium polymer battery. The phone can be upgraded to Android 9.0 Pie and MRP is Rs 69,999.
OnePlus 6T
This is one of the most popular phones around from the Chinese company and was released in November. With a 6.41 inch screen and Corning Gorilla Glass 6, the chipset is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. With dual SIM slots but no memory card slot, the 6T is sold in 8GB RAM/ 256GB storage and 6/8 GB/ 128GB variants. The main camera has 20MP and 16MP sensors and the front camera is 16MP. The 6T has its own Oxygen operating system and a 3700mAh battery that can be charged with the USB Type-C connector. The MRP is ranges from Rs 37,999 to Rs 50,999 for the McLaren Edition, which has 10GB RAM and 256GB memory.
Nokia 8.1 (global), X7 (China)
Released this month, this offering from the Finnish company has a 6.18 inch screen, with front and back glass, an aluminium frame and a notch display. As opposed to others that come with Android 8.0, this phone has Android 9.0/ Android One loaded already. The chipset is the Snapdragon 710. The set has two dual hybrid slots. The global version is available with 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. There are 12MP and 13MP main cameras with Zeiss optics, while the front camera is a 20MP one. The phone has a Type-C connector for charging the 3500 mAh battery. The set’s MRP is Rs just below Rs 29,000.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
This offering, in August, from one of the more popular brands in India is powered by the Snapdragon 845 chipset, with 8GB RAM/ 512GB storage or 6GB/ 128GB. The screen is 6.4 inches and the phone is IP68 dust and water proof. The front and back have Gorilla Glass 5 and an aluminium frame. The phone has two SIM slots, with the second one being hybrid. The phone includes Samsung Pay and a stylus. The camera is 12MP and 12MP wide and telephoto with the front camera being 8MP. Charging for the 4000mAh battery is via a USB Type-C port. The MRP is between Rs 73,000 and 93,000.
Samsung Galaxy S9/ S9 Plus
Another successful phone from the Samsung stables, the two variants run on the Samsung-developed Exynos 9810 chipset for the EMEA market and Snapdragon 845 for other regions. Both were released in March and have Gorilla Glass 5 and an aluminium frame. The difference is that the S9 has a 5.8 inch screen, while the S9 Plus has a 6.2 inch screen. The S9 has 4GB RAM, while the S9 Plus has 6GB. They are available in internal memory capacities of 64, 128, 256GB. Both are IP68 water and dust proof, with a normal and hybrid SIM slot. The S9 has a single 12MP main camera and 8MP front camera. The S9 Plus has two 12MP main cameras and an 8MP front camera. Both have USB Type-C connectors and 3000 and 3500mAh batteries. The basic S9 costs Rs 62,500, while the high end S9 Plus costs Rs 79,000 MRP.
Google Pixel 3/ 3XL
These phones from Google are powered by the Snapdragon 845 chipset and were released in November. The 3 has a 5.5 inch screen, while the 3XL is a 6.3 incher. The 3 has a regular screen, while the 3XL has a notch display. Both phones have 4GB RAM and 64/128GB storage. The main cameras are 12.2MP, while both phones have dual 8MP front cameras. The front and back are made of Gorilla Glass 5 with an aluminium frame. The phones are IP68 dust and water resistant. Both have normal SIM and eSIM slots. There is a Type-C connector with a headphone jack adapter. The phones have 2915 and 3430mAh batteries respectively. They are priced from Rs 71,000 to 92,000.
Moto G6, G6 Plus
The India version of the G6 was released in April, while the G6 Plus in September. With Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on both phones, the screen sizes are 5.7 and 5.9 inches respectively. The G6 has the Snapdragon 450, while the Plus has the Snapdragon 630 chipset. Both come with Android 8.0 Oreo and upgradable to 9.0 Pie. Both have dual SIM slots expandable to 256GB, with the G6 having a dedicated MicroSD card slot. The G6 has options of 4GB RAM/ 64GB and 3GB/ 32GB, while the G6 Plus has just the 6GB/ 64Gb version. The phones have Type-C connectors and 3000 and 3200mAh batteries respectively. The G6 MRP is Rs 15,999 and Rs 17,999. The G6 Plus is Rs 23,999.
Moto One Power
This set, running Android One, was released in October and sports a 6.2 inch notch screen with Corning Gorilla glass. But the biggest draw for this phone is the 5000mAh battery. The phone can accommodate two SIM cards and is splash resistant. There is also a dedicated microSD card slot. Running on the Snapdragon 636 chipset, the set is upgradable to Android 9.0 Pie. The phone has two variants, 3GB RAM/ 32GB memory and 4GB/64GB. There are 16MP and 5MP main cameras and the front camera is 12MP. USB Type-C is used to charge the battery. The MRP is Rs 14,999 and 18,999.
Xiaomi Mi A2
Released in July, the screen is 5.99 inches and runs with the Snapdragon 660 chipset. The set has a front glass and aluminium body with dual SIM capacity. The main cameras are 12MP and 20MP with Sony sensors, while the front camera is 20MP. There is not card slot and the mobile phone has options of 4GB RAM/ 32 or 64GB memory and 6GB/ 128GB. This has the Type-C reversible connector too and has a 3000mAh battery. The MRP varies from Rs 14,899 to Rs 20,500.
Xiaomi Redmi 6A
This budget phone runs on the Mediatek MT6761 Helio A22 chipset. With a screen size of 5.45 inches and released in June this year, it is available with 3GB RAM/ 32GB memory or 2GB/ 16GB with a dedicated card slot that can accommodate upto a 256GB card. The phone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo. The main camera is 13MP, while the front camera is 5MP. The 3000mAh battery is charged by a microUSB 2.0 port. The phone prices are Rs 5999 and Rs 6999.
Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro
Another phone from this Chinese company was released in October and has a 6.26 inch screen and Corning Gorilla Glass. The processor is a Snapdragon 636 and has hybrid dual SIM. The phone runs on Android 8.1. As far as the memory is concerned, the options are 4/ 6GB RAM and 64GB storage or 3GB and 32GB. The main camera has 12 and 5MP sensors, and the front cameras are 20MP and 2MP. The phone has a microUSB 2.0 and a beefy 4000mAh battery. The price is between Rs 11,499 and 17,999.
Realme U1
This phone, released this month, has a 6.3 inch screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It has a dual SIM and runs on the Mediatek Helio P70 chipset. There is a dedicated microSD slot that can take upto 256GB card. The variations are 4GB RAM/ 64GB memory or 3GB/ 32GB. Android 8.1 is the operating system. The main camera has 13MP and 2MP sensors and the front camera is an impressive 25MP. Charging is via a microUSB 2.0 port and the set has a 3500mAh battery. The price is Rs 12,999 and Rs 14,499.
Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1/ M2
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The M1 was released in May and the M2 in December. The M1 has a 5.99 inch screen and the other has a 6.26 screen. The M1 runs on the Snapdragon 636, while the later model has a Snapdragon 660. Both have dual SIM and a dedicated microSD slot. The phones have 3GB RAM/ 32GB memory and 4 or 6GB/ 64GB. The main camera in the M1 is 13MP and 5MP, while the M2 has 12 and 5MP main cameras. The front cameras for the M1 are 8 and 16MP (6GB model only), while the M2 has a 13MP sensor. Both have microUSB 2.0 ports and 5000mAh batteries. Prices are between Rs 10,999 and 19,999.
Asus Zenfone 5z
The set was available for purchase in June and has a 6.2 inch screen with Corning Gorilla glass. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 845 chipset. There is a choice of 4GB RAM/ 64GB memory, 6GB/ 128GB or 8GB/ 256GB. This phone has a Type-C reversible connector. There are two hybrid SIM slots and the second slot can be used for a microSD card upto 512GB. The main camera has 12MP and 8MP sensors, while the front camera is 8MP. The power comes from a 3300mAh battery. The price ranges from Rs 26,000 to 36,999.