Probably the most underrated smartphones of 2023

There have been loads of nice smartphones launched in 2023, such because the Galaxy S23 collection, the Pixel 8 vary, the Pixel 7a, and the Motorola Razr Plus.

However there have been additionally fairly a couple of nice telephones that flew underneath the radar this 12 months, be it as a result of unlucky launch timing, being a tool from a lesser-known model, or one thing else altogether. Irrespective of the rationale, listed below are probably the most underrated smartphones of 2023.

ASUS doesn’t have an enormous advertising and marketing funds and lacks the identical geographic footprint as larger rivals. So is it any shock to see the Zenfone 10 make this checklist?

The Zenfone 10 was as soon as once more one of many few compact flagship telephones of the 12 months, and it was a correct premium expertise in some ways. Snapdragon 8 Gen 2? Yep. Wi-fi charging? Positive. IP68 ranking? Naturally. It even introduced a 3.5mm port to the desk.

It wasn’t flawless, owing to the corporate’s disappointing replace pledge, the shortage of a telephoto digital camera, and poor sustained efficiency. However you’ll be able to’t do a lot better than this if you’d like a pocket-friendly powerhouse.

HONOR continues to realize momentum after it was spun off by HUAWEI in 2020. The model confirmed it might duke it out with the highest flagship telephones with the launch of the HONOR Magic 5 Professional in February 2023.

The Magic 5 Professional ticked a great deal of bins for a high-end telephone; a slick design with an IP68 ranking, the newest flagship Snapdragon silicon, brisk wired/wi-fi charging, and cameras that may rival trade leaders.

HONOR’s flagship nonetheless stumbled in a few areas, similar to the shortage of Gorilla Glass safety and the middling software program. It in all probability additionally didn’t assist issues that the corporate’s first international foldable, the Magic Vs, was launched on the similar time. However, the Magic 5 Professional clearly demonstrates that HONOR can problem the massive weapons.

What would occur in case you mixed Lenovo’s ThinkPad PC line with a smartphone? The corporate answered that query at CES 2023 when it revealed the ThinkPhone.

The ThinkPhone was squarely aimed on the enterprise market, bringing ThinkShield safety, Motorola’s desktop mode, the flexibility to make use of the telephone as a PC webcam, and a decent dedication to updates.

The spec sheet was largely nice too, owing to 2022’s still-powerful Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 SoC, prolonged endurance, 68W wired charging, an IP68 ranking, and a {hardware} shortcut key. The one actual downsides are the digital camera system and the truth that the $600 Pixel 7 existed.

Motorola’s Edge collection has lengthy been a story of “nearly.” These flagship telephones have by no means fairly managed to realize excellence. Nonetheless, the Motorola Edge Plus 2023 is maybe the primary Edge gadget to hit that mark.

Android Authority reviewer Ryan Haines referred to as this Motorola’s greatest flagship in years, citing the premium design (together with an IP68 ranking), flagship-tier efficiency, strong cameras, nice battery life, and speedy charging. Toss in a $799 price ticket for 512GB of storage and it positively warrants consideration.

Maybe the most important draw back to this telephone is that buyer apathy could be excessive owing to earlier fashions being vast of the mark. Right here’s hoping 2024 brings extra of this Motorola, although.

The sophomore entry typically looks like the tougher endeavor, proper? Nothing delivered the surprisingly good Nothing Telephone 1 in 2022, however how do you observe up on one thing like that?

Happily, the Nothing Telephone 2 was an amazing successor to the unique handset, making all the correct upgrades. That meant lots extra horsepower, extra customizable and helpful Glyph lighting, and wi-fi charging help. Image high quality, speaker high quality, and the IP54 ranking nonetheless left us wanting, however there have been actually way more hits than misses.

Very similar to ASUS, Sony’s telephones have flown underneath the radar for years now. The Xperia 1 V continued this development, and that’s a disgrace given what’s on supply right here.

Sony introduced a couple of options that can please lovers, specifically a 3.5mm port, microSD enlargement, and a 4K display screen. The Xperia 1 V additionally brings a formidable digital camera expertise, and Sony continues to be the one firm providing a variable telephoto digital camera at this time.

The addition of flagship internals, a 5,000mAh battery, an IP68 ranking, and wi-fi charging solely sweetens the bundle. However the $1,400 price ticket and Sony’s deeply disappointing replace pledge didn’t assist issues, to place it mildly.