The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is the new super-premium S Pen-wielding smartphone by Samsung. It’s an extra large phone with a huge camera bump, plus it’s heavier than before and it barely fits in a pocket. If you like a big phone, though, this one is among the best: it has a luxurious feel, and it features a new toughened glass that can theoretically survive a head-high drop. The 6.9-inch screen is class-leading and features a 120Hz refresh rate for a buttery smooth experience. Under the hood, the Note 20 Ultra is the equivalent of a muscle car: Snapdragon 865+ is perfect for gaming, and you have 12GB of RAM for effortless multitasking. Camera quality is also excellent and you have up to 50X zoom. Battery life, however, is just good, not quite great. You will need to charge it every night.

Last but not least, at $1,300 we feel the price is a bit too high, but Samsung often runs deals, and chances are that you will be able to get it for less. S Pen lovers won’t be disappointed, but those looking for the best value-for-money or for a more compact phone might want to look elsewhere.

Pixel 4 XL

The Google Pixel 4 XL has its drawbacks, but ultimately, this is the best-performing Android phone out there and it also happens to be the best camera phone in the world.

It also ships with the latest version of Android and it’s guaranteed to be first in line for future updates, which is a big advantage over most other Android rivals. The 90-hertz display also makes a difference: the phone feels incredibly fast and smooth.

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

Equipped with a massive, 5,000mAh battery and 5G connectivity, the phone is ready for the networks of the present and the future.

Traditionally for Samsung, it also comes with the company’s latest and most advanced AMOLED screen that features juicy colors and deep blacks, and this time it also supports 120-hertz refresh rate for an extra smooth experience. All of this comes at an expensive price, but the feature set is definitely impressive.

It also rocks an even longer battery life than the iPhone XR, which was a solid battery performer, and it runs iOS with all the pros and cons that come with this. We also have to point out that Face ID is still the best face recognition system out there and rivals cannot quite match it.

The biggest downside of owning an iPhone 11 is probably the screen: it has huge bezels, the phone feels too wide and not very comfortable to hold because of this, and the screen itself is an LCD one that is not as sharp or as vibrant as rival phones that feature the newer AMOLED technology.

Read more: Apple iPhone 11 review

The OnePlus Nord is a $400 Android phone extraordinaire that wants you to rethink whether you need to spend double or triple its cost on a flagship.

Its arguments are a beautiful design with a glass back and one of the freshest shades of blue we’ve ever seen on a phone, a beautiful AMOLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate for a super smooth experience, 5G support, super fast charging, and a camera that is almost as good as what you get on a flagship.

If Google had made this, the name of the phone could have been the “2020 Google Nexus”. It really is in many ways the same brilliant idea reborn, from the clean Android version to the fast performance.

Read more: OnePlus Nord review

The Apple iPhone SE (2020) might look just like the iPhone 8 and for that matter even the iPhone 6, but look under the hood, and it comes with an Apple A13 Bionic chip, more powerful than on Android flagships. It also comes with a single camera, but one that has been fine tuned to capture brilliant looking photos and 4K video recording quality is far above what you typically see in a $400 phone. Add to that the value of the iOS ecosystem, and you can understand while many users will be tempted by the new SE despite its lackluster battery life.

Read more: Apple iPhone SE (2020) review

The Google Pixel 4a follows up on the popularity of the affordable Pixel 3a, which brought most of Android best at a competitive price point. This year’s midrange 4a is an even better deal, with Google bringing a surprising amount of polish for just $350. Between its excellent camera, good display, and competent specs, the Pixel 4a is an incredible value and a triumphant addition to Google’s smartphone legacy.

Read more: Google Pixel 4a review