TOP 5 modern android phablets for a reasonable price

Xiaomi is famous for its ability to create smartphones with solid hardware, rich functionality and a price close to the cost of the device. Redmi Note is another confirmation of this. This is not a dandy with a catchy appearance and not a strong man who sets records in synthetic tests. Like its brothers in the Redmi family, it is first and foremost a hard worker. Reliable and affordable.

If we compare Redmi Note 5 with its predecessors, then we will see a serious work on the bugs. Instead of a rather weak camera Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Snapdragon 32 GB / 2 GB in the "five" there is a fashionable dual camera that allows you to click sharper pictures or, on the contrary, use the blur effect that everyone loves professional cameras for.

The Redmi 5 hardware was selected in search of finding the perfect value for money. The Redmi Note 5 has a far from the weakest Snapdragon 636 processor, which is essentially a stripped-down version of the Snapdragon 660. This solved two old Redmi problems at once, the processors of which simultaneously slowed down and got very hot due to demanding games and applications. A separate plus of the Snapdragon 636 is its relatively low power consumption, which, paired with a 4000 mAh battery, allows the smartphone to work up to 3 days.

Among other pleasant things, Redmi Note 5 has a face recognition function. Not as difficult as in Apple iPhone X 64 GB with its True Depth camera, but if you want to quickly and easily unlock the screen, it works well. It would be rude to demand more from a $200 phone. The only nuance that may confuse buyers is the old microUSB port instead of the now standard USB-C.

Samsung's A-series philosophy is as straight-forward as the corner of a house: to give almost everything that the top-end S-series smartphones offer (including looks), but without the fancy features that weigh down the price. For example, 2 SIM card slots instead of wireless charging. Or the ability to play FM radio instead of the expensive AKG headphones included. This prudent cost-saving policy appealed to many customers, and the A series became a bestseller. For example, in the CIS countries, A-series devices are consistently among the top ten best-selling smartphones.

What is interesting specifically about the 2018 Galaxy A8 Plus? It is made of glass and metal and looks like the flagship model Galaxy S8. The front and back sides are also covered with glass, and the edges smoothly turn into a metal frame, which tends to be as thin as possible. This finish of the case gives the impression that you have a smartphone that is more expensive than it actually is.

The main decoration of the smartphone is the Super AMOLED screen, which takes up almost all the free space. The screen resolution is 2220 by 1080 pixels, which is slightly less than the screen resolution of the much more expensive Galaxy S8. As for the filling, the A8 + is built on the basis of the new Exynos 7885 octa-core processor, equipped with 4 GB of RAM and a 16 MP mid-range camera. Such hardware is enough with a margin for games like Fortnite, and for heavy applications.

As mentioned above, the A8 Plus 2018 does not have many extras that the average buyer does not need, like the DeX docking station or the Dolby Atmos sound system. Instead, there are things more mundane. For example, the branded Neon Flip Cover, which protects the smartphone and nicely “blinks” with incoming calls and other notifications. There are also two separate SIM trays, a fingerprint scanner, a USB-C connector and a standard headphone output, which all manufacturers are trying to get rid of. In addition, A8 Plus 2018 boasts IP68 protection, which allows it to dive to a depth of one and a half metres for up to 30 minutes.

In the spring of 2018, Huawei introduced a new line of three P20 series smartphones. The youngest child was the P20 Lite, which inherited a fashionable look with tiny side frames and most of the skills of older brothers. And this is an important point, because before Huawei released good mid-range smartphones, which always lacked something. But the P20 Lite did not cut the wings — there is NFC, and USB-C, and fast charging, and support for aptX HD codecs.

Under the protective glass P20 Lite is a screen with a diagonal of 5.8" and a resolution of FHD + (2280x1080). The heart of the smartphone is an octa-core Kirin 659 processor (4 cores at 2.53 GHz, 4 more cores at 1.7 GHz) and a Mali-T830 GPU. In terms of memory, everything is at a good level, but without frills — 4 GB of RAM plus 64 GB of internal storage. This power is enough for most everyday tasks, but may not be enough for demanding games like "World Of Tanks" with high graphics settings.

In general, Huawei P20 Lite has everything to seriously compete for the title of “best among averages”. The only thing that raises questions is the appearance in the spirit of the iPhone X with a unibrow cutout. Someone will like such borrowing, someone, on the contrary, will be repelled. The second thing that this smartphone is criticized for is the bokeh effect, which inaccurately blurs the background when shooting portraits.

In 2018, LG G6 looks like an extremely interesting option in terms of price and quality. A year ago, it was a top smartphone that could do almost everything. Today, the G6, although it lost the lead due to the Galaxy S8, still looks profitable. It is powerful, stylish and knows a couple of tricks, and its price tag has practically gone down to the middle price segment.

The front panel design of the LG G6 is built around a large 5.7-inch IPS display (2880 x 1440 pixels), which occupies almost the entire front panel of the smartphone. And this is not an exaggeration, the frames around the LG G6 screen are really tiny, which sometimes makes it seem that you are holding just a big screen in your hand. Screen quality is top notch. A nice feature of the screen is that it supports HDR 10 technology, which makes the picture more saturated. However this thing works in a few applications like Netflix.

The filling of the LG G6 is controlled by the most powerful processor of the past generation — the 8-core Snapdragon 821 processor. Today it no longer sets records in synthetic tests, but in reality its power will be enough for tasks of any complexity for at least a couple more years. A separate plus is that the processor is cold, so the smartphone practically does not heat up even under heavy load.

The G6 still has a lot of aces up its sleeve that next-gen smartphones don't have. For example, damage protection according to the MIL-STD 810G standard, which is why the G6 is allowed for guys in the US Department of Defense and NATO. In addition, there is water and dust protection (class IP68), which has become the standard, thanks to which the G6 can be lowered to a depth of one and a half metres for 30 minutes. Another interesting feature of the G6 is the presence of a Hi-Fi Quad audio converter, which allows the smartphone to produce sound at the level of expensive Hi-Fi players. There's also Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging and a USB-C port.

OnePlus 6 is the latest version of the “flagship killer from China”, which, fortunately, did not kill anyone, but won its place on the shelves. And all because the manufacturer advertises this series as "smartphones with the best hardware at a price one and a half to two times lower than A-brands."

Usually, the best hardware available on the market is installed in the new OnePlus models. OnePlus 6 is no exception, which has a top-end dual camera (16 + 20 MP), the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and a giant Optic AMOLED screen with trendy 19: 9 proportions. The screen size is 6.28" with a resolution of 2280 by 1080 pixels, which brings the smartphone closer to the class of tablets. But due to the thin frames around the screen, the size of the case remains within reasonable limits, and the smartphone fits comfortably in the hand. Although, for people with small palms, it will still be too big.

In terms of functionality, OnePlus 6 meets the requirements of 2018: USB-C, fast charging, Face ID and the list goes on, but one and a half to two times cheaper than the Galaxy S8. Don't complain here. But the design of the case raises questions. Past OnePlus have been sturdy and heavy aluminium gadgets. The OnePlus 6 comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5. While the OnePlus 6 performs well in durability tests, the design necessitates the removal of water protection from the smartphone. Although, the manufacturer mentions some kind of water-repellent layer, which can protect the device from an accident.