Here are the best smartphones of 2023

You don’t have to guess to know that new smartphones will be launched in 2023. However, many models were released at the end of 2022 and are still on the market for several months. Here are the best of them according to your budget.

While waiting for Mobile World Congress, the big mass of the mobile market, which will take place in Barcelona from February 27 to March 2, manufacturers are still keeping their future smartphones a secret. And if Samsung should be one of the first manufacturers to unveil on its new products, particularly the Galaxy S23, the first quarter promises to be busy. Meanwhile, lots of good deals are to be followed around the latest models releasing in late 2022. CNEWS brings here a selection of phones to suit all budgets.

The price stated refers to the recommended retail price and does not take into account the offers submitted by resellers.

Less than 500 euros

Vivo Y35

If Vivo was able to demonstrate its skills in the premium category a few months ago with its excellent X80 Pro (for 1,300 euros), in the entry-level market the Chinese brand is often very strong. . This is the case with the Y35. For less than 300 euros, this smartphone benefits from an up-to-date design, 256 GB of base memory (but expandable via Micro-SD), a 5,000 mAh battery, three rear photo sensors including the main 50 MPpixels and 5G, as well as a FullHD+ 6 display. .5 inches. An interesting technical sheet at this price level, though we can lament the lack of an ultra-wide angle.

Y35, Vivo, 279 euros

Motorola G82 5G

In 2021, Motorola made an interesting comeback in the French market and 2022 confirms the M brand’s desire to be a benchmark, especially in the mid-range. With the G82 5G, the manufacturer presents a phone with a beautiful 6,6-inch and 120 Hz OLED display for 330 euros. An attractive asset at this price level, for serious fans and moviegoers alike. The photo block is versatile. Very good value for money.

G82 5G, Motorola, € 329

no phone (1)

A newcomer to the smartphone market this year, the London brand Nothing stands out with a transparent phone, with a pop and simple design. Due to this transparency it is utilized for a luminous system reminiscent of a neon atmosphere. A set of colors is visible and allows, for example, to identify a correspondent by the associated color or even to know the battery charge level. The flawless 6.55-inch OLED display and 50 MPixel dual cameras each promise excellent performance. Something that stands out in this market, especially since the device relies heavily on recycled materials to give it a more environmentally responsible image.

Phone (1), None, from 469 euros

Realme GT Neo 3T Dragon ball Z edition

Realme is gradually establishing itself in the French market and is regularly placed among the manufacturers offering the best value for money. But the brand is also standing out by offering new collaborations. This is the case with GT NEO 3T Dragon Ball Z Edition which pays homage to the manga by taking on Son Goku’s clothing colors and symbols. A model that young people and fans of the Akira Toriyama series will appreciate with personalized icons and wallpapers. At the same time, Realme still offers a device that is worth the money because there is a large 120 Hz AMOLED screen that is especially interesting for gaming, tied to the Snapdragon 870 5G processor. Finally, fast charging promises to get the battery from 0 to 50% in 12 minutes.

GT NEO 3T Dragon Ball Z Edition, Realme, € 499.99

Less than 1000 euros

Honor 70

Refinedly finished, the new Honor 70 is in a pretty good position to woo, given its attractive price when you’re prepared to shell out around 500 euros for a smartphone. Moreover, the brand from China is currently surfing the TikTok trend for vloggers and video enthusiasts. Honor first relies on a beautiful, easy-to-see 6.67-inch OLED display and features an exclusive mode called SoloCut. The latter allows video to be recorded in a horizontal format, but isolates the main subject in time to display the vertical video in miniature. Then it will be possible to take two separate videos, one of which is ready to use for TikTok and Instagram Reels.

Honor 70, Honor, from 549 euros

Oppo Reno8

With its photo block elegantly blending into its back cover, the Oppo Reno 8 has a very successful design, giving it a high-end look without reaching an exorbitant price tag. At less than 600 euros, this is a complete model that will appeal to photo enthusiasts, serial eaters and gamers alike. The reason is that Oppo intends to look neat in the mid-range sector with a beautiful 6.4-inch AMOLED screen, quite elongated because it is in 20:9 format. In the photo block, there are three effective sensors, with good rendering on the side of the 50 Mpixel main sensor, while we find the classic ultra-wide-angle and macro sensors. Most importantly, Oppo relies on its battery that can last up to four years.

Reno 8, Oppo, 599 euros

Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro

These are two very well positioned phones offered by Google at the end of the year. The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are priced from 649 euros and 899 euros respectively, but there’s nothing to envy to the models over 1,000 euros. Their designs stand out in a highly sanitized market and their finishes are exemplary. The Pixel 7 features a 6.3-inch FHD display, while the 7 Pro sees life in a big way with a 6.7-inch QHD+ panel oscillating between 10 and 120 Hz. both cases of artificial intelligence provide excellent sharp shots. Note, Google is here providing free mobile security updates for five years. The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro will soon even be offered with an integrated VPN to increase personal data protection. “Services integrated into the Google One offering”, explains one at Google France.

Pixel 7, Google, 649 euros (128 GB) and 749 euros (256 GB), Pixel 7 Pro, 899 euros (128 GB) and 999 euros (256 GB)

Xiaomi 12T

The new phone from the Chinese brand Xiaomi, the 12T offers almost unbeatable value for money, as the brand has been able to bring real know-how to its devices in terms of finish and efficiency on the screen and photo side. If the Xiaomi 12T Pro model at a price of 1,099 euros is of course still superior, then the 12T which sells for 649 euros is positioned as a smartphone where compromise does not prevent it from being ambitious.

We also welcome the integration of a 5,000 mAh battery with a 120 W charger for a full recharge in around twenty minutes. Apart from that, the full photo suite includes a 108 Mpixel main sensor supported by an 8 Mpixel ultra wide angle (which could actually be even better) and a 2 Megapixel macro. The 6.67-inch AMOLED screen remains the highlight with a quality panel for enjoying video content.

12T, Xiaomi, 649 euros

Less than 1500 euros

Sony Xperia 5IV

After the exemplary Xperia 1 IV was released midway through the year, Sony is ushering in its younger sibling the Xperia 5 IV for the holiday season. A comfortable smartphone to hold thanks to the 6.1-inch 21:9 screen. The format is atypical in that it displays movies and series without black bars and makes it possible to offer panoramic views of certain games. Thus, the excellent OLED panel benefits from a 120 Hz refresh rate. Beyond the fun aspect, this Xperia remains a high-end model that delivers photo equipment in the standard over 1,000 euro model, with effective autofocus born of Sony’s know-how in this area. If definition remains contained at 12 MPpixels, both for the main sensor, but also ultra wide angle and telephoto lenses, even the front photo module for selfies, this quartet manages to deliver homogeneous photos. Very good smartphone.

Xperia 5 IV, Sony, € 1,049

APPLE IPHONE 14 AND 14 PRO

Apple’s iPhone at the end of the year is still a reference. However, the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro have slight changes compared to the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro in 2021. However, there are still important changes and a new format look with the iPhone 14 Plus. A model that stands out as it marks the arrival of the 6.7-inch large format, versus 6.1 for the iPhone 14. Here again Apple treats the flagship model, as the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus take advantage of one of the best OLED panels on the market, the always dashing A15 bionic processor. bold (same as iPhone 13) and clean and perfect photo gear.

However, we have to switch to the iPhone 14 Pro to go further upscale, as we find a new dynamic island that replaces the well-known notch. A nice visual signature, featuring a bit of useful information with iOS 16. Under the hood, the iPhone 14 and 14 Max rely on the A16 Bionic processor, one of the most powerful on the market. Finally, the photo block evolved with a 48MP main sensor, a first for Apple, for more versatility.

iPhone 14, Apple, from 1,019 euros, iPhone 14 Plus, from 1,169 euros, iPhone 14 Pro, from 1,329 euros and iPhone 14 Pro Max, from 1,479 euros.

Huawei Mate 50 Pro

Despite the absence of 5G on its smartphones, Huawei is still present in a sector that is no less controlled by it as well as two brands that it considers rivals: Apple and Samsung. And at the end of the year, the Mate 50 Pro is a photo beast. It is also a design signature that the Chinese manufacturer highlights with a circular ring featuring an imposing block on the rear hull. Huawei is talking about an “XMAGE” camera here, an internal technology that it describes as an “ultra-wide focal aperture” camera. In fact, this is a great innovation because photographers can play with 10 variations with apertures ranging from f/1.4 to f/4. An amplitude that, as with a mirrorless camera, makes it possible to suit the shot to the scene in the best possible way, to make it as faithful as possible. A very clear point for the bokeh (background blur) effect which is more controlled here than on the iPhone 14 Pro.

Mate 50 Pro, Huawei, € 1,199

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

This is a stellar phone at Samsung. After the highly regarded Galaxy Z Flip3 last year, the South Korean brand is offering a replacement for the Z Flip4 and continuing its foray into the foldable smartphone segment. A segment that has been the only one Samsung has carried since 2019, although competition will soon join. Once unfolded, we benefit here from a 6.7-inch display with a 22:9 ratio on a 120 Hz panel. Samsung has also enriched the experience associated with the foldable model’s small front display which offers more interaction and better readability. The photos section is always of very good quality, although it can be criticized for being a notch below other smartphones over 1000 euros. A model that is always practical and does not leave you indifferent when there is still too much competition based on the same design.

Galaxy Z Flip4, Samsung, from 1109 euros