It’s that time of year again: a time for reflection and a great opportunity to look back on another great year, full of interesting devices. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the indisputably best part of my job is the opportunity to experience the latest and greatest technology at all times. The list you’re about to read is about phones that have made a lasting impression on me over the past 12 months.
As such, these phones aren’t necessarily the best around, nor do I pretend to offer any actual buying advice. These devices impressed me for one reason or another.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has been my daily driver since its launch in February. It has been a faithful companion with no major complaints from me. I still maintain that I’m not actually a Samsung fanboy, even though my device’s track record tells a different story. However, the S23 Ultra, replaced by the S22 Ultra, which was a direct replacement for the Galaxy Note20 Ultra, which in turn replaced my beloved Galaxy Note9 once it finally died on me. The list goes on, but you get the point.
The thing is, over the years I’ve really gotten used to the Samsung way and One UI. Switching between phones for reviews, things can get very hectic, which is why I like to keep things very simple on the personal front. My app loading, while very broad and varied, is generally the same from phone to phone, as are my shortcuts, including things like smart home automation within Samsung SmartThings. Heck, I haven’t even changed the wallpaper on four or even five personal phones. The point is, I like consistency, and the S23 Ultra delivers on that front.
I basically think of it as a familiar tool that’s always in my pocket, always reliable, and works as intended, so I can get my tasks done quickly and efficiently. While calling a glorious piece of engineering like the S23 Ultra a “tool” may seem demeaning, it is truly the highest form of praise in my world. For me it simply faded into the background, quietly, reliably and consistently doing its job without a hitch. That’s what I wanted, and that’s what I got.
Samsung Galaxy A34
While it’s easy to praise a top-notch device like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the reality is that most people don’t need one and, frankly, shouldn’t spend that much on a phone. Top stocks make headlines, but good midrangers move actual volumes. As such, I feel that the always solid Samsung Galaxy A series often deserves some praise.
Just like last year, I believe the true “value” of the Galaxy A line can be found in the “middle child” Galaxy A34. Some of its highlights include an IP67 ingress protection rating on a body with Gorilla Glass 5 front glass. There’s also a great 6.6-inch 120Hz Super AMOLED display, a stereo speaker setup, and a great 5,000 mAh battery with 25W charging, which we found to offer excellent battery life.
I upgraded both of my parents to Galaxy A33 units last year, and it’s not time for an upgrade yet, but my reasoning for buying an A33 applies to the A34 in full force. I’ve found that from my experience, most things seem to work out of the box with Samsung’s custom UX and hardware better than average. I can count on additional features such as OTG and Android Auto working as expected, which is not always the case with other manufacturers.
Asus Zenfone 10
Looking back on my previous five phones, I almost feel like I’m becoming a little bland and predictable. But what can I say, I like what I like, and it’s usually a phone with a clear purpose. This is true of the Zenfone family: a Zenfone is one of the few viable choices if you want a true flagship in a compact form factor.
Also, personally, over the years, I have grown to love and admire Asus for its excellent products. Although small in number, in my opinion the Taiwanese giant’s telephone line is exquisite. Every time a new ROG Phone comes through the door, I’m all over it for an in-depth review, and every time I immediately wonder whether to adopt it as my daily driver. And that’s not something that happens to me with many phones these days.
The latest Zenfone 10 is fully equipped, as usual. You get a tough, small IP68-certified body with an aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass Victus on the front. The display has a modest 5.92-inch diagonal but also a 144 Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support and plenty of brightness. The Zenfone 10 also has stereo speakers and other flagship goodies like 15W wireless charging. A full Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset beats inside this compact body, along with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage space. Asus hasn’t skimped on the camera setup either, with an OIS gimbal on the main 50MP snapper. The battery is a respectable 4,300 mAh unit with 30W charging support.
I’ve personally recommended the Zenfone 10 on at least three occasions this year. It’s truly my go-to for a compact flagship, and for that alone, it deserves a place on the list.
Xiaomi Poco F5
I wanted to give this place in my list to one of Xiaomi’s increasingly popular mid-range budget devices and I really debated between the Poco F5 and the Redmi Note 12. I ultimately landed on the Poco F5 as I feel its value proposition is very difficult to beat or even match.
I think the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chipset is a fantastic mid-range chip and represents a small step back from flagship territory, as a true midranger should be. It has plenty of performance to offer and doesn’t skimp on connectivity or its ISP, with adequate support for 4K video capture, among other things.
The Poco F5 also offers in the display department a 12-bit 120Hz HDR10+ and Dolby Vision certified panel with lots of brightness. You really can’t do much better with a current midrange. You also get a good stereo speaker setup and a powerful 5,000mAh battery with 67W fast charging. There’s OIS on the 64MP main camera too.
Overall, the Poco F5 is a very complete device with very few compromises. It’s exactly the kind of device that comes to mind when most people ask me for phone advice since it’s so good and universal for most.
Tecno Spark 10 Pro
I wanted to dedicate the last place in my top five to Transsion Holdings as a whole and its Infinix and Tecno brands. These are doing incredibly well lately and gaining a lot of popularity, especially in the budget segment, where the largest volumes of products are moved.
Again, I debated a lot about whether to highlight the Techno Spark 10 Pro or the Tecno Pova 5 Pro, as I personally purchased two units of the latter for relatives last year. I ultimately landed on the Spark 10 Pro as it is by far the most popular device. In fact, it’s one of the most popular 2023 phones in our database, which is an achievement in itself.
It’s pretty impressive that for just €150 these days you can get a 90Hz display, a decent MediaTek Helio G88 chipset and a pretty solid 50MP main and 32MP selfie camera setup. There’s also 1440p video capture on both sides, whereas most other devices in this price range only offer 1080p. 128GB of onboard storage, expandable via a dedicated microSD slot, is also a good deal at this price. The same goes for the 5,000 mAh battery, for which we obtained excellent battery endurance results from our tests.
Honorable mentions – Samsung Galaxy S23 FE, Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+
Personally I like what Samsung is doing with its FE models. In fact, I believe that for most people, an “FE class” device or something like a “flagship killer” is about as premium as they need to be in making purchasing decisions. A full-fledged flagship is brilliant and interesting, but nowadays the prices have become ridiculous and it’s no secret that you can’t get twice as great a user experience for twice the price.
The Galaxy S23 FE has a superb look, which reflects Samsung’s current design language. It also looks great and offers stellar build quality with an aluminum chassis, Gorilla Glass 5 on both the front and back, and an IP68 rating. Its display is truly flagship-level, with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ support, and 1,450 nits of peak brightness. The S23 FE also shines in the camera department with a 50MP main snapper, a dedicated 3x telephoto lens, and OIS on both cameras, as well as a 12MP ultrawide. While both the Exynos 2200 and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the international and US variants of the device are good chips, I personally prefer the Qualcomm one, for what it’s worth.
I also feel the need to mention the Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 series in some way as I believe that once it makes its international debut on January 4, it will be ready to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor and become incredibly popular among users. I am particularly looking forward to the Redmi Note 13 Pro+. It looks like a stunning “flagship killer” class device with specs like an aluminum chassis, Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and IP68 protection, stereo speakers, a gorgeous 6.67-inch HDR display, 120 Hz, a powerful 200 OIS display MP enabled main camera and a 5,000mAh battery with massive 120W fast charging.
This concludes my highlights of 2023. I hope you found my reflections interesting, and if you want to discuss any of the points raised, I’ll be lurking in the comments.
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