We have officially entered the second half of 2021. Despite the frequent COVID-19 lockdowns putting constraints on the supply chain, the tech industry managed to churn out plenty of Value For Money and Innovative products over the past 6 months. And with COVID-19 slowly coming under control, we can expect the second half to be even more exciting.
From Honor going independent, OnePlus merging with OPPO to LG shutting down its smartphone division, the first half of 2021 was indeed very eventful. We also saw a bunch of new products from top brands in the market, like the OnePlus 9 Pro with Hasselblad cameras, Mi 11 Ultra with its massive camera setup, and even the new MatePad tablets with HarmonyOS on board.
With so many interesting products to choose from, here are our BEST Picks of 2021 so far.
BEST SMARTPHONES of 2021
2021 saw more powerful smartphones than ever before, thanks to the Snapdragon 888 chipset. Similarly, we got pretty good offerings in the affordable smartphone market as well. And unsurprisingly, 5G became a lot more accessible, thanks to smartphones like the Nord CE 5G.
So let’s take a look at which smartphones stood out in each price segment, starting with the premium category.
BEST PREMIUM SMARTPHONE 2021 – Mi 11 Ultra
Unless you have been living under a rock, you would have come across the Mi 11 Ultra in the first half of 2021. The phone had big shoes to fill after the explosive launch of the Mi 10 Ultra last year, and it did deliver on the hype with an improved camera setup on its back. The phone scored 143 on DxOMark, the best camera score by a smartphone to date. In our review, we found the Mi 11 Ultra’s cameras got key improvements over the Mi 10 Ultra, especially in the main and telephoto camera department. The 67W wired and wireless charging and an innovative secondary display ensure that the Mi 11 Ultra indeed offers the Best of Android in 2021.
Honorable Mention – Galaxy S21 Ultra
Can we skip this category without really naming the Galaxy S21 Ultra? We don’t think so.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra might not be a revolutionary device, nor does it have a fancy secondary display like the Mi 11 Ultra. However, it builds on last year’s S20 Ultra, fixing its flaws while retailing at a cheaper price tag than last year. It’s still very expensive, but if money is not a concern for you and if you want something from Samsung’s smartphone stable, the second Ultra device on this list — the Galaxy S21 Ultra will not disappoint. With the future of the Note series uncertain, S21 Ultra’s S-Pen support is definitely the cherry on the cake.
BEST FLAGSHIP SMARTPHONE of 2021 – Mi 11
Premium flagships are cool, but you know what’s cooler, saving some bucks and getting almost a similar high-end experience. This is where our regular flagships of 2021 come into the picture, and the Xiaomi Mi 11 is an easy pick in this category.
Despite being priced aggressively, the Mi 11 brings a premium experience to its users with an industry-leading 2K AMOLED display, capable 108MP camera setup, 55W wired + 50W wireless charging support for a large 4600mAh battery, and a powerful Snapdragon 888 chipset.
You can check out our Xiaomi Mi 11 review here.
Honorable Mention – OnePlus 9
If MIUI is not your fancy, the OnePlus 9 could be a pretty good alternative to the Mi 11 in 2021. The standard OnePlus flagship does everything right by offering a good Hasselblad calibrated triple camera setup, 65W fast wired charging with wireless charging support, and the same powerful Snapdragon 888 chip that powers the Mi 11.
BEST FLAGSHIP KILLER SMARTPHONE 2021 – Realme GT
Flagship killers have grown in popularity, and 2021 saw a bunch of extreme value-for-money devices. Our pick for this category would be none other than the Realme GT with its wide-scale availability and aggressive pricing.
If you want the powerful Snapdragon 888 experience with good cameras, vibrant display, and fast charging, the Realme GT 5G is the phone to get in 2021. The Snapdragon chip ensures that you get a flagship-grade gaming experience without breaking your bank.
You can read our Realme GT review here.
Honorable Mention – Redmi K40 Pro+
The Redmi K40 Pro+ aka the Mi 11X Pro or the Mi 11i would be the perfect alternative to the Realme GT if you are willing to shell out an additional €100. The phone offers similar hardware as the Realme GT, with slightly better cameras.
You can read our Redmi K40 Pro review here.
BEST CAMERA FLAGSHIP SMARTPHONE 2021 – Mi 11 Ultra
Need the best cameras on a smartphone in 2021?
Our pick is the Mi 11 Ultra. The versatile camera setup along with the optimized software ensures consistently crisp and colorful photos, be it from its standard, ultra-wide, or even the telephoto shooter. The phone also offers the best selfies on an Android phone using its rear cameras, thanks to the secondary display at the back.
In short, you’ll have a hard time finding a better Android camera than the Mi 11 Ultra.
Honorable Mention – Vivo X60 Pro+
We can’t move on to the next category without mentioning the Vivo X60 Pro+. The phone managed to impress us with its exceptional camera setup featuring the brand’s new gimbal camera tech. Be it videography or photography, the Vivo flagship is equipped to handle all your shooting needs with incredible clarity, realistic colors, and sharp focus. So, the Vivo X60 Pro+ definitely gets an honorable mention for the Best Camera Flagship category.
BEST GAMING FLAGSHIP SMARTPHONE of 2021 – Asus ROG Phone 5
For hardcore gamers, one phone that offered zero compromises in 2021 was the ASUS ROG Phone 5. If gaming is your priority, the ROG Phone 5 is your best pick in the first half of the year. The phone offers the best in class 144Hz AMOLED display with incredible touch response times, Snapdragon 888 with up to 16GB of RAM, and built-in gaming triggers to offer an unadulterated mobile gaming experience.
You can top this off with a bunch of gaming accessories, making it really hard for any other phone to dethrone this gaming monster.
Honorable Mention – Black Shark 4
If you want a gaming smartphone that doesn’t empty your pockets, look no further than the Black Shark 4. The phone brings the perfect balance between a gaming flagship and a standard smartphone, offering the best of both worlds. Make sure you get the official BlackShark Funcooler 2 pro cooling fan with this device, and you’ll be set for an immersive gaming experience with its pop-up shoulder triggers, class-leading audio, and powerful Snapdragon 870 chip.
Want to know more about the device? Check out our BlackShark 4 review.
BEST CHEAP 5G SMARTPHONE 2021 – NORD CE 5G
Cheap isn’t a word usually associated with OnePlus, but the brand’s new offering gets you the latest generation 5G network support at an affordable price point. The main highlight of the phone is its thin and lightweight body with Snapdragon 750G that ensures smooth performance. AMOLED display, 4500mAh battery with 33W charging, and OxygenOS ensure the Nord CE offers the cheapest entry into OnePlus’ phone ecosystem.
Honorable Mention – Mi 10i
If you don’t mind a bulky device or an IPS display, the Mi 10i goes head-to-head with the Nord CE with 5G support, 108MP cameras, and slightly cheaper pricing.
BEST MID-RANGE SMARTPHONE 2021 – Redmi Note 10 Pro (Global)
Many brands have tried to replicate what the Redmi Note series achieved in the mid-range segment in the past few years. However, you’ll still find it hard to beat the latest Redmi Note 10 Pro (be it CN or global versions).
With Snapdragon 732G on board, 64MP/108MP main cameras, AMOLED display, and a large 5000mAh battery, the Redmi Note 10 Pro offers the perfect balance of performance and value in its price segment.
You can read our Redmi Note 10 Pro review (CN) here.
BEST BUDGET SMARTPHONE 2021 – POCO M3
POCO is often called the king of the value segment and there’s no surprise that our pick for the Best Budget Smartphone of 2021 is the POCO M3. One of the biggest highlights of the POCO M3 is its refreshing design in its price segment. Top that off with good performance, a really long-lasting 6000mAh battery, and 48MP cameras, this is the phone to beat in the budget segment in 2021.
You can check out our POCO M3 review here.
