2023 has almost come to an end. Which means, it’s also time for a roundup of the best products that were announced this year.
The year wasn’t ideal for smartphone brands. Most brands saw a steady decline in the sales across all major markets. In fact, most of the developed markets like US, Western Europe, and Japan saw double digit decline in a the first couple of quarters. Factors like longer replacement cycles, innovation convergence, and a growing demand for refurbished devices contributed to this decline.
Despite the harsh market conditions, 2023 also saw a steady launch of interesting smartphones across all categories. Foldables in general were doing well, with the second quarter experiencing 10% YoY growth.
We were able to review most of the big smartphones that came out in the last 12 months. This helped us see which models are the best in each area.
So, its the time to announce Gizmochina’s Best Smartphones of the Year 2023 Awards.
Here’s our list of the Best Smartphones of Year 2023.
Table of Contents
Best Versatile Premium Smartphone
Huawei Mate60 RS Master
First up in the list is the Huawei Mate 60 RS Master, part of Huawei’s new ultra-premium lineup that was launched in September 2023.
Design is definitely one the biggest selling phones of the flagship, drawing its inspiration from last year’s Mate 50 RS Porsche Design. It features the same octagonal camera module at the back and made of a ceramic body, adorned by an aluminum frame. The phone clearly screams premium despite its limited availability and is one of the best looking smartphones of 2023.
Apart from the excellent design, the phone features a 6.82-inch flat OLED LTPO display, offering a 2720 x 1260 resolution and an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz. It also comes with a sophisticated camera system with a 48MP primary camera, 40MP ultra-wide, and a 48MP ultra-macro telephoto lens, supporting up to 100x digital zoom. Not to forget the phone is powered by the mysterious Kirin 9000s chipset and 16GB of RAM, offering 512GB or 1TB storage options.
With these specs and design, picking the Huawei Mate 60 RS Master as the Best Veratile Premium Flagship phone of 2023 was pretty easy for us.
Best Flagship Smartphone
Galaxy S23 Ultra
Samsung has maintained its reputation as one of the best smartphone brands over the years. So its no surprise that its most premium flagship, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is our pick for the Best Flagship Smartphone of 2023.
The tried and tested Galaxy brand got its most mature smartphone model with the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The phone is one of the most well rounded Android flagships in the market in 2023, excelling at everything right from the design, processing, cameras, to batteries.
Camera would be one of its biggest selling points, featuring a fantastic 200MP ISOCELL HP2 sensor, complemented by a 12MP wide-angle camera with a 120-degree field of view. It also has two 10MP telephoto cameras offering 3x and 10x optical zoom. The camera system includes optical image stabilization (OIS), laser autofocus, and Super Resolution Zoom, with 30x and 100x digital zoom recommendations.
You just can’t go wrong getting the Galaxy S23 Ultra in 2023.
However, we think there’s one more phone that deserves a mention in this category – the OPPO Find X6 Pro.
We loved the phone when we reviewed it ,featuring the impressive Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, fast 100W wired and 50W wireless charging capabilities, and the innovative features of Color OS. This phone has no significant drawbacks, which is a testament to its robust design and technology.
Overall, if you want something premium and alternative to the S23 Ultra, the Find X6 Pro won’t disappoint.
Best camera phone
Xiaomi 13 Ultra
Xiaomi 13 Ultra’s unique design is not just for show as it also performs like a true camera. It wasn’t a joke when we ended our review with the words “Xiaomi 13 Ultra is our favorite camera of the year” because the photos from the device were simply too good.
While the phone may not be a jack of all, it is definitely the master of smartphone photography in 2023, making it the Best Camera Smartphone of the Year.
Another excellent option in this category would the Vivo X100 Pro, which we reviewed very recently. The big cameras along with good performance and battery life makes sure that the phone gets an honorable mention in this category.
Best Smartphone for Filming
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhones have always been hailed for their excellent video shooting capabilities. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that our pick for the Best Phone for Filiming in 2023 is the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max excels in video shooting with various lenses and modes like Action and Cinematic, providing stable and professional-quality recordings. Its unique post-shoot focus adjustment is a highlight, compensating for the absence of 8K video. The device offers 4K recording at 60fps and cinematic 4K at 24fps, with excellent stabilization and slow-motion capabilities. Its audio capture quality is notable, and the phone performs exceptionally in both daylight and low-light conditions, maintaining detail, color accuracy, and dynamic range.
Best Designed Smartphone
Tecno Phantom V Flip
The Tecno Phantom V Flip is one of the best looking foldable smartphones of 2023. The beautiful color options, with the large round display, makes for an aesthetic phone in your hand.
That’s why we think its the best designed smartphone of 2023.
Featuring all the major features you would expect from a smartphone this year, the phone is not just about its looks.
Tecno Phantom V Flip brings a 1.32-inch cover display with a 466 x 466 resolution AMOLED panel. On the inside, the phone features a 6.9-inch FHD+ (1080 x 2460 pixels) flexible LTPO AMOLED panel with a 20.5:9 aspect ratio, 1000 nits peak brightness, and up to 120Hz refresh rate. There’’s the MediaTek Dimensity 8050 5G chipset inside and a 64MP primary shooter with a 13MP ultrawide sensor and a 32MP selfie camera.
Another beautiful smartphone that’s worth an honorable mention is the Meizu 21. The phone carries forward the minimalistic design of the brand with multiple colors, offering a real stripped down smartphone design experience.
Best Rugged Smartphone
Doogee V30 Pro
Over the past few years, Doogee has garnered a reputation for releasing innovative rugged devices. In fact, recently, their phones have blurred the lines between a traditional flagship and a rugged smartphone, featuring high-end specs in a tough form factor.
The Doogee V30 Pro is the best premium rugged phone from this brand this year, featuring a Samsung 200MP main camera for high-quality, detailed photos, 32GB RAM for smooth gaming and multitasking, and a 6.58″ FHD+ screen for clear visuals. The phone is rugged, with scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 5 and certifications for dust and water resistance. It also offers immersive audio with dual stereo speakers, a large 10800mAh battery for extended use, and supports 33W fast charging.
The Doogee V30 Pro was an easy choice for our Best Rugged Phone of 2023 Award.
The AGM G2 gets an honorable mention in this list, all thanks to its premium features. Being a rugged phone, its waterproof, shockproof, and dustproof, but also adds a large 108MP main camera at the back paired with a 20MP Night Vision sensor, and a long-range autofocus thermal camera.
Overall, the AGM G2 is another powerful option in the rugged phone segment in 2023.
Best Gaming Smartphone
Redmagic 9 Pro
The Redmagic 9 Pro gets the well deserved Best Gaming Smartphone 2023 Award from Gizmochina.
The phone looks like a device from the future. The experience of viewing this phone from the front is outstanding, with extremely narrow bezels, coupled with an under-screen camera and square screen proportions delivering an unrivaled visual.
RedMagic 9 Pro has everything a gamer could want – great performance, cool looks, big battery, bypass charging, and more. This is definitely the ultimate gaming device that gamers will find hard to resist.
Best Innovative Smartphone
Huawei Mate60 Pro
The Huawei Mate 60 Pro was the biggest surprise launch of 2023. Despite the numerous challenges posed by the US trade ban, Huawei managed to release a powerful and innovative smartphone, even surpassing some of the more established players.
For example, the Mate 60 Pro comes with BDS Satellite Calling, a first for normal-sized smartphone. Its robust build features Kunlun Glass, blending aluminum alloy with an ultra-tough body for durability and signal strength. The Mate 60 series also introduced Huawei’s NearLink technology, surpassing traditional wireless tech in performance and efficiency. Moreover, the phone features the Kirin 9000s chipset showing Huawei’s resilience and innovation.
HarmonyOS, with AI subtitles, SuperHub, and Scan input, further enhances the user experience with unique, user-focused features.
With all these innovative add-ons, it was an easy decision to crown the Huawei Mate 60 Pro as the Best Innovative Smartphone of 2023.
Best Co-branded Smartphone
realme 10 Pro Coca Cola
The Realme 10 Pro 5G Coca-Cola Edition, a limited-edition collaboration with Coca-Cola, features the iconic design of the Coca Cola brand.
It sports a matte finish on the back panel designed to mimic the feel of a Coke can, resistant to scratches and fingerprints. The phone’s packaging mirrors this theme, with a black-red color scheme and a cropped Coca-Cola logo. It includes special items like Coca-Cola themed DIY stickers, a custom SIM card needle shaped like a bottle cap, and a limited number card indicating its unique edition number out of 6,000 units.
With detailed customizations and goodies, the Realme 10 Pro 5G Coca Cola Edition is our pick for the Best Co-branded Smartphone of 2023.
Best Foldable Smartphone
OnePlus Open / Oppo Find N3
Foldable phones have matured over the past few years and the offerings from OPPO have also improved significantly. This year’s Find N3 featured a larger and better screen (crease is near invisible), and of course the biggest improvement being the camera department, which blew our minds. The OPPO Find N3 is clearly one of the best foldable smartphones of 2023, an even better one if you consider the cameras.
That’s why we have decided to pick the Oppo Find N3 (aka OnePlus Open) as the Best Foldable Smartphone of 2023.
Best Flip Foldable Phone
Vivo X Flip
Vivo’s first flip smartphone offering this year turned out to be a surprise hit despite its limited availability. The phone featured a more than useful cover display, with excellent batteries and an even better camera setup.
It was definitely one of the best flip phones available in 2023, and for a first attempt in the new segment, Vivo has managed to impress us all.
Thats why we think the Vivo X Flip deserves the Best Flip Foldable Smartphone of 2023 Award.
Best Feature-Packed Flagship Killer
Poco F5 Pro
Flagship killer as a category might not be as popular as before, but there are phones like the Poco F5 Pro which clearly fits the category. The phone provides incredible value for its price, featuring the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, high refresh rate OLED screen, fast wired and wireless charging, and superior build quality.
It’s one of the best options in its category with a lot of useful features, deserving the title of the Best Feature Packed Flagship killer of 2023.
Best Performance Mid-ranger
Poco F5
In the mid-range category, the Poco F5 stands out as the best performer. The phone features an excellent display and dual stereo speakers, with the SD7+G2 chip for top-tier performance. Its heat management system allows for extended gaming sessions without overheating issues.
While the camera performance is adequate rather than outstanding, the Poco F5 overall offers a well-rounded package, including a two-year warranty in the Indian market. Despite competition from the Motorola Edge 40 and Samsung Galaxy A54 5G in this sgment, the Poco F5 remains a dominant choice, particularly in terms of performance within its price range, making it a deserving candidate for the Best Performance Mid-ranger of 2023.
Best Affordable Smartphone
Tecno Spark 20 Pro
The Tecno Spark 20 Pro is one fo the most affordable smartphones of 2023. The phone features a 6.78-inch IPS LCD with FHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and a center-aligned punch-hole cutout that shows status and notifications similar to dynamic island. It has a triple camera setup with a 108MP main sensor and a 32MP selfie camera.
For the price, the phone offers excellent value for your money, making it the right choice for our Best Affordable Smartphone of 2023.
Best Budget 5G Smartphone
Redmi 12 5G
The Redmi 12 5G was an easy pick for our Best Budget 5G Phone award in 2023. The phone stands out with its design in its price segment, with a large and bright 6.79-inch LCD display. Despite the pricing, the hardware is capable to run apps without any hiccups. The MIUI 14 based on Android 13 is also very smooth, without any intrusive ads or uninstallable bloatware.
Overall, you get an excellent 5G experience at an unbeatable price tag. It’s hard to beat the value you get with the Redmi 12 5G in 2023.
So these were our picks for the Best Smartphones of 2023 Award!
As you can see, most brands managed to churn out pretty impressive devices all round the year. But things are going to get a lot more interesting, with the smartphone market finally showing signs of revival in 2023.
