Editor’s Choice — the winner is…

What a yr 2020 has been. One welcome gentle within the darkness of those previous 12 months was the launch of tons of fantastic telephones. Yet, just one can take residence the title of Android Authority’s greatest smartphone of the yr.

Even with out the compelled changes as a result of ongoing world pandemic, 2020 was a yr of main change for the cell trade. We noticed contemporary type elements emerge with the rebirth of clamshells, spinning telephones with two screens, and a tease of what rollables may seem like. A handful of foldables that lastly felt ok (and durable sufficient) to genuinely take into account shopping for made an look too.

We additionally noticed 5G take middle stage with its continued rollout. There had been even new value tiers of smartphones with $1,000+ ultra-premium telephones, tremendous mid-rangers, and even a very price range iPhone! Cats and canines. Mass hysteria.

2020 was a torrid yr for a lot of, however we at the least had some superb smartphones.

2020 was additionally a yr of change for us right here at Android Authority. If you’re a daily, you’ve little question seen us step by step broaden our scope past cell because the years have passed by. We’ve usually introduced you all the most recent information and evaluation within the audio, sensible residence, and computing classes, however we’ve expanded even additional this yr to take a look at gaming, streaming, and far, way more.

Next yr we’ll be reflecting on that change once we come to awards season. Moving ahead, we need to present like to the perfect the buyer tech world has to supply. Of course, we received’t ever cease bringing you the most effective protection of the cell platform everyone knows and love — Android!

With that mentioned, it’s time to crown our Editor’s Choice smartphone of the yr. As ever, we’re operating two awards — one determined by us (Editor’s Choice) and the opposite decided by you, our great readers (Reader’s Choice).

Here, we’re counting down the highest 5 telephones chosen by members of our evaluations and options groups at Android Authority. Head additional all the way down to see which cellphone you selected for the Reader’s Choice award!

How we determined and why

As with our mid-year award, this yr we mixed uncooked knowledge gleaned from Android Authority‘s objective testing suite with real-world considerations to determine an overall winner.

Thanks to our testing team, we were able to pick through crucial data on display accuracy, camera quality, audio clarity, as well as sustained performance and battery life. This was achieved through a custom version of Speed Test G designed by our very own Gary Sims of Gary Explains.

Each phone represented here reached or surpassed a threshold in our testing, proving their superiority versus dozens of rival handsets across various price tiers. However, we also wanted to factor in the intangible elements that separate good phones from great ones. These include software support, build quality, value, availability, and more.

To determine our winner, we balanced our objective testing with seasoned, subjective analysis.

That’s the place our seasoned editorial workforce stepped in — a workforce with sufficient expertise to look past a specs sheet full of huge, horny numbers or enticingly low value tags (or certainly each). We solid judgments with a watch on the larger image of the ever-changing smartphone panorama.

The voting was extraordinarily shut this yr. There had been some surprises alongside the best way, however we lastly arrived at 5 telephones that every one deserve the very highest reward. One undisputed champion rose above the remaining.

Without additional ado and counting all the way down to the general winner of our Editor’s Choice 2020 award, these are Android Authority’s smartphones of the yr.

Fifth place: Sony Xperia 5 II

In our overview, we put it on the market that the Xperia 5 II could be the most effective cellphone Sony has ever made. Considering the Japanese OEM’s ailing fortunes lately, that will sound like faint reward. However, its presence right here reveals that’s completely not the case. In reality, it narrowly beat out the OnePlus 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus by only a single vote. That’s some critical competitors.

The Xperia 5 II distilled all that was nice in regards to the Xperia 1 II — itself a notable improve over earlier Xperia telephones — lowered it to a extra compact type issue. It dropped the value to a much more enticing sub-$1,000 tag in addition.

Everything you should know: Sony Xperia 5 II purchaser’s information

As a {hardware} bundle, the Xperia 5 II is solely unbelievable. The 120Hz show could also be Full HD+, however the elongated OLED panel delivers an virtually Samsung-level expertise with stable peak brightness, colour accuracy, and really low gamma error. The basic efficiency and triple digicam are equally nice, as is the colossal battery life. It pushed virtually 5 hours even in our most excessive stress check — very practically matching common utilization for a typical flagship smartphone. There’s even a headphone jack.

Sony’s slimline cellphone might’ve ranked even increased, however legacy software program points — notably the complicated digicam app scenario — prevented it from difficult for high honors. If Sony can repair these, then the sky’s the restrict.

Fourth place: Oppo Find X2 Pro

This is one for the books. The Oppo Find X2 Pro not solely blew our expectations out of the water in 2020, nevertheless it additionally ended up besting the OnePlus 8 Pro within the battle of the BBK-affiliated manufacturers.

OnePlus’ flagship (our mid-2020 winner, no much less) remains to be a unbelievable cellphone, however our love affair sadly pale over time. Meanwhile, our affection for the Find X2 Pro grew, capturing a particular place in our hearts.

It’s not arduous to see why both. Unlike its sister model, Oppo’s tuning of the BBK-exclusive Sony IMX689 sensor proved to be elegant. The cellphone persistently ranked close to the highest of our digicam testing. The Find X2 Pro matched and in some circumstances bested the general chief, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro. That’s fairly an accomplishment.

Our verdict: Oppo Find X2 Pro overview

Throw in spectacular efficiency stats, fast charging (slightly below 45 minutes from zero to 100%), and a cool, color-accurate QHD+ AMOLED show, and also you’ve acquired your self a high flagship. It could not have the innovation issue of its slider-toting predecessor, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a looker, particularly the good-looking vegan leather-based mannequin.

If Oppo is ready to proceed delivering aggressive flagships like this, we will’t wait to see what’s in retailer in 2021 with the Find X3 collection.

Third place: Google Pixel 4a

The follow-up to 2019’s Editor’s Choice award winner, the Pixel 4a took the blueprint of the beloved Pixel 3a and someway made it much more enticing.

Compared to the powerhouse units of 2020, its Snapdragon 730 chipset was by no means going to set the world on fireplace. Yet, elsewhere the Pixel 4a punches properly above its weight. This is especially true of its stellar show, with very excessive peak brightness (720 nits), wonderful colour accuracy, and low gamma error.

Everything you should know: Google Pixel 4a purchaser’s information

Despite sluggish charging, battery life can be respectable and, once more, it’s good to see a headphone jack on any cellphone in 2020. Then there’s the 12MP digicam that after once more brings Google’s applauded computational pictures to the price range phase.

Speaking of price range, the Pixel 4a hit the market with an MSRP of simply $349. It is probably not essentially the most flashy cellphone of the yr, however its unbelievable worth blows out different comparable telephones just like the OnePlus Nord with an plain pairing of wonderful {hardware} with wonderful software program.

Second place: Google Pixel 4a 5G

Coming in only one vote forward of its 5G-less sibling, the Google Pixel 4a 5G supplied a lot greater than its awkwardly affixed moniker would counsel.

Much just like the Pixel 4a, the show is astonishingly good, however the battery life is even higher. Even our intense stress check couldn’t cease the cellphone hitting slightly below six hours of display screen on time. The digicam additionally enjoys a welcome improve with a secondary ultra-wide shooter. While the Pixel 5’s pictures suite faltered somewhat this yr as others caught up, that very same digicam module shines right here. The digicam expertise is leaps and bounds above anything within the sub-$500 area, together with Apple’s iPhone SE.

Everything you should know: Google Pixel 4a 5G purchaser’s information

That was the case throughout the board too. While there have been some nice mid-range telephones in 2020 just like the Poco F2 Pro and Realme X50 Pro — toting flagship processors in addition — they couldn’t match the imaginative and prescient of Google’s completely balanced center youngster. The incontrovertible fact that our workforce resoundingly shunned Google’s 2020 flagship for the sweet-spot-hitting Pixel 4a 5G speaks volumes.

Stupid identify be damned, the Pixel 4a 5G was Google’s greatest cellphone of 2020. Arguably its greatest ever… nevertheless it nonetheless couldn’t topple the last word winner of our 2020 Editor’s Choice award.

Android Authority‘s Editor’s Choice 2020 winner: Samsung Galaxy S20 FE

Samsung launched an insane quantity of telephones in 2020, nevertheless it was its final massive launch of the yr that stole the present.

Launched in an understated vogue only a month after the headline-grabbing Note 20 collection and the Galaxy Z Fold 2 (the most effective foldable of the yr, no query), the Galaxy S20 Fan Edition 5G (to present it it’s full identify) was the proper reply to a yr the place the commoditization of smartphones reached fever pitch.

On one hand, you had the Ultras, the Pro Pluses, and the Pro Maxes — eye-wateringly costly luxurious flagships bursting with energy and bloated with further extras. This, mixed with rising value tags throughout the trade, pushed plenty of patrons in direction of the steadily bettering mid-range.

That wasn’t the one choice although. 2020 noticed the rise of a brand new class of tremendous mid-rangers — such because the Pixel 5 and LG Velvet. They eschewed flagship energy however nonetheless delivered premium design and options.

The Galaxy S20 FE would not essentially excel in anybody space, nevertheless it completely smashes expectations in all of them.

At a look, the Galaxy S20 FE seems to fit properly into this class with its $699 price ticket. But, no, this can be a good quaint flagship killer with bleeding-edge silicon — one which beat out its personal Galaxy S20 members of the family in our collective voting.

With the S20 FE, you don’t need to closely compromise in a selected space to save lots of just a few {dollars}. Its triple digicam can’t fairly grasp with the perfect of the yr, nevertheless it’s a punchy and splendidly versatile setup. The “glasstic” construct isn’t as premium as glass, nevertheless it’s way more sturdy. Samsung’s skilled craftsmanship nonetheless shines by way of.

The Galaxy S20 FE is blazing quick, too. The Snapdragon 765G could have risen to prominence in 2020, however the Snapdragon 865 remains to be the place it’s at if you need true top-tier efficiency. As for these much less lucky that don’t get the Snapdragon mannequin, the 4G-only Exynos variant nonetheless fortunately retained plenty of the FE 5G’s greatest qualities, although it’s an inferior model total.

Samsung’s show pedigree is on present with its impeccable 120Hz panel. It drops the decision to FHD+, however delivers on brightness and accuracy. This is topped off with aggressive battery life, wi-fi and reverse wi-fi charging, 5G mmWave assist, UFS 3.0 storage, a microSD slot, an IP68 score, and Samsung’s One UI pores and skin that continues to mature over time.

The few trade-offs that the Galaxy S20 FE makes are exquisitely balanced in opposition to its approachable retail value. While it doesn’t really excel past the elite units of 2020 in anybody space, it meets and surpasses expectations in all of them.

In a yr the place many telephones appeared laser-targeted on a particular viewers — be it frugal patrons, early adopters, or energy customers — the Galaxy S20 FE was the cellphone for everybody. You can in all probability even purchase it in your favourite colour, because the cellphone broke the monochrome monotony with its brilliant colorways.

Samsung referred to as its reasonably priced S20 the Fan Edition — and you’ll depend us amongst them. The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is the deserved winner of Android Authority’s Editor’s Choice award.

What in regards to the Reader’s Choice award?

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is our decide for the most effective smartphone of 2020. Did you agree with us? Find out by testing our Reader’s Choice award beneath!

What was your favourite smartphone of 2020? Find out the Reader’s Choice 2020 winner proper right here

Also, make sure to try our 2020 retrospective articles beneath for extra on a number of the greatest telephones of the yr: