Phone brands these days have come a long way since the days of Nokia and BlackBerry. It is no longer enough to have a good set of features or the best camera.
Now it’s all about user experience. A phone needs to be easy to use and should make the user feel special. With all this being said, it is clear that users are looking for something unique in their phones. Be it a small feature or design language, people want a device that stands out from the crowd.
Here’s our list of the best phone brands in the world to watch out for in 2021-2022:
10. HTC
HTC is a very well-known brand in the smartphone industry. It was one of the first brands to introduce smartphones with fingerprint sensors, and its new HTC U11+ received mostly positive reviews from critics. However, it seems like the company has been struggling financially lately due to competition from Apple, Samsung, and Google’s Android flagship phones; as a result, it had to lay off 15% of its staff earlier this year–something that doesn’t bode well for any brand. However, HTC is still very relevant as one of the best brands of value phones.
9. LG
LG’s phones are also popular in the smartphone industry and often receive positive reviews from critics; however, like HTC, LG has struggled financially as of late. In 2017 alone, it had to cut its workforce by 10%. Despite this setback, though, we’re certain that this South Korean company will make a comeback through innovation. Its latest flagship phone model V30 still received mostly positive reviews from critics and can even record videos in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second.
8. Google Pixel/Nexus
The list of best phone brands will now focus on the Android phones, which include Google’s Pixel and Nexus series. These days, the company has been focusing on more premium devices such as the Pixel 2 XL; however, they’re also known for their mid-range devices such as the new Pixel 3a line. The latest models feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor paired with 4 GB of RAM and either 64 or 128 GB of internal storage.
7. OnePlus
The Nexus and Pixel series were made by Google, but the OnePlus phones are made by a Chinese brand called Oppo that’s partnered with Cyanogen Inc. since 2015 to sell devices under the “OnePlus” brand name in India, European countries, and China. The company is known for its affordable flagship phones such as the new OnePlus 7 Pro model which comes with an AMOLED display and dual-rear cameras; however, it’s not very popular in the United States.
6. Essential/Essential Phone
The Essential phone was made by Andy Rubin, who also created Android OS and helped Google release its first smartphone model Nexus One back in 2010. The company had some troubles with production last year; however, we’re certain that it’ll make a comeback soon as Rubin is one of the industry’s best innovators. We can’t wait to see what he has planned for this company. Essential is also one of the best brands of phones in India.
5. BlackBerry
Despite its low popularity in recent years, the company still continues to release new smartphone models such as their latest Blackberry Key2 model which was made with security in mind and features a physical keyboard that lets users type faster without having to look at the screen. On top of this, it runs on Android OS 8.1 Oreo and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor paired with 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage space. The phone is definitely a great choice for those who want to improve their typing speed.
4. Lenovo/Motorola
Lenovo’s Motorola division has been releasing flagship phones since 2011; however, it didn’t hit the mark at first because of its poor hardware quality and slow software updates. However, the company’s latest Moto Z3 Play model received mostly positive reviews from critics due to its high-end specs like Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor paired with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage space.
3. Nokia/HMD Global
Nokia was once the top smartphone brand in the world, but it fell behind after Microsoft acquired its company back in 2013 and released a series of Lumia devices that failed to stand out from other competitors like Apple, Samsung, and Google’s Android flagship phones. Contrary to these companies, HMD Global has been releasing more affordable models such as the new Nokia 1 which features an entry-level Snapdragon 210 processor paired with 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal storage space. However, it’s still a great device for those who want to buy the cheapest Android smartphone on the market.
2. Apple
Apple is considered one of the best brands in today’s smartphone industry because they have always made premium devices that are simple yet elegant; however, there has been no innovation since 2014 when they released their iPhone 6 model due to them being behind in terms of hardware specs such as camera quality and screen size. Even so, Apple’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models are still the most popular smartphones in the world.
1. Samsung Galaxy S10/Note 10 series
Samsung is one of the biggest smartphone brands in terms of market share; it currently holds about 20% of all global sales – way more than second-place Huawei which has only 9%. The company is known for its high-end devices like their latest flagship phone model Galaxy Note 10 Plus that features a Snapdragon 855 processor paired with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage space. The phone also features a 4,300 mAh battery that can keep the phone up for 48 hours on a single charge; however, the device isn’t very popular in the United States due to its high price tag which is close to $1,000.
There you have it – the top 10 phone brands of 2021. We hope this list was helpful and made your buying decision easier in the future. 2022 is shaping up to be a very important year for smartphone manufacturers, so we’re excited to see what’s next.