Best High-end Smartphones to Buy in 2020

If you want to buy a cheap 5G phone, then check out our piece on 5 Best Budget 5G Phones Under $300 in 2020. However, if you’re looking for an expensive smartphone, then here is our roundup of top high-end flagships. Expect the new iPhone, a couple of high-end android flagships and, of course, a lot of 5G.

Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max

Price: $1249 (4GB + 256GB)
Released date: Sep 2019
Processor: Apple A13 Bionic chip
Display: 6.5 OLED
Camera: Triple camera
Battery: 3969mAh, 18W fast charging, Qi wireless charging

High-end expensive iPhone 11 Pro Max
High-end expensive iPhone 11 Pro Max (Source: Apple)

When it comes to high-end smartphones, iPhone and Samsung Galaxy are the default choices. The iPhone 11 Pro Max, which was released in 2019, remains one of the most expensive phones in the market, with a price starting at $1099. This iPhone comes with a 6.5-inch display, steel frame, IP68 water-resistance, improved 3969 mAh battery and the new A13 Bionic chip for real time processing. It’s Apple’s best iPhone to date and the first iPhone with a triple-camera system, which packs 12 megapixels per each sensor. This iPhone is among the best camera phones, with impressive photography performance, capturing beautiful images and shooting highest-quality video.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G

Price: ¥9999/$1408 (12GB + 256GB)
Released date: Feb 2020
Processor: Exynos 990 chipset
Display: 6.9-inch
Camera: Quad camera 108MP
Battery: 5000mAh

Samsung's hgh-end flagship Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G
Samsung’s hgh-end flagship Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G (Source: Samsung)

Galaxy S series is one of Samsung’s main high-end flagship smartphone offerings. The latest releases in the series are the S20, S20+ and the S20 Ultra. The Galaxy S20 Ultra sets out to be the greatest of the latest Galaxy S family: a superb 120Hz 6.9-inch display, powerful 5000mAh battery, 108MP quad-camera setup and 5G connectivity, all of which makes this phone a little expensive. The 256GB version of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G sells for ¥9999 (around $1408) in China, which is more expensive than the iPhone 11 Pro Max.

OnePlus 8 Pro 5G

Price: ¥5999/$845 (12GB + 256GB)
Released date: April 2020
Processor: Snapdragon 865 chipset
Display: 6.78-inch
Camera: Quad camera 108MP
Battery: 4510mAh

OnePlus, Chinese phone brand founded in 2013, is shifting from being a budget manufacturer to competing with top-tier brands and charging premium prices. Its latest OnePlus 8 Pro goes for as much as a top version of the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro and the Galaxy S20+. The 8 Pro comes with a 6.78-inch 120Hz display, an IP68 waterproof rating, 30W wireless charging and decent quad cameras. It has a clean software based on Android with fast updates to keep the phone running fast and smooth.

Oppo Find X2 Pro

Price: ¥6999/$985 (12GB + 256GB)
Released date: March 2020
Processor: Snapdragon 865 chipset
Display: 6.7-inch
Camera: Triple camera 48MP
Battery: 4260mAh

OPPO 5G Find X2 series starts at $772, making it the most expensive flagship series of OPPO so far to hit the top-tier Android handset market. Among the high-end models, the Find X2 is a cheaper than Galaxy S20 Ultra, but more expensive than OnePlus 8 Pro, and the three 5G phones share much in common. The OPPO Find X2 Pro smartphone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Chipset, with a 6.7-inch OLED display of 120Hz refresh rate, and a 4260 mAh battery supported by OPPO’s 65W fast-charging tech. As for the camera, Oppo Find X2 Pro’s rear triple camera array consists of a 48MP wide-angle lens, a 48MP ultra-wide angle and a periscope 13MP telephoto lens with up to 60x digital zoom.

Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G

Price: ¥5499/$774 (12GB + 256GB)
Released date: Feb 2020
Processor: Snapdragon 865 chipset
Display: 6.67-inch
Camera: Quad camera 48MP
Battery: 4500mAh

The Xiaomi Mi 10 series is Xiaomi’s latest flagship release. The Mi 10 Pro is a 5G phone sporting a 6.67-inch 90Hz AMOLED panel, quad camera setup with a main sensor of 108MP at the back – same as the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. It supports 8K video recording, 50W wired as well as 30W wireless charging. The most expensive 12GB +512GB version of Mi 10 Pro 5G is priced at ¥5999 (around $845) in China.

Huawei P40 Pro

Price: ¥6488/$914 (8GB + 256GB)
Released date: April 2020
Processor: Huawei Kirin 990 5G
Display: 6.58-inch
Camera: Quad camera 50MP
Battery: 4200mAh

Huawei P40 Pro 5G smartphone
Huawei P40 Pro 5G smartphone (Source: Huawei)

The Huawei‘s P series smartphones are always among our camera phone choices. The high-end flagship P40 series, including the P40, P40 Pro and the P40 Pro+, has won the “Best Photo Smartphone” award at the TIPA World Awards 2020. The P40 Pro has the Kirin 990 5G chipset and a large industry-leading 1/1,28-inch sensor, developed in conjunction with Leica. With an ultra vision Leica quad camera, you can capture super clear shots during day and night. The large 6.58-inch Quad-Curve Overflow Display augmented by the 90 Hz refresh rate ensures an immersive viewing experience over the entire fluid screen.