13 best manufacturers of smartphones
Televisions in any large scale produces a dozen companies. The creation of refrigerators employs a half or two dozen companies around the world. Cookers are already manufactured by 25-30 companies. But with this number it doesn’t exactly compare how many enterprises are engaged in the development and production of smartphones. By the most conservative estimates, they recruited more than fifty. In this regard, many buyers would like to know which brands are worth paying attention to. That is why we decided to make a rating of manufacturers of smartphones - the products of the companies mentioned in this article are more often pleased than disappointed. But do not forget that even the giants of this industry have blunders.
How to choose a smartphone?
When choosing a mobile device, many consumers first turn their attention to the brand. At least, this applies to those cases where a person goes for a product in a regular store. If the purchase is made in the online store, and even Chinese, then here we assume some level of risk - it is possible to try to buy a product from a little-known company. Nevertheless, we advise you to purchase only smartphones from the companies listed below. And remember:
- Samsung almost all of their smartphones gives AMOLED-display, which is able to continuously display the date and time. The exception to the rule are only the cheapest models. It is also one of the few companies that, as of January 2019, does not produce a single device, in the upper part of the display of which there would be a notch (the so-called “mono-brow”).
- Huawei by all means seeks to press the South Korean competitor in the smartphone market. For this, every effort is made, including this company does not shy away from greatly reducing the price tag on some models.
- Apple releases devices running iOS. If before that you used exclusively smartphones operating on Android, then switching to another operating system will cause certain difficulties. Also, this company has a completely wrong pricing policy - its devices are too expensive.
- Xiaomi not engaged in self-assembly devices. This company simply does not have its own factories. It is because of this that one model may differ from the other in terms of build quality and some other properties. But Xiaomi, on the other hand, manages to keep a low price tag at a time when the average cost of a smartphone is still growing.
- BBK Electronics owns three brands at once - OnePlus, Oppo and Vivo. Under the first, only flagships are distributed - a new model is released about once every six months. At the same time they are cheaper than competing products of similar characteristics. And the price tag of Oppo and Vivo smartphones is usually overestimated, especially in Russia.
Of course, choosing a smartphone is not just getting to know a brand. You need to pay attention to the processor used, the amount of internal memory, the possibility of its expansion, the built-in display (which also has a lot of characteristics), the approximate battery life, and much more. We think it makes no sense to write about all aspects of the choice right here.Still, this article is devoted exclusively to manufacturers of smartphones, and not about the scrupulous choice of their products. Maybe someday we will write a separate material. Especially if you ask about it in the comments!
Rating of the best manufacturers of smartphones
| Nomination | a place | manufacturer | rating |
| The best smartphone companies in terms of price-quality ratio | 1 | Samsung | 5.0 |
| 2 | Apple | 4.9 | |
| 3 | Huawei | 4.8 | |
| 4 | Xiaomi | 4.7 | |
| 5 | LG | 4.7 | |
| 6 | Oppo | 4.7 | |
| 7 | Lenovo | 4.6 | |
| 8 | Meizu | 4.5 | |
| 9 | Oneplus | 4.5 | |
| 10 | Nokia | 4.4 | |
| The best inexpensive firms of smartphones | 1 | Alcatel | 4.7 |
| 2 | Doogee | 4.6 | |
| 3 | Fly | 4.4 |
The best smartphone companies in terms of price-quality ratio
Samsung
Rating: 5.0
In South Korea, the so-called chaebols are very common - groups of companies engaged in the production of very different products. Samsung Group is one of those chaebols. It builds houses, manufactures ships, creates spare parts for airplanes, some companies that are part of the group work in the chemical industry. But the most famous, of course, is Samsung Electronics. This company produces TVs, refrigerators, small household appliances such as vacuum cleaners, as well as smartphones and wearable electronics. The first experiments with cell phones were carried out by Samsung back in 1991. But its devices became most famous closer to the end of 2000, when a model with MP3 support was released. However, several years after that, models with polyphony remained much more popular, since they were very affordable (they also had a color display).
Now the South Koreans have focused on the production of smartphones operating under the control of Android. They use a proprietary shell, every few years changing its appearance, and at the same time the name. In 2019, smartphones will go on sale, management of which will be simplified due to the fact that the main controls will be in the lower half of the display - engineers hope that it will not be necessary to shift the device in hand from now on.
Samsung has two flagship rulers. The most popular is the Galaxy S - smartphones in this series can still be considered small, and yet they do not offer any kind of excesses. As for the Galaxy Note, the devices in this series are distinguished by the presence of a smart stylus. Definitely it can be said that this is the most wide-functional pen among those on the market!
Of course, the South Koreans are releasing not only flagship smartphones. However, other rulers are now less pronounced. Only about the Galaxy J series one can still say that only the cheapest devices are included in it - they often do not even have an AMOLED screen. Galaxy A series smartphones are also very popular, but it's hard to say something specific about them, since models with different screen sizes can differ significantly from each other, not to mention devices of different year of release. In particular, in 2018, the South Korean manufacturer decided to abandon moisture protection. But then he began experimenting, endowing his mid-range smartphones with rear cameras with three or even four lenses.
Now it is Samsung that is the largest manufacturer of AMOLED displays and some other mobile components. Of course, all this is delivered to other companies. The proceeds are spent on R & D - the development of completely new technologies. It is possible that this will help the company to release in 2024 an unusual smartphone with a bending screen - the device will fold in half. His concept has already been demonstrated, but the appearance of the device and its specifications are still in question. So far it is only known that a unique gadget will be sold for at least $ 1500 - it will be a toy for rich people.
Apple
Rating: 4.9
Every company has ups and downs. If we talk about Apple, the California giant is now in a protracted peak. Steve Jobs led the next take-off; he invented the first iPhone in the conditions of the strictest secrecy.This device was a success, even with its extremely high price tag! But it was not even a smartphone in our modern sense of the word (as opposed to its continuation). At some point, "iPhones" have become incredibly popular. But after the death of Steve Jobs something went wrong.
Apple decided to expand its product line, which the former president fiercely opposed. As a result, two or three new smartphones began to appear every year. This alone has already begun to scare away some buyers. Then the devices began to rise in price, and they were already not cheap. Another problem is related to iOS - for some reason, new versions of this operating system began to receive a large number of bugs, in connection with which Android became more stable (at the dawn of these operating systems, everything was the other way around). And any iPhone is inferior to the flagship on the "green robot" in terms of the power components. With the exception of the processor - as of the beginning of 2019, the iPhone Xs chipset is the most productive. But this device is significantly more expensive than any competitor!
If you are already in the Apple ecosystem, then the purchase of an iPhone is justified. For example, iCloud is not on a competing platform, and Apple Music works perfectly on iOS. But if you still used only "androids", then there is no big point in buying an iPhone. Chances are that you will find the platform very limited, which is why the smartphone will cause only disappointment.
Huawei
Rating: 4.8
Chinese company Huawei was founded in 1987. The first time she was engaged only in the creation of telecommunications equipment, which is necessary for telecom operators - cellular towers and other things. Later, the company decided to carry out the experiment, releasing several mobile devices. These devices should promote the brand, at the same time showing what wireless technologies are now available. Since then, the situation has changed a lot. Now the mobile business has a huge turnover. Soon, Huawei may become the largest manufacturer of smartphones!
It is difficult to say what exactly led to success. It is possible that the company knowingly decided to enter the world market as quickly as possible without limiting itself to its relatives (and he could feed a dozen of such Huawei in his time). It is possible that wireless modules played a role - in most smartphones they belonged to the latest generations, while competitors saved on this. Or the popularity of such devices was affected by their availability - Huawei has invested in several factories, in connection with which it is now possible to produce almost any number of smartphones (some competitors cannot afford to order this by creating devices on the side). Similarly, there is no doubt that the correct pricing policy has played a significant role in promoting Huawei products.
Unlike smaller manufacturers, the Chinese giant most often packs its smartphones with its own processor. Also, it is often possible to find an AMOLED display as part of its devices, although low-cost and mid-budget models still do without it. The greatest attention in the production of flagships paid to the camera. Now if you want to get the best shooting quality, then you should look exactly in the direction of Huawei products.
Xiaomi
Rating: 4.7
Many people think that the Xiaomi brand has existed since the very invention of the smartphone. But actually it is not. Moreover, even the first versions of Android existed at a time when several years remained before the company's founding. Only in 2010, a Chinese company was born, on the logo of which the letters “mi” flaunted.
The head of the company has bet on the low cost of manufactured devices. To very low! That is why smartphones have become so popular. They even began to order overseas buyers, with the emergence of Chinese online stores, it ceased to cause any problems.To achieve a low price tag, management had to abandon the construction of its own factories - the production of smartphones is carried out exclusively at independent factories. This is a serious disadvantage. Xiaomi can not fully control all stages of production. Also, the company is very dependent on the prices of components - it has to buy relatively small quantities, the prices of which can vary greatly. In short, do not be surprised that some models are very successful, while others suffer from certain illnesses - this happens when a smartphone gets low-end components.
Like most companies reviewed in this ranking, Xiaomi installs the Android operating system on its smartphones. Usually - not the latest version. The fact is that in addition the Chinese use their own proprietary shell, the development of which takes quite a long time. Also, it needs to be adapted to Europe - in the Chinese version there is not a hint of Google, in the Middle Kingdom its services are simply not needed. If you want to get a fast-working device with a more recent version of Android, Xiaomi Mi A series devices have been created for you. They are notable for the lack of a proprietary shell. It plays in the plus and performance - you need not to forget that MiUI consumes a significant amount of RAM.
Please note, Xiaomi company mainly focuses on the native market. Difficult something with the exception of smartphones rarely appears in the official sale outside of China. That is why do not be embarrassed by the presence of points on the hieroglyphs in the menu - they are found even in the latest firmware. Also, software can have bugs - for Xiaomi this is already a tradition. Apparently, the company simply saves on serious testing of the firmware. However, we will not scare you. Xiaomi smartphones still deserve the money spent on them - for good reason there are so many positive reviews online.
LG
Rating: 4.7
Another South Korean chaebol. The LG Group also includes a huge number of companies. Some of them produce toothpaste and other chemicals, and LG Electronics has long been known for its TVs. Strangely enough, they still bring the main profit of this company. Unfortunately, the mobile business for many years is unprofitable for LG. This is sad, because at one time LG mobile phones were incredibly popular. And in the days of Android development, LG smartphones were quite successful. However, now they do not cling to customers at all. Why? To answer this question is quite difficult.
The South Korean company is trying to invest big money in a marketing campaign, but its main competitors can boast even larger amounts. As a result, the consumer simply forgets about LG products when he thinks about the flagships. Namely, the top models bring LG at least some income. And they have balanced specifications. Alas, this is not the case with mid-range devices. Such smartphones are much inferior to products from many other companies - both in terms of the rear camera, and in terms of battery life, and processor power, and in many other parameters.
As for the devices belonging to the LG V and LG G lines, it was due to their existence that the company got into our rating. Of course, such devices are too expensive, and now far from every consumer agrees to overpay. But it should be noted that these devices have some kind of zest. They usually sound very good, as the manufacturer tries to implement a separate DAC. They include a front camera with wide-angle optics so that you can take a picture of yourself with all your friends. And LG V10 and LG V20 at one time could boast of an additional screen!
Oppo
Rating: 4.6
Some people find it hard to believe, but Oppo Electronics is surely among the four largest manufacturers of smartphones.In China, the products of this company are in great demand! This manufacturer regularly releases interesting new items that are somewhat different from competing devices. For example, back in 2012, the company made a sensation at the expense of the thinnest smartphone in the world. And now she has begun to release devices with a sliding front camera.
Oppo brand was registered by BBK Electronics in 2004. It all started with the release of MP3 players and DVD players. Only four years later, the first mobile phone was released. And only a few years later, Oppo smartphones began to be sold outside of China.
Oppo products have one problem. The manufacturer is accustomed to make a substantial markup. In China, even fairly expensive smartphones are swept from the shelves, but outside this country have to compete with other brands. Alas, more often than not, there is no point in overpaying for the Oppo logo. Although some Russians still start experimenting. Well, why not buy the world's first smartphone with an onscreen fingerprint scanner? Or buy the already mentioned device with sliding "frontalki"? Competitors will offer something like this only in six months or a year.
Lenovo
Rating: 4.5
The most controversial representative of our rating. Just a year and a half or two years ago, this company had a chance to get into the top three of the largest manufacturers of smartphones. At least, she could take the second or third place in sales of such devices in our country. However, the company was not able to increase production capacity, and something strange was happening with the rulers of gadgets. Well, later the train left. Now Lenovo smartphones are generally quite difficult to find on store shelves.
The Chinese company was founded in 1984. Its story began with the production of computer components intended for the native market. Later, the company began to expand markedly. It got to the point that the Chinese had enough money to buy an IBM computer unit! So Lenovo laptops began to be born, invariably pleasing with their quality. Gradually, the company decided to enter the smartphone market. Here she was waiting for relative success. To improve the situation, it was decided to buy Motorola, then owned by Google. And it was after this that the leapfrog began.
Unfortunately, Lenovo executives have not yet decided what to do with their purchase. At one time, relatively inexpensive smartphones were sold under the Chinese brand, and the flagships and those close to the top-end segment of the model were sold under the Moto brand. But when one brand felt successful, another suffered terribly from low sales and losses. Send the Moto to rest the Chinese did not dare. On the contrary, they took a new path. From now on, they stopped the release of smartphones under their own brand altogether - only Moto devices remained on the market. To call such a decision adequate is impossible. The strength of the brand does not help the sales of "Motorola" - they are several times lower than the number of Lenovo smartphone buyers who found it in their time. However, from this path, the management almost never turns off - new devices under the Lenovo brand are extremely rare, and it is almost impossible to find them outside of China.
Will Lenovo ever return to active production of smartphones under its own brand? Everything is possible. However, it will be extremely difficult to return ties with global retailers. Therefore, we would not count on the imminent appearance of such devices in Russian stores.
Meizu
Rating: 4.5
In China, there are a huge number of manufacturers of smartphones. Some specialize in creating low-cost devices - you will read about them below. Others are experiencing serious financial difficulties, in connection with which they are close to closure. Others are engaged in the production of secure smartphones. And there is such a unique one as Meizu.
This company was founded in 2003. Only the first few years she produced a very cheap equipment. Later, the founder decided that, if smartphones were to be created under his brand, then certainly not the cheapest.The fact is that to compete with Xiaomi is pointless - so you can very quickly go bankrupt. But Huawei doesn’t need to build from itself - the state helps the competitor, and he also earns big money on equipment for operators. In short, under the brand Meizu began to produce mid-budget smartphones. When designing them, it is not necessary to save by all means, therefore many devices began to receive good characteristics. This made it possible to quickly enter foreign markets. It was impossible to do without this, since it is extremely difficult to compete with Oppo and Vivo in China.
The company began its history with players that play MP3 music and Windows CE-based smartphones. Now, of course, the manufacturer uses exclusively Android. At the moment, the company has some problems with the name of their devices. For example, in the fall of 2018, several new smartphones appeared at once. Among them are the Meizu 16 and 16 Plus, which received a fingerprint scanner built into the screen. Also among the models released then includes the Meizu 16th and 16th Plus. Agree, very strange names.
Unfortunately, now the manufacturer is experiencing some problems. A couple of years ago, he received financial support from the Alibaba Group. However, the money ran out, and the market share ceased to grow. It is possible that the company will soon face losses. If someone doesn’t help her again, the production of smartphones can be closed already at the end of 2024 or the beginning of next year.
Oneplus
Rating: 4.5
As you know, BBK Electronics has literally seized the Chinese smartphone market. Whichever store you visit, there will definitely be a mass of Vivo and Oppo smartphones. But this IT giant was not enough. I wanted to conquer the rest of the world. To this end, in December 2013 another company was created - OnePlus. It was decided that only flagships will be produced under this brand (initially approximately once a year). In this case, the Chinese have tried to ensure that the cost of the devices was significantly lower than that of competitors.
The first OnePlus were not sent to regular stores. They could only be purchased through an online store - first branded, and then the well-known AliExpress. Only later did the situation change. By that moment, it became clear that outside of China, the flagships of OnePlus are loved by absolutely everyone.
It's nice that this representative of our rating has a good R & D department. This allows the manufacturer to introduce some special solutions to new devices. For example, the OnePlus 6T got a teardrop neckline. Unlike monobrovi, it has a modest size, since it was necessary to place only a front camera lens inside it. Also, many consumers believe that it is OnePlus smartphones that shoot better than others. With this statement, of course, one can argue. However, the quality of shooting really inspires respect. And it doesn’t matter how many lenses the rear camera is equipped with - there is an excellent study of the algorithms used by the corresponding application.
Now OnePlus smartphones have a not so low price tag as the early models. First, the parent company has ceased to invest its own money, now it seeks to earn. Secondly, now the components for smartphones have become quite expensive, so dumping is almost impossible. Nevertheless, even the aforementioned OnePlus 6T is cheaper than the flagships from Sony and Samsung, not to mention the predecessor model.
Nokia
Rating: 4.4
Formally, this is the oldest representative of the rating of manufacturers of smartphones. The Finnish company was born in 1865, when there were still many years before the invention of the cell phone. But modern Nokia smartphones are not involved in this company. The fact is that the rights to manufacture them were transferred to HMD Global. This company has some Finnish roots, but it is better to consider it completely Chinese. In this regard, the devices themselves are almost indistinguishable from competitors manufactured by the forces of various Chinese companies.It uses the same body, almost devoid of any zest. Inside is often not the most powerful processor installed. For photography, a relatively simple camera is used. Well, Android is used as an operating system, without any proprietary shell.
Perhaps, we can separately note only the build quality. Like it or not, Nokia smartphones look reliable. But they have some markup for the brand, because of which the purchase does not look adequate.
So far it is completely unclear what future Nokia smartphones are facing. After the return of the brand to the market for such devices there was a certain surge of interest. But now sales are gradually declining. And HMD Global will not work at a loss. If products under the Nokia brand completely cease to be in demand, then its creation will definitely be stopped. Of course, it is possible that someday the manufacturer will come up with some kind of "chip", incorporating it into their creations. But with such savings, it is unlikely to happen - the same in-screen fingerprint scanner will appear in Nokia smartphones only after most competitors receive it.
The best inexpensive firms of smartphones
Alcatel
Rating: 4.7
Once upon a time, Alcatel mobile phones were produced by the French company of the same name. However, the ubiquitous Chinese, who have acquired the rights to the brand, are now engaged in this. As it is easy to guess, they made a bet on low-end models. Interestingly, they continue to produce "buttons" - in the shops you can easily find Alcatel mobiles worth 800 to 3,000 rubles. But smartphones are still in the greatest demand. They have a familiar appearance, and on their front panel most often is a display with HD-resolution. Such devices can almost never boast a good camera. However, exceptions to the rule are - they are smartphones, for which they ask for more than eight thousand rubles.
Brand Alcatel is not in vain in our rating. To be honest, the devices sold under it are completely worthy of the money they ask for. Of course, such devices do not exactly suit the so-called geeks. They will find nothing new in them. And Alcatel products just do not need to buy in order to play on it. Most often, such smartphones are equipped with rather weak processors that lack computing power. As a result, modern games, if launched, only with a reduced level of graphics.
Alcatel smartphones have one advantage over Chinese creations, sold through their respective online stores. The buyer of such a device will receive a guarantee. If something happens to the phone not through the fault of its owner, you can return it to the store. If the marriage is found in the smartphone, bought on AliExpress, this will have to accept.
Doogee
Rating: 4.6
Chinese company Doogee exists since 2013. It may seem that in such a short time it is impossible to start production of high-quality products. However, in fact, you can safely buy Doogee smartphones starting from 2016. But, of course, with some consideration.
The range of the Doogee company consists of several lines. Among them is the Doogee BL series. It includes devices that have a capacious battery. Even, I must say, incredibly capacious! The fact is that some models are equipped with a battery capacity of as much as 10,000 mAh! This phone is quite plump and heavy. But some buyers, as practice shows, it does not scare at all.
Also stands out strongly Doogee S. line. It includes devices with shock-resistant and waterproof housing. These smartphones are perfect for hiking lovers. It is almost impossible to damage a device in a forest or mountains. Although if the device falls on the stones with the display down, then the chance of receiving fatal damage is still present.
Previously, almost all Doogee smartphones had a very low price tag, with the exception of the above-mentioned models with a protected case. However, now there are quite expensive devices. Usually they have a frameless display.Also, such smartphones can have a high-quality dual camera, offering the user a two-fold optical zoom.
Say what you like, but Doogee products are quite capable of appealing to the average consumer. However, you need to remember that such devices usually have unpleasant features of the firmware. It may include two or three “viruses” that track user actions. If you think, then their action does not affect the impressions of the smartphone. But it must be admitted that the work of such hidden features of the firmware negatively affects the battery life. That is why even a battery with a capacity of 10,000 mAh is not a guarantee of four or five days of operation.
Fly
Rating: 4.4
Another representative of our rating, going through hard times. This company was founded in 2002, when mobile phones were as simple as possible. This manufacturer quickly opened offices, not only in his native Britain, but also in many other countries. The company noticed in time that buyers began to be interested in Android-based smartphones. Partly because of this, Fly products exist now.
Unlike many competitors, Fly produces only budget smartphones. The company's management believes that it is unlikely that consumers will spend more than 10 thousand rubles on a device with the Fly logo, no matter how good it is. It is also impossible to say that this manufacturer has at least some opportunities for increasing circulation. Because of this, components cost the company quite expensive, and you have to save. Because of this, in terms of specifications, Fly smartphones are inferior, for example, to the same Xiaomi devices. But Fly has one advantage - these smartphones can be found in the nearest store selling such products. That is why they are in noticeable demand in small towns.
Conclusion
Of course, it’s still not all companies that are worth mentioning in our article. But these are those whose products should be considered first. For example, the Chinese company ZTE was not included in our selection. This is due to the fact that in connection with the penalties from the United States, it completely stopped the release of smartphones. If you buy a device under this brand, you will definitely not get a software update - even the simplest patches that improve security. HTC is also missing here - the products of a Taiwanese company are simply too expensive for their characteristics. It is felt that the manufacturer invests money in design, while competitors are trying to offer more functional solutions. Finally, we did not mention Sony smartphones. Japanese devices are good, but you need to overpay for them. At the same time, the flagships are released by this company every six months, which is also not pleasant to many potential buyers (it is unpleasant when the model to replace your device comes so quickly).
As for the manufacturers of budget smartphones, then you could still mention the BQ, Micromax and Vertex. The latest brand in the future may become quite popular - there are all the prerequisites for this. As for the BQ, the Russian owners of this brand produce disparate devices - some cause a good impression, others are completely unsuitable for purchase. Well, the Indian company Micromax, apparently, was slowly "blown away" - its goods are in our country less and less in demand, and the marriage rate is getting higher.
Attention! This rating is subjective, is not advertising and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you should consult with a specialist.
