Which phone is better than an iPhone? Smartphones similar to iPhone X

All top devices inevitably become objects to be imitated and copied. Apple's iPhone 6 series has not passed the day. The Cupertino team has not released such a commercially successful product before, although it has long firmly established itself as one of the leading companies in the field of computer and mobile technologies.

Soon after the release of the original, numerous, surprisingly similar versions poured out of a cornucopia. Some phones resembled an iPhone only in appearance, masterfully imitating even the interface of a proprietary software shell, while operating on Android. Others did not strive for obvious similarity, and in some technical parameters they even surpassed the “original source”.

However, often excessive “stuffing” negatively affected the performance of the device. Still, Apple products are rightfully considered one of the most stable.

Whatever you say, the company pays a lot of attention to the coherence of the software and hardware parts of the smartphone.

iX-maxiteXet

The iX-maxi, from the Russian company teXet, turned out to be surprisingly similar to the Apple smartphone. The same aluminum body, protruding peephole of the 8-megapixel camera, imitation button Home (without a built-in sensor that reads the owner’s fingerprints), the same notorious plastic strips above the antennas. From the outside you can't tell the difference right away.
Almost all the ports and connectors are exactly “licked” from the iPhone 6. The reverse side could even pass for a “six”, if not for the replacement of the “bitten” logo with the inscription of the manufacturer’s brand – teXet.
The main technical characteristics of the domestic smartphone are as follows:
As you can see, the iX-maxi has a potentially more powerful 4-core processor, but in fact it is far from the capabilities of a dual-core iPhone. Android, used as an embedded operating system, plays a significant role in this. But he has never been stable.

The 4.7-inch iX-maxi is equipped with an IPS display, qHD type, with a resolution inferior to the iPhone (with a matrix of 960 by 540 pixels).

The camera capabilities are also nominally similar: the same 8 MP is the main one, and the front one is even better – 2 MP (versus the 1.2 MP of the iPhone). However, numerous optimizations of hardware and software were not in vain - the camera of the Apple smartphone produces photos with a quality that is head and shoulders above that of the iX-maxi.

The autofocus of the teXet device is slow, this is especially noticeable when shooting in the evening, image stabilization also leaves much to be desired, and the video quality is completely mediocre.

Also, for such a large display, the battery is clearly rather weak - 1600 mAh, versus 1810 mAh in the iPhone. That is, you will barely have enough charge until the end of the day.

What definitely attracts this phone is its reasonable price. It is four times lower than the cost of the iPhone itself. So, on the manufacturer’s website - texet, the device is offered for 11,600 rubles (versus 44,990 rubles). Quite a compelling argument in favor of this model.

In general, the smartphone turned out “a la our answer to the Americans.” But in fact, the Russian device is inferior in technical terms, but there is something to strive for.

Meizu MX4

A much more interesting “six-like” phone is the MX4, presented by the Chinese developer Meizu. For its successful execution, it even gained fame as the Chinese iPhone.
The same three types of colors familiar to Apple are available: golden, light and dark gray. The first two have a white front panel, the last one has a black one.
This 5.3-inch smartphone has a lot to please its buyer. Yes, it is equipped with a powerful 8-core MediaTek platform MT6595, and two gigabytes of RAM. The magnificent capacitive screen - IPS 5.36" produces a clear and rich picture, all thanks to a resolution of 1152 by 1920 pixels. The particularly thin bezels framing the display deserve special praise. Because of this, the phone looks lighter and the image seems to have no boundaries.
It also has 16, 32 or 64 GB of internal memory to choose from. And taking into account the excellent 20.7 MP camera - SonyExmor RS, in conjunction with the front 2 MP - IMX208, the 64 GB version will be the most suitable to accommodate all high-quality photos. Although the 64 GB model is still not presented on the company’s Russian website. It’s a pity, because traditionally Meizu (as well as Apple) does not make slots for memory cards, so there is no other way to expand the memory capacity.

The MX4 battery is quite capacious - as much as 3100 mAh (versus 1810 in the 6, or 2915 mAh in the 6 Plus.) Although, in fact, it can withstand a day of active use, like iPhones.

The system is controlled by Android. Perhaps this is precisely why energy is used so inefficiently, and, in general, a powerful battery quickly runs out.

And again, the price is pleasantly pleasing, almost half less than that of the “American”. So on the Russian website meizu.ru this phone in a minimum configuration is offered for 23,990 rubles.

So this handsome guy can easily compete with the prototype. And it is quite likely that in many respects the comparison will not be in favor of the latter.

Lenovo Sisley S90

The Sisley S90 phone from Lenovo also turned out to be very similar to an iPhone. It is clear that the developers of the Celestial Empire company decided to get their share of the hitherto unprecedented glory of the “sixes”.
Judge for yourself: the same smooth rounded lines, wide frames, location of buttons and camera.
Placed between the “sixes” of both sizes, the five-inch Sisley S90 looks like a kind of intermediate mid-size model, and not at all a device from another manufacturer. If it weren’t for the “Lenovo” inscription in the center, you wouldn’t be able to immediately tell that this is not an iPhone.
Of the differences, the first detail that catches your eye is the plastic cover on the top end of the smartphone. Thanks to it, the manufacturer managed to avoid frames in the camera area on an all-metal body.
The second pleasant point is that the camera itself does not rise above the surface of the smooth body.

And third, two SIM cards are supported.

The phone also runs on Android. However, it is complemented by its own interface developed by the company - LenovoVibe UI. Its “image” on the desktop immediately suggests an imitation of iOS. As for the hardware, the brain of the model is the quad-core Snapdragon MSM 8916 chip from Qualcomm, with a frequency of 1.2 GHz. It provides a quite decent level of device performance. True, not without freezing, which is typical for all devices running Android (KitKat).

Vibe UI has twice as much RAM as the iPhone - 2 GB. Built-in memory - 16 GB/32 GB, there is no possibility of using external cards.

The camera is also decent: the main one is rated at 13 MP, and the front one has as much as 8 MP. Both have their own flashes.

The battery has an optimal capacity of 2300 mAh. Again, it will barely last a day of active use.

Speaking of colors, the typical three colors for smartphones were again offered.
Price tags for the model start at 10,460 rubles for the minimum 16 GB version.

ZTE Blade S6

In the winter of 2015, the Chinese company ZTE introduced another “apple substitute”. The product received a modest name - Blade S6, and a typical “iPhone” design . The dimensions of the imitator are slightly larger than those of the iPhone: 144 × 70.7 × 7.7 mm, versus 138.1 × 67 × 6.9 mm. Behind the streamlined shape of the five-inch aluminum body lies a powerful eight-core Snapdragon 615 processor manufactured by Qualcomm. It is based on ARM® Cortex™ A53. The RAM capabilities are also quite good - 2 GB is quite enough. The built-in memory starts at 16 GB; for further expansion there is a corresponding port for a micro SD card.
The Blade S6 runs on the Android system, with an adapted user software interface - MiFavor.

The display of the device is quite good, 5-inch HD, created using InCell technology, IPS type (resolution 1280 by 720 pixels). The S6 battery capacity is 2400 mAh, so it will work for a day, like all smartphones of this class.

The cameras have the most common characteristics at the moment: the main one is made by Sony (IMX214) at 13 megapixels, and the front one is at 5 megapixels. The quality of the pictures is acceptable.

The device is designed to use two SIM cards at once, nano format. It has a GPS receiver, supports LTE, Bluetooth 4.0, and Wi-Fi.

It is especially worth noting that the ZTE Blade S6 produces very high-quality sound. To achieve such high results, the manufacturer had to endow its brainchild with a separate audio chip. So music lovers are advised to pay attention to the model.

The price for Blade S6 is $250.

HTC One (M8)

Some similarity of features can be seen in last year's flagship HTC-One (M8). This is a spectacular smartphone, the very embodiment of “high-tech”.

It is equipped with a high-quality FullHD display (1080×1920 pixels), and a density of 468 PPI (versus 1334×750, 326 pixels/inch in the iPhone). A sensitive capacitive sensor is responsible for a quick response.
If we consider the design, the HTC OneM8 is a beautiful all-metal gadget. Looks very stylish and expensive. In this sense, the similarity lies not so much in the external image, but in the characteristics and how the device works.

Although in many characteristics the M8 is superior to its competitor from Apple. So, HTC is equipped with a more powerfulquad core processor from Qualcomm-Snapdragon801,2,3 GHz. (vs. dual-core A8 in iPhone). And it has more RAM - 2 GB, compared to 1 GB. The basic parameters of the built-in memory are 16/32 GB. Of these, 10/26 GB remain free after installing the software shell. The device has a slot for a micro SD card, you can increase the capacity up to 128 GB.
The camera, with HTC's proprietary UltraPixel technology, has a lot of interesting features that not all competitors can be proud of:

Firstly, this is a duet of two main cameras (so-called DuoCamera), to capture the “depth” of the subject being photographed.

Secondly, a massive lens with a diameter of 28 mm.

Thirdly, a photomodule with matrix backlighting.

Front camera with wide-angle HDR lens – 5 MP.

The M8 runs Android, with adapted HTC Sense 6.
The manufacturer paid special attention to sound quality. This applies not only to crystal-clear playback of tracks, but also to excellent noise reduction during calls. Moreover, it works in both directions - both to you and from you, sound freed from extraneous noise comes.

A 2600 mAh battery will be able to provide “life” for the smartphone until the end of the day. And in standby mode and rare calls it will reliably last two days.

HTC's color scheme is not very diverse and is quite traditional: silver, graphite and gold. However, there is no point in “painting over” stylish metal.

And again, a much more pleasant price tag awaits you than in the case of an iPhone - 28,690 rubles.

GooPhone i6

Another unconditionally similar appearance is demonstrated by GooPhone i6. In this case, the wording “clone” is even more applicable than just a similar model. It's funny that it came out in the summer of 2014, ahead of the "original source". As we see, Apple cannot do anything about the information leak.
Stick a steel, bitten apple instead of the signature bee, and who’s to say it’s not an iPhone? All buttons, ports, plastic above the antennas exactly repeat the outlines of the “sixes”
For greater persuasiveness, even the image of the “Apple” shell – iOS – has been recreated. Although in fact the device operates on Android.
The basic package includes a 4-core MediaTek 6582 chip, coupled with 1 GB of RAM. The built-in one, of course, is clearly not enough - only 8 GB, but you can expand its volume by inserting a regular MicroSD card up to 32 GB. You shouldn’t take a larger one to avoid endless lags and system freezes (this isn’t an iPhone, after all).

Everyone was wondering what the price would be. Especially in Russia, where pricing does not always depend on the ruble exchange rate or technical characteristics. We choose with our hearts, not our heads. And even if this sounds like a joke about a blonde and a red car, an iPhone is often taken for the very fact that it is an iPhone.

After the presentation of the smartphone, speculation with prices intensified, especially given the fact that Russia is not among the countries where the “ten” will be sold from October 27. In our country, the iPhone X will go on sale on November 3. start at 79,990 rubles for the 64 GB version and from 91,990 rubles for the 256 GB model. However, for those who don’t want to wait that long, they are offering a “super offer” - you can become the owner of the most stuffed Apple flagship even before the start of pre-orders for 2 million rubles.

However, even before the start of sales and even before the presentation of the iPhone X, there were and remain worthy competitors to the Apple phone on the market. They are not inferior to it either in design or in characteristics, and in price they even surpass it - in the sense that they are several times cheaper. So, 15 alternatives to the iPhone X.

Samsung

The Korean giant, which is Apple's main competitor, has at least two models that can compete with the “ten”. For example, a flagship that is already being successfully sold, or one that will go on sale the other day. This is an almost frameless screen (5.8 inches for the S8 and 6.3 for the Note8), a powerful processor, an excellent camera (the S has one module, the Note8 has dual), and a price starting from 35,000 rubles. Well, we should expect the release of the Galaxy S9 soon.

Sony

In June, the Japanese presented in Moscow the flagship of the new line of the Xperia series -. A special feature of the model is a 23-megapixel Motion Eye camera with its own memory module. The cost of a smartphone is from 54,000 rubles.

And last week, the line-up was almost as good as the flagship, as well as the Xperia XA1 line - without a smart camera. At the same time, the cost of XZ1 will be 49,990 rubles, and XA1 is already on sale, while the Ultra version with a 6-inch screen is available from 20,000 thousand rubles.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium. Photo: Vladimir Bolotin / RG

HTC

Amid rumors about the sale of the company to the Internet giant Google, HTC can still boast of premium smartphones. Among these is the U11 model. It has a premium design and Gorilla Glass 5 on all sides, a 5.5-inch screen, a powerful processor and GPU, which turns the smartphone into a multimedia machine. Plus, a 12MP camera with intuitive Edge Sense controls—you don't even have to press the shutter—and BoomSound Hi-Fi Edition speakers with surround sound. The cost for a model with 64 GB on board starts from 42,000 rubles.

You can also pay attention to the U Ultra model, which has a larger screen diagonal (5.7 inches) and costs an order of magnitude cheaper than the U11 - prices start at 23,500 rubles.

Google

Since we remembered the giant, it is worth noting the smartphone under its own brand and entirely developed by Google. And let it be assembled at the HTC factory. Google Pixel and Pixel XL are last year's flagships, replacing the Nexus 5X (developed with LG) and 6P (developed with Huawei).
The smartphone boasted a 12-megapixel camera, a 4-core processor, cool AMOLED displays of 5 and 5.5 inches, respectively, and of course the latest Android OS at that time - 7.1 Nougat. We can soon expect the appearance of the second generation of Google smartphones - .

Google Pixel. Photo: Google

LG

Another Korean giant with the “smallest big smartphone” is the G6. This is how it was nicknamed because the 5.3-inch body contains a 5.7-inch screen. How this is physically possible is a mystery, but the manufacturer boasts of “cinematic image quality.” There is a dual main camera here - 13 megapixels each, while one of them has a wide-angle lens.

In addition, you can take a closer look at the V30 - presented at the recent IFA exhibition. Powerful processor, capacious battery, 6-inch screen and 13 megapixel camera. And also the ability to shoot and edit 4K video and sound from Bang&Olufsen. Not everything is clear about the price yet - in Korea they promise around $700, but whether the device will arrive in Russia is a big question.

Moto

The long-suffering brand has presented and will soon begin selling it in Russia, at a rather modest price - from 34,990 rubles. The beauty of the gadget is in the replaceable accessories that expand its capabilities - a speaker, a gamepad, a photo module, a 360-degree camera, a projector, etc. Well, in addition, it is a thin body (5.99 mm) and weighs 145 grams, an 8-core processor, 64 GB on board, 5.5 inches Full HD Super AMOLED display and 12 megapixel camera with laser focusing up to 5 meters.

Honor

The Chinese continue to expand in all directions. Mobile electronics are no exception. The Nonor brand, which belongs to Huawei, boasts a “unique design” that is immediately reminiscent of both the iPhone and Samsung. Among other things, the smartphone has a dual camera (20 MP + 12 MP) with hybrid zoom, Huawei Histen surround sound technology, an 8-core Kirin 960 processor and a powerful battery with fast charging. You can buy this miracle from 26,990 rubles.

But Huawei also produces smartphones under its own brand of the same name, for example, P10 / P10 Plus. For 40,990 rubles you can get a 5.5" WQHD screen in a thin metal case, a dual camera of 20 and 12 megapixels, created in collaboration with the legendary company Leica (in general, the device is positioned as created for photography lovers), the same processor as Honor and a powerful battery. And also an infrared controller - what if it comes in handy? You can also pay attention to.

Enough time has passed since the presentation of the new iPhone, and even more so since the presentation of previous models. But the trouble is, the price is still quite high and not everyone can afford a top-end Apple smartphone, and many simply feel sorry for spending that amount of money on a mobile phone.

Then an idea came to my mind, because the mobile market is quite saturated, especially with models from Chinese manufacturers, which, however, are no worse, and in some cases even better than the famous “Apple”. It is these models that we will consider today.

Huawei Nova

Although the smartphone is similar to the Huawei Nexus 6P, it has its own twist. This is a solid design, a metal body and excellent hardware. On board is an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor and 3 GB of RAM. There is also a 12-megapixel camera, which not only takes excellent pictures, but can also record video in 4K.

Huawei Honor 8

Another smartphone from Huawei that could not be left out of this list. Honor 8 has a cool appearance, a large 5.2-inch display, a dual 12 MP camera and a lot of cool features. Inside its elegant body is hidden an eight-core processor of its own Kirin 950, 4 GB of RAM and 32/64 internal memory.

Xiaomi Mi5s Plus

A top-end smartphone and the pride of the famous Xiaomi (until the new flagship comes out). The smartphone received a hefty 5.7-inch display, an incredibly powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor, 4/6 GB of RAM and 64/128 GB of flash memory. In addition, it has a dual 13 MP camera, which works on the same principle as in Huawei smartphones. Of course, the color palette of Mi5s Plus includes the now fashionable “rose gold” color.

OnePlus 3T

OnePlus is famous for its smartphones for two reasons: firstly, top-end hardware, and secondly, a pleasant price tag. This is exactly what OnePlus 3T turned out to be, it has the same powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset, 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of flash memory. In addition, there are 16 MP main and front cameras on board, and a powerful 3400 mAh battery is responsible for autonomy. And who will say after this that this is not a top-end flagship?

Meizu Pro 6

The Meizu Pro 6 closes our list. Here you have a pressing force on the screen similar to 3D Touch and a ten-core MediaTek Helio X25 processor, and even a high-quality Cirrus Logic CS43L36 audio chip is installed. As you might guess, the model focuses on the musical basis. With Meizu Pro 6, you can record high-quality sound or enjoy clear sound of music.

While prices for the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus exceed the cosmic boundaries of 55,000 rubles, and in some places even 70,000 rubles, users are increasingly looking at smartphones with a more reasonable price. The Internet project site has compiled a rating of affordable, but no less functional alternatives to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

The times when Apple-branded smartphones were standards of advanced technology are gone. Many functional devices have appeared on the market at the lowest prices. Now almost every second smartphone costing over 20,000 rubles can do the same thing as the latest iPhone 7 model.

A high-quality screen, a dual camera, a fingerprint scanner, excellent sound, a metal body and a long battery life - all this can be found among smartphones with a price three times cheaper than Apple gadgets. The question arises, why overpay? So users are increasingly giving preference to affordable gadgets with maximum functionality.

Current prices for iPhone 7

The Internet project site decided to simplify the selection of a new smartphone, and offers 10 alternatives that can be bought instead of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The selection includes 2016 models with the best technical characteristics and prices ranging from 16,000 to 30,000 rubles. All of them have been checked and tested.

1. Samsung Galaxy S6

Operating system: Android 5.1 Lollipop, TouchWiz shell

Screen: Super AMOLED, 5.1-inch diagonal with a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels (557 ppi), Corning Gorilla Glass 4

Chip, processor: 64-bit 8-core Exynos 7420, up to 2.1 GHz, Mali-T760 GPU

Memory: RAM - 3 GB, built-in flash - 32/64/128 GB of internal memory, UFS 2.0, memory cards are not supported

Camera: main 16 MP, f/1.9, sensor size 1/2.8, optical image stabilization, LED flash, white balance detection using an IR sensor, Pro shooting mode, video resolution 3840 x 2160, Front camera - 5 MP

Communications: mobile networks 2G/3G/4G (LTE Cat. 6), GPS/GLONASS navigation, dual-band Wi-Fi (802.11 ac/a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, IR port for controlling household appliances, 3 ,5 mm audio jack, USB 2.0, two nano-SIM slots

Battery: 2550 mAh, support fast charging in 1 hour, wireless charging

Dimensions, weight: 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm, weight - 138 grams

A year later, the flagship smartphone Samsung Galaxy S6 has not lost its relevance. But the price dropped below 30,000 rubles, which made this device a very interesting purchase compared to other models.

Samsung Galaxy S6 looks great. The body construction uses steel and glass. The device is compact in size, light weight and lasts about 3 days from charge to charge. In extreme mode, the battery lasts consistently for 1.5 or even 2 days of operation.

The Samsung smartphone has a 5.1-inch screen with a resolution of 2560×1440. In our selection, besides the Galaxy S6, only the Alcatel IDOL 4S 6070K, which will be discussed below, has such high performance. Higher resolution, and therefore pixel density, makes the picture much clearer, and takes screen reading to a whole new level.

The hardware of the smartphone is also excellent. The Galaxy S6 can play 4K video and you can play the most graphically advanced games on it. 32/64/128 GB of flash memory is allocated for storage. The device works with two nano-sized SIM cards. Among the communication services, it is worth noting LTE Cat. 6 with support for all Russian frequencies, dual-band Wi-Fi, infrared, NFC, support for the Samsung Pay payment service, a fingerprint scanner that works like a clock, and much more. Overall, a great set of features for the money.

2. Meizu Pro 6

Screen: Super AMOLED, 5.2 inches diagonal with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels (424 ppi), Corning Gorilla Glass 3

Chip, processor: 64-bit 10-core MediaTek Helio X25, up to 2.5 GHz, Mali T880 GPU

Memory: RAM - 4 GB, built-in flash - 32 GB built-in (26 GB available to the user) or 64 GB, memory cards are not supported

Camera: main 21 megapixel, f/2.2, sensor size 1/2.4”, 6-element lens, optical image stabilization), LED flash, Front camera - 5 megapixel

Communications: mobile networks 2G/3G/4G (no LTE800 support), GPS/GLONASS navigation, dual-band Wi-Fi (802.11 ac/a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0, 3.5 mm audio jack, USB Type C, two nano-SIM slot

Battery: 2560 mAh

Dimensions, weight: 147.7x70.8x7.25 mm, weight - 160 grams

Case materials: aluminum, glass, plastic inserts

The appearance of Meizu Pro 6 seems to hint that this is nothing less than an iPhone 7. A thin metal body, rounded corners, the location of the main controls - all this creates the illusion that this is a real Apple smartphone. And this device costs twice as much as the original one.

The device has an excellent 5.2-inch screen and extremely high performance. The device runs on a new 10-core Helio X25 processor with a frequency of 2.5 GHz. Cortex-A72 cores and Mali-T880 GPU in tandem provide excellent performance and provide more than 100,000 points in Antutu. With 4 GB of RAM, Meizu PRO 6 has enough performance even for heavy video games. 32 or 64 GB are allocated for storing files, depending on the version. This volume cannot be expanded. User interface - Meizu Flyme 5.6. This is a proprietary shell developed based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Despite the thin body with a thickness of 7.25 mm, the smartphone has an excellent camera with a resolution of 21 megapixels. The unique ring flash has improved the performance of the Meizu PRO 6 camera in low light conditions.

The Meizu PRO 6 screen allows you to recognize the pressing force in real time and launch the corresponding functions and applications. This technology not only improved the efficiency of the system, but also made possible a closer connection between person and device.

The Cirrus Logic CS43L36 DAC is responsible for processing the sound in the smartphone. Advanced circuit design provides excellent dynamic performance. The sound is clear and powerful. The audio processor helps reproduce music the way it should sound.

The shortcomings of Meizu Pro 6 include the lack of LTE800 support and an average battery capacity. The rest of the device is good.

3. Xiaomi Mi5

Screen: IPS, 5.15-inch diagonal with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels (428 ppi), Corning Gorilla Glass 4

Chip, processor: 64-bit 4-core Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820, up to 1.8 GHz, Adreno 530 GPU

Memory: RAM - 3 GB, built-in flash - 32 GB or 64 GB, memory cards are not supported

Camera: main 16 MP, f/2.0, sensor size 1/2.8, optical image stabilization, LED flash, video resolution 3840 x 2160, Front camera - 5 MP

Communications: mobile networks 2G/3G/4G (no LTE800 support), GPS/GLONASS navigation, dual-band Wi-Fi (802.11 ac/a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.2, 3.5 mm audio jack, USB Type C, two nano-SIM slot

Battery: 3000 mAh, supports Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging

Dimensions, weight: 144.6x69.2x7.3 mm, weight - 129 grams

Case materials: aluminum, glass

Experts call Xiaomi Mi5 one of the most stylish smartphones of the year. This is largely due to the small dimensions of the device and the materials used - metal and glass. The gadget feels like a cross between the Samsung Galaxy S7 and iPhone 7, but costs half as much.

The slim metal and tempered glass body with elegantly curved edges not only looks good, but also feels great in your hands. At the same time, the device with a 5.15-inch screen weighs only 129 g. The main thing is to handle the device carefully - breaking it is not difficult. Now is the time to stock up on an elastic case, a protective screen or a transparent case.

A powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 3 gigs of RAM, the latest graphics core - all this allows the smartphone to smoothly play FullHD videos, run productive games and applications.

Also worth noting is the 16-megapixel camera from Sony, a set of 6 optical lenses and a sapphire protective glass lens. This set allows Xiaomi Mi5 to take clear, bright, beautiful photos and videos in any conditions. The smartphone's camera also uses a 4-axis optical image stabilizer to improve picture quality.

The device supports the Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging function, which allows you to quickly replenish the energy reserves in the battery to always be in touch. On average, the battery charge of Xiaomi Mi5 lasts for 2 days. With extreme load - one day. It is worth noting the lack of support for LTE800. Otherwise, the gadget has no problems - dual-band Wi-Fi, 4G (frequencies 1800 and 2600 MHz), support for two nanoSIM-sized SIM cards, USB Type C port.

4.Huawei Honor 8

Screen: IPS, 5.2-inch diagonal with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels (423 ppi), Corning Gorilla Glass 3

Chip, processor: 64-bit 8-core HiSilicon Kirin 950, up to 2.3 GHz, Mali T880 GPU

Memory: RAM - 4 GB, built-in flash - 32 GB or 64 GB, support for microSD memory cards

Camera: main 12 + 12 (dual), f/2.2, optical image stabilization, LED flash, video resolution 60 frames per second, Front camera - 8 megapixels

Communications: mobile networks 2G/3G/4G (LTE Cat. 6), GPS/GLONASS navigation, dual-band Wi-Fi (802.11 ac/a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.2, 3.5 mm audio jack, USB Type C, two nano-SIM slots (one combined with a microSD memory card slot)

Battery: 3000 mAh, support fast charging

Dimensions, weight: 145.5x71x7.45 mm, weight - 153 grams

Housing materials: metal, glass, plastic inserts

Huawei Honor 8 occupies a special place in our selection. We tried to make the device as interesting as possible for all categories of consumers. The new product looks great, has flagship functionality, supports all the most advanced features and at the same time costs adequate money.

The developers placed special emphasis on the appearance of the new product. The smartphone has a metal body with smooth contours. The front and back surfaces are decorated with 2.5D glass (the glass is rounded on the sides). This technique is used in the iPhone 7. The frame is made of brushed aluminum, which has the same color as the main part of the body.

In technical terms, Honor 8 is a representative of the middle class. There is a 64-bit eight-core HiSilicon Kirin 950 with a clock frequency of 2.3 GHz, 4 gigabytes of RAM, a capacious battery, a Type C USB port, and a fingerprint scanner.

Huawei Honor 8 uses a dual camera. Image resolution - 12 megapixels. One camera captures the colors of the image being captured, and the second one reads monochrome information. The resulting data is then programmatically combined and written to the resulting files. The main camera lenses have an equivalent focal length of 27 mm and a maximum aperture of f/2.2. Paired with the main camera is a dual LED flash, capable of illuminating the subject in both pulsed and continuous flash modes. The front camera uses an 8 megapixel sensor and a fixed focus lens.

The advantages include support for LTE of all Russian bands, the presence of two radio modules for SIM cards. Battery life is comparable to iPhone 7.

5. Alcatel IDOL 4S 6070K

Screen: IPS, 5.5-inch diagonal with a resolution of 1440x2560 pixels (534 ppi), Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with 2.5D effect

Chip, processor: 64-bit 8-core Qualcomm MSM8976 Snapdragon 652, up to 1.8 GHz, Adreno 510 GPU

Memory: RAM - 3 GB, built-in flash - 32 GB built-in, support for microSD memory cards up to 512 GB

Camera: main 16 megapixel, f/2.0, LED flash, optical image stabilization, front camera - 8 megapixel

Communications: mobile networks 2G/3G/4G, GPS/GLONASS navigation, dual-band Wi-Fi (802.11 ac/a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.1, 3.5 mm audio jack, microUSB connector, one nano-SIM slot

Battery: 3000 mAh

Dimensions, weight: 153.9x75.4x6.99 mm, weight - 149 grams

Case materials: metal, plastic, glass

In our selection of smartphone replacements for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, we included the Alcatel IDOL 4S 6070K. This smartphone has an ultra-clear 5.5-inch screen and a resolution of 1440x2560 pixels (534 ppi), which sets it apart from its competitors. Thanks to the position sensor, the device's screen automatically rotates the smartphone's image even if you take the device upside down. The left and right audio channels are easily swapped when you rotate the device on its axis. And even if you put IDOL 4S with the display down, the sound will still remain impeccably clear and loud.

The body of the device is made of metal, glass and plastic inserts. The whole thing looks very organic and stylish. Alcatel IDOL 4S is equipped with a high-quality sound system, which consists of two powerful stereo speakers, a JBL Hi-Fi headset and Waves professional audio technology. With the Onetouch Music app - an integrated music ecosystem - IDOL 4S offers a unique audio experience.

The phablet is equipped with a high-quality 16 megapixel camera, which is capable of taking detailed photos even in difficult lighting. Ultra-fast focusing for instant photos, interactive images, natural color reproduction with dual-tone flash, bright night selfies with front-facing flash - all this applies to Alcatel IDOL 4S.

The hardware is handled by an 8-core Qualcomm MSM8976 Snapdragon 652, 3 gigs of RAM. Built-in memory 32 GB, which can be expanded using microSD memory cards. The smartphone supports all modern wireless technologies, including dual-band Wi-Fi and 4G on Russian frequencies, as well as GPS and GLONASS navigation.

6. Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

Operating system: Android 7.0, TouchWiz shell

Screen: Super AMOLED, 5.2-inch diagonal with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels (424 ppi), Corning Gorilla Glass 4 with 2.5D effect

Chip, processor: 8-core Exynos 7880, frequency up to 1.9 GHz, Mali-T830MP3 graphics coprocessor

Memory: RAM - 3 GB, built-in flash - 32 GB of internal memory, support for microSD memory cards

Camera: main 16 megapixel (f/1.9) with autofocus, flash, Full HD video, front camera 16 megapixel (f/1.9)

Communications: mobile networks 2G/3G/4G (LTE Cat. 6), GPS/GLONASS navigation, dual-band Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, 3.5 mm audio jack, USB Type C, two nano-SIM slots

Battery: 3000mAh, support fast charging in 1 hour

Dimensions, weight: 146.1x71.4x7.9 mm, 159 grams

Case materials: metal, glass

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) is a mid-range smartphone. Externally, it is similar to the Samsung Galaxy S7: the same body materials, the same screen diagonal, fingerprint scanner, controls. The hardware is different.

The device runs on a 64-bit Exynos 7880 chip from Samsung with an eight-core processor clocked at 1.9 GHz per core. Mali-T830MP3 graphics are used. RAM 3 GB. The device has 32 GB of internal memory (26.7 GB available to the user), supports microSD removable media up to 128 GB. The performance of the smartphone is good. The interface works smoothly, the browser works without stuttering even when opening a dozen pages.

The smartphone supports all modern communication networks: 2G/3G and 4G cat. 6 on Russian frequencies, confidently receives the signal and does not lose it for no apparent reason. The device can use 2 SIM cards at once.

Galaxy A5 (2017) is capable of battery life from 2 to 3 days. In terms of autonomy, the device differs from the vast majority of Android smartphones for the better.

7. Meizu MX6

Screen: TDDI, 5.5-inch diagonal with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels (403 ppi), Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with 2.5D effect

Chip, processor: 64-bit 10-core MediaTek Helio X20, up to 2.3 GHz, Mali T880 GPU

Memory: RAM - 4 GB, built-in flash - 16/32 GB built-in, memory cards are not supported

Camera: main 12 MP, f/2.0, 6-element lens, optical image stabilization, LED flash, Front camera - 5 MP

Communications: mobile networks 2G/3G/4G (no support for LTE800), GPS/GLONASS navigation, dual-band Wi-Fi (802.11 ac/a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.1, 3.5 mm audio jack, USB Type C, two nano-SIM slot

Battery: 3060 mAh

Dimensions, weight: 153.6x75.2x7.25 mm, weight - 155 grams

Housing materials: aluminum, glass, plastic inserts

The next representative of our selection is Meizu MX6 with a 5.5-inch screen. It belongs to the class of tablet phones (phablets) and is a high-quality alternative to the iPhone 7 Plus. The device has a thin body made of cast aluminum. The front part is protected by glass with a 2.5D effect.

Meizu MX6 received two slots for SIM cards (no microSD). There is support for LTE Cat.6, but the smartphone will not work with LTE800. The hardware of the smartphone is a ten-core MediaTek Helio X20 processor, 4 GB of RAM, 32 GB of ROM and a 3060 mAh battery. The charge lasts for 2 days on average. Thanks to mCharge technology, the battery charges much faster: 65% in half an hour. A full charge takes 75 minutes.

The smartphone also has a fingerprint scanner built into the mTouch mechanical key. In addition, the gadget received a 12 megapixel IMX386 camera with a pixel size of 1.25 microns, f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus and six-lens optics.

Meizu MX6 is controlled by the proprietary Meizu Flyme shell, based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

8. Sony Xperia M5

Operating system: Android 5.1 Lollipop

Screen: IPS, 5-inch diagonal with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels (424 ppi), Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with 2.5D effect

Chip, processor: 64-bit 8-core MediaTek Helio X10, up to 2.0 GHz, IMG Rogue G6200 GPU

Memory: RAM - 3 GB, built-in flash - 16 GB built-in, support for microSD memory cards up to 512 GB

Camera: main 21.5 megapixel, f/2.0, LED flash, optical image stabilization, front camera - 13 megapixel

Communications: mobile networks 2G/3G/4G, GPS/GLONASS navigation, dual-band Wi-Fi (802.11 ac/a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.1, 3.5 mm audio jack, microUSB connector, two nano-SIM slots

Battery: 2600 mAh

Dimensions, weight: 145x72x7.6 mm, weight - 143 grams

Case materials: metal, plastic, glass, dust and water protection IP68, IP65

One of the best smartphones to buy is the Sony Xperia M5. This model boasts compact dimensions, excellent assembly and appearance. The undoubted advantages include protecting the case from dust and water.

In technical terms, the device is also strong. It runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop. The hardware is powered by a powerful 8-core MediaTek Helio X10 chip. There is 3 GB of RAM, 16 GB of built-in flash memory, which can be expanded using microSD memory cards up to 512 GB.

The high-quality 5-inch screen deserves special mention. The picture on it looks juicy and bright. Thanks to Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 technology, images look amazingly sharp and contrasty. Among the advantages of the Sony Xperia M5 is a built-in 21 megapixel camera with hybrid autofocus, 5x Clear Image zoom, automatic recognition of shooting conditions and support for video in 4K resolution.

Sony Xperia M5 has support for dual-band Wi-Fi, fourth generation networks with data transfer speeds of up to 150 Mbit/s. Versions with one or two SIM cards are available for sale. A 2600 mAh battery is enough for 1.5 days of active work.

9. ASUS ZenFone 3 ZE520KL

Screen: IPS+, 5.2-inch diagonal with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels (424 ppi), Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with 2.5D effect

Chip, processor: 64-bit 8-core Qualcomm MSM8953 Snapdragon 625, up to 2.0 GHz, Adreno 506 GPU

Memory: RAM - 3 GB, built-in flash - 32 GB built-in, support for memory cards up to 2 TB

Camera:

Communications: mobile networks 2G/3G/4G, GPS/GLONASS navigation, dual-band Wi-Fi (802.11 ac/a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.2, 3.5 mm audio jack, USB Type C, two slots: microSIM, nano -SIM combined with a slot for a microSD memory card

Battery: 2650 mAh

Dimensions, weight: 147x74x7.7 mm, weight - 144 grams

Case materials: metal, glass

ASUS ZenFone 3 ZE520KL is a stylish and functional smartphone, the body of which is lined with protective glass on both sides. On the back of the device you can see an original pattern of concentric circles; there is also a pattern on the metal buttons. Looks interesting. The build of ZenFone 3, by the way, is very high quality.

The device has a 5.2-inch display with Full HD resolution, increased brightness to 500 cd/m2 and wide viewing angles, which provides high-quality images even in bright sunlight. Moreover, thanks to the ultra-thin frame (2.1 mm) and large area (more than 77% of the size of the front panel), the screen does not at all affect the compactness of the smartphone.

ZenFone 3 is equipped with a 16-megapixel main camera with a fast f/2.0 lens and a triple tracking autofocus system. There is an optical and electronic image stabilization system, as well as a color correction sensor. The smartphone records video in FullHD format at 30 frames per second.

The performance is driven by an 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor and 3 GB of RAM. 32 GB of flash memory is allocated for data storage, which can be expanded using microSD memory cards up to 2 TB. The device supports the 4G/LTE mobile standard with data transfer speeds of up to 300 Mbps and uses a reversible USB Type-C connector.

The built-in battery with a capacity of 2650 mAh is enough for a full day in extreme mode. Well, with an average load, ASUS ZenFone 3 will have to be charged every 2-2.5 days.

10. ZTE Axon 7 mini

Screen: IPS, 5.2-inch diagonal with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels, protective glass with 2.5D effect

Chip, processor: 64-bit 8-core Qualcomm MSM8952 Snapdragon 617, up to 1.5 GHz, Adreno 405 GPU

Memory: RAM - 3 GB, built-in flash - 32 GB built-in, support for memory cards up to 200 GB

Camera: main 16 megapixel, f/2.0, optical image stabilization, LED flash, front camera - 8 megapixel

Communications: mobile networks 2G/3G/4G, GPS/GLONASS navigation, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.1, 3.5 mm audio jack, USB Type C, NFC, two nano-SIM slots, one combined with microSD memory card slot

Battery: 2800 mAh

Dimensions, weight: 147.5x71x7.8 mm, weight - 153 grams

Case materials: aluminum, glass, plastic inserts

ZTE Axon 7 mini is the most affordable iPhone 7 replacement smartphone in our selection. The model has a body with an aluminum frame. Thanks to the rounded corners, the device does not seem bulky and fits comfortably in the hand. The smartphone is equipped with an eight-core processor with high-speed and energy-saving crystals, 3 GB RAM and a modern graphics accelerator. Thanks to this, the device can boast of high system performance.

The device is equipped with a 4G module, which provides greater throughput and does not require connection to fixed equipment. The use of the NFC module ensures instant synchronization with various gadgets and allows you to make fast, secure payments.

The ZTE Axon 7 mini takes good pictures. The device has a 16 megapixel Sony Exmor photosensitive matrix, autofocus and large aperture optics. The sapphire lens prevents scratches and other defects from appearing on the lens. The front 8-megapixel camera is capable of creating high-quality selfies in any light level.

The ZTE Axon 7 mini battery ensures uninterrupted operation of the smartphone throughout the day. If you use your smartphone less actively, the operating time can increase to 2 days.

I would like to draw the attention of readers of our resource that the given smartphones are suitable as a cheaper replacement not only for the iPhone 7, but also for the Samsung Galaxy S7, the cost of which also cannot be called low. Explore our selections, share your impressions and make smart purchases! Buying a quality smartphone is easy!

Before making your final choice in favor of this or that smartphone, we strongly recommend going to an offline store and trying to “play” with the device. It is better if there is not one, but several. In this case, you will be able to evaluate whether a particular device is suitable for you, how well it meets your expectations and whether it is worth buying. Only then should you make a purchase.

Frameless smartphones are the future. Unfortunately, the trendsetters of the gadget world believe that only those who are willing to fork out the money are worthy of the future. We won’t discuss whether it’s worth it today. Today we’ll look at real frameless smartphones at a real price for Russia.

10. The cheapest LEAGOO KIICAA MIX

The cheapest frameless smartphone you can find on sale. Even used or broken ones cannot be cheaper. Despite this, the phone is very good: compact, convenient, with an excellent 5.5-inch FullHD screen made by Sharp. The mediocre processor and cameras are justified - look at the price. What can you ask for for 6 thousand? Works? Already great! And it is also compact.

9. “Xiaomi clone”: Vernee Mix 2

This smartphone will seem familiar to all fans of Chinese devices - you will see a similar one at the very end of the article. However, the cheap Vernee offers a balance of characteristics and a nice price - it is 3 times cheaper than the Xiaomi Mix! The inside is decent by 2017 standards: a 6-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2160 x 1080 (Quad HD), a budget Helio P25 platform, 4 GB of RAM and 64 permanent memory, a good dual camera and Android 7.0.

8. Successful copy: VKworld S8

Samsung S8 clone for an affordable price. The company has managed to establish itself as a manufacturer of fairly good state-of-the-art phones, so their S8 turned out to be a good smart phone. The savings are almost unnoticeable: a 6-inch original Quad HD LG screen, Samsung memory and battery, dual camera of tolerable quality. The only let down was the processor - like most of the Chinese, VKworld uses the weak MediaTek. Nevertheless, in total it turns out to be a good alternative to cheap Xiaomi.

7. Workhorse: Elephone S8

Another Mix smartphone: this time with a 6-inch edge-to-edge 18:9 display with Quad HD resolution. To get ahead of the competition, Elephone used a powerful, energy-efficient Helio X25 processor and equipped the device with an impressive 5,100 mAh battery. They did not make a fashionable dual camera - instead there is one high-quality “eye”. By the way, this S8 has a stylish glass body on a metal frame: rounded edges and feng shui.

6. The main Chinese frameless phone: OPPO F5

The new OPPO F5 has: a cool 20 MP selfie camera with a 1/2.8-inch sensor and a good main one; face recognition function; 6-inch screen with 2160 x 1080 resolution without protrusions; a lot of functions to reduce eye fatigue; a metal case 7.5 millimeters thick with the thinnest antennas on top. The processor is lagging - using MediaTek Helio P23 (MT6763T). But there are 2 SIM cards and a separate slot for MicroSD.

OPPO does not yet sell its smartphones outside of Asia, and offers English-Chinese firmware. Those who dare to buy OPPO/Vivo do without translation (in Android, the system language is not an application language and does not affect the keyboard language).

You cannot buy it freely in Russia. At home and in Southeast Asia - 17,000 rubles.

5. The one who started it all: Sharp Aquos S2

Sharp is responsible for the first mass-produced frameless smartphone. The tradition continues. Moreover, unlike earlier models, Sharp Aquos 2 can be purchased even in Russia. This one is quite cheap compared even to the iPhone 7 and easily outperforms many flagship devices in terms of technical characteristics. How much does a 5.5-inch screen with 4K resolution cost? It occupies 87.5% of the front panel, so the smartphone fits into the dimensions of a 5-inch device - or a classic iPhone SE.

4. “Regular” record holder: Nubia Z17S

For one iPhone X you can buy 4 of these ZTE. Meanwhile, Nubia's current flagship not only offers a cool, sleek design, but also minimal side bezels. Actual measurements show that the distance from the image to the air is less than that of Xiaomi Mix and iPhone X. With a standard layout! However, there is something to offer: a modern Snapdragon 835 processor, an excellent camera (almost Samsung - and much better than the various Xiaomi / Meizu), and even a good audio chip. An additional advantage is the 5.2-inch screen.

3. First among equals: Xiaomi Mi Mix

The first generation of frameless Xiaomi smartphones is still sold in Chinese stores. The lack of frames and a bunch of innovative solutions negate the real benefits of the device: stylish, fashionable - but easily damaged and still damp. A quiet speaker and no camera are the price for a huge 6.4-inch screen that occupies 84% ​​of the front panel. However, it was Mi Mix that became the ancestor of all the monotonous Chinese crafts presented in the article.

2. Updated: Xiaomi Mi Mix 2

Xiaomi has had its share of troubles with frameless smartphones. Therefore, the new Mi Mix 2 has frames and the screen is smaller. As a user of these models, I’ll be honest - it’s good that there are frames, and the screen has decreased to 6 inches and has an aspect ratio of 18: 9 (read our review). Useful screen area - 93% of the front panel. You have to pay for style: no earpiece, no 3.5 mm jack. The picture is completed by an unexpectedly mediocre camera on Sony IMX386 with optical stabilization. But the smartphone is 2.5 times cheaper than the iPhone X.