Best High End Smartphone ($500 ⇆ $800) in 2020

scrimshaw on 27/07/2020 - 15:41
Last edited 27/07/2020 - 20:54

Moderators at OzBargain are now running yearly polls to decide the best products in popular categories that get asked repeatedly in the forum. Our aim is to have a central thread where users can vote on the items, suggest options and also change their vote throughout the year. For more information on how these polls work, or if you want to suggest a new poll that isn't covered already, please refer to our announcement thread here.

Question

What is your favourite high end smartphone, (priced between $500 to $800) in 2020?

The Winner of last year's poll for Flagship phones was the Samsung Galaxy S10 (5G variant) followed closely by the Huawei P30 Pro.

Let me know in the comments if you'd like to see a poll for flagship phones without a budget constraint.

Remember: You can change your votes at anytime, and suggest more than 1 product over the course of the poll.

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If you have a product that you would like to suggest for the poll (that is currently not in the Poll Options), you'll need to make a top-level comment (i.e. not replying someone else's comment) and fill up "Suggestions" text box just above your comment:

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Do try to make a sensible suggestion (e.g make sure the phone is still available to purchase) and include a brief argument as to why you would recommend the product. You can only suggest 1 product at a time.

Poll Options expired

This is part of What Should I Buy poll for 2020. Check out other recommendations from the OzBargain community.
Mobile Apple BlackBerry (brand) Google Huawei Mobile Phone OnePlus Oppo realme Samsung Vivo IQOO Neo 3 What Should I Buy Xiaomi Android

Comments

  • whooah1979 on 27/07/2020 - 15:46

    Is high end different from flagship?

    • scrimshaw on 27/07/2020 - 15:49
      +3

      I was tempted to call this category "flagship killer". But yeah, essentially it's a poll for a phone that's not too expensive but fast and powerful enough to satisfy 99% of people.

      • morgs640 on 15/10/2020 - 12:38

        Then how did an iPhone win?

        • scrimshaw on 15/10/2020 - 12:40

          The iPhone fits this category well. I'm actually expected it to win — It's not uber expensive and is easily the best option for a lot of regular users who prefer IOS to Android

          • morgs640 on 15/10/2020 - 12:47
            +1

            @scrimshaw: The fact it has IOS means it won't satisfy a hell of a lot of people.

            • onlinepred on 01/12/2020 - 12:34
              +3

              @morgs640: Yep, at least 5% of the population won't like it

            • OzzyBrak on 18/12/2020 - 13:45

              @morgs640: Apple actually tops smartphone manufacturers for customer satisfaction. So the people who buy them, really like them.

  • tsunamisurfer on 27/07/2020 - 16:05
    Suggested Google Pixel 4 XL

    Thought I'd put the Google Pixel 4 XL up there to see what people think of it.

    I have it, and its OK…only because I got it on the Voda deal.

    • 7hours 44min ago on 28/07/2020 - 09:23

      $1000 phone m8

    • Dean29 on 28/07/2020 - 09:24

      Hey mate i am considering this as an upgrade for my Samsung S8. My concern is reviews say the battery life isn't that good, How do you find it?

      • zjz93 on 17/10/2020 - 15:19
        +1

        From an s8 I wouldn't say it would be worth upgrading to a pixel. I would upgrade to an S10 or s20

  • OpayuOnam on 27/07/2020 - 16:11
    +5
    Suggested Huawei P30 Pro

    As the last Huawei with Google Play I think P30 Pro deserves to be on the list.

    • Mr Haj on 27/07/2020 - 16:24
      +4

      For sure. I have a standard P30 and I am sure it would be superior to many, if not all of the phones on this list.

      • OpayuOnam on 27/07/2020 - 16:25

        I personally don't have one but know multiple people with P30/P30 Pro who are super happy with their purchases.
        (I'm still rocking a Mate 10)

        • morgs640 on 15/10/2020 - 12:39

          My p30 is great

  • OpayuOnam on 27/07/2020 - 16:13
    +2
    Suggested Huawei Nova 5T

    If price is the only concern nova 5T is fantastic value, has guts of P30/P30 pro and costs half as much.
    8Gb RAM and 128GB storage is still better than some flagships.

    • scrimshaw on 27/07/2020 - 16:36

      that actually looks like it may belong in the mid-ranged section as it's currently sold for $498 at Good Guys (regular price).

      • OpayuOnam on 27/07/2020 - 18:09

        Price wise it is a midranger (and it has been as low as $434) but specs are definitely that of a flagship. Shares most of the spec with base model P30. Additionally it has more RAM and a higher res camera (although the P30 is slightly better at image processing).
        I think anyone considering a phone in this price range should definitely consider the nova 5T.

  • Godric on 27/07/2020 - 16:41

    If i didn't have it now, and was in the market now, i'd still heavily consider the OP7 Pro, still a well performing phone and no silly notches

  • itamaram on 27/07/2020 - 17:13

    Would have loved the ability to neg a poll option.
    - sent from my woefully inadequate S10e

    • Arthur Dunger on 30/07/2020 - 00:01

      What's wrong with it?

      • itamaram on 30/07/2020 - 20:05

        Everything except for the camera (which is absolutely exceptional)

        • Arthur Dunger on 30/07/2020 - 21:02
          +1

          So it can't make calls or sms?

          • itamaram on 31/07/2020 - 15:30
            +1

            @Arthur Dunger: Not out of the box, no. The Samsung dialer would drop calls consistently 30 seconds in, and would constantly keep on taking over the default app. Took a couple of months before they patched that up.
            Sms sending and receiving is fine when you know you need to do so, but notifications only pop up when you use the phone, not when it is locked, so yeah, kind of failing at the whole aspect of keeping me connected.
            Samsung really butchered the OS. If I wasn't looking at selling it I would've flashed something slightly more stock, but it's not worth the hassle hoenstly.
            I was shocked at what people are willing to put up with to say they own a Samsung. It's about on par with the iPhone crowd.

            • onlinepred on 28/08/2020 - 12:42

              @itamaram: So what did samsung say? I'm guessing you got a replacement device right?

              • itamaram on 31/08/2020 - 17:28

                @onlinepred: What they haven't claimed to be a feature, they said they couldn't reproduce. I'll be replacing the device with an iPhone 12 once they're out

                • onlinepred on 31/08/2020 - 17:47

                  @itamaram: Yea sounds like the way to go for you. If you don't want to dive into customising your phone, then don't go Samsung. Turning off the music widget in lock screen will show notifications on lock screen fyi. Turn off edge notifications also.

                  • itamaram on 02/09/2020 - 11:26

                    @onlinepred: I do want to customise my phone, extensively so, and I found that Samsung did not allow me to do that. Many settings which are available in vanilla android were removed in Samsung's UI.

                    The premise I always operated under was the iOS does not allow much customisation, but doesn't require much either, as it is the result of much research into UI and UX, as well as user testing. So what you get is what you're stuck with, but it is pretty good as it is.
                    Android on the other hand might not be that great out of the box, but you're able to customise it to the nth degree, and make it work the way you want to. This notion appeals to me a lot, I am willing to put the effort in, to get my ideal experience.
                    Unfortunately, Samsung ended up being the worst of both. What I got out of the box was disappointingly subpar, and many critical aspects of the systems are locked in a way I can't change them.

                    I have used Android phones before, I had a Google Nexus, a Sony Xperia, an HTC 10, and a Xiaomi Redmi, all allowed me to configure them to my liking, given enough time. Samsung did not. This is a Samsung specific issue, not an Android problem.

                    With that being said, the most important aspect of a mobile device for me nowadays is its size, and I will be buying an iPhone 12 solely based on the fact that it will be the smallest smartphone (5.4") on the market. If a small Android phone was to be made available, I would happily consider that instead.

                    • onlinepred on 02/09/2020 - 11:35

                      @itamaram: I'm interested to know what Stock android lets you do that Samsung doesn't? Stock doesn't even have theming, you can't even customise AOD.

                      Yea iPhone 12 looks to be great for small phone users. I don't think I could go smaller than my Pixel 4 and S10e though ;-)

                      • itamaram on 03/09/2020 - 11:38

                        @onlinepred: Honestly the iPhone 12 is still too big for me, the original SE was my ideal phone in terms of size and shape.

                        I am afraid I really don't understand the point of the AOD, it was one of the first things I've disabled, it didn't seem to add any value to me, so customising it was not something I was looking for.

                        I did install Glimpse Notifications, which turns my screen on when I receive a notification so that I may read its content, but on Samsuns S10e I am unable to stop that from happening when my phone is upside down or in my pocket as the OS disallows access to the proximity sensor (or so said the app, I did not verify the why).
                        I am also in a constant battle with the OS to receive my notifications at a timely manner. Despite following any and every guide published online, I still can't seem to receive notifications about new emails in real time.
                        While these are my two biggest concerns (as notifications are one of the main reason I carry my phone on me), there are a variety of other skinning decisions I can't seem to overwrite which just add drag to my day. It's not critical, but I don't understand why people put up with it.

                        • onlinepred on 03/09/2020 - 11:40
                          -1

                          @itamaram: "I am also in a constant battle with the OS to receive my notifications at a timely manner. Despite following any and every guide published online, I still can't seem to receive notifications about new emails in real time."

                          This is due to your battery settings. Just turn Optimise battery off. I mean theres so many things wrong with iOS, I don't get how people deal with those, so I guess it's really just your use cases.

                          • itamaram on 03/09/2020 - 11:56

                            @onlinepred: I have turned battery optimisation off a long time ago, it is one of the first things suggested online, and as I mentioned, I've tried many different approaches to resolve this issue, none of which did so in a satisfactory manner.

                            I have to say that I am little taken aback. By suggesting I haven't attempted changing this simple setting, you're kind of implying I haven't attempted any sort of troubleshooting before throwing my hands up. I assure you, I've spent literally dozens of hours applying a variety of fixes and running automated tests with reproducible results.

                            While I understand people who don't care about the timeliness of their notifications, there seems to be a fair few people who are unaware just how late their notifications are being received, and as such think everything is fine.

                            At the end of the day I agree that it is a matter of preference, and I find myself almost afraid to ask you what you believe these fatal flaws in iOS are, as I might be living in blissful ignorance.

                            • onlinepred on 03/09/2020 - 12:10

                              @itamaram: It's just that I use both iPhone and android, and the issues you mentioned I have never had unless I turned on optmisation. Literally the iPhone and Android ping at the same time for me for everything I have synched. Perhaps your phone was faulty? Can you tell me the reproducible steps?

                              Well for instance with iOS, only recently are they even trying to add the ability to allow default programs. I click links and they open in apple apps rather than say Google Maps, or Google Chrome etc. Chromecast on iPhone is buggy as all hell. Notification groups are still not a thing even in 2020. There is still no unified back button.Lack of integration with windows PCs. No app menu to scroll through apps (no choice is what I mean). Being able to copy files from a PC to an iPhone is still no possible. Missing nearly all advanced features from Samsung, like still can't bluetooth to multiple devices unless it's airpods. Camera on iPhone isn't variable aperture like Samsung if that matters to you.

                              I love my iPhones, and I love my Androids. I seem to always get frustrated at my iPhone when I'm in a rush, it always does what it wants - opening default app rather than the app I use etc.

                              • itamaram on 03/09/2020 - 13:47

                                @onlinepred: I wish my experience was the same, when I had two overlapping devices, my iOS device would ping, and my Android would follow suit some 5 to 15 minutes later.
                                The simplest setup was to send Emails to myself automatically every minute with the test number in the email title, and set up an IFTTT hook to write an entry into a spreadsheet on notification, and then just calculate the deviation on that.
                                If I did not unlock my phone in the last 15 or so minutes, the gmail app would stop receiving real time notifications. If I were to unlock the phone at any time, I would immediately receive all pending notifications, with the current timestamp, not the actual one, making it seem as if the Email that was sent some minutes ago was just authored.

                                Last I checked you can set google maps as your default maps app. The same can't be said for the browser, which I agree is a minor annoyance, but unfortunately most apps would force you into a system browser view (on both Android and iOS), which means that issue is usually masked.

                                I don't user chromecast extensively, but from my experience watching the occasional video cast from YouTube, I couldn't tell any difference between iOS and Android. Both were passable but not great, with the player control disappearing when I needed them the most.

                                Notifications groups are a UX mistake, not being able to disable them on Android is probably my biggest gripe with the OS. I believe that being notified of something taking place is absolutely meaningless without knowing what this something is. Notification groups make notifications pointless.

                                With all due respect, Android does not have a unified back button, it has a hardware button, what will happen when you press it is still very much open to interpretation by the app developers, and the behaviour is far from consistent. iOS convention for side swipe is identical.

                                I concede that I know nothing about phone integration with PC on both Android and iOS. I disabled Dex on my device (which took more effort than I thought was reasonable), and moved on with my life. I admit I don't know what the use case is here, so I can't comment on it.

                                I am not sure what's the purpose of the apps menu is, so again, I can't comment on this. I only found myself going there on Android when I needed to change the system settings of an app without launching it, this experience is the same as in iOS.

                                Again, when it comes to interaction with PC I am a lot less familiar with what my iPhone can and cannot do, this is not something present in my workflows, even with Android I find it more convenient to move files to and from the device via some sort of a cloud intermediary.

                                Dual bluetooth sounds like a fairly niche thing, but it's definitely a nice to have, as is the ability to finetune your shots. I got to say, the camera on the S10e is absolutely amazing, even if I'm one of those point and shoot peasants.

                                I find the iPhone to be a stable phone that does everything I want it to in a reasonable fashion, even if it is not without fault.
                                The S10e does not allow me to check my notifications in a timely sane manner, so honestly, it's just not good enough as a phone. My previous interactions with Android are very much like iOS. I wasn't wowed, but I was using a mobile device which got me through the day.

                                • onlinepred on 03/09/2020 - 14:10

                                  @itamaram: Just FYI, I turned ON optimise in the battery settings for GMAIL, and instantly had delays, I wouldn't get a notification until I open the app. Confirmed that when I remove optimse I get INSTANT notification of the mail. I believe if you have set this correctly and it's still happening, something is wrong with your phone.100% it's due to the battery settings. I did this via long press gmail, info, battery, optimise battery usage, search gmail, uncheck.

                                  Android can be set to use system browser for apps or not.

                                  I deal with all notifications on my Android as it makes zero sense on iOS for me. When I get out of a meeting I often have over 100 notifications for security cameras/teams/sms/missed calls/email client #1/email client#2. I am happy to leave groups alone till later like personal chats etc but leave them as a notification and only focus on an APP at a time rather than deal with 100 notificaitons one at a time. I guess the same thing goes for finding apps, some are just used to iOS and position apps at a certain spot on their screen and they can find it, while I just prefer opening a list of apps and looking for it in alphabetical order, especially if I forget the name of the app.

                                  Anyway, this just shows how incredibly personal it all is.

                                  • itamaram on 03/09/2020 - 20:59

                                    @onlinepred: Trust me, I wish it was as easy as this one setting, which did resolve the issue for most apps, but not all of them, gmail being one of the most notable exceptions.

                                    I agree that the approach people take to their notifications is personal, and what works for one person doesn't work for another. This is exactly why I expected an OS like Android to be highly customisable. "You want grouping? You got it! Don't want them? We cater for you too!".

                                    It's a shame that just like iOS I'm forced into a specific way of using my phone, instead of having the freedom to customise it to my liking.

                    • morgs640 on 15/10/2020 - 12:52

                      @itamaram: P30? Another Samsung ;) S20?

                      • itamaram on 15/10/2020 - 16:24

                        @morgs640: I honestly don't see myself buying another Samsung in this lifetime XD
                        And as tempting as the P30 is, I would rather buy a smaller phone…

                • Headless on 21/09/2020 - 09:37

                  @itamaram: Try the Huawei P30 pro before you do, I was an apple fanboy, then samsung fanboy, now I could never go back to those brands - attention to detail with P30 pro is just amazing

                  • itamaram on 21/09/2020 - 09:48

                    @Headless: Thank you for your recommendations, admittedly I haven't really considered the Huawei brand, but my main driving force in my pick of device is physical size. My ideal size is less than 5", and this gen the iPhone 12 is the smallest of the bunch at 5.4, so that's my pick.

  • 7hours 44min ago on 28/07/2020 - 09:32
    Suggested Google Pixel 4a

    Getting in early here as the rumour mill says that an announcement is "imminent". Should start at around AU$650 and have decent specs compared to others.
    Otherwise the Pixel 3 XL is close to $500 these days and has great specs.

    • Ghost47 on 28/07/2020 - 09:42

      Announcement for what?

      • 7hours 44min ago on 28/07/2020 - 14:15
        +1

        Pixel 4a

        • Ghost47 on 28/07/2020 - 14:21

          Ohhhh, completely missed that large part of your comment that says "Ggogle Pixel 4a" lol.

  • DarthAntz on 28/07/2020 - 09:42
    Suggested Vivo IQOO Neo 3

    Bought this phone 2 months ago. A big upgrade from my ZTE axon 7. I have managed to delete 95% of the unwanted chinese apps, but there is still a few left that dont bother me. Camera is a big upgrade, but thats expected from the 3 years between phones.
    As far as snapdragon 865 and 144hz screen goes, I have not used the phone for these specs yet. Still only playing Dungeon Maker, and the most the CPU has had to work is processing images such as astrophotography or a panorama. I dont need to game on my phone.
    I dont think this will be mainstream, as most of their phones have a short development cycle. I bought it for price-performance, and it has good band frequency compatibility for where I am. I think I'll get 2-3 years out of this phone, and upgrade to something with better camera zoom which is expected in most phones in the future.
    It was this phone or wait until the realme 6 pro. I am really happy with it, but its easy to be happy with an phone upgrade after 3 years.

  • Ag07 on 28/07/2020 - 16:51
    Suggested Samsung Galaxy A71

    Pretty good for the price

  • capslock janitor on 06/08/2020 - 11:20

    whichever has IR blaster get my vote always :) so Xiaomi / HW honor

    • Headless on 21/09/2020 - 09:38

      I didn't think this was a great feature to have until I had it on the p30 pro.
      Wow, I can control so many things with this! - now i'd be sad if they stopped it.

      • capslock janitor on 21/09/2020 - 12:50
        +1

        Exactly dude, I will support and buy whichever brand has it.
        At the minimum we can change my TV channels and other TV's outside with just a phone which I have with me 80-90% of the time

  • Cunning Linguist on 06/08/2020 - 18:45
    Suggested Google Pixel 3a XL

    Thought it worth putting the Pixel 3a's big brother into this category

  • ddhar on 13/08/2020 - 08:37

    Hi guys,

    Currently using an S7 Edge which has been great but has developed the infamous purple line on the display. Otherwise very happy with the phone.

    I've been eyeing either a refurb S9 plus or S10 (non-plus) as upgrade. Budget around the $500 mark but willing to stretch where justified. The Pixel 4a and Note 10 lite apparently fall within consideration too and I admit the choices confound me now.

    Appreciate if you can help in shortlisting the phones. I just want something that's confortable to carry around, has good display & camera and can last at least 3 years. A headphone jack is preferable too as I still have a highend iem that is used from time to time.

    • Headless on 21/09/2020 - 09:39

      Don't buy an S9 - just don't, the quality and longjevity isn't there
      Go for Huawei, you wont be dissapointed

  • scrimshaw on 13/08/2020 - 13:38
    Suggested Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite

    Putting in a recommendation for the Galaxy Note 10 Lite, which is the cheaper and bigger sibling of the Note 10.

    Retails in the high $500's,

    • 1080 x 2400 display with hole punch (6.7inch)
    • gigantic 4500mah battery
    • Triple camera setup with good night shooting performance
    • In-display fingerprint reading
    • 25w fast charging but you'll only get 18w charger in the box
    • always on AMOLED display like any other flagship
    • S-Pen is still there.

    Downsides

    • Exynos chipset is kinda old. Performs around the same as the Galaxy S10 or S10e
    • slippery texture
    • no high refresh rate display. just 60hz
    • selfie camera apparently not great
    • It has a 3.5mm jack — a good thing, but let down in the audio department with a downgrade of a mono speaker. The previous Note9 had stereo speakers. I don't think I can ever go back to mono speakers after my experience with Note9.

    It's an all rounder phone. Great purchase if you specifically want the S-Pen, watching movies on a bigger display and reliable point and shoot camera phone, but quite let down by a 2-generation old Exynos chip + 60hz screen which makes it not so great for gaming.

  • HaydosK on 24/08/2020 - 14:57
    +1
    Suggested Xiaomi Redmi K30 Ultra

    I think that this phone is in the middle of mid range and flagship for the top model being just over 500$

  • solidussnake on 24/08/2020 - 17:34
    +3

    Just picked up a Mate 20 Pro from Harvey Norman for $600 And it's one hell of a phone !

    • anhtram222 on 08/09/2020 - 19:51
      +1

      How's your experience so far? Overall performance and camera/video recording quality?
      I'm thinking of getting one to replace my note20 ultra, it's a good phone but too big. I'm working in a warehouse so smaller and cheaper one is better.

      • solidussnake on 08/09/2020 - 19:57
        +1

        I went from a S8 to this, yes it is a bit bigger but you do get used to it ! Screen seems nice very solid performance and 1.5 days battery life so far, even the 40W charger will fill it around 45 mins pretty impressive !! the camera is pretty decent but I'm pretty noob using it hahah

  • KLoNe on 06/09/2020 - 15:02
    +1

    Huawei Mate 20 Pro (and regular)

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 02/10/2020 - 13:15

    What’s the consensus on real world ‘best’ no compromise android flagship?

    I was waiting for iphone 12 but Android has me a little curious. Upgrading from iPhone 7 plus

  • xmail on 02/10/2020 - 21:24
    Suggested Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro

    Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro can be had for ~$500 and is pretty high specc'd. The main downside is the weight and the need to use a custom ROM to have decent software.

    • morgs640 on 15/10/2020 - 12:56

      Poco F2 Pro

  • boretentsu on 08/10/2020 - 08:38

    What I find interesting is that the top voted as of writing are smaller form mobiles: SE2 S10e 4a

    And these 3 are the only mainstream mobiles of that form. And Samsung have bowed out of making a S20e due to insufficient interest.

  • ewand7 on 08/11/2020 - 21:26
    +1

    I've had the iPhone SE for about 6 months now, upgrading from the first gen SE. I think that all flagships in this catagory make a comprimise somewhere. As far as i can tell, the pixel 4a and similar models skimp on the proccesser, and apple skimp on the screen, and others on the cameras etc. The reason i eventually bought the iPhone was the continued support of the older devices. My first gen SE is running iOS 14, and even supports PiP with its measly 2gb of ram, despite its 2014 release date. The new iPhone SE, at least relatively to my old phone is crazy fast, and i can invision that this device will last me at least 5 years. I don't think the androids get the same continued support like the iPhones do, anyone daily driving a note 4? I also bought a fast charger from kmart which made the SE that much better to use.

  • scrimshaw on 02/12/2020 - 16:22

    Well, time sure flies by fast.

    The polls will be closed soon at the end of this month. Make your choices (or don't) and revote if you have changed your minds

  • AustriaBargain on 11/12/2020 - 23:54

    If $800 is the upper end of a high end smartphone, why did I just pay $2,400 for the world's most expensive iPhone. What a difference 5 months makes int he smartphone world..

  • Black Brown Blue on 28/12/2020 - 03:06
    Suggested Oppo Find X2 Neo

    Oppo Find X2 Neo
    Costed me 900 and has 2 more models Oppo Find X2 lite and pro. Great phone so far. No issues. 90Hz screen, 256 GB storage and powerful. I upgraded from IPhone 8.

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