Table of Contents
Introduction
Nowadays there are two main competitors in the phone industry, which are iPhone by Apple and high-end Android phones by companies like Samsung, Oneplus, and Google etc. These two types of phones have their own separate following that is loyal to their brand that has been buying their products right from the beginning.
Apple vs Non Apple Phones
There is a never-ending argument between consumers of both sides as to which phone is superior. That is an ongoing debate but there are some rock solid facts both sides agree on. Apple features their own iOS operating software whereas as most non-Apple phones feature an Android operating system.
Android is much more customizable compared to iOS in terms of layout and design, whereas iOS is quite simple and is termed as user friendly. Android is open-sourced and iOS is closed sourced, meaning there are a lot of third party alterations of the Android system.
iOS has its own dedicated browser known as Safari whereas in Android you have the ability to set any browser as default. iOS features Apple’s Siri voice assistant which is integrated to each phone whereas most Android phones have the Google voice assistant which is quite general and isn’t integrated according to a single device. There is also a fact that iOS is a lot more secure than Android and has a lot of integrated apps.
Benefits of Non Apple Phones
There are many benefits a non-Apple phone has over its counterpart. For example, a non-Apple phone is much more customizable according to your use and requirements and makes the phone feel a lot more personal. There are also not a lot of restrictions which means that you can access third party software and apps to make your experience that much better. There are also huge array of apps present in accordance with your requirements.
Top 5 Best Non Apple Phone
Samsung Galaxy S20
Samsung is one of the front runners in the competition against Apple and its phones and has been able to compete for multiple years. The Galaxy S20 is Samsung’s recent flagship phone. It has an impressive all glass build and is deemed as the “glass sandwich”. It has an amazing 6.2” AMOLED featuring an astonishing 120Hz refresh rate with an aspect ratio of 20:9 and a pixel density of 563 ppi and an 89.5% screen to body ratio. It houses the incredibly quick and snappy Snapdragon 865 with 12GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage which is quite impressive.
The S20 has an incredible triple camera setup at the back with a 12MP main camera with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), a 12MP ultra wide sensor and a 64MP 3x telephoto lens which is quite impressive and captures and records up to 8K @ 24 fps, 4K @ 30/60fps and 1080p @ 30/60fps and 120fps slo-mo. These cameras capture sharp, detailed pictures with neutral look along with bright exposure.
The S20 has a 10MP front camera in the hole-punched screen. It contains an impressive 4000mAh battery with fast charging and wireless charging capabilities. The phone is IP 68 water and dust resistant approved and has an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.
Pros
- Incredible camera
- Impressive battery
- Astonishing 120hz screen
- 5G supported
- Wireless charging
Cons
- No headphone jack
- 8K only at 24 fps
Verdict
The Samsung S20 is no joke and is an amazing premium phone with high end specs. It produces great images on a very impressive panel and is 5G enabled making it future proof. This is surely a great phone and is a solid competitor against one of Apple’s best.
Pixel 3a
The Google Pixel series is Google’s own line of mobile phone, laptops, tablets and multiple accessories. Although this phone is deemed as one of the budget options, it still is an incredible package and a great competitor to Apple. It provides all the necessary features coupled with extra quirks all within a budget friendly price point.
It features a 5.6” 1080p OLED screen with an aspect ratio of and a pixel density of 441 ppi. The screen is quite impressive with vibrant colors and deep blacks. It has a high quality all plastic build which doesn’t feel cheap at all. The Pixel 3a line features an option of multiple unique colors with a colored powered button.
The Pixel 3a has a punchy front facing speaker with downward facing speaker to provide that extra sound quality. It is quite loud and is fine for the majority of users. It is equipped with a mid-range Snapdragon 670 processor with an Adreno 615 GPU with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage.
Although the phone is fast enough and doesn’t lag but the RAM management is not as great (also because of low RAM capacity) and causes some apps to close and just isn’t as fast as the top runners which is to be expected from a budget phone. The Pixel 3a’s battery is also a main selling point with the huge 3000mAh battery which is actually more than the Pixel 3.
But the main feature of the Pixel 3a is the amazing cameras. It contains a main 12MP camera which is the same as the Pixel 3 which shoots and records at 4k @ 30 fps and 1080p @30/60/120 fps. The amazing camera captures very detailed photos and has tons of dynamic range and great vibrant colors. At the time of its release, it was surely the best camera in its class.
It also contains an 8MP front camera which captures great and detailed pictures and records at 1080p @ 30fps. This phone doesn’t contain any dedicated image processing chip or Pixel visual core which means that pictures are processed directly on the processor which just causes photos to take longer to process which is not an issue to the average consumer as they get the best results after.
Pros
- Top quality camera
- Amazing battery life
- OLED display
- Contains headphone jack
- Software support
Cons
- Not water resistance
- No wireless charging
- Thick bezels
Verdict
The Pixel 3a is surely an amazing phone at this price bracket and is amazing for people if they are willing to overlook certain features such as wireless charging, mid-range processor and less RAM. This phone provides one of the best software experience and best picture quality in this range.
This phone still has one of the best cameras in the non-Apple segment and is not to be neglected. This is a great option for those who want a great camera, great battery life and very good specs all without spending a fortune.
Oneplus 8
Oneplus is a company which has surely impressed everyone over the years as they have been producing phones which are deemed as “flagship killers”. Recently though, Oneplus have started producing their own flagships and a recent launch of theirs is the Oneplus 8.
The Oneplus 8 offers a full glass body but still no wireless charging and has a 6.55” impressive AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate which makes your experience so much smoother and better. The screen has an aspect ratio of 20:9 with a pixel density of 402 ppi and an 88.7% screen to body ratio.
It is equipped with the Snapdragon 865 with 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage which is honestly quite impressive. The phone is smaller than the more expensive 8 Pro and is quite lighter as well. It is HDR 10+ certified and is quite color accurate and bright and is quite smooth and responsive.
The phone features a triple camera setup at the back with a 48MP main, 16MP ultra wide and a 2MP Macro lens which records and shoots at 4K 30/60fps and [email protected] 30/60 fps and 240fps slo-mo. In the front, there is a 16MP camera which can record and shoot up to 1080p @ 30 fps with Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS).
The phone has an impressive 4300mAh battery (which is actually better than the 8 Pro) and has Oneplus’s signature Warp charging capabilities which allow it to be charged from 0-50% in just under 25mins which is quite astonishing. It is also one of the cheapest 5G enabled devices in the market.
Pros
- Great display
- High end specs
- Fast Charging
- Cheapest 5G option
Cons
- No wireless charging
- Finger print magnet
Verdict
The Oneplus 8 is an amazing option if someone wants to go the non-Apple route as it provides a great display with flagship level specs, is a great performer overall, get frequent software updates and is one of the cheapest 5G options available also making it quite future proof.
Pixel 4
The Pixel 4 is another one of Google’s new launches and offers great value. It has an all glass and metal construction with a matte finish, matte black sides and the signature Pixel colored power button. It houses the Snapdragon 855 with 6GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. These specs are not ultra-high end but make up for it in other areas of the phone.
The Pixel 4 has a 5.7” full HD+ OLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate which automatically adjusts to improve battery life. It has an aspect ratio of 19:9 with a pixel density of 444 ppi with a 79.8% screen to body ratio primarily due to its massive bezels which are used to hide the front camera along the new motion sensor. The Pixel 4 is IP 68 dust and water resistant certified and has wireless charging available.
It has a 2800mAh battery which is quite low compared to current standards but Google claims that it can last a whole day without a problem. The Pixel 4 has dual cameras at the back in a square camera bump which is a first for Google.
There is a 12.2 MP wide main camera along with a 16MP telephoto lens which can shoot and record up to 4K @ 30fps and 1080p @ 30/60 fps and 120fps slo-mo. The front facing camera is an 8MP wide angle lens which able to record at 1080p @ 30fps. The pixel 4 has a single downward firing speaker which is loud enough for the average consumer.
Pros
- Solid build
- Great haptic feedback
- Amazing camera
- Nice display
Cons
- No fingerprint sensor
- No ultra-wide camera
Verdict
Overall the Pixel 4 is an amazing phone by Google, although it’s not perfect and might need some refining in certain areas but is quite good nevertheless. It has simple and smart software and will receive software updates first. It also has a nice display with great camera quality and the build is also quite solid. This is surely an option if you’re going for a Non Apple device.
Huawei P40 Pro
Huawei is also a famous company in the mobile industry and has produced great quality phones over the years. Recently Huawei has parted ways with Google and has gone with their own services which might not be familiar experience but is nevertheless satisfactory.
The P40 Pro offers a soft to touch glass finish body with a 6.58” OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate along with a pixel density of 441 ppi and a 91.6% screen to body ratio. The screen has nice viewing angles with crisp and vibrant colors. It has a cutout in the front for its 32MP camera, infra-red sensor and a depth sensor. In also includes an optical fingerprint sensor.
The phone has a quad camera setup with a 50MP main with OIS, 40 MP ultra-wide, 12MP 5x optical periscope sensor and a time of flight sensor. It has a 4200mAh battery with both wired and wireless fast charging. It has a Karin 990 processor with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. It is also IP 68 rated and is 5G enabled. It captures sharp, detailed pictures with color accuracy and high exposure and is a nice package overall.
Pros
- 90Hz refresh rate
- Beautiful screen
- Battery life
- 5G enabled
- Excellent camera quality
Cons
- Not partnered with Google
- Limited software wise
Verdict
Although the Huawei P40 Pro won’t provide you with the well-known experience you would get from other non-apple products, this will surely be a tough competitor as it provides high end specs with a solid camera and an amazing battery along. It is also 5G enabled making it future proof. Overall it’s a solid package and is a viable option.
What to Look for When Choosing a Non Apple Phone
Features
When choosing a non-Apple phone, you have to see if you are getting enough features with your device and if it even matches feature wise with its Apple counterpart. The phone should provide a premium experience with the latest quirks and should be future proof enough that you won’t have to upgrade soon if the features become outdated.
Design
The design should be well built and should have a premium finish so that it is durable for years to come. The build quality should be there to support it and the design shouldn’t look outdated in a couple of years and should be future proof.
Aesthetics
The phone you decide to go for should not only be rich in features but it should also be rich in looks. It shouldn’t look outdated and should look beautiful and pleasing to look at. In the end you don’t want the best specs in a phone all in a chunky brick after all, you want it to look the part as well.
Price
The price you decide to pay for your phone should at least be justified and you should be pleased with your purchase. You should consider if your desired option gives you the features you require or if it even checks all your boxes before spending your money.
Recommendation
All the phones mentioned in the list are all amazing options if you decide to go for them; however, we think that the Samsung Galaxy S20 has the best price to performance ratio among all picks as it provides premium flagship features and is quite a stylish phone In its class.
It is also future proof because Samsung keeps phones up to date with its constant security and firmware updates. The phone is also 5G supported and has that amazing 120 Hz refresh rate screen which provides that next level experience.
But if you disagree with our suggestion then hopefully our top 5 picks will help you narrow it down as it all boils down to your liking and needs and what you deem to be better for you. Whatever you decide from the phones on our list, you will surely not be disappointed.
Final words
When going for a non-Apple phone, the list can seem daunting and the task might seem unachievable but no need to worry as our list provides you with all the necessary guidelines that will surely help you in deciding what you decide to go for as in the end it is up to you what you decide to spend your hard earned cash on.
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