The best 2020 phones still worth buying in 2021

Who says you absolutely have to buy the latest and greatest smartphone? We sure don’t. Sure, it’s always fun to have the latest and greatest technology, but you can also save a lot of money by opting for last year’s devices too.

Now that it’s halfway through the year, we thought it would be a good time to look back and choose the best 2020 phones that are still highly recommended in 2021.

Best 2020 Phones Worth Buying in 2021

Samsung launched the Galaxy S21 series earlier this year, and it seems like a solid upgrade on paper over the S20 FE at first glance. For an additional $ 100, you get a better processor, more RAM, and 8K recording capabilities. But the S20 FE is actually better in some ways, and it’s definitely one of the best 2020 phones that is still worth buying today.

Aside from the fact that the S20 FE is currently cheaper at $ 600 (or $ 700 at launch), it also comes with a proper telephoto camera, microSD storage (missing from the S21), an in-box charger (missing from the newer phone) and a bigger battery. In the meantime, Samsung has also given up the less powerful Exynos 990 chipset in the 4G version in favor of the Snapdragon 865.

This phone also gets three years of Android version updates and four years of security patches, so it’s worth buying if you want to keep the device for a long time.

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE specifications:

LG is no longer in the smartphone game as it decided to leave the market earlier this year. It really is the end of an era, but you can still find some great LG phones. And last year’s V60 could be the best offer of the bunch.

The 2020 flagship comes with some great core specs, including a Snapdragon 865 chipset, 8GB of RAM, 128GB to 256GB of expandable storage, a 6.8-inch OLED panel, and a 5,000mAh battery that lasts a while holds. It also offers some features that you might not expect, such as: B. IP68 water / dust resistance, a 3.5mm headphone jack, wireless charging and Quad-DAC audio hardware.

Read more: Top 5 LG Phones You Can Buy Right Now

However, LG’s phone isn’t perfect because it doesn’t have a high refresh rate panel, it charges slowly compared to competing devices, and it’s bulky. Camera quality is also still a step behind leading brands, although LG has closed the gap. Even so, the device can be had for well under $ 500 these days, which makes it a bargain.

LG V60 Specifications:

Sony launched the Xperia 1 III and 5 III a few months ago, and both look like pretty handy flagship phones from the Japanese manufacturer. But the Xperia 5 II is still a great flagship, and it’s gotten cheaper too.

Sony’s late 2020 release features a pretty impressive spec sheet overall, including a Snapdragon 865 SoC, 6.1-inch 120Hz OLED screen, flexible triple rear camera setup (three 12 MP cameras), and a 4,000 mAh battery that actually lasts a while.

Add a 3.5mm port, microSD support, and IP65 / 68 water and dust resistance, and you generally have a good package. It lacks a few features like wireless charging and faster wired charging, but it’s easier to excuse those omissions at the current price of ~ $ 710 on Amazon.

Sony Xperia 5 II specifications:

The OnePlus 8 Pro represented a new height for OnePlus as it was the manufacturer’s first true premium flagship. At an introductory price of $ 899, it wasn’t cheap, but it still included a host of premium extras. This included 30W wireless charging, an IP68 rating, and a QHD + 120Hz OLED screen.

More OnePlus coverage: How the price of OnePlus phones has changed over the years

Other notable features include a 4,510 mAh battery and a generally rounded quad camera system (including a 48 MP IMX689 main sensor and a 48 MP IMX586 ultra-wide camera). We were very happy with the picture quality here and it may be the first OnePlus device that really made it to leading brands like Samsung, Apple and Google.

However, the OnePlus 8 Pro isn’t perfect as the 5 MP color filter camera was definitely a gimmick. But the phone is certainly worth considering at the current price of $ 699 for the 12GB / 256GB variant. This also makes it cheaper than the OnePlus 9 in some markets, as it loses faster charging and the Snapdragon 888 SoC but becomes more waterproof, a QHD + screen, and a zoom-focused camera.

OnePlus 8 Pro specifications:

The Pixel 4a hasn’t seen a successor yet, but Google confirmed a few months ago that a Pixel 5a is in the works. Unfortunately, the upcoming phone could potentially be limited to Japan and the US. It’s also worth considering if you just want a cheap Pixel in general as it’s one of the best budget phones of 2020.

Google’s mid-range doesn’t offer many specs for the price, but you do get a Snapdragon 730 chipset, 128GB of storage, a 12-megapixel single rear camera with great image quality, and three years of Android version updates. We also appreciate a clean version of Android, Google’s Pixel-specific inclusions (e.g. Google Camera App, Call Monitoring), and a back fingerprint scanner.

There are a couple of downsides, however, namely the 3,080 mAh battery and the lack of a multi-camera setup on the back. We thought the endurance was good enough for the former, but we have our reservations about battery life across the board. Still, for most people, $ 349 is pretty good deal.

Google Pixel 4a Specifications:

Asus launched two drastically different Zenfones in 2021, namely the Zenfone 8 and the Zenfone 8 Flip. The former is a compact flagship with a traditional form factor, while the latter retains the flip camera setup of the earlier Zenfone models. But we think last year’s Zenfone 7 is a better buy than the Zenfone 8 Flip.

Connected: Zenfone 8 Q&A – Asus talks about compact challenges, the possibility of small phones in the future

You’re just missing out on a new chipset and a slightly more durable camera motor when you go for the old phone over the new phone. Otherwise, the two devices share a lot of functions, including a 5,000 mAh battery with 30 W charge, a 90 Hz OLED screen with a full display, and a folding camera system with the same flexible triple sensor setup (64 MP main , 12 MP ultra-wide, 8 MP). 3X Tele).

Best of all, the Zenfone 7 retails for around $ 650 these days, compared to the Zenfone 8 Flip’s price tag of 800 euros (~ 973). So you basically pay ~ $ 300 extra for the chipset.

Asus Zenfone 7 Specifications:

That’s it for our guide to the Best 2020 Phones That Are Still Worth Buying in 2021. Are there any other devices that you would recommend? Let us know below!