Top 10 high-end phones in 2021 in Szilárd's vision Ervin Szőgyényi: I was wrong about the foldables!

Time 15/01/2023 By myhoneybakedfeedback

In 2009, 3 years after the launch of the Mobilissimo website, we started making these end-of-the-year TOPs and since then, year after year, we return with them sharing our vision of the mobile terminal market. 12 years have passed since then. The TOP below is my personal one and obviously, it's a subjective one, but at the same time a relevant one due to the fact that they all passed by me (with the exception of the Google Pixel phone). Of course we tested a lot more phones in 2021 and if you're curious about the exact figure, well it's 82 phones of all kinds. Next you will be able to read my opinion about the cream of the phones of 2021 and some opinions about them, and finally some predictions about what we are going to see next year, in 2022. Let's get started!

10. Nubia Red Magic 6s Pro

Personally I am not a gamer and the only game I access on my mobile is 8Ball Pool and I only do it as relaxation before sleep. In this context, it is quite important that I have included a gaming smartphone in my personal top. We did it because the Nubia Red Magic 6s Pro comes at an excellent price of only $599 for the 12GB RAM - 128GB storage version, and $699 for the 16GB RAM - 256GB storage version. Where we also add that the screen is an OLED one with a refresh rate of 165Hz and brings a Snapdragon 888+ chipset in its "chest". You can buy separately and accessories such as a cooler or dedicated headphones, also at low prices. They have an official website that delivers duty-free in Europe, and the guarantee is quickly resolved in case of need. I have personally tested it and recommend it.

9. Apple iPhone 13 Pro

In 9th place comes the iPhone 13 Pro, and not because I don't appreciate it, but because the screen is too small for my needs. Yes, I know, many of you prefer more compact phones, but I have other needs in this regard. The phone is otherwise excellent in every way, I probably would have bought it if there was no 13 Pro MAX.

8. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is one of the most popular flagships of 2021, it comes with a super camera, a phone that usually comes out victorious in most of the charts we've seen in the last time on the internet, and in terms of performance there is no question that it is still up there. But what I liked most about it, and about Samsung phones in general, is the interface and user experience. I remember the TouchWiz period which was an extremely difficult one for Samsung, then came Samsung Experience, a transition to what is currently One UI. Why didn't I place it higher on the list though, well the design of the phone collides head-on with my ideas of what a phone should look like. Sorry Sammy!

7. Xiaomi 11T Pro

Top 10 high-end phones of the year 2021 in Szilárd Ervin Szőgyényi's vision: I was wrong about foldables!

In October, I reviewed Xiaomi's autumn flagship and concluded that it is a balanced phone at a fair price. For under 3000 lei we have a phone "with everything" - please, almost with everything. I appreciated the autonomy of the phone and especially the very fast charging. The camera is one of the best and even though we don't have IP certification or wireless charging, it's a reliable phone with a great screen!

6. GOOGLE Pixel 6 Pro

One of my personal frustrations is that I haven't been able to get my hands on this phone yet despite having it in my cart for 3 weeks, then giving up on the pre-order. It was the phone with probably the most consistent hype this year, and I don't understand how Google still can't officially offer its phones (and more) worldwide. Okay, we have a shortage of components, but still, we have been waiting for them for so long with Google Assitant in Romanian and Store with Nest and other Google products in Romania. I placed it in 6th place precisely because of this, but also as a result of the frequent bug reports. Otherwise who knows... Of course it's a phone I still want, at least for the review, then we'll see!

5. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3

I tell you honestly, 2 years ago I wouldn't give 2 lei on the success of foldables, and yet, I have to admit that I was wrong at that time. The Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 proved to me this year that the future is at least partially, a foldable one. The design has become more refined, more usable, and the Galaxy Z Fold3 is a much cheaper phone than the last generation implied these devices could be. Practically, the phone scores well in the two chapters where it was most needed. Usability and price. Here at Mobilissimo I did a comparison with the Z Fold2, if you want to understand what I'm talking about, or want to document the rest of the differences.

4. Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

iPhone 13 Pro Max is my personal phone and I use it alternately with Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Why only in 4th place? Because while it's a great phone, I've been annoyed at how shallowly Apple has handled the macro camera, only coming out a few weeks ago with a fix that allows you to manually toggle the camera on or off. Other than that, I'm telling you with my hand on my heart, I feel absolutely no difference between it and the 12 Pro Max. On the other hand, it is higher in the top compared to the iPhone 13 Pro, because it has a larger screen. That's it. What I appreciate about him is that I can manage everything, including the administrative issues of Mobilissimo and the company behind it, and that without running into difficulties. Basically the Apple ecosystem combined with Gapps is the perfect combination for me.

3. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3

The Galaxy Z Flip3 is basically the phone that proved to me that foldables have a future. Honestly, I can't wait to see what 2022 brings us in this segment, which I'm sure will be much wider than in 2021. This is also shown by the leaks and the end-of-year releases. See Huawei for example. We find the phone at around 4000 lei, something that for a foldable, 2 years ago, seemed like utopia. And what a phone! It's absolutely gorgeous!

2. Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra

I told you earlier that I also use a Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra as a secondary phone. I especially appreciate him for the way he takes close up photos and helps me in my daily work. The interface on the other hand is almost as friendly as Samsung's One UI, and otherwise it's at least on par with the South Korean manufacturer's Ultra. For me it's one of the best high-end phones of 2021 and also one of the best looking. I like!

1. OnePlus 9 Pro

Maybe I'm shocking a lot of people with this option, but for someone who has spent more than 3 weeks with the OnePlus 9 Pro, I say it with openness and peace of mind that for me the 9 Pro is the most good phone from 2021. There have been a lot of bad things about it, probably spread by the competition in the online press, but I don't care what others say and I've always gone by what I feel, concretely, when using a phone. I don't want to say that the phone is perfect, but it is perfect for me. I was enchanted by the photos I took with him. It's the fastest interface we've tested at Mobilissimo and is "As Smooth as It Gets" in design. The only inconvenience that stopped me from buying it was the budget that I already allocated elsewhere.

Finally, I expect that next year this top will contain more foldables and who knows, maybe OPPO, realme, Motorola and other brands less seen in the high area so far. At least the information I have tends to show that. They will probably also increase the autonomy of use compared to 2021, and the cameras will continue to surprise. I have a feeling Vivo will matter more in 2022.

Happy holidays!