Best of 2023: Top 8 smartphones that came out this year

2023 was an exciting year in tech, especially if you’re a smartphone enthusiast. Samsung and OnePlus kicked off the proceedings early in the year, with the release of their flagship devices. This year also marked OnePlus’ entry into the folding phone segment, with the launch of the OnePlus Open. So, as we step into the last week of the year, we thought we’d bring you our picks for the top 8 smartphones that were released this year. Check them out!

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iPhone 15 Pro Max

Price: Rs 1,59,900 on Apple.com

Key Specs

This should come as no surprise but the iPhone 15 Pro Max was one of the best smartphones to be released in 2023. Apple also made the switch to the USB Type-C port for the iPhone this year, leaving behind the exclusive lightning port. Powering the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the new A17 Pro chipset, an upgrade over last year’s A16 Bionic SoC which now finds its way into the non-Pro iPhone 15 models. Another key upgrade on the new iPhone is the action button, which replaces the ringer switch. This action button can be customised to carry out quick tasks like taking a picture, switching the sound profile, launching an app, and much more. The camera panel remains largely unchanged, apart from the new 5x optical zoom capability on the telephoto lens. Read our full review of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Price: Rs 1,24,999 on Samsung.com

Key Specs

At the start of every year, Samsung launches its flagship S series smartphone and leaves the rest of the Android pack behind with some serious catching up to do. This year was no different. Launched at Samsung’s ‘Galaxy Unpacked’ event in February, the S23 Ultra is undoubtedly the best that Android has to offer. It gets the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC under the hood, which has been slightly customised for Samsung’s flagship product. In terms of design, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra retains the vertical camera alignment and general form factor from its previous iteration. This design philosophy also made it to Samsung’s midrange and budget offerings this year. The 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display is super punchy as usual, and one of the best ones around. Check out our full review of Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra to know more about the smartphone.

Google Pixel 8 Pro

Price: Rs 1,06,999 on Flipkart

Key Specs

Being Android’s parent company, you expect Google’s flagship to deliver more than the average smartphone. And it does precisely. The new Pixel 8 Pro may just be the smartest of all smartphones. The Google Tensor G3 may not be the most powerful chipset on a premium smartphone, but Google’s software magic bridges that divide with ease. Features like call screen, face unblur, video boost, and magic eraser are incredible to use on the new Pixel. However, what really earns the Pixel 8 Pro its spot on this list is state-of-the-art photo processing, which still remains unmatched. The images taken with the Pixel are punchy, super detailed, and noise-free. The ultra-wide and telephoto sensors also produce stunning results. Read more about them in our Google Pixel 8 Pro review.

OnePlus 11

Price: Rs 56,999 on OnePlus.in

Key Specs

After a lukewarm response to the OnePlus 10 Pro in 2022, the company pulled up its socks and produced one of the best smartphones of the year in 2023. The OnePlus 11 seems like a return to the enthusiast-favourite OnePlus that we all know and love. Talking about the specs, the OnePlus 11 gets a 120Hz, 6.7-inch LTPO3 AMOLED display, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, 50MP + 48MP + 32MP triple camera array, and a 5,000 mAh battery. While it lacks wireless charging, it doesn’t seem like a big miss on the smartphone because of its 100W fast-charging support. It takes just 25 minutes for the smartphone to charge from 1 to 100%. Read our OnePlus 11 review here.

iQoo 11

Price: Rs 54,999 on iQoo e-store

Key Specs

Although it often gets shoehorned into the ‘gaming phone’ category, the iQoo 11 is a complete flagship. Launched in December 2022, it was one of the first smartphones to ship with the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. Its supreme thermal management system earns it its gaming phone rep, but the dual-axis haptic motor is just as impressive. The latter makes the gaming experience on the smartphone more immersive and fun. The V2 chip pulls its weight while capturing images in limited lighting, delivering well-processed images that pack a lot of detail. Talking about the charging chops, the iQoo 11 supports 120W fast charging and can be fully charged in just 25 minutes. Check out more in our iQoo 11 review!

Vivo X90 Pro

Price: Rs 91,999 on Vivo e-store

Key Specs

The Vivo X90 Pro is one of the few smartphones in the market to rock a leather finish on the back panel. This isn’t real leather of course, but rather ‘eco’ leather as Vivo likes to call it. The round camera setup is the highlight of the smartphone’s marvellous design. This camera array has been specially tuned by Zeiss. Needless to say, the results live up to the branding. The images taken with the X90 Pro are sharp, super detailed, and contrasty. Read more about them in our review of the smartphone. 

Xiaomi 13 Pro

Price: Rs 74,999 on Mi.com

Key Specs

In 2023, Xiaomi shrugged off its midrange and budget smartphone manufacturer reputation and put out one of the most powerful smartphones of the year. The Chinese brand is finally here to play with the big boys. The Xiaomi 13 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC and runs Android 14 skinned with MIUI14. The ceramic glass back panel brings a lot of personality to the device. While reviewing the device, we were completely floored by its 1-inch primary sensor. This incredible camera produced stunning results even in extremely limited lighting. Since its camera setup is tuned by Leica, the smartphone offers two exclusive Leica profiles for shooting pictures – Leica Vibrant and Leica Authentic. You can check out the results in our Xiaomi 13 Pro review.

OnePlus Open

Price: Rs 1,39,999 on OnePlus.in

Key Specs

We’re saving the ‘Best Folding Phones of 2023’ for next week, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the OnePlus Open in the best smartphone category. Even though it is OnePlus’ debut foldable, the Open goes toe to toe with its peers and even edges ahead in some departments. OnePlus certainly took some pointers from its sister company Oppo’s folding phones over the years in producing stellar hardware for the Open. The smartphone spans 7.2 inches in its unfolded form. The 6.31-inch cover display perfectly replicates a regular smartphone. The rear camera panel houses a 48MP primary shooter, another 48MP ultrawide lens, and a 64MP telephoto sensor. Read more about the OnePlus Open in our review of the device.

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Conclusion

That’s it, folks! Hope you agree with our picks for the top 8 smartphones to come out in 2023. If you think we missed out on a smartphone, make the case for it in the comments! Watch this space for more lists next week, as we pick the best foldables, midrange phones, TVs, and laptops to come out this year. Also, make sure to cast your vote in the Gadget Bridge Awards 2023!