Most smartphone manufacturers highlight the top devices in their product line, on which they pin their hopes. Such devices are usually called flagships. A flagship is a smartphone that is distinguished by advanced functionality and is superior in equipment to other models of the manufacturer. The term migrated from the navy, where the flagship is the most powerful ship in the squadron, on board which the command is located.

Flagship – does not necessarily combine the best of mobile world. If a manufacturer produces budget handsets (like many Chinese companies), then the flagship may also correspond to the middle class. This state of affairs can be observed, for example, in Philips or Fly. Their tops can only compete with the “average” Samsung or LG. However, these are full-fledged flagships compared to the most popular inexpensive smartphones for $100-300.

In their advanced smartphones, manufacturers strive to embody all the achievements and new technologies, ready for practical application. If a company has its own powerful research base, then the latest developments are used. Companies that use components from third-party developers do not have access to them. In this case, use the best parts that are freely available. Processor suppliers are companies such as Qualcomm or MediaTek, memory is purchased from Samsung, Hynix or Elpida, and displays are purchased from Sharp, Samsung, JDI or LG.

Samsung flagship series

Samsung is the main flagship manufacturer in the smartphone world. The company's top devices are such not only in model range manufacturer, but also on the market as a whole. This is possible thanks to the concentration of enormous resources, the presence of our own divisions for the development and production of components, as well as large-scale financing.

Samsung installs the fastest RAM and permanent memory in its flagships, latest processors Exynos Octa, Super AMOLED screens ultra-high (2.5K) resolution and quality cameras. All these smartphone parts are made by Samsung independently and are not available to other companies until the jackpot is hit on sales of new products.

Samsung flagship series from Galaxy S (2010) to Galaxy S6 (2015)

Samsung's flagship line is Galaxy smartphones S. Top phablets belong to the series Galaxy Note. It is in these smartphones that the main achievements are concentrated.

Apple flagships

Apple has a different approach when it comes to releasing flagships. Unlike Samsung, the company does not have its own production facilities. The components are supplied by third party contractors, and they also do the assembly. As a result, Apple does not have the opportunity to install the most advanced parts. And the lineup, compared to competitors, looks more modest. Therefore, there are no obvious flagships among the iPhone. Almost every iPhone (with the exception of models positioned as budget ones, like the 5C or SE) can be called a flagship.

Not having the opportunity (and even the particular desire) to be “in the forefront” of implementing new technologies, Apple prefers to work on the quality of implementation. The company's policy is that it is better to thoughtfully implement proven technology than to experiment with a new one and “catch” bugs in it. Therefore, the iPhone is a flagship, despite the fact that “on paper” its characteristics can be attributed to the middle class at most.

Other flagship smartphones

LG produces flagship smartphones in the G line, where it also implements advanced developments in the field of screens and cameras. Sony promoted the Xperia Z series until 2016, which also included best displays(up to 4K) and cameras (up to 22 MP) of our own production. Now it has become the flagship Xperia series X.

Other companies do not have such a powerful production and research base, so they are forced to use third-party developments. The only exception is Huawei, which makes Kirin processors themselves. HTC released until 2016 top smartphones in the One M series, but the latest flagship of 2016 bears the name HTC 10, without additional letters.

The most difficult thing is to determine the flagships of the Chinese. While Xiaomi and Meizu have it easy with this (Mi and MX series, respectively), Lenovo, ZTE, Huawei, Oppo do not produce special series, which include only distinct flagships. And the wide range of models does not allow us to clearly identify the “best” smartphone from the company.

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Articles and Lifehacks

Let's ask ourselves the question: what is a flagship phone?

We, ordinary people, are constantly told a couple of times a year, or even more often, that Samsung, HTC, LG and many others will soon release or have already released new flagship companies.

But what is a flagship? Let's discuss the term in this article.

basic information

• All phone manufacturers produce devices that differ in technical characteristics, design and cost. Some are cheaper, others are more expensive.
• One has a 5.2-inch display with a pixel density of 440 per inch, while the other has a faded 3-inch TFT matrix with a resolution of 320x240.
• A flagship is a phone that has the latest cutting-edge features.
• Manufacturers are trying to amaze us with new built-in functions (remember, for example, the heart rate sensor in Samsung Galaxy 5), number of camera megapixels, screen size and quality, and much more. In general, who is good at what.
• This whole race is not only because of the humane desire for us to enjoy using the device, but also because of money.
• If the flagship device from one company is more famous than from another, sales of the first will accordingly increase, and the second will incur possible losses.
• The flagship manufacturing company tries to keep information about the external design secret for as long as possible. detailed characteristics new items and its features right up to the release of the device.
• Because of this, user excitement is fueled, the company receives increased attention to itself, and competitors are trying their best to find out news about the upcoming flagship.

Why are flagships so popular?

• Recently, the fashion for increasing the number of pixels and screen size is slowly fading away. The development of innovations that have never been seen before, as well as quality, comes to the fore.
• For example, in addition to the heart rate sensor, the SGS 5 has a built-in and usable fingerprint recognition sensor. Before this, this feature was only available on the iPhone. HTC has revised the camera's performance.
• Now the number of megapixels does not exceed ten, but the quality of the images, if not improved, then at least remained at the same level. In addition to cameras, NTS are working on sound quality, constantly improving it from both headphones and external speakers.

Those buyers who are interested in smartphones constantly hear the word flagship. Lately it has often been heard on TV screens and used in reviews mobile phones. Of course, an advanced user immediately understands what we are talking about, but a simple person does not. Let's figure out what it is flagship smartphone and how it differs from a regular gadget. The article will also provide a description of several models that occupy leading positions in the 2017 ranking.

The concept of "flagship"

If we consider this word as a term, then it was first used in the navy. The flagship was the main vessel from which command was exercised. Currently, this term has become often used for mobile gadgets. Sometimes manufacturers even abuse this word.

If there are several new models in the product range, then the most expensive one with top technical equipment will be considered prestigious. Its performance and duration are assessed battery life, screen resolution, cameras, etc.

So what is a flagship smartphone? First of all, the device must be unique. As a rule, developers use non-standard solutions that add a unique twist. Before the start of sales, the manufacturer organizes a large-scale advertising campaign, which increases the demand for the gadget. Vivid examples are the flagships from Apple or Samsung, which create a real sensation.

Rating of flagships 2017

In order not to be unfounded and to show what a flagship smartphone is, it is necessary to consider several models of gadgets. In 2017, well-known global brands are still in the lead. Of course it's Apple. It has never happened before that an Apple company has weakened its position in the global market. This manufacturer has a worthy competitor. It's about about a fairly well-known Korean company. Flagship models of Samsung smartphones have been leading the ratings for several years now. Another well-known brand is added to them - LG. Of course, other companies regularly release attractive flagships, but the top 3 included the following smartphones:

• iPhone 8;
• Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus;
• LG G6.

Let's look at their characteristics in more detail.

iPhone 8

The ranking of flagship smartphones will be opened by another gadget from Apple. The company does not develop devices for the middle and budget classes, so each model can safely bear the title of “flagship”. In 2017, according to experts and users, the iPhone 8 became the best. Despite some features, this model still rightfully takes first place thanks to operating system iOS own development, Apple Store and excellent technical specifications. The developers used protection that complies with the international standard IP67. The screen diagonal is small - 4.7 inches. Type - Retina HD. The resolution is decent - 1334 × 750 px. Density - 326 ppi. IN this smartphone True Tone technology is implemented, thanks to which automatic setting white balance depending on lighting. The “heart” of the gadget is the A11 Bionic processor. It is based on six cores that operate on a 4x2 principle. The first ones are responsible for efficiency, the remaining ones are responsible for productivity. There is only two gigabytes of RAM, but all applications, even the most demanding ones, work perfectly. The main indicator of the performance of any gadget is games. This model simply “flies” when running World of Tanks Blitz at the highest settings.

The cost of the iPhone 8, of course, is also flagship. On Russian market two modifications are presented. They differ in the amount of integrated memory. For the version with 64 GB you will have to pay about 53 thousand rubles, and for a device with 256 GB - more than 65 thousand rubles.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus

The flagship smartphone Samsung Galaxy S8 was supposed to restore the company's reputation after the failure of Note 7. And, it is worth noting, the Korean manufacturer succeeded. Non-standard solutions were used for the flagship, which attracted the attention of the buyer. This model presented in two versions. The “younger” is equipped with a 5.8-inch screen, and for the “older” with the Plus prefix, the developers chose a display with a diagonal of 6.2 inches. It is this element that has become the “feature” of the smartphone. In both the first and second cases, the screen is made using SuperAMOLED technology. The resolution corresponds to Quad HD+ quality. The performance of the device is ensured by top content. The performance is ensured by the super-powerful Exynos 8895 chipset. The characteristics have been supplemented with 4 gigabytes. random access memory. The developers have integrated 64 GB storage, which can be increased up to 256 GB using a flash card. The optics are represented by 12 and 8 megapixel modules with f/1.7 aperture. A 3000 mAh battery is responsible for autonomy (in the Plus version - 3500 mAh). In talk mode, the device operates for 20-24 hours on a single charge.

Sales of the Korean flagship started in the spring of 2017. For the standard version they ask for about 55 thousand rubles, and the S8 Plus will cost about 5 thousand more.

LG G6

In order to understand what a flagship smartphone is, it is enough to study the characteristics of the G6 model from LG. This gadget has some similarities with the Samsung Galaxy S8. The huge 5.7" screen has become business card smartphone. It occupies almost the entire front panel. The manufacturer has applied the IP68 protection standard. Under the body lies a powerful Snapdragon 821 chipset. RAM is 4 GB, and built-in storage is 64 GB. The device copes with all tasks perfectly. A dual 13+13 megapixel module is used as the main camera. It would be unnecessary to talk about the quality of the photographs. Such a flagship in Russia is displayed in stores with a price tag of 52 thousand rubles.

In the model range of any manufacturer, a special place belongs to flagships - devices that combine all the best that a particular company can offer. We have made a selection for you from top flagships at the beginning of 2018, which will feature the coolest and most uncompromising smartphones on the market.

New flagships of 2018

Samsung – Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus

Few releases have made as much noise lately as the Galaxy S8 from the Koreans at Samsung. Everyone was waiting for this flagship, because the public understood that the company would need to present something non-standard and 100% successful in order to rehabilitate itself for the failure with Note 7. And the expectations were justified.

The S8 was released in two versions - standard and Plus; they differ in screen diagonal: 5.8 and 6.2 inches, respectively, as well as battery capacity. And it is the screen that is the main trump card of the smartphone; the “infinite” SuperAMOLED display with Quad HD+ resolution occupies almost the entire front part of the S8, and it looks very cool.

Other characteristics do not let you down: on board the S8 there is a top-end Exynos 8895 processor, 64/4 GB of memory with support for cards up to 256 GB, a 12/8 (f/1.7) MP camera and a 3000/3500 mAh battery (depending on modifications). In terms of its totality of qualities, the S8 is superior to any other flagship on the market - this smartphone is truly the best that you can buy now.

Samsung - Galaxy S8

LG G6

The LG G6 is made in the same concept as the S8; in appearance, these smartphones are even a little similar. LG's flagship was presented earlier; it was the first device on the market with an 18:9 display ratio.

Smartphones are divided into a huge number of different categories, each of which takes into account the needs of certain users. However, there are two categories that include most smartphones - advanced devices and budget devices. In the recent past, premium devices were a rare and expensive pleasure, whose price was close to $1000, and most users preferred inexpensive devices around $100-200. In recent years the situation has changed somewhat. Thanks to the development of technology and the entry of new players into the market, the price of premium devices has decreased, which has led to an increase in their user audience.

And this brings us to the next question: “So why are flagships better than budget phones?”. Below, we'll list a number of obvious differences for you, but first let's go over the more subjective reasons.

Most of us believe that premium devices are superior to their inexpensive rivals in every way by birthright. In general, this is true. However, there will always be a couple of exceptions. For example, the main advantage budget phones is their low price, which its flagship rivals will never keep up with. Yes, over the past few years there has been a dramatic shift in this direction. Manufacturers began to look at other niches. In addition, do not forget about the Chinese “comrades” who entered the international market with a wide range of inexpensive flagships very decent quality. Take at least Xiaomi flagships, which combine the familiar features of iPhone, the capabilities of Android, and the great user interface MIUI.

But it seems we’ve started talking, so let’s move on to the main question and list the objective differences between expensive and inexpensive smartphones.

1. Best construction and premium design

As the old proverb says: “You are greeted by your clothes.” Appearance, this is the first thing a future buyer pays attention to even before delving into the wilds technical characteristics. And here, in most cases, flagship devices are beyond competition. And this is not surprising, because they can afford more expensive materials and more elaborate designs. These smartphones are wrapped in leather cases or shiny metal armor, while their cheaper counterparts continue to wear modest plastic bodies. However, a number of inexpensive smartphones have already broken this rule by replacing plastic with metal, but so far this is the exception rather than the rule.

2. Screens. Bigger and better.

One of the favorite special disciplines for competing premium devices is screen size and quality. In pursuit of leadership, they are constantly increasing their size and resolution, trying to overtake their class rivals and leaving budget models behind. HD resolution (720p) has finally been pushed into the budget segment. Quad-HD (2160p) is slowly but surely becoming the Business Class standard, and a number of flagships have already set their sights on 4K resolution. However, not everything is so simple here, because devices with Full-HD (1080p) resolution have also appeared among “state employees”.

3. Unique technologies

But not all devices obey this rule. The functionality of many top budget models is already close to the flagship class. However, some flagships boast unique features. For example, the Galaxy Note 5 has a very remarkable S Pen stylus. The iPhone 6/6S has 3DTouch technology, and the BlackBerry Priv boasts a unique pressure-sensitive keyboard. Of course, these are not super abilities that will be useful to everyone, but nevertheless, these are unique functions that only premium phones have.

4. Latest hardware

When it comes to flagships, everyone expects outstanding specifications. That is why all top smartphones carry the latest developments in the field mobile technologies. This is necessary in order to meet the requirements and wishes of potential buyers. Yes, budget devices are quite capable of handling most similar tasks, but if you try to run several applications at the same time or constantly switch between them, be prepared for delays, errors and other unpleasant things. That is why only a small part of public sector employees actually support multitasking.

5. Outstanding gaming performance

This point follows from the previous one. The superior hardware of flagship devices makes them an ideal gaming base - such smartphones will never have any performance issues. In fact, this is the main reason why we play top-notch shooters on budget smartphones. Agree, few people want to watch 15 frames per second on the screen, which turns any gameplay into real torture. Most budget phones are simply not designed for new gaming products. On the other hand, most flagships easily produce more than 30 frames per second, providing smooth animation and a lot of fun.

6. Full software support

But this point applies primarily to Android devices. iOS platforms and Windows are more unified in this regard. Most of their applications will run on more budget versions of devices. But if you look at two Android devices from different price ranges, you'll notice that not all the apps available on the more expensive version run on the budget device. Moreover, this applies even to devices from the same manufacturer. And while flagships become real workhorses for the most sophisticated user, budget, inexpensive smartphones support only a basic set of functionality, while secondary capabilities are sacrificed for an attractive price.

7. Better cameras

This is another important difference between flagships and budget phones. Yes, sure, big number megapixels in a phone camera does not mean that it is automatically better than its “small” rivals, but flagships can also boast more advanced lenses, sensors and software. And together, all this allows you to take better pictures (especially at night). Flash also plays an important role. If you've noticed, most devices take their best photos on a clear, sunny day. But as soon as you go into a room where there is little light, the quality of the pictures becomes depressing. Most budget models lack good cameras. Therefore, they produce cloudy, low-quality images. On the other hand, flagship devices with bright flash produce clear photos with lots of details.

8. Batteries. Bigger, faster and wirelessly.

Modern smartphones differ not only large screens, but also capacious batteries. And if the manufacturer has also optimized the working processors and applications, then this combination provides the battery with a long life, especially compared to budget models. This is confirmed by the results of the test, the results of which are shown in the picture above. As you can see, most of the leaders belong to the hi-end class. In addition, most premium smartphones support the technology fast charging, and new products on the market may also offer wireless charging functionality.

9. Price

All the previously listed differences lead us to the last, although quite expected, difference between flagships and budget phones, namely, price. On this moment, most premium devices cost more than $500. On the other hand, the price of state employees usually does not exceed $200. However, this is fair enough. You pay big money for flagships because they are faster, prettier, more functional and have more powerful batteries, which also recharge faster.

conclusions

Remember all this the next time you go to the store for a new phone and are racking your brains about which smartphone to buy – a flagship or something cheaper. There are pros and cons to each option. However, the main advantage of public sector employees comes down to saving money. However, if you use your smartphone only for communication and web surfing, then why not.