iPhone Xs and Xs Max too expensive? Best Android alternatives
The 2018 line-up of iPhones are here, and as it turns out, they are more expensive than ever.
Though this year Apple has announced a new LCD display sporting "affordable" smartphone in the iPhone Xr, the prices of the other devices have gone up considerably. The true successor to last year's iPhone X, the iPhone Xs now starts at Rs 99,000 and goes all the way up to Rs 1,34,900, while its bigger cousin, Xs Max, will retail in India for Rs 1,09,900 for the 64GB variant and go up to Rs 1,44,900 for the top-of-the-line 512GB one.
Now, Apple would like you to believe that the pricing of these phones is justified.
That somehow asking close to Rs 1.5 lakh for a phone is completely acceptable.
But many aren't falling for this trap — they are thinking about ditching iOS and jumping ship to Android.
So, if you're part of the above group and are looking for a flagship alternative that looks like a bargain in front of the new iPhones, then read on for our recommendation of the best flagship phones to buy, instead of the iPhone Xs and Xs Max.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
For the past few years, the Note series devices have remained one of the very best that Android has to offer, and it appears to be the case for 2018 too.
Samsung's second flagship for the year, the Galaxy Note 9, brings with it the promise of top-of-the-line specs at and premium design at under the Rs 70k mark. In terms of design, the Note 9 borrows heavily from the DNA of its predecessor and overall, the device looks crafted using the same script used to create the Note 8 and even the Note 7.
With a 6.4-inch QuadHD+ Super AMOLED display, it is the biggest panel fitted on a Note device yet, while under the hood, there are two different set-ups with the 128GB storage variant sporting 6GB of RAM, while the expensive 512GB one sporting 8GB of memory.
In India, both these variants use the Exynos 9810 SoC. Though not as popular as the 845 platform, the 9810 delivers a similar performance to Qualcomm’s offering.
Coming to the cameras, the device brings with it a dual camera setup – 12-Megapixel adjustable aperture lens, paired alongside a telephoto lens for better shots – that also brings with it the ability to use variable aperture and switch between f/2.4 and smallest-in-class f/1.5 aperture mechanically.
Overall, this is a solid choice if you are considering an alternative for the iPhone Xs and Max.
OnePlus 6
Another device that could give the iPhone Xs a serious run for its money — that too at a fraction of a price — is the OnePlus 6.
This device starts at Rs 34,999 for the 6GB/64GB RAM variant, but in terms of design and specs, it's pretty much in the same league as the new iPhones.
In terms of design, it is a stark departure from the previous generation OnePlus phones, and comes with a new design scheme that brings with it an iPhone X-style notch at the top with minimal bezel at the bottom, making it look very different from the OnePlus phones of the past.
At the front, there's a 6.28-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel — offering 90 per cent screen-to-body-ratio, making it the biggest screen on a OnePlus phone. Under the hood, the OnePlus 6 is packed with the fastest hardware that 2018 has to offer. Powered by 2.7GHz Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor paired with 6/8GB of RAM, the SoC, built using four Kryo 385 Gold cores, helps the phone achieve 10-20 per cent bump in performance and up to 30 per cent boost in efficiency over the OnePlus 5T.
Suffice to say, starting at Rs 34,999, the OnePlus 6 is a very good option if you don't want to spend bucket-loads on a new iPhone.
Pixel 2 XL
Last, but not the least, is Google's own answer to iPhone domination, the Pixel 2 XL which, in India, was announced at a price of Rs 73,000 (currently retailing for as low as Rs 55k on Amazon) for the 64GB storage variant and Rs 82,000 for the 128GB one.
In terms of design, the phone borrows from the original Pixel devices and bring with it a two-tone colour scheme where the base colour is repeated on the top of the phone, using a glass shade of the same colour. At the front, the Pixel 2 XL sports 6-inch 2880 x 1440 (QHD) pOLED display.
Running the show underneath is Qualcomm's last year's 835 SoC which is paired with 4GB RAM. Though on paper, this set-up may look a bit underpowered, in real-world usage, it does provide enough power for anything and everything you throw at it.
Despite being a year old, the Pixel 2 XL is one of the best camera phones around in the market and brings with it a single camera set-up, consisting of a 12.2-Megapixel f/1.8 aperture lens with autofocus along with laser and dual-pixel phase detection.