This blog shows that you can grab a top-spec handset that has ticks across the board without necessarily needing to go that extra mile for a flagship.
Samsung Galaxy S22
Although it may seem like the lowest tier S22 model under the Samsung Galaxy S22+ and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, if you're in the market for a compact, high-end device, the vanilla yet not-so-simple Samsung Galaxy S22 may be the way to go. Whilst slightly smaller than last year's Samsung Galaxy S21, the Samsung Galaxy S22 has a more robust and premium feel, with the front and rear being Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Plus, making it easier to wield in one hand. The Samsung Galaxy S22 is built around a 6.1" Dynamic AMOLED display with a smooth 120hz display that is adaptive to improve the model's energy efficiency. Unlike some similarly priced devices in this blog, the Samsung Galaxy S22 also comes equipped with an in-screen ultrasonic fingerprint sensor which, if you’ve read our other blogs, you’ll know we really appreciate over facial biometrics.
What's more, the Samsung Galaxy S22 has a 50MP wide-angle lens, which offers plenty of detail in both day and night photography, as well as a 10MP telephoto lens and a 12MP 120' ultrawide lens. The most impressive thing about the Samsung Galaxy S22's camera is its ability to shoot both 4K 60FPS and 8K footage at 24fps. Moreover, the Samsung Galaxy S22 can also shoot 240 and 960FPS in slow motion, so you never miss a detail in a fast-moving shot. So, with all this, it raises the question, are there any grey spots to talk about with this device? Unfortunately, yes, as mentioned in our Samsung Galaxy S23 blog, the Samsung Galaxy S22's only downfall is its battery life. The 3700mAh battery performed worse than its predecessor, the 4000mAh battery, in the GSM arena's battery endurance test, clocking in at just 85 hours. Nevertheless, the Samsung Galaxy S22 will still just manage to get you through the day with moderate usage. For what you gain feature-wise, an extra Powerbank investment further down the line doesn't seem like too much of a trade-off.
iPhone 13
The iPhone 13 brought about all the much-loved features from the iPhone 12, with a few very welcome extras in the mix. Whilst the iPhone 13 is technically a year-old device, a high-range device list would not be complete without the presence of an Apple device. The iPhone 13 features a very similar 6.1" Super Retina OLED display, housed in a Gorilla Glass and aluminium frame. If you did want something a tad bit bigger, you would have to stretch out of this price range entirely and jump straight to the range-topping iPhone 13 Pro Max.
The iPhone 13 is powered by Apple's A15 Bionic chip, which provides plenty of power for video, photography, multi-app use, gaming, and just about anything you decide to throw at it, but not bricks. That's a little too much for even the gorilla glass to cope with. Nonetheless, the iPhone 13 decided to pull a Domino's on buyers this year by switching the camera layout from the vertical layout we've seen since 2019's iPhone 11 to a diagonal arrangement.
While physically, a couple of camera aspects have changed; internally, the cameras are very similar, with the familiar 12MP dual camera layout putting out 4K 60 and Full HD video at 240fps – all with HDR support. In addition, of course, the iPhone 13 features Apple's notorious ultrafast face ID unlock and what we would like to mention with this device are the amazing colour options: Starlight, Midnight, Blue, Pink, Red and now Green.
Sony Xperia 5 III
Sony's Xperia 5 III is their solution to escape the flagship Sony Xperia 1's pocket-burning price point whilst not completely missing out on all the key Sony flagships as the Xperia 10 does. The Sony Xperia 5 III is, in fact, very similar to its flagship counterpart and is less of a "middle-man" device and more of a "Sony Xperia 1 Lite" device. This makes it an ideal device for all you photo enthusiasts reading this blog looking for the best device for photography under £1000. The Sony Xperia 5 III comes in a 6.1" chassis protected with Gorilla Glass 6 on both the rear and front, housed in an aluminium frame, so it's safe to say it offers plenty of protection that you might need out on your photography ventures. Whilst the main talking point on this device is the camera setup, the Sony Xperia 5 III screen is also something that this blog can't miss. The 6.1" screen features an HDR OLED panel with a quad-HD, 21:9 display.
The Sony Xperia 5 III features a triple camera setup using 3 Sony 12MP sensors to drive a 24mm wide-angle lens, a 70mm telephoto lens and a 16mm ultrawide lens to bring out some truly amazing shots. The Sony Xperia 5 III has a 4500mAh battery supporting 30W fast charging, which can take it from 0-50% in a respectable 30 minutes. And of course, this mini-review wouldn't be complete without mentioning that the Sony Xperia 5 III comes with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.
Oppo Find X5
The Oppo Find X5 brings a plethora of flagship features to shape a well-rounded high-range device. The Oppo Find X5 features a 6.55" display housed in a Gorilla Glass Victus front and a standard glass back with an aluminium frame, so it's worth keeping an eye on protecting the back against scratches and dinks by investing in a case. The screen itself is an AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ panel with a full HD resolution, which is safe to say is more than enough for the odd episode of EastEnders on a weekday afternoon. However, where this technology really excels is in dynamic movie content, so Netflix sessions will be a pleasurable experience.
The Oppo Find X5 comes with Android 12, as with every other device on this list, excluding the Sony. However, it has its own ColorOS overlay added onto it, similar to OnePlus' OxygenOS. Where this device excels the most is in its camera setup. The Oppo Find X5 comes equipped with a triple camera setup consisting of a 50MP wide-angle lens, a 50MP ultrawide lens, and a 13MP telephoto lens. This setup can shoot 4K 60 or 1080p 240fps content, and if that's not enough, the 4800mAh battery supports 80W fast charging, meaning you'll never be out of the action for long.
Xiaomi 12
Last but certainly not least on this list is the Xiaomi 12, which is this year's flagship range of Xiaomi smartphones, sitting just under the Xiaomi 12 Pro. The Xiaomi 12 is housed in a 6.2" display protected by Gorilla Glass Victus on the front side and Gorilla Glass 5 on the rear. And we have to say; it's good to see that rather than sparing the rear of any protection whatsoever, as the Oppo X5 did, they decided to use a lower grade to the front so as to ensure overall protection. The display itself is very similar to the Oppo Find X5 as it has an AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+ panel with the same resolution as the Oppo. The key difference between the two is that the Xiaomi 12 has a slightly higher peak brightness of 1100nits for better visibility in brighter outdoor settings. The Xiaomi 12 comes out of the box with Android 12, which isn't a surprise given the common trend with these devices; however, it has its own overlay as well to offer a more Xiaomi-feeling user experience. This UI is the same as you'll see in Xiaomi smartwatches, and it's clear to see that Xiaomi is aiming to synchronise a unique user experience across all of its product ranges.
The Xiaomi 12 comes with a truly outstanding camera setup for a non-flagship device, and whilst it may not offer the DSLR level of customisation that the Sony does, it more than makes up for it in its video shooting capabilities. The triple camera setup consists of a 50MP wide angle lens, a 13MP ultrawide lens and a 5MP telephoto lens which can shoot 4K 60 and 8K 24fps video as well as 1080p video up to 960fps and 720p video up to a whopping 1920fps. To add the icing on the cake, the Xiaomi 12's 4500mAh battery supports 67W fast charging, which will take the device from 0-100% in a mere 39 minutes.
