Smartphones have come a long way in evolution. If in the early 2000s we used devices with tiny screens and the Internet at a snail speed, now we are witnessing a steady increase in both screen size and technical specifications.
And the best frameless smartphones of 2020 combine both advantages - and a large screen with high resolution and excellent "stuffing" that allows you to play any modern game. If you want to choose one of these devices, we will talk about the characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of each model
10. Apple iPhone Xs Max
- iOS 12
- dual SIM support (nano SIM + eSIM)
- 6.5 ″ screen, resolution 2688 × 1242
- dual camera 12 MP / 12 MP, autofocus
- 64 GB memory, without memory card slot
- 3G, 4G LTE, LTE-A, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
- 4 GB RAM
This iPhone features a huge 6.5-inch Super Retina HD OLED display with True Tone and HDR support. The screen-to-body ratio is 84.4%.
The smartphone has a solid glass back, and the rounded corners and curved design give it a stylish and modern look. The device comes with a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. The manufacturer did not forget to provide his brainchild with protection from dust, water and immersion in water.
On board the model are from 64 to 512 GB of memory and a Bionic A12 chip, which is integrated with the next generation neural engine. And on the “back” is a dual camera 12/12 MP. Some of its key features include: portrait mode with depth control and bokeh effect, portrait lighting with several effects, as well as advanced red-eye correction.
The front 7-megapixel camera supports automatic image stabilization, timer mode and smart HDR for photos, which makes it one of the best selfie cameras of modern smartphones.
pros: very fast responsive face id, support for fast and wireless charging.
Minuses: mediocre headphones included; “monobrow” spoils the look.
9. HONOR 20 Pro
- Android 9.0
- dual SIM support
- 6.26 ″ screen, resolution 2340 × 1080
- four cameras 48 MP / 16 MP / 8 MP / 2 MP, autofocus
- 256 GB memory, without memory card slot
- 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
- 8 GB RAM
- 4000 mAh battery
A beautiful youth smartphone with a screen to body ratio of 84.2% is made of glass and metal and looks more expensive than it costs. Its IPS display has an average margin of brightness, but at the same time saturated colors, with the ability to adjust the temperature and color saturation.
But the HONOR 20 Pro has no protection against water and dust, so we do not recommend reading SMS in the rain or taking a smartphone with you to the desert.
The manufacturer decided to do something non-standard and placed a fingerprint scanner on the side face, combining it with the power button. However, if you don’t like it, you can use face unlock.
For hardware, the HONOR 20 Pro is a real “budget top”, a large amount of RAM and the HiSilicon Kirin 980 platform will please fans of mobile games who can play any heavy game at the highest settings.
The main camera with AI support and optical stabilization shoots well even in poor lighting conditions, supports three-time optical, five-time hybrid and 30x digital zoom. So, in the segment of good smartphones, up to 30,000 rubles of competitors in the quality of photo and video shooting in this model are few.
pros: fast charge, excellent customization, long battery life.
Minuses: there are no stereo speakers, there is no wireless charging, there is no 3.5 mm headphone jack, but there is an adapter in the kit.
8. OPPO Reno 2Z
- Android 9.0
- dual SIM support
- 6.5 ″ screen, resolution 2340 × 1080
- four cameras 48 MP / 8 MP / 2 MP / 2 MP, autofocus
- 128 GB memory, memory card slot
- 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- 8 GB RAM
- 4000 mAh battery
By the ratio of the screen to the case - 85.3% - this smartphone easily overtakes the expensive "apple" Xs Max. After all, the creation of Apple does not have such a chic retractable front camera as the Reno 2Z.
For its price, this smartphone has excellent features: a capacious battery with fast charging, a bright AMOLED screen with good color reproduction, and a mid-range processor MediaTek Helio P90. In developing this chipset, the manufacturer paid increased attention to the capabilities of artificial intelligence, such as object and scene recognition, image processing and working with augmented reality.
Although the main camera of the OPPO Reno 2Z lacks optical stabilization, it has very fast autofocus, a macro function and can record 4K video at 30fps. Users praise her for the quality of shooting in the dark, even in automatic mode. The selfie camera leaving the case also did not disappoint, it takes very detailed and not “soapy” photos under normal lighting conditions.
pros: There is a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a case is included, a smooth and fast Color OS interface.
Minuses: monaural speaker, no NFC,
7. Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro
- Android 9.0
- dual SIM support
- 6.39 ″ screen, resolution 2340 × 1080
- three cameras 48 MP / 8 MP / 13 MP, autofocus
- 128 GB memory, without memory card slot
- 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
- 6 GB RAM
- 4000 mAh battery
The first, but not the last participant from the Chinese "Xiaomi" in the ranking of the best frameless smartphones in 2020. The ratio of its display to the case is 86.1%.
And thanks for this should be a 20 MP retractable front camera, which does not occupy a place in the "bang", "teardrop" and other cutouts on the front panel of the device. Of course, this solution has its drawbacks (increased risk of breakage of the retractable mechanism), but for the sake of beauty and innovation, you have to sacrifice something.
Otherwise, the characteristics of the Mi 9T Pro are good, but not terrific. Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor is still the best in the “up to 35 thousand rubles” category), the main camera has support for optical Zoom 2, but does not have optical stabilization, which will negatively affect shooting video on the go. There is a 3.5 mm audio jack, but there is no slot for expanding the memory. There is quick charge, but no wireless. In general, Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro is a beautiful, solidly made mid-range device that will please you with performance for at least a couple more years.
pros: design, bright and juicy AMOLED-screen with built-in fingerprint scanner, case included.
Minuses: Heavy, monaural speaker, sometimes auto brightness does not work correctly.
6. OnePlus 8
- Android 10
- dual SIM support
- 6.55 ″ screen, resolution 2400 × 1080
- three cameras 48 MP / 2 MP / 16 MP, autofocus
- 128 GB memory, without memory card slot
- 3G, 4G LTE, 5G, LTE-A, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
- 8 GB RAM
- 4300 mAh battery
One of the best frameless smartphones in 2020 has an 88.7% percentage of the screen to the body.
The OnePlus 8 series has many of the most advanced features, such as 5G support, an amazing curved screen with minimal bezels compared to the OnePlus 7 series, and a refresh rate of 90 Hz.
It is equipped with a Snapdragon 865 processor, which can handle any game at the highest settings, plenty of RAM and a main camera that can record video in 4K at a frequency of 60 fps.
pros: excellent sound in wireless headphones thanks to the improved aptX HD codec, convenient shell, fast charging, a cover included.
Minuses: no official water protection, no wireless charging, no adapter for 3.5 mm jack.
5. Huawei P30 Pro
- Android 9.0
- dual SIM support
- 6.47 ″ screen, resolution 2340 × 1080
- four cameras 40 MP / 20 MP / 8 MP, autofocus
- 256 GB memory, memory card slot
- 3G, 4G LTE, LTE-A, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
- 8 GB RAM
- 4200 mAh battery
The Huawei P30 Pro is equipped with a 6.47-inch OLED FHD + display with a wide color gamut and a 88.89% screen area.
The gadget is available in two versions: with 6 GB of RAM and 8 GB of RAM. The 6 GB RAM version offers 128 GB of internal memory, while the 8 GB version has three memory options: 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB. However, the processor for all models is the same - the flagship Kirin 980. Another nice feature of the Huawei P30 Pro is its resistance to water, splashes and dust according to the IP68 standard.
The presence of Dolby Atmos speakers makes the Huawei P30 Pro worthy of the attention of people who do not want to compromise on sound quality when listening to songs or watching movies.
And, of course, we must not forget about the main tetra-camera with optical stabilization and AI, thanks to which this gadget has gained fame as one of the best camera phones to date. Pictures are obtained with excellent dynamic range, without soap and overexposure, and videos can be shot in 4K resolution.
pros: Support for wireless and fast charging, long battery life.
Minuses: there is no adapter for 3.5 mm audio jack, not too convenient shell, but it's a matter of taste.
4. Xiaomi Mi 10
- Android 10
- screen 6.67 ″, resolution 2340 × 1080
- four cameras 108 MP / 2 MP / 2 MP / 13 MP, autofocus
- 128 GB memory, without memory card slot
- 3G, 4G LTE, 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
- 8 GB RAM
- 4780 mAh battery
It seems that Xiaomi has finally created the real flagship killer in 2020. The Mi 10 model has a 6.67-inch Super AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 90 Hz and a screen-to-body ratio of 89.8%, a capacious battery with fast or wireless charging function, as well as a Snapdragon 865 processor, which in 2019-2020 are equipped with the most expensive and powerful smartphones.
As for the main camera, the maximum resolution of its main sensor is 108 MP, which guarantees fantastic detail. In fact, the Mi 10 has almost nothing to complain about, but we will list a couple of minuses.
pros: case included, a large margin of brightness, a pleasant vibration response, Wi-Fi 6, Always on display.
Minuses: the front 20 MP camera sometimes slightly soapy the selfie, there is no 3.5 mm audio jack, in the global version only 1 SIM card is available.
3. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
- Android 10
- dual SIM support
- screen 6.9 ″, resolution 3200 × 1440
- four cameras 108 MP / 48 MP / 12 MP, autofocus
- 128 GB memory, memory card slot
- 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
- RAM 12 GB
- 5000 mAh battery
- weight 220 g, WxHxT 76 × 166.90 × 8.80 mm
This chic monolithic bar with a screen to body ratio of 89.9% looks and "behaves" like a real elite in the world of mobile phones. It features a 6.9-inch Edge Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O display with a pixel density of 509ppi. The smartphone also has a built-in ultrasonic fingerprint identifier that helps to unlock the phone with one touch.
The flagship processor Samsung Exynos 990 is not familiar with the word “slow down”, so you will enjoy any game at maximum speed. A stunning smoothness of the image in the game session will provide a screen refresh rate of 120 Hz.
Although the rear camera is equipped with a 108MP main sensor, it shoots at 12 MP by default, combining neighboring pixels into one. This greatly enhances the detail and overall quality of the photo, even in low light conditions. So forget about the "artifact" and grainy images, Galaxy S20 Ultra - not about that.
pros: fast and smooth operation, IP68 water and dust protection rating, configuration with a great reserve for the future.
Minuses: price, large size, protrudes the main camera unit, no 3.5 mm audio jack.
2. Samsung Galaxy Note 10+
- Android 9.0
- dual SIM support
- screen 6.8 ″, resolution 3040 × 1440
- four cameras 12 MP / 16 MP / 12 MP, autofocus
- 256 GB memory, memory card slot
- 3G, 4G LTE, LTE-A, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
- RAM 12 GB
- 4300 mAh battery
The device, excellent in all senses, is included in the top of frameless smartphones in 2020 due to the excellent screen-to-body ratio of 94.2%. The “body” of the smartphone is made of Gorilla Glass 6 material, and the juicy AMOLED screen can reach an incredible brightness of 1200 nits. It also provides a comfortable viewing of content, reducing the load on the user's eyes, but without violating the color rendering.
In addition to these advantages, Note 10+ boasts the presence of a “magic wand” - the S Pen stylus. It allows you to control the camera and some other applications, as well as take notes and sketches, play videos and do many other things without touching the screen of your smartphone.
An excellent main camera with optical image stabilization makes high-quality photos and videos at any time of the day. In terms of photo and video quality, this model is in the top 15 smartphones with the best camera in 2020.
The high-performance processor with Exynos 9825 processor and liquid cooling system make the Galaxy Note 10+ the ideal smartphone for gamers who are used to getting the best from their mobile device.
pros: not afraid of water and dust thanks to IP68 rating, excellent stereo headphones, Wi-Fi 6, wireless charging plus fast charging.
Minuses: there are false positives due to the unlimited rounded screen design, there is no 3.5 mm audio jack, and the manufacturer was greedy for an adapter.
1. Vivo NEX 3
- Android 9.0
- dual SIM support
- screen 6.89 ″, resolution 2256 × 1080
- three cameras 64 MP / 13 MP / 13 MP, autofocus
- 128 GB memory, without memory card slot
- 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
- 8 GB RAM
- 4500 mAh battery
Here is the most frameless smartphone of 2020. The screen / case ratio is 99.6%. This is made possible through the use of a pop-up camera design and minimizing frames.
The screen-to-body ratio is even more impressive given the size of the device, which is 6.89 inches. The smartphone is equipped with a Super AMOLED panel with a waterfall design and an on-screen fingerprint scanner.
Vivo NEX 3 is based on the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ platform with a clock frequency of 2.96 GHz, and has from 128 to 256 GB of flash memory without expandability.
For those who love mobile photography, a triple rear camera of 64 MP + 13 MP + 13 MP and a front camera of 16 MP are available.
pros: capacious battery with fast charging 33 W, a large margin of screen brightness, there is a 3.5 mm audio jack, a separate DAC, a protective case included.
Minuses: no wireless charging, no stereo speakers, no moisture protection.
