The large frames of mobile phones are gradually becoming a thing of the past. Currently, brands have changed their design philosophy, and the proof of this is the frameless flagship phones of 2018 of the largest players, such as Apple, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc.
We present you an overview of frameless smartphones in 2018, which includes both representatives of the premium segment and inexpensive middle-class devices.
10. Apple iPhone X
Price - 75 432 rubles for a model with 256 GB.
It is amazing not only what Apple added to its tenth anniversary smartphone, but also what it left behind. The huge 5.8-inch screen has become frameless. The Home button has disappeared. And Touch ID disappeared in favor of a new option - face recognition.
The back of the gadget is made of glass, which provides wireless charging. A vertically oriented dual 12/12 MP camera protrudes slightly above the body but does not look uncomfortable. The new 7 MP TrueDepth front camera has many features - from unlocking the device using Face ID to portrait mode. The camera is also capable of capturing 50 movements of the user's facial muscles and displaying them on one of several cute characters: from an alien and a unicorn to a panda and a fox. Animoji can be used in the Messages program.
Another key feature of the smartphone is the A11 Bioni chip, which provides superior performance.
Pros:
- Elegant design.
- User friendly interface.
- Face ID according to user reviews is more convenient than Touch ID.
Minuses:
- Cannot expand the storage capacity of the memory.
- Unfortunately, Apple still does not offer a headphone jack.
- Like many of the best frameless smartphones of 2018, the iPhone X has a cutout on top of the display. It violates the picture of the integrity of the screen, especially in applications with a white background, such as "Messages" and "Email".
9. Nokia 6 (2018)
In Russia it is sold for 16,490 rubles.
Soon there will be an increase in a huge family of budget frameless smartphones - the version of Nokia 6 with 64 GB of internal storage will go on sale. So far, this 5.5-inch device is offered with 32 GB of flash memory and 3 GB of RAM.
The manufacturer did not support the fashionable trend of making an aspect ratio of 18: 9, and Nokia 6 has a standard aspect ratio of 16: 9. In a small hand, it can feel wide enough.
Compared to the “six” in 2017, the updated model has acquired a more productive chipset - Snapdragon 630, and improved optics from Carl Zeiss. The resolution of the main camera is 16 MP, it is equipped with a flash and autofocus. The front camera is more modest - 8 MP.
At the same time, the height of the 2018 smartphone is less by 6.2 mm compared to the 2017 version.
The battery capacity is 3000 mAh.
Pros:
- Excellent speaker for volume and clarity. Alas, without high-quality bass.
- Pure Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box.
- There is a quick charge.
- It is possible to expand the internal memory.
Minuses:
- No wireless charging.
- The fingerprint sensor is inconveniently located, because of which the finger has to be applied a little vertically.
8. Honor 10
Cost - 29,990 rubles for a model with 128 GB.
This is the best Chinese frameless smartphone from the "daughter" of Huawei. It combines premium design, a magnificent rear camera and an affordable price. The manufacturer followed the trend set by Samsung with the Galaxy S6, and made the Honor 10 case of glass.
A 5.84-inch screen fills most of the device, with the exception of the fingerprint sensor at the bottom and a cut-out at the top containing a selfie camera, a speaker and sensors.
The amount of RAM is 4 GB, and from 64 to 128 GB is allocated to flash memory. It is better to choose the second option, since Honor 10 does not have a memory card slot.
The battery life is excellent: between charges lasts about 32 hours at an average intensity of use.
On the rear panel is a dual camera: 16/24 MP. Even in poor lighting conditions, photos come out bright and clear. The AI option in the camera is designed to determine the scene and objects in it. If the result does not suit you, this option can always be turned off.
Pros:
- The top HiSilicon Kirin 970 chipset. The expensive flagship Huawei P20 Pro is also equipped with the same
- Honor 10 is equipped with an ultrasound fingerprint scanner (most other smartphones have a capacitive one). It works great even with wet hands, but requires tougher pressures than capacitive scanners.
- There is a headphone jack.
- There is an unlock on the face.
Minuses:
- No wireless charging.
- No waterproof.
7. Huawei Mate 10 Lite
The average price is 19,490 rubles.
The first, but not the last gadget under the Huawei brand in the top 10 frameless smartphones of 2018. Nothing gives it a budget phone, on the contrary, a stylish metal design and a large 5.9-inch display with an aspect ratio of 18: 9 are more typical for top models.
On the back of the Lite is a camera with two lenses - one 16-megapixel high-resolution sensor paired with a 2-megapixel lens. The front camera consists of a 13 MP sensor and 2 MP sensor. The main camera takes pictures with good detail and natural color reproduction under normal lighting. But at night the noise level in the photo will be quite high. Therefore, save yourself from disappointment and take a photo when there is a more or less acceptable light.
The Kirin 659 chip is responsible for the speed of the device, and the amount of RAM and ROM is 4 GB and 64 GB, respectively. The battery capacity is 3340 mAh, this Lite should be enough until the end of the day.
Pros:
- Bright, juicy, easy to read even in the sun display.
- Fast fingerprint scanner.
- You can expand the amount of data storage.
Minuses:
- No wireless charging.
- No NFC module
- No quick charge.
6. OPPO F5
Sold for 19,990 rubles in the version with 64 GB.
The largest (6 inches) and at the same time an inexpensive model in the list of frameless smartphones in 2018. Almost all of its front part is occupied by a display similar to the iPhone X, but without a bang. The aspect ratio of the screen is 18: 9, so when playing 16: 9 content, OPPO F5 will simply leave black bars to the left and right of the image.
The curved back cover of the F5 is a silver plastic with a nano-coating. Nano-coatings are commonly used in phones to provide water resistance, but the F5 does not have waterproofing. Therefore, it is best to think of this phone as the owner of a good plastic design.
Oppo F5 uses a MediaTek MT6763V processor (aka Helio P23), has 32 to 64 GB of flash memory and 4 to 6 GB of RAM.
The smartphone has a front camera with a higher resolution than the main camera - 20 MP vs 16 MP. The fast f / 1.8 lens on the rear panel helps in low light, which is good because the rear camera does not have optical stabilization.
Pros:
- It is possible to expand the storage of memory.
- You can unlock your phone using face identification.
Minuses:
- The battery is small for such a large screen - 3200 mAh.
- No NFC module.
- No wireless or fast charging.
5. Huawei Nova 2i
The average cost is 15,990 rubles.
Anyone who is looking for a good smartphone worth less than 20 thousand rubles will most likely pay attention to Xiaomi products. However, the 5.9-inch Nova 2i model, released by Huawei at the end of 2017, can easily compete with Xiaomi in all key respects.
It has a frameless display with an aspect ratio of 18: 9. The screen occupies 83% of the front panel area. Its “heart” is a slightly outdated, but still highly effective SoC HiSilicon Kirin 659 - an analog of Snapdragon 625. The flash memory capacity is standard for most mid-range devices - 64 GB, RAM - 4 GB.
The device supports fast charging, and is equipped with a dual rear 16/2 MP camera with the option of bokeh and manual mode. The front camera is also dual - 13/2 MP. A second sensor is needed to control the depth of field.
Despite the not very impressive battery capacity - 3340 mAh, it lasts for one and a half to two days of medium intensity.
Pros:
- Fashionable "color". We recommend purchasing the device in a blue case - it is amazingly beautiful.
- There is a vision protection function, many users claim that with it the image on the screen becomes more pleasant.
- There is a tray for a memory card (if you remove one of the SIM cards).
Minuses:
- NFC no.
- There is no wireless charging.
4. Huawei P20 Lite
It is offered for 18,491 rubles.
The novelty of frameless smartphones in 2018 is a visible embodiment of Huawei's attempt to please users with both price and quality. The 5.84-inch device is enclosed in an aluminum case, and although its screen does not look as amazing as the Samsung S9, it has rich colors and wide viewing angles.
The screen-to-body ratio is about 80 percent. Despite the fact that the best frameless phones should demonstrate design from edge to edge, the rims around the top and sides of the P20 Lite are a bit thick.
Inside the device is a HiSilicon Kirin 659 chip with a clock frequency of 2.36 GHz, which can also be found in the budget Honor 9 Lite.
Still “on board” there is 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory, which is expandable up to 256 GB using a microSD card.
The P20 Lite has a main 16-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual camera on the back and one 16-megapixel front camera for selfies. The rear camera is equipped with an LED flash and has a macro mode. Photo quality is a worthy place in the ranking of the best DxOMark camera phones.
All of the above feeds a 3000 mAh battery with fast charging.
Pros:
- There is an NFC module.
- It is possible to identify by the user's face.
Minuses:
- There is no wireless charging.
3. LG Q6 +
It costs 17,990 rubles.
This small 5.5-inch smartphone has a screen-to-body ratio of 78.6%.
It is equipped with a Snapdragon 435 processor paired with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of memory for user data, it has a 13MP rear camera and a 5 MP selfie camera. The device is powered by a 3000 mAh battery.
Unlike several models from our list, the LG Q6 + has an NFC chip. However, there is a caveat - this chip is available on the M700AN marking.
Pros:
- There is a separate tray for a memory card.
- The image on the screen is very bright, and you can see it at any angle.
Minuses:
- Images from the main camera may be “soapy” in dim light.
- Neither fast nor wireless charging in the Q6 + is provided.
- Missing fingerprint scanner.
2. Xiaomi Redmi 5
You can buy for 10 900 rubles.
This smartphone looks much more expensive than its current price. A huge and bright 5.7-inch screen with an aspect ratio of 18: 9 and rounded corners make the appearance of the smartphone elegant, smooth and rounded. The back of the mobile phone is made of metal. While brands such as OPPO and Vivo shy away from the metal back, Xiaomi gives you a feeling of cold and increased comfort when you hold the Redmi 5.
The device comes with 3/32 GB of memory or with 2/16 GB. But the difference in price between the models is about a thousand rubles, and we recommend the first option.
Redmi 5 runs on a Snapdragon 450 SoC with an Adreno 506 GPU. And it feeds all this wealth with a 3300 mAh battery.
Pros:
- There is a hybrid slot for a memory card.
- There is a fingerprint scanner.
- A good main 12 MP camera with electronic image stabilization.
Minuses:
- The manufacturer did not take care of wireless and fast charging.
- About the NFC chip, too.
1. Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
Price - 32 650 rubles for the version with 256 GB.
Why did we put the 5.99-inch Mi Mix 2 in first place in the ranking of frameless smartphones? The fact is that the screen-to-body ratio of his is a whopping 93%, which makes this device the most frameless smartphone.
The ceramic back looks impressive, but easily collects fingerprints. A smartphone based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor works, has 6 GB of RAM and from 64 to 256 GB of internal storage. This makes it one of the most powerful devices in the middle class segment. The phone is equipped with an NFC module.
3400 mAh battery lasts for an active working day.
Not yielding to the “two-chamber” trend, Xiaomi installed one rear 12 MP module with aperture f / 2.0 in Mi Mix 2. The pictures are obtained in good quality, better than the first Mi Mix. Pleased with a good white balance, excellent detail and the presence of HDR.
Pros:
- Superior performance.
- Unusual material for the case is ceramic. There is a fully ceramic version of the Special Edition, but the usual versions are content only with a ceramic back cover, the rest is aluminum.
- Loud earpiece with clear sound.
Minuses:
- No 3.5mm audio jack.
- There is no way to expand the internal storage.
- The main camera does not have portrait mode, and the front camera is in the lower back corner, you will have to get used to it.
