- BASIC CELL PHONES
- INTERMEDIATE CELL PHONES
- ADVANCED CELL PHONE
Those who follow TechSmart know that we test all smartphones that pass through our benches to know the level of performance delivered, and here we list the best ones to buy in 2021. but in practice it disappoints.
Just like we did in our best battery guide, here are the fastest cell phones we’ve ever had. We divide it into three categories: basic, intermediate and advanced. Due to the constant variation in price, it is normal for one model or another to escape its category for some time. Don’t be surprised if you see an intermediary listed in the basics. And there are also exceptions, such as middlemen for top-of-the-line pricing.
Our guide includes both domestic and imported models that can be found in Europe. If any model does not appear on our offer platform, we will include links to trusted stores such as GearBest and Banggood.
Also remembering that only recently released smartphones will be listed, as older models have little public interest and are difficult to find for sale. And sometimes an older model delivers a little better performance, but it’s more expensive than the newer one. In this way, we will list the one that presents the best cost-benefit.
In our speed test we opened a dozen apps to see how long the smartphone takes to load everything, including some that come with the phone (like the stopwatch used to measure time), camera, gallery and settings. Among others that were downloaded from the Play Store, including Netflix, Spotify, WhatsApp, Facebook and the games Pokémon Go and Asphalt 8.
Then we reopen everything to see if the device can keep all these apps in memory. So you will see three results in the charts below: round 1 (app opening), round 2 (reopening) and total time.
No additional apps are installed and we always restart the device before testing. In addition, we have made several attempts to stipulate the average time, which is adopted for this guide.
BASICS WITH GOOD PERFORMANCE
- Motorola Moto G7 Power –1:37.57
- redmi 8 – 1:37.87
- Samsung Galaxy A30s — 1:42.32
- Motorola Moto G8 – 1:44.34
- Samsung Galaxy A21s – 1:46.04
We start our guide with the Moto G7 Power. It is not only the king of battery among all cell phones that have passed through TechSmart, but it also delivers better performance than recent releases, including even the Moto G8 Power. Its price was normally around R$1,000, but it has risen recently because it is scarcer in the market.
- Motorola Moto G7 Power full review
The Redmi 9 failed to outperform the Redmi 8 in our speed test, and it didn’t even earn a spot in the top 5. It’s a shame that Xiaomi has been failing more and more in the software optimization of its base models. If you want a cheap one from the brand and value good performance, then we recommend the Redmi 8.
- Redmi 8 full review
Another device that did well among the basics is the Samsung Galaxy A30s, which managed to complete both rounds of tests in 1:42, which made it our current third place in the ranking of simplest devices sold in Europe, showing that the combo that brings as a chipset the Exynos 7 Octa can do well overall.
- Full review of Samsung Galaxy A30s
Among Motorola’s new basics we have the Moto G8 with the best performance. It is faster than the G8 Play, G8 Power and G8 Power Lite, second only to the G8 Plus. It also delivers great battery life, which makes for a balanced set.
- Motorola Moto G8 full review
Samsung’s basic line lacks performance. Both the A10 and A20 and their derivatives were slow in our tests. The exception is the A21s, which has decent performance and is on par with Motorola’s rivals. As it is a newer mode, it is a little more expensive than the others, but its price will drop in the coming weeks.
- Full review of Samsung Galaxy A21s
Check out the basics side by side
INTERMEDIARIES WITH GREAT PERFORMANCE
- Motorola Moto G100 — 0:50.17
- Motorola Moto G200 — 0:50.22
- Apple iPhone SE 2022 — 0:50.45
- Apple iPhone SE 2020 – 0:52.11
- Huawei Nova 5T – 0:54.79
Presented on the market with the proposal to bring more robust hardware in a family of intermediates, the Motorola Moto G100 was able to guarantee the leadership in our TOP 5 of intermediates, completing our battery of these in 50 seconds and thus surpassing the until then leader iPhone IF.
- Motorola Moto G100 full review
Another device to guarantee presence in the ranking of intermediaries this month is the Motorola Moto G200 5G, a device that goes up another notch by delivering the Snapdragon 888 Plus as a chipset in return, it brings less RAM than its brother Moto G100.
In practical terms, though, you can say that both deliver similar performance, falling into the mid-50s on our standardized performance test.
- Motorola Moto G200 5G Full Review
Bringing the most updated and visual hardware already known, the new iPhone SE won some points when it comes to performance, staying ahead of its predecessor in our TOP 5 of intermediate devices and thus guaranteeing good results for those who don’t mind giving up a more up-to-date look or greater energy autonomy.
- Apple iPhone SE 2022 Full Review
The iPhone SE is Apple’s previous generation intermediary that comes to displace any Android. As everything from Apple is very expensive in Europe, its cost-benefit is more complicated, but compared to others that we have listed, the SE is the most affordable. Its battery is its weak point, but if you want a fast phone that runs all games with great fluidity, you already know which one to choose.
- Apple iPhone SE 2020 Full Review
The Nova 5T is the kind of smartphone that flirts with both the premium mid-range market and the flagship market at the same time. It is a simpler device from Huawei that arrived on the domestic market not long ago, and it delivers great performance, being a very good Android phone for the price charged.
- Huawei Nova 5T full review
Check out the middlemen side by side
ADVANCED WITH EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE
- Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max – 0:36.41
- Apple iPhone 12 Pro – 0:37.02
- Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max — 0:40.08
- Apple iPhone 13 Pro — 0:40.89
- Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max – 0:41.27
For a year, the iPhone 11 Pro Max was our champion in the speed ranking, being the most agile cell phone that has already passed through TechSmart in 2019 — and that could not be surpassed by any Android in 2020. Only now, with the launch of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, is that we have a new king in speed. If you want the fastest phone on the market, it’s the iPhone 12 Pro Max you should buy.
- Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Full Review
The iPhone 12 Pro was the second fastest phone we tested in 2020 and ends up taking the silver medal, being 1s slower than the 12 Pro Max. If you don’t want a big phone, you can invest in this one that delivers practically the same performance in a more compact body.
- Full Review of Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Presented as Apple’s most advanced device for 2021, the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max secured the bronze medal in the race for the fastest device on the market, curiously trailing the iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 Pro by very little.
Overall, the iPhone 13 Pro Max guaranteed to complete the tests in 40 seconds, which is approximately 4 seconds longer than the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
On the heels of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, we have its smaller brother in what can be considered a technical tie, beating almost 41 seconds on the timer — that is, the difference here was in the decimal place when compared.
The proximity, however, is not surprising. The Pro line basically has the same hardware and different sizes so it makes sense to be very close in speed tests too.
- Full Review of Apple iPhone 13 Pro
Last but not least, we have the iPhone 11 Pro Max, which guaranteed good weather and remains in our TOP 5 even after a few years of its official launch. It managed in our tests to record the execution in just 41 seconds, that is, 5 seconds longer than the iPhone 12 Pro Max, to deal with the ranking.
- Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max Full Review