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I won’t lie, it’s been a rough year. Just to clarify that I enjoyed staying home and not meeting people and all that, and it has given me a chance to rekindle my past love for quiet indoor hobbies that were otherwise hampered by all the places to go (yes, like yes).
No, I’m talking about finding a phone that will make me rush to the store on launch day. Or maybe pre-order. Whichever is the more hasty and impulsive of the two. Maybe I should just accept that I’m not a grocery guy anymore?
Anyway, I have a list of phones that I think are worth saying a few words about as we part ways with 2020.
Samsung Galaxy S20 +
My list is neat, for a change. I mean, I have one that I want to start with: the Galaxy S20 +. Spring’s midsize Samsung flagship is a largely uncomplicated phone for our spoiled tastes, overshadowed by the S20 Ultra for camera prowess and the adequate S20 for compactness, if you’re into that. However, it is the one I have spent the last four months with and not for lack of options on the office shelves.
Maybe the regular S20 would have been my first pick, but the one we had to review was pink so I opted for the blackest incognito. And I haven’t really looked back since. There was the occasional temptation to switch to something else, but the S20 + had become so much an extension of my left hand that I was never close to taking the leap. They were too big or too big and expensive (the potential to break through the office fold in personal use was a strong deterrent), or just not enough Samsung.
So the Galaxy S20 + has been in my pocket since August and with the non-Ultra S21s looking unremarkable, er, I could continue to use last year’s phone – blasphemy!
Apple iPhone 12 mini
I mentioned the S20 above because I’ve been looking for a full-featured compact phone, and the little Galaxy was the closest there was to that unicorn, if not as small as I would have liked. Well, the iPhone 12 mini is.
There was a couple of weeks before the announcement of the iPhones and maybe a full month after I was contemplating a mini. The small form factor, coupled with the ability to further reduce pocket content thanks to the MagSafe wallet and the old GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome, for those not suffering from that crippling condition) made me this close to ordering my first iPhone since the second hand 3GS I had in what seems like a previous life.
Ultimately, habit prevailed (and, dare I say, the reason?) And I’m still on the S20 +, although I can see myself finally taking the plunge next year; Judging by the response in the office, the mini is going to become a permanent fixture in Apple’s lineup and it can only get better.
Asus Zenfone 7 (Pro)
All that minis talk and now a 230g chonker on my list all of a sudden? Well, you might like a phone for a number of reasons, and with the Zenfone 7 (Pro) it’s obviously the only rotating camera, so to hell with the weight.
Last year I had something with the Zenfone 6, I even used it as the main phone for some time (unknown). Then I was excited to find that Asus managed to improve it by adding an additional camera and putting in an OLED screen this time. If it was last year, I would have gotten over it, but I’ve become more reluctant to go through the migration process and ultimately the Zenfone fell victim to the habit too. Though, on second thought, the lack of IP rating and the side-mount fingerprint reader might share some of the blame.
Huawei Mate 40 Pro
This one is also more than a bit at odds with my search for a pocket phone, but the Mate 40 Pro is still my favorite camera to come out of this miserable year, so the list goes.
I’m not one to obsess over the telephoto range beyond my regular critics’ demands for “more and better, always.” I really don’t mind having a 2x ‘telly’ as picture-worthy building capitals are few and far between in my life, just like birds in flight (are we all filming Falco Tinnunculus in our spare time? suddenly?), making 5x periscopes unnecessary most of the time.
But the Mate manages to deliver the intermediate magnifications with a remarkable level of quality while also having the periscope for long range when you need it and that can’t be a bad thing. Also, I’m a fan of ultra-wide autofocus and I’m willing to sacrifice a bit of coverage for the ability to focus up close – precisely the Mate’s trade-off. Oh, and the main camera is great too.
Seriously, the Mate 40 Pro would have been the one to replace the S20 + in my pocket, despite the migration and size issues, had it not been for the lack of proper compatibility with Google apps.
Motorola Razr 5G
This is a bit of a wild card. Normally I would have been happy with the four phones above, but five is the norm and this is a nice addition. Like probably many of the older ones among you, I have a past with the Moto Razr V3 and the folding that Motorola is releasing today speaks to me in a way that the Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold lineups cannot match.
The Razr 5G is a second-generation foldable that replaces the Razr – the Motorola name is simply outstanding. We only had it with us for a fleeting practice, but that was enough to appreciate the benefits of its form factor (I’m back to the small talk on the phone) and to marvel at its wrinkle-free foldable display.
At its heart, though, a midranger and woefully short on cameras, the Razr 5G is less of a drooling phone and more of a stepping stone to a suitable future high-end phone. Still, I seem to like it better than the rest of the foldable field endeavors.
