Large frames on mobile phones are gradually becoming a thing of the past. Nowadays brands have changed their design philosophy, and the bezel-less flagship phones 2018 major players such as Apple, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc.
We present you a review of frameless smartphones in 2018, which contains both representatives of the premium segment and inexpensive mid-range devices.
10. Apple iPhone X
Price - 75,432 rubles for a model with 256 GB.
It's amazing not only what Apple has added to its 10th anniversary smartphone, but also what it has 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 for wireless charging. The vertically oriented 12/12 MP dual camera protrudes slightly from the body, but does not look uncomfortable. The new 7MP front camera TrueDepth has a variety of options, from Face ID unlocking 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 Messages.
Another key feature of the smartphone is the A11 Bioni chip, which delivers superior performance.
Pros:
- Elegant design.
- Convenient interface.
- Face ID is more user-friendly than Touch ID in user reviews.
Minuses:
- Memory storage cannot be expanded.
- Unfortunately, Apple still doesn't offer a headphone jack.
- Like many of the best bezel-less smartphones of 2018, the iPhone X has a notch at the top of the display. It disrupts the picture of screen integrity, 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 addition to the huge family of budget frameless smartphones - the version of Nokia 6 with 64 GB of built-in storage will go on sale. So far, this 5.5-inch device comes with 32GB of flash memory and 3GB of RAM.
The manufacturer did not support the trendy 18: 9 aspect ratio, and the Nokia 6 has a standard aspect ratio of 16: 9. In a small hand, it can feel quite wide.
Compared to the "six" in 2017, the updated model has got a more efficient chipset - Snapdragon 630, and improved optics from Carl Zeiss. The main camera has a resolution of 16 MP, it is equipped with flash and autofocus. The front camera is more modest - 8 MP.
At the same time, the height of the 2018 smartphone is 6.2 mm less compared to the 2017 version.
The battery capacity is 3000mAh.
Pros:
- An excellent speaker in terms of volume and sound clarity. Alas, no quality bass.
- Pure Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box.
- There is fast charging.
- There is the possibility of expanding the built-in memory.
Minuses:
- No wireless charging.
- The fingerprint sensor is inconveniently located, which is why 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" Huawei. It combines premium design with a great rear camera and an affordable price tag. The manufacturer followed the trend set by Samsung with the Galaxy S6 and made the Honor 10's body out of glass.
The 5.84-inch screen fills most of the device, save for the fingerprint sensor at the bottom and a notch at the top containing the selfie camera, the earpiece and sensors.
The amount of RAM is 4 GB, and the flash memory is allocated from 64 to 128 GB. It is better to choose the second option, since the Honor 10 does not have a memory card slot.
The battery life is excellent, with about 32 hours between charges with average usage.
On the back there is a dual camera: 16/24 MP. Even in low light, photos come out bright and clear. The AI option in the camera is for defining the scene and objects in it. If you are not satisfied with the result, this option can always be disabled.
Pros:
- The top chipset HiSilicon Kirin 970. The same is equipped with the expensive flagship Huawei P20 Pro
- Honor 10 is equipped with an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner (most other smartphones have a capacitive one). It works great even with wet hands, but requires a harder pressure than capacitive scanners.
- There is a headphone jack.
- There is a face unlock.
Minuses:
- No wireless charging.
- No waterproof.
7. Huawei Mate 10 Lite
The average price is 19,490 rubles.
The first, but not the last, Huawei-branded gadget in the top 10 bezelless smartphones of 2018. Nothing betrays a budget phone in it, 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 dual-lens camera - one high-resolution 16MP sensor paired with a 2MP lens. The front camera consists of a 13MP sensor and a 2MP sensor. The main camera takes pictures with good detail and natural color reproduction in normal lighting. But at night the noise level in the photo will be quite high. So save yourself the frustration and take a photo when there is 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 for the rest of the day.
Pros:
- Bright, juicy display, easy to read even in the sun.
- Fast fingerprint scanner.
- You can expand the amount of data storage.
Minuses:
- No wireless charging.
- No NFC module
- No fast charging.
6. OPPO F5
Sold for 19,990 rubles in the 64 GB version.
The largest (6-inch) and at the same time 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 the "bangs". The aspect ratio of the screen is 18: 9, so when playing 16: 9 content, the OPPO F5 will simply leave black bars to the left and right of the picture.
The F5's curved back is a nano-coated silver plastic. Nano coatings are commonly used in phones to provide water resistance, however the F5 is not waterproof. Therefore, it is best to think of this phone as having a good plastic design.
The Oppo F5 uses a MediaTek MT6763V processor (aka Helio P23), has 32GB to 64GB flash and 4GB to 6GB RAM.
The smartphone has a front camera with a higher resolution than the main one - 20 MP versus 16 MP. The fast f / 1.8 lens on the rear helps in low light, which is good because the rear camera lacks OIS.
Pros:
- It is possible to expand the memory storage.
- You can unlock your phone using Face ID.
Minuses:
- The battery is too 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 looking for a good smartphone costing less than RUB 20,000 is likely to 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 on all key parameters.
It has a bezel-less 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 efficient SoC HiSilicon Kirin 659 - an analogue of Snapdragon 625. The amount of flash memory - standard for most mainstream devices - 64 GB, RAM - 4 GB.
The device supports fast charging, and is equipped with a dual rear 16/2 MP camera with bokeh option and manual mode. The front camera is also dual - 13/2 MP. The second sensor is needed to control the depth of field.
Despite the not very impressive battery capacity - 3340 mAh, it is enough for one and a half to two days of medium intensity work.
Pros:
- Fashionable "color". We recommend purchasing a device in a blue case - it is stunningly beautiful.
- There is an eye protection function, many users claim that the image on the screen becomes more pleasant with it.
- There is a tray for a memory card (if you remove one of the SIM cards).
Minuses:
- There is no NFC.
- No wireless charging.
4. Huawei P20 Lite
It is offered for 18,491 rubles.
The new bezel-less smartphones of 2018 are the visible embodiment of Huawei's attempt to please users with both price and quality. The 5.84-inch device is housed in an aluminum casing, and while its screen doesn't look as stunning as the Samsung S9, it has rich colors and wide viewing angles.
The screen-to-body ratio is around 80 percent. While the best bezel-less phones should showcase an edge-to-edge design, the bezels around the top and sides of the P20 Lite are a bit thick.
Inside the device is a HiSilicon Kirin 659 chip clocked at 2.36GHz, which can also be found in the budget Honor 9 Lite.
Also onboard 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 16MP + 2MP dual cameras on the back and a single 16MP camera on the front for selfies. The rear camera has an LED flash and has a macro mode. Photo quality worthy of a place in the ranking of the best DxOMark camera phones.
All of the above is fueled by a 3,000mAh battery with fast charging.
Pros:
- There is an NFC module.
- There is a possibility of identification by the user's face.
Minuses:
- No wireless charging.
3. LG Q6 +
It costs 17,990 rubles.
This small 5.5-inch smartphone has a 78.6% screen-to-body ratio.
It is powered by a Snapdragon 435 processor paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of user storage, a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP selfie camera. The device is powered by a 3000mAh battery.
Unlike several models on our list, the LG Q6 + has an NFC chip. However, there is a caveat - this chip is on the M700AN marking.
Pros:
- There is a separate tray for a memory card.
- The screen is very bright and can be seen from any angle.
Minuses:
- Images from the main camera can be "soapy" in dim lighting.
- There is no fast or wireless charging in the Q6 +.
- There is no fingerprint scanner.
2.Xiaomi Redmi 5
You can buy it for 10,900 rubles.
This smartphone looks a lot more expensive than its current price. The huge and bright 5.7-inch screen with 18: 9 aspect ratio and rounded corners make the smartphone look elegant, sleek and round. The back of the mobile phone is made of metal. While brands like OPPO and Vivo shy away from the metal back, Xiaomi gives you a feeling of coldness and heightened comfort when holding the Redmi 5.
The device comes with 3/32 GB of memory or 2/16 GB. But the difference in price between the models is about a thousand rubles, and we recommend the first option.
The Redmi 5 is powered by a Snapdragon 450 SoC with an Adreno 506 GPU. And all this wealth is fed by a 3300 mAh battery.
Pros:
- There is a hybrid memory card slot.
- There is a fingerprint scanner.
- Decent 12 MP main 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 at the top of the bezel-less smartphone ranking? The fact is that it has a whopping 93% screen-to-body ratio, making it the most bezel-less smartphone around.
The ceramic back looks impressive but picks up fingerprints easily. The smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, has 6 GB of RAM and 64 to 256 GB of internal storage. This makes it one of the most powerful devices in the mid-range segment. The phone is equipped with an NFC module.
The 3400 mAh battery is enough for an active working day.
Not succumbing to the "two-camera" trend, Xiaomi installed in the Mi Mix 2 one rear 12 MP module with an f / 2.0 aperture. The pictures are of good quality, better than the first Mi Mix. Good white balance, great detail and HDR are good news.
Pros:
- Excellent performance.
- An unusual material for the case is ceramic. There is an all-ceramic version of the Special Edition, but the regular versions are content with only 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 a portrait mode, and the front camera is in the lower rear corner, which will take some getting used to.