10 Best Smartphones You Should Get in Malaysia 2021

If you're someone who wants a gaming phone that can do just about everything every day, the Asus ROG Phone 5 is said to be the top pick for many.

Features:

A successor to the highly-coveted Asus ROG Phone 3, the ROG Phone 5 powers through with a Snapdragon 888 chipset together with 8GB or 16GB of RAM. That's some really fast phone, which is also complemented with a sweet 144Hz screen refresh rate and a touch sampling rate (how often the screen will register for any new touches) of 300Hz. In short, this is a very responsive phone that'll make any fast-paced gamers envy.

With a big screen of 6.78-inch together with two front-facing speakers, the phone will speak volumes when you play atmospheric games. 

Other nice touches to why Asus ROG Phone 5 is the best smartphone for gaming are the 6,000mAh battery, 65W charging and programmable RGB lights. But perhaps the one reason that makes this phone shines is that it doesn't look over-the-top in terms of gaming aesthetics, making it a suitable daily gaming phone.

Performance:

Its speedy performance is well-received, followed by the satisfactory 20MP camera lens. But this is still quite a large and heavy phone, so you may need to factor in the weight if you want this phone as your daily driver.

It's no surprise that the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max has taken over the iPhone 12 Pro as the best iPhone currently. And this generation's Pro models truly shines with several upgrades which are eagerly given two-thumbs-up by reviewers around the world.

Features:

This time, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is powered by the latest A15 Bionic Chipset, together with 6GB RAM and a starting storage option of 128GB. Its camera setup is of a quad 12MP system;  triple 12MP rear shooters and another 12MP front camera.

The screen is also one of the 13 Pro Max's most beloved features. This generation of iPhone has a stunning 6.7-inch XDR OLED screen that has a brightness rating of up to 1,028 nits. That's not the best part; the screen supports a 120Hz ProMotion display function which allows the phone to scale its refresh rate dynamically from 10Hz to 120Hz. This feature certainly allows for smoother performance and animations.

Performance:

A step up from the iPhone 12 Pro's 2,815 mAh battery life is the iPhone 13 Pro Max's at 4,351mAh. The battery is rated to offer a total screen time of 28 hours with some tweaking to the display settings. In short, reviewers managed to get about 13 hours of use with constant web browsing on a 5G connection.

Apart from the stunning performance of this year's iPhone model, the camera's Cinematic Mode offers users the option to film their main focus with sharpness while automatically blurring out the background. A downside to this mode is that the resolution is only capped at 1080p.

Another downside is that the phone does not have TouchID to help unlock your phone with a fingerprint scan. This is a frustration for many as most users are still wearing masks as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

[The iPhone 13 series is currently available for pre-order only & is scheduled to arrive by mid-October 2021.]

If having a formidable camera is of utmost importance to you, then the Samsung S21 Ultra is a worthy candidate.

Features

The S21 Ultra’s camera is the star of the show - its main quad-camera system contains lenses with a whopping 108MP,  two 10MP lenses and a 12MP ultrawide lens. Two out of the 4 lenses are telephoto lenses, which allows for optical zooms of 3x and 10x respectively. 

Meanwhile, the selfie camera comes with a 40MP with 4K video recording, whereas the main camera is able to record videos in 8K. 

There’s plenty of juice in this device as the battery pack is a non-removable Li-Ion 5,000 mAh piece and it supports 25W fast charging. In addition, it also supports 15W of Fast Qi/PMA wireless charging and 4.5 W of reverse wireless charging respectively. 

What’s distinctive about the S21 Ultra is that there’s S-Pen support, making it the first phone that is not a Galaxy Note to boast this feature. Despite this new addition, there is no dedicated socket to house the S-Pen and no bundled stylus either.

Performance

Samsung’s S21 Ultra features 5G connectivity and uses an Octa-core Exynos 2100 SoC for its international models for a relatively fast performance overall. Unfortunately, similar to its competitors namely Xiaomi and Apple, users are disappointed that the phone isn’t packaged with a charger in the box. 

An upside is that the battery can for about 11 hours on an average consumption level, which is fantastic considering the S21 Ultra is a 5G phone.

This punchy smartphone is equipped with the best hardware that’s available in the market, packing a Snapdragon 88 SoC - similar to Samsung’s S21 Ultra. Physically, the Mi 11 Ultra sports a Gorilla Glass Victus front, a ceramic rear and an aluminium frame. 

Features

The phone sports a 48MP rear camera setup while the front camera is equipped with a 20MP lens to capture your face as realistically as possible. Uniquely, the main camera system features a secondary display, which has many uses such as display time or being used as a camera viewfinder.

Moreover, visuals will be pleasant as the Super AMOLED screen is superlative, rocking a high refresh rate, high luminosity, HDR and more. 

Like many Xiaomi phones, the Mi 11 Ultra has got an IR blaster which turns your smartphone into a makeshift universal remote as well as Miracast support. And finally, the device also has 5G dual SIM functionality.

Performance

It was a bit of a letdown when we learned that the phone’s USB-C port only works at USB 2.0 speeds, which feels regressive for its highly modern standards. 

However, there are vast storage options with 128GB and 256GB variants, though there are no options for further storage expansion. These aren’t major downsides, as calls were said to be of high quality, with additional Wi-Fi calling support.

This bezel-free offering from Samsung is a great mid-range alternative to its Galaxy S20 counterpart. You get the goodies such as 5G connectivity, a tri-camera system with 30x Space Zoom and a 120Hz display. It is also available in six colours, giving you more choice to express yourself and align with a colour that is closest to your identity. 

Features

The triple-lens camera system comprises a 12MP main lens, a 12 MP ultrawide lens and an 8MP telephoto lens, while its selfie camera uses a 32MP lens. Under that 6.5-inch AMOLED screen, is the smartphone Snapdragon 865 SoC, which is supported by 6GB RAM. 

Even though the device comes with 128GB of storage space which is aplenty, it helps that the storage is expandable to 1TB via a microSD card, good for if you’re a digital hoarder.

Performance

While it may have a 4,500 mAh battery, the battery performance is just alright, though this is merely a minor gripe. 

In a mundane everyday setting, the Galaxy S20 FE was mostly responsive with minimal lagging throughout switching between apps. It is bundled with a 15W charger, which is a little sluggish suggesting that you might want to purchase the 25W version instead.

This flagship phone didn’t come to play; for a smartphone retailing under RM1,500, it is jam-packed with specs that will fare high on a bargain hunter’s list. While its SoC may not be up to par with similar wallet-friendly devices, but it’s got a great 120Hz refresh rate plus a stunning camera. And, you may opt to get your Note 10 Pro in stunning colours, namely Onyx Grey, Gradient Bronze or Glacier Blue.

Features

The glossy rear of the device is pretty to look at, although that makes it a fingerprint magnet. It contains an IP53 rating for water and/or dust resistance, so a little water or dust will not kill your precious device. This doesn’t mean it will survive a dunk into a pool or sink though. Also, its main quad-camera system boasts lenses of 108MP, 8MP, 5MP and 2MP respectively, with 4K video recording to boot.

Performance

The phone’s performance isn’t necessarily excellent given its asking price but it’ll do just fine. You shouldn’t expect to have an exemplary gaming experience either, but its mighty 5,020 mAh battery is definitely a major plus point. 

Moreover, reviewers have noted that the Note 10 Pro can support roughly 18 hours of video playback, which means that you won’t need to keep it plugged in often during mundane use.

For less than RM1,000, the Note 10 is a valid contender. Its design goes beyond basic, with its rear having a matte texture that gives a satin feel while also serving the practical purpose of keeping fingerprints at bay. Running on a Snapdragon 678 chipset, the Note 10 humbly asks not to underestimate as its hardware has all the makings of going head to head with the big dogs. 

Features

Its FHD+ Super AMOLED display packs a screen that is readable under direct sunlight, complete with Gorilla Glass 3 protection. However, expect your battery to drain significantly if you are going to consume a lot of media. 

Meanwhile, its camera is a force to be reckoned with, sporting a 48MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide lens, a 2MP depth sensor in addition to a 2MP macro lens, producing decent images. There’s also Night Mode, though its low sensor may not let you capture grain-less images of dim scenarios.

Performance

Its specs aren’t necessarily state-of-the-art, but the Redmi Note 10 proves to be a worthy digital companion with impressive battery life. With a 5,000 mAh battery, it is able to withstand around 6 hours of intense gaming, while being able to last for over a day under normal settings. The device is also able to achieve a 50% charge in a little less than half an hour and took 1.5 hours to charge in full.

The Reno 5 Pro sports a contemporary, chic yet lightweight chassis as well as a curved display complete with a 90Hz refresh rate. There’s good screen brightness on this phone, so visuals will have pops of colours. Another feature that pops out is that the Reno Glow adds a gorgeous glimmer that you don’t see on mobile phones very often.

Features

With an option of 8GB and 12GB of RAM plus storage choices of 128GB or 256GB, the Reno 5 pro is a beast at performance, boosted with MediaTek’s cutting-edge Dimensity 1000+ SoC. 

There is also a DualView video feature to make media consumption more flexible. Together with ultra-quick 65W SuperVOOC charging, you won’t have many problems getting this phone up to 100% in battery. 

And the best part? This phone is not even considered a flagship!

Performance

The camera performance was substantial, featuring a main quad-cam system comprising lenses that are 64MP, 8MP, in addition to a dual 2MP lens fit for 4K recording. Whereas, the selfie camera had a 32MP lens with HDR and full HD video recording. Not a bad set for a non-flagship smartphone.

Reno5 Pro has impressed reviewers at how it can take on heavy loads of gaming, though its app optimisation still needed a bit more work.

On a tight budget? Worry not. The Y20 is here to solve that issue while making your digital experience a good one. An updated version of last year’s Y20, this version weighs just 192g and that it packs an upgraded chipset housed in a 6.51-inch frame. 

Features

This phone has your wellbeing in mind, as its Halo FullView display comes with protection to protect against unnecessary eye strain, especially since we are fundamentally glued to our phone screens these days. As such, the feature affects the overall viewing experience with a more colourful display while working to filter out harmful blue light. 

The battery is a standout, as it has a mighty 5,000 mAh capacity with 18W fast charge capabilities. There’s also a Funtouch 11 OS too which has received positive reviews. It is a bummer that it only offers 64GB storage, which is lower than its 2020 counterpart that had 128GB ROM onboard.

Performance

The Y20 2021 does have mediocre camera configurations as its main lenses consist of just two 2MP lenses and one 13MP lens which is a far cry from its peers. Despite that, its side-mounted fingerprint scanner does add a touch of convenience, and phone performance fares well. Sadly, 5G connectivity isn’t enabled but that’s just a minor issue.

If you're wondering which iPhone out of the exciting 13 Series range has the best bang for your buck, it has got to be the iPhone 13. This model offers a good balance of size, price and performance.

Features:

In the iPhone 13, you can look forward to the 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED which offers a vivid and clear display while dishing out bright visuals be it dimly-lit scenes or for games.

Speaking of games, the iPhone 13 is also packed with a starting storage capacity of 128GB and comes with the latest A15 Bionic chipset which is touted as (one of) the fastest processors amongst most phones including Androids.

The chipset supports smooth gameplay and supports a new Cinematic Mode feature that enables users to take videos with a sharp main focus and automatically blurred backgrounds.

In terms of build quality, the iPhone 13 has a tough CeramicShield display, durable Gorilla glass at the back and flat edges. You'd also get IP68 water resistance on its body.

Other perks include support for 5G, fast charging up to 20W and dual 12MP shooters with a 12MP rear camera.

Performance:

This generation of iPhones (13 series) has a bigger low light sensor, which means you can look forward to better low-light capture and overall great-quality photo details. With the addition of Dolby Vision HDR support, you can film great video qualities on this device.

Moreover, the battery life is more than satisfactory as it's able to keep up with 5G browsing for over 10 hours. Overall, it's a well-balanced iPhone for most users with no big hits or misses.

[The iPhone 13 series is currently available for pre-order only & is scheduled to arrive by mid-October 2021.]