The Best Smartphones of Q3/2021 - 34 smartphones reviewed

Smartphone Editors Choice Awards Q3 2021. In the third quarter of 2021, there have been a few new flipping and folding smartphones. Samsung and Asus released great devices. Moreover, two manufacturers got back into the ruggedised smartphone game. Read this article to learn which smartphones we liked best in Q3 2021.

Florian Schmitt, 👁 Florian Schmitt, ✓ Brian Burriston (translated by Stanislav Kokhanyuk), Published 10/11/2021 🇩🇪 🇷🇺

The Best of the Best - These smartphones got the highest review scores

3 smartphones managed to get the “very good” rating: Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold3 has made it to the third generation, and it is no longer a device that is only suited for enthusiasts. The foldable smartphone is inching closer and closer to mass appeal, thanks to its slimmer build, pen support and even more robust screen. The Fold3 is the first smartphone in the series that got the “very good” rating. However, buyers should still be a bit cautious, and the high price is another thing to think long and hard about. In any case, there is no real alternative to the Fold3 on the market right now. The Galaxy Z Fold3 is currently unavailable on Amazon. However, you can try to get it on Samsung’s website or eBay.

Asus released two gaming smartphones which we found to be “very good”: The Asus ROG Phone 5 Pro and the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate. The Pro model features a colour screen on the back which can display animations and show the battery status when charging. Furthermore, the ROG Phone 5 Pro has an active cooler in the box. The Ultimate model comes with a massive 18 GB of RAM and has a monochrome display on the back. Both smartphones feature the latest and most powerful components. However, the cameras cannot be described as the best on the market. Unfortunately, both Asus smartphones are hard to come by at the moment. Currently, they are out of stock on Amazon, and on eBay, they are significantly overpriced.

Our Favourite - Editors Choice Awards Q3 2021

Each quarter we conduct a poll based on the review scores to determine the smartphones that are worthy of our Editors’ Choice Awards. Only smartphones that offer a great overall package, high level of performance in specific areas or a particularly good price-to-performance ratio come under consideration of our editors. Smartphones that receive an Editors’ Choice Award are very good buys in each category.

Nokia XR20

The ruggedised Nokia XR20 is intended for outdoor use, that is, for users who like being outside. However, companies that are looking for a rugged smartphone for their workers cannot go wrong with the Nokia XR20. What is so special about the XR20 is that it does not look tanky. It is quite elegant.

The extensive 3-year warranty and Nokia’s promise of 4 years of software support mean that the Nokia smartphone will serve its users for a long time. Stock Android, a remappable button, long battery life, fast 5G and a bright screen round off the great overall package.

The Nokia XR20 should be top of mind for anyone who is looking for a slick rugged smartphone.

Unfortunately, the Nokia XR20 is currently unavailable on Amazon. You can find it on eBay, though, at an inflated price.

Sony Xperia 10 III

Thanks to their clean design and slim build, Sony smartphones manage to set themselves apart in the crowded Android marketplace. The Xperia 10 III is the smallest current smartphone from Sony. It distinguishes itself from the competition through some unusual features such as a 3.5-mm headphone jack with Hi-Res Audio certification.

The Sony Xperia 10 Mark 3 features a colour-accurate OLED display and offers great battery life. However, the screen refreshes at only 60 Hz. What is more, the cameras produce good images, but image processing takes quite a while. This can prove annoying if you want to take a lot of shots in quick succession.

All in all, the Xperia 10 Mark 3 is an unusual smartphone that should appeal to individualists.

The Sony Xperia 10 Mark 3 is currently available on Amazon.

Note: For commercial use of the Award graphics a license is required. You can learn more about it here.

The Best Smartphones - Reviewed Q3/2021

Overall Score	Model	Housing Score	Size	Thickness	Weight Score	Weight	Display Score	Display Type	Resolution	Pixel Density	Aspect Ratio	Screen-to-Body Ratio	Screen Brightness	Colour Accuracy (DeltaE)	Refresh Rate	Camera Score	Lowlight Performance (DeltaE)	Daylight Performance (DeltaE)	Application Performance	PCMark for Android Work 2.0 Score	Gaming Performance Score	3DMark for A. Sling Shot Ext. (ES 3.1) Un.	GFXBench Aztec Ruins H.T. Onscreen	PUBG Mobile HD	Batterylife Score	Battery Runtime Wi-Fi 150 cd/m²	Temperature Score	Front Temp When Idle	Front Temp under Load	Audio Score	Max Volume (dB)	Touchscreen Input Score	Connectivity Score
83.8 %	Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 4G SD 732G, Adreno 618	88.7 %	6.55"	6.81 mm	91.7 %	157 g	91.9 %	AMOLED	2400x1080	402 PPI	20:9	85 %	809 cd/m²	1.3	090 Hz	63.6 %	44.37	7.32	71.2 %	8064	31.9 %	2935	12	30	89.7 %	692 min	90.9 %	32.2 °C	37.6 °C	76.6 %	86.7 dB	93.9 %	51.1 %
79.2 %	Motorola Moto G50 SD 480, Adreno 619	84.3 %	6.50"	9 mm	88.7 %	192 g	83.4 %	IPS	1600x720	270 PPI	20:9	84 %	325 cd/m²	4.75	090 Hz	57 %	37.51	8.35	63.3 %		30.5 %	2563	19	30	92.4 %	1198 min	88.3 %	29.8 °C	41.4 °C	58 %	79.2 dB	91.1 %	43.6 %
78.1 %	Motorola Moto G20 Tangula T700, Mali-G52 MP1	83.7 %	6.50"	9 mm	88 %	200 g	85.3 %	IPS	1600x720	270 PPI	20:9	82 %	352 cd/m²	3.35	090 Hz	53 %	41.77	10.36	56.7 %	8438	15.7 %	1516	12	30	91 %	1009 min	89.6 %	29.4 °C	39.3 °C	70 %	80.3 dB	93.9 %	45.8 %
83.1 %	OnePlus Nord CE 5G (Nord Core Edition) SD 750G 5G, Adreno 619	83.9 %	6.43"	7.9 mm	90.6 %	170 g	90.9 %	AMOLED	2400x1080	409 PPI	20:9	85 %	596 cd/m²	1.9	090 Hz	68.4 %	44.82	8.3	72.2 %	8224	31.8 %	2923	11	30	91.2 %	924 min	87.1 %	30.7 °C	42.7 °C	77.8 %	90.1 dB	90.8 %	48.1 %
85.9 %	Realme GT 5G SD 888 5G, Adreno 660	84.3 %	6.43"	8.4 mm	89.2 %	186 g	91.9 %	Super AMOLED	2400x1080	409 PPI	20:9	86 %	606 cd/m²	1.3	120 Hz	64 %	42.81	7.56	79.2 %		58.5 %	8987	44		89.4 %	755 min	90.3 %	32.4 °C	37.7 °C	77.6 %	90.1 dB	94.4 %	53.5 %
86.3 %	Xiaomi Black Shark 4 SD 870, Adreno 650	83.6 %	6.67"	10.4 mm	87.8 %	210 g	86.7 %	Super AMOLED	2400x1080	395 PPI	20:9	85 %	669 cd/m²	5.77	144 Hz	71 %	9.49	10.67	91.6 %	14315	65 %	8975	34		89.1 %	710 min	87.9 %	28.2 °C	42 °C	76.4 %	82 dB	96.1 %	46 %
83.4 %	Sony Xperia 10 III SD 690 5G, Adreno 619L	89.3 %	6.00"	8.3 mm	90.7 %	169 g	92.5 %	OLED	2520x1080	457 PPI	21:9	80 %	540 cd/m²	1.1	060 Hz	60 %	42.12	4.86	65.3 %	7356	25.1 %	2308	8	30	91.3 %	809 min	92.2 %	29.4 °C	35.6 °C	75.2 %	88.7 dB	93.3 %	65 %
87.5 %	Vivo X60 Pro SD 870, Adreno 650	87.4 %	6.56"	7.59 mm	90 %	177 g	93.2 %	AMOLED	2376x1080	398 PPI	19.8:9	90 %	796 cd/m²	0.7	120 Hz	74.4 %	27.14	4.94	86.5 %		61.6 %		33		88.7 %	665 min	90.2 %	31.1 °C	38.8 °C	75.4 %	94.1 dB	91.1 %	53.8 %
80 %	Oppo A54 5G SD 480, Adreno 619	81.6 %	6.50"	8.4 mm	88.9 %	190 g	89.1 %	IPS	2400x1080	405 PPI	20:9	84 %	504 cd/m²	1.4	090 Hz	55.8 %	46.17	7.28	66.2 %	7713	27.4 %	2563	10	30	91.2 %	987 min	89.1 %	34.2 °C	39.4 °C	79.6 %	92.1 dB	86.7 %	48.3 %
87.2 %	Sony Xperia 1 III SD 888 5G, Adreno 660	90.4 %	6.50"	8.2 mm	89.2 %	186 g	86.5 %	OLED	3840x1644	643 PPI	21:9	83 %	539 cd/m²	4.78	120 Hz	74.8 %	25.59	8.04	85.5 %	10231	61.3 %	6110	37		84.7 %	534 min	89.6 %	26.4 °C	39.9 °C	84 %	81.5 dB	97.2 %	51.8 %
76.4 %	Nokia G20 Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320	82.7 %	6.50"	9.2 mm	88.3 %	197 g	82.4 %	IPS	1600x720	270 PPI	20:9	81 %	447 cd/m²	5.75	060 Hz	56 %	20.44	7.83	60.8 %	5594	4.4 %	373	4.8		92.7 %	1186 min	90.6 %	26.8 °C	39.6 °C	54 %	80.6 dB	94.4 %	37.4 %
80 %	Vivo Y72 5G Dimensity 700, Mali-G57 MP2	84 %	6.58"	8.5 mm	88.6 %	193 g	85.3 %	IPS	2408x1080	352 PPI	20:9	84 %	384 cd/m²	3.32	060 Hz	62.8 %	18.91	15.83	68 %	6368	29.5 %	2476	8.4		91.9 %	1084 min	88.1 %	30.1 °C	41.5 °C	62 %	86.1 dB	88.9 %	44.7 %
80.2 %	Nokia X10 SD 480, Adreno 619	83 %	6.67"	9.1 mm	87.7 %	220 g	84.4 %	IPS	2400x1080	395 PPI	20:9	79 %	630 cd/m²	3.39	060 Hz	63.6 %	17.25	5.58	66.7 %		27.4 %	2562	9.9	30	90.3 %	896 min	88.6 %	29.1 °C	41.3 °C	64 %	82.6 dB	93.9 %	49.8 %
81.6 %	Nubia RedMagic 6R SD 888 5G, Adreno 660	82.4 %	6.67"	7.8 mm	89.2 %	186.41 g	88.7 %	AMOLED	2400x1080	395 PPI	20:9	87 %	442 cd/m²	2.2	144 Hz	59.2 %	45.4	4.09	85.2 %		57 %	9374, 8921	42	60	85.3 %	541 min	25 %	35.2 °C	52.9 °C	73.6 %	92.1 dB	90.6 %	64.3 %
87 %	Asus Zenfone 8 Flip SD 888 5G, Adreno 660	86.6 %	6.67"	9.6 mm	87.5 %	230 g	90.3 %	Super AMOLED	2400x1080	395 PPI	20:9	84 %	686 cd/m²	3.1	090 Hz	72 %	44.48	6.96	87.6 %		65.9 %	8744	37		86.7 %	556 min	91.4 %	30.8 °C	38.1 °C	81 %	87.9 dB	95 %	54.8 %
79.6 %	Samsung Galaxy A22 5G Dimensity 700, Mali-G57 MP2	82.7 %	6.60"	9 mm	88 %	203 g	82.8 %	IPS	2400x1080	399 PPI	20:9	81 %	378 cd/m²	5.41	090 Hz	57.8 %	45.66	12.69	65.2 %		25.3 %	2463	8.1	30	92.3 %	1156 min	90.6 %	24.7 °C	40.1 °C	64 %	83.5 dB	93.9 %	48.6 %
85.1 %	OnePlus Nord 2 5G Dimensity 1200, Mali-G77 MP9	83.1 %	6.43"	8.3 mm	88.9 %	189 g	89.8 %	AMOLED	2400x1080	409 PPI	20:9	86 %	594 cd/m²	2.74	090 Hz	70.2 %	31.05	16.42	77.8 %	9973	52.8 %		31	40	91 %	958 min	80 %	24.8 °C	48.7 °C	74 %	81.6 dB	94.4 %	50.8 %
82.4 %	Oppo A74 5G SD 480, Adreno 619	81.7 %	6.50"	8.4 mm	88.9 %	190 g	89.6 %	LTPS	2400x1080	405 PPI	20:9	84 %	573 cd/m²	1.8	090 Hz	60 %	45.64	10.12	79.7 %		30.5 %	2563	10		93 %	1223 min	90.3 %	34.7 °C	36.8 °C	73 %	90.4 dB	92.8 %	49.9 %
84.8 %	Vivo V21 5G Dimensity 800U, Mali-G57 MP3	83.7 %	6.44"	7.29 mm	90.1 %	176 g	90.9 %	AMOLED	2404x1080	409 PPI	20.03:9	85 %	749 cd/m²	2.7	090 Hz	72.4 %	35.17	4.55	85.8 %		39.1 %	3281	12		90 %	839 min	92.4 %	29.8 °C	34.1 °C	77 %	91.5 dB	90.6 %	51.2 %
86.6 %	Xiaomi Mi 11i SD 888 5G, Adreno 660	86 %	6.67"	7.8 mm	88.3 %	196 g	91.1 %	AMOLED	2400x1080	395 PPI	20:9	86 %	879 cd/m²	1.8	120 Hz	70.4 %	42.55	9.85	85.9 %	13282	59.3 %	7270	42	30	89.6 %	690 min	89.9 %	29.7 °C	39.5 °C	76.6 %	87.5 dB	92.8 %	55 %
78.1 %	Samsung Galaxy A22 4G Helio G80, Mali-G52 MP2	80.7 %	6.40"	8.4 mm	89.2 %	186 g	83.5 %	Super AMOLED	1600x720	274 PPI	20:9	65 %	352 cd/m²	5.87	090 Hz	58.8 %	43.7	7.95	56.7 %	6168	14.1 %	1379	9.5	30	92.6 %	1252 min	87.3 %	24.4 °C	45.4 °C	62 %	80.1 dB	94.4 %	44 %
73.8 %	Wiko Power U30 Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320	80.1 %	6.82"	9.45 mm	87.8 %	214 g	80.3 %	IPS	1640x720	263 PPI	20.5:9	81 %	369 cd/m²	4.1	060 Hz	48.6 %	47.25	5.31	44.1 %	5279	5.4 %	481	4.7		93.1 %	1235 min	92.1 %	35 °C	34.4 °C	70 %	89.6 dB	83.3 %	40.5 %
81.1 %	Nokia XR20 SD 480, Adreno 619	86.4 %	6.67"	10.6 mm	87.2 %	248 g	87.3 %	IPS	2400x1080	395 PPI	20:9	77 %	598 cd/m²	4.52	060 Hz	59.8 %	43.44	4.89	67.7 %		27.4 %	2566	10	30	90.1 %	927 min	90.9 %	24.4 °C	39 °C	62 %	83.9 dB	96.7 %	53.6 %
84 %	Realme GT Master Edition SD 778G 5G, Adreno 642L	83.6 %	6.43"	8.7 mm	89.7 %	180 g	88.1 %	AMOLED	2400x1080	409 PPI	20:9	83 %	584 cd/m²	4.06	120 Hz	60.8 %	46.3	11.18	77.8 %		53.7 %	5469	20	40	89.2 %	728 min	83 %	24.6 °C	47.6 °C	70 %	84.9 dB	95 %	51.6 %
88.9 %	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G SD 888 5G, Adreno 660	92 %	7.60"	6.4 mm	86.8 %	271 g	91.5 %	Dynamic AMOLED	2208x1768	372 PPI	3.75:3	90 %	820 cd/m²	2.9	120 Hz	77.8 %	44.7	7.53	83.7 %		56.9 %	8804	27	60	89.3 %	610 min	92.1 %	30.8 °C	36.3 °C	78.4 %	88.7 dB	96.7 %	69.7 %
89 %	Asus ROG Phone 5 Pro SD 888 5G, Adreno 660	84.6 %	6.78"	9.9 mm	87.4 %	239 g	92.2 %	AMOLED	2448x1080	395 PPI	20.4:9	82 %	795 cd/m²	1.4	144 Hz	70.2 %	44.98	7.15	92.5 %		70.6 %	9649	42		90.4 %	885 min	92 %	29.8 °C	37.3 °C	81.2 %	92.4 dB	98.9 %	73.1 %
86.3 %	Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G SD 888 5G, Adreno 660	91.4 %	6.70"	6.9 mm	89.5 %	183 g	92.3 %	AMOLED	2640x1080	426 PPI	22:9	85 %	842 cd/m²	1.9	120 Hz	76.6 %	43.33	7.11	84.8 %		53.4 %	7074	32		85.3 %	541 min	92.9 %	28.2 °C	35.4 °C	78 %	88.6 dB	90 %	51.8 %
88.9 %	Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate SD 888 5G, Adreno 660	84.6 %	6.78"	9.9 mm	87.4 %	239 g	92.2 %	AMOLED	2448x1080	395 PPI	20.4:9	82 %	795 cd/m²	1.4	144 Hz	70.2 %	43.15	7.53	92.2 %		70.1 %	9413	40		89.5 %	762 min	92 %	29.8 °C	37.3 °C	81.2 %	92.4 dB	98.9 %	75.6 %
80.9 %	Motorola Moto G60s Helio G95, Mali-G76 MP4	84.5 %	6.80"	9.6 mm	87.8 %	212 g	87.5 %	IPS	2480x1080	398 PPI		85.3 %	564 cd/m²	2.23	120 Hz	60.6 %	45.51	8.47	64.4 %		27.3 %		10	30	89.4 %	763 min	92.4 %	24.3 °C	38.2 °C	78.8 %	82.9 dB	93.3 %	47.7 %
86.6 %	ZTE Axon 30 5G SD 870, Adreno 650	80.7 %	6.92"	7.8 mm	88.9 %	189 g	90.4 %	AMOLED	2460x1080	388 PPI	20.5:9	86 %	458 cd/m²	1.9	120 Hz	67 %	43.41	4.37	83.3 %		64.6 %	8548	29		88.7 %	658 min	87.5 %	31.9 °C	42.2 °C	78.2 %	90.4 dB	93.3 %	63.3 %
83.8 %	Oppo Reno6 5G Dimensity 900, Mali-G68 MP4	85.4 %	6.43"	7.6 mm	89.5 %	182 g	90.4 %	AMOLED	2400x1080	409 PPI	20:9	91.7 %	593 cd/m²	2.6	090 Hz	67 %	46.21	15.22	73.4 %		38.3 %	3875	15	40	89.9 %	824 min	87.6 %	32 °C	42.7 °C	78.2 %	91.7 dB	92.8 %	52.8 %
85.1 %	Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G SD 778G 5G, Adreno 642L	86.7 %	6.50"	8.4 mm	88.9 %	189 g	90.9 %	AMOLED	2400x1080	405 PPI	20:9	83 %	751 cd/m²	2.18	120 Hz	66 %	37.88	14.45	85.2 %	11645	50 %	5355	19	40	90 %	721 min	86.7 %	24.9 °C	45.4 °C	70 %	83.6 dB	94.4 %	51.4 %
78 %	Motorola Defy SD 662, Adreno 610	87.6 %	6.50"	10.9 mm	87.5 %	232 g	82 %	IPS	1600x720	270 PPI	20:9	77 %	386 cd/m²	4.83	060 Hz	57.2 %	45.54	7.22	58.2 %		12.4 %	1176	8.9		90.3 %	948 min	91.1 %	25 °C	40 °C	66 %	83.9 dB	95 %	45.7 %
83.6 %	Nubia RedMagic 6S Pro SD 888+ 5G, Adreno 660	82.4 %	6.80"	9.8 mm	87.7 %	220 g	85.6 %	AMOLED	2400x1080	387 PPI	20:9	85 %	705 cd/m²	5.9	165 Hz	60.4 %	46.1	5.25	83 %		57.3 %	8770	31	60	90 %	829 min	70 %	29.6 °C	37.1 °C	78.8 %	92.8 dB	93.9 %	65.3 %

The above table shows all smartphones that have been reviewed in Q3 2021. It shows the overall scores and all subscores, which can be used to select the best device in a specific area. You can learn all about these devices by clicking on them, which will take you to the review of the specific device.

The table can be sorted by any parameter. For this, you will have to click on the column heading with the parameter that interests you (for instance, "weight", "thickness", etc.)

Honourable Mentions

Some smartphones managed to make a particularly deep impression on us such as the Motorola Defy. After many years of absence in the rugged smartphone space, Motorola made a return with the help of Bullitt Group, which is very good at making ruggedised smartphones.

Our readers seem to really like the Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G. It was reviewed in the last days of the quarter, and our readers showed the most interest in this device when compared to other smartphones we recently reviewed.

Loading comments

Comment on this article

Editor of the original article: Florian Schmitt - Managing Editor Mobile - 1134 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2009

I initially wrote about gaming laptops when I joined Notebookcheck in 2009. I was then involved with the setup of the comparison portal Notebookinfo and worked with social media concepts for large companies like BMW and Adidas, while also returning to work for Notebookcheck in 2012. Nowadays, I focus on smartphones, tablets, and future technologies. Since 2018 I have been Managing Editor for mobile device reviews, working alongside my colleague Daniel Schmidt.

contact me via: @FloSchmi26, LinkedIn, Xing

Translator: Stanislav Kokhanyuk - Translator - 78 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2021

I am a big fan of technology, which is why I try to keep up with it. Among my other passions are literature and writing, and so it should not be surprising to anyone at all that I have a four-year bachelor's degree in philology. However, my interests are not limited just to the world of technology, or, for that matter, the world of literature. I am also interested in people and the stories they have to tell. And more recently, I took an interest in artificial intelligence.

Please share our article, every link counts!

> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > The Best Smartphones of Q3/2021 - 34 smartphones reviewed

Florian Schmitt, 2021-10-11 (Update: 2021-10-11)