The iPhone 15 line and significantly the iPhone 15 Professional Max rank among the many very best telephones you should purchase, however they’re not for everybody.
Whereas they’re highly effective, with first rate cameras and a refined interface, Apple’s strategy to smartphones places off as many individuals because it attracts.
However for those who’re not bought on Apple’s handsets then there are many nice alternate options from different manufacturers, a lot of which match and even beat the very best iPhones in varied methods.
And whereas there are a great deal of Android alternate options to select from, the 5 choices under are among the many absolute best.
1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely
Samsung has lengthy been Apple’s largest smartphone rival, and the Samsung Galaxy S24 line is arguably essentially the most direct competitor to the iPhone 15 sequence there’s.
You would possibly contemplate the Samsung Galaxy S24 itself as a substitute of the iPhone 15, or the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus as a substitute of the iPhone 15 Plus. However the very best of those telephones is the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, which is an actual different to the iPhone 15 Professional Max.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely has an excellent larger display screen than the iPhone 15 Professional Max at 6.8 inches, and it’s brighter too, topping out at 2,600 nits.
Plus, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely has an additional digital camera, supplying you with a 3x optical zoom in addition to the 5x zoom that each telephones have. And these cameras carry out properly, with our Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely assessment noting that “your creative buddies could choose the iPhone 15 Professional, however you’ll take higher photographs of every part when you have a Galaxy S24 Extremely.”
It’s arguably extra highly effective too, with our assessment stating that “the Extremely is simply as quick because the iPhone 15 Professional Max, and in some ways it’s even quicker.” And the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely even consists of an S Pen stylus, which isn’t one thing you’ll get with any iPhone.
Its software program isn’t as slick, with our S24 Extremely assessment saying “the iPhone 15 Professional with iOS 17 isn’t just easier, it’s extra enjoyable and sociable,” and for higher or worse the Galaxy S24 Extremely has a fingerprint sensor as a substitute of Face ID. However for those who merely need essentially the most feature-packed non-Apple telephone you should purchase, that is arguably it.
2. Google Pixel 8 Professional
The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Professional are different apparent alternate options to an iPhone, as whereas Google’s smartphone market share is tiny, the corporate makes Android, so it has as a lot management over the software program on its telephones as Apple.
And whereas the Pixel line isn’t massively widespread, it ought to be – these telephones can take distinctive photographs, have distinctive designs, and have intelligent software program options like Name Screening (although word that not all the Pixel 8’s software program options can be found globally).
The Pixel 8 Professional additionally has an excellent 6.7-inch 1344 x 2992 display screen, which our Google Pixel 8 Professional assessment famous was “simply pretty much as good because the iPhone 15 Professional Max, and possibly higher.”
In any case, these are implausible telephones with intuitive interfaces and minimal bloat, making them concerning the closest factor you will get to an iPhone working Android.
3. Google Pixel 8a
Whereas most of Apple’s telephones are high-end, costly handsets, the corporate additionally sells the iPhone SE (2022), which is a extra mid-range prospect. So for those who’re searching for an alternative choice to that, you would possibly wish to contemplate the equally mid-range Google Pixel 8a.
It is a barely pricier possibility than Apple’s different, but it surely’s additionally a much more fashionable telephone, with a classy design, a set of AI instruments, and a 120Hz, FHD+ display screen.
The Google Pixel 8a can’t match its pricier siblings for digital camera efficiency (although it nonetheless has the iPhone SE (2022) beat), and it’s not essentially the most highly effective of telephones. However for the value it’s a powerful possibility, and with the promise of seven years of software program updates you shouldn’t need to improve once more anytime quickly.
4. OnePlus 12
In accordance with our OnePlus 12 assessment, “the OnePlus 12 has superb efficiency, adequate to go toe-to-toe with the most recent iPhone 15 Professional in video games and a few productiveness duties,” but at $799.99 / £849 (round AU$1,215) it prices fairly a bit lower than the iPhone 15 Professional.
The truth is, within the US that’s the identical value as the usual iPhone 15, but the OnePlus 12 has a much bigger, brighter, and better decision 6.82-inch 1440 x 3168 display screen with a peak brightness of 4,500 nits. And it’s smoother too, because of a 120Hz refresh fee.
It additionally has extra cameras than the iPhone 15, with the addition of a 3x telephoto lens, plus it has a far larger 5,400mAh battery, a lot quicker 100W charging (or a nonetheless speedy 80W within the US), and a equally high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Simply word that its water resistance isn’t fairly pretty much as good, and it in all probability received’t be up to date for as lengthy.
5. Asus ROG Telephone 8 Professional
In the event you’re significantly into cellular gaming then a latest iPhone is at all times a powerful alternative, as Apple’s chipsets ship blazing-fast efficiency, however over on Android there are telephones which are constructed from the bottom up for gaming, such because the Asus ROG Telephone 8 Professional.
This has options like an extremely excessive 165Hz refresh fee, Air Set off shoulder buttons, a mammoth 5,500mAh battery, and second USB-C port positioned so it’s snug to play in panorama mode whereas charging.
The Asus ROG Telephone 8 Professional can be tremendously highly effective, because of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and as much as 24GB of RAM.
That is undeniably a distinct segment telephone, and we’re solely recommending this as an alternative choice to an iPhone for those who particularly wish to recreation quite a bit in your handset. For individuals who do, the Asus ROG Telephone 8 Professional is a best choice, because it’s among the best gaming telephones you should purchase.
