2020 has been host to plenty of great smartphones, although we could do without the flagship price increases. Nevertheless, among the OnePlus 8 Pro, the Samsung Galaxy S20 series, the Google Pixel 5 and many more, there were plenty of quality offers to be had.
Still, for every major Samsung or Xiaomi phone, there were a few lesser-known devices that deserved a little more love and attention. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at the most underrated smartphones we reviewed in 2020.
Asus Zenfone 7 series
Credit: Ryan-Thomas Shaw / Android Authority
We chose the Zenfone 6 as one of the most underrated devices of 2019, and its successors also appear here. Yes, Asus released the Zenfone 7 and Zenfone 7 Pro this year.
Fortunately, the Taiwanese brand has retained the Zenfone 6’s unique reversing camera mechanism. However, it has added a triple camera setup to the mix (with a telephoto lens) as opposed to last year’s two-camera combination. We also get several other upgrades such as 5G, 90Hz OLED screen, 30W fast charging and 8K recording.
Our verdict: Asus Zenfone 7 Pro review
However, there are a few differences between the standard Zenfone 7 and Pro model, such as the Pro variant with the Snapdragon 865 Plus SoC, which packs OIS and offers double the base storage (256 GB).
The biggest downside to the series is that it starts at a fairly hefty € 699 (~ $ 936) for the base model with 128 GB of storage. Meanwhile, the Zenfone 6 128GB model sold for € 559, while the 64GB option had a launch price of € 499.
Sony Xperia 5 II
Credit: Eric Zeman / Android Authority
The Japanese manufacturer has had a few difficult years, but in 2020 the company delivered two great flagship phones in the Xperia 1 II and Xperia 5 II. We said the last could be Sony’s best phone yet and it even came in fifth in our Editor’s Choice Award vote for 2020.
Our verdict: Sony Xperia 5 II review
Sony’s late 2020 flagship earns its place on our list thanks to its well-rounded spec sheet. It features a 6.1-inch OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, a powerful Snapdragon 865 SoC and a 4000mAh battery that will keep you going. It doesn’t hurt that the phone’s $ 949 price tag meant it was significantly cheaper than the Xperia 1 II’s $ 1,200 asking price.
The Xperia 5 II also has a well-rounded 12MP triple rear camera. Sony went a step further by offering special professional photo and video apps in addition to the standard camera app. Photography enthusiasts should keep an eye out for these. And yes, Sony also brought back the headphone jack on both of its 2020 flagships.
LG wing
Credit: David Imel / Android Authority
LG is no stranger to these kinds of lists as it often delivers well-rounded, but not spectacular high-end phones. However, the LG Wing stands out for its unconventional yet polished form factor.
With a retractable main screen that hides a much smaller screen, the design makes multitasking a bit easier. This means you can watch YouTube on the main screen while surfing the web on the smaller screen, or use Google Maps on the big screen while playing with your music player on the small screen.
Our verdict: LG Wing Review
Don’t care about the dual screen form factor? Well, the device can be used just fine without the second display. Otherwise, you also get some solid specs. There is a mid-range Snapdragon 765G chipset, a 4000 mAh battery, a unique triple camera setup (with two wide-angle lenses) and a “gimbal” videography mode. Throw in an IP54 rating, wireless charging, and a pop-up selfie camera, and you’ve got a pretty neat package if you don’t mind the price tag.
LG Velvet
Looking for something more conventional from the Korean brand? That’s where the LG Velvet comes into play. It stands out for its striking design compared to the rest of the smartphone industry. Much of this was due to its slim form factor and distinctive water-drop camera design.
The Velvet also marked a rather interesting strategy change for LG, as it took a super mid-range route instead. That means you have a Snapdragon 765G processor instead of the latest and greatest silicon, a standard refresh rate and a camera setup that’s more in line with budget phones.
Fortunately, the Velvet still delivered welcome features such as water resistance, wireless charging, a 4300 mAh battery and an FHD + OLED panel. It made for a rather interesting proposition at $ 599, which came in as the antithesis of typical flagships of convenience.
Vivo X50 Pro
Optical image stabilization is a must if you want great low-light shots or reduce blur and shake in videos. However, Vivo took it a step further by offering a so-called “micro-gimbal” 48 MP main camera in the Vivo X50 Pro.
We found that this stabilization system delivered impressive low-light shots and smooth video recording. Our own Dhruv Bhutani even noted that the phone took “incredible” low-light shots and offered “exemplary” video quality.
Our verdict: Vivo X50 Pro review
Other notable features include two telephoto lenses (2x and 5x), a 90Hz OLED screen and a Snapdragon 765G chipset. Despite the mid-range processor, the phone has flagship-level pricing in the UK, for example, with an astonishing £ 749 (~ $ 1,018) for the renamed Vivo X51 5G. At least it’s more competitively priced in India, coming in at $ 680.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip series
Samsung used 2020 to really corner the foldable space, with the Galaxy Z Fold 2 deserving of praise and creating a buzz. However, it seems people forgot about the Galaxy Z Flip series when the larger, more expensive folding version was released.
The Galaxy Z Flip delivered a fresh take on an old form factor by modernizing the clamshell design. Samsung wasn’t the only brand to adopt this form factor in 2020, but it destroyed the foldable Motorola Razr for its cheaper price tag, better spec sheet, and better build quality.
Samsung’s small foldable cover also offers a Flex mode, which uses the versatile hinge for various useful functions. These include acting as an improvised tripod for the cameras (eg Selfies, long exposure shots) and a hands-free way to conduct video conferences.
That’s it for our choice. We would also give honorable mentions to the Oppo Ace 2 and Redmi K30 Ultra, which were only in China. What do you think were the most underrated smartphones of 2020? Let us know in the comments below!