Mobile users are often interested in what a flagship is. This term is quite often used for various consumer electronics. We often hear phrases such as “flagship device”, “flagship smartphone” and “flagship features”, but we don’t really understand what it all means. In fact, these terms do not have a clear definition, since each person may have his own understanding of the word "flagship".
Term meaning
If we turn to history, we can conclude that this word has nothing to do with smartphones. Initially, the flagship was called the ship on board which was the commander of the navy. As a rule, such a vessel was marked with an officer's flag. From this we can conclude that the word "flagship" is, in a sense, a synonym for the word "main". That is why flagships are usually called the most advanced mobile devices in the line of a certain manufacturer.
If you want to better understand the meaning of a word, then first of all you need to turn to dictionaries to find out its official definition. It turns out that the flagship is not only a navy ship. This word may have another meaning - "the best and most important item from a system or group."
It seems that mobile device developers have used an alternative meaning of the word to refer to their best smartphones. But the question arises whether the devices that are called flagships are really the best on the market. The problem is that mobile devices become obsolete very quickly. What is currently considered the flagship may become obsolete in just a few months.
Most often, a manufacturing company uses this word to refer to a smartphone that it considers to be its best product at the moment. Thanks to this approach, everything becomes immediately clear. As a result, it becomes very easy to distinguish flagships from ordinary phones. Flagship status is automatically assigned to the company's best all-in-one phone and is independent of features or specifications. The flagship is considered the most popular device that is in demand regardless of whether it has the most advanced features. Even manufacturers of relatively cheap mobile devices have their own smartphones that also fall under this definition.
Usually Flagship embodies everything that a single company can offer within 1 phone. At the same time, the manufacturer itself decides which device is considered the main one, in fact depriving its customers of this right. Flagship usually has all or most of the features that the company has developed at the time of its release. For example, the Samsung Galaxy device, which has 4GB of RAM, is considered the master, despite the fact that the OnePlus 3 has 6GB of RAM. The new flagship should definitely have better performance compared to its predecessor.
Such a mobile phone will always be compared with other devices. The company is trying to make its Flagship as spectacular as possible so that it looks worthy against the competition. But contrary to popular belief, the main phone may not always be the most expensive in the lineup. Recently, there has been an interesting trend, when manufacturers are increasingly leaning towards the so-called budget flagships. Such devices are compared not with expensive phones of competitors, but with those devices that are in the same price range with them.
Since all smartphone manufacturers designate certain devices as flagships, buyers will first of all pay attention to them. If the phone is assigned such a status, then it automatically falls into a certain category, which distinguishes it from a huge variety of less popular devices. But what are the defining characteristics that make a phone a flagship?
It can be assumed that such a smartphone must necessarily have features that are considered standard among competitors. For example, a device with a 1080p display cannot be flagshiped because all companies are already moving to Quad HD.
Usually this is a device that, in terms of its capabilities, noticeably surpasses other models of the manufacturer. Any company has its flagships, but of course, devices created by recognized market leaders are of the greatest interest. It is about them that they talk the most, it is on them that other, not so well-known firms are guided.
At the same time, a flagship smartphone, by definition, cannot be cheap. But even the high price does not stop those who want to have top devices. Today we will tell you why you should choose such devices.
Advanced Solutions
All the most interesting and unusual appears first in flagship smartphones. Dual cameras, incredibly high resolution screens, support for NFC and 4G/LTE networks, extremely powerful processors, solid RAM, wireless charging - the list goes on. Everything that we have listed, at first could be seen only in top-end devices. And only after a while these features begin to be found in devices belonging to other price categories.
Unique Features
Although many solutions are gradually moving from the flagship segment to the middle class and even to the budget category, top devices can often boast that they have truly unique features. Such that almost, if not at all, are found in other smartphones. Examples? You are welcome! A screen optimized for using a stylus or distinguishing between pressures made with different strengths. Camera with optical zoom. 4K display resolution.
Stylish design
It not only has a powerful filling, but also a stylish design, as well as carefully thought-out ergonomics. Such a device cannot but look attractive. Therefore, it impresses even those who are poorly oriented in the world of modern mobile devices. It is immediately evident from it: this is a thing that is worthy of attention. Most modern flagships are made from carefully crafted metal and tempered glass, and developers come up with interesting colors for them.
High quality
The flagship smartphone is made with the expectation that you will use it for a long time. And this means that it is simply impossible to find fault with the build quality. Such a device is pleasant to take in hand, nothing creaks in it, and all functions work perfectly. The same applies to optimization, after all, the top device is considered the face of the company, and they work on it with special diligence. Yes, minor troubles and real incidents happen, but much less often than with models of other price categories.
Doesn't get old for a long time
Any top-end device is ahead of its time. This means that it will not become obsolete for a long time. Even if you do not have the opportunity to purchase a new device every six months or a year, the capabilities of your flagship will allow it to compete on equal terms with new middle-class models and even surpass them for several years. First of all, this concerns computing abilities: top-end devices released a few years ago can easily cope with the launch of modern applications and games. It is not surprising that there are people who are happy to purchase last year's flagships, which have fallen in price due to the appearance of fresh, top-end devices that have just gone on sale.
Long-term support
With the reason mentioned above, another one is connected - long-term support. Manufacturers pay special attention to their flagship devices and do not forget to update their operating systems and proprietary shells. It is the top models that are the first to receive updates, and in some cases only they are updated. Therefore, despite the fact that 2-3 years have passed since the release, a smartphone belonging to this category does not look outdated.
Simple repair in the service center
Separately, it is worth noting that it is easier to find spare parts for a flagship smartphone than for an unnamed state employee from a little-known manufacturer. In addition, leading companies have a wide network of authorized service centers staffed by specialists who know their business well. And repairing a top-end device is really profitable.
Versatility
The flagship device is a universal device with which you can solve a variety of tasks. Using it, you understand that the definition of a smartphone as a mobile computer that you can call is completely true. You can watch videos on the screen in superb detail, play newly released games, surf the Internet at high speed, make video calls, take photos, and each function works without compromising the others. Getting that experience with a budget device, and even with a mid-range device, is not easy.
Flagship smartphones are always the most interesting models. After all, they best reflect the level of development of smartphones at the moment. In this article, we have prepared a short overview of the most popular flagship smartphones of 2017.
Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge
A review of the flagship smartphones of 2017 should start with the Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphone. A new version of this smartphone appears every year and is expected no less than the iPhone. This year, the new flagship from Samsung received what many fans of this brand have been waiting for so long. Namely, a quality premium case. Now the body of the Samsung Galaxy S6 is made almost entirely of glass and metal.
Another unique feature of the new version of the flagship from Samsung is a modification with curved edges. This version of the smartphone has the Edge prefix in its name and is distinguished by the fact that the side edges of the screen are slightly curved towards the end of the device. How convenient such a solution in work can be said only by turning the device in your hands. But, in any case, this is at least a demonstration of the technological capabilities of Samsung.
As for the technical characteristics of the device. They are, as always, at the highest level. The gadget runs on an eight-core Samsung Exynos 8890 processor with a MALI T880 MP12 graphics accelerator, and a modification with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor will also be available in some countries. The amount of RAM is 4 gigabytes, the amount of internal memory is up to 128 gigabytes. The screen of the device is almost the same as in the Galaxy S6, its diagonal is 5.1 inches, and the resolution is 1440 × 2560 pixels. The front camera has also not changed, its resolution is 5 megapixels. The resolution of the rear camera has decreased, now it is 12 megapixels. Battery capacity 3000 mAh.
For lovers of curved screens, as always, there is a version of the Galaxy S7 Edge.
Apple iPhone 6s and Apple iPhone 6s Plus
Apple iPhone 6s and Apple iPhone 6s Plus are already last year's flagships, but until the release of the new version of the iPhone, they remain full-fledged flagships.
The main feature of the sixth generation iPhone, of course, was the screen size. Apple has finally gone to a significant increase in the screen diagonal. The Apple iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch screen (750×1334 resolution), while the Apple iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5-inch screen (1080×1920 resolution). Screen sizes and resolutions have not changed on the Apple iPhone 6s and Apple iPhone 6s Plus models.
Specifications of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus do not break records. But, this is quite typical for Apple products. It uses a dual-core Apple A9 processor with a clock speed of 1.8 GHz and 64-bit architecture. PowerVR GT7600 graphics accelerator. The amount of RAM is 2 GB, and the amount of internal memory up to 128 gigabytes. The main camera is 12 megapixels, the front camera is 5 megapixels. Battery capacity 1715 mAh.
HTC 10
In 2016, HTC released another modification of its metal flagship. This time the novelty is called HTC 10.
HTC 10 is a typical 2016 flagship smartphone. It uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor with an Adreno 530 graphics accelerator. The amount of RAM is 4 GB, the amount of internal memory is up to 128 GB. The screen has a diagonal of 5.2 inches and a resolution of 2560 × 1440 pixels. Rear camera resolution 12 megapixels, front camera resolution 5 megapixels. The battery capacity is 3000 mAh.
Huawei Nexus 6P was introduced last year, but in 2016 it can still be considered a flagship smartphone. This time, Google entrusted the production of its flagship smartphone to Huawei. Recall that earlier Nexus smartphones were produced by LG and Motorola, and even earlier by Samsung.
The Huawei Nexus 6P offers top-end specs that rival those of other flagship smartphones of 2016.
It uses an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor with an Adreno 430 graphics accelerator. The amount of RAM is 3 gigabytes, the amount of internal memory is up to 128 gigabytes. The screen of the device received a diagonal of 5.7 inches, and its resolution is 1440x2560 pixels. Front camera resolution 12 megapixels, rear resolution - 8 megapixels. There is also a good battery with a capacity of 3450 mAh.
Sony Xperia Z5
Sony Xperia Z5 - was introduced at the end of last year. But, Sony in 2016 has not yet introduced a new phlegman, so consider the Xperia Z5 model.
As always, the main advantage of the Xperia Z line is security. No other flagship smartphone has the same level of protection as the flagships from Sony. These smartphones can be submerged, thrown into sand or dust, and nothing will happen to them.
Sony Xperia Z5 received fairly typical characteristics. It uses an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor with an Adreno 430 graphics accelerator. The amount of RAM is 3 gigabytes. The screen diagonal is 5.2 inches, and the resolution is 1080 × 1920 pixels. The resolution of the main camera is 23 megapixels, and the resolution of the front camera is 5 megapixels. The battery capacity is 2900 mAh.
LG G5
The G5 is the new flagship smartphone from LG. The main feature of this device was the modular structure. The lower part of the smartphone can be removed and replaced with another one that will give the smartphone additional functions. For example, this way you can get a more advanced camera.
Otherwise, this smartphone does not stand out. It uses a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with an Adreno 530 graphics accelerator and 4 gigabytes of RAM. The screen diagonal is 5.3 inches, and the resolution is 2560 × 1440. The rear camera received a resolution of 16 megapixels, and the front 8 megapixels. Battery capacity 2800 mAh.
FLAGSHIP, flagship, husband. [Dutch. vlagman] (military sea). 1. Squadron commander, squadron commander. The flagship raises its flag on the ship on which it has a permanent residence. 2. Seventh (flagship of the 2nd rank) and eighth (flagship of the 1st rank) ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov
- (Dutch. vlagman, from German. Flagge flag, and Mann husband). The head of the squadron or fleet, raising his flag on the ship where he is. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. FLAGSHIP gall. vlagman, from him. ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
- (Admiral) a person of the highest commanding staff, commanding a formation (brigade, squadron) of warships. The ship on which F. has a stay raises the flag assigned to his rank on the installed mast and bears the name of the flagship ... ... Marine Dictionary
Flagship- (Omsk, Russia) Hotel category: 3 star hotel Address: Frunze Street 80/18, Omsk, Russia … Hotel catalog
Flagship- (Samara, Russia) Hotel category: 3 star hotel Address: Turgeneva lane 7, Samara, Russia … Hotel catalog
flagship- commander of a formation of warships (division, squadron). Abbreviated name of the flagship. Military rank of senior officers of the USSR Navy in 1935-1940 before the introduction of admiral ranks (flagship of the fleet of the 1st and 2nd ranks, ... ... Marine Biographical Dictionary
- (Dutch vlagman) ..1) fleet commander or commander of a formation of ships (squadrons, divisions)2)] Abbreviated name of the flagship3) Military rank of senior officers in the USSR Navy in 1935 40 (flagship of the 1st and 2nd ranks) before… … Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
FLAGSHIP, a, husband. 1. Commander of a large formation of warships, squadron. 2. A large warship, on which there is such a commander. 3. The largest or best vessel of the fleet of the given area, special flotilla, of the given type of vessels. F… Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov
Right-flank, striker, leader, Stakhanovite, lighthouse, commander Dictionary of Russian synonyms. flagship n., number of synonyms: 10 vodka (162) ... Synonym dictionary
flagship- FLAGSHIP, a, m. Iron. About what l. the institution where the person works or studies; often about the university. Do you want to eat? No, I ate in the flagship ... Dictionary of Russian Argo
- (flag carrier) An enterprise regarded as a symbol of national security and/or national prestige. Often, national governments are convinced that flagships, such as national airlines, should be supported regardless of ... ... Economic dictionary
Books
- Flagship in Exile, David Weber. Deprived of her ship and virtually exiled from Manticore, Captain Victoria Harrington is forced into politics on the remote planet of Grayson. An innate sense of duty makes her ...
- The flagship of the domestic industry, I. F. Galiguzov, M. E. Churilin. The Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works is one of the largest enterprises in the domestic industry. The construction of the plant began in January 1929, and already in February 1932, the first ...
Smartphones are divided into a huge number of different categories, each of which takes into account the needs of certain users. However, there are two categories that most smartphones include - these are advanced devices and state employees. In the recent past, premium devices were rare and expensive, with prices approaching $1000, and most users preferred inexpensive devices around $100-200. In recent years, the situation has changed somewhat. Thanks to the development of technology and the entry of new players into the market, the price of premium devices has decreased, which has led to an increase in their user audience.
And that brings us to the next question: “So why are flagships better than state employees?”. Below, we will list a number of obvious differences for you, but first let's go through for more subjective reasons.
Most of us think that premium devices are superior to their inexpensive birthright rivals in every way. In general, this is true. However, there are always a couple of exceptions. For example, the main advantage of budget phones is their low price, which its flagship rivals will never keep up with. Yes, there has been a dramatic shift in this direction over the past few years. Manufacturers began to look at other niches. In addition, do not forget about the Chinese "comrades", who entered the international market with a wide range of inexpensive flagships of very decent quality. Take Xiaomi flagships, which combine the familiar features of the iPhone, the capabilities of Android, and the gorgeous MIUI user interface.
But it seems we are talking, so let's move on to the main issue and list the objective differences between expensive and inexpensive smartphones.
1. Best construction and premium design
As the old proverb says: "Meet by clothes." Appearance is the first thing that a future buyer pays attention to even before delving into the jungle of technical characteristics. And here, in most cases, flagship devices are out of competition. And this is not surprising, because they can afford more expensive materials and more elaborate construction. These smartphones wrap themselves in leather cases or gleaming metal armor, while their cheaper counterparts continue to wear modest plastic cases. However, a number of low-cost smartphones have already broken this rule by replacing plastic with metal, but so far this is more the exception than the rule.
2. Screens. More and better.
One of the favorite disciplines for premium device competition is screen size and quality. In pursuit of leadership, they are constantly increasing their size and resolution, trying to overtake their class rivals and leaving behind budget models. HD resolution (720p) has finally been pushed into the budget segment. Quad-HD (2160p) is slowly but surely becoming the business class standard, and a number of flagships have already set their sights on 4K resolution. Nevertheless, not everything is so simple here either, because devices with Full-HD (1080p) resolution have appeared among the “state employees”.
3. Unique technologies
But not all devices obey this rule. The functionality of many top budget models has already come close to the flagship class. However, some flagships boast unique features. For example, the Galaxy Note 5 has a very remarkable S Pen stylus. The iPhone 6/6S has 3DTouch technology, and the BlackBerry Priv boasts a unique pressure-sensitive keyboard. Of course, these are not super abilities that will be useful to everyone and everyone, but nevertheless, these are unique features that only premium phones have.
4. Latest hardware
When it comes to flagships, everyone expects outstanding performance from them. That is why, all top smartphones carry the latest developments in the field of mobile technologies. This is necessary in order to meet the requirements and wishes of potential buyers. Yes, budget devices are quite capable of handling most similar tasks, but if you try to run several applications at the same time or constantly switch between them, be prepared for delays, errors and other unpleasant things. That is why only a small part of state employees really support multitasking.
5. Outstanding gaming performance
This point follows from the previous one. The superior hardware of flagship devices makes them the perfect gaming base - these smartphones will never experience performance issues. Actually, this is the main reason why we play first-class shooters on budget smartphones. Agree, few people want to watch 15 frames per second on the screen, which turn any gameplay into real torture. Most state employees are simply not designed for gaming novelties. On the other hand, most of the flagships are quietly running over 30fps, providing smooth animations and a lot of fun.
6. Full software support
But this item applies, first of all, to Android devices. The iOS and Windows platforms are more unified in this regard. Most of their apps will run on lower end devices as well. But if you look at two Android devices from different price ranges, you'll notice that not all of the apps available for the more expensive version run on a budget phone. And this is applicable even for devices of the same manufacturer. And while flagships become real workhorses for the most sophisticated user, low-cost budget smartphones support only a basic set of functionality, while minor features are sacrificed for an attractive price.
7. More advanced cameras
This is another important difference between flagships and state employees. Yes, of course, a large number of megapixels in a phone camera does not mean that it is automatically better than its "small" rivals, but flagships can also boast of more advanced lenses, sensors and software. And together, all this allows you to take better pictures (especially at night). Flash also plays an important role. If you notice, most devices take their best shots on a clear sunny day. But as soon as you go into a room where there is little light, the quality of the pictures becomes depressing. Most budget models lack good cameras. Therefore, they produce muddy low-quality images. On the other hand, flagship devices with bright flash produce sharp pictures with lots of detail.
8. Batteries. Bigger, faster and wireless.
Modern smartphones are distinguished not only by large screens, but also by capacious batteries. And if the manufacturer has also optimized working processors and applications, then this combination provides the battery with a long life, especially compared to budget models. This is confirmed by the test results, the results of which are shown in the picture above. As you can see, most of the leaders belong to the hi-end class. In addition, most premium smartphones support fast charging technology, and new products on the market can offer wireless charging.
9. Price
All the previously listed differences lead us to the last, although quite expected, difference between flagships and state employees, namely, the price. At the moment, the cost of most premium devices exceeds $500. On the other hand, the price of state employees usually does not exceed $200. However, this is fair enough. You pay big bucks for flagships because they're faster, prettier, more functional, and have bigger batteries that also charge faster.
conclusions
Keep all this in mind the next time you go to the store for a new phone and you will puzzle over which smartphone to buy for yourself - a flagship or something cheaper. There are pros and cons to each of the options. However, the main advantage of state employees comes down to saving money. However, if you use your smartphone only for communication and web surfing, then why not.
