Apple iPhone X (Rs
89,000 onwards)
Apple’s
iPhone X is arguably the company’s biggest and most innovative product launch
in years and the smart phone has more than one things going for it. The smart phone
is the company’s first take on a bezel-less design and features a brand-new
5.8-inch Super Retina display. Moreover, despite being almost void of bezels,
the Cupertino giant has managed to squeeze in not one, but two speaker units
inside. As with all Apple devices, the smart phone ships with a powerful
hardware, comprising the A11 Bionic processor which features a separate neural
unit for AR applications and 3GB RAM. This time around, the handset also comes
with wireless charging, owing to its glass back as well. Above all, the device
comes with IP68 certification making it impervious to dust and water.
Apple iPhone 8 / 8 Plus (Rs 64,000 onwards)
After months of leaks and rumours surrounding
Apple’s next-gen iPhones, the brand finally made them official in September,
alongside the drool-worthy iPhone X. Even though Apple has opted to name the
new iPhones as the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, they’ve been called as the 7S and 7S Plus by many. That’s because they
are not major upgrades over their predecessors. The few changes include a glass
back design that helps in wireless charging, a new super-fast A11 Bionic
chipset and support for fast charging which requires you to buy an expensive
adapter and cable from Apple. The placement of the speakers in the iPhone
8 duo is pretty similar to its predecessors, with one being at the bottom
right, and the other near the earpiece. Apple claims that the new setup should
result in 25 percent louder sound output than the iPhone 7, while also offering
a higher dynamic range.
Samsung Galaxy S9
AKG tuned speakers
Has a headphone jack
Does not have an advanced DAC
As every company is starting to take
the headphone jack out of their phones, Samsung held firm and kept the handy
3.5mm jack in the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus. This is a huge benefit if you have a
pair of earphones or headphones you love.
Jack-less phones may often come with
an adapter, but the chances of losing it are high. Plus they're flat-out
annoying.
Samsung also worked with AKG to
improve the quality of its speakers. There's a driver on the bottom, and the
earpiece speaker now outputs audio too, avoiding the lopsided effect of a
single driver array.
It goes loud, so loud you'll only
need max volume for a few scenarios.
The Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus don't have
a turbo-charged quad DAC, though, so this is a top choice for those after
general music performance rather than a match for demanding audiophile
headphones.
LG V30
The LG V30 is one of the best
Android options for those who already own great headphones or earphones. First,
it has a headphone jack.
Its 32-bit DAC is more
interesting, though. This is what turns digital audio files into the signal
your earphones actually "play". To get specific, it's a 32bit ESS
Sabre ES9218P DAC.
This reduces harmonic distortion
in the signal, and can increase dynamic range. The LG V30 is also better at
handling more power-hungry headphones than most, although these days there's a
good chance your pair doesn't need a particularly powerful amp.
The phone's actual speakers
aren't best-in-class, but if you're super-picky about sound quality you won't
be impressed by any phone speaker anyway.
You also get a
better-than-average pair of B&O earphones in the box.
Razer
Phone
If you've heard of Razer, it is probably thanks to its gaming hardware
and accessories. But it now makes a phone too, the Razer Phone.
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Speaker quality is one of its top features. There are
larger-than-average drivers above and below the screen, delivering loud stereo
sound. For pure volume, the Razer Phone is yet to be beaten. It's super-loud.
Dolby Atmos processing helps the Razer Phone sound big as well as loud
too.
It does get a little sharp at top volume, though, so you'll want to
knock the volume slider down a bit if you're holding it rather than using it to
play Spotify while you cook or have a shower.
Like so many recent phones, the Razer Phone does not have a headphone
output, which is a shame. However, its supplied adapter does have a 24-bit DAC
built-in.
ZTE Axon 7 Mini
Decent music
playback isn’t limited to high-end flagship phones, as the wallet-friendly ZTE
Axon 7 Mini offers impressive audio on a budget. The compact phone packs
pseudo-3D stereo sound made possible by dual speakers at both ends of the
phone.
Enhanced by
integrated Dolby Atmos technology, the phone is capable of pumping out music
that features more powerful bass and far less distortion than on most rival
devices of a similar size and price point.
An AKM 4962 chip combines the two
separate audio processors to create beautiful well-rounded and surprisingly
beefy sounds. With this your Bluetooth speaker will be resigned to life in the
clutter cupboard.
Sony
Xperia XZ2
Sony was one of the original pioneers
of stereo speakers in phones. It has since fallen behind a little in terms of
pure sound quality, but the Xperia XZ2 is still a good all-rounder for
music.
The front speakers provide a good
soundstage, and speaker quality has improved since the XZ1.
There is, however, no headphone jack
so you'll have to use an adapter if you don't have wireless headphones.
The Xperia XZ2 has a couple of
"special moves" too. A dynamic vibration feature fires off the
vibrate motor in time with the music. It
also supports LDAC, a high-resolution wireless standard seen in Sony's
Bluetooth headphones.
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