12 best music smartphones

Features of the best music smartphones, which are suitable not only for audio playback, but also for toys, as well as multitasking.

The best smartphones

Inexpensive smartphones

Android smartphones

Children's smartphones

With a good speaker

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Which music smartphone is better to buy?

A truly comfortable listening experience depends on a number of factors, including your phone's hardware, the quality of the recording itself, and the headphones you use. Flawless smartphone audio comes from a combination of advanced hardware, such as a dedicated amplifier and digital-to-analog converter, and software that maximizes the potential of these components.

Important points are also:

the presence of a high-capacity battery that allows you to listen to music for a long time;
large amount of built-in memory for storing music;
support for various technologies, such as aptX, making it possible to transmit high-quality audio files via wireless communication.

The latter applies to users listening to music via Bluetooth headphones. If preference is given to conventional wired models, then it is necessary to take into account the presence of a 3.5 mm jack on the phone. As the quality of wireless sound improves, the number of smartphones with classic connectors is decreasing.

To gain popularity in the modern smartphone market, the device must meet a high level in all respects. Therefore, manufacturers began to pay enough attention to phone speakers. Innovative technologies are being introduced, and there are now many models offering decent music quality, new features and additional technical capabilities.

Recommendations: 13 Best Smartphone Manufacturers

14 Best Budget Smartphones

Ulefone Armor 7

Price: from 27,000 rub.

Ulefone Armor 7 is the company's top smartphone with a powerful Helio P90 chipset, a triple camera (48+16+8 megapixels), a Hi-Fi audio amplifier AW8736, as well as certification to IP68 and MIL-STD-810G standards. In addition to a fairly impressive processor, the phone received 8/128 GB of memory and a capacious 5500 mAh battery with support for not only fast but also wireless charging. Armor 7 has a place for a heart rate scanner, pedometer and NFC. Fingerprint and face scanning are responsible for data security. The device screen is 6.3 inches with FHD+ resolution. The 16 MP front camera is installed in a drop-shaped notch.

Advantages:

High level of protection.
Not bad cameras.
Excellent memory set.
Capacious battery.

Flaws:

Combined SIM and memory connector.
No 3.5 jack.
Old microUSB connector.

The best inexpensive music smartphones under 20,000 rubles

Here are inexpensive smartphones that have decent technical performance for their level.

Samsung Galaxy A50

4.9

★★★★★

editorial assessment

92%

buyers recommend this product

See review▶

Although the Samsung brand is usually associated with cutting-edge high-end smartphones, this model stands out among devices in the budget price category. The manufacturer tried to preserve the flagship functionality and technical indicators as much as possible, fitting them into an affordable smartphone.

Galaxy A50 has a 6.4-inch AMOLED display, which is considered perhaps the best in its class. The device is equipped with a proprietary eight-core Exynos 9610 processor, as well as 4 GB of RAM and a 4000 mAh battery, which is definitely enough for a whole day of active use. In addition to 64 GB of internal memory, the owner can use a microSD card slot.

The smartphone has a built-in speaker, the volume of which is not always enough on the street or in a noisy room. And yet, the main “musical” advantages of the model are support for Dolby Atmos technology, which creates more spacious and realistic sound, plus the presence of a headphone jack.

Pros:

Beautiful AMOLED display.
Great design.
Good performance.
Versatility.
High quality sound.

Minuses:

Poor photo quality in low light.

An excellent model from a well-known manufacturer, featuring a stylish design and good functionality at a reasonable price. A headphone jack and high-quality sound make this smartphone an excellent budget option for music lovers.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro

4.9

★★★★★

editorial assessment

90%

buyers recommend this product

See review▶

Compared to the previous version of Note 7 Pro, this smartphone has received a number of significant improvements, the main one of which concerns the cameras. The number of lenses in the main system has been increased from two to four, with one of the modules having a resolution of 64 megapixels. The performance of the device is also quite impressive for the budget price category: there are options on sale with 8 GB of RAM and a processor capable of delivering good gaming performance.

The smartphone has a standard headphone jack. The battery life reaches 14 hours in high-quality video viewing mode, and there is also a fast charging function. It allows you to charge the device up to 60% in about an hour.

Pros:

Large display with HDR support.
Powerful camera system.
Excellent value for money and quality.
Modern design.
Fast charging.

Minuses:

The lenses are not designed for low light shooting.

A great entry-level smartphone that has received a significant upgrade over the earlier version. The phone has excellent functionality and is pleased with the quality of production.

Moto G7

4.8

★★★★★

editorial assessment

88%

buyers recommend this product

See review▶

A balanced entry-level model can offer a lot to almost any user. The main advantages of the phone are a clear and contrasting frameless display with a resolution of 2270x1080 pixels, as well as a good main camera with two lenses. The device is powered by an eight-core Snapdragon 632 processor and 4 GB of RAM. For data storage, the user is allocated 64 GB with the possibility of expansion using a memory card slot.

The phone's speakers are located in a fairly standard manner, so the main feature of the device as a music smartphone is its support for Dolby Audio technology, which improves sound quality. In addition, the model retains the standard 3.5 mm jack, which will please fans of wired headsets. When listening without headphones, the phone produces only monophonic sound. The battery capacity is enough to last all day, and the fast charging function allows you not to waste extra time waiting.

Pros:

Good performance.
High quality display.
Headphone jack.
Stylish design.
Fast charging.

Minuses:

Low quality photos in poor lighting.

A reliable and affordable smartphone with good technical characteristics, one of the best in its price segment for music lovers.

Nokia 7.1

4.7

★★★★★

editorial assessment

85%

buyers recommend this product

See review▶

Another inexpensive phone, the purchase of which will not confront the user with any unpleasant compromises. The smartphone is equipped with a fairly fast Snapdragon 636 processor and 4 GB of RAM. Similar to many other models, it is possible to expand free space using a microSD card. The 5.84-inch edge-to-edge display with a notch has a resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels and supports HDR technology for richer, more vibrant colors.

The phone runs a virtually untouched version of Android 8.1 with a minimal number of pre-installed apps and virtually no changes to the software. The smartphone has a standard 3.5mm audio jack and only one built-in speaker, but it is quite loud and does a good job of playing music or movie sounds. But the battery life leaves much to be desired.

Pros:

Great screen with HDR support.
Good performance.
Amazing sound.
Beautiful design.
Original software version.

Minuses:

Average run time.

A reliable model at a reasonable price offers good performance, a wonderful screen, high sound quality and a jack for a wired headset.

The push-button operators were more cheerful

In the era of push-button telephones, even more attention was paid to sound. They replaced players and were the main source of sound (without headphones). Remember how we transferred music via Bluetooth and Infrared? So the manufacturers catered to customers.

One such phone is the Motorola E398. It came out at the same time as the legendary RAZR V3 flip phone. The second one was promoted much more aggressively and looked more original, however, this did not prevent the E398 from also becoming a hit and going down in history. His secret to success is sound.

Among geeks, the device was called a “pocket speaker.” Its feature at that time was stereo speakers and built-in MFT mini-speakers with support for more surround sound.

Then the Motorola E398 replaced the speaker.

At the same time, competitors relied on the quality of the speakers, but implemented their ideas poorly. In 2000, phones started supporting mp3, but the sound was flat. Sony Ericsson and Nokia's speakers did not meet expectations, and Samsung, in principle, did not focus on sound.

Motorola has changed the game. Remember the hits of the 2000s by 50 Cent - PIMP and Band'Eros - Columbia Pictures does not represent? So, with the E398 they would sound the best quality of all.

The best music smartphones under 35,000 rubles

Excellent smartphones, the level of which in many respects corresponds to the top class. Almost ideal options for any user who does not want to spend too much on flagships.

LG V40 ThinQ

4.9

★★★★★

editorial assessment

93%

buyers recommend this product

See review▶

A universal mid-class smartphone with a number of attractive advantages for music lovers. In addition to the 3.5 mm jack, the phone has a special digital-to-analog converter, which hardware supports FLAC audio file formats, and also provides incredibly high quality and clarity of sound in headphones. In addition, there are several sound modes, including for movies or music. The phone speaker becomes louder if the user places the device on a hard surface. A solid 128 GB of internal memory is allocated for data storage, expandable by 2 TB.

The multimedia capabilities of the phone are enhanced by its decent performance, which is powered by the Snapdragon 845 processor and 6 GB of RAM. Graphics performance is at the highest level and matches other mid-range and even high-end Android models. The smartphone has a 3300 mAh battery, which is quite small considering the 6.4-inch high-resolution display.

Pros:

Beautiful OLED display.
Great sound quality.
Good performance.
Great cameras.
Headphone jack.
Compactness.

Minuses:

Insufficient operating time.
The Android version is not the latest.

An excellent model with fantastic sound quality, decent performance and overall functionality. The impression is a little blurred by an insufficiently capacious battery and an outdated version of the OS, but the smartphone still remains one of the best for music.

Google Pixel 3a XL

4.9

★★★★★

editorial assessment

90%

buyers recommend this product

See review▶

This smartphone is not much inferior to the more expensive Pixel 3 model and offers similar functionality for less money. The phone gives the user almost everything one would expect even from a more expensive device: fast charging, great cameras with night mode, and a colorful 6-inch OLED display.

The power of the model is still inferior to flagships, although it is enough for comfortable work in fairly demanding applications or games. The internal memory capacity is 64 GB; unfortunately, there is no possibility of expansion using memory cards.

Unlike the more expensive Pixel 3 or Pixel 4, this smartphone retains a standard headphone jack. Two built-in speakers provide fairly powerful stereo sound. The battery capacity is enough for two days of full use, including browsing the Internet and listening to music. The model is running Android version 9.0.

Pros:

Great OLED display.
Excellent cameras.
Headphone jack.
Versatility.
Value for money.

Minuses:

Dim screen unless you adjust the brightness yourself.

An excellent phone that retains all the main advantages of the older model and combines a large screen, excellent cameras and convenient software for a very reasonable price.

Huawei P30

4.9

★★★★★

editorial assessment

90%

buyers recommend this product

See review▶

A decent mid-range model, despite some technical compromises, suitable for almost any user. One of the main selling points of the smartphone is its main three-lens camera system, which allows you to take great pictures even in low light conditions. In addition, the device has an excellent screen, good performance including an octa-core Kirin 980 processor, and long battery life.

Some inconvenience may be caused to the user by software from Huawei, which in some places duplicates applications and services of the original version of Android. But the model is distinguished by high sound quality, its speakers support Dolby Atmos technology, and the user can select several parameters to change the quality of the music. For fans of wired headphones, there is a 3.5 mm jack.

Pros:

Cool camera and always great pictures.
Powerful processor.
Bright design.
Great screen.
Long working time.

Minuses:

Not everyone likes the proprietary interface.

An excellent smartphone with a premium design and one of the best cameras among analogues. In many, although by no means all, characteristics, the P30 comes close to flagships.

HTC U12 Plus

4.8

★★★★★

editorial assessment

87%

buyers recommend this product

See review▶

Solid performance and excellent sound quality set this model apart from many others. The phone's performance is ensured by an eight-core Snapdragon 845 processor, 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory with a card slot. The smartphone has no problems in games and works smoothly when navigating or in demanding programs. The 6-inch display with a resolution of 2880x1440 pixels supports HDR technology and has a sufficient level of brightness.

The smartphone's excellent audio system consists of two speakers that provide excellent sound that is clear and free of distortion, even at high volumes. There is no standard audio jack on the device, but the phone comes with USB headphones with active noise reduction. The battery life of the smartphone in talk mode reaches almost 24 hours, but with more intense load the battery discharges much faster.

Pros:

Great cameras.
Good performance.
Powerful sound.
Big screen.
Attractive design.
Good headphones included.

Minuses:

There is no separate headphone jack.
Average battery life.

The high-end smartphone meets all modern standards, but a number of existing shortcomings prevent it from being called a truly leading model. As a music smartphone, it stands out for its exceptional sound quality, but the lack of a 3.5mm audio jack is somewhat disappointing. However, the manufacturer tried to compensate for this inconvenience.

ZTE Axon 9 Pro

Price: 19,990 rubles

ZTE has always focused on the music capabilities of its phones, so it's no surprise that the Axon 9 Pro boasts a pair of stereo speakers that deliver Dolby Atmos surround sound. And even more - their capabilities are complemented by intelligent power amplifiers. A smartphone with good sound from the speakers and microphone, even at maximum volume, sounds bright and clear.

Memory is 6/64 GB, and the well-proven Snapdragon 845 processor is responsible for performance. The main camera is dual, and the image is displayed on a stunning 6.21-inch AMOLED display. And for good autonomy, the phone was equipped with a 4000 mAh battery.

The best TOP-class music smartphones

Advanced models that are ready to become an ideal option for almost any user. Each one delivers top-of-the-line performance, a stunning display, and the latest technology.

Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus

★★★★★

editorial assessment

100%

buyers recommend this product

See review▶

An amazing smartphone with enormous capabilities and capable of coping with any tasks that the user puts before it. The powerful eight-core Exynos 9820 processor and 12 GB of RAM allow you to run any application and play at maximum settings without any lag. For data storage, the user is provided with up to 1 TB of free space with the possibility of expansion.

The phone has a large 6.4-inch AMOLED display, but the battery life exceeds 21 hours when watching videos, which is an impressive result. Unlike many other flagships, the Galaxy S10+ retains a standard headphone jack. The device has a dedicated DAC, supports almost all Bluetooth codecs and Dolby Atmos technology, and the smartphone speakers have decent sound quality.

Pros:

Wonderful display.
Great performance.
Cameras of the highest level.
Long operating life without recharging.
Stylish design.
There is a headphone jack.

Minuses:

Price.

One of the most advanced flagship smartphones in the world, it offers the highest technical specifications, excellent sound quality and functionality.

Asus ZenFone 6

4.9

★★★★★

editorial assessment

90%

buyers recommend this product

See review▶

If a user is looking for a powerful smartphone with a regular wired headphone jack, then this model from Asus is perfect. The device offers excellent performance comparable to other premium phones. The modern Snapdragon 855 processor and 6 to 8 GB of RAM will allow the owner to forget about performance problems in demanding games or when multitasking.

One of the main features of the model is a unique rotating camera that can rotate around the top of the phone. The model's long-lasting battery has a capacity of 5000 mAh. This means that the smartphone can work for a long time even under heavy load.

Pros:

High performance.
Frameless IPS display.
Good battery life without recharging.
There is a headphone jack.
PTZ camera.

Minuses:

There is no moisture protection of the case.

One of the rare flagship models with a gradually disappearing standard 3.5 mm audio jack. The performance, operating time and other indicators of the smartphone are approximately consistent with the best models from other manufacturers.

Apple iPhone XR

4.8

★★★★★

editorial assessment

86%

buyers recommend this product

See review▶

An excellent smartphone from the most popular manufacturer has become even more affordable after the iPhone 11 went on sale. The XR model comes in several configurations and colors, so every user can choose a smartphone to suit their taste and budget. The maximum version is equipped with 256 GB of internal memory and a powerful A12 processor. This is more than enough for multitasking and almost instantaneous launch of any applications or games.

Even though the smartphone does not have a 3.5mm jack, it can still be considered an excellent option for Apple fans among music lovers. Thanks to a combination of software and hardware, the device produces clear and balanced sound of truly high quality, both through headphones and two loud stereo speakers. In addition, the model supports various audio formats, including lossless. The battery capacity is enough for a whole day of active work.

Pros:

Excellent performance.
Good camera.
Good battery life without recharging.
Stereo sound.
Many phone colors to choose from.

Minuses:

No headphone jack.
Low resolution screen.

If a user is looking for an affordable iPhone, then the XR model is a good option. It features proprietary software, sufficient power and good battery life.