What is a flagship phone? Best flagship phones in 2024

A flagship phone is a top-of-the-line model from a smartphone manufacturer. Typically, a flagship phone offers a premium build, a top-class display, a versatile camera system, massive storage, the most powerful chipset with the highest amount of RAM, a large battery with a lightning-fast charging solution, and a longer software support. In addition, a flagship phone also offers innovative features, such as wireless charging, AI-driven features, and 3D facial recognition.

Since a flagship phone is packed with plenty of cutting-edge technologies, it does not come cheap. In India, flagship phones are usually priced between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1,60,000. This price range includes regular candy bar-style flagship phones as well as foldable phones.

Best flagship phones of 2024

Here is a look at the list of the best flagship phones in 2024:

1. Samsung Galaxy S24 series

2. Xiaomi 14 Ultra

3. OnePlus 12

4. Vivo X100 Pro

5. iPhone 15 Pro Max

1. Samsung Galaxy S24 series

Announced in January this year, the Samsung Galaxy S24 lineup includes three models, such as the Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra. While Ultra variants feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, a custom-made chip for Samsung, the standard and Plus variants are equipped with the company’s in-house chip, dubbed the Exynos 2400.

ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: What’s different?

Priced at Rs 1,29,999, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the only flagship phone to come with support for a stylus. A cool thing about the entire S24 lineup is that it comes with support for Galaxy AI, which offers a suite of artificial intelligence features such as real-time translation on phone calls, image remastering features, highlight or tap any image on display to search on Google, and more.

2. Xiaomi 14 Ultra

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra offers an advanced Leica-optimised camera system comprising a 50-megapixel LYT900 main camera (Sony’s second-generation one inch camera sensor) that can intake more light to capture high quality photos even in dim-light conditions. Under the hood, it has the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and a 5,000mAh battery with 90W wired and 80W wireless charging.

It has an IP68-rated body, offers a 6.73-inch AMOLED QHD+ display with up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness, and packs a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. The premium flagship phone is available for Rs 99,999 in India.

3. OnePlus 12

The OnePlus 12 is another flagship phone on the list to feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. The company’s partnership with Hasselblad allows users to take advantage of an enhanced photography experience through its 50-megapixel (main) + 48-megapixel (ultra-wide) + 64-megapixel (periscope telephoto with 3x zoom) triple camera system. It packs a 5,400mAh battery with 100W wired and 50W wireless charging support. It is listed with a starting price of Rs 64,999 on Croma.

4. Vivo X100 Pro

The Vivo X100 Pro is the only phone on the list to feature the Dimensity 9300 chipset. Priced at Rs 89,999, it is an impressive phone that features Sony’s first-generation one-inch camera sensor—the 50-megapixel Sony IMX989 lens—as the primary camera.

ALSO READ: Seamlessly work across devices using your flagship smartphone

A 50-megapixel ultra-wide snapper and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera with 4.3x optical zoom support accompany it. For a superior photography experience, the X100 Pro is equipped with the company’s in-house Vivo V3 image processing chip. Like the OnePlus 12, the X100 Pro also features a 5,400mAh battery with support for 100W wired and 50W wireless charging.

5. iPhone 15 Pro Max

Apple unveiled the iPhone 15 Pro Max along with the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, and 15 Pro in September 2023. Despite its announcement last year, the series remains relevant and a formidable competitor for all Android flagship phones in 2024. Powered by the latest Apple A17 Pro processor, an impressive camera setup featuring a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto camera, and a 120Hz OLED panel. It carries a starting price of Rs 1,49,900.

Drawbacks of flagship phones

There are not many major drawbacks to flagship phones, except for the fact that they carry a hefty price tag, mainly because of the latest technology and cutting-edge features they come with.

It is also possible that a flagship phone purchased this year may become outdated next year, as next-generation flagship phones often come with newer technologies. Also, it is worth noting that, as flagship features trickle down to more affordable sub-flagship or mid-range phones, consumers can often access similar functionalities at a fraction of the cost. Thus, owning a flagship phone may seem less justifiable for some users.