On this page, we talk about borderless smartphones, giving you a list of the best borderless phones among the latest models available on the market, helping you choose between them, showing you each of the strengths and weaknesses of each of them. Are you looking for a new smartphone but want to buy one with a modern and compact design? With this article, you will finally clear your ideas on which borderless smartphone is best for you. Let’s proceed.
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Borderless smartphone- which one to buy
Three years ago, Xiaomi gave a shock to the smartphone market, presenting the first borderless smartphone in history- the Xiaomi Mi Mix, which kicked off 18- 9 smartphones, and that full-screen design marked a farewell to edges and frames. Thus overturning the traditional style that had marked the first 10 years of smartphone life- from the two large frames surrounding the display and physical buttons, we moved on to a front panel composed only of pixels.
The farewell to edges and frames made it possible to take advantage of larger panels (up to 30%) but forced the engineers to rethink the entire structure of the display by overturning the proximity sensor, the speaker, the microphone and the front camera. Whether the fingerprint reader has been moved to the back or has disappeared altogether – waiting for the one under the display to become really easy to use – still research and technological development has not found solutions to that group of sensors that must be off the screen, creating the loved/hated notch, the notch at the top above the screen.
Like it or not, borderless smartphones have now become the new standard on all price categories and it is practically impossible to find the old design on the new terminals coming out. Sure, the more you spend, the more edges and bezels get thinner, but if you compared a low-end smartphone today with one from 2-3 years ago, you’d notice a sizable difference. However, this is the best choice if you are looking for a beautiful design in a compact body and all the power you need to enjoy your apps to the fullest.
So how do you choose a borderless smartphone? In our buying guide, we started the selection starting from a key factor- ergonomics, essential when it comes to phones without borders and bezels. The possibility of having larger screens must not ignore a good comfort of use and portability in comfort- the goal of a borderless phone is to have a smaller footprint, so we have chosen compact and portable devices.
Then we reviewed only the best displays around so that they were bright enough and with a minimum resolution in Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) to allow you a good view of all your multimedia content (movies, TV series, and video games). Given the importance of the screen for borderless smartphones, we have chosen to raise the bar right away so as not to disappoint anyone- but if you want something more to have more natural colors, greater brightness, and better quality overall image you can find in the guide OLED screens with a resolution that reaches even 3K (3120 x 1440 pixels).
Later, we focused on the technical data sheet and the processor power, making sure to insert only powerful devices capable of ensuring excellent performance in every type of use (chat, work app, video games, or streaming TV). The higher your budget, the better the performance, but keep in mind that we have selected the best devices to buy in that price range so that you can go for sure. Of course, if you don’t squeeze your device to the max or you don’t need all the power in the world, 3 GB of RAM and a processor with a clock frequency of around 2 GHz are enough and advance, regardless of the customization on board the operating system.
Finally, we also took into account the autonomy and cameras, two features that are impossible to avoid when it comes to selecting a new smartphone. In the first case, we made sure that the phone had good energy management so that the screen did not consume too much energy by squeezing the battery in less than a day; in the second case, we relied on sensors with good photographic yield and were able to take excellent images in all lighting conditions. In both cases, we advise you to scroll through our guide and read the information on smartphones to decide better which is best for you- you will find, in fact, both devices with batteries that last up to a maximum of two days and devices capable of to replace a compact camera safely. It depends on your tastes and needs.
In detail, let’s see the best borderless smartphones in our buying guide divided into three main purchase ranges and presented in ascending price order.
Low-end borderless smartphone- less than € 200
Huawei P Smart Z
The new Huawei P Smart Z offers a large 6.59-inch FullView Full HD + (2340 x 1080 pixels) screen, making it a great mid-range phablet. This is the first Huawei model to host a 16-megapixel pop-up front camera pop-up from the top of the device- this allows the phone to have truly zero edges and frames and not host any type of notch on display. Behind, there is room for a 16 + 2-megapixel dual rear camera with the second sensor dedicated to the calculation of depth to have an excellent Portrait mode.
From the point of view of performance, the phone can count on the Kirin 710 processor – octa-core at 2.2 GHz – on 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory, expandable via micro SD. Added to this is the support of artificial intelligence that optimizes battery life and helps the processor to take better photos, for example, by eliminating background noise or it will help you go shopping- just take a photo to connect to e-commerce. The ideal solution (as well as the cheapest) for those looking for a borderless smartphone, truly without borders and frames.
Mid-range borderless smartphone- € 200-400
Samsung Galaxy A70
One of the best borderless smartphones ever is the new Samsung Galaxy A70- on the other hand, its main strength is its design. The 6.7-inch Full HD + screen (2400 x 1080 pixels) has an excellent panel/frame ratio equal to 90%, making it really full screen, including the drop notch, which, overall, does not spoil its elegant aesthetics. Indeed, the edges and bezels are really kept to a minimum – much more than in other smartphones in the same price range.
For the rest, performance is also good, thanks to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor – octa-core at 1.8 GHz – flanked by an Adreno 612 GPU, 6 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of expandable storage via micro SD, as well as a triple rear camera with a 32MP main sensor, an 8MP secondary camera with a 120 degree wide-angle and a 5MP lens dedicated to Portrait mode. Ideal for those who need a good display and want a truly full-screen device.
High-end borderless smartphone- more than 400 €
Xiaomi Mi Mix 3
Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 TechVazThe only borderless smartphone that risks something in terms of design is the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3– no notch at the top of the screen and practically zeroed frames for the Chinese flagship that manages to mount a 6.39-inch IPS display with Full HD + resolution ( 1080 x 2340 pixels) and a 19.5- 9 aspect ratio that fills the entire front panel. What about the front camera? Xiaomi managed to hide it behind the device, inserting a manual slider to be activated when needed- just slide the screen up or down to access the 24-megapixel camera and automatically activate the dedicated app.
The other great distinctive element of the phone is the dual rear camera, with two 12 megapixel sensors, one wide-angle, and one capable of optical zoom with bokeh effect- an excellent compartment able to really play with anyone in the segment of the largest. The processor is also excellent, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 – octa-core, at 2.8 GHz – combined with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, not expandable since it lacks the micro SD input. Why buy it? Because it has a data sheet equal to the main top-of-the-range smartphones, ensuring the same performance but at a much lower cost.
Samsung Galaxy S10e
If you don’t like the notch, you will be mesmerized by Samsung’s Infinity-O Display. The latest top of the Korean range, the Samsung Galaxy S10, is the best you can ask for in terms of screen, certainly among the most beautiful when it comes to borderless smartphones- 5.8-inch AMOLED Full HD + (2280 x 1080 pixels ), flat and set between very thin edges and frames. The big news is the “hole” at the top right of the display designed to house the 10 MP front camera- elegant and refined, less invasive than you might think.
Behind, the lid houses a dual 12 + 16-megapixel rear camera with a Super Speed Dual Pixel sensor that has dedicated processing power and memory, a variable focal aperture between f / 1.5 and f / 2.4 and a second ultra-wide-angle sensor from 123 degrees able to replicate the same opening of the human eye, always guaranteeing perfect shots. From the point of view of performance, the Exynos 9820 processor stands out – octa-core at 2.7 GHz – with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory (expandable with microSD up to 512 GB). The battery counts on a 3100 mAh module, with fast and wireless charging. Why choose it? To have the best of Samsung quality in a smartphone with a low price but where you can find all the main trends of the year (18- 9 display, borderless and large camera) together with the excellent Korean technical sector.
OnePlus 7 Pro
One of the best smartphones of the year stands out above all for its elegant and refined look, as well as a display that really leaves you speechless, making it rightfully enter among the borderless smartphones. OnePlus 7 Pro represents a point of arrival for the high-end smartphone market thanks to an excellent design, embellished with a full-screen display without notches, edges, and frames by virtue of the use of a pop-up front camera (16 megapixels) which, according to the Chinese, is able to last for five years with an average of 150 openings per day. One of the strong points is the 6.67-inch AMOLED display, with 3K resolution (3120 x 1440 pixels).
Under the body, there is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC – 2.8 GHz octa-core – flanked by 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB storage, not expandable via a micro SD card; while behind the triple camera from 48 + 16 + 8 megapixel with wide-angle sensor and 3X optical zoom stands out. Moving on to the connectivity side, we find all the latest technologies in circulation, such as Bluetooth 5.0, LTE Cat.16, NFC, and USB Type-C port. The 4000 mAh battery guarantees good autonomy during the day, while on the software side, we find Android Pie 9 inside OnePlus’ OxygenOS.
iPhone XR
Another of the best borderless smartphones recently released is undoubtedly iPhone XR, the new smartphone from Apple designed to try to offer the usual Apple quality at a more affordable price for the general public. The new iPhone XR comes with a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina 19- 9 display and the usual design without borders and bezels, including a notch at the top of the screen that holds all the sensors necessary for the 2nd generation Face ID.
Also, from the point of view of the technical datasheet, we are faced with what the market currently has to offer. Here stands out the presence of an A12 Bionic processor, a 7 nm SoC with NPU (Neural Processing Unit) on board, a computing unit dedicated exclusively to artificial intelligence. We then find 3 GB of RAM and at least 64 GB of internal storage to accompany it. Huawei Mate 20 is also waterproof, thanks to the IP67 certification. At the same time, it has an excellent photographic compartment, thanks to the 12 MP rear camera enhanced by all Apple features (Smart HDR, Portrait mode, and so on). The front sensor instead counts 7 MP. To power everything, we find a large 3000 mAh battery with wireless charging.
iPhone XS
Apple’s new phone is a true icon for borderless smartphones. Thanks to the 5.8-inch OLED display with 2436 x 1125 pixel resolution (458 PPI) that covers the entire front panel, the Apple said goodbye to edges and frames, leaving only a notch at the top of the screen, that notch that represents more a symbol for Cupertino than a limit to be overcome.
The design has also been revolutionized at the rear. Here, installed on the glass surface, we find a double photographic sensor positioned vertically, with two 12 MP sensors, respectively equipped with ƒ / 1.8 and ƒ2.4 aperture, with optical stabilization on both cameras and quad LEDs. On the front, however, we have a 7 MP sensor. Under the body, we find a beating heart branded Apple A12 Bionic, the company’s new ESA-core chip that promises to make sparks literally. Accompanying it are 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. On the connectivity side, we find all the latest industry standards- above all, a Bluetooth 5.0 module and NFC stand out. Good battery, which promises to be superior to iPhone X.
