My Top 5 Phones of 2023 – Mister Mobility

It is that time of the year when we publish recaps and year-in-review content. Which is why I decided to publish an article about my top 5 phones of 2023.

2023 has been an exciting year in smartphones, with different phone brands releasing a plethora of models to the Nigerian market. Because my work includes reviewing smartphones, you can imagine that I have handled quite a number of phones this year. And it is from the catalogue of reviewed devices that I create the list of my top 5 phones of 2023.

List of My Top 5 Phones of 2023

Nigeria is my immediate constituency. As such, I am staying focused on phones that were officially released in Nigeria and that I used and/or reviewed. Let’s get started, working our way from 5th position to the very 1st position.

itel S23+

In 5th place is the itel S23+, one of the surprises of the year. We are looking at an itel smartphone with 8GB RAM and a premium design. The curved edge display is beautiful and good. The S23+ has decent performance to match the sleek looks, too. All of this in a smartphone that originally cost about ₦150,000.

The 4G-enabled itel S23+ is easily one of my top 5 phones of 2023. Note that the price has been on the rise since the official launch. Read our itel S23+ review.

Xiaomi Redmi 13C

The Redmi 13C is a beautifully designed and thoughtfully implemented mid-range 4G smartphone. It is a good, and more expensive, upgrade to its predecessor. This is one of those phones that don’t have any one thing outstanding, but is the sum of multiple nice touches. Read my Redmi 13C review. There’s a YouTube video in there, too.

TECNO Camon 20 Premier 5G

On 3rd place is the Camon 20 Premier 5G, an upper mid-range smartphone with solid cameras, good performance, and very good battery life. I wish it was more compact and lightweight; it would have been just perfect. Still, even with its current slightly chunky dimensions, it is still a phone that I enjoy using. Here is my TECNO Camon 20 Premier 5G review.

Phantom V Flip 5G

The Phantom V Flip is basically the Camon 20 Premier with a clamshell flip body. This foldable device addresses my main grouse with the Camon 20 Premier – its chunky thickness. When closed, the Phantom V Flip is compact; when opened, it is thin and lightweight in the hand. It’s key letdown is the almost dysfunctional cover display that works well only for taking mirror selfies and fumbles with almost every other functionality. Have a look at my Phantom V Flip Review. You will enjoy the YouTube video, too.

Samsung Galaxy S23

The Galaxy S23 is a premium flagship that is compact, lightweight, powerful, and has great cameras. That is the kind of combination that I find irresistible in a smartphone. I absolutely enjoyed using the Galaxy S23 and it is easily my top phone of 2023.

I have two reviews of the Galaxy S23 – a generic review published on MobilityArena, and a Nigeria-specific review here on Mobility.com.ng.

My Unique Perspective

You will observe that there are no big, bulky phones on my list at all. For example, the Ultras and Folds are glaringly absent. That is because I am not a fan of big and bulky. I like my phones handy and lightweight, as much as possible. And unless a cataclysmic event happens, my preferences are likely to stay that way.

Anyway, those are my top 5 phones of 2023. How did your 2023 go? Which phones are your best from the huge catalogue of smartphones released this year?

Author: Mister Mobility

Master storyteller and founder of Mobility Nigeria, Mister Mobility, has used and reviewed hundreds of mobile phones since 2001.