Smart phones are getting smarter. And you really can afford to leave everything else at home and just bring an all singing all dancing handset. Even your wallet can be online these days!

So why not leave the SLR, action video camera, wallet and notepad all at home. Take a look through BackHackers’ list of the best smartphones for travel.

Best for: The Budget Option

Wileyfox Spark

If you need a great phone on a shoestring budget (or you simply don’t trust yourself hauling expensive tech around the world) then go for the WileyFox Spark. At around just €75 or US$85 it’s the best compromise of value over specification we have found on the market.

The Spark is only 5.6 inches in size but includes a 720p screen and both rear and front cameras are 8MP. The phone can support 4G data with dual Micro Sim capability. Which is perfect for having 2 Sims running simultaneously if you are hopping around different countries and need two sim plans.

Or if you require one sim for making calls and one for connecting to the internet for example. Shop around and get the best deals possible for calling or data only coupled with this less expensive handset and you’ll be saving yourself a ton of cash!

There’s a removable 2,200mAh battery, and the Spark comes equipped with a 1.3GHz quad-core chipset and 1GB of RAM. With the microSD card slot you can boost the internal 8GB of memory by up to 32GB.

The Spark can easily handle the essentials you would imagine a smartphone to offer at this price. A great bundle for your budget.

This handset is “built to survive”

Best for: Built for Travel

CAT S31

The CAT phone is arguably one of the toughest smart phones out the box. So if your travels include harsh conditions (heat or cold, dust, snow etc.) then this is the option for you. Cat’s own tagline is that this handset is “built to survive”, and it really is. The S31 is built from high-quality materials and feels like it comes with its own built-in bullet proof vest. You can drop it, splash it, cover it in dust and pick it up, wipe it off and carry on as normal.

As well as a scratch resistant screen you are able to submerge it under water at a depth of 1.2 meters for up to 35 minutes. With a staggering 30 hours of talk time and get this… 38 days standby of battery! You can travel to that remote island of paradise you have always dreamed of and stay, well, not that remote.

The S31 model includes a 4.7 inch screen (720 x 1280 pixels), quad-core processor and 2GB RAM running Android OS. Its front Camera is 2MP and its rear is 8MP that functions underwater. Internal storage starts at 16GB but can be upgraded to 128GB via micro SD card.

The Hercules of the smartphone market. Feel free to sling this in your bag and sling that bag around to! For travel proof ness – you really can’t beat the S31 over many others.

The rear camera is packing THREE huge 40MP + 20MP + 8MP cameras!

Best for: Camera quality

Huawei P20 Pro

The Huawei P20 is packed full of a photographers dream phone specifications. Features normally reserved for a bridge SLR or at least a decent digital camera.

Huawei are breaking barriers with what should be considered normal on a phone’s camera. In recent years they partnered with Leica, an industry leading Lens and Camera manufacturer and planted their Lenses right on the back of their phones. But not just one, not even two but three of their lenses to be precise.

This means the P20’s rear camera is packing a huge 40MP + 20MP + 8MP camera with CMOS sensor supporting a resolution of 7360 x 4912 Pixels. And you can really tell the difference when flicking back through photos taken on this handset, especially when scrutinising clarity on a much bigger screen. Other sensors consist of Light sensor, Proximity sensor, Compass, Gyroscope and Accelerometer.

The P20 includes a large 6.1 inch screen to beautifully display (or show off) all those high quality pics with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2240 pixels. It runs Android OS through a 2.36 GHz, Quad core processor with 6 GB of RAM. Internal storage is 128 GB. All that and it only weighs 180 grams.

For those type of specs and features you can expect a pretty hefty price tag; at €640 or $725 USD. But if photography is high on your priority list then clearly, its money well spent!

Check out our Top 10 Travel Apps Article

Read More…

Best for: Video Quality

Sony Xperia XZ Premium

The XZ has a ton of party pieces to make standout video on your travels. It offers recording footage in an insane 4K resolution at 30 frames per second. It’s even capable of frame rates as smooth as 960 FPS making for some very sexy footage indeed.

A 19MP rear camera and a 13MP front camera coupled with a CMOS censor means you’ll be producing HD quality images even in low light levels. The front camera is great for video chatting to everyone back home whilst showing off your surroundings in as much detail as possible.

The XZ includes MotionEye technology making it pleasantly easy to capture fast moving objects such as cars, birds or your friend back flipping off the top of a waterfall. All with such ease.

Watch footage back on a 5.5″ 4K HDR Display protected by Gorilla Glass 5. And playback won’t be in an issue with the inclusion of a 2.45 GHz Snapdragon processor, 4GB RAM, a 3,230 mAh battery. Internal storage comes at a minimum 64GB expandable up to 256GB.

So this is the one for you if you’re into recording all the action shots you can in as much detail as possible.

For its size and weight the A3 still packs one hell of a punch!

Best for: Lightweight

Samsung Galaxy A3

This one’s for the ultra-light weighters that need to pack as light as possible but can’t leave home without a smartphone. And coming in at just 110g and 5.1 inches in length, you wouldn’t notice this phone in your bag or not!

For its size and weight the A3 still packs one hell of a punch. With an 8 MP rear and 5MP front camera, a 1.2 GHz processor, with 1 GB RAM it won’t fail to meet all your smartphone needs. Out the box the A3 comes equipped with 16 GB with an additional 64GB upgrade via removable storage an option. Battery is a decently sized 1900 mAh. The A3 includes super AMOLED Display with Gorilla Glass 4.

A great all round phone that is lightweight.

Best for: Apps or software

We cant pinpoint a single handset which is best for software or apps. But bear in mind what you want from your phone and specifically whilst you travel.

This is just to beware that some apps are iOS or android exclusive. They are few and far between but if you’re going for an all singing dancing device in one then make sure you’ve got access to it all! Which has offer to iOS AppStore and playstore. With android devices you have the ability to add more app ‘stores’ through the installation of apk. Files.

Apple devices however are restricted to only using the AppStore. Not to say the hundreds of thousands of apps available shouldn’t keep you busy. So have a look around and make sure all the apps you need for photography, banking, editing, social, communication, maps etc that you need to take away with you are indeed available on your device.

So basically any apple device is going to give you access to the Apple Appstore and Android will give you access to the google playstore.

Remember to look out for Grade A or B listed ‘used’ handsets from our list to bag yourself a bargain!

BackHacker’s top choice

We’ve chosen the CAT S31 as the best travel proof “tough as you can make em” all round best handset. It’s not the cheapest (or the most expensive) but its definitely big bang for your buck.

Extra-long life battery when you’re not always near a charging point. Waterproof and the ability to shoot video underwater, all with no case or accessories needed. The list goes on as to why it’s at our number one spot.

Resellers

Remember to look out for Grade A or B listed ‘used’ handsets from our list to bag yourself a bargain. Re-sellers online or shops near you will always be doing great deals on used handsets especially when newer models are coming out, the older handsets will drastically drop in price!

Remember a case!

If you are buying new or taking any phone with you for that matter. Protect it! Remember to get a great case to make sure it’s as ready for your travels as you are. (See our best travel phone cases here for more details)

Do you think we missed any? Have you had any experience with any handsets from our top picks? Let us know!