In the age of social media apps and a fast-paced on-the-go lifestyle, people heavily rely on deceptively simple devices called smartphones. And it’s not just about convenience. Those who want to blow up on social media like TikTok need high-quality content only a high-quality device can offer. We’ve searched and tested smartphones to pick the best phones for TikTok.
After completing a few hours of thorough research, we are fairly sure that iPhone 11Pro excels in multiple aspects and can safely be titled as the best TikTok phone. It’s followed closely by the Android-based Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite and Samsung Galaxy A51. These smartphones don’t fall too far behind in terms of quality and features but offer a pleasant difference in price
iPhone 11Pro
- high level of damage protection;
- powerful A13 Bionic chip;
- 4x zoom;
- fast charging;
- 5.8” OLED screen;
- camera includes three 12 MP lenses;
- water-proof;
- 64-512 Gb in-built memory, no memory card slot.
We think it’s fair to say that out of all smartphones on the market (and not just on our list), there is none that can offer a camera as great as on this device. You’ll be hard-pressed to try and tell videos or photos made by professional cameras from those made by this one. The auto stabilization system of the main camera and optical stabilization of the frontal one make you forget about blurred or shaky images. The camera’s focus is much more accurate compared to the previous model (XR), even in bad lighting.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite
- 6.7”, 1080x2400p SuperAMOLED screen;
- auto-brightness;
- 128 Gb in-built memory, with a memory card slot up to 1TB;
- 48 MP main camera, 12 MP frontal camera;
- optical image stabilization (Super Steady OIS);
- filming in 4K.
Galaxy S10 Lite’s camera is probably one of its biggest highlights. The camera has three sensors: 48 MP, 12 MP, and 5MP (for ultra close-ups). Plus there is a frontal 32 Mp sensor. The smartphone has a great stabilization system that automatically corrects the angle. As a result, you get incredibly high-quality videos with UHD resolution even when lighting is far from perfect.
The 4500 mA/h battery is powerful enough to let you work on your video content for up to 16 hours without recharging. What’s more, this smartphone has a pre-installed professional video editing software that will make your video editing so much easier.
Samsung Galaxy A51
- 6.5”, 1080x2400p screen;
- 64/128 Gb in-built memory with a memory card slot;
- 4 Gb RW memory;
- 4000 mA/h battery;
- four-sensor rear camera (48/12/5/5 MP);
- 32 MP frontal camera.
This is one of those cases when you get premium quality at a fraction of a price. Samsung Galaxy A51 features four rear camera sensors: 48 MP main camera + 12 MP + 5 MP + 5 MP and a 32 MP frontal camera sensor. Only this lets you know that what you get are high-quality photos and videos at any moment. Every video ends up perfectly smooth, well-focused, with bright colors. The battery life is enough for 15 hours of uninterrupted filming.
Everything we recommend
- iPhone 11Pro (best quality camera)
- Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite (best battery capacity)
- Samsung Galaxy A51 (best value for money)
Who should buy this
If you are not new to TikTok, you know how important it is to make a great first impression with your short videos. Needless to say, this first impression won’t be so great if your video quality leaves much to be desired. TikTok is a hugely popular social platform and the competition is massive. This means a good quality smartphone with a decent camera is a must for anyone who wants to stand out and get to the top of TikTok ratings.
Which phone is the best for TikTok?
iPhone XR
- This phone is unlocked and compatible with any carrier of choice on GSM and CDMA networks (e.g. AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, US Cellular, Cricket, Metro, Tracfone, Mint Mobile, etc.).
- Tested for battery health and guaranteed to have a minimum battery capacity of 80%.
- Successfully passed a full diagnostic test which ensures like-new functionality and removal of any prior-user personal information.
- The device does not come with headphones or a SIM card. It does include a generic (Mfi certified) charger and charging cable.
- Inspected and guaranteed to have minimal cosmetic damage, which is not noticeable when the device is held at arm's length.
Pros:
- supports up to 15 hours of online surfing;
- great quality for its money.
Cons:
- low screen resolution.
Apple products are famous for their quite quality but we wouldn’t recommend getting any smartphones below the XR model for your TikTok videos. As is usual for Apple smartphones, the camera on this device is excellent. It doesn’t have three or four sensors like other latest iPhones; it only has one. However, it seems to be quite enough to film short videos in good quality.
The XR’s screen resolution is much lower than that of our three favorites. It’s not Full HD and not OLED but it still offers great sharpness and brightness of colors. Besides, this provides for a much longer battery life, which is a great bonus.
All in all, iPhone XR has the majority of the features other Apple smartphones offer for a much more appealing price.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro
- 6.53 inches 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~395 ppi density), Corning Gorilla Glass 5, HDR - Fingerprint (rear-mounted)
- 128GB + 6GB RAM - microSD, up to 256 GB (Takes SIM Slot 2) - MediaTek Helio G90T Octa-core - Non-removable Li-Po 4500 mAh battery - Android 9 Pie
- Rear Camera: 64 MP, f/1.9 (wide) + 8 MP, f/2.2 (ultrawide) + 2 MP, f/2.4 (dedicated macro camera) + 2 MP, f/2.4 - Front Camera: 20 MP, f/2.0 - Video: 2160p@30fps
- 2G bands: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G bands: HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100, 4 4G bands: LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 20(800), 28(700), 38(2600), 40(2300)
- International Model - No Warranty in US. Compatible with Most GSM Carriers like T-Mobile, AT&T, MetroPCS, etc. Will NOT work with CDMA Carriers Such as Verizon, Sprint, Boost. - FCC ID: 2AFZZG7G
Pros:
- great features for a modest price;
- 4500 mA/h battery;
- excellent productivity.
Cons:
- the screen goes blank in the bright sunlight.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro is definitely a fan favorite thanks to its decent quality, feature set, and comparatively low price. The smartphone features 4 sensors, 64 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP + 2 MP for the main camera and a 20 MP sensor for a frontal one. It’s probably the only smartphone with a 64 MP camera that’s fully justified. The video quality is surprisingly great for a smartphone of this price range. The presence of an auto-stabilization system doesn’t hurt at all.
What’s more, Redmi Note 8 Pro has a capacious battery that can support up to 16 hours of use. Truly a perfect option for a tight budget.
How we picked and tested
When it comes to choosing a good quality smartphone for a social platform like TikTok, there are a few factors to keep in mind. They are screen resolution, multiple camera sensors, auto- or optical stabilization systems, the possibility to film videos in 4K quality, decent inbuilt storage, and great battery capacity.
These are the factors we looked for in our research. One of the important things to keep in mind is not only the features themselves but how they are implemented in the devices, how well they work, and whether their presence is completely justified. It’s based on these observations and also the quality/price ratio factor that we’ve picked products for our list.
How to choose the best TikTok phone
Sometimes the task of choosing the right smartphone might seem daunting. There is a huge number of products on the market and those who are not exactly tech-savvy get understandably confused. And yet choosing the smartphone that fits your needs perfectly is very important. Here are some things to consider during your search:
- The most expensive smartphone isn’t always the best one for you. Sometimes it might seem that people think that there are only two smartphone brands, an American one and a Korean one. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The choice of brands is massive and many of them offer high-quality products.
- Don’t be tempted by numbers. If specs say a smartphone has a 100MP camera, it doesn’t mean it’s the best. If a smartphone brand boasts a high CPU speed, it doesn’t mean that the device is the fastest. Look for reputable reviews to find out the truth.
- It would be best to have a look at your potential purchase before buying it. You must make sure that you feel comfortable handling the smartphone of your choice.
- Technology develops at a rapid pace, old phones become obsolete pretty fast. So it makes sense to get the latest products on the market.
Conclusion
A good smartphone isn’t the only thing that you need if you want to get noticed on TikTok. You also have to think of things like proper lighting, nice background, and some original ideas. However, all this will definitely be useless without a phone that’s capable of making high-quality videos.
And while there are indisputable leaders on the market that always deliver in terms of quality, it doesn’t mean you have to exceed your budget just to get that state-of-the-art expensive phone. Thankfully, there is plenty of budget solutions that don’t disappoint in terms of design, quality, or modern features.
