Buy one of these 10 best smartphones with infrared blaster and remote control functionality and you will never have to look for your remote controller again.
If you didn’t own a mobile phone 10 years ago, you probably don’t know that before 2005 or so, almost every mobile phone usually had an infrared blaster. Back then, it was for completely different tasks. Since Bluetooth technology was more expensive, it wasn’t as common in phones as it is today. So, if you wanted to transfer a picture, video or a song to your friend’s phone, you had to do it using infrared. The thing is, the process was painfully slow, and just one sudden move would force you to start over again. Soon the phones with Bluetooth were more affordable, and infrared was abandoned. Apple was first to exclude infrared blasters from their smartphones and others soon followed. Maybe others will follow Apple in using cameras with optical zoom in their smartphones as well. If you want to know more, check out our list of 6 Best Smartphones with Optical Zoom.
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Now infrared blasters are making a comeback, and all because of their neat feature. You can use the infrared blaster to control your TV. Of course, we are talking about modern TVs. If you have an infrared blaster on your smartphone, the chances are that there is a remote control app there as well. With the app, you can adjust the infrared frequency of your phone to match the TV’s and voila. There is no need to reach for the remote that is too far to change the channel. Just take your phone and point it at the TV. Of course, you can use an infrared blaster remote control functionality for other devices like stereos and DVD players. Although not all smartphones come with an infrared blaster, there are many manufacturers that equip their smartphones with this technology like LG and Samsung.
To find 10 best smartphones with infrared blaster and remote control functionality we used the list from Akshat Blog that had all the modern smartphones with infrared blaster and combined it with other sources. We then included the 10 best based on the specifications and overall impression while trying to include various manufacturers. So here they are!
10. Panasonic P55 Novo
This is a perfect chance for you to find out that Panasonic entered the smartphone race. This Japanese company, better known for its TVs, decided to see how it’s like in the crazy world of smartphone production. Their latest model P55 Novo comes with IR blaster, but everywhere else is a bit shy. Although 3GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and Octa – core 1.3 GHz processor are fine, there are not quite enough to battle with the big boys when you have in mind that the phone was released a couple of weeks ago.
9. Lenovo Vibe X3
Lenovo is slowly building a solid reputation in the smartphone world and Vibe X3 is a nice example of its success. It is a reasonably priced phone with nice specs like 3GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and Hexa-core processor. Alongside IR blaster it also has a fingerprint scanner.
8. ZTE Nubia Z9
ZTE is pushing hard to get on the markets outside China, and with Nubia Z9 they got our attention. It is a well-equipped 5.2 inch screen phone available for a reasonable price. It comes with 4GB of RAM, 32/64GB of storage and Octa-core processor.
7. Gionee M6/M6 Plus
Another China’s great but cheap phone. If you want security, you should go with 5.5 inch screen M6 or 6.0 inch screen M6 Plus. These Gionee’s models come with an encryption chip that secures your data. Also, there is a fingerprint scanner, since you can never be too safe. Specifications include 4GB of RAM, 64/128GB of storage and Octa-core processor.
6. LeEco Le Max 2
For those who can’t get enough of RAM, LeEco packed 6GB in Le Max 2 model. Also, you will get Quad-core processor and 64/128GB of storage alongside 21MP front camera. Sounds nice, right?
5. Huawei Honor 8
According to the reviews Huawei Honor 8 is a good phone, but in its price range, there are better options. Honor 8 comes with HD 5.2 inch screen, 4GB of RAM and powerful Octa – core processor. Besides the price, the camera didn’t get much praise as well.
4. HTC One M9
Let’ get into more familiar territory on our list of 10 best smartphones with infrared blaster and remote control functionality. Interesting thing is that HTC was packing IR blaster into M7, M8, and M9 models, but decided to leave it out from their new model HTC 10. HTC One M9 is an elegant phone, with excellent audio, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and Octa-core processor.
3. LG G5
Up next on our list of best smartphones with infrared blaster and remote control functionality is LG G5, that is an interesting phone mostly because it’s modulating abilities. You can get many interesting attachments that make your G5 better than it is. Also, it is one of the rare modern premium phones that allow you to remove the battery. LG G5 comes with 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and powerful Quad – core processor.
2. Xiaomi Mi 5
Xiaomi is winning over the users offering good smartphones for a cheap price. Mi 5 model is praised for its looks, good performance, and a lovely screen. On top of all, it offers the same specifications like Samsung and LG flagships but for a half of the price. There are many editions to choose from, all of them offering different specs.
1. Samsung Galaxy S6/S6 Edge/S6 Active
You may be wondering why the old Galaxy S6 is on our list of 10 best smartphones with infrared blaster and remote control functionality instead of S7. Well, for some reason, Samsung decided to leave out infra blaster from its new model. Still, as we repeated multiple times, Galaxy S6 is probably one of the best smartphones produced till date. Powerful, good looking and cheaper than iPhone.
