What are the best "affordable flagship phones" this year? 

To answer that, we have to first define the curious phenomenon of a "budget flagship". First, we know that people want the best phone they can get, but of course without paying the high bill that usually comes with a flagship. Many companies have recognized this desire and have come up with clever ways to deliver phones with top-rate specs yet a much more affordable price.

The first such phone might have been Google's own Nexus, which was offered with flagship processors and back in the day, ...