The best 20 smartphones list of 2019: Huawei makes it, but did the iPhone too?

The list of best smartphones of 2019 looks a lot like the list of best smartphones from 2018. That is set to change soon when Samsung and LG start announcing their smartphones. And several more will be announcing their phones at Mobile World Congress (MWC) this month, too. There is a newcomer to the list. I have finally had some quality time with a Huawei smartphone, and I can easily include it in our top 20 smartphone choices. Do not get upset if your phone, or the phone you are thinking of buying, is in a low ranking. Each phone here comes highly recommended and could be the perfect device for you, even if it’s higher than No 10. Check out our list of the top 20 smartphones you can buy right now: How picture-perfect are multi-lens Android smartphone cameras? 20. BlackBerry Key2 The BlackBerry Key2 is probably the most unusual smartphone on this list because of its physical keyboard. The trade-off is that you sacrifice screen space to make way for the keyboard. That might appeal to some BlackBerry enthusiasts, but not so much to regular smartphone users. 19. Motorola Moto Z3 On its own, the Moto Z3 is a fairly basic smartphone that boasts a nice, slim design. You can attach some of Motorola’s “Moto Mods” to give it some extra features that you wouldn’t find on any other smartphone, like a projector, an extra loud speaker, or a larger battery pack. The flagship Moto Mod is a 5G module that will let the Moto Z3 connect to Verizon’s 5G network, which should offer blisteringly fast data speeds. The only problem is that Verizon’s 5G network will be limited to a few cities, including Los Angeles, Houston, Sacramento and a city that has yet to be announced, when the 5G Moto Mod is released in early 2019. 18. Moto G6 Every time I check out a new Moto G smartphone, I question why I pay so much for the high-end flagships. There was no exception when I checked out the Moto G6. When it comes down to it, Motorola’s “G” series smartphones do everything I need a smartphone to do for a fraction of the price I usually pay for a new phone. The US$300 Moto G7 is coming out this spring, so you might want to wait a few weeks before making a move to buy the G6. 10 best smartphones of 2018 that are worth your money 17. Apple iPhone 7 Plus The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are more than 2-years-old now, but for US$450 and US$570, respectively, they are still worthy of your attention. Apple phones generally offer better apps and a better user experience than their Android counterparts, and the iPhone 7 is no different. The support you get from Apple if something goes wrong is superior to what you get from Android device makers. And unlike on most Android phones, with iPhones you can always get the latest software updates straight from Apple as soon as it releases them. The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus offer compelling features, including water-resistance, great cameras that perform well in low light, and powerful processors. The phones also work well with other Apple products, including the company’s wireless headphones, AirPods. The iPhone 7 Plus’ dual-lens camera system is its distinguishing feature. It allows you to take pictures with a professional-looking “bokeh” effect, which blurs the background behind your subject. Additionally, the system allows you to zoom in on your subjects; its second camera offers a 2x optical zoom. Unlike the digital zoom feature found in other cameras, an optical zoom allows you to enlarge an image of your subject without sacrificing picture quality. 16. Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus The Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are “old” phones now that the S9 has been released, but Samsung is still selling them for a nice little discount. They are great phones, but despite the discount, I would still go for the Galaxy S9 or S9 Plus. The S9 has much better facial/iris recognition, and the fingerprint scanner under the camera is much easier to reach. Samsung was expected to reveal more about the Galaxy S10 on Wednesday (US time) during its Unpacked event. If you are looking for a new Samsung phone, you may want to wait a few days to see if the Galaxy S9 drops in price, or if the Galaxy S10 tempts you. How do iPhone XS Max and Galaxy Note 9 compare? 15. HTC U12+ The HTC U12+ sports a special design for those who are tired of more traditional smartphone colour options. It comes in three glossy colours that can shift to a different colour when you hold them in a certain light. With a dual-camera system on the front and back, the HTC U12+ is a high-end performer. One of its signature features is HTC’s squeezable sides, which can be set to do different things, like bring up apps or smart assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa. However, it does not work on Verizon’s network. 14. Razer Phone 2 The Razer Phone 2 is marketed as a “gaming” phone, mostly because of its special display. The Phone can refresh its screen 120 times a second; most phones only refresh their screens 60 times a second. The Phone’s faster refresh rate allows it to offer super smooth gameplay. The Razer Phone 2’s 120Hz refresh rate does not just make games look good, it affects the entire interface. It works beautifully; everything you do on the phone is ultra smooth in a way never seen before on a smartphone. In fact, Razer may have set the standard for how all phone displays should work – not just those on gaming devices. There is more to the phone than the screen. It has also got an eye-catching industrial design that stands out when compared with the sleek and svelte designs of most other Android phones. Razer added wireless charging, water resistance, and fancy lighting for its logo on the back for its latest model, too. The large borders above and below the screen may look out of step with the borderless designs of other recent phones. But hiding beneath those borders are the loudest and best speakers we have heard on any smartphone. 13. LG G7 The LG G7 is a great smartphone that should certainly have a place on your shortlist. It features everything you could possibly want in a smartphone, including performance, a great camera, wireless charging and water resistance. It even has a headphone jack and one of the loudest speakers I have heard on a smartphone. As an LG phone, it also comes with a high quality audio amplifier for the best quality music through headphones compared to most other smartphones. LG is likely to announce the LG G8 in a week or so during MWC when it kicks off on February 24. If you are interested in buying an LG flagship phone, you are better off waiting to see what LG has in store with the LG G8. Samsung reveals why its Galaxy Note 8 smartphones has a stylus 12. iPhone 8 The iPhone 8 comes with the antiquated iPhone 6-generation design. But it does have a refined glass-and-metal case, a superb camera and strong performance. With it, Apple supports wireless and fast charging – features that Android phones have long offered but had been missing from previous iPhones. 11. Huawei Mate 20 Pro Huawei’s Mate 20 Pro is the latest in the company’s line-up, and it’s pretty clear why so many people around the world like Huawei smartphones – at least at the high end of the scale. What we have here is a beautiful device that pleases in many areas, and the US smartphone market is worse off without its wider availability – although you can still buy and use the Mate 20 Pro in the US. 10. Samsung Galaxy S9 The Galaxy S9 is a superb smartphone with almost every feature under the sun. It sports the latest specs, best display, one of the best cameras you can get on a smartphone, a gorgeous design, wireless charging, water resistance, and other features that make the Galaxy S9 a foolproof buy. So why does not it get top spot on the list? Other smartphones, including its bigger sibling the Galaxy S9 Plus, come with dual-camera systems. On top of that, Samsung’s own version of Android isn’t for everyone. Samsung was due to reveal the Galaxy S10 on Wednesday (US time) during its Unpacked event. If you’re looking for a new Samsung phone, you may want to wait a few days to see if the Galaxy S9 drops in price, or if the Galaxy S10 tempts you. 5 of the best Chinese smartphones money can buy 9. iPhone 8 Plus The iPhone 8 Plus is worth considering if you want the core of the iPhone experience. It might come with an antiquated design, but it comes with the same chip as the iPhone X, and a great dual-lens camera, where one of the lenses is a dedicated optical zoom lens. 8. Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus The Galaxy S9 Plus is predominantly a bigger version of the regular Galaxy S9, but it has a dual-lens camera system where the secondary lens serves as a 2x optical zoom lens. The Plus model also comes with more RAM than the regular S9, which helps with overall performance speed. The Galaxy S9 Plus is among my top smartphone picks because it’s a clear example that you do not need to spend US$1,000 – the price of an iPhone XS – to get a premium smartphone experience. The Galaxy S9 Plus checks off all the boxes and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a new smartphone. Samsung was expected to unveil the Galaxy S10 on Wednesday (US time) during its Unpacked event. If you are looking for a new Samsung phone, you may want to wait a few days to see if the Galaxy S9 drops in price, or if the Galaxy S10 tempts you. 7. iPhone X Apple does not sell the iPhone X any more, but it is still widely available at carrier stores for US$900. The iPhone X may run on last year’s A11 chip, but many iPhone X users are not noticing much of a difference in performance compared to the iPhone XS with the newer A12 chip. That is perhaps thanks to iOS 12 and the extra optimisation it comes with. In some respects, it’s a better deal than the new iPhone XS, which costs US$100 more for few significant upgrades. But if you are going to pay US$900 for a smartphone, those who can afford to might as well spend the extra US$100 to get the newer model. 6. LG V40 I’m happy to finally place an LG phone in the top end of this list. The LG V40 is a great smartphone with all the usual high-end Android phone features, and it comes with a triple-lens rear camera system that offers users the best versatility in taking photos. Banyan Tree Koh Samui now hands out smartphones upon check-in You get a regular wide angle lens, LG’s signature ultra-wide angle lens, and a dedicated optical zoom lens. Meanwhile, phones with dual-lens systems, even LG’s G7, offer you either a zoom lens or an ultra-wide angle lens on top of the regular wide angle lens that almost all smartphones come with. The LG V40 is also a top choice for audio enthusiasts that appreciate good sound, as it comes with a higher-quality amplifier inside that makes music sound better through wired headphones. 5. iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max The US$1,000 iPhone XS and US$1,100 iPhone XS Max deliver the best of Apple design, performance, and features. They are technically the best iPhones you can buy, but their position on this list is decided by their high prices. If you are willing and able to spend at least US$1,000 on a smartphone, go for it. Otherwise, I think four figures for a smartphone is too much, especially when it does not come with things like a fast charger, or even a USB-C adaptor dongle for your wired headphones. Both phones have exactly the same features. The main difference is the screen and body size, and it up to you whether you prefer smaller or larger phones. 4. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 The Galaxy Note 9 is the best Android smartphone that Samsung has released. It has a large 6.4 inch display that looks fantastic with Samsung’s technology. Combined with its high-powered specs, it is a veritable productivity and multitasking machine. I have also come to appreciate the S Pen stylus for taking notes on the spur of a thought and for keeping me organised, and it gives me more precision for tasks that I would usually reserve for a computer. At US$1,000, it’s priced for enthusiasts and power users rather than the casual smartphone user. If you are comparing the Galaxy Note 9 to another US$1,000 smartphone – the iPhone XS – it is a better phone. 3. Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL The US$800 Pixel 3 and US$900 Pixel 3 XL have the best smartphone cameras in the business, hands down. They also run Google’s vision of Android, which is clean, well-designed, and receives Android updates the moment Google releases them. That is something few Android phones can boast. The new Pixel 3 phones also come with dual-lens selfie cameras – one of the lenses takes regular selfies, and the other takes ultra-wide angle selfies. The new Google phones are more expensive than I would like, hence their position in the list. The only differences between the two phones is the screen size and front design – the Pixel 3 has a more traditional smartphone design, while the Pixel 3 XL has a notched design. The Pixel 3 XL’s notch is the worst on this list, but as with every other notch, you get used to it and forget about it pretty quickly. It would be a shame if you ruled out the Pixel 3 XL just because of the notch. Editor’s picks: the best new phones at Mobile World Congress 2018 2. iPhone XR The US$750 iPhone XR is more appealing than its more expensive counterparts, the US$1,000 iPhone XS and US$1,100 iPhone XS Max. In almost every respect, you are getting the same experience as the iPhone XS series, save for slightly larger bezels, and a lower-resolution LCD display compared to a superior OLED display, and a dual-lens camera. But, in my mind, all that extra stuff from the iPhone XS series isn’t worth an extra US$250. At US$750, the iPhone XR is a great value for an iPhone with such a large screen and latest specs. It’s just a shame that there is no iPhone X-style phone below US$700 for those who like smaller displays. 1. OnePlus 6T The OnePlus 6T does not come with a lot of the features that other phones in this list have, like wireless charging, official water resistance ratings, dedicated zoom or ultra-wide angle lenses, or an ultra-sharp 1440p display. Yet, it earns the top spot on this list. That is because it does the things it does do so well, like looking good, taking photos, running Android and apps, charging quickly, and lasting a long time on single battery charge. And it does all those things for a base price tag of US$550 compared to the US$750+ price tags of smartphones above. I never missed any of the extra features from other, more expensive top smartphones while using the OnePlus 6T. If I were to buy a new smartphone, this would be the one for its excellent design, performance, and value. The OnePlus 6T is also the first OnePlus phone to be sold by a US carrier – T-Mobile – and it’s also the first OnePlus phone to be compatible with Verizon’s network. Wait for it! Moto G7 Motorola’s Moto G series of smartphones has been our favourite mid-range option ever since they were first released back in 2013, and they have only been getting better every generation. Last year’s Moto G6 was a fantastic device that made me forget I was using a US$250 phone, not one that cost more than US$800. The new US$300 Moto G7 comes with updated specs, design, and even a few rare, out-of-style features that many smartphone users still value. Check out all the details about the Moto G7 coming in the spring. The US$999 iPhone X is paving the way for pricier smartphones Wait for it! LG G8 LG G8 ThinQ pic.twitter.com/ytPzOP3Rlo — Evan Blass (@evleaks) February 12, 2019 LG is likely to announce the successor to the G7 at MWC in late February, and it will probably be called the LG G8. Wait for it! Samsung Galaxy S10. Samsung was expected to reveal the Galaxy S10 on Wednesday (US time), so if you like to get the latest smartphones from Samsung, you are better off waiting a few more days for more announcements and details. Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter This article originally appeared on Business Insider .

The best 20 smartphones list of 2019: Huawei makes it, but did the iPhone too?

Expect changes as Samsung and LG reveal their new releases, with more to follow at this month’s Mobile World Congress, writes Antonio Villas-Boas

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