The Best Smartphones You Can Buy, From $200 to $1,000+

I’m an iPhone user and despite owning many Android devices always come back to Apple. I’m currently using the 8plus as it was a lot cheaper than the X and I prefer the wider display, I thoroughly love the camera on it. But after seeing and trying the OnePlus 6 I must say that for the money I think that’s the best phone around at the moment. But it might just be Android envy. I always get it, get an Android device then end up regretting it and crawling back to Apple. I do think the best smartphones of 2018 might be different if we look at them at the end of 2018. The IPhone X(s?) will be out yet and the Note 9. Oh and the Pixel 3, isn’t that coming out this year?
 
I've never purchased a phone and also think most prices are outrageous! My first smart phone came with a $15 p month plan. It's when they were giving phones away and charging for calls! Then my wife couldn't live without her phone when it failed and bought a new one, but Samsung eventually replaced her Galaxy S2 on warranty, so I got it. Then my sister upgrades every couple of years on her expensive plan and so I've scored her S4 and then her S6 edge which I'm still using. I guess one day I'll actually buy one but as I'm not fussed with using tiny screens for much I'll put it off as long as I can and invest in big screens for TV or PC!
 
I’m an iPhone user and despite owning many Android devices always come back to Apple. I’m currently using the 8plus as it was a lot cheaper than the X and I prefer the wider display, I thoroughly love the camera on it. But after seeing and trying the OnePlus 6 I must say that for the money I think that’s the best phone around at the moment. But it might just be Android envy. I always get it, get an Android device then end up regretting it and crawling back to Apple. I do think the best smartphones of 2018 might be different if we look at them at the end of 2018. The IPhone X(s?) will be out yet and the Note 9. Oh and the Pixel 3, isn’t that coming out this year?
OK, I'll bite, what is better about an iPhone? I have an SE and had an iPhone 6, but see no magic to those two over my Sony XA2. Maybe the phones are more consistent with an iPhone, though it can hiccup along the way -- not much difference. Only thing I can see is the lack of a back button on an iPhone, if that is a feature. :)) Apps seem about the same. Let me know what you found as an advantage with the iPhones. Thanks, Lorenzo
 
I got a Nokia 8 64Gb phone in the Uk unlocked for £300 new 2 weeks ago, £60 more than the Moto G6. Better build (metal v glass), hardware (snapdragon 835 v 450), guaranteed software updates (Android One), brighter screen, enough said!
 
OK, I'll bite, what is better about an iPhone? I have an SE and had an iPhone 6, but see no magic to those two over my Sony XA2. Maybe the phones are more consistent with an iPhone, though it can hiccup along the way -- not much difference. Only thing I can see is the lack of a back button on an iPhone, if that is a feature. :)) Apps seem about the same. Let me know what you found as an advantage with the iPhones. Thanks, Lorenzo
For me it’s speed of the OS, reliability, battery life, compatibility of apps and accessories and resale value. In over 10 years of switching between multiple different android and Apple devices Apple definitely has an advantage in these areas in general - experiencing all these different devices is a privelige I get to have as a telecoms professional. I think Android devices are more capable devices but I don’t tend to use that capability. I also find that they tend to have poor update and accessories support after roughly one year. Of course it depends on the specific device, the S7-S9 are markedly better than previous galaxy devices imo and I’m a very big fan of the OnePlus range of phones. I’m unsure about pixels, the camera on them is awesome but I find them slow and lack awesome things most android phones have like expandable storage - something I wish iPhones had. I spend a lot of time in Asia and am glad that Huawei, Xiaomi and Oppo (OnePlus) devices are finally trickling through to western markets as they are priced far more competitively than iPhone and Galaxy phones and offer pretty much the same functionality.

As for a back button, yes the iPhone lacks one but most apps support swipe right to go back, something I always try to do on an Android device and generally isn’t there. But a bigger omission is 3D Touch, I use it daily on iPhones to turn the keyboard into effectively a touchpad to move the cursor like a mouse when typing, I still can’t believe most Android devices don’t have this yet as this has been on iPhones since the 6S! Also I think it’s a joke that I have to clear apps from memory by myself on Android, Androids memory management is laughable, with devices now often using more active memory than my Xeon based workstation in the office with 20 apps open! Mobile software simply shouldn’t need a device to have 8gb like the OnePlus 6 for example to run smoothly.

Of course you’re entitled to disagree. We can all have our own opinions:).
 
My list
Needs a headphone jack- bluetooth headphone quality is awful cant stand charging it either
Good battery life
Fingerprint sensor
Micro sd card slot
Not touchwiz, getting sick of it, its bloated and laggy
water resistant
 
My list
Needs a headphone jack- bluetooth headphone quality is awful cant stand charging it either
Good battery life
Fingerprint sensor
Micro sd card slot
Not touchwiz, getting sick of it, its bloated and laggy
water resistant
People really need to stop perpetuating this myth that Bluetooth headphone quality is so terrible. aptX and Bluetooth 5.0 has pretty much solved this issue. Stop buying garbage Bluetooth headphones with old tech. Charging? Sure, that can be an annoyance. Micro SD slots are becoming more and more rare with music streaming getting so huge. Touchwiz is garbage.
 
People really need to stop perpetuating this myth that Bluetooth headphone quality is so terrible. aptX and Bluetooth 5.0 has pretty much solved this issue. Stop buying garbage Bluetooth headphones with old tech. Charging? Sure, that can be an annoyance. Micro SD slots are becoming more and more rare with music streaming getting so huge. Touchwiz is garbage.
Completely agreed, I find Bluetooth music quality to often be better than wired headphones. But I’d want micro SD not for music but for photos and video, fed up with using cloud services for storing them.
 
I got a Nokia 8 64Gb phone in the Uk unlocked for £300 new 2 weeks ago, £60 more than the Moto G6. Better build (metal v glass), hardware (snapdragon 835 v 450), guaranteed software updates (Android One), brighter screen, enough said!

How anyone is spending more on a phone in this day of age is a mystery
 
Where is the Nokia 8 and 7 Plus?! They are better alternatives than Moto G6. They are actually pretty close to OnePlus 6 and to some are even better as they are Android One phones. Also mention of Xiaomi Mi A2, which comes out in 2 weeks and is also Android One, would be also nice.
 
I’m an iPhone user and despite owning many Android devices always come back to Apple. I’m currently using the 8plus as it was a lot cheaper than the X and I prefer the wider display, I thoroughly love the camera on it. But after seeing and trying the OnePlus 6 I must say that for the money I think that’s the best phone around at the moment. But it might just be Android envy. I always get it, get an Android device then end up regretting it and crawling back to Apple. I do think the best smartphones of 2018 might be different if we look at them at the end of 2018. The IPhone X(s?) will be out yet and the Note 9. Oh and the Pixel 3, isn’t that coming out this year?
I don’t own any Apple products and I wouldn’t buy them. That doesn’t mean I don’t use wireless headphones. How can you say that running a cable to connect any two bits of personal tech isn’t out of date? There is literally nothing else anyone connects to a phone anymore. We even wirelessly charge!

And correcting the price of the adapter is more my lack of tolerance for bullshit than anything else.

At the end of the day Apple know exactly what they are doing, they will sell millions of devices no matter how angry grumpy has-beens like you slag off Apple and the people who buy their products.
 
Putting the iPhone X ahead of the S9+ (or the reverse) is a non sense in my opinion. But that is definitely a good way to make people react and comment
 
1. How well it works AS A PHONE!
2. Battery
3. Camera
4. Performance
5. Unlocked
6. No bloat
99. How stylish, colorful & slim it is.

Get it cell phone companies? I don't care about carrying around an expensive fashion
statement. I actually care about how well it works as A PHONE, and how long the battery
last. Guess I'm out of the norm that they consider most users.
That's why I never buy the "flagship" overpriced crap. I wait until a new one appears, then
pick up a last years model for around 400-500 bucks, which is why I still use the Mate9.
Excellent battery, works very well as a phone and has good performance. Does it have
the latest and greatest OS/patches/updates?
Nope, but it is rock solid stable, which means (I never power down), it runs for MONTHS
at a time without having to reboot.
 
For my money Moto Z2 Force you can drop it and it won't crack. Good for for my GF she loves her Moto Z2 Force got the optional 70-inch Projector Module for free just snaps on the rear. Even though that's 2017 cell phone still beats the iphone X. I was lucky to get some Apple Care Technical Support training from Apple but I decided to stick with what I know about. Still now hands on Apple world of devices for iOS and Mac OS.

I must say for proprietary company making so much money from Apple ID users along with the icloud, itunes. I even got a free iPad here, still. iphone X and Apple watch 3 both are so expensive and if you break them you pay dear to get them fix. Iphone 12 coming out in Sept 2018 along with iOS upgrade. Got to hand to them. Android not the best but still not tied down. One tip for you who own Apple phones whatever you do don't forget passcode or Apple ID passwords. What a mess to recover from those. I still enjoy my Motorola Moto Z2 Force I know it will be replaced by the Z5 or higher model. Even though my best bet is on transparent phones with translucent acrylic hopefully out by 2020 at this rate could be 2025..
 
Suggested category: Best phone that actually fits in a pocket.

(Looking at you, iPhone5s.)
 
Techspot staff,

I recently jumped ship from my LG G6 to try out the OnePlus 6T and took advantage of the $300 trade in T-Mobile offered. I absolutely love this phone. It is the most responsive experience I've had on an Android. The battery lasts all day with regular use and has 30% to spare by bedtime. Amazing!

No 3.5mm jack: The USB-C to 3.5mm dongle snaps onto my headphone plug and I don't have to think about it. I can see it becoming a hassle if you had multiple headphones or switched devices all time. I don't.

No micro-sd slot: It's got 128GB of storage, plus I free up space with Google Photos/Drive. I'll probably never require space from a micro-sd card.

No wireless charging: It comes with a fast charger that can fill 3,700mAh in 1 hours and 15 minutes. It would take 2-4 times longer with a wireless charger. Plugging in USB-C couldn't be simpler.

Water resistance: The phone isn't rated for water resistance. But that's misleading to say it isn't water resistant. I have used my phone in the rain multiple times without any issues.

Overall great list! The Google Pixel 3 XL is definitely the ugliest phone of the year.
 
I still use an Apple 5s and will continue to do so until it becomes obsolete.

I use it as a phone along with some simple apps like note sharing. I do not need or want it to play music or be my constant internet companion. I have a desk top and an iPad for that. Plus
it's small and fits in my pocket.

Paying $1,000 for a phone is nuts!
 
My iPhone XS is superior to my X in that I now have 512GB and I can record and finalize more 4K video. The phone runs more stable when recording 4K video and doesn't overheat as much as the iPhone X did.

Battery life is superior in every way.

I love my iPhone XS Max despite the $1560 price tag (with tax).
 
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