With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus in March 2019 likely to jump to the top spot for the best phones in 2019, you may want to hold on until its release. In the meantime, there are still many great phones released by big names in 2018 that make it no longer necessary to upgrade on an annual basis, with the simple installation of manufacturer upgrade programs.
iPhone XS Max
Launched in September, this new phone from Apple runs iOS 12 and has a large all-screen 6.5-inch display, which is the reason to choose this phone over the smaller 5.8-inch iPhone XS. At 157.5 x 77.4 x 7.7mm, it is still about the size of an iPhone Plus. The upgraded 12MP dual-lens rear camera creates noticeably improved photographs and is the best iPhone camera ever made. The battery is not as strong as the iPhone XS Max simply because it has to be smaller, but the 3,174mAh gives all-day battery life even with heavy use.
The iPhone XS Max is expensive, but if you like big screens and Apple's App Store and iMessage it may be the best for you. Alternatively, try the smaller iPhone XS, and for more value, the iPhone XR may suit better.
Google Pixel 3
It doesn’t look very exciting, but the second front-facing camera is the reason for choosing a Pixel 3. Matching with Google’s software, photos are stunning in most situations. The camera also offers optimization with its Optical Image Stabilisation and the dual front-facing cameras can take photos from different viewing angles for those who love to take selfies.
The screen size is 5.5-inch, better than its predecessor and the colors are strong. It is a good device for streaming as it has dual front-facing speakers. The 2,915mAh battery will last all day with conservative use, but with such a good camera, it may not last so long.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10
The display is bright, the color reproduction impressive. Storage of 128/512GB with the option of going up to 1TB with a 512GB microSD card, making it bigger than many laptops. The 4,000mAh battery lasts all day and more with heavy use, and it is possible to charge over wireless, with fast charging providing 17 percent battery in 15 minutes.
The Note 9 12MP + 12MP rear camera is impressive and has the added benefit of remotely capturing photos from up to 30 feet away via the Bluetooth S Pen. Samsung has added AI smarts to the camera that automatically adjusts the white balance and color based on the scene it detects. The camera does well in low-light, and the default camera app is robust, though there is no HDR video recording. The front camera is 8MP.
iPhone XR
The most affordable of the new iPhones, the XR has an iOS 12 operating system and was launched in October 2018, the XR costs less than the iPhone XS, and XS Max launched slightly earlier in the year. The battery is surprisingly good at 2,942mAh due to the A12 Bionic and chipset and lower resolution, which means it easily lasts the day without any doubt. This, together with the large screen together and lower price, make this device a good buy. The 6.1-inch screen has a reduced resolution of 1792x828, so not full-HD, but the Liquid Retina LCD display gives a sharp picture with brilliant colors. The camera has just one sensor but it still does a good job. The lack of a second camera found on other iPhones reduces the quality of Portrait Mode photos, but they are still good. If you want an iPhone with a battery you never need to worry about, the iPhone XR is it.
Huawei Mate 20 Pro
The best Huawei phone to date, the Mate 20 Pro was released in November 2018 offering not just good design, but also good power and performance with a few surprises too. Building on the already excellent P20 and P20 Pro, the Mate 20 Pro has more screen, improved cameras, and an in-display fingerprint scanner.
The Mate 20 Pro has a large 6.39-inch screen display, good for gaming and movies. With QHD resolution and HDR10 support, everything looks very good, though there is a wide notch at the top of the display. The 4200mAh also works on a single charge for more than a full day with no problem. The device has the same cameras on the P20 Pro, being the excellent 40MP wide-angle and 8MP telephoto lenses, but a third ultra-wide 16MP sensor allows, even more, to be included in each photo.