TOP 5 SMARTPHONES OF 2018

Here's the top 5 smartphones of 2018.

Let's get straight to the list.

1.       APPLE IPHONE X

The iPhone X is the first unique iPhone design since the original iPhone that was launched 10 years ago. It's quite pricey at £999 for the 64GB model and £1,149 for the 256GB model, but it’s worth the splurge. It has a large 5.8-inch front display with little bezels and no home button. The OLED panel used on the iPhone X display is manufactured by Samsung. There is a dual rear camera setup which comes with a new way to use the iPhone due to the lack of home button. The iPhone X relies on advanced facial recognition to unlock and use Apple Pay as it exceeds the functionality of Samsung’s iris scanner. Wireless charging is included just as on the Galaxy S8.

The iPhone X is my most favourite because it’s the most advanced iPhone to date and offers some new experiences. It includes the learning curve behind accessing functions on the iPhone. The top-notch is not a problem as it gives the iPhone a unique and different look.

2.       Google Pixel 2XL

Yes, there’s still the standard 3.5mm headphone jack. I quite dislike the fact that I have to use my headphone jack with a dongle from Apple.

The Google Pixel 2XL comes with a large and sharp 6-inch 18:9 display, Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB and 128GB internal storage, stunning single rear 12-megapixel camera, IP67 dust and water resistant, massive 3520mAh battery and dual front stereo speakers. It starts at £849 for the 64GB model and £949 for the 128GB model.

It comes out of the box with Android 8.0 Oreo and one of the reasons I love this device is the fact that it is advertised to receive upgrades for three years. Beyond stock Android you get with the Pixel device, Google packs some powerful artificial intelligence and augmented reality features.

Although the Pixel 2XL lacks wireless charging, but its fast-wired charging works well and its single rear camera produces stunning and detailed shots that give other devices a run for their money.

3.       Samsung Galaxy S8

Samsung hardware capabilities are second to none. It has a 5.8-inch stunning display crammed into what feels like a normal sized phone with barely bezels. The infinity display on the S8 looks fantastic with reduced top and bottom bezels. It comes with packed features such as the edge-to-edge display and wireless charging. One issue about the S8 is having a fingerprint scanner that’s badly placed at the back, right next to the camera lens. Sometimes, Samsung’s smartphones are equipped with features that may leave you wondering whether they’re actually worth using.

The only issue encountered with the Galaxy S8 was the performance when it comes to running applications. One of my favourites social media app, Snapchat, is better optimised for iPhone X and Google Pixel 2XL.

With the Note 8 release, the prices have dropped from the launched price which was £750. It can be gotten from Wowcamera for £499, unlocked and brand new.

4.       HTC U11

HTC makes its phones look better with liquid surface and brilliant colours. It comes with a 5.5-inch super LCD 5 with 3D Gorilla Glass 5 and fairly small side bezels and no curved edges. It has a rear 12 megapixel and a front 16 megapixel with f/2.0 aperture and UltraPixel light sensitivity. The HTC U11 battery comes with 3000mAh and QuickCharge 3.0 charging technology. It has some cool colours on the HTC U11 including amazing silver, sapphire blue, black, ice white and solar red.

One reason I’m attracted to the HTC U11 is because it provides the best immersive audio experience on a phone combined with USonic earbuds and a custom tuning functionality with active noise cancellation.

One of the unique features of the HTC U11 is the Edge Sense squeezability. You can squeeze the lower half of the two sides with a single squeeze or a squeeze and hold to launch the camera and another app. It was launched at over £650 last year but it can be gotten cheaper from Debenhams plus for £410. If you do not mind a refurbished smartphone, you can get the HTC U11 from Appliances direct for as low as £399.97. 

5.       ONEPLUS 5T

The OnePlus missed a big opportunity to get in early and all the all-display, little bezel and other trends. The OnePlus 5T comes with a 6-inch FHD AMOLED display and moves the fingerprint reader to the back. It also features a 2:1 aspect ratio and tons of extra bells and whistles like on-screen buttons. The software experience seems nice as OnePlus gives the stock Android experience along with subtle tweaks. You can use custom icon packs, customise the on-screen software buttons, schedule times for your phone to turn off and on. Also, it comes with a 3300mAh battery capacity and also with a dash charger that lets you get ultra-fast charges and it never heats up. It starts at £499 for the 64GB model and £559 for the 128GB model. You can get it cheaper at Techinthebasket for £360.

One let down that isn’t great about OnePlus - updates and support for their devices over the long haul and also lack of optical image stabilisation which promises less blurry images and smoother video.

Which is your favorite? Comment below