top 5 smartphones for 2019

The top 5 smartphones we've tested

1. Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus

My love for this phone and its few new features is over warming  

The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is the almost-everything-included Samsung phone you want – if you can afford it and handle its massive display.

Release date: March 2019 | 

Weight: 175g / 198g (ceramic) | 

Dimensions: 157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8mm | 

OS: Android Pie | 

Screen size: 6.4-inch | 

Resolution: 3040×1440 | 

CPU: Snapdragon 855 | 

RAM: 8/12GB | 

Storage: 128/512GB/1TB (up to 1.5TB with card) | 

Battery: 4,100mAh | 

Rear camera: 12MP + 12MP + 16MP | 

Front camera: 10MP + 8MP

I was immediately drawn to it as the better version of the Galaxy S10 which is less expensive Galaxy S10e. It explain what a 'phablet' is in 2019, with 6.4-inch edge-to-edge screen so big it displaces the front camera to a hole in the top corner. It’s Samsung’s marginally better answer to the iPhone XS notch.

With a 93.1% screen-to-body ratio, the pixels now stretch from the small top speaker down to the thin bottom chin, and spill over the curved left and right edges. This is the best looking screen in a smartphone. Hidden under the glass is an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor on the front, and the new Wireless PowerShare feature on back, allowing you to Qi-charge other devices.

The back has a triple-lens camera that takes normal, telephoto, and new ultra-wide photos. You can capture more of what's in front of you – without having to back up. This isn't the best camera phone next to the Pixel 3, but Samsung offers a fun-to-use, versatile camera.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is the best phone you can get for Android right now, if you're just going by specs. Naturally, as the first flagship of 2019, its new Snapdragon 855 processor is the big standout here with even better performance than the phones that closed out 2018. Add in a few cool new (but not essential) features, Samsung's stunning-as-ever display and design as well as top specs and you have a true flagship.

Screen: The 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display is gorgeous, but that's not surprising. it's the same size as the Galaxy Note 9's screen, and far larger than the Galaxy S9 Plus' 6.2-inch display. The 'Infinity O' display ditches the notch for a punch-hole in the top right corner. Yes, it's twice as wide as the hole in the S10 and S10e, but how else will you fit in the extra selfie camera? This choice (and thin bezels) enable a stunning 93.1% screen-to-body ratio, which keeps the phone as slim as possible.

Battery Life: The S10 Plus' 4,100mAh battery is Samsung's largest yet, just nudging past the Note 9's 4,000mAh and far beyond the 3,500mAh one in the Galaxy S9 Plus. While that didn't lead the new phone's battery life to outpace its predecessors, it still kept it going through the full day with 10%-30% to spare in our casual testing. This is, of course, with standard settings: bump up the resolution from Full HD+ to QHD+, brighten the display or keep it on longer, and the battery will drain faster.

Camera: The S10 Plus has three cameras on the back: a 12MP regular lens, a 12MP optically zoomed telephoto lens, and a new 16MP ultra-wide lens. We found the photo quality to be a bit variable – perhaps due to the dual-aperture main lens – with good but not consistent low-light performance. It's not quite up to par with the Google Pixel 3's Night Vision mode. The two front-facing cameras allow depth for Portrait mode-style photos, which is worth the wider punch-hole gap in the display.

Mini verdict: After some time with the standard Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10e, we can say for sure that the S10 Plus beats them out. It has the best specs, cameras and battery life of the whole set, and it's not too much more expensive than the other models. If you want a phone that will blow every other device out of the water in early 2019 – as well as its in-screen fingerprint sensor and reverse charging – this is your only real option. 

2. iPhone XS Max

Want the best, big iPhone? This is it

Release date: September 2018 | 

Weight: 208g | 

Dimensions: 157.5 x 77.4 x 7.7mm | 

OS: iOS 12 | 

Screen size: 6.5-inch | 

Resolution: 1242 x 2688 | 

CPU: A12 Bionic | 

RAM: 4GB | 

Storage: 64/256/512GB | 

Battery: 3,174mAh | 

Rear camera: 12MP+12MP | 

Front camera: 7MP

The iPhone XS Max is Apple's new big iPhone with an expansive 6.5-inch display that can't be missed if you're looking for the best phone running iOS 12. It's fast, has a brilliant all-screen display, and gives you great photos out of its noticeably upgraded 12MP dual-lens rear camera.

Screen: The 6.5-inch OLED The phone is still about the size of an iPhone Plus, but thanks to the all-screen display (minus the notch cut out at the top), you get a lot more real-estate. It looks more color-rich vs the old iPhone LCD displays, too.

Battery life: You'll get the best battery life out of the iPhone XS Max simply because it has room for a bigger battery. The 3,174mAh capacity is by no means the biggest (Samsung's Note 9 is 4,000mAh), but Apple's ownership of both software and hardware means it's smartly optimized. You'll get all-day battery life even with heavy use.

Camera: This is the best iPhone camera ever made, even if the 12MP dual-lens rear camera number hasn't changed in several years. It's all about the software inside and how the A12 chipset interprets scenes with Smart HDR. It's up there with the Google Pixel 2 and Samsung Galaxy Note 9, even if Apple's photos tend to be less vivid in our tests and more true-to-life.

Mini verdict: This is the iPhone for anyone who wants what's new and doesn't care what it costs. The iPhone XS Max is expensive, but it's the best upgrade if you're into big screens and Apple's ecosystem, like the App Store and iMessages.  The iPhone XS is a good choice if you have smaller hands, and the iPhone XR may be better if you have a smaller wallet.

3. Google Pixel 3

The best camera on a phone

Release date: October 2018 | 

Weight: 148g | 

Dimensions: 145.6 x 68.2 x 7.9mm | 

OS: Android Pie | 

Screen size: 5.5-inch | 

Resolution: 1080 x 2160 | 

CPU: Snapdragon 845 | 

RAM: 4GB | 

Storage: 64GB/128/256GB | 

Battery: 2,915mAh | 

Rear camera: 12.2MP | 

If using Wi-Fi, battery life for the Essential and Pixel 3 are about the same. It's noticeably worse on the Pixel 3 if using mobile data. I say about 20% worse. I did two orders yesterday and it killed over 30%. I could deliver 4-6 of those with my Essential with that same 30%. So the Pixel 3 is no marathon king.

I noticed yesterday that there is also this weird audio bug. Try playing a YouTube video and then when the notification comes through, the sound is softened. The video's sound is now coming from one speaker while the notification sounds comes from the other. I don't like that. 

Pixel 3 charges a tad slower but it is still fairly fast. It also heats up a little more when I use it for tethering. I would say other than the camera and in-hand feel, my PH-1 beats it in most areas that are important to me. I also don't like how high the SAR level is while my PH-1 is over 3x lower for the head. 

Do I regret getting the Pixel 3? No. It's actually a savior now that my LG G5 has been rendered utterly useless as a smartphone. I need it anyway since my PH-1 doesn't get the best reception under T-Mobile around my area. And the camera is ace. Got to have the best camera wherever I go just in case. 

If I had to pick one phone to rely on, it would be the PH-1. If I had to pick one phone to rely on as a phone, it would be the Pixel 3. I've owned 40 different phones. I think I ended up hating nearly every one of them. I loved them at first before hating them later. Hoping PH-1 (9 months) & Pixel 3 (1 month) doesn't get there and I will still love it years later.

Loved at first before hating - 

Apple iPhone 

Apple iPhone 4

Nexus One

HTC One M7 

LG G5 

LG V20

Apple iPhone SE 

I believe my Xiaomi Mi 3 which I had for 5 years might be the only one I haven't hated after all these years. It still runs pretty well. For every Apple product except my MacBook Air, I always loved it at first. Then as time went on, I ended up hating it. Alot of phones are like that. Breezy speeds. Then slow as molasses. 

I'm worried my Pixel 3 will reach that stage where it runs like garbage less than 2 years later. I think Essential really put the effort in their first (and only phone so far) knowing it might not have a successor. You can tell the quality and effort was there. 

PH-1 is not perfect either with phantom touches, weak digitizer, & weak reception but it is one of my few reliable device in years. The reception issues are actually a little bit overblown. I will miss the PH-1 when the battery degrades badly but surprisingly my Mi 3 still runs pretty decent after 5 years. It also runs the coolest of any smartphone I ever had.

I will likely stick to the Pixel line for good. I've owned the original and now the 3. I've had excellent experiences with both of them. I just never owned them long enough to know if they're reliable. Only had the og Pixel for 6 months. I may not know the quality might get worse until about 18 months later. Perhaps one of the speakers goes out or whatever. 

Most phones are like that. They're ticking time bombs. Doesn't matter if you took really good care of them. Planned obsolescence is real. The good news is if I want to replace the battery or get my Pixel 3 fixed in general, there is always a you Break I Fix it store near me. That's the official store to get your Pixels fixed.

The Google Pixel 3 came out in October, offering some internal upgrades, improved camera performance, a second front-facing camera, and a better screen than its predecessor. And, as with past Pixels, when it comes to smartphone cameras, this is a top contender. 

4. Samsung Galaxy S10e

Flagship specs in one-handed size

Release date: March 2019 | 

Weight: 150g | 

Dimensions: 142.2 x 69.9 x 7.9mm | 

OS: Android Pie | 

Screen size: 5.8-inch | 

Resolution: 1080 x 2280 | 

CPU: Snapdragon 855 | 

RAM: 6/8GB | 

Storage: 128/256GB | 

Battery: 3,100mAh | 

Rear camera: 12MP+16MP | 

Front camera: 10MP

I've been using the iPhone SE until recently. After my beloved iPhone SE met it's demise in cold water of nearby spring I went out to find a worthy replacement.

So, iPhone XR costs about 850 Euros (or 950 USD) in my country and it's rather too big for my taste, and iPhone XS is just... insanely expensive!

So, I caught S10e on some kind of promotion for just 460€ (or 510 USD) in cash. And I didn't hesitate to buy prism white one. I had it for about a week and I'm amazed! Amazing screen, really good camera (I love the wide angle lens), smooth and fluid performance, and best thing is - I can still use it with one hand.

I also downloaded some cool wallpapers to hide that camera hole, but well, it's still better than a notch, and won't malfunction like motorized cameras.

Good job Samsung!

The Samsung S10e is the littlest (and least pricey) sibling of the S10 line in both size and features. While it loses out on a few of the cutting-edge features like in-screen fingerprint scanner and a telephoto lens, its remaining arsenal of flagship specs, ultrawide camera and good interface make the S10e a standout at a discount. Plus, it's small enough to use one-handed.

Screen:

More than OK, there's almost no sharpness or color difference with S10/S10+.

More ppi doesn't mean it better, all the S10 series 'Dynamic Amoled' has more color gamut than previous Amoled.

 The 5.8-inch AMOLED screen is crisp and sharp, with enough bright colors and customization options to tweak to your liking. While it's nice that the budget flagship of the S10 line has an OLED screen (unlike the iPhone XR with its LCD display), it's not as high resolution as its bigger siblings, capping out at 1080 x 2280 pixels to the S10 and S10 Plus' 1440 x 3040 pixel maximum. 

Battery life: A 3,100mAh capacity isn't the biggest battery on the market, but it will see you through the day, Battery life was poor until I turned off the adaptive battery feature. :D

Now, with my moderate use, it can last almost two days. Location and 4g always ON. You'll need to stretch it out if you plan to use Wireless PowerShare, the S10 line's new feature that lets you donate battery charge to another Qi-charging device.

Camera: Considering the standard Galaxy S9 had a single lens, the S10e is a major upgrade with its two useful cameras. The first is the standard 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4 Dual Aperture lens found in the phone's predecessor (switching between the two in day/night shots), while the second is a 16MP f/2.2 ultrawide lens that manages 123-degree field of view. While the phone misses the 2x telephoto of the other S10 phones, its ultrawide is far more useful.

Mini verdict: The S10e is a fantastic little phone, perfect for anyone who wants to use their flagship phone one-handed – or just wants all the best specs at a lower price. While it's still more expensive than midrange phones or the current value champion, the OnePlus 6T, the S10e has more features and cutting-edge specs to push it beyond the competition.

5. Oneplus 7 Pro

The pop-up camera will lure you in, but the 90Hz screen will get you to stay

Release date: May 2019 | 

Weight: 206g | 

Dimensions: 162 x 75 x 8.8mm | 

OS: Android Pie | 

Screen size: 6.67-inch | 

Resolution: Quad HD+ | 

CPU: Snapdragon 855 | 

RAM: 6/8/12GB | 

Storage: 128/256GB | 

Battery: 4,000mAh | 

Rear camera: 48MP + 8MP + 16MP

| Front camera: 16MP

And also

Qualcomm SDM855 Snapdragon 855 Soc not full (7 nm).

Speed HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, Not LTE-A (8CA) Cat20 2000/350 Mbps.

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ Not ax and 6 Wi-Fi .

128 GB, 12 GB RAM, Not LPDDR 5 X.

Not Extra and separately memory card slot microSD, up to 1 TB (Extra and separately slot).

Removable Li-Po 5000 mAh battery ( Samsung galaxy M40 ).

Fast battery charging Not 45 Watts (Warp Charge) 5 Volt = 9 Ampere. (2019)

his is the best in phone value if you want an all-screen display and don't want to pay for the Samsung or Apple name. it's a bit cheaper than the Galaxy S10e, though not as affordable as last year's OnePlus 6T. It has almost everything except wireless charging, a microSD card slot and a perfect camera.

Screen: This is the main draw. Thanks to a mechanical pop-up selfie camera, the OnePlus 7 Pro has the best screen we've tested. No notch and punch-hole camera in sight, and it stretches from edge to edge. Even better, its 90Hz screen refresh rate gives it more fluid movement. Samsung's screen has been dethroned.

Battery life: The OnePlus 6T has fairly good, but not great battery life thanks to its 4,000mAh battery. It'll get you through a whole day, but not much more than that. The real news is its Warp Charge 30 adapter that allows this phone to go from 0% to 100% in a little over an hour. It's very fast.

Camera: The camera has always been the weakest part of the OnePlus lineup, but we've experienced better phones from the OnePlus 7 Pro. It's not going to top our best camera phones list, but the triple lens (regular, ultra-wide and telephoto) did a fine job in proper light. Nightscape mode has been improved, but begs for a tripod in mixed light (any lights in dark scene tend to smear). 

Mini verdict: The OnePlus 7 Pro has the wow factor missing from smartphones in 2019 thanks to what's on the screen (90Hz fluidity) and what's not (a camera notch).  As long as you don't want the best camera phone, this a solid option.