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Our best smartphones list has witnessed some huge updates in recent months, welcoming the likes of the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, OnePlus 6T and iPhone XR into its illustrious company.
So, as we look to close out 2018, what are the 15 best smartphones available right now? Read on to find out.
We know that itâs not all about the high-cost, super spec phones all the time so weâve made you a handy list of all the top smartphones that you can get on the market right now, assessing what really matters to you, the buyer.
We test these phones rigorously, making sure that we check every angle and feature - but most importantly, considering whether theyâve got a decent battery, great screen, strong design and a cracking camera.
On top of that, they canât be too exorbitant in price either - not everyone wants or can afford a supercar of a handset, so weâve made sure there are plenty of options for you there.
If you do want to focus on the cheaper side of things, then check out our list of the best budget phones of 2018 for some great ideas.
Still here? Still thinking about which phone to go for? Donât worry⌠there are 15 excellent options to choose from.
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is the best phone from the Chinese firm to date, offering up a heady mix of design, power and performance with a few party pieces thrown in too.
It builds on the excellent P20 and P20 Pro, offering up even more screen, enhanced triple rear cameras and an in-display fingerprint scanner.
Screen: The Mate 20 Pro packs a huge 6.39-inch display giving you a huge amount of space for gaming and movies, and its QHD resolution and HDR10 support ensures everything looks great. There is a wide notch at the top of the display though.
Battery life: Youâll get great battery life from the Mate 20 Pro, and we regularly achieved a day and a half of usage from a single charge during our review time with the handset.
Camera: The Mate 20 Pro comes with three cameras on the rear, nabbing the excellent 40MP wide-angle and 8MP telephoto lenses from the P20 Pro - but the third sensor is new. Itâs an ultra-wide 16MP snapper allowing you to cram even more of your surroundings into each shot.
Mini verdict: The Mate 20 Pro is a full-featured phone for a full-featured price - it even has a few tricks you wonât see elsewhere, and more powerful specs than most of its competitors.
Read more: Huawei Mate 20 Pro review
The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is one of the best phones weâve ever tested - and also one of the most expensive. However, for that money youâre getting an extraordinary spec list, including the first mainstream phone to offer 1TB of storage and an incredible screen.
Screen: Letâs get right to that screen: itâs beautiful. Yes, itâs a bit narrow if youâre coming from the Note 5 or similar, but the way it wraps around the frame, the smaller bezels and the impressive color reproduction and brightness make it a real favourite.
Battery life: With 4,000mAh under the hood, the Note 9 has one of the biggest batteries Samsung has ever thrust into a device, meaning it can easily last through the day (plus it has new cooling tech to help it last longer in gaming sessions, although weâve not seen much proof of that). You can also charge over wireless easily, and fast charging boots in 17% battery in 15 mins.
Camera: The cameras on Samsung phones are part of the reason they rank so highly in our list - the sheer capability and low light performance is impressive. Photos are definitely more on the colourful side, but there are more AI smarts in the mix to help you get the right shot at the right time.
Mini verdict: Itâs hard to wrap the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 into a mini verdict - it does so much and weâve not even touched on the new, camera-remote-enabled Bluetooth S Pen. The expansive, quality screen, the battery life and the camera all combine to make this a stunning smartphone⌠if you can afford it.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 review
Pronounced ten S (like tennis), the iPhone XS and XS Max are the incremental upgrades to Appleâs game-changing iPhone X from 2017.
They build on the all-screen, notch-laden, almost bezel-free design with more power under the hood, improved cameras, a new storage option and, in the case of the XS Max, a huge screen and even huger price tag.
Screen: The 5.8-inch OLED screen on the iPhone XS is the same as the one youâll find on the iPhone X, so itâs the 6.5-inch offering on the XS Max which has really grabbed our attention - fantastic for video streaming and gaming.
Battery life: Itâs has improved a little on both handsets over the iPhone X, but youâll still find yourself plugging both of these phones in each night to ensure youâll get through a whole day in the morning.
Camera: The dual camera setup on both the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max is fantastic. The Smart HDR mode makes images even clearer, brighter and more detailed, and Appleâs famously intuitive interface makes snapping great shots a breeze.
Mini verdict: If youâre after the latest and greatest iPhone, look no further. And if your hands are as big as your bank balance, the iPhone XS Max takes Appleâs smartphone to a whole new level with plenty of additional screen space.
Read more: iPhone XS review | iPhone XS Max review
The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is still the best smartphone available right now.
Itâs a big phone thatâs designed for big hands - and it takes the very best of whatâs on the smartphone market and puts it together in a compelling package that weâve loved testing, despite the strong competition on the following pages.
Screen: The Super AMOLED 6.2-inch display has been measured as one of the very best around right now, with super colours, great dynamic range and, essentially, the very best viewing experience you can have on a mobile phone.
Battery life: The battery life on the S9 Plus is better than that seen on the smaller S9, thanks to the 3,500mAh battery in the Plus model - although itâs probably the weakest part of the phone, not offering as much life as weâd have liked.
Camera: The camera on the Galaxy S9 Plus is among the best on the market, and the dual-aperture capability offers some startlingly good snaps when things get a little darker.
Colours can look a tad washed out when the exposure is higher, but the power of the sensor, with memory built into it to make it smarter than most rivals, offers very low-noise shots.
Mini verdict: If youâre after a bigger phone with all the features that matter on board, the Galaxy S9 Plus is that and more.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus review
The iPhone XR (pronounced âten Râ) is a cheaper smartphone from Apple aimed at opening up its mobile range to more consumers, with a range of colors, premium design and still a decent slug of power under the hood.
While it doesnât cost as much as the XS or XS Max, the iPhone XR isnât a cheap phone - itâs just more affordable than the other two new iPhones.
Screen: The iPhone XR may be the cheapest of Appleâs three new iPhones, but it sits in the middle of the trio in terms of screen size with its 6.1-inch display. This provides lots of space for movies and games, although its resolution is under full HD.
Camera: The camera on the iPhone XR doesnât hit the same heights as its XS siblings, and portrait mode is a little lacking, but it still offers up the same intuitive Apple interface and an auto mode than makes the best of most scenarios.
Battery life: The shining light for the iPhone XR is its battery life. If youâre looking for an iPhone with great endurance, this is it, with the XR easily lasting a full day on a single charge.
Mini verdict: The iPhone XR is one of the best handsets Apple has ever made, and thatâs mainly down to the excellent battery life.
Read more: iPhone XR review
The Huawei P20 Pro is one of the best phones the brand has ever produced, and itâs still troubling the top of our charts. Even if youâve never heard of this brand before, the P20 Pro is a phone that deserves its place among the very best brands out there.
Screen: The 6.1-inch display is only Full HD, but that does help with battery life. This is actually probably one of the weakest parts of the phone, as it lacks the colour reproduction of its rivals, but it does come with a screen protector pre-fitted, which is a nice touch.
Battery life: The Huawei P20 Pro will get you a day and half of light to moderate use - it goes down after a full monthâs effort, filling it with apps, but even still weâre getting a good dayâs hard use, which is great.
Camera: The camera is the standout feature on the Huawei P20 Pro, offering three lenses⌠and theyâre actually useful. The resolution is pin sharp thanks to brilliant image stabilisation, the software photo optimisation is excellent and having that 40MP sensor has been boosted well by Leica for good low light performance.
Mini verdict: The main issue you have to overcome with the P20 Pro is the fact you might not be familiar with the brand, but not only is Huawei a worthy competitor to Apple and Samsung, but itâs the most likely to get the bigger price drops first (which is worth checking out using our price finder below).
Read more: Huawei P20 Pro review
The LG G7 ThinQ is an impressive little phone from the brand (irritating name aside), bringing with it a strong package and a decent price in many regions. Thereâs an attempt to right the wrongs of the LG G6 - and itâs resulted in a good alternative to the traditional big hitters.
Screen: LGâs Super Bright screen might not be OLED - LCD is preferred here - but itâs capable of delivering good peak brightness, can handle HDR10 and Dolby Vision playback and has a large, expansive look with a smaller notch. Itâs a little large to hold, but itâs one of the most capable screens around.
Battery life: At 3,000 mAh, the LG G7 ThinQ isnât the largest on the market⌠and it shows in the performance. Itâs not terrible, with some clever background processing keeping things going, but itâll only last you around a day when others are starting to eke into two.
Camera: The smart camera here is great if you want to capture more of the picture, with a much wider field of view bringing in more information. The smart sensor tries to work out whatâs in front of you - with great results, but only when it gets things right. Itâs not the best camera out there, but you can take some stellar shots.
Mini verdict: Itâs so tight at top of our best smartphone list that the small tweaks can make all the difference, and LG impresses thanks to offering up a tightly-made package for a pretty reasonable price - itâs similar to many other top Android phones out there, but youâll certainly find some elements to enjoy here.
Read more: LG G7 ThinQ review
The price of flagship phones are rising every year, but you donât need to pay top dollar for a top-notch experience.
OnePlus offers flagship phones at a lower price point and while its first few handsets didnât trouble the established names, its more recent efforts have really pushed the likes of Samsung, Apple and co.
The OnePlus 6T is the firmâs best flagship offering yet, with a host of high-end features and a price tag which is comfortably lower than the competition.
Screen: This may be a âcheapâ flagship phone, but you still get a huge 6.41-inch AMOLED display providing colorful, bright and punchy images. It may âonlyâ have a fill HD resolution - and thereâs a notch at the top - but for the price itâs difficult to knock.
Battery life: OnePlus has increased the size of the battery in the 6T over the 6 it replaces, and thatâs resulted in improved battery life with the handset easily lasting a full day on a single charge.
Camera: Thereâs a dual camera setup on the rear of the OnePlus 6T, and while it doesnât reach the same heights as the Google Pixel 3, Huawei P20 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S9, when you consider the price itâs still an accomplished offering.
Mini verdict: The OnePlus 6T is a good-looking and powerful smartphone that can compete with handsets from the larger and more established brands on the market while undercutting them in price.
Read more: OnePlus 6T review
You might think HTC is something of a forgotten brand â and, to a degree, youâd be right. But if you discount HTC youâll be missing out on its latest flagship, which offers exceptional performance in a couple of areas.
The HTC U11 features an eye-catching design, programmable, squeezable sides and great audio performance â and if youâre a fan of Iron Man then you have to check it out in Solar Red, which is seriously beautiful.
The U11 was the first smartphone to introduce squeezable sides, and while the feature has since appeared in the two new Pixel handsets (and to better effect), the U11 remains the only phone on which you can set the action to launch something other than Google Assistant.
Plug in the bundled pair of headphones, meanwhile, and prepare yourself for a seriously impressive sonic experience, with the HTC U11 kicking out audio at a fantastic level.
Itâs not quite the all-round package that some of the phones here offer (hence its lower position), but the reduced price makes it a more attractive proposition.
How good is the HTC U11 camera?
[ul]
[li]Read our in-depth HTC U11 review[/li][/ul]
Also consider: Itâs hard to know what to recommend here, as thereâs nothing that really compares on the market right now. However, for the price youâd probably look at the Galaxy S8 or the LG G6 as something a bit different.
The latest Honor phone is the best on the list here - and thatâs down the decent spec list, while keeping the price exceptionally low.
Screen: The Honor 10 screen has the⌠youâve guessed it: notch at the top! Itâs an LCD screen so lacks the punch of the OnePlus 6 or Galaxy S9, for instance. Itâs âonly Full HDâ, but for the price itâs excellent and more than does the job.
Battery life: You probably wonât get a full dayâs battery life out of this phone every day, but for the most part itâs pretty decent. Not the best on the market and weâre used to Honor slugging more battery into its handsets, but at 3,400mAh itâs a touch too small.
Camera: The Honor 10 struggles here a little, although the 16MP + 24MP sensors work well in tandem. Some of the AI modes worked very well together at times, but it wasnât always processing and improving the picture in the way youâd want before showing it to you.
Mini verdict: Honor phones are often the same - but thatâs no bad thing. This is a brand thatâs challenging, and while itâs omitted not quite got the prowess of phones a lot more expensive, itâs worth checking the phone out now - youâll never expect the lovely split screen colours on the back.
Read more: Honor 10 review
So those are our pick of the best phones you can get right now, but to conclude weâre going to highlight some upcoming handsets that may well get added to this list when they launch.
Below youâll find the likes of the Huawei P20 Pro and iPhone 9, among many others, along with the hottest rumors we have for each of them, as well as expected prices and release dates.
To find out more about any of these handsets just click the link at the bottom of each entry to be taken to our main news and rumors page for them.
Huawei Mate 20
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[ul]
[li]Expected release date: October 2018 [/li][li]Expected price: Probably at least AED 2,499[/li][/ul]
The Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro launch date is expected to be sometime in October, and while the Chinese firm is yet to say when it will announce its next phablets, it has confirmed that the Mate 20 series is on its way.
Thereâs as an increasing number of Huawei Mate 20 leaks appearing online, and weâre collecting them all here alongside our expect commentary on what exactly you can expect, and which Mate 20 rumors are more fantasy than fact.
One early rumor pointed to the standard Mate 20 featuring an in-display fingerprint scanner, and if the Mate 20 has one the Mate 20 Pro should do too. Weâve also heard that the Huawei Mate 20 Pro might have a 6.9-inch OLED screen, as the company is apparently in the process of sampling screens of that size from Samsung Display, for use in a smartphone. That could make the Mate 20 Pro the biggest mainstream phone yet.
[ul]
[li]Read all the LG G7 news and rumors[/li][/ul]
Google Pixel 3
[IMG alt="tdkq2NYzSyAqd2hF5Uzoeg" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tdkq2NYzSyAqd2hF5Uzoeg.jpg[/IMG]
[ul]
[li]Expected release date: October 2018[/li][li]Expected price: Likely upwards of AED 2,599[/li][/ul]
There might be three Pixel 3 handsets, with a Pixel 3, a Pixel 3 XL and an even more premium one at the top-end being launched according to one source. And weâre expecting them to finally, officially, arrive in the Middle East.
Weâve also heard that the three phones are codenamed âcrosshatchâ, âalbacoreâ and âbluelineâ, but exactly what their specs and features will be remains to be seen.
[ul]
[li]Read all the Google Pixel 3 news and rumors[/li][/ul]
Nokia 9
[IMG alt="nBUZ8EvyfgPru5Qr4VvSja" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nBUZ8EvyfgPru5Qr4VvSja.jpg[/IMG]
[ul]
[li]Expected release date: Late 2018[/li][li]Expected price: Around AED 1,999[/li][/ul]
The Nokia 9âs release date is unknown, but weâre expecting to see it sooner rather than later, and when we do it could have a 5.5-inch QHD curved OLED screen, a water-resistant all-metal shell, a dual-lens 22MP Carl Zeiss camera and a 3,800mAh battery.
If those specs prove accurate then the Nokia 9 could truly compete with the best flagships around, though one slightly less promising spec rumor points to it having a Snapdragon 835 chipset.
Thatâs a flagship chip, but itâs one thatâs been around for most of 2017. If the phone launches before the end of the year then that might still be the best option available, but if it slips into 2018 then hopefully it will use the Snapdragon 845 or equivalent.
[ul]
[li]Read all the Nokia 9 news and rumors[/li][/ul]
Continue readingâŚ
So, as we look to close out 2018, what are the 15 best smartphones available right now? Read on to find out.
We know that itâs not all about the high-cost, super spec phones all the time so weâve made you a handy list of all the top smartphones that you can get on the market right now, assessing what really matters to you, the buyer.
We test these phones rigorously, making sure that we check every angle and feature - but most importantly, considering whether theyâve got a decent battery, great screen, strong design and a cracking camera.
On top of that, they canât be too exorbitant in price either - not everyone wants or can afford a supercar of a handset, so weâve made sure there are plenty of options for you there.
If you do want to focus on the cheaper side of things, then check out our list of the best budget phones of 2018 for some great ideas.
Still here? Still thinking about which phone to go for? Donât worry⌠there are 15 excellent options to choose from.
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is the best phone from the Chinese firm to date, offering up a heady mix of design, power and performance with a few party pieces thrown in too.
It builds on the excellent P20 and P20 Pro, offering up even more screen, enhanced triple rear cameras and an in-display fingerprint scanner.
Screen: The Mate 20 Pro packs a huge 6.39-inch display giving you a huge amount of space for gaming and movies, and its QHD resolution and HDR10 support ensures everything looks great. There is a wide notch at the top of the display though.
Battery life: Youâll get great battery life from the Mate 20 Pro, and we regularly achieved a day and a half of usage from a single charge during our review time with the handset.
Camera: The Mate 20 Pro comes with three cameras on the rear, nabbing the excellent 40MP wide-angle and 8MP telephoto lenses from the P20 Pro - but the third sensor is new. Itâs an ultra-wide 16MP snapper allowing you to cram even more of your surroundings into each shot.
Mini verdict: The Mate 20 Pro is a full-featured phone for a full-featured price - it even has a few tricks you wonât see elsewhere, and more powerful specs than most of its competitors.
Read more: Huawei Mate 20 Pro review
The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is one of the best phones weâve ever tested - and also one of the most expensive. However, for that money youâre getting an extraordinary spec list, including the first mainstream phone to offer 1TB of storage and an incredible screen.
Screen: Letâs get right to that screen: itâs beautiful. Yes, itâs a bit narrow if youâre coming from the Note 5 or similar, but the way it wraps around the frame, the smaller bezels and the impressive color reproduction and brightness make it a real favourite.
Battery life: With 4,000mAh under the hood, the Note 9 has one of the biggest batteries Samsung has ever thrust into a device, meaning it can easily last through the day (plus it has new cooling tech to help it last longer in gaming sessions, although weâve not seen much proof of that). You can also charge over wireless easily, and fast charging boots in 17% battery in 15 mins.
Camera: The cameras on Samsung phones are part of the reason they rank so highly in our list - the sheer capability and low light performance is impressive. Photos are definitely more on the colourful side, but there are more AI smarts in the mix to help you get the right shot at the right time.
Mini verdict: Itâs hard to wrap the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 into a mini verdict - it does so much and weâve not even touched on the new, camera-remote-enabled Bluetooth S Pen. The expansive, quality screen, the battery life and the camera all combine to make this a stunning smartphone⌠if you can afford it.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 review
Pronounced ten S (like tennis), the iPhone XS and XS Max are the incremental upgrades to Appleâs game-changing iPhone X from 2017.
They build on the all-screen, notch-laden, almost bezel-free design with more power under the hood, improved cameras, a new storage option and, in the case of the XS Max, a huge screen and even huger price tag.
Screen: The 5.8-inch OLED screen on the iPhone XS is the same as the one youâll find on the iPhone X, so itâs the 6.5-inch offering on the XS Max which has really grabbed our attention - fantastic for video streaming and gaming.
Battery life: Itâs has improved a little on both handsets over the iPhone X, but youâll still find yourself plugging both of these phones in each night to ensure youâll get through a whole day in the morning.
Camera: The dual camera setup on both the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max is fantastic. The Smart HDR mode makes images even clearer, brighter and more detailed, and Appleâs famously intuitive interface makes snapping great shots a breeze.
Mini verdict: If youâre after the latest and greatest iPhone, look no further. And if your hands are as big as your bank balance, the iPhone XS Max takes Appleâs smartphone to a whole new level with plenty of additional screen space.
Read more: iPhone XS review | iPhone XS Max review
The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is still the best smartphone available right now.
Itâs a big phone thatâs designed for big hands - and it takes the very best of whatâs on the smartphone market and puts it together in a compelling package that weâve loved testing, despite the strong competition on the following pages.
Screen: The Super AMOLED 6.2-inch display has been measured as one of the very best around right now, with super colours, great dynamic range and, essentially, the very best viewing experience you can have on a mobile phone.
Battery life: The battery life on the S9 Plus is better than that seen on the smaller S9, thanks to the 3,500mAh battery in the Plus model - although itâs probably the weakest part of the phone, not offering as much life as weâd have liked.
Camera: The camera on the Galaxy S9 Plus is among the best on the market, and the dual-aperture capability offers some startlingly good snaps when things get a little darker.
Colours can look a tad washed out when the exposure is higher, but the power of the sensor, with memory built into it to make it smarter than most rivals, offers very low-noise shots.
Mini verdict: If youâre after a bigger phone with all the features that matter on board, the Galaxy S9 Plus is that and more.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus review
The iPhone XR (pronounced âten Râ) is a cheaper smartphone from Apple aimed at opening up its mobile range to more consumers, with a range of colors, premium design and still a decent slug of power under the hood.
While it doesnât cost as much as the XS or XS Max, the iPhone XR isnât a cheap phone - itâs just more affordable than the other two new iPhones.
Screen: The iPhone XR may be the cheapest of Appleâs three new iPhones, but it sits in the middle of the trio in terms of screen size with its 6.1-inch display. This provides lots of space for movies and games, although its resolution is under full HD.
Camera: The camera on the iPhone XR doesnât hit the same heights as its XS siblings, and portrait mode is a little lacking, but it still offers up the same intuitive Apple interface and an auto mode than makes the best of most scenarios.
Battery life: The shining light for the iPhone XR is its battery life. If youâre looking for an iPhone with great endurance, this is it, with the XR easily lasting a full day on a single charge.
Mini verdict: The iPhone XR is one of the best handsets Apple has ever made, and thatâs mainly down to the excellent battery life.
Read more: iPhone XR review
The Huawei P20 Pro is one of the best phones the brand has ever produced, and itâs still troubling the top of our charts. Even if youâve never heard of this brand before, the P20 Pro is a phone that deserves its place among the very best brands out there.
Screen: The 6.1-inch display is only Full HD, but that does help with battery life. This is actually probably one of the weakest parts of the phone, as it lacks the colour reproduction of its rivals, but it does come with a screen protector pre-fitted, which is a nice touch.
Battery life: The Huawei P20 Pro will get you a day and half of light to moderate use - it goes down after a full monthâs effort, filling it with apps, but even still weâre getting a good dayâs hard use, which is great.
Camera: The camera is the standout feature on the Huawei P20 Pro, offering three lenses⌠and theyâre actually useful. The resolution is pin sharp thanks to brilliant image stabilisation, the software photo optimisation is excellent and having that 40MP sensor has been boosted well by Leica for good low light performance.
Mini verdict: The main issue you have to overcome with the P20 Pro is the fact you might not be familiar with the brand, but not only is Huawei a worthy competitor to Apple and Samsung, but itâs the most likely to get the bigger price drops first (which is worth checking out using our price finder below).
Read more: Huawei P20 Pro review
The LG G7 ThinQ is an impressive little phone from the brand (irritating name aside), bringing with it a strong package and a decent price in many regions. Thereâs an attempt to right the wrongs of the LG G6 - and itâs resulted in a good alternative to the traditional big hitters.
Screen: LGâs Super Bright screen might not be OLED - LCD is preferred here - but itâs capable of delivering good peak brightness, can handle HDR10 and Dolby Vision playback and has a large, expansive look with a smaller notch. Itâs a little large to hold, but itâs one of the most capable screens around.
Battery life: At 3,000 mAh, the LG G7 ThinQ isnât the largest on the market⌠and it shows in the performance. Itâs not terrible, with some clever background processing keeping things going, but itâll only last you around a day when others are starting to eke into two.
Camera: The smart camera here is great if you want to capture more of the picture, with a much wider field of view bringing in more information. The smart sensor tries to work out whatâs in front of you - with great results, but only when it gets things right. Itâs not the best camera out there, but you can take some stellar shots.
Mini verdict: Itâs so tight at top of our best smartphone list that the small tweaks can make all the difference, and LG impresses thanks to offering up a tightly-made package for a pretty reasonable price - itâs similar to many other top Android phones out there, but youâll certainly find some elements to enjoy here.
Read more: LG G7 ThinQ review
The price of flagship phones are rising every year, but you donât need to pay top dollar for a top-notch experience.
OnePlus offers flagship phones at a lower price point and while its first few handsets didnât trouble the established names, its more recent efforts have really pushed the likes of Samsung, Apple and co.
The OnePlus 6T is the firmâs best flagship offering yet, with a host of high-end features and a price tag which is comfortably lower than the competition.
Screen: This may be a âcheapâ flagship phone, but you still get a huge 6.41-inch AMOLED display providing colorful, bright and punchy images. It may âonlyâ have a fill HD resolution - and thereâs a notch at the top - but for the price itâs difficult to knock.
Battery life: OnePlus has increased the size of the battery in the 6T over the 6 it replaces, and thatâs resulted in improved battery life with the handset easily lasting a full day on a single charge.
Camera: Thereâs a dual camera setup on the rear of the OnePlus 6T, and while it doesnât reach the same heights as the Google Pixel 3, Huawei P20 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S9, when you consider the price itâs still an accomplished offering.
Mini verdict: The OnePlus 6T is a good-looking and powerful smartphone that can compete with handsets from the larger and more established brands on the market while undercutting them in price.
Read more: OnePlus 6T review
You might think HTC is something of a forgotten brand â and, to a degree, youâd be right. But if you discount HTC youâll be missing out on its latest flagship, which offers exceptional performance in a couple of areas.
The HTC U11 features an eye-catching design, programmable, squeezable sides and great audio performance â and if youâre a fan of Iron Man then you have to check it out in Solar Red, which is seriously beautiful.
The U11 was the first smartphone to introduce squeezable sides, and while the feature has since appeared in the two new Pixel handsets (and to better effect), the U11 remains the only phone on which you can set the action to launch something other than Google Assistant.
Plug in the bundled pair of headphones, meanwhile, and prepare yourself for a seriously impressive sonic experience, with the HTC U11 kicking out audio at a fantastic level.
Itâs not quite the all-round package that some of the phones here offer (hence its lower position), but the reduced price makes it a more attractive proposition.
How good is the HTC U11 camera?
[ul]
[li]Read our in-depth HTC U11 review[/li][/ul]
Also consider: Itâs hard to know what to recommend here, as thereâs nothing that really compares on the market right now. However, for the price youâd probably look at the Galaxy S8 or the LG G6 as something a bit different.
The latest Honor phone is the best on the list here - and thatâs down the decent spec list, while keeping the price exceptionally low.
Screen: The Honor 10 screen has the⌠youâve guessed it: notch at the top! Itâs an LCD screen so lacks the punch of the OnePlus 6 or Galaxy S9, for instance. Itâs âonly Full HDâ, but for the price itâs excellent and more than does the job.
Battery life: You probably wonât get a full dayâs battery life out of this phone every day, but for the most part itâs pretty decent. Not the best on the market and weâre used to Honor slugging more battery into its handsets, but at 3,400mAh itâs a touch too small.
Camera: The Honor 10 struggles here a little, although the 16MP + 24MP sensors work well in tandem. Some of the AI modes worked very well together at times, but it wasnât always processing and improving the picture in the way youâd want before showing it to you.
Mini verdict: Honor phones are often the same - but thatâs no bad thing. This is a brand thatâs challenging, and while itâs omitted not quite got the prowess of phones a lot more expensive, itâs worth checking the phone out now - youâll never expect the lovely split screen colours on the back.
Read more: Honor 10 review
So those are our pick of the best phones you can get right now, but to conclude weâre going to highlight some upcoming handsets that may well get added to this list when they launch.
Below youâll find the likes of the Huawei P20 Pro and iPhone 9, among many others, along with the hottest rumors we have for each of them, as well as expected prices and release dates.
To find out more about any of these handsets just click the link at the bottom of each entry to be taken to our main news and rumors page for them.
Huawei Mate 20
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[li]Expected release date: October 2018 [/li][li]Expected price: Probably at least AED 2,499[/li][/ul]
The Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro launch date is expected to be sometime in October, and while the Chinese firm is yet to say when it will announce its next phablets, it has confirmed that the Mate 20 series is on its way.
Thereâs as an increasing number of Huawei Mate 20 leaks appearing online, and weâre collecting them all here alongside our expect commentary on what exactly you can expect, and which Mate 20 rumors are more fantasy than fact.
One early rumor pointed to the standard Mate 20 featuring an in-display fingerprint scanner, and if the Mate 20 has one the Mate 20 Pro should do too. Weâve also heard that the Huawei Mate 20 Pro might have a 6.9-inch OLED screen, as the company is apparently in the process of sampling screens of that size from Samsung Display, for use in a smartphone. That could make the Mate 20 Pro the biggest mainstream phone yet.
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[li]Read all the LG G7 news and rumors[/li][/ul]
Google Pixel 3
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[li]Expected release date: October 2018[/li][li]Expected price: Likely upwards of AED 2,599[/li][/ul]
There might be three Pixel 3 handsets, with a Pixel 3, a Pixel 3 XL and an even more premium one at the top-end being launched according to one source. And weâre expecting them to finally, officially, arrive in the Middle East.
Weâve also heard that the three phones are codenamed âcrosshatchâ, âalbacoreâ and âbluelineâ, but exactly what their specs and features will be remains to be seen.
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[li]Read all the Google Pixel 3 news and rumors[/li][/ul]
Nokia 9
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[li]Expected release date: Late 2018[/li][li]Expected price: Around AED 1,999[/li][/ul]
The Nokia 9âs release date is unknown, but weâre expecting to see it sooner rather than later, and when we do it could have a 5.5-inch QHD curved OLED screen, a water-resistant all-metal shell, a dual-lens 22MP Carl Zeiss camera and a 3,800mAh battery.
If those specs prove accurate then the Nokia 9 could truly compete with the best flagships around, though one slightly less promising spec rumor points to it having a Snapdragon 835 chipset.
Thatâs a flagship chip, but itâs one thatâs been around for most of 2017. If the phone launches before the end of the year then that might still be the best option available, but if it slips into 2018 then hopefully it will use the Snapdragon 845 or equivalent.
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[li]Read all the Nokia 9 news and rumors[/li][/ul]
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