Gear and Gadgets Tech Guides & Reviews Technology

Top 5 smartphones to look out for in 2018

smartphones
Avatar photo
Written by Tim Barnes-Clay

Everyone needs a smartphone in their lives. We look at the best you can get this year.

In 2018 we are lucky to have access to a host of beautiful smartphones. But with so much choice, it’s easy to feel swamped. We’ve already got your footwear sorted and luckily for you, we’ve separated the wheat from the chaff to bring you what we think are the top five smartphones available in 2018.

5 – HUAWEI MATE PRO 10

A truly beautiful device, available at a truly beautiful price. Chinese brand Huawei have been bringing devices at an affordable price with a spec to rival the big players for a few years now. But this one really kicks it up a notch.

The Huawei Mate Pro 10 boasts an Octa-core CPU, AMOLED capacitive touch screen and Corning Gorilla glass display. Plus a dual 12 mega pixel and 20 mega pixel camera with phase detection and laser autofocus. The device comes in 64GB with 4GB of RAM and 128GB with 6GB of RAM options.

It’s also water resistant to one metre, features a rear mounted fingerprint scanner and houses a sizeable 4000mAh battery.

4 – HTC U11+

This is one hot phone worthy of consideration. It has a sleek design, beautiful sound and a great camera. The HTC U11+ hosts a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip set, Octa-core CPU and a 6 inch Super LCD6 capacitive touchscreen display, perfect for online gaming sessions.

It comes in a 128GB or 64GB versions, with 6GB’s and 4GB’s of RAM respectively. The 12 mega pixel camera touts phase detection autofocus, dual-LED dual-tone flash, touch focus, face detection and HDR.

The phone also features the rear mounted fingerprint sensor and, one feature we really like, is the Quick Charge 3.0 function, allowing super fast charging of the 3930mAh battery

3 – SAMSUNG GALAXY S8+

The Samsung Galaxy S8+ combines sizeable power with a super-sleek edge to edge design that will make this device the envy of many. All that extra screen space makes it a great device for catching up on Netflix on that pesky long train ride.

As for specs, the Exynos 8895 Octa chip set, octa-core CPU and the 6GB of RAM will keep you powered. While the 128GB allows plenty of internal storage. (Also available in 64GB with 4GB of RAM).

Even with all that power, it’s the little things that we really like about this handset. The Samsung DeX (desktop experience support) make it great for catching up on work, whilst the Quick Charge 2.0 and wireless charging capability make upkeep a breeze.

2 – GOOGLE PIXEL 2 XL

The Google Pixel 2 was very hotly awaited prior to its release and for good reason! The Google Pixel 2 XL, its bigger brother, brings all the features of the Pixel 2 with added oomph!

The design is sleek and modern, with just the most pleasurable dash of geeky. It holds a smart 12.2 mega pixel camera with dual-pixel auto-focus and is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor.

But all power aside, it’s the absolutely seamless app integration that really sets this apart. From the ability to point the camera at an iconic landmark and have it search the object to the in-built assistant that jumps up at a squeeze of the bezels, this phone is a must try.

1 – APPLE iPHONE X

The iPhone X may carry a hefty price tag, but it is a beauty to behold, in terms of both power and feature packed fun.

Offering a crystal clear Super Retina HD, all screen OLED multi-touch display, Face ID, Apple Pay and the always helpful Siri assistant. Pair this with the wonderfully designed integrated apps and it’s difficult to stack up to the iPhone X.

The design is sleek, but it’s the camera the truly puts this handset at the head of the pack. The dual lens, TrueDepth camera with auto image stabilisation and exposure control offers a crispness that we have yet to see rivalled on a smartphone. This is our undisputed top pick.