Best Smartphones to Buy in 2019

1. Samsung Galaxy S10+

Samsung's 2019 flagship phone comes with a big experience. There's power, performance and so much refinement in the software, it's hard not to want this phone. It has one of the best displays you'll find on a mobile device, escaping the notch for a fantastic look. Premium design with waterproofing, a great fingerprint scanner in the display and the benefit of microSD support and 3.5mm headphone socket makes for a great all-rounder.

The addition of a wide angle camera on the rear adds to the skill set, offering variety and shooting options, with software boosting the night camera experience. While some might not like the cut-out, it's given rise to some great wallpapers and avoids the fuss of pop-ups.

2. Apple iPhone XS Max

Apple and quality go hand-in-hand. But while the iPhone XS is a step beyond the iPhone X of 2017, it's the iPhone XS Max which shakes things up. It's expensive, yes, but this is Apple really committing to the bigger phone format. The XS Max provides a big screen experience that surpasses anything the iPhone Plus models did in the past, including great battery life.

Quality of build is apparent, but there's power and speed in abundance, along with battery life and a great camera experience. But this is really a phone about immersion: it's about full screen gaming, it's about browsing without feeling that you need to reach for your iPad. It's about putting it all in your pocket for the best iPhone experience yet - but you will have to pay for it.

3. OnePlus 7 Pro

OnePlus has stepped up with the 7 Pro, looking to challenge flagship phone makers on all levels. That means more cameras, a bigger build - as well as the option for 5G for those with the network to support it. The 7 Pro offers a great clean software experience, focusing on speed, and pairs that with great battery life and seriously fast Warp Charging.

The cameras don't quite match the best out there, but there's now more options for OnePlus users from the triple camera system, not to mention the pop-up front-facing camera that avoids the notches or cut-outs you'll get elsewhere. OnePlus has opted not to certify for IP protection, but does offer a 90Hz display, making it super smooth. The downside is that this is a big step-up in OnePlus pricing too.

4. Xiaomi Mi 9

Xiaomi is making big moves outside of China, delivering some of the latest hardware at prices that are hard to ignore. Certainly, the Xiaomi Mi 9 delivers an experience that's better than the Mi 8, with a great combination of Snapdragon 855 power and a vibrant OLED display, although you might miss out on a waterproof rating and SD card expansion.

Xiaomi's software isn't as slick as the lights of Samsung with MIUI including a lot of duplication and fuss that's generally unnecessary, but at the same time, when you're paying around half the price of the leading phones out there, you can't go far wrong.

5. Samsung Galaxy S10e 

Samsung's lower-priced smartphone delivers the Samsung experience at a lower price. Importantly, the S10e gives you flagship power (unlike Samsung's A models), so they only real loss is in the camera configuration. What you do get is the impressive punch hole camera in the display, an under display fingerprint scanner and a fully-featured software experience.

If you're after a smaller handset that still packs a punch, then the Galaxy S10e is well worth considering.

6. Motorola Moto G7 Power

The Moto G family has long impressed in affordable phones. Offering a pretty clean Android build, they have been increasing the quality in recent years while pushing the price up a little. The Moto G7 Power offers something a little different, however, and that's unbeatable battery life. With a 5000mAh battery, you'll get two days of use - even if you're a power user.

So while it doesn't have the best camera, best display, or the most power, while all the other flagship devices on this list have died, the Moto G7 Power will battle through for another day. If battery matters, then definitely consider the G7 Power.

7. Google Pixel 3a

The Google Pixel 3a blasts into the mid-range, offering something special - the full potency of Google's camera. It's a single lens, but it's oh so smart, producing reliable results in all conditions with effortless ease. The 3a is our pick here thanks to the £399 price point - step over to the XL and you're approaching the price of some much more powerful devices.

The Pixel 3a runs on mid-range hardware, so it doesn't quite have the punch that flagship phones offer, but otherwise it's an easy route into Google's Android system, free from bloat, at the front of the update queue and offering a great experience.

7. Samsung Galaxy Note 9

The Galaxy Note 9 from Samsung is all about the S Pen. In some ways, that makes this phone uncomfortably close to the Galaxy S9+ that launched in the same year: it looks the same, performs very much the same and offers the same features, but costs more money. It's really the S Pen that makes a difference and it's the S Pen you've got to want - or you might as well snap up the new Galaxy S10. 

What's new is that the S Pen provides control that you don't get in any other smartphone - not just in the case of stylus input, but that it can now be used as a remote control for various functions, from controlling the camera to progressing through presentations.

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Tomorrow's top smartphone? That'll probably be a 5G phone, like the Galaxy S10 5G, and then, eventually, a foldable phone with 5G, starting with the Huawei Mate X and Samsung Galaxy Fold. But foldable phones are unproven and 5G in the US isn't in enough cities around the country to recommend. Our list will remain practical.

Our pick for best phone isn't just crowning the newest iPhone and calling it a day, though our list does have a lot of familiar names: Apple, Samsung, Google, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo and LG, all in the top 15. Newer companies in the US like Huawei and OnePlus make the list, too, though their limited availability is noted.