As 2018 draws to a close, it's time to look back and remember the best smartphones that came out this year. In terms of innovation, no one could surprise us this year, because now smartphones are receiving a very modest number of updates compared to previous years.
This does not mean that there were no impressive new smartphones for the whole year. More new smartphones came out in 2018 than last year. From hundreds of new models, we have collected the 10 best smartphones of 2018.
10. Mi A2 / Nokia 6.1 / Redmi Note 5 Pro
Depending on which part of the world you live in, you will find at least one of these smartphones in stores nearby: Mi A2, Nokia 6.1 and Redmi Note 5 Pro.
These are all budget smartphones with Android. Mi A2 and Nokia 6.1 run on Android One and Redmi Note 5 Pro on MIUI. The Mi A2 and Nokia 6.1 smartphones are aimed at Europe and the US, while the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is more targeted at India and China.
Also Read: Best Smartphones With Android (November 2018)
Despite their budget price, these are smartphones with excellent batteries, performance, and cameras. Of course, they are not the best, but it is hardly important for you to have a better display and camera if you don't mind waiting a few extra milliseconds for the application to open. If this is about you, then the above smartphones will suit you. It's very impressive how far budget smartphones have come with Android in terms of performance and build quality.
9. Pocophone F1
The Pocophone F1 has broken the balance between quality and value this year. This smartphone is very cheap, despite the Snapdragon 845 processor, a lot of RAM and internal memory. If device performance and ability to play games are important to you, then the Pocophone F1 will satisfy your needs. Its performance is better than many of the flagships on this list, and thanks to its 4,000mAh battery, it lasts for a long time.
The Pocophone has its drawbacks. The display could definitely be better, and the build quality isn't all that premium. However, once you see its cost, you will be willing to forgive those shortcomings.
8. Samsung Galaxy S9
Like the iPhone XS, the Galaxy S9 looks like its predecessor, and all the changes are inside. These include improved performance, camera and several new features.
The Galaxy S9 also has the best features of Samsung smartphones. It's a beautiful OLED display, IP68 water and dust resistant, fast wireless charging, headphone jack, and expandable memory. However, the usual shortcomings in the form of an inconvenient interface, performance problems, a not very powerful battery and rare software updates have remained.
However, after 9 months, the Galaxy S9 can be purchased at a discounted price, which is a big plus.
7. iPhone XS
iPhone X was an innovative smartphone, so in 2018 Apple only improved its features for iPhone XS: camera, battery and performance. iPhone X was ranked as the best and most premium smartphone in the entire world last year, so the company hasn't tried to change it much.
iPhone XS fixed all the shortcomings of iPhone X, but one still remained – its high cost. That is why the smartphone is only 7th on our list.
6. Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Large beautiful display, 7nm Kirin 980 processor, triple camera, in-display fingerprint scanner, face recognition, powerful 4200mAh battery, wireless and reverse charging, and IP68 certification. Wow! The Mate 20 Pro has everything you need to be this year's best smartphone. However, it has one serious drawback.
The system Huawei of the Mate 20 Pro is simply not up to date. Although the company Huawei has improved the Emotion UI 9.0 theme, the Mate 20 Pro's interface still looks like a bad copy iOS. The company must do a good job on its system in order to conquer the world market.
It's a shame the Mate 20 Pro can't reach its full potential due to systemic flaws. Also, the smartphone is not officially sold in the US
5. Google Pixel 3 XL
The Pixel 3 XL isn't for everyone. It has a lot of performance issues due to the small RAM, it is expensive, the battery can be called 'average' and the design is not for everybody. The disadvantages aside, however, the Pixel 3 XL is a smartphone with a great camera.
It runs on the standard Android 9.0 Pie, so the interface is quite user-friendly. The smartphone handles simple tasks much better than others on this list. The same goes for his camera. Despite the one main camera, the smartphone shoots much better than the iPhone XS Max and Galaxy Note 9. If you fix the shortcomings of the smartphone, it can compete for first place next year.
4.Samsung Galaxy Note 9
The Galaxy Note 9 is the best big smartphone and the best smartphone from Samsung this year. It has all the best features of a flagship.
With the Galaxy Note 9, you get a big and beautiful OLED display, a lot of expandable memory, dual SIM support, IP68 certification, great performance, wireless charging, great camera, nice features and a battery that's enough all day. Moreover, it even has a headphone jack!
The Galaxy Note 9 has all the features you need for your main smartphone. It could be the best smartphone of the year if Samsung released software updates more often.
Apple it's worth noting how Samsung has increased the base storage to 128GB this year.
3. iPhone XS Max
When Apple released iPhone X last year, many complained about its small display. The requests were heeded and the company released the iPhone XS Max this year. With a giant 6.5-inch OLED – panel iPhone, the XS Max is a copy of the iPhone XS, but with a larger display and more powerful battery. Thanks to the large display on the smartphone, it is very pleasant to watch videos, and the powerful battery is another bonus.
This is not the best large smartphone, as Apple hasn't matched iOS 12 for such a large display. Very sorry. Maybe iOS 13 will fix that next year.
2. OnePlus 6T
In the world Android, the OnePlus 6 / 6T smartphone can be called the best of 2018. This is not a perfect smartphone, because it has no headphone jack, it has an average camera, and OLED has a worse display than the competition. The in-display fingerprint scanner also leaves a lot to be desired.
However, the OnePlus 6T is better than the rest, as all other specifications are at its best. It has a great interface, a powerful battery, very fast wired charging, frequent software updates, and lots and lots of memory and RAM. Moreover, its cost does not go off scale.
The Galaxy S9 may have the best battery, display, and camera, but the interface is no match for this smartphone.
1. iPhone XR
iPhone XR is the best smartphone of 2018! Especially for those with other devices with iOS. The smartphone does not have any innovative features, but it does everything well, even better than the more expensive smartphones.
iPhone XR is the cheapest model this year. However, its display is larger than the expensive iPhone XS. Plus, its battery is better than the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. Despite the low cost, the smartphone has all the same features as the iPhone XS. Among them are Face ID and a 12 megapixel main camera.
The 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display may not be the best, at least it's the best LCD display. In addition, this time Apple did not go wrong with the design, using a combination of glass and aluminum, as well as bright colors.
However, iPhone XR is not for everyone. This is the best mainstream and versatile smartphone, but not the best smartphone of the year.