Notebookcheck's Top 10 Smartphones

The Huawei P20 Pro mainly creates a wow-effect with its powerful triple camera, but we also like the colors with some extraordinary choices. Huawei completely changed them for the current P-series and now uses large display and big batteries. It is also the first P-series smartphone where the cameras are not sitting flush with the rest of the chassis. The technical specs are very similar to the Mate 10 Pro, but Huawei uses a Natural-Tone display for the first time, which will automatically adjust the picture based on the environment. The MIMO antenna technology for the Wi-Fi is now also available on a Huawei smartphone and enables high transfer rates, but the Wi-Fi performance was not very consistent. We also have some expectations for a smartphone that retails for more than 800 Euros, like modern Bluetooth and at least a 1440p screen. The latter is not really an advantage in day-to-day usage, but important for VR applications.

The Huawei P20 is a good choice if you want to save some money. The specs are similar, but it only features a dual-camera and lacks the water as well as dust resistance.

Bigger is better for the Huawei Mate 10 Pro: The 6-inch phablet comes with Huawei's most powerful high-end SoC, 6 GB of RAM as well as 128 GB internal storage. It is also the first device of its kind with dual-VoLTE and LTE Cat. 18. It is shipped with the current Android 8.0 Oreo and offers a full list of features worthy of a high-end smartphone, including a 4000 mAh battery as well as IP67 certification. The panel resolution falls a bit short and you cannot expand the storage via microSD. There is no stereo jack, either, and Bluetooth 4.2 is not the latest version, but you can stream high-resolution audio files via aptX HD.

No doubt: both, the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+, are amazing smartphones. However, the differences to their respective predecessors are fairly small. Equipped with a new and quite fast Exynos SoC, 6 GB of RAM (S9: 4 GB), and 64/256 GB of UFS 2.1 storage the S9+ has quite a bit to offer. The display has been fine-tuned even further by Samsung and the phone’s already narrow bezels have shrunk once more. The rest of the specs are not any less impressive: LTE Cat. 18, Bluetooth 5.0, microSD slot, IP67-certified, wireless charging, USB 3.1 with support for DisplayPort, fingerprint reader and iris scanner, and much more. Like the new brilliant dual-lens camera capable of adjusting its aperture between f/1.5 and f/2.4.

The visuals of the Apple iPhone 8 are very similar to the previous model. The design is identical, but the rear is now made of glass. This makes it more prone to scratches, but enables wireless charging in return. The display still measures 4.7 inches and Apple has not changed the resolution either. The camera has once again been improved and the processor has got its yearly update. The iPhone now supports AR content, and the entry-level model now has 64 GB of storage, twice as much as before. We like the long battery runtime as well as the dust and water protection (IP67), but we still miss the stereo jack and the speakers could also be better.

The iPhone 8 Plus offers a larger screen and a dual-camera with portrait mode, but the other specifications are identical.

The Google Pixel 2 might look like a slightly outdated smartphones, but both the components and the software are up to date. Thanks to a powerful Snapdragon SoC, 4 GB RAM and 64 or 128 GB flash storage, respectively, the specs of the small Pixel model are rather average among the high-end competition. The great camera and the latest Android versions for the next couple of years (guaranteed for three years) are two highlights.

We also liked the two stereo speakers as well as the IP certification against the entry of dust and water during our review. Unfortunately, the manufacturer dropped the MIMO WLAN technology compared to the previous model, so the transfer rates could be better. There is no dual-SIM or storage expansion via microSD, either.

If you prefer a more modern design approach with a 2:1 display, you should have a look at the bigger sibling Pixel 2 XL.

After last year's fiasco, Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 is once again an exceptional phablet with pen support. Similar to the current Galaxy S models, it features an aspect ratio of 2.06:1 with a diagonal size of 6.3 inches. It is well equipped with 6 GB of RAM as well as 64 GB of internal storage, especially since the latter can be expanded via microSD. The dual-camera of the Note 8 is a new feature, and the second lens can be used as 2x optical zoom, but it captures less light than the wide-angle lens. The Note 8 does not reveal many drawbacks. The fingerprint scanner is now at the back, and the position is not perfect. The speaker could be better, and we are not fully convinced by the location features either.

The OnePlus 6 is mostly a final polish by the Chinese company. The smartphone is now shipped with the Snapdragon 845 and the display got a notch. The latter is bigger as well at 6.28 inches with a resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels. The smallest models comes with 6 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage, but you can also get 128 or 256 GB (both 8 GB RAM) if you need more storage, because there is no microSD reader.The rear cover is now made of glass.

The cameras are really good, but not much improved. The display is also pretty dim compared to other high-end smartphones, even though this is only a problem under direct sunlight. VoLTE and VoWiFi are supported by the OnePlus 6 in theory, but you will need a cooperation with your local providers, which is not possible in every country.

The anniversary iPhone features a 5.8-inch OLED screen with a resolution of 2436 x 1125 pixels, which makes it the largest panel surface on an iPhone yet. It is also the first OLED screen on an iPhone and sports the best screen-to-body ratio. Apple waives the fingerprint scanner and uses the new facial recognition Face ID instead, which works well in all lighting conditions. The Apple iPhone X is powered by an A11 Bionic SoC. Potential buyers can choose between 64 or 256 GB of storage.

The smartphone feels good in the hand, despite the pretty high weight. The dual-camera was convincing in the review and can record 4K at up to 60 frames per second, supports a great Portrait mode as well as dual OIS. The iPhone X does not reveal any major downsides, but Apple still waives expandable storage and the stereo jack. The battery runtimes could be a bit longer as well.

Sony's Xperia XZ2 is one of the first smartphones from the Japanese manufacturer with a 2:1 aspect ratio screen. It also waives the traditional and slightly angular design. The specs of the Sony smartphone are very good. You get a 5.7-inch panel with the FHD+ resolution, which is sufficient, as well as HDR support. The modern Snapdragon 845 provides plenty of power. The internal storage can be expanded via microSD card. We are once again convinced by the battery runtime as well as the camera, and did not lose the water and dust resistance. Only the speaker quality could be improved in our opinion.