For the vast majority of people, the smartphone has supplanted all other gadgets in terms of they way we communicate, gather information, record events and manage our daily lives. Smartphones have evolved to the point that many are comparable in processing speed with many PCs. We literally carry what would have been a super computer several decades ago in our pocket with that device holding the sum of our lives – data, behavior, pictures, videos, etc. So, what are the top 10 smartphones for 2019?
Like many other important purchases in our lives, the choice of smartphone often takes many items into consideration. Some people are looking for the best value for the price and don’t really care about all the bells and whistles or brand for that matter. Others are more concerned about design, number of features, memory, processing speed, OS, battery life, etc. Price is of lesser concern for these shoppers. They want the best money can buy. Then there are a great many shoppers who are looking for specific needs: Screen size, camera resolution, memory, memory expansion features, security features, etc. So shopping for a smartphone can be a very complicated and personal process.
With so many great smartphones on the market though, cutting through all the clutter can be a process all by itself. In rating the following smartphones, we considered price, processing speed (CPU), RAM, display size and resolution, storage, camera, and battery life. We applied a weight to each of these factors to come up with our list of the top 10 smartphones for 2019.
10. Moto G7 Power – Top 10 Smartphones for 2019
Price: $299
OS: Android 9 Pie
CPU: Snapdragon 632
RAM: 3/4 GB
Display Size/Resolution: 6.2 inches/1080×2270 pixels
Storage: 32 GB/64 GB
Rear Camera: 12 MP
Front Camera: 8 MP
Battery Life: 15.35 hours
Hands down, the best phone you can buy for the money. If you’re looking for a no-frills phone that delivers outstanding performance, then the Moto G7 Power is for you. Priced under $300, the phone has a fairly big screen size at 6.2 inches with decent resolution, a good camera and reliable performance from its Snapdragon 632 processor, memory and storage. You won’t be playing any games with this phone, but it will perform all the basic tasks without a hitch.
9. Samsung Galaxy S10 – Top 10 Smartphones for 2019
Price: $899
OS: Android 9 Pie
RAM: 8/12 GB
CPU: Snapdragon 855
Display Size/Resolution: 6.1 inches/1440×3040 pixels
Storage: 128 GB/512 GB
Removable Storage: microSD support up to 512 GB
Rear Camera: 16 MP/12 MP/12 MP
Front Camera: 10 MP
Battery Life: 12.35 hours
Awesome phone, so why is it number nine on the list? Simply put, cost. Yes, you get a lot of performance out of this phone but for a little more money you can get the S10 Plus. Make no mistake though, this is a great phone and packed with many features, such as an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, three rear cameras, power share and much more. The S10 has a Super AMOLED 6.1-inch display, is water resistant, has the super-fast Snapdragon 855 processor, plenty of RAM and storage that can be expanded up to 512 GB with added support for a microSD stick. Simply a great phone.
8. Huawei Mate 20 Pro – Top 10 Smartphones for 2019
Price: $743
OS: Android 9 Pie
CPU: Kirin 980
RAM: 6/8 GB
Display Size/Resolution: 6.4 inches/1440×3120 pixels
Storage: 128 GB/256 GB
Removable Storage: Huawei Nano Memory up to 256 GB
Rear Camera: 12 MP/16 MP/8 MP
Front Camera: 24 MP
Battery Life: 10.09 hours
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro may not be a brand or phone you hear a lot about, but it packs a lot of value and features into the price. The screen is a 6.4-inch full HD AMOLED display. The phone is water resistant and, at 6 or 8 GB, there is plenty of RAM and storage at 128 or 256 GB with removable storage that can add up to another 256 GB. However, what you’ll really like about the phone is the camera. If you’re a camera nut, you’ll love this phone. Best camera phone on the market.
7. iPhone XS – Top 10 Smartphones for 2019
Price: $999
OS: iOS 12.2
CPU: A12 Bionic
RAM: 4 GB
Display Size/Resolution: 5.8 inches/1125×2436 pixels
Storage: 64 GB/256 GB/512 GB
Rear Camera: 12 MP
Front Camera: 7 MP
Battery Life: 9.41 hours
Love this phone. It is one of three iPhones on the list. While we love this phone, the XR is a better value at $749 and the XS Max, while more expensive, offers that big screen. However, the XS is one of the best phones on the market. Yeah, it is more expensive than most but it is feature rich, blazing fast and, like all iPhones, has great interoperability with Apple products and devices. If you’re willing to pay the price, you won’t be disappointed.
6. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 – Top 10 Smartphones for 2019
Price: $599
OS: Android 8.1 Oreo
CPU: Snapdragon 845
RAM: 6/8 GB
Display Size/Resolution: 6.4 inches/1440×2960 pixels
Storage: 128 GB/512 GB
Removable Storage: microSDTF support up to 512 GB
Rear Camera: 12 MP/12 MP
Front Camera: 8 MP
Battery Life: 11.26 hours
The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is the only hybrid phone/tablet on this list and is highly deserving of the ranking, at least until the Note 10 comes out. Seriously though, the Note 9 has that large display you love in the Note series, the S Pen, giving you that notebook feel, has the extremely fast Snapdragon 845 processer, along with excellent memory and storage selections, including removable storage using a micro SDTF stick. So, while the Note 10 is just around the corner, you definitely will not be disappointed with this phone.
5. iPhone XR – Top 10 Smartphones for 2019
Price: $749
OS: iOS 12.2
CPU: A12 Bionic
RAM: 4 GB
Display Size/Resolution: 6.1 inches/828×1792 pixels
Storage: 64 GB/128 GB/256 GB
Rear Camera: 12 MP
Front Camera: 7 MP
Battery Life: 11.26 hours
We ranked the iPhone XR above the XS because of value. At $749, this iPhone has all the features you’ll need and much more, at a price more than $200 less. Not only is this phone the best iPhone value but one of the best overall values for a smartphone. It is blazing fast, has a nice screen size at 6.1 inches, fantastic battery life and more. Apple has done a great job bringing to market an iPhone that is comparable in price with many Android phones.
4. iPhone XS Max – Top 10 Smartphones for 2019
Price: $1,099
OS: iOS 12.2
CPU: A12 Bionic
RAM: 4 GB
Display Size/Resolution: 6.5 inches/1242×2688 pixels
Storage: 64 GB/128 GB/256 GB
Rear Camera: 12 MP
Front Camera: 7 MP
Battery Life: 11.30 hours
This is the best iPhone on the market and may very well be the best smartphone on the market. The XS and the XR are great phones but we love the large display, along with all the rich features and security that come with these iPhones. From the lightning fast A12 Bionic processor to the crisp display, this iPhone beats all others. However, you pay a price.
3. Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus – Top 10 Smartphones for 2019
Price: $914
OS: Android 9 Pie
CPU: Snapdragon 855
RAM: 8/12 GB
Display Size/Resolution: 6.4 inches/1440×3040 pixels
Storage: 128 GB/512 GB/ 1 TB
Removable Storage: microSD support up to 512 GB
Rear Camera: 16 MP/12 MP/12 MP
Front Camera: 10 MP
Battery Life: 12.35 hours
Yep, another Samsung. We would have ranked this one higher but, like the iPhone XS Max, this is a pricey phone. It does have the big screen with stunning resolution, which we love, a ton of rich features and security, great battery life, an incredibly fast processor in the Snapdragon 855, a triple lens camera and expandable storage through a microSD card that supports up to 512 GB. What is not to love about this phone? Oh, the price.
2. OnePlus 6T – Top 10 Smartphones for 2019
Price: $570
OS: Oxygen – Based on Android Pie
CPU: Snapdragon 845
RAM: 6/8/10 GB
Display Size/Resolution: 6.41 inches/1080×2340 pixels
Storage: 128 GB/256 GB
Rear Camera: 16 MP
Front Camera: 16 MP
Battery Life: 8.40 hours
For the price, it is hard to beat this phone, at least until the OnePlus 7 comes out. Sure, you’re not going to get all the bells and whistles but the OnePlus 6 packs a lot of value into the price. Fast processor, full HD display, decent camera, excellent RAM and storage on the basic model. You would be hard pressed to find a better value for a smartphone.
1. Google Pixel 3 – Top 10 Smartphones for 2019
Price: $529
OS: Android 9 Pie
CPU: Snapdragon 845
RAM: 4 GB
Display Size/Resolution: 5.5 inches/1080×2160 pixels
Storage: 64 GB/128 GB
Rear Camera: 12.2 MP
Front Camera: 8 MP Battery Life: 8.27 hours
For the price, this phone beats the OnePlus 6. Google has done a great job building a great deal of feature/functionality into this phone for an incredible price. The Pixel 3 is one of those phones that does everything well and has a price that is unbeatable for what you get. Battery life is outstanding, the display on the Pixel 3 is sharp, the camera is fantastic as well. RAM is good and storage is comparable to other phones.
