As we approach closer to the beginning of the new decade, there has possibly never been a better time to choose a brand new smartphone. These are our choices for the best Android phones of 2019.
We’ve had a superb year for smartphones at all ends of the market. At the end stage of 2019, you can get an extraordinary device, irrespective of the price bracket. While there are some serious candidates for the absolute best Android phone crown, we’ve decided to split our own list into a few separate categories.
Obviously, one of Android’s biggest strengths is the pure variety of devices you can choose from. The year 2019 was a scintillating year in which new form factors including the much-awaited launch of a few folding phones — suggesting that 2020 looks to be yet another star-studded year for smartphone hardware. While we see distinct forms, different chipsets and somewhat different implementations of the OS, at the very crux, they are all Android.
Whether you’re looking for a top-tier flagship, a budget device, or the best smartphone camera, we’ve organised our picks to help you make the right choice on your next Android-powered device.
Budget-Friendly smartphone: Pixel 3a
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Now that the Pixel 3a has been available for over six months, and wow, does this device deliver you with so much for so little. It compacts in all of the best Pixel portions and achieves it by making settlements in areas that matter least.
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The net result is a smartphone that presents exceptional value and experience. Still, with a lower price, you get all of the Pixel additions: software updates and fast security, high-class features, smooth bloat-free UI, and that only stellar solo camera.
Now opening at under $300, you still get one heck of a smartphone. Having a normal and an XL version also gives you a generous display increase, and different from some other manufacturers, nothing is lost by choosing the smaller version.
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Most exquisite value flagship: OnePlus 7 Pro
If you want a real flagship experience but don’t mainly like the idea of farewell with over $1,000, then the OnePlus 7 Pro is still the go-to flagship gadget for just about everyone out there. It couples with the best specs, the best displays and hardware designs for an extraordinary day-to-day feel.
OxygenOS is the closest you can get to the Pixel version of Android, too, with lightning-fast OS updates and regular software improvements all integrated with that striking 90 Hz display, super-fast charging, and immaculate pop-up selfie camera. There’s no suspicion that the OnePlus 7 Pro was always going to make to our list of best Android phones for 2019.
Being the first out-and-out flagship from OnePlus, the 7 Pro is the beginning of a new phase for OnePlus. The six-monthly release schedule indicates that you can hang on and pick up a bumped device, but the persistence on giving you the “best of the best†upon issue means that OnePlus devices age particularly well — not like some other flagships.
Click here to buy OnePlus 7 Pro.
Most adaptable smartphone camera: Huawei P30 Pro
The Pixel 4 has possibly the best smartphone camera on the market, but it doesn’t quite have the edge due to one obvious omission — an ultra-wide-angle lens. Fortunately, the Huawei P30 Pro has just about everything you could desire from a smartphone camera and is valuable of making any best 2019 Android phone list.
Obviously, the US trade bans mean that getting a P30 Pro is now difficult. Though, the sheer quality of the new RYYB sensor on the P30 Pro is one of the fundamental reasons it is such a captivating smartphone. You can accurately take daylight-like images with a solo click of the shutter button.
The 10x hybrid zoom also allows you to get closer to the action with no loss of quality. The ultra-wide-angle lens is just cherry on top. As much as Android smartphone cameras go, this is one of the very best in 2019. You won’t be able to grab the P30 Pro in the US officially, but you can get it from here.
Top value smartphone: OnePlus 7T
The slight blunder made by the Pixel 4 really puts into viewpoint just how good the OnePlus 7T is for the price. At a good value for money, you get one of the most comprehensive packages, period. It’s the best main OnePlus phone to date, and in a similar vein to the Pixel 3a, takes most of what makes the flagship model so good and puts only the icing on an already delicious cake.
That means you get a smooth 90 Hz AMOLED display, the splendid OxygenOS experience, super-fast charging, and an ordinary but striking design. There’s also space for a new triple camera setup that while not remarkable, is a substantial step-up over previous OnePlus camera experiences. The whole package for the price means that this second OnePlus phone is well worth a position on our best 2019 Android phone list.
Best all-rounder Android: Samsung Galaxy S10
There is a reason that Samsung accomplishes to keep the top spot on the universal smartphone sales lists, and that tends to be the absolute quality of their devices. While experience is mainly personal, what can’t be disagreed is just how decent most Samsung flagship devices are.
It’s the steadiness that makes the Samsung Galaxy S10 such a good phone. It has one of the most outstanding designs, a simply stunning display, and a camera system that can compete with just about everyone on the market. OneUI 2.0 is also now available, which, though not the best Android skin, includes a ton of features that make it attractive to many out there.
The best way to define the Galaxy S10 is that it just pins all of the essentials better than most other Android phones. It doesn’t need to be the finest in every category when it scores a solid 8/10 everywhere. For most people, we’d recommend the Samsung Galaxy S10+. The reason for that is the improved battery and extras make the slight knock in price more than worth it.
The fantastic Android experience: Google Pixel 4 XL
In spite of the problems and some pricing fails, the Pixel 4 XL really is the best Pixel phone up to the present time. For the typical person out there, this is about as close as it gets to an iPhone-like experience on Android. The Pixel 4 XL has the best camera, will get updates before everyone else, and will likely mature the best, thanks to constant support. And above, Google does Android the best.
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The display is incredible, Android 10 runs like a dream, and for the experience of the OS only, it deserves a place on a best Android phones list. Though, at full price, it’s hard to endorse when there is so much intense competition, even at this late stage of 2019.Â
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