We’re well over halfway through 2018 and here in the UK we’ve already seen dozens
of great smartphones launched - with plenty more to come, including Samsung’s Galaxy
Note 9, Sony’s Xperia XZ3 and no doubt an iPhone or two - if that’s your bag.
So what are the best mobiles released in 2018 so far?
Here’s a full rundown of my favourites, and why I think they’re the bees knees.
And for more reviews of the latest and greatest UK smartphones, don’t forget to give that
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One of the most anticipated handsets amongst the Recombu community this year was the OnePlus
6, and it’s not difficult to imagine why.
Despite costing significantly less than its flagship rivals, the new OnePlus is simply
stunning in pretty much every area.
The Snapdragon 845 chipset means it can’t be beat for connectivity and performance,
especially if you grab the bonkers 8GB model.
It’s a media monster thanks to the gorgeous 6.28-inch AMOLED display and masses of storage
- although there’s no microSD support as usual, curses!
And the super smart dual-lens camera has just been updated to make it even better, although
frankly it’s already the best smartphone of 2018 for shooting video.
This 4K footage is smoother than a buttered-up Snoop Dogg, and it was all shot on the OnePlus
6.
If you want the best but you’ve already run out of kidneys to sell, then look no further.
This phone is the mutt’s nuts, and you can grab it in the UK from 469 quid - and did
I mention this drop dead sexy red model?
Yum!
Now, if money is no object, we wouldn’t hesitate for a millisecond to recommend this
shiny slab of mobile magnificence right here - the Huawei P20 Pro.
That funky multi-coloured design is frankly saliva-inducing, attracting envious glances
all over the place, while the gorgeous display, smart Emotion UI software and impressive battery
life help to round off an excellent all-round package.
It’s pretty damn difficult to find any flaws here, although once again there’s no bloody
support for microSD, grumble grumble.
Of course, the real headline grabber here is that triple-lens camera, which really sets
the Pro apart from its rivals.
At first you’d be forgive for thinking this is just Huawei showing off - the mobile optic
equivalent of pulling down your pants and swinging your junk at the competition while
shouting ‘yar boo sucks to you’.
But check out our full P20 Pro camera review over on Recombu and you’ll see that’s
very much not the case, although the 4K stabilisation can’t match the mighty OnePlus.
I recently re-reviewed Sony’s 2018 flagship phone, the Xperia XZ2, which sports a fresh
new design and the usual brilliant camera tech that Sony is renowned for.
And although it’s definitely not perfect, I still love it to bits, the wee bugger.
It looks absolutely spiffing, standing out from its rivals with its own unique stylings
- even if it can’t quite match the P20 Pro for sheer desirability.
Media fans will adore the gorgeous and customisable display, while audio lovers will be in seventh
heaven - although you will need to make use of one of those wretched dongles to attach
wired headphones.
The same Snapdragon 845 chipset that powers the OnePlus 6 is back in action, and as usual
the camera is simply superb.
You can capture gorgeous 4K HDR footage, and grab attractive snaps in pretty much any conditions.
We’re already really looking forward to the Xperia XZ3, which should be hitting the
UK in a month or two - stay tuned for more.
Samsung is another mobile manufacturer launching a new handset in the coming couple of months,
namely the Galaxy Note 9.
We’re expecting this to expand on the solid foundations of its big 2018 flagship phone,
the Galaxy S9 - which was very good indeed, if not exactly much of an evolution.
The S9 felt like a simple updating of last year’s Galaxy S8, with only a few tweaks
thrown in here and there.
It’s still drop dead gorgeous, of course, and absolutely stuffed full of features which
make everyday life that little bit easier.
I’d happily have this thing stuffed in my shorts full-time, even if the camera improvements
didn’t really seem to actually improve anything - because although the P20 Pro is still better,
the S9 is a well-designed piece of tech and highly lovable.
We reckon it’ll be the Note 9 that features in most people’s best smartphones of 2018
round-ups come the end of the year instead of the S9, though.
One of OnePlus’ biggest rivals right now is the Honor 10, which again offers a premium
mobile experience at a fraction of the cost of the big boys.
Here in the UK it’s under 400 quid, and worth every penny.
The Honor 10’s camera tech isn’t as strong as OnePlus’, but still more than capable
when it comes to shooting everyday snaps and good-looking video.
Huawei’s EMUI software is again present and correct, just like on the P20 Pro, so
you get loads of smart gesture support and other useful features crammed in there.
And I can’t get enough of that psychedelic design.
Damn.
I mean….damn.
Another great value mobile launched in 2018 is the Nokia 7 Plus, yours for just 350 quid
SIM-free.
Again, it’s a carefully crafted handset, but this time glass is shunned for a more
traditional matte design.
The result is an attractive blend of old and new and it works a charm.
Android aficionados will appreciate the vanilla version of Google’s OS, while everyone can
jump on board with the excellent battery life and impressively dependable camera tech - complete
with a 2x optical zoom to get closer to your subject.
In fact, the Nokia 7 Plus is a strong rival to one of my favourite Android phones from
the start of 2018, namely the Sony Xperia XA2.
I really enjoyed last year’s Xperia XA1, but the XA2 is a big upgrade in pretty much
every area.
That sleek design has been reworked for an even more premium finish, while the impressive
battery life and gorgeous display also boost this phone over most other mid-range mobiles.
Here in the UK, you can grab it for under 300 quid - and frankly, it’s an absolute
bargain.
Even cheaper is this little bleeder here, the Motorola Moto G6 Plus.
Think of it as a slightly beefier version of the standard Moto G6, which we also highly
recommend.
Like the Nokia 7 Plus, you get an untouched version of Android OS, which will mean timely
updates as we move into 2019.
And Motorola’s Moto app serves up some neat gesture support, security features and other
useful bits which definitely get a thumbs up.
As for the hardware, the Moto G6 Plus does not disappoint - especially the decent camera,
which offers stronger low light performance than the standard Moto G6 and most of the
phone’s rivals.
So that right there is my round-up of the best smartphones launched in 2018 here in
the UK, across a range of budgets.
Did I miss your favourite out?
Well, don’t forget to call me a massive nobber in the comments, and hit that subscribe
button for more on the latest and greatest mobile tech.
Cheers!