We may only be a few months into 2019 but already I’ve reviewed a stack of fantastic
smartphones - frankly, I can’t keep up with them all, it’s mental.
Fans are always asking what’s the best phone out right now, so I’ve decided to round
up my favourite phones of the year so far, in a number of key categories - the best for
camera tech, battery life and across a range of prices as well, including some of the best
upcoming smartphones, all to suit your particular budget
And please do hit that subscribe button and ding that notification bell for more on the
latest and greatest mobile tech. Cheers everyone! So my pick for the best cameraphone of 2019
so far is definitely the Huawei P30 Pro (and the P30)
As far as the optics go, you really can’t beat Huawei’s latest flagship phones. The
P30 Pro is the big daddy of the pair, thanks to that insane 5x optical zoom, which is genuinely
brilliant when capturing touristy shots on your travels - as is the ultra wide angle
view as well. The P30 may top off at 3x optical zoom instead, but that still beats the pulp
out of most rivals. Both of these blowers do a bang up job for your everyday snaps too
- photos are brought to life with rich colours and impeccably fine detail, while the portrait
mode is simply the best out there. As is the excellent long exposure night mode, which
just gets better and better with every new Huawei phone.
I also have to give a shout out to Samsung’s Galaxy S10 family in this category. The photo
capture isn’t on par with the P30s, but the video chops are very solid indeed - any
outdoor enthusiasts will especially love the Super Steady mode, which all but eliminates
judder when you’re bombing about the place. Now my pick of the best battery life smartphone
of 2019 so far is the Motorola Moto G7 Power. The Moto G7 Power may cost less than 200 quid
but it’s simply untouchable when it comes to longevity. Not even massive phones five
times the price can stretch to over three full days of use per charge, a feat that’s
accomplished thanks to the mighty 5000mAh cell and that power-efficient stock version
of Android Pie. If you want something to take on the road
all weekend long, then this is definitely your Huckleberry. But go check out my full
round-up of the best battery life smartphones of 2019 for more ideas.
So my choice for the best 400-500 pound smartphone of 2019 so far is the Honor View 20.
We’re all expecting the fresh new Honor 20 flagship to launch around May time, but
we still have much love for the Honor View 20, which launched back at the very beginning
of 2019 - back when we were still hungover and a bit bloated from all that Christmas
shenanigans. The View 20 packs some stunning design, with
a display that practically fills the front and a funky psychedelic finish ‘round back.
The specs match any premium phone for the most part, with Huawei’s Kirin 980 chipset
packed inside here - the same platform used in those fresh P30 handsets. You get some
stunning battery life and a very dependable 48MP camera rounding off a solid package,
and sure you don’t get an AMOLED screen, but the IPS panel is still bright and punchy.
So onto the best 300-400 pound smartphone of 2019 so far and that accolade goes to the
Xperia 10 Plus from Sony. 350 quid bags you the lovable Xperia 10 Plus,
a mid-range mobile that boasts Sony’s new and unique 21:9 stretched aspect ratio display.
This offers a borderless view when watching movies, and also proves perfect for multi-tasking
with two apps at once. Plus, that slender finish makes for a very comfortable gripping
experience - you’ve just got to get over how incredibly tall this thing is.
Battery life is good and we also like the dual lens rear camera - something that we
rarely see on a Sony smartphone before 2019. You get a 2x optical zoom to get a closer
view of your subject and yes, you can also shoot your home movies in that cinematic style
21:9 aspect ratio. Lovely stuff. Onto the best 200-300 pound smartphone of
2019 so far and that one goes to the Moto G7 Plus
We honestly can’t say enough nice things about Motorola’s most premium G7 smartphone
family member, which packs in some really solid specs and a very satisfying everyday
experience. You get the same streamlined, vanilla version
of Android Pie as the G7 Power, once again topped off with those excellent Moto bonus
features - including a very helpful one handed mode and some nifty gesture control. The lack
of a clunky overlay helps out with the slick performance, of course, so that Snapdragon
636 platform rarely struggles. And the dual lens shooter slapped on the back is again
impressive for this price point, boasting 4K video chops and some very funky camera
modes. Last up in the pricing band and my pick of
the best sub-200 pound smartphone of 2019 so far goes to the Honor 10 Lite/the Huawei
P Smart 2019. This pair are joint winners of this category
as they’re basically the same bloody thing! The Honor 10 Lite is effectively a rebranded
P Smart 2019, with the same front-filling 6.21-inch IPS screen, the same Kirin 710 chipset
for performance that isn’t too janky, the same 3400mAh battery for all-day play without
any stress, and the same fantastic Emotion UI software which adds everything from gesture
navigation to face unlock. You also unsurprisingly get the same 13MP
rear camera, backed by a basic 2MP depth sensor. Photo quality is very respectable indeed,
although the video chops are rather limited - not really a shock at this sort of price
point. And once again, massive props to Motorola's
Moto G7 Power - which offers stunning value for money at just 180 quid, lovely stuff.
If you'd rather have a stock version of Android instead of Huawei's rather heavy Emotion UI
overlay then definitely go for this bad boy. And finally my pick of the best upcoming smartphone
of 2019 is the Sony Xperia 1. So we've got loads of great stuff still yet
to launch in 2019 including of course the OnePlus 7, much anticipated indeed, and Google's
hopefully new mini and more affordable Pixel 3 smartphones. Not forgetting the likes of
the Pocophone F2, which should boast incredible value for money once again.
However, the one I’m most excited about is Sony’s Xperia 1, the Japanese giant’s
big new 2019 flagship phone. I’ve actually played with a working model and it’s a stunning
device, once again boasting that brilliant 21:9 display tech - but this time it’s a
4K OLED panel, which has to be seen to be believed. This is the first Sony smartphone
to boast a tri-lens camera too, with the same flexibility as Huawei’s P30 handsets - so
stay tuned for my full review, coming soon. So that right there is my run-down of my own
favourite smartphones that I've used and reviewed in 2019. But did I miss out your own personal
favourite? Well definitely don't forget to call me a numpty down below and let us know
what your own choice would be. And also please do poke subscribe and ding that notification
bell for more on the latest and greatest tech. Cheers everyone, love you! :)