The best smartphones for 2019

The best smartphones for 2019

We tried all the latest and greatest smartphones to find the best of 2019

Smartphones are perhaps the most personal tech we own. That’s why it’s super important to pick the phone that’s best for your needs. There are many factors to consider, from design and operating system to security and durability. We fully test every phone we can get our hands on here at Digital Trends, and after conducting hundreds of reviews, we’re confident in recommending whether a particular phone is a good buy for you, or if you’re better off with something else.
After much debate and soul-searching, we landed on the Samsung Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus as our top pick for the best phone available right now, though for iOS fans, Apple’s iPhone XS is still a close second. Here’s why the Galaxy S10 ultimately triumphed, and our picks for other smartphone categories. If you’re partial to the Android mobile operating system, we’ve compiled a list of the best Android phones on 
the market.


Best smartphones of 2019

Samsung Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus: The best



Why you should buy this: You get a stunning, elegant design, cutting edge hardware, and a versatile camera.
Who it’s for: Anyone who wants the best screen, backed by strong performance.
Why we picked the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus:
Samsung’s Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus are the culmination of years of refinement. The elegant, minimal design has evolved to be highly desirable, the software experience has been overhauled to offer something slick and truly thoughtful, and the camera suite is one of the most versatile you’ll find.
The first thing you’ll notice about the S10 or S10 Plus is the gorgeous Dynamic AMOLED screen. It covers almost all of the front of the phone, stretching to the edges and curving into the metal frame, broken only by a hole-punch camera at the top right — single lens on the S10 and dual lens on the S10 Plus. That’s one of the few differences between these two phones, so your preference really boils down to the size you want. The S10’s screen is 6.1 inches, while the S10 Plus jumps up to 6.4 inches and is definitely a little harder to handle. Both are sharp, with HDR10+ certification, a wide resolution, and reduced blue light. Those spectacular screens are paired with stereo speakers, making these phones perfect for movie watching.You won’t see a fingerprint scanner in evidence, because Samsung has slipped it into the display. While you have to be quite precise, it’s the best in-display fingerprint sensor we’ve tested so far. General performance is fluid and snappy thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, which is backed up by 8GB of RAM. There’s also 128GB of storage space and room for a MicroSD card. Samsung also offers a 1TB version of the S10 Plus with a whopping 12GB of RAM.
The One UI, which Samsung layers on top of Android 9.0 Pie, is miles away from TouchWiz and much improved. It’s generally easy to find everything you need and there are lots of customization options. The only negative is that Samsung tends to be slow to update the underlying Android software, so you may have to wait a while for Android Q when it comes out later this year.
Most manufacturers have stepped up their photography game in recent years and Samsung is no exception. The main camera features three lenses, arranged horizontally on the back. There’s a standard 12-megapixel lens with a variable f/1.5 to f/2.4 aperture, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with a f/2.4 aperture, and a 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens with a f/2.2 aperture. This camera is equipped for every situation, whether you’re snapping friends in a nightclub, capturing a beautiful landscape, or zooming in on some action from afar. The camera app is packed with tricks to help you get the most from your photos and videos. On the front, the S10 and S10 Plus sport a 10-megapixel lens with a f/1.9 aperture, but on the S10 Plus it’s paired with an additional 8-megapixel lens with a f/2.2 aperture capable of capturing better depth information for that bokeh effect in selfies.Battery life is another strength, particularly in the S10 Plus, which has a 4,100mAh battery. The Galaxy S10 has a 3,400mAh battery. Sadly, both are limited to Quick Charge 2.0 speeds for wired charging, but they can charge up pretty quickly via wireless charging pads and they can even share power with other Qi-certified devices, thanks to the Wireless PowerShare feature. Both phones also boast IP68 ratings, so water is nothing to worry about.

The prices may give you pause, at $900 and up for the S10 and $1,000 and up for the S10 Plus, but Samsung is giving you a lot for your money here. These are beautiful, powerful phones that can do whatever you need them to.

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