The best smartphone of 2018: 15 top mobile phones tested and ranked

You’re looking for the best smartphone on the market right now, and that means you’re aware there are loads of them to choose from – and that’s where TechRadar comes in.

We’ve gone through every phone on the market right now, assessing and rating all of them to find the best of the best. We check out camera quality, screen brightness and resolution, battery life and feel in the hand… more importantly, working out how each one is going to benefit you, the buyer.

The thing is that so many phones offer great specs and performance, that it’s hard to pick between them – which is why we’re laser-focused on price as well, constantly updating our list based on the changes in how much it costs to own each handset.

There’s a new player in the mix this year – Huawei’s latest P20 Pro flagship phone is a stunner, and is really challenging the Apple and Samsung duopoly at the top.

That said, the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is the best smartphone and still just nabs the top spot – but that’s the reason we’re bringing you so many options, as that one might not be quite right for you.

But maybe you want the best iPhone (we’ll ruin it: it’s the iPhone X) – but there’s a slew of other top Android phones in there, and we can’t wait to see what’s brought with the Honor 10 and OnePlus 6 launches in the near future.

These are the 15 best phones available in May – we’re pretty sure you’ll find something for you (and if not, we’ve got our list of best cheap phones as well). 

1. Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

Release date: March 2018 | Weight: 189g | Dimensions: 158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5mm | OS: Android 8 | Screen size: 6.2-inch | Resolution: 1440 x 2960 | CPU: Snapdragon 845 / Exynos 9810 | RAM: 6GB | Storage: 64GB/128GB | Battery: 3,500mAh | Rear camera: Dual 12MP | Front camera: 8MP

The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is a big phone that’s designed for big hands – and it takes the very best of what’s on the smartphone market and puts it together in a compelling package that we’ve loved testing. 

Screen: The Super AMOLED 6.2-inch display has been measured as one of the very best around right now, with super colours, great dynamic range and, essentially, the very best viewing experience you can have on a mobile phone.

Battery life: The battery life on the S9 Plus is better than the smaller version, thanks to the 3,500mAh battery – although it’s probably the weakest part of the phone, not offering as much life as we’d have liked.

Camera: The camera on the Galaxy S9 Plus is among the best on the market, and the dual-aperture capability offers some startlingly good snaps when things get a little darker. 

Colours can look a tad washed out when the exposure is higher, but the power of the sensor, with memory built into it to make it smarter than most rivals, offers very low-noise shots.

Mini verdict: If you’re after a bigger phone with all the features that matter on board, the Galaxy S9 Plus is that and more.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus review

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