Global stocks sank Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said he was not satisfied with talks that are aimed at averting a trade war with China. Equities were also dented by poor eurozone economic data, and as Trump cast doubt on a planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “Trump (is) continuing to drive uncertainty over global trade,” said analyst Joshua Mahony at trading firm IG. “European markets are following their Asian counterparts lower, as a pessimistic tone from Trump is compounded by downbeat economic data,” he added. Markets had surged Monday after US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He said they had agreed to pull back from imposing threatened tariffs on billions of dollars of goods, and continue talks on a variety of trade issues. However, Trump has declared that he was “not satisfied” with the status of the talks, fuelling worries that the world’s top two economies could still slug out an economically pain...
Welcome to T3's roundup of the very best smartphones money can buy. We only include the best phones in this list, so you can be sure you're always getting the very latest cutting edge tech.
The T3.com team has tested every handset under the sun, and this page is designed to provide you with all the key info you need so you can choose the best smartphone for you. And we've listed in order of preference, too, so there's no confusion. The first phone is the best phone.
So whether you're after the best Android smartphone money can buy, an iPhone upgrade or a new Windows phone (actually, let's forget about Windows, shall we?), we've seen and extensively tested them all so you don't have to.
Take a look and we guarantee you'll find the best smartphone for you, beginning with the very best phone currently available...
1. IPHONE X
SPECIFICATIONS
Weight: 174g
Dimensions: 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7mm
OS: iOS11
Screen size: 5.8-inches
Resolution: 1125 x 2436 pixels
CPU: Apple A11 Bionic
RAM: 3GB
Storage: 64/256GB
Battery: 2716mAh
Rear camera: Dual 12MP
Front camera: 7 MP f/2.2
REASONS TO BUY
+Incredibly desirable+Future of the iPhone
REASONS TO AVOID
-Gestures take getting used to-Fragile
Is the iPhone X the best phone this year? Yes. But only by a whisker. The Samsung Galaxy S8 is so close (especially if you prefer Android), while Apple’s own iPhone 8 Plus gives you so much of the iPhone X technology without the extra cost. In the end though, it's the ultra-desirability of the iPhone X that wins it.
The first thing that strikes you about the design is, obviously, the 5.8-inch AMOLED screen. It's certainly true that the edge-to-edge screen looks absolutely stunning, both from a design perspective and from a technology viewpoint.
Of course, there's also the top 'notch'. This does intrude on the screen slightly, especially when you want to be fully immersed in something, but call me crazy – I kind of like it. It gives the phone a visual identity.
Aside from the screen you've got Apple's blazing fast A11 Bionic processor, fantastic dual camera with portrait lighting mode, and FaceID (which actually works very well).
It’s the marriage of software and hardware, something that Apple's always been good at, that’s so effective here and that’s especially the case when it comes to Face ID.
- Read: iPhone X review
Of course, we have to mention the price. The iPhone X costs a considerable £999, making it the most expensive iPhone to date.
We'll start by saying this, if you think that's too much money then the iPhone X isn't for you. Is it worth £999? Well, it's complicated. Just like a Louis Vuitton Bag, there are more affordable alternatives that do exactly the same job, but it's all about prestige and branding.
Apple has slowly been morphing into a luxury goods company for a while now, and the iPhone X is another step in that direction. It's essentially a luxury item from a designer brand, so I feel it charging £999 is somehow more justified than Samsung charging £850 for the Note 8.
Basically, it's the refresh the iPhone needed, and Apple has succeeded in creating an incredibly desirable package. It's the best smartphone you can buy.
Today's best Apple iPhone X deals
2. SAMSUNG GALAXY S8
SPECIFICATIONS
Weight: 155g
Dimensions: 148.9 x 68.1 x 8mm
OS: Android 7.0
Screen size: 5.8-inches
Resolution: 1440 x 2960 pixels
CPU: Exynos 8895 Octa
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB
Battery: 3000mAh
Rear camera: 12 MP f/1.7
Front camera: 8 MP f/1.7
REASONS TO BUY
+Amazing design+Almost flawless
REASONS TO AVOID
-Fingerprint sensor location-Expensive
The Samsung Galaxy S8 is the best Android smartphone in the world right now, boasting the brilliant Infinity Edge display which occupies 84-percent of the body and cutting-edge guts. Yep, this futuristic smartphone is a looker, and instantly made its competitors look dated. It's the next step in smartphone design.
- Read: Samsung Galaxy S8 review
The S8 is the complete package, as well as the amazing display and industry-leading specs, this handset also has decent battery life, an excellent camera and amazing performance. With all of that combined, you get not only the best-looking smartphone, but one of the top performing smartphones in the universe. Yes, the universe!
We think the 5.8-inch S8 is perfect, but if you're after an ever larger smartphone, Samsung also offers the Galaxy S8+, which features a massive 6.2-inch display.
Okay, so unfortunately Samsung hasn't released a perfect phone - there are a few small niggles - such as the weirdly places fingerprint sensor next to the camera and poor Bixby implementation. But we guarantee you won't be disappointed if you buy this phone.
Today's best Samsung Galaxy S8 deals
€499
Shipping from
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€500
Shipping from
Free
3. GOOGLE PIXEL 2 XL
SPECIFICATIONS
Weight: 175g
Dimensions: 157.9 x 76.7 x 7.9mm
OS: Android 8
Screen size: 6.0-inches
Resolution: 1440 x 2880 pixels
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64/128GB
Battery: 3520mAh
Rear camera: 12MP f/1.8
Front camera: 8MP f/2.4
REASONS TO BUY
+Great camera+Super software
REASONS TO AVOID
-Plastic-like metal-Lackluster screen
We can't tell you how close it is between the Google Pixel 2 XL, iPhone X and S8 for the title of 'best smartphone in the world.' All three are great, but the sleek design, and amazing screen puts the iPhone and Samsung in the lead, just. The Google Pixel 2 XL is still an amazing smartphone - especially if you prioritise camera quality and want software straight from Google.
- Read: Google Pixel 2 XL review
Whether it's the excellent camera, the metal-and-glass chassis, the oodles of power involved or just the fact that the software and virtual assistant work in perfect harmony with the hardware, Google's got a lot right here and this is a brilliant phone.
2017 was when Google came into its stride with the Pixel sequels. Google now has clear vision for its flagship smartphones. The design is distinctive and has character, and the Pixel 2 XL's edge-to-edge screen makes it the one to go for.
Of course, if you prefer smaller screens, the 5-inch Pixel 2 is also available, which is identical the OG (apart from size and screen).
Today's best Google Pixel 2 XL deals
4. ONEPLUS 5T
SPECIFICATIONS
Weight: 162g
Dimensions: 156.1 x 75 x 7.3mm
OS: Android 7.0
Screen size: 6-inches
Resolution: 1080 x 2160 pixels
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
RAM: 6/8GB
Storage: 64/128GB
Battery: 3300mAh
Rear camera: Dual 16MP f/1.7 + 20MP f/1.7
Front camera: 16MP f/2.0
REASONS TO BUY
+Low price for flagship+Premium build with all-screen design
REASONS TO AVOID
-Not waterproof-'Only' HD screen
Looking to upset dominance by the big brands is OnePlus, who took the mobile world by storm in 2014 with one goal, to be the flagship killer. We think it's latest smartphone, the OnePlus 5T, has finally achieved that goal.
The OnePlus 5T gives you the latest smartphone trends, including an impressive 6-inch edge-to-edge display and dual camera set up with portrait mode. These new features are backed up by crazy powerful specs, a lightning fast fingerprint sensor, and a genuinely premium design.
Perhaps what's most impressive is that you'll get all of that for less than £500.
- Read: OnePlus 5T review
The OnePlus 5T isn't perfect though, the premium aluminium casing still lacks waterproofing, and the screen is only HD, rather than QHD (2K) found in many of its more expensive rivals.
Still, it's a very impressive phone, and if you're reluctant to spend more than £500 on a device, this is definitely the one to go for.
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