Top 5 Smartphones of 2018 So Far
So half of 2018 has passed by and we know that there are people looking to buy a new smartphone. You might not wanna wait for the next few months because that’s all you’ve been doing for the last couple of years, We feel ya! You’ve come to the right article. This year has been all about the “notches” so far. Notches on the top of smartphones have somehow become the new trend after Apple launched their iPhone X later last year. But we’re not here to talk about smartphone notches, are we? Let’s get straight to the point and talk about the TOP 5 SMARTPHONES OF 2018 SO FAR!
(NOTE: THIS LIST WILL ONLY INCLUDE PHONES WHICH WERE LAUNCHED IN 2018)
5. Nokia 8 Sirocco Edition
Last year in 2017, Nokia released their flagship device known as ‘Nokia 8’ in the month of September. The device overall packed pretty powerful hardware running on stock Android OS but somehow things didn’t work out for Nokia. Earlier this year in the month of April, Nokia launched its all-new ‘Nokia 8 Sirocco’ hence making a comeback.
In terms of hardware, both phones are pretty much the same. Nokia made some minor tweaks in the hardware department but the new thing about this one was its display. The Nokia 8 Sirocco features a stunning 5.5″ (13.97 cm) 2K pOLED display and the edgeless screen makes it feel more premium and solid to use. The phone comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage which cannot be further expanded. It’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset and Adreno 540 GPU. The phone comes with a dual-camera setup, a 12MP main sensor alongside a 13MP telephoto lens at the back which helps you take better portrait mode shots, and a 5MP selfie camera in the front. Other than that the phone supports wireless charging and is IP67 certified making it waterproof. Unfortunately, Nokia decided to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack with this device. The device is priced at Rs 48,500 (nearly $700).
4. Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S
Just like Nokia, Xiaomi also launched their Mi Mix 2S which is indeed the predecessor of the “Mi Mix 2″ launched last year. The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S was launched earlier this year in the month of April and it also packs some insane specifications. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 845 SoC and Adreno 630 GPU. It features a bezel-less display of 5.99” and has an IPS LCD panel protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The phone looks a lot similar to the iPhone X from the rear but hopefully doesn’t inherit the ugly notch at the top from the X.
The phone comes in two variants, the 6GB RAM/64GB/128 ROM variant or the 8GB RAM/256GB variant. The phone has a dual-camera setup both 12MP and also supports OIS for better image stabilization. The front camera has a 5MP 1080p sensor. Other than that the phone supports Quick Charging 3.0 and has a non-removable 3400mAh battery which could last a day with heavy usage. The phone comes with Android Oreo (8.0) out of the box and runs on the latest MIUI 9.5 by Xiaomi. It is priced at Rs 37,300 approx (nearly $545).
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3. Asus Zenfone 5Z
Asus launched their mid-ranged but flagship-killer smartphone in the month of June this year and it has already stolen the show. Asus has been making smartphones for quite a few years now but it hasn’t been offering any decent smartphones for the given price, seems like Asus is back in the game with their all-new “Zenfone 5Z”.
The Asus Zenfone 5Z is priced at Rs 29,999 (approx. $437) and sports the latest Snapdragon 845 chipset along with Adreno 630 GPU. The phone has a 6.2″ LCD panel but somehow has these amazing viewing angles. It flaunts a 12MP+8MP dual camera setup that supports EIS and it definitely captures the best photos in its given price range, even with the 8MP sensor in the front. The phone has three variants: 4GB/6GB RAM/64GB ROM or 8GB RAM/128GB/256GB ROM. It has a hybrid SIM slot which means that the storage on the device is expandable but comes at the cost of losing your second SIM.
The phone is pretty lightweight (155g) and looks premium because of its gradient finish at the back. Asus claims that the phone has AI (Artificial Intelligence) which can help maintain the battery life of the device if left unattended overnight while charging and etc. Overall the Asus Zenfone 5Z is the perfect definition of a “bang for the buck” deal!
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2. OnePlus 6
It’s simply impossible for an OnePlus device not to be on such a list. The OnePlus 6 was released this year in the month of May and as always it created a lot of hype among the OnePlus fans all around the world. OnePlus has been known for making surprisingly awesome smartphones for affordable prices. But as an OnePlus user myself I think the OnePlus 6 is more of an incremental upgrade from its predecessors.
The OnePlus 6 carries the trend forward with that notch on the top but hopefully has a feature to hide it. It has a 19:9 ratio 6.28″ AMOLED display protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The phone comes with a dual-camera setup, a 16MP main sensor, and a 20MP secondary camera which helps in low-light conditions. The phone is claimed to have both EIS and OIS in either of the camera sensors. The front of the phone has a 16MP selfie shooter which takes some decent portrait selfies. The overall performance of the phone is flawless because of the latest Snapdragon 845 SoC and Adreno 630 GPU. The phone comes in a 6GB/8GB RAM variant with 64GB/128GB/256GB internal storage respectively and cannot be further expanded.
The phone sports the company’s very own Dash Charging which is supposed to be the fastest yet. It has a 3300mAh battery and can hold up an entire day with only 60% of the device’s charging capacity. The phone isn’t IP rated but is claimed to be splashproof. The OnePlus 6 comes with an aluminum body on both sides coated with a Glass finish which makes it more solid and premium to look at. The OnePlus 6 is priced at Rs 34,999 ($510) for the base model and Rs 43,999 ($642) for the top model.
1. Samsung Galaxy S9+
The first on the list is undoubtedly the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus. The S9 Plus is also more of an incremental upgrade to its predecessor Galaxy S8. The major upgrade to this device is the camera. The Galaxy S9 Plus has two cameras both of them support OIS, it has two 12MP sensors at the back and one 8MP sensor in the front. The camera on this device is one of the best in its class and captures crisp pictures also in low-light conditions.
The most hyped feature about the S9 Plus is the variable aperture, where the camera sensor changes its aperture according to its surrounding and requirements but it can have either f/1.5 (for more light to enter the sensor which helps in low-light conditions) or f/2.4 (less light to enter the sensor, helps while capturing in daylight). The phone has Android 8.0 (Oreo) out of the box and runs on Samsung’s very own TouchWiz UI. It has a 3500 mAh battery and supports Quick Charging.
The phone comes either with a Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 Octa CPU with Adreno 630. It features a 6.2″ Super AMOLED display protected with Gorilla Glass 5 and has a screen-to-body ratio of 84.2%. The device carries forward the trend of its predecessor (Galaxy S8) which is the Infinity Display which makes the user experience more immersive and premium. The phone has 6GB of RAM and comes in 64GB/128GB/256GB storage variants. The S9 Plus is IP68 dust/waterproof and supports wireless charging, it also has Samsung’s very own assistant “Bixby”. Ultimately, the Galaxy S9 Plus is an eye-catcher. The price starts at Rs 69,999 ($1022).
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So these were the Top 5 Smartphones of 2018 so far, let us know in the comments section if we missed out on any of your favorite smartphones, and also leave your suggestions about the above-mentioned devices!
