Smartphones are a central part of modern life. They are available to you at any time to help you make calls, snap photographs, reply to emails and keep up to date with social media.
And the great news for smartphone shoppers is that the devices have been around for a while now and the big technology brands have had plenty of time to finetune their models. Nowadays, there are usually only subtle differences between the performance of top phones.
So how can you pick the best phone for you? There isn’t a model that will be perfect for everyone. You will have to start thinking about your priorities and personal preferences. For example, do you prefer the clean design of the iPhone? Or a less-mainstream – but powerful – OnePlus phone?
We’re not going to list all the phones here, we’re just going to start with the leading brands…
Start by considering an Apple iPhone
Apple’s iPhone is the original popular smartphone, and they remain determined to be the best. Apple always brings out new iPhones at leading prices, and usually back it up with features that are among the best. Although Samsung has overtaken Apple in global sales, fans remain dedicated to the iPhone and will line up around the block for a look at the latest models.
So, you may already have a preference for an iPhone, or if not it’s a good place to start looking.
The key difference of an iPhone is that their software is built on Apple iOS (all the other phones on this list are built on an Android system). Apple has been tweaking their iOS software for years, and it is now finely tuned for pleasant design and ease of use. Choice magazine described it as having a dependable sameness.
A key part of the experience of owning an iPhone is that Apple has lots of features built into its software ‘ecosystem’, which are a pleasure to seamlessly access on other Apple devices (iMessage, AirDrop, storing your notes, calendar, photos and other files in iCloud). However, this makes it hard to switch to another type of smartphone afterwards. A pro tip is to use Google products as much as possible on an iPhone, if you want to keep your options open for switching later on (e.g. Google Calendar, Google Photos, Google Keep for notes, etc).
Awesome reasons for choosing an Apple iPhone may include:
- You like the dependable and stylish design of Apple devices and the Apple iOS system.
- You want to know your phone performs at a top level.
- You want a phone that works well and is easy to learn (especially if you already have experience using iPad or Mac laptop).
- You want an Apple Watch to go with your iPhone.
We recommend starting by looking at these Apple iPhones:
Apple’s newest iPhones are the:
- iPhone 11, with a 6.1 inch display, most of the latest features and 2 cameras on the back
- iPhone 11 Pro (5.8 inch display) / Pro Max (6.5 inch) which have 3 rear cameras and the best available display quality.
If you’re looking for an iPhone a good price (relative for Apple):
- the iPhone XR was ‘cheap’ phone from 2018 range, but had good value for money back then, and even better value now
- iPhone 8 / 8 plus is now the cheapest iPhone being sold new everywhere. It is still quite a capable phone, so it is a popular option for those wanting to get an iPhone instead of a cheaper Android phone (e.g. something you can buy for family members).
Check out the leading Android contender – the Samsung Galaxy
Samsung, the experienced South Korean electronics company, has done a fantastic job creating a rival smartphone with all the features and performance packed into the device.
Instead of using the Apple iOS system, Samsung uses an Android Operating System (which was made by Google). Samsung also adds its own significant ‘flavour’ to Android, with a set of minor benefits and features. The overall experience of using it is generally smart and sophisticated.
Superior advantages of the Samsung Galaxy include:
- a great display screen.
- great cameras.
- some cool features such as wireless charging, fingerprint scanning on the screen, and a headphone jack.
Which Samsung Galaxy phones to start with:
- We think the Samsung S10 was the best phone with the best value for money they released in 2019, but they also realised a larger Samsung Galaxy S10+ and a Samsung Galaxy 5G, if you want to future proof.
- A slightly cheaper version is the Galaxy S10e.
- If you like the idea of a really big phone with a very intelligent pen, consider a Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus (and for the first time, Samsung has released a Note at a more ‘normal’ size with the Samsung Galaxy Note 10).
Google’s great phone at a great price – the Google Pixel
As we mentioned above, Google already makes the Android software that runs the core of most other smartphones.
With the Google Pixel smartphones, we get to see what happens when Google got its very smart people to work on the physical product as well, and packs it with some savvy value-for-money.
The Google Pixel 3A was loved by reviewers, as it offers a ‘clean’ version of Android, and gets the newest versions of the software too. As you would expect, it heavily integrates Google features such as Google Assistant and Google Photos. The camera was highly celebrated as it had the best night-mode when it was released, which is great for the nocturnal photographers among you.
The early Google Pixel 4 reviews have been more mixed, citing concerns with the battery, the amount of memory it offers until you pay more, and that competitors have started to catch up to its camera. We’ll see whether regular users were also disappointed over the long term, or if the mixed feeling was disappointment caused by high expectations.
Still, it is well worth considering both the Google Pixel 4 or the Google Pixel 3A (which is now even better value).
And because Google updates the phone directly, it can be a safe bet that at least the software should be reliable over the phone’s lifespan (which isn’t always clear with other mid-range phones).
Grand reasons to get a Google Pixel could be:
- A dependable phone for a reasonable price.
- Lots of ‘Google’ integrations and features.
- New software and security updates are released all the time, direct from Google itself.
- A top-of-the range camera system that is especially strong in low-light.
To view more information, or add your own Google Pixel 3A review:
- Google Pixel 3A on Good Choice Guide
- Or you can view a Google Pixel 3A International Edition on Amazon Australia, for a little under AUD$1,000.
OnePlus packs a LOT of grunt into its phone
Compared to brands such as Apple or Samsung, OnePlus may seem more of an ‘up-and-coming’ brand. But it’s worth checking out if you value performance and are willing to be pleasantly surprised by something a little less-known.
The earlier versions of the OnePlus focused on packing quite a lot of grunt at amazingly low price tags. OnePlus has continued to up their game, although their smartphones are now almost as expensive as other top competitors. The OnePlus 7T on Amazon Australia sells for the low to mid $1000’s.
While still not quite mainstream, it’s a very useful brand to consider for its potential in performance and gaming.
Although, it’s worth noting that if price is a big factor for you, keep in mind that Samsung phones can be a similar price when there are sales on.
Oversized reasons to buy the OnePlus would include:
- If you want a phone full of specs – lots of RAM, a nice processor.
- A 6.67-inch screen size that’s big (bordering on too big).
- A camera that’s quite good (but not the best).
The top OnePlus phones:
The OnePlus 7T / 7T Pro is now the latest OnePlus phone and has been getting reviewers excited. It’s been the first camera to feature a triple-camera system of its kind for the price point.
Of course, you may still be interested in getting even better value for money with a slightly older version such as the OnePlus 7 Pro.
What next? Questions to consider before you pull the trigger
- If the camera is important to you, look up camera tests and and our smartphone camera tips here.
- Talk to your friends to see what phone they have, and what they like or dislike about their phone.
- Consider your budget and what you want to get out of your phone – do you want a leading phone? Or can you make do with a less expensive phone?
How to get more bang for buck out of your phone
- Get a slightly-older generation of leading phones. These are probably still being sold new, and a lot of the times it can mean you get a brand new phone with features that are almost as good as the newest model.
- Second-hand phones.
- Budget brands – including Oppo, Xiami, also Nokia 7.1 has a Google One.
Check (and add to) our community reviews
Our community reviews are designed differently to help you find something that’s good for you and your needs. So, it’s worth searching for your phone and seeing how they compare.
While you’re at it, why not leave a review on your phone to help out other Good Choice Guide community members when they’re looking for new phones?
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