Best Android Phones Of 2018

Looking for a new phone running Android? These are all of our favourites.
2018 has already seen a slew of flagship, and budget, Android devices hit the market. It all started with the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the continued with the Xperia XZ2, Huawei P20 Pro and the LG G7. There’s also been the Moto G6 in the budget area and the OnePlus 6.

How we test Android phones:

Before scoring any Android phone one of our expert reviewers will spend at least a week using the handset as their primary smartphone. During that time we see how the phone handles with everyday use, but we also run it through a series of synthetic benchmark and battery-burn tests.

OnePlus 6

Pros:

• Much improved design
• Really good OLED
• Great version of Android
• Dash Charge

Cons:

• No Qi charging
• No official water-resistance

With a price of £469, the OnePlus 6 is easily the best value smartphone you can buy right now. It looks fantastic, has a slick version of Android and is arguably the fastest phone you can get at any price.

The 6.3-inch OLED might have a notch, but it remains gorgeously bright and colourful. There’s a Snapdragon 845 inside, 6/8GB RAM and storage versions that top out at 256GB. Our only real complaint is the camera, which still lacks the quality of pricier phones. It can still take very good pictures, though. 

The 3300 mAh battery features the excellent Dash Charge tech and takes only 90 minutes to full charge. We would like slightly better endurance though, as we often had to charge the phone by about 9pm.

Huawei P20 Pro

Pros:

• Feels great
• Really good OLED
• Loads of camera features

Cons:

• Buggy software
• No headphone jack

Our current favourite Android phone of 2018 is Huawei’s P20 Pro. Not only does it have three cameras on the back, but the main 40-megapixel sensor gives you serious freedom with your shots. There’s even a fantastic night mode.

The shiny back is lovely, the sides perfectly curved and the even the notched 1080p display is far from an eyesore. This really is Huawei’s best phone yet.

But there’s one area that really needs improvement – the software. Huawei’s EMUI is a buggy skin over Android 8.1 that renders apps like Google Maps and YouTube often unusable. Hopefully this will be sorted in an update.

Galaxy S9 Plus

Pros:

• Feels great for a big phone
• The OLED display is great and highly customisable
• Numerous camera features on offer

Cons:

1. Battery life could be better
2. AR Emoji are just bad

• Some lag with Samsung’s software

If you want a complete Android phone in 2018 then the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus should be for you. It has a lovely 6.2-inch OLED display, speedy Snapdragon 845/Exynos 9810, plenty of RAM and a clever camera.

The new 12-megapixel camera can now switch between an f/2.4 and f/1.5 aperture, which should ensure your low-light snaps come out nice and bright. It works, mostly, but you might end up with overly bright shots if you’re not careful. There’s also a secondary 12-megapixel camera with lots of bokeh modes.

Samsung’s display tech remains some of the best and the 6.2-inch OLED display is gorgeous. It’s brighter than previous Samsung phones and supports HDR content too.

This is certainly one of the best Android phones around, although the battery life doesn’t compare well with some of 2018’s other flagships.

Honor 10

Pros:

• Sleek design
• Powerful hardware
• Good value

Cons:

• EMUI Android skin is bloated
• Some performance bugs

If you like the look of the P20, but can’t stomach spending more than £600 on a phone, then the Honor 10 is the device for you.

It has a similar mixed metal and glass design to most other 2018 flagships, and ticks nearly all the right boxes when it comes to hardware. Highlights include a wonderfully bright and clear 5.84-inch 2280p x 1080p FHD+ screen, all-day battery life, and above-average rear camera.

The 24-megapixel and 16-megapixel, f/1.8 dual-camera doesn’t have the third sensor seen on the P20 Pro, and is completely absent of any Leica branding. For the money, however, you’ll struggle to do better.

Thanks to the addition of a nifty AI mode, the camera is able to automatically optimise its settings for the shot you’re going for. It does have a tendency to overexpose in bright light, however; but for the most part the tech works a treat.

The Kirin 970 CPU also makes it every bit as fast as Android phones that are close to £300 more expensive. The combination of factors make the Honor 10 one of the best value Android phones on the market right now.

Moto G6

Pros:

• Fantastic software experience
• Lovely screen
• Well built for the price

Cons:

• Some performance frustrations, especially with the camera

The best Android phone for under £250 you can buy right now is the Moto G6.

Previous entries in the G series have been super devices, and the G6 doesn’t break the streak. It has a lovely FHD+ 5.7-inch 18:9 display, a simple software experience and it feels really good thanks to the glass body and ergonomic curves.

The Snapdragon 450 processor paired with 3GB of RAM churns through most tasks with ease, though it does struggle with some of the more intense games. There’s 32GB storage as standard, and you can also add a microSD card to expand this further.

Our only real disappointment is with the camera. The actual photos from the 12-megapixel shooter are good, but the slow camera app makes for a frustrating experience.

HTC U11+

Pros:

• Great screen
• Good camera
• Large battery
• Runs latest Android version

Cons:

1. Uses last year’s parts

• Only a minor upgrade on the regular U11

The HTC U11+ is a spruced-up version of HTC’s older U11, which is no bad thing. Featuring a refined, near-bezel-less design, improved screen, larger battery and running Google’s latest Android 8.0 Oreo software, the U11+ is a fantastic choice for any smartphone buyer.

It’s also got one of the cleanest Android skins you’ll find. HTC’s Sense skin has long been one of our favorites, thanks to HTC’s wise decision not to load it with any duplicate applications. The end result is a UI that, outside of the addition of HTC’s Blinkfeed notifications service, is as close to native Android as you’ll find on a device that isn’t part of Google’s own Pixel range.

Add its Hi-Res Audio support and wonderfully clear omnidirectional mics to the mix and the U11+ justifiably earns its place as one of the best Android phones currently available.