Best Flagship Device for Value: OnePlus 7 Pro
When I reviewed the OnePlus 7 Pro back in May, I called it the best smartphone of 2019, with the obvious caveat that the year was only halfway over. Over 6 months later with the phone as my daily driver, and my mind hasn’t changed: the OnePlus 7 Pro has only gotten better over time. Besides the occasional rushed update, there’s no obvious flaw or shortcoming with the 7 Pro. Its display is still superb, even if it’s not the only device with a 90Hz display. Its performance is stellar, even when compared to the Pixel 4. Its design is beautiful, though I do wish it had a flat display. In every other aspect, the 7 Pro is good if not great: software, price, haptics, audio, customizability, battery life, connectivity, and camera. OnePlus still has a ways to go until they’ve caught up with Google when it comes to camera quality, but once they’ve bridged that gap, it’ll be hard to recommend a Pixel over a OnePlus.
OnePlus 7 Pro XDA Forums
Best Flagship Device for Features: ASUS ROG Phone II
ASUS surprised us earlier this year with its change in strategy to cater to power users and gamers. The ROG Phone II is the embodiment of literally everything that smartphone enthusiasts have ever wanted. It’s what you would get if you gave Reddit and XDA a notepad and told us to come up with a list of specifications. Okay, it doesn’t have literally everything – it’s missing a telephoto camera and wireless charging, for example – but it has so much going for it that it would easily be my daily driver had I not picked up the Chinese model. If you’re looking for a smartphone that gives you the smoothest performance, the best gaming experience, and the best battery life, then you’ll find that the ROG Phone II has no serious competition.
ASUS ROG Phone II XDA Forums
Best Overall Mid-range Device: Google Pixel 3a (XL)
My experience with mid-range phones is limited because I always crave the highest-end devices on the market, but I was pleasantly surprised by the Pixel 3a XL when I picked it up at Google I/O this year. It’s basically the Pixel 3 but without any of the quality control issues that initially plagued Google’s 2018 flagship. Mid-range smartphones, especially ones sold in the U.S., tend to get neglected when it comes to camera quality, but that isn’t the case with the Pixel 3a since it has the full Google Camera experience. Against new devices like the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 and OPPO Reno 3, though, Google will have to step it up if they want the Pixel 4a to be successful.
Pixel 3a XL XDA Forums
Best Overall Low-end Device: Samsung Galaxy M30
Once the undisputed dominant smartphone brand in India, Samsung now faces tough competition from Chinese OEMs like Xiaomi, OPPO, Realme, and Honor. In response, Samsung revamped its mid-range and budget line ups, bringing what were once premium features to lower price points. The Galaxy M30 is a great example of how Samsung is taking its newfound threats seriously. At a price of around $200, the Galaxy M30 offers a 6.38″ Infinity-U AMOLED display, a 5000mAh battery, triple rear cameras, up to 6GB RAM, up to 128GB of internal storage and expandable storage, and a USB Type-C port. Many of these features are rare to find in budget smartphones, and even if you do find a few budget devices with comparable specifications, how many have received the same level of software support as the Galaxy M30? I would wager only a few.
Galaxy M30 XDA Forums
Best Design: OPPO Reno 10X Zoom
Dazzling color gradients are just as appealing to me as they are to anyone else, which is why I love the design of my Nebula Blue OnePlus 7 Pro, but what’s the point of these beautiful designs if I end up slapping a case on the phones for 99% of their lives? I use cases on all my phones because I want to avoid scratching the camera(s) when I move a phone on a table or other surface. The camera is exposed on almost every phone out there – except for the Reno. There’s no camera bump at all, and better yet, the O-Dot below the camera keeps the phone from sliding around on the table. The Reno has one of the most streamlined smartphone designs I’ve seen this year, and it’s thus the only phone I would feel comfortable using without a case.
OPPO Reno 10X Zoom XDA Forums
Best New Software Feature: Dark Mode in Android 10
Google finally came to its senses this year when they introduced a system-wide dark mode toggle in Android 10. Not only do dark themes improve battery life (on phones with OLED displays), but they can also reduce eye strain. I use dark themes in every app that has one, and I actively seek out third-party alternatives when the official app doesn’t offer a dark theme. Technically, dark themed apps aren’t actually new — any Android app could offer a dark theme in their settings, and some even did. However, Android 10 is the first Android version to expose a dark mode toggle outside of Developer Options, and many apps are only now offering dark themes since Google made dark mode a platform feature.
Best New Hardware Feature: Penta-Camera Modules
Throughout 2019, smartphone manufacturers have designed devices with triple and sometimes quadruple-camera modules. Then came Xiaomi with its penta-camera Mi Note 10. Its camera array consists of a primary 108MP sensor, a secondary super wide-angle sensor, a tertiary 5x optical zoom sensor, a quaternary portrait sensor, and a quinary macro sensor. This might sound like overkill, but I think it’s genius as the Mi Note 10 offers the best camera versatility out of any smartphone. The 108MP sensor is great for daylight photos, and when binned, for low-light photos, too. It also allows for crisp digital zoom between 1X and 5X, after which the optical zoom sensor takes over for the 5X to 10X zoom levels. The portrait sensor helps for depth detection to separate the subject from the background in portrait mode shots, while the macro sensor allows the phone to focus on close-up objects. Finally, the wide-angle sensor completes the package by letting you grab photos in your field-of-view without having to step back. I think this will be a major trend in 2020, as evidenced by the leaks of the Samsung Galaxy S11 (S20?) line.
Most Improved: ASUS
Before 2019, ASUS was a smartphone brand that was only mildly interesting for me due to its ZenFone Max Pro line. When ASUS said that their strategy this year would be to cater to power users, they meant it. They really hit their stride with the ZenFone 6 and ZenUI 6. The ZenFone 6 had no notch, a large battery, a flip camera module that turned out to be more useful than I thought, a headphone jack, and a clean UI packed to the brim with features. They even reached out to the XDA community to seed devices, released the kernel source code and bootloader unlock tools right after launch, maintained active contact with developers, and pushed software updates frequently. ASUS has done everything right to become a brand we’d recommend. Now they just need to work on their supply issues so they can actually get a device into the hands of everyone who wants one.
Best Flagship Device for Value: OnePlus 7T
While it’s true that OnePlus have been slowly increasing the price of their phones, I would argue they still offer great value. The company had a lot to offer in 2019, but I think the OnePlus 7T is the best of the bunch. It takes all the great stuff from the OnePlus 7 Pro and refines it just enough to be a worthwhile update.
OnePlus 7T XDA Forums
Best Flagship Device for Features: Samsung Galaxy Note 10
Everyone talks about the big Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, but I think the non-Plus model is the real winner. You get all of the great features that Samsung includes in the Note line, most notably the updated S Pen, much-improved software support, top of the line AMOLED display, super-slim bezels, and good cameras, all in about the same size package as the Pixel 4.
Galaxy Note 10 XDA Forums
Best Overall Mid-range Device: Pixel 3a
Google’s flagship Pixel devices may be struggling to find their place, but the company hit a home run with the Pixel 3a. It’s everything we love about the Pixel series in a much more affordable package. You’re getting Google’s clean Pixel software, (usually) fast updates, and, most importantly, stellar camera quality. That alone is hard to beat.
Pixel 3a XDA Forums
Best Overall Low-end Device: Samsung Galaxy A10e
Honestly, there are so many really good low-end Android phones to choose from nowadays. The Samsung Galaxy A10e is a device you can get for $180 unlocked and it has an HD+ display with slim bezels and waterdrop notch, 8MP camera, 2GB of RAM, 3,000mAh battery, headphone jack, and microSD card slot.
Best Design: Huawei P30 Pro (Dual Tone)
Huawei makes some of the best-looking smartphones on the market, but one design, in particular, caught my eye in 2019. The P30 Pro launched in early 2019 in a few gradient color options, but in September the company released two dual-tone colors. The top third of the back glass is a high gloss, while the bottom two-thirds is matte. It’s a Pixel-esque design and I really dig it.
Huawei P30 Pro XDA Forums
Best New Software Feature: Dark Mode
Dark Mode is certainly not a new concept, but it really hit its stride in 2019. That’s thanks in large part to Android 10’s system-wide dark mode setting. I’ve been using dark mode almost exclusively since Android 10 launched and I don’t know if I’ll ever go back.
Best New Hardware Feature: Periscope Zoom
One thing that has always annoyed me about smartphone photography is not being able to get high-quality photos that are zoomed in. We saw a lot of progress in this department in 2019 with periscope zoom cameras. Several manufacturers have hopped on this trend and I’m hoping it continues in 2020.
Most Improved: Motorola/Lenovo
You’ve heard about the new Motorola Razr, right? If not, you’re one of the few who hasn’t. I’ve heard a lot about this phone from people who don’t typically follow technology. Foldable phones are hot right now and Motorola is staking their claim with a name from the past. People don’t typically get excited about Motorola phones, so that’s a huge improvement in my book.
