Best Android Phones to Buy in December 2019

Its no longer easy to decide which smartphone you should buy for yourself. This is because of the availability of a boatload of similar yet different smartphones in the market. To help you pick the perfect smartphone, we’ve curated a list of the best Android phones that you can buy right now. To make things even easier, we’ve also specified why each smartphone has made it on our list of the best Android phones in 2019 and why you should consider buying it.

Of course, there’s no ‘perfect’ smartphone, hence, we’d suggest checking out all the devices on our list before making up your mind. So without any further ado, let’s check out the best Android phones to buy in 2019.

OnePlus 7T: The Flagship for Everyone

Over the years OnePlus has been slowly increasing its price for its new flagships. However, the company still manages to offer just about every flagship smartphone feature at almost half the price. While the OnePlus 7T isn’t the best OnePlus smartphone currently available, it offers excellent value for money.

In fact, for those who aren’t fond of the curved edges on smartphones, the OnePlus 7T is a great choice. Given that the ‘Pro’ models now have curved screens. The device packs in the latest silicone as well. Powering the device is the Snapdragon 855+ SoC and you do get UFS 3.0 storage.

OnePlus 7T specifications

Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ SoC with the Adreno 640 GPU.
8GB RAM.
128GB or 256GB UFS 3.0 internal storage.
6.55-inch, 90Hz refresh rate AMOLED display with HDR10+ support.
3800mAh battery with Warp Charge 30T support.
48 MP primary + 12 MP telephoto + 16 MP ultra-wide.
16 MP selfie camera.
Stereo speakers.
In-screen optical fingerprint scanner.

As the spec-sheet shows, the OnePlus 7T comes with some of the best specifications. While the device does manage to capture some stunning images in well-lit conditions, it falls slightly behind when compared with other flagships in low-light conditions. However, considering the major price difference between the 7T and a flagship such as the Galaxy S10, there’s no doubt that you’re getting the best bang for your buck.

Moreover, OnePlus offers arguably the best software experience in the Android ecosystem. And software updates arrive way quicker on OnePlus devices than almost any other smartphone OEM apart from Google. At a starting price of just $599 or Rs. 37,999 the OnePlus 7T is an easy recommendation from us, thus it has earned itself a spot on our list of the best Android phones in 2019.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+: True Flagship Experience

The South Korean giant has had the best Android smartphones for several years now. The company’s flagship smartphone — the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ is easily one of the best smartphones you can buy at the moment. Be it between Android and iOS devices. Being from the company’s ‘Note’ series, of course, it packs in a ton of features.

While we would have liked to see Samsung introduce a 90Hz display on the Note 10 series, even the standard 60Hz AMOLED display on the Note 10+ is amazing to look at. It can achieve a peak brightness of around 1,200 nits which is perfect for viewing the display outdoors.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ specifications

Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 or Exynos 9825.
12GB RAM.
256GB or 512GB UFS 3.0 storage (tested to be faster than OnePlus’ UFS 3.0 storage)
6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with HDR10+ support.
4300mAh battery with 45W fast charging support.
12 MP primary + 12 MP telephoto + 16 MP ultra-wide.
16 MP selfie camera.
Stereo speakers.
In-screen ultrasonic fingerprint scanner.

Of course, the Galaxy Note 10+ has a bunch of extra features including IP68 dust/water resistance and the S-Pen. Additionally, you can even turn your smartphone into a PC by Samsung Dex with a single USB Type-C cable. The device even supports 15W fast wireless charging.

Check out: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ Customization Tips

Samsung’s new OneUI skin over Android offers a much-improved user experience than previous versions of the company’s skins. However, newer Android versions would still take a lot longer to arrive. Nevertheless, if you’re willing to shell out $1,000, then the Galaxy Note 10+ is the device you should buy. If you got a good budget to spend, the Note 10+ is the best Android phone to buy in 2019.

Asus ROG Phone 2: Gaming Beast

The Asus ROG Phone 2 comes with just about everything you could ask for from a phone launched in 2019. There’s no other smartphone better suited for mobile gamers than this gaming beast from Asus. Where most OEMs are omitting headphone jacks, the ROG Phone 2 comes with the headphone jack as well as an extra Type-C port.

Of course, this translates into a slightly larger body and bigger bezels than most flagships launched this year. However, this isn’t really a drawback since it helps to avoid accidental screen touches when gaming.

Asus ROG Phone 2 specifications

Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ with a 2.96 GHz clock speed coupled with the Adreno 640 GPU.
8GB RAM or 12GB RAM.
128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB UFS 3.0 internal storage.
6.59-inch, 120Hz refresh rate AMOLED display with HDR10 support.
6000mAh battery with 30W fast charging support.
48 MP primary + 13 MP ultra-wide.
24 MP selfie camera.
Dual front-facing stereo speakers.
In-screen optical fingerprint scanner.
240Hz touch-sensing.

As you can see from the spec-sheet of the ROG Phone 2, it’s packed with top of the line specifications. Mobile gamers can play games such as PUGB Mobile or COD: Mobile with high graphics without having to worry about lag and FPS drops. Moreover, you can purchase additional accessories such as the TwinView Dock 2, ROG Kunai Gamepad, AreoActive Cooler 2 and more. These accessories help elevate the user’s gaming experience. Hence, the ROG Phone 2 is on our list of the best Android phones in 2019.

Samsung Galaxy S10e: Best Compact Smartphone

Smartphones have been getting bigger over the years, however, not everyone has large hands. Therefore, for those of you who prefer a phone with a smaller footprint, the Galaxy S10e is the best you can get. It comes with a 5.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with little to no bezels. This makes it the perfect small yet powerful Android smartphone.

It’s also the first flagship smartphone from Samsung in a couple of years to have a flat display since the launch of the Galaxy S8 duo. Hence, those who prefer the flat design over the curved screens would love the Galaxy S10e.

Samsung Galaxy S10e specifications

Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 or Exynos 9820.
6GB RAM or 8GB RAM.
128GB or 256GB UFS 2.1 internal storage.
5.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with HDR10+ support.
3100mAh battery with 15W wired and wireless charging.
12 MP primary + 16 MP ultra-wide.
10 MP selfie camera.
Stereo speakers.
Capacitive fingerprint scanner.

While the Galaxy S10e might not have the latest silicone or a few other flagship features, it still offers an excellent user experience. It’s also available for around $550 in the US at the moment makes it an excellent value-for-money device. The Galaxy S10e retains most of the features found on the pricier Galaxy S10 and S10+ such as the IP68 water and dust resistance rating along with reverse wireless charging and more.

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The only thing to take into account before purchasing the Galaxy S10e is the average battery life. However, if you charge your phone at the end of each day or don’t mind topping up the battery in the middle of the day, then the compact flagship device from Samsung is a great phone for you.

Redmi Note 8 Pro: Budget King

Xiaomi’s latest budget smartphone — the Redmi Note 8 Pro is easily one of the best Android phones you can get on a tight budget. The device comes with the gaming-centric Mediatek Helio G90T processor which is even more powerful than the Snapdragon 730. This makes it one of the most powerful phones in its price segment.

The Redmi Note 8 Pro does not feel or look like a budget smartphone at all. It has a glass sandwich design with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on the front and back. Moreover, the device has a quad-camera setup and the images captured from the device are well detailed and look great especially when shooting in well-lit environments.

Redmi Note 8 Pro specifications

Mediatek Helio G90T SoC with Mali-G76 MC4 GPU.
6GB or 8GB RAM.
64GB, 128GB, or 256GB UFS 2.1 internal storage.
6.53-inch FullHD+ IPS LCD display with HDR support.
4500mAh battery with 18W fast charging support.
64 MP primary + 8 MP ultra-wide + 2 MP macro + 2 MP depth sensor.
20 MP front-facing camera.
Rear mounter capacitive fingerprint scanner.

After taking a look at the specifications, it’s clear that the Redmi Note 8 Pro is one of the best Android phones for people on a budget. Thanks to its large 4500mAh battery, the device can get you through a day of moderate usage on a single charge.

The device can even run PUBG Mobile on high settings with minimal lag or frame drops. Thus, the device is well suited for mobile gamers as well who aren’t willing to spend more than twice as much to get the ROG Phone 2.

Google Pixel 4 XL: Best Camera Phone

Google’s 2019 flagship duo — the Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL were one of the most leaked smartphones before their launch. The Google Pixel 4 XL has made it on our list of the best Android phones thanks to its impressive camera system. If you have been following the tech space for a while, you might know already that Google’s Pixel series devices have had the best cameras on any smartphone since the launch of the Pixel 2 duo.

The Pixel 4 XL comes with a dual-camera setup consisting of a 12.2 MP, f/1.7 aperture primary wide lens coupled with a 16 MP, f/2.4 aperture telephoto lens. The pictures taken on the Pixel 4 XL look stunning in most lighting conditions.

Google Pixel 4XL specifications

Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 with Adreno 640 GPU.
6GB RAM.
64GB or 128GB internal storage.
6.3-inch 90Hz P-OLED display with HDR support.
3700mAh battery with 18W fast charging support.
12 MP primary + 16 MP telephoto.
8 MP selfie camera.
Face ID-like face recognition.
Soli smart radar chip.

Google has introduced the Soli chip on the Pixel 4 duo. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what chip does. It basically is a tiny radar that uses proximity awareness to help in unlocking the phone faster and even lets users control certain features on the phone via hand gestures.

Check out: Pixel-ify Your Android with These Apps [No Root]

Of course, the Pixel 4 duo aren’t the first smartphones to introduce gesture controls. However, the dedicated chip makes using the gestures way better than what you might have seen with previous implementations of gesture controls on other phones. Nevertheless, the gesture controls are still a bit gimmicky and we’re sure you wouldn’t purchase the Pixel 4 XL for the Soli chip.

The cameras are the main reason why you should consider purchasing the Pixel 4 XL. Google’s machine learning and software optimizations make the images taken on the Pixel 4 XL stand out. Even in low light situations, the captured images have a good bit of detail. Therefore, if you need the best camera phone, the Pixel 4 XL is probably the best Android phone you can consider buying in 2019.

Other Android phones worth checking out

These are some Android phones that haven’t made it to our best Android phones list. However, they are definitely worth checking out and are excellent alternatives to some of the phones we’ve mentioned above.

Realme X2 Pro

The first flagship smartphone from Realme — the Realme X2 Pro offers a boatload of flagship features at a mid-range price. It comes with the Snapdragon 855+ SoC and even has a 90Hz refresh rate display. Moreover, it also supports 50W SuperVOOC Flash Charging which makes it one of the fastest charging phones in the market. Its main selling point is its price, which is set at $381 for the 6GB + 64GB variant.

Check out: Realme X2 Pro vs Redmi K20 Pro: Flagship Killers Showdown

Moto G7

This is one of the best Android phones for those on a budget. It’s a great alternative to the Redmi Note 8 Pro especially in regions where Xiaomi’s offering isn’t available — such as the USA. The Moto G7 packs in the Snapdragon 632 processor along with 4GB RAM. It has a 6.2-inch FullHD+ display and is powered by a 3200mAh battery.

Samsung Galaxy Fold

The Samsung Galaxy Fold saw a few setbacks since its official announcements. However, you can now purchase the premium folding smartphone for around $1,980. Of course, that’s a lot of money to shell out for a smartphone. However, if you aren’t phased with the two grand price tag, then the Galaxy Fold is worth checking out. It comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC and six cameras in total. Most users who’ve purchased the Galaxy Fold absolutely enjoy the new form factor. Thus, it deserves a mention here.

Also read: Why You Shouldn’t Buy the Samsung Galaxy Fold

These are our top picks for the best Android phones to buy in 2019. We hope you find the perfect smartphone for yourself from the list. What’s your favorite Android device launched this year? Let us know in the comments section below.