There will be no replacement iPhone before the autumn but some of the biggest makers of Android smartphones have new models out now. All have cameras that are top-notch, batteries that are huge, screens that look dynamic and processors that run fast. They have fingerprint sensors and can make contactless payments.
So how to choose between them? The decision may well come down to the software “skin” overlaid on what Google supplies as standard Android: a suite of apps, settings and visual themes unique to each manufacturer. Moto’s skin is minimal, LG adds some useful apps, and OnePlus, Huawei and Samsung feel like they’ve carried out serious overhauls.
Unlike Apple, none has done away with the 3.5mm headphone jack, nor does any force you to use a proprietary charger. All use sockets that take the new USB-C connector, which allows for fast charging and can be inserted either way up. The downside is that there are relatively few cables in circulation — bad news if you’re used to cadging a friend’s for a top-up.
LG G6 £650
Last year’s G5 was a modular phone similar to the Moto Z, but the G6 returns to a standard design. You get a 5.7in screen and an excellent 13Mp main camera (with an Instagram-friendly app that allows you to combine four stills or videos into a single, square shot), but it’s chunky to hold and for this price you’d expect more than the base model’s 32GB capacity. You can add a memory card, though.
lg.com
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Samsung Galaxy S8+ £779
With the S8+, Samsung is saying “beat this” to Apple. Packed behind the curved 6.2in screen are iris recognition, wireless charging and so many pixels the screen defaults to a lower-res option. No other handset provides so much to brag about.
samsung.com/galaxy
Moto Z Play £370
This 5.5incher allows you to snap on “Moto Mods” hardware, including a Hasselblad camera. All add to the price — the camera is £200 — and make the phone heavy. Without them, though, the Z Play is slim and highly usable.
motorola.co.uk
Huawei P10 Plus £680
China’s Huawei is the world’s third-biggest phone maker, thanks to models such as this. The 5.5in P10 Plus has the biggest battery of all here but is still the slimmest and comes in a 128GB version. The “Leica-endorsed” camera is a dream.
consumer.huawei.com
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OnePlus 3T £399
China’s OnePlus 3T is further proof that big, powerful phones needn’t cost a fortune. Its specs match the big boys: 5.5in display (albeit at lower resolution than rivals), 64GB of memory and two 16Mp cameras in a slim, metal casing.
oneplus.net/uk