Dear Santa, for Christmas I would Like ….

With Christmas fast approaching, we thought we would give you some specs and info on the best smartphones available at the moment to pop on your letter to Santa!

SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 9

The Key specs –
Processor: Samsung Exynos 9810
Screen: 6.4inch – 1440 x 2960 pixels
Camera: Rear Dual 12-megapixel – Front 8-megapixel
Storage: 128GB/512GB
Operating system: Android 8.1

The Note 9 is an excellent Android phablet and it comes with the Samsung S Pen stylus, which now has added Bluetooth functionality. It also improves upon the Note 8 with increased internal capacity and RAM, improved dual rear cameras, a longer lasting 4,000 mAh battery, enhanced audio and better positioning of the rear fingerprint scanner.

And, of course, it come with all of the excellent Samsung Galaxy family aspects we see as standard in the range, such as fast wireless charging, a stunning 6.4-inch Super AMOLED screen, expandable microSD storage, a high level of water resistance and a headset jack.

It is the technical leader in the smartphone/phablet industry, and best-in-class option on Android.

HUAWEI P20 PRO
Key specs –
Processor: 2.4GHz Hisilicon Kirin 970
Screen: 6.1inch – 1080 x 2240 pixels
Camera: rear 40-megapixel, 20-megapixel, 8-megapixel – front 24-megapixel
Storage: 64/128GB
Operating system: Android 8.0

The P20 Pro is easily the best phone that Huawei has ever produced. It has not 2, but 3 three rear-facing cameras. The standard 40-megapixel RGB camera and 20-megapixel monochrome camera work together to produce images of a greater dynamic range, and with lower noise than you’d be able to achieve with a solo camera. The third camera is an 8-megapixel 3xtelephoto lens, which gives you optical zoom. This makes the P20 Pro capable of producing some of the best-quality images ever seen from a smartphone.

The phone is powered by Huawei’s latest octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 970 chip, it has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. There’s edge-to-edge display across a large 6.1 inch OLED with a notch you can show or hide, a large 4,000 mAh battery and the phone has dust and water resistance.

The Huawei P20 Pro is a smartphone that definitely needs mentioning amongst the top smartphones on the market.

APPLE IPHONE XS / XS MAX
Key specs –
Processor: Apple A12 Bionic
Screen: 5.8 inches – 1125 x 2436 pixels / 6.5 inches – 1242 x 2688 pixels
Camera: rear Dual 12-megapixel – front 7-megapixel
Storage: 64/256/512GB
Operating system: iOS12

iPhone XS and XS Max are the latest offerings from the top-end of the Apple smartphone range.

They have built and improved upon last year’s iPhone X and added into the new phones more power, the super-fast A12 Bionic processor, a new storage option and, in the case of the XS Max, a huge screen. The dual camera setup on both the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max is fantastic, the Smart HDR mode makes your pictures even clearer, brighter and more detailed, and you also have portrait lighting mode and FaceID.

The edge-to-edge Super Retina OLED screen looks great and watching movies on the screen is especially impressive: all of Apple’s OLED phones support Dolby Vision, which is the most advanced kind of HDR, and is supported by Netflix and iTunes movies.

It appears that Apple have subtly re-engineered the iPhone X from top to bottom and given us 2 very desirable excellent offerings in the iPhone XS and XS Max.

LG G7 THINQ
Key specs –
Processor: SDM845 (2.65GHz Octa-Core)
Screen: 6.1-inches – 1440 x 3120 pixels
Camera: rear Dual 16-megapixel – front 8-megapixel
Storage: 64GB
Operating system: Android 8.1

LG is really putting out quality Android handsets now and the LG G7 ThinQ is the best so far, delivering a phone packed with a stunningly bright high-resolution 18:9 aspect ratio screen, flagship-level internal hardware (that’s a Snapdragon 845 CPU with 4GB of RAM), and a selection of high-level features geared toward performance users.

It has a 3.5mm headphone jack, dual camera setup (one is widescreen that is unique among the dual camera devices), wireless charging, IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, microSD expansion capability, a screen that extends nearly the full front with a notch, and incredible audio support.

The LG G7 ThinQ includes AI elements in its camera with Cine Video mode and more. LG set the bar for phone cameras a few years ago and may be doing it again with the LG G7 ThinQ.

LG ThinQ is a great package for a pretty reasonable price.

SONY XPERIA XZ3
Key specs –
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
Screen: 6.0-inches – 1440 x 2880 pixels
Camera: rear 19-megapixel and front 13-megapixel
Storage: 64GB
Operating system: Android 9.0

With the Xperia XZ3, Sony has produced a fast and stylish refresh to its technically impressive Xperia XZ2. We now have a stunning new Bravia-engineered 6-inch,18:9 QHD+ HDR screen, as well as a new aluminium and glass design.

This notch-less, OLED phone also comes with some competitive hardware, too, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 CPU, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage space, and a 3,300 mAh battery. Together this hardware gives a flagship level of performance in games and apps.

The screen is the Xperia XZ3’s big selling point though. Watching media on it is amazing and it’s been said in the phone world that it’s probably the best phone screen ever made.

In terms of cameras, you get the same 19MP rear camera on the XZ3 that was installed in the XZ2, which is good and delivers detailed shots. The Sony Xperia XZ3 is capable of 4K, HDR video recording, and can also capture super slow-motion footage (960fps) at 1080p, too, which is a standout ability that is currently unmatched by its rivals.

The Xperia XZ3 is overall the best phone Sony currently makes, and comes in some pretty snazzy colours to boot.

GOOGLE PIXEL 2 XL
Key specs –
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Screen: 6.0-inches – 1440 x 2880 pixels
Camera: rear 12-megapixel and front 8-megapixel
Storage: 64/128GB
Operating system: Android 8

The Pixel 2 XL is all about the camera, with a wider frame and more expansive 6-inch screen that’s brilliant for gaming and watching all manner of content. It boasts an improved design over the smaller Pixel 2, with slimmer bezels housing its dual front-facing speakers

It comes with Android 8 (Oreo) out of the box but can immediately update to the latest Android 9 (Pie) which instantly enhances all the features and running of the phone.

The XL has good battery life. It will comfortably last you a full day with normal use, and its ability to save power when it’s idle means it’ll last a few days in standby.

The camera on the Pixel 2XL is stunningly good. Photos taken on this phone will please both casual and the more serious snappers among us. Low light conditions in particular are where this phone shines – perhaps only equalled by the Galaxy S9 pair and Huawei P20 Pro.

This phone is a pure Android experience and you’ll struggle to take a poor snap with it. With a large, high-res screen, it’s a pricey phone but worth it if the above appeals.

HTC U12+
Key specs –
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
Screen: 6 inch – 2880 x 1440 pixels
Camera: Rear 12-megapixel and 16-megapixel – Front dual 8-megapixel
Storage: 64GB
Operating system: Android 8.1

As always, HTC’s handset designs are sleek and stylish and the U12 Plus is no exception. They come in a range of colours and there is even a transparent baked blue design available. The handset has a perfectly positioned fingerprint scanner, curves, and more to make it very pleasant to handle.

The feature packed dual front and rear camera system is technically great and is a strong rival to the best smartphones on the market today. The audio experience through the USB-C port is tough to beat. The HTC U12+ comes with noise-cancelling earbuds that customize the audio for your ear,

Flagship internal hardware, a gorgeous 18:9 HDR screen, certified IP68 water resistance and dual LTE SIM functionality are partnered with a bunch of HTC unique tech (such as Edge Sense 2) which helps give the U12+ an identity of its very own and separate it from the Android pack. A very strong all-round package.

Honor 10
Key specs –
Processor: Hisilicon Kirin 970
Screen: 5.84 inch – 1080 x 2280 pixels
Camera: Rear 16-megapixel and 24-megapixel – Front dual 24-megapixel
Storage: 64/128 GB
Operating system: Android 8.1

The Honor 10 is a fantastic smartphone, partnering an eye-catching vibrant design with good hardware and an impressive suite of features, including some genuinely impressive AI functions. It can’t quite match the other flagship smartphones on the market, but it’s very nearly as good, and will cost you even less than the OnePlus.

It has the now familiar edge-to-edge screen design and a notch, albeit one that can be hidden with a software setting if you prefer, and on the inside it uses the same processor as the Huawei P20 Pro – a much more expensive phone. The AI camera functionality is also really nicely integrated, and the camera system grants you serious flexibility and scope to take creative shots.

It’s a great offering from Huawei Honor that shows that the Chinese maker is going from strength to strength.