The best phones for 2019

Dial the perfect phone

For most of us, mobile phones are at the center of our universe. The set of typical features of these wonders the size of a palm is amazing. This is your phone, your e-mail device, your web browser, your camera, your music player, your GPS, etc.

We are a smartphone-dominated country, with 4G LTE networks beating many home Internet connections in terms of throughput and the launch of 5G this spring. With stiff competition from the top four carriers and smaller virtual operators like Google Fi, we have more choices of wireless service providers than we have had over the years. But some of our choices are a little limited: the market for operating systems for smartphones is essentially based on iOS and Android Apple, and it is difficult to find a very good voice phone nowadays.

At PCMag, we review almost all smartphones published on AT & T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and many of their sub-brands such as Boost, Cricket and MetroPCS.

Rather than choosing only the phones with the best ratings, we try to provide you with a list of phones spread over several price levels. In my opinion, this list is a bit low between $ 300 and $ 500, but the US telephony market is too. Look older phones for values ​​there–products like the LG G6 and the Samsung Galaxy S8, which are still very good devices.

But what should you look for when buying a cell phone? Here are some key points to consider:

Which mobile operator should you choose?

Despite all the recent innovations in mobile hardware and software, your wireless service provider remains your most important decision. No matter what device you buy, it's a stopping point unless you have a solid wireless coverage. Maybe you have friends and family on the same operator you are talking to for free, and you do not want that to change with your next phone. Maybe you want a device, for example an unlocked smartphone for international travel. And of course, you want to choose a carrier that offers just prices, and provides the best coverage in your area. These are all good reasons to prioritize the carrier's decision.

We have two main features to help you choose a carrier. For our Readers' Choice Awards, PCMag readers tell us which operators they prefer based on coverage, call quality, device selection and other factors. And for our Fastest Mobile Networks feature, we're sending drivers to 30 cities in the United States to identify the smart phone operators with the best data coverage. Since each of the national carriers sells a wide variety of phones, you must first choose your service provider. Here is a brief overview of what everyone is proposing:

The strongest regions of the AT & T country are the Midwest, Southeast, Texas and, this year, Northern California. After a few difficult years, its speeds have really increased in our most recent tests, and they will improve as the company uses more markets "5G Evolution" throughout the year (the 5G Evolution is not the 5G, but it is faster.4G than AT & T had before). AT & T owns DirecTV. So it offers packages if you are also interested in satellite TV services.

Sprint had some rocky years. Its LTE network is improving rapidly, but it is still the lowest rated provider by our readers due to several years of network problems. That said, if you are ready to bet on a rising star, Sprint has promotional service packages that can often be incredibly cheap, especially if you switch to another operator.

Discover how we test mobile phones

T-Mobile's fortunes have changed dramatically in recent years thanks to Maverick CEO John Legere and his Uncarrier plan. It is now the highest rated "Big Four" carriers by our readers in the Readers' Choice Awards. In our Fastest Mobile Networks tests, Verizon is at the cutting edge in terms of speed and reliability. The new low-bandwidth spectrum has greatly expanded the operator's LTE network, which finally allows it to balance extraordinary speeds in cities offering decent coverage in the suburbs. T-Mobile also offers the best international roaming plan, including Canada and Mexico.

Verizon Wireless is renowned for the quality of its network and excellent customer service. Its prices may be higher than those of the competition, but its combination of highly reliable coverage and good speeds has made Verizon our fastest mobile network winner last year. Verizon also owns the largest 4G LTE network in the United States.

US Cellular is only available in about half of the country. He has the reputation of being a good customer a service, However, our polls have recently hurt our readers, who have said that its prices and the quality of the LTE network do not match some of the alternatives.

There are also a large number of virtual operators who use the four major networks but offer lower monthly rates, cheaper international calls or other benefits. They are generally better suited for lighter users and most do not have a family project. The winners of our Reader's Choice Awards this year were both virtual operators: Consumer Cellular, which runs on the AT & T network, and Google Fi, which combines Sprint, T-Mobile and US Cellular.

AT & T owns cricket; Sprint owns Boost and Virgin; T-Mobile owns MetroPCS; and Google has Google Fi. Tracfone is another leading virtual operator, with derived brands such as Straight Talk, Family Mobile and Net10, all of which have their own projects. We highlight some of our favorites in The Best Cheap Cell Phone Plans You've Never Heard About.

Do you need a 5G phone?

The 5G arrives. 5G could change everything–but not right now. The 5G is a much faster wireless system that will not work with today's phones. In 2019, 5G deployments will be limited and the devices will be expensive. I will not worry too much if you want to buy a phone this year.

5G networks and devices will become much more interesting and widespread around the end of 2020. Coverage and actual differentiation speeds will initially be in large cities. If you consider yourself an early adopter, live in a big city, and want the best connectivity, you have to badume that you will probably want a 5G phone next year. In 2021, the situation of 5G will be even better.

This could affect your purchase in 2019 if your budget is limited. Rather than buying a super-expensive phone worth over $ 1,000 with a three-year payment plan, you should buy a slightly cheaper phone with a two-year payment plan or even an upgrade plan. fast level of one year. This is one of the reasons why we recommend the Samsung Galaxy S10e to the S10 +, more expensive.

Locked or unlocked phones

As operators increasingly resort to confusing service and pricing plans, the value of unlocked phones has increased accordingly.

Unlocked phones are purchased at a third-party store or directly from the manufacturer, and are not linked to any specific carrier. Generally, you can use them with AT & T or T-Mobile. But some popular unlocked phones work on the top four operators. If you want the best flexibility, look for an Apple, a Google Pixel, a Samsung flagship product or a recent Motorola phone.

If you buy an unlocked phone, you can move it freely between compatible operators. But even if you do not intend to switch providers, unlocked phones are free of bloatware and, with Android phones, often receive software and operating system updates faster than the versions of the latter.

what is the best smartphone?

As more and more people get used to instant access to email, the web, music and messaging at any time of the day, wherever they are, smartphones have become almost indispensable. That said, there is a lot of variety, not to mention the followers of specific operating system platforms. It makes sense, though; Sometimes the user interface or the selection of applications of a platform only speaks to you and that is all. Keeping this in mind, and at the risk of catching the flames, let's spread it as well as possible for those who are not fully invested.

The diversity of smartphone platforms and designs is actually smaller than it was a few years ago. At present, Android and iOS are the two major smartphone platforms, both in terms of US sales and the availability of third-party applications. The iPhone has the best app store and the best multimedia features. But Apple's tightly controlled ecosystem may seem stifling to some, and iOS is not easy to customize or modify. There is a lot more variety among Android handsets, and its open-source nature makes it a dream for hackers. But it also means fragmented compatibility of third-party applications, occasional bugs, operator-installed bloatware software that you can not remove, and scattered, often sporadic updates of the operating system.

In terms of form factor, it's hard to find a smartphone that's no longer a solid black slab. The best phone with a physical keyboard is the BlackBerry Key2 LE. This is a good device, and it makes sense to choose whether the physical keyboard is important to you, but fewer and fewer people seem to consider this as an essential feature over time.

The phones are available in a wide range of sizes and shapes, to accommodate different types of hands. The Samsung Galaxy S10e and the Google Pixel 3 are narrower than most other phones, giving them large screens that are easy to hold in one hand. The Galaxy Note 9 and iPhone XS Max, on the other hand, are gigantic, for those who want big windows on their online world.

The best phones

A good part of the American population still uses simpler phones, but there is surprisingly little choice at the moment. There are always reasons to buy a simple and less expensive device: they are easier to use and charge a much lower monthly fee because the data is not involved. There are deadly deals for voice use only on virtual operators such as TracFone and Consumer Cellular.

There is, however, a big problem with voice telephones and current networks. Because all of our carriers eliminate or reduce the quality of their 2G and 3G networks, voice telephony operators must be verified by operators to provide voice coverage on LTE 4G for optimal quality and connectivity in the future . Older voice phones do not have that, and there are not many voice telephones on LTE, period. It's frustrating.

We have a voice phone on this list, the Doro 7050 for Consumer Cellular. The Kyocera Cadence LTE is good for Verizon. We have hopes for the Light Phone 2 and Punkt MP02, which are not yet both VoLTE certified, but both are trying to get through the process.

Unlike smartphones, phone features are a matter of "what you see is what you get". They do not receive any software upgrades or additional applications (some phones come with app stores, but make no mistake, they exist primarily to sell you services, ringtones, wallpapers and more. screen and basic games at additional cost).

For voice quality, read our individual reviews. Wireless coverage is still the most important factor, but reception, earpiece quality, microphone transmission quality, and side tone vary from phone to phone (echo in your own voice that prevents you from shouting at your interlocutor). A phone with poor to poor reception quality may be nearly impossible to use in a marginal coverage area, while a phone with excellent reception can make the most of the small signal available. Another point to consider: some phones have speakers much stronger than others.

For more information, check out our selection of the best single phones. We also have an overview of the best phones for kids.

The best budget phones

This story tends to be titrated by very expensive phones, but you can get a perfectly good smartphone for $ 100 to $ 250.

We are big fans of low-end and mid-range Motorola phones. They are unlocked and compatible with all US operators. They use a clean and fast version of the Android operating system. The Moto E series is available from carriers for less than $ 100, and the Moto G6 game is on Amazon for $ 189; they are good business.

Due to the current trade war between the United States and China, the low cost market has somewhat collapsed recently. We used to recommend several phones Honor, Huawei and ZTE, but their future in the United States is still uncertain. For the moment, look primarily at the low – end Motorola and LG phones if you are trying to save money.

The cheapest iPhone 7 that we currently recommend is the iPhone 7, worth $ 449. Apple tends to program its operating systems so that once a model is about three years old, it can no longer handle some of the latest features. This means that iPhone models older than 7 are coming to the end of their life fully supported. Do not buy an old model of iPhone.

The best price of cell phone plan

Pricing mobile phones is more confusing than ever. Some carriers still have old school, mandatory two-year contracts in which you pay a higher monthly fee in exchange for a discounted phone. But now there are also payment plans in which you pay the full retail price of your phone, but pay less with your service plan; quick upgrade and leasing plans in which you pay a monthly fee and swap your phone for a new one each year; as well as more and more operators selling phones for their initial selling price.

The choice you choose will depend on how long your phone is kept and what you want to do once the operation is complete. If you're thinking of making frequent upgrades, you'll get the biggest financial benefit by buying phones right away and reselling them on eBay when you're done, but it takes effort. Traditional two-year agreements make sense if you stick to a new phone every two years and if you accept the long-term commitment. T-Mobile and Verizon do not offer more than two-year contracts; either you pay on the front, or pay in installments over 24 months. Apple offers leasing and installment payment plans, as do the operators.

There is also your monthly carrier fee. And that's where things gets difficult because carriers make it extremely difficult to know how much you will actually pay per month. T-Mobile now includes a fee in the base price of its advertised plan, and we hope other carriers will follow. AT & T and Verizon plans tend to cost the most, but both operators benefit from the country's best voice and data coverage. Sprint and T-Mobile offer significant savings, including unlimited voice, data and text plans.

For the most up-to-date reviews, check out our Cell Phone Product Guide. Strictly interested in Android? See you on our horizon tour Best Android Phones. And if you want to document the world around you with your phone, we've also put together the best camera phones.