iPhone X alternatives
Tomorrow we're expecting Apple to launch the iPhone X in celebration of the iPhone having been in existence for ten years.
By all accounts it's going to be a phone worth waiting for, with advanced facial recognition, some augmented reality tricks up its sleeve, and a sleek-looking bezel-free design all rumored.
As loud as the noise has grown around the iPhone X (aka iPhone 8) though, you've got plenty of other handsets to pick from if you're choosing a new phone in the near future and don't fancy the suggestion that Apple's latest handset will be its most expensive to date.
Here are a few of the best alternatives to the newest phone from Cupertino.
1. Samsung Galaxy Note 8
The Galaxy Note 8 could lay claim to being Samsung's best ever handset, and it has some key differences to the iPhone - notably its Android OS, as tweaked by Samsung, and the integrated stylus that lets you scribble down your thoughts and access other features.
With that 6.3-inch 'Infinity Display' you also get a lot more screen space for your money, and perhaps the only downside is just how much money you're going to have to part with to get one - the Note 8 will set you back $929, £869 or AU$1,499 without a payment plan.
- Read our in-depth Samsung Galaxy Note 8 review
2. HTC U11
If Android is more appealing to you than iOS at this point then you've got a host of handsets to pick from across all price ranges, but the HTC U11 is definitely worth a place on your shortlist, with top-of-the-range specs and an excellent camera setup.
For your $649/$649/AU$999 you're also getting those squeezable sides, which will at least give you a party trick that iPhone owners can't boast about (yet?).
This being HTC you also get the usual high-quality craftsmanship, as well as the Edge Sense version of Android.
- Read our in-depth HTC U11 review
3. LG V30
We don't yet know the final price of the LG V30 (stay tuned for details), but we do know it comes with a gorgeous 6-inch 18:9 HDR screen, a distinct lack of bezels, and internal components that mean the phone can keep pace with whatever Apple has to offer.
With its integrated 32-bit Quad DAC, bundled Bang & Olufsen headphones, and 3.5mm audio jack, it also has sound capabilities that put it ahead of Apple's handset - and you can of course use your old wired headphones too. It's expected to go on sale in September.
- Read our in-depth hands on: LG V30 review
4. Moto Z2 Force
The Moto Z2 Force offers something that the Apple iPhone can't: Moto Mods.
These clip-on accessories cover everything from 360-degree video cameras to game controllers, and they definitely make the Z2 Force stand out among the host of Android phones on the scene.
Elsewhere it's a pretty decent phone in its own right - a sharp 5.5-inch display, the usual Snapdragon 835 CPU and 4GB of RAM combination found in most flagships in 2017, and a sticker price of $720 in the US (roughly £545 in UK money, with a launch expected soon).
5. Essential Phone
If you like Apple's approach to phone making but prefer the Android side of the fence then the Essential Phone is definitely worth a look: there's no doubt that ex-Googler Andy Rubin wants to build his company into something like what Apple and Tim Cook have got going.
Packing close-to-stock Android, a fantastic-looking bezel-free design, and the option of modular accessories down the line, there's a lot to like about the 5.7-inch handset. It costs $699 (about £530 or AU$870) in the US, with an international launch to be confirmed.
- Read our in-depth Essential Phone review
6. OnePlus 5
In recent years, OnePlus has come out of nowhere to really give the big boys something serious to think about, and the OnePlus 5 is the pinnacle of its achievements so far - it packs a whole lot of phone into something that doesn't cost as much as other flagships.
At starting prices of $479, £449 or AU$599, the OnePlus 5 is a lot more affordable than an iPhone X, even if you do have to make some compromises along the way, like an HD rather than a QHD screen resolution. It's fast, it's well designed, and it also takes great photos.
- Read our in-depth OnePlus 5 review
7. Samsung Galaxy S8
We've already mentioned the Note 8, but with its gently sloping screen, its stunning 5.8-inch super-widescreen display, and that hefty 3,000mAh battery pack, we feel compelled to highlight the Samsung Galaxy S8 too, a genuine iPhone X competitor.
The 5.8-inch S8 (or the 6.2-inch S8 Plus if you fancy something bigger) excels in every area, from the camera to the software, even if the fingerprint reader is rather awkwardly placed around the back. Off contract it'll set you back in the region of $725/£639/AU$1,199.
- Read our in-depth Samsung Galaxy S8 review
8. Huawei P10
Huawei recently nudged ahead of Apple in terms of handsets shifted (though that may well change again once the new-look iPhone X goes on sale), so see what all the fuss is about by buying the company's flagship phone for 2017, the rather impressive Huawei P10.
For your £570/AU$899 (it's not available in the US yet), you get a clever dual-lens camera, a sleek-looking design around the 5.1-inch screen, and a smart fingerprint reader that also acts as a navigation aid. It even has one of those old-fashioned 3.5mm headphone jacks...
- Read our in-depth Huawei P10 reivew
9. Google Pixel 2
Right now we don't know a huge amount about the Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 phones coming from Google but we do know they're on the way - if you can hang on for an extra month to put your pre-order in then you might find the wait to have been well worth it.
Supposedly coming with Google's 2017 flagships around the start of October are an improved screen resolution, upgraded internals and of course a better camera. You might even get the Android equivalent of Apple's AirPods bundled with your purchase.
- Read our in-depth Google Pixel review
10. iPhone 7 Plus
Maybe you love the iPhone aesthetic but don't want to pay top-dollar price for the iPhone X or indeed the iPhone 8 phones, and if that's the case then we'd direct your attention to the iPhone 7 Plus launched last September, which is still a very capable, premium phone.
This being Apple the price will still be fairly high but you get a lot of phone for your money (don't forget that excellent camera with 2x optical zoom) and if you head to eBay you'll probably find a flood of second-hand models going on sale at this time of year.
