Dominik chooses the best smartphones of 2018
13.12.2018
Translation: machine translated
Video: Stephanie Tresch
2018 was an exciting year. Trade fairs, press events and all kinds of developments. Dominik looks back on his personal smartphone year and tells you which are the best phones of the year.
The race for Phone of the Year has started early this season. One of the first reviews of the year, the one of the Razer Phone, has already secured one of five places. Then Huawei put up a strong fight, Samsung failed at first and then won outright, and in the end there was a bagger. While the situation was more or less clear last year, I had a hard time choosing the smartphones of the year this year.
Note that with the exception of one phone, this list is not in any particular order. So, just because a phone is mentioned in 5th place doesn't necessarily mean it's worse than the fourth. Look at the list like this: "The phone of the year and exciting devices"
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5th Cat S61: Indestructible and fun
The Cat S61 has the advantage of being indestructible. This has tempted me to smash the phone into the corner at every opportunity or ram it into the ground at Mach 3, run it over with my scooter or generally throw it at people's feet. It just feels good when you don't have to worry about breaking it. The device also has a laser and an infrared camera. Great fun.
4. Red Hydrogen One: What is it?
I never thought I would ever hold the Red Hydrogen One in my hands. After a year's delay, it's finally here and it's probably the most interesting smartphone of the year. I don't understand it. Is it a tool, an accessory for a camera or a smartphone? The camera has a holographic mode that makes no sense to me and I can't export the images. I can tinker and puzzle with the Hydrogen One and the child in me enjoys every minute I spend with it.
3. Samsung Galaxy Note 9
The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 shows that the Note series has more to offer than just a slightly larger screen and a stylus. The screen is bright and vibrant, it feels good in the hand and it's easy to work with. It has also proven itself in the scorching heat of Mexico and in the Swiss winter, and with Otterbox all round it is quite sturdy. It has also improved the one factor that made the Galaxy S9 so average: The battery. The battery easily keeps up, even under great stress. If you want to buy a Samsung this year, then don't buy a Note.
2. Razer Phone: A new purpose for Android
Few manufacturers and even fewer users realise that Android is actually more of a platform than an operating system. This means that the stock version can be used for all kinds of purposes. Razer has gone there and not only created an exciting design that is unlike anything we've seen before, but has also tapped into the gaming market. Because Android is versatile. Gamers discovered this in the winter of 2018/2019, but Razer was almost a year ahead of the curve with its phone. And it was my first phone with gaming specs. That was impressive.
In the meantime, the successor to the Razer Phone, aptly named Razer Phone 2, is already on the market. I wonder whether I should take a closer look at it.
1. Huawei P20 Pro: How a smartphone works
Sodala. That's it now. Definitive and final. The phone of the year is the Huawei P20 Pro. No other phone has impressed so much right from the start. This is not only due to the outstanding three cameras, but also because the software is stable, the battery lasts forever, the phone itself is stable and, as a user, you don't have to worry about anything when you're travelling with the P20 Pro. With the P20 Pro, Huawei has set a standard that both established giants and newcomers to the market have to measure themselves against.
By the way, the P20 Pro is also available in the classy and very expensive Porsche version:
Out of competition: Huawei Mate 20 Pro
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is the world's first phone with the Kirin 980 system-on-a-chip and brand-new fast charging technology. It could easily have toppled its predecessor, the P20 Pro, from its throne. It does, if you just look at the specs. But if you buy one, I can't promise you that you'll have a good experience with it. My pre-production model doesn't have Gluegate, but your production model could end up with ugly discolouration on the screen. That's no fun and Huawei can't afford that. In addition, the company seems to have saved money on the display glass, which is why you should urgently invest in a protective film. In other words, the Mate 20 Pro could have been great if Huawei hadn't allowed itself a little cost-cutting here and there. <p
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
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