Mobile World Congress Special

Countless new handsets were unveiled at last month’s Mobile World Congress, the world’s biggest smartphone show. Here are four of the best.

Samsung Galaxy S9

 

Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone comes with a new dual aperture lens that provides better low light and slow motion shooting capabilities, as well as a new personalized AP Emoji feature. It’s available in either 5.8-inch and 6.2 inch screen sizes. Both come with punchy Dolby Atmos-powered speakers.

The Bottom Line: Granted, from the outside it doesn’t look that much different than last year’s S8. But Samsung has still somehow managed to make improvements in almost every department.

Price: $700

Nokia 8810

HMD Global, the plucky startup that now owns the Nokia brand, surprised everyone at MWC by announcing it was releasing a new version of the 8810, the classic banana-shaped handset that was famously featured in the first Matrix movie almost 20 years ago. It comes in either black or bright yellow, and can squeeze out 25 days of standby time from a single charge. Oh, and it naturally comes loaded with the maddeningly addictive Snake game.

The Bottom Line: The new 8810 should provide enough of a nostalgia kick to justify its modest price tag.

Price: $100

LG V30S ThinQ

This premium handset is designed to go head-to-head with high-end offerings from the likes of Apple and Samsung. Its many features include a pin-sharp, 6-inch OLED screen (a first for LG) and Hi-Fi Quad DAC playback for superb sounding audio. The F1.6 glass lens fitted to its camera system also promises to dramatically improve dynamic range and low-light snapping capabilities.

The Bottom Line: Though the V30 might lack the desirability of an iPhone X, it deserves to be included on any shortlist for the best Android handsets around.

Price: $800

Sony Xperia XZ2

The XZ2 features a powerful Snapdragon 845 processor married to 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, and a vibrant 5.7-inch, 18:9, HDR Full HD+ display. Sony have also wisely ditched the tired chunky design cues of previous Xperia handsets in favor of a more pleasingly rounded aesthetic.

The Bottom Line: It’s great to see Sony is still managing to make a go at the somewhat saturated and ultra competitive smartphone market. And with the XZ2, it’s likely to remain able to do so for some time to come.

Price: From $700