Smartphone guide for everyone from selfie-lovers to gamers, business bosses to budget buyers

THE WORLD’S biggest smartphone makers are vying for your dollars but which handset takes the best selfie? We’ve got a guide for everyone phone buyer.

THE WORLD’S biggest smartphone battle is being waged in Australian stores this weekend after Samsung and Apple simultaneously launched flagship products for the first time yesterday.

But choosing a winner between the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, the Apple iPhone 8 Plus, the OnePlus 5, or the Huawei P10 is not as simple as picking the highest number.

Even picking the biggest seller might not suit your purposes.

Jackdaw Research chief analyst Jan Dawson predicted “the iPhone 8 Plus (would) sell very well in relation to the Samsung Note 8,” and expected it to be more popular than Apple’s top model iPhone X too.

But for face-recognition, mobile gaming, or small pockets, you would be better off investing in a different phone.

We’ve gathered the best new and upcoming smartphones based on your needs, and whether you’re focused on putting yourself in the picture with the finest selfies, or signing contracts anywhere.

Some smartphones are better than others at taking selfies and putting you in your best light.

All about selfies

Most smartphones hide their best cameras around back but a select few recognise how important selfies have become to modern society ... or at least social media. Apple’s flagship iPhone X, for example, will feature a second front camera to deliver selfies with blurred backgrounds and professional lighting effects when it arrives in stores on November 3. But Huawei accommodates selfie-loving smartphone users now with its P10 smartphone. Its eight-megapixel front camera, co-engineered with German imaging firm Leica, features a wide aperture of f1.9, delivering artfully blurred backgrounds and photos even in dim lighting.

Runner-up: Apple iPhone X (from $1579)

Winner: Huawei P10 ($899)

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 comes with a stylus that can be used to write on the screen an annotate documents. Picture: AP Photo/Richard Drew

All about business

If you need to create spreadsheets, sign contracts, mark-up documents, and generally do business on the road, you probably use a laptop. Some smartphones can fulfil those tasks, however, letting you travel significantly lighter. BlackBerry’s comeback phone, they KEYone, puts a Qwerty keyboard at your fingers, for example, in addition to a touchscreen and Google Android apps. But Samsung’s newest release, the Galaxy Note 8, is the undisputed do-it-all device thanks to bigger screen than ever that can be split in two for multi-tasking, and a stylus that can be used to annotate or sign documents, translate text, and write notes. This Note can even be used as a computer when plugged into a portable DeX dock and a monitor.

Runner-up: BlackBerry KeyOne ($899)

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 ($1499)

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium smartphone features PlayStation Remote Play.

All about games

If you just want “snack-gaming” or a colourful, animated distraction while in queues, Apple is still your best bet. Its App Store hides gold, and even stretches to augmented reality games like The Machines that make robots appear on the desk before you. For serious smartphone gaming sessions, however, Sony offers PlayStation 4 titles on the advanced, 4K screen of its Xperia XZ Premium phone. Players can finish PS4 on the 5.5-inch device using Remote Play, and can even connect a PlayStation controller to the handset for fine control.

Runner-up: Apple iPhone 8 ($1079)

Winner: Sony Xperia XZ Premium ($999)

Apple’s new iPhone 8 Plus adds optical image stabilisation to its wide-angle camera. Picture: AAP Image/Joel Carrett

All about photography

Modern smartphones are more focused on photographs than phone calls and, for many buyers, there’s no feature more important. Google surprised mobile photographers with the 12.3-megapixel camera inside its first smartphone, Pixel, last year and it’s expected to repeat the feat on October 5 when it issues a new version. The internet giant is expected to add just one rear camera to the Pixel 2 but artificially intelligent software could make the difference. Apple’s iPhone 8 Plus is already proving there’s an advantage to doubling down on camera technology, however, adding optical image stabilisation to its wide-angle lens, and using it with a telephoto lens to deliver a 2x optical zoom, Portrait Mode photos, and the new Portrait Lighting feature that can mimic natural, studio and spotlight illumination.

Runner-up: Google Pixel 2

Winner: Apple iPhone 8 Plus ($1229)

A couple using the OnePlus 5 smartphone.

All about budgets

More smartphones are creeping past the $1500 price point but you can get into the game for less than $250, or get decent hardware for less than half the price of the top models. The return of the Nokia brand starts with a $249 phone, the Nokia 3, that delivers a 5-inch screen, 4G internet connection, and eight-megapixel camera, for example. If you’re willing to spend a little more, new Australian arrival OnePlus offers a top-tier smartphone for a mid-range price. The OnePlus 5 features two rear cameras, a 16-megapixel camera for selfies, a crisp 5.5-inch screen, and space for two SIM cards in case you want to save money with a second phone plan too.

Runner-up: Nokia 3 ($249)

Winner: OnePlus 5 ($599)

Originally published as Smartphone guide for everyone from selfie-lovers to gamers, business bosses to budget buyers