10 best smartphones 2017: our pick of the very best phones

Welcome to T3 Elite's roundup of the very best smartphones money can buy. We only include the best phones in this list, so you can be sure you're always geting the very latest cutting edge tech.

The T3.com team has tested every handset under the sun, and this page is designed to provide you with all the key info you need so you can choose the best smartphone for you. And we've listed in order of preference too, so there's no confusion. The first is the best.

So whether you're after the best Android smartphone money can buy, an iPhone upgrade or a new Windows 10 mobile to pair with your laptop, we've seen and extensively tested them all so you don't have to.

Take a look and we guarantee you'll find the best smartphone for you, beginning with the very best phone currently available...

1. Samsung Galaxy S8

Simply the best smartphone you can buy today

Amazing design

Almost flawless

Fingerprint sensor location

Expensive

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is the best smartphone in the world right now, boasting the brilliant Infinity Edge display which occupies 84-percent of the body and cutting-edge guts. Yep, this futuristic smartphone is a looker, and instantly made its competitors look dated. It's the next step in smartphone design.

Read: Samsung Galaxy S8 review

The S8 is the complete package, as well as the amazing display and industry-leading specs, this handset also has decent battery life, an excellent camera and amazing performance. With all of that combined, you get not only the best-looking smartphone, but one of the top performing smartphones in the universe. Yes, the universe!

We think the 5.8-inch S8 is perfect, but if you're after an ever larger smartphone, Samsung also offers the Galaxy S8+, which features a massive 6.2-inch display.

Okay, so unfortunately Samsung hasn't released a perfect phone - there are a few small niggles - such as the weirdly places fingerprint sensor next to the camera and poor Bixby implementation. But we guarantee you won't be disappointed if you buy this phone.

2. iPhone 7 Plus

The OTHER best smartphone - Apple's dual camera, big screen phone is a winner

Gorgeous water resistant design

Dual camera

Iterative design

Could be too large for some

Here we have the iPhone 7 Plus - probably the best-looking smartphone around. Some feel its sheer size does make it tricky to hold, but there's no denying Apple's beautiful 5.5-incher is a winner. If you prefer iOS to Android and you fancy picking up the best smartphone around, this should definitely be your first choice. Apple has chosen to stick with the iPhone 6S design, improving it with rerouted antenna lines and a more integrated camera bump. There are glorious new colours available, and to top it off, the casing is now water resistant. The recent S8 design does make the iPhone feel slightly dated now, however.

Read: iPhone 7 Plus review

It's inside where the iPhone 7 Plus has received the biggest overhaul - now packing Apple's blazing fast A10 Fusion processor. The camera has also received a significant upgrade, now with two 12MP sensors capable of 2x optical zoom. To finish it off, the iPhone 7 Plus comes running iOS 10, Apple's latest and greatest mobile OS.

It is expensive, and may be too large for some, so the standard iPhone 7 with a 4.7-inch display is also worth your consideration.

3. Google Pixel

The best smartphone camera

Great camera

Super software

Not water resistant

Clunky design

We can't tell you how close it is between the Google Pixel, iPhone 7 Plus and S8 for the title of 'best smartphone in the world.' All three are great, but the sleek design, and amazing screen puts the Samsung in the lead. The Google Pixel is still an amazing smartphone - especially if you prioritise camera quality and want software straight from Google.

Read: Google Pixel review

Whether it's the excellent camera, the metal-and-glass chassis, the oodles of power involved (from Qualcomm's newest Snapdragon processor) or just the fact that the software and virtual assistant work in perfect harmony with the hardware, Google's got a lot right here and this is a brilliant phone. Of course, if you prefer larger screens, the 5.5-inch Pixel XL is also available, which is identical the OG (apart from size).

4. LG G6

First of the bezel-less phones, with a great dual camera

Large screen

Dual camera

Less premium than rivals

LG has finally made a good-looking, premium smartphone free from gimmicks. There are a lot of features we love here - that wide-angle screen is great, the bezels are tiny, and the dual-camera is really handy. Basically, we really enjoyed using it.

But it’s far from a perfect phone. LG has used a 2016 chipset, so it’s not the most efficient smartphone available, and the skin over Android Nougat isn't the best out there. It also feels less premium than its rivals, with a slightly hollow feel to the rear casing.

Read: LG G6 review

Certainly though, LG has done enough to redeem itself from the unfortunately unsuccessful G5 last year. It’s not the best Android phone released in 2017, but we don’t think you’ll regret buying it, especially if you can pick it up for a decent price.

5. OnePlus 3T

The best smartphone from a brand you might not of heard of

Low price for great spec

Premium build

Not waterproof

Getting more and more expensive

Looking to upset dominance by the big brands is OnePlus, who took the mobile world by storm in 2014 with one goal, to be the flagship killer. We think it's fourth smartphone, the OnePlus 3T, has finally achieved that goal.

With a slightly more expensive price tag of £399, you'll get all the mod-cons of much more expensive handsets, including an HD screen, fingerprint sensor, a decent camera and powerful specs. And, whereas previous OnePlus phones lacked finesse - the OnePlus 3T as a genuine premium feel and the software is rock solid.

Read: OnePlus 3T review

It looks slightly dated when compared to 2017 flagships (S8 and G6), but that's understandable when considering what a bargain this device is.

6. Huawei P10

Apple design with Android software, what's not to like?

Slim design

Leica camera

Battery life

Last-gen design

The Huawei P10 is the latest flagship from the Chinese smartphone giant, and we really, really like it. It's the ideal smartphone if you love Apple's industrial design (because, let's face it, this is pretty much a carbon copy) and Google software.

We love the P10's Leica-branded dual camera, which can capture some very pleasing images, and the OS is coming on leaps and bounds as well.

Read: Huawei P10 review

But it's far from perfect. The UI still lags behind its competitors, as does the camera, and the battery life isn't great either. While we love the design, it also lags behind Samsung and LG, who have moved to bezel-less smartphones - this makes it feel distinctly last generation.

Despite its flaws, we really enjoyed using it, thanks to a neat blend of design and features. It's stylish and fashionable, but not the most advanced phone on this list.

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