We've seen a smorgasbord of new smartphone releases over the past 12 months period, with new models from both Apple and Samsung making it harder than ever to choose the very best handset out there. These products offer excellent processing speed, elongated battery life and crystalline screens. They take a pretty good picture, too.
The Telegraph has tested and considered the top smartphones of the last year, and here are our absolute favourites. It’s worth noting that the new releases have tended to be iterative rather than revolutionary, so while the reviews that follow cover the best new models available now, if you find a good deal on a previous model, that's still worth considering. You won't get a top of the range handset, but you won't miss out on loads of stuff either.

Whichever brand you choose, if you buy a handset that costs more than about £500 to buy outright, you’ll be getting a good phone with a good camera, a good battery, and a good screen. The only real differences will be physical size, the amount of image-processing included to improve your photos, and the operating system.
On which note… We could sit around all day arguing about the best operating system for mobile phones, rehearsing well-worn arguments about Android vs Apple (indeed, I’ve had a go at just that in the buyer’s guide at the bottom of this article). But, honestly, all you really need to know is that they’re both very, very good, and they both take a short while to get used to. Should you choose Apple or Android? It’s really down to personal preference. Personally, I’d say stick with what you know.
And whichever one you opt for, you'll be in need of a power bank for charging on the go – helpfully, we've also tried and tested a selection of the best power banks for 2019, too. 
In terms of upcoming releases, folding phones are on the horizon, with products expected from Samsung and Huawei in the summer (we’ll update this article when we’ve had a chance to try those).
Until then, here's our list of the best smartphones money can buy...