Top 15 BEST Smartphones of 2019 (Under $500)

A well-specced mid-range phone whose main complaint is its mid-range chip, placed 15th.

Slick slider phone whose last-year Snapdragon 845 is still as powerful as this year's mid-range chips.

Poor at launch but now a bargain at around $280 for some of 2018's best hardware.

Set the bar high for 2019 and is still well rounded, though no longer the mid-tier king.

Huge battery, fast charging and big display make it great for many users despite a mid-range chip.

Still good at performance, camera and battery a year on, and now cheaper.

Amazing value with a flagship chip in a compact one-hand-friendly body, and he prefers it to the Pro.

Not for gamers or tech nerds, but a clean Android experience with great photos and standout battery life.

He completely fell in love with it on release, though it is over this price bracket.

Offers a flagship Kirin chip, triple camera and premium design at a lower price.

An old flagship that is a tough combination for newer mid-range phones to beat.

A gaming phone that blew him away with its battery, 90Hz screen and fan, held back by mediocre camera software.

Great photos and videos plus very fluid, fast OxygenOS software and new stereo speakers.

Cheaper and as powerful as the OnePlus 7 with a versatile triple camera, but not worth buying now given the Redmi K20 Pro.

Not just a flip-camera novelty: exceptional battery, clean fast software and a camera that takes great photos.

His top pick under $500: cheaper than the Mi 9 with a bigger battery and a full-screen display with a pop-up camera.

A no-compromise phone at under $700 for those who can stretch their budget.

Still the best Apple has to offer for those invested in the ecosystem, and about to improve with iOS 13.

The most impressive camera phone ever, but he advises waiting on Huawei purchases due to the US blacklist.

The best phone out there if money is no object, and the one he carries every day.

A really good, slightly smaller option if you don't care about 5G.

A well-rounded and well-built phone for the price.

A smaller, trimmed-down Mi 9 that keeps the ultra-wide and telephoto cameras at a lower price.

Very close to the A70 experience, a little smaller and almost $100 cheaper, so better value for many.

Maybe the cheapest phone with the 48 megapixel IMX586 sensor and a well-specced all-rounder.