Top 5 smartphones to buy instead of the iPhone X

Oct. 26, 2017 11:52AM EST

Still mulling whether to buy an iPhone X or not? Sure, the latest smartphone from Apple has a new design, an OLED screen and Apple's innovative new Face ID system — but if handing over $999 for the X isn't for you, here are five fantastic alternatives — some for just half the price.

OnePlus 5

OnePlus 5 might just be the smartphone bargain of the yearOnePlus

OnePlus is the company you're least likely to have heard of on this list, but that's okay because they are one of the best secrets in tech right now. Based in China, OnePlus has spent the last few years making a name for itself as a manufacturer that builds phones which match — or even exceed the specifications of better-known rivals — but for a fraction of the cost.

Its latest smartphone is the OnePlus 5, an Android flagship with a 5.5-inch AMOLED screen, a 16-megapixel dual-lens camera, a massive 8GB of RAM and an attractive, sleek design. At $550 is it almost half the price of the entry-level iPhone X.

iPhone 8

Same great iOS software, but $300 cheaper...Apple

If the iPhone X is a stretch too far then fear not because Apple also offers the new iPhone 8. It may share its design with the iPhone 7, 6S and three-year-old iPhone 6, but inside it's all-new.

Starting at $699, the 8 is significantly cheaper than the X but packs the same great iOS 11 operating system and a pair of cameras which are some of the best to ever sit inside a smartphone. There's wireless charging, water resistance, a gorgeous Retina, True Tone display and Apple's new portrait lighting feature to give your selfies studio lighting.

Moto Z2 Force

Moto Z2 ForceLenovo

It may not have the bezel-less design and curved screen of its rivals, but the Moto Z2 Force is still worthy of your attention. It has a 5.5-inch display, 12-megapixel camera and a big battery. There's also a planned upgrade to Google's new Android 8.0 Oreo operating system on the horizon, an OLED screen, and 128GB of storage - double that of the entry-level iPhone X, but for literally half the price, at around $500.

Google Pixel 2 XL

Google's answer to the iPhone X is this the Pixel 2 XLGearBrain

Launched just this month, the Pixel 2 XL is the latest handset from Google. It runs Android 8.0 Oreo, has a huge 6-inch, OLED display which stretches to the top and bottom edges of the handset, and an impressive 12-megapixel rear camera. There's also a massive battery and a rear-mounted fingerprint reader which is one of the fastest in the business.

Prices start at $849 for the 64GB model, while the smaller Pixel 2 — which is the same phone apart from screen and body size - is priced from $649.

Samsung Galaxy S8

The Galaxy S8 is arguably the best smartphone of 2017 so farGearBrain

Arguably the best-looking smartphone of 2017 so far, the Galaxy S8 has a gorgeous 5.8-inch display which curves around the edges and covers almost the entire front of the handset, which is just 8mm thick.

The S8 has some of the best cameras, plus an attractive user interface over the top of Android 7.0 Nougat, expandable storage and a large battery. Not only is it the most attractive smartphone of 2017 so far, it is also one of our very favorites. With prices starting to fall below $600, the S8 makes an extra $400 for the iPhone X hard to justify.