Top smartphone reviews of 2017

Being a mobile tech reviewer definitely has its perks. Shiny new devices are great and all, but still, at the end of the day, the most gratifying thing is to see our work actually help out readers and eager buyers navigate the vast and often confusing smartphone market. 2017 was a really interesting year, with many great announcements and more than one interesting trend set in motion and ready to unfold in 2018. Before CES kicks off and draws our collective attention to the future of mobile, what better time to sift through the top ten reviews of 2017, as rated by your interest....

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New Nokia 8 update begins rolling out

HMD has started pushing out a new update to its Nokia 8 smartphone. The change-log mentions things like improved system stability and user interface enhancements, aside from the December security patch. This new update - which arrives as Oreo version 4.390 and weighs in at around 330MB - is currently hitting units in some European markets. It's worth mentioning that the device has already received the December patch in some markets (like India), but these extra changes weren't included in that update. Via

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OnePlus 5T Sandstone variant could be in works

If you are a OnePlus fan, you might remember that the Chinese company used Sandstone material on its OnePlus One and OnePlus 2 smartphones. Well, now it looks like the OnePlus 5T could get a Sandstone variant as well. The company recently published a video - called What's in the Box? - which shows random people touching/holding a OnePlus product kept in a closed box, and speculating what is it. As you can see, guesses range from "smooth," "grippy," textured", "like stone," to even something as straight forward as "OnePlus One Sandstone." So while there's no information to back this,...

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Huawei P smart's European pricing and launch time frame revealed

Acclaimed leakster Evan Blass recently revealed that the Huawei Enjoy 7S will be globally available as the Huawei P smart. And now, a new report has revealing pricing and availability info for the device. As per the report, the P smart will go on sale in Germany sometime late January, and will carry a price tag of €249 (around $300). The report talks about the 3GB/32GB variant of the phone. No information yet on whether or not the 4GB/64GB model will be available in the region. Via

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LG Q6 review

LG went all-in with the 18:9 display aspect ratio this year for its flagships - both the G6 and the V30 employ this spec that's become incredibly trendy in 2017. The tall screens have only recently started to make their way to mid-rangers, though, and on that front LG was among the first to deliver, with the Q6.

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New update hitting Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) and Sony Xperia XA

Samsung has started rolling out a new update to its Galaxy A7 (2017) smartphone. Arriving as firmware version A720FXXU2BQL9, it's a security update that brings along Android fixes for the month of December. The update is currently hitting units in Mexico, but should soon be available in other key markets as well. Moving on, the Sony Xperia XA meanwhile has also been receiving a security update that bumps the Android patch level from August 5 to November 6. The update carries a build number of 33.3.A.1.115. Currently only F3111 and F3113 models are getting the update, but...

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Xiaomi Redmi 5 in for review

Xiaomi Redmi 5 sounds like a successor to the Redmi 4, but it actually comes as a vanilla version of the Redmi 5 Plus that is essentially the follow-up of the Redmi Note 4. The name game might not be strong with Xiaomi, but the device appears to have everything you would expect from a 2017 phone in the affordable segment - an octa-core chipset, 18:9 screen and friendly user interface. The Redmi 5 feels nice in hand, mostly due to its tall design. Texting one-handed is quite comfortable, especially when you have extra room for the keyboard. Xiaomi provides a transparent case with...

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