More and more companies are releasing smartphones with notches to maximize screen real estate. However, our poll shows most users are against this design trend, which kills the symmetry of a smartphone and gives it a weird look. If you’re one of them, you’ll be happy to hear there are still quite a few flagships out there without a notch, although the number is decreasing fast. Check out a few of the best phones without a notch below.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
The Galaxy Note 9’s notch-less display comes in at 6.4 inches, making it slightly bigger than the S9 Plus’ (6.2 inches). The curved Super AMOLED panel offers QHD+ resolution and has an 18.5:9 aspect ratio.
The S Pen makes the Galaxy Note 9 stand out from the crowd.
The Note 9 packs the Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 chipset under the hood — depending on the region — along with either 6 or 8GB of RAM. It also sports a dual-camera setup on the back, features an iris scanner, and is IP68 rated for protection against water and dust. But what makes it special is the S Pen, which pops out from the bottom edge of the device. It now supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), so you can launch the camera and take a selfie via the button on the stylus — among other things.
The Galaxy Note 9 is one of the best and most powerful phones you can currently get your hands on. But it is rather expensive: the 6GB/128GB version will set you back $1,000, while the beefed-up variant with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage goes for $1,250.
Specs
- 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with 2,960 x 1,440 resolution, 516ppi
- Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 chipset — depending on the region
- 6/8GB of RAM
- 128/512GB of onboard storage, expandable up to 512GB
- Dual 12MP rear cameras, 8MP front camera
- Non-removable 4,000mAh battery
- Android 8.1 Oreo
- 161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8mm, 201g
Read more
- Samsung Galaxy Note 9 review: In praise of incrementalism
- The 5 features that make the Galaxy Note 9 great
- Galaxy Note 9 vs Galaxy S9 Plus: Which Galaxy do you belong to?
- 7 things you can do with the Galaxy Note 9’s Bluetooth S Pen
Sony Xperia XZ3
Like Samsung, Sony is one of the few phone makers that haven’t jumped on the notch bandwagon yet. The Xperia XZ3 is the company’s latest and greatest smartphone, sporting a 6-inch OLED display that’s slightly curved on the sides, the Snapdragon 845 chipset, and 4GB of RAM.
The Sony Xperia XZ3 runs Android 9.0 Pie out of the box.
The flagship runs Android 9.0 Pie and has a number of great software features on board like Side Sense, which brings up a mini app drawer when you double tap the edge of the screen. It features a single camera on the back, is equipped with dual front-facing speakers, and supports wireless charging.
The Sony Xperia XZ3 is up for pre-order in the U.S. with a high price tag of $900. To sweeten the deal, Sony is throwing in the Xperia Ear Duo wireless headset for free, which retail for $280.
Specs
- 6.0-inch OLED display with 2,880 x 1,440 resolution, 537ppi
- Snapdragon 845 chipset
- 4GB of RAM
- 64GB of on-board storage, expandable up to 512GB
- 19MP rear camera, 13MP front camera
- Non-removable 3,300mAh battery
- Android 8.1 Oreo
- 156.7 x 74.2 x 9.4mm, 186g
Read more
- Sony Xperia XZ3 hands-on: Keeping up with the times
- Sony Xperia XZ3 specs: More of the same, but is that bad?
Google Pixel 2 XL
The notch-less Pixel 2 XL features dual front-facing speakers, a minimalistic metal and glass design, and a stock version of Android. It’s a high-end device aimed at demanding users, packing the Snapdragon 835 chipset and 4GB of RAM under the hood. Sure, there are more powerful smartphones out there with more RAM and the newer Snapdragon 845 chip, but the Pixel 2 XL can still handle any task you throw at it with ease.
Google’s smartphone sports a large 6.0-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. It doesn’t have a dual-camera setup on the back but still excels in the photography department. It’s even IP67 rated for protection against water and dust.
The Pixel 2 XL comes in 64 and 128GB variants, but it doesn’t support expandable storage. It also doesn’t have a headphone jack, which could a deal breaker for some. You can get it from Google’s website for $850 (64GB) or $950 (128GB).
Specs
- 6.0-inch P-OLED display with 2,880 x 1,440 resolution, 538ppi
- Snapdragon 835 chipset
- 4GB of RAM
- 64/128GB of on-board storage, not expandable
- 12.2MP rear camera, 8MP front camera
- Non-removable 3,520mAh battery
- Android 8.0 Oreo
- 157.9 x 76.7 x 7.9mm, 175g
Read more
- Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL review
- Google Pixel 2 XL vs Pixel XL
- Google Pixel 2 problems and how to fix them
- Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL vs the competition
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
Android Authority named the Huawei Mate 10 Pro the best smartphone of 2017. While no longer the shiniest or newest, it’s still a great phone. It sports a 6.0-inch Full HD+ display, the AI-focused Kirin 970 chipset, and 4 or 6GB of RAM. It also offers a dual-camera setup featuring two Summilux-H lenses with f/1.6 aperture — one RGB sensor at 12MP and one monochrome sensor at 20MP resolution — co-engineered with Leica.
Read next: Here are the best Huawei phones you can buy right now
The Mate 10 Pro is one of the most beautiful smartphones on the market in my opinion. It’s got thin bezels up front and an eye-catching reflective stripe running horizontally across the cameras on the back. The device is IP67 rated, runs Android 8.0 Oreo with the EMUI skin on top, and packs a massive 4,000mAh battery.
Unlike the Huawei P20 Pro, the Mate 10 Pro is available in the U.S. — in a 6GB/128GB variant. You can get it from B&H for $550, which is a deal worth considering.
Specs
- 6.0-inch AMOLED display with 2,160 x 1,080 resolution, 537ppi
- Kirin 970 chipset
- 4/6GB of RAM
- 64/128GB of on-board storage, expandable up to 400GB
- 12 and 16MP rear cameras, dual 8MP front cameras
- Non-removable 3,500mAh battery
- Android 8.0 Oreo
- 156.6 x 73.9 x 8.7mm, 188g
Read more
- Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro review: All about promises
- Huawei Mate 10 Pro’s camera scores a rating of 97 from DxOMark
- Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro vs the competition
- Best Huawei Mate 10 Pro cases
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus
The Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus sport a so-called bezel-less design with curved displays that look gorgeous. They are powered by the Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 chipset (depending on the region), are IP68 rated, and have a headphone jack.
The Galaxy S9 is equipped with a 5.8-inch display, while the Plus version measures 6.2 inches. Both use Super AMOLED technology, offer QHD+ resolution, and have an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. There are only three other differences between the handsets: the camera, battery, and RAM. The Plus model is equipped with a dual-camera setup on the back, sports 6GB of RAM, and packs a 3,500mAh battery, while the S9 has a single primary shooter, comes with 4GB of RAM, and features a 3,000mAh battery.
The smartphones also feature an iris scanner and have the AR Emoji feature on board, which lets you turn yourself into an animated emoji with the help of the camera. The entry-level Galaxy S9 launched with a price tag of $720, while the Plus model initially retailed for $840. However, both are currently on sale on Samsung’s website, with the manufacturer offering an $100 discount.
Specs
Samsung Galaxy S9
- 5.8-inch Super AMOLED display with 2,960 x 1,440 resolution, 570ppi
- Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 chipset — depending on the region
- 4GB of RAM
- 64GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 400GB
- 12MP rear camera, 8MP front camera
- Non-removable 3,000mAh battery
- Android 8.0 Oreo
- 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5mm, 163g
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
- 6.2-inch Super AMOLED display with 2,960 x 1,440 resolution, 529ppi
- Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 chipset — depending on the region
- 6GB of RAM
- 64GB of on-board storage, expandable up to 400GB
- Dual 12MP cameras, 8MP front camera
- Non-removable 3,500mAh battery
- Android 8.0 Oreo
- 158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5mm, 189g
Read more
- Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are here: The best just got better
- Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus specs: All about refinements
- Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus color comparison
- Samsung Galaxy S9 vs Galaxy S8: Welcome changes
- Samsung Galaxy S9: First camera samples
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S
The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S is proof a smartphone can have a full-screen design without a notch. However, this does have a drawback. The front-facing camera is placed in an awkward position in the bottom right corner of the phone because there’s not enough room above the screen — which makes taking selfies a pain.
This smartphone performs with the best of them. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 845 chipset and has up to 8GB of RAM. It also features a 6.0-inch Full HD+ display, a dual-camera setup on the back, and up to 256GB of storage.
The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S isn't available in the U.S.
The only major issue with Xiaomi’s flagship is limited availability. The smartphone is sold in places like China and a few European countries like Spain, but it wasn’t released in the U.S. You’ll have to buy it from a Chinese retailer that ships worldwide like GearBest, which currently sells it for $560.
Specs
- 6.0-inch IPS LCD display with 2,160 x 1,080 resolution, 403ppi
- Snapdragon 845 chipset
- 6/8GB of RAM
- 64/128/256GB of on-board storage, not expandable
- 20 and 12MP rear cameras, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 3,400mAh battery
- Android 8.0 Oreo
- 150.9 x 74.9 x 8.1mm, 191g
Read more
- Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S Review: The luster remains
- Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S specs: “S” is for slight improvement
- Shanghai through the lens of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S
If you’re a notch hater, these six phones are your best options. However, there are plenty of other great notch-less models out there, including the Nokia 8 Sirocco, LG V35 ThinQ, and Moto Z3. There are also several innovative notch-less options available like the Vivo Nex and Oppo Find X, which feature pop-up cameras.
Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
Read More:
- Who owns the notch?
- Can you learn to love the notch?
- Android P’s notch support: are notches the future?
- We asked, you confirmed: Android notches are a no-go
- 6 alternatives to the smartphone notch
- Turned off by the notch? Cover it up with this free app!
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