The Best iPhone 11 Alternatives

Apple’s latest iPhones are easily the best the company has ever produced: that part isn’t up for debate. That said, the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro aren’t for everyone. Whether it’s due to the ecosystem that requires you to drink the Apple-flavored Kool-Aid, or some other reason entirely, some may be looking for an alternative to the latest iPhones out there.

If you’ve been paying attention at all for the last decade, you’re likely more than a little aware that for everyone iPhone produced, there’s about 10-15 Android phones that can go toe-to-toe with Apple’s newest smartphone, and about half of them are made from it’s biggest rival (and business partner) Samsung. Rightfully so, too. Samsung makes some of the best phones in the world and have helped bring healthy competition to Apple, which has only pushed the industry forward over the years.

While no one would blame you for assuming it’s an Apple vs. Samsung game, since they’re the biggest players in the smartphone market, you wouldn’t be completely right. There are handsome pieces of technology brought to the table by LG, Sony, OnePlus, Huawei, Motorola, and Google, who owns the Android operating system, and several other handset makers.

Below, we’re going to break down some of the best alternatives to the iPhone 11 you can get today and at least one you can look forward to in the near future.

For Power Users: Samsung Galaxy Note 10+

If you’re looking for a smartphone that provides the perfect snapshot of technology at any given time, look to the Galaxy Note lineup by Samsung. It could also be known as “the kitchen sink” phone, as it has more features than you’ll probably know what to do with. Still, the overall experience the latest and greatest Note, the Note 10+, brings to the table shows exactly why people gravitate towards this phone family.

2019’s Galaxy Note brings the best of this year’s tech, with a gorgeous and massive 6.8-inch nearly bezel-less Infinity AMOLED display. Samsung is responsible for the best screens on smartphones, which is probably why it makes Apple’s iPhone displays. That said Samsung saves the best tech for its flagship devices.

Of course, it doesn’t stop at the screen. The Galaxy Note 10+ ships with an updated S Pen (stylus) that can be used to control the phone in ways you never thought possible. This is one of the standout features that separate the Note lineup from the other Galaxy phones, so fan will be happy about this addition. Other specs include the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, in-screen fingerprint sensor, 12GB RAM, up to 1TB storage, 4,300 mAh battery, 12MP camera, 12 MP w/ 2x zoom camera, and 16MP ultra wide camera.

It would take a much longer time to list all of the features the Note 10+ brings to the table. Put simply, if you want a phone that can do it all, do it all well, and then do even more, this is the phone for you.

Big specs, small price: Huawei P30 Pro

The past handful of months have not been kind to Huawei, which have painted the brand in a less than stellar light, as it’s one of the best smartphone makers in the world. All the proof you need can be found within the Huawei P30 Pro.

The P30 Pro packs a punch in the spec department but a much softer blow to your wallet. With a gorgeous 6.47 1080 x 2340 display, 128GB storage, 8GB of RAM, and the Hisilicon Kirin 980 Octa-core 2.6GHz processor, it’s simply a beast. It also shines in the camera department as well, boasting three shooters, one 40 megapixel, one 20 megapixel, and one 8 megapixel cameras. The front-facing selfie camera also comes in at a whopping 32 megapixels. All kept alive by a sizable 4200 mAh battery, the P30 Pro is a lot of phone for a fraction of the price compared to many other competitors.

Best all around smartphone: Samsung Galaxy S10

If you’re not looking for a million bells and whistles you’ll never use and just want a capable smartphone that isn’t held back in terms of performance and capabilities, the standard Galaxy S10 is a solid place to start.

The middle child of the three latest S10 phones (flanked by the S10e and S10+), the Galaxy S10 provides a stellar experience thanks to its high-end spec list and improved OneUI software experience. It’s no slouch in the hardware department, either. It ships with a 6.1-inch Quad HD+ Dynamic AMOLED Infinity display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, in-screen fingerprint sensor, 128GB storage (all the way to 512GB), 8GB RAM, two 12 megapixel cameras and 16 megapixel ultrawide camera on the back, and a 10 megapixel selfie camera to boot. A 3,400 mAh battery keeps the show going, which isn’t the biggest we’ve seen on a phone, but should nonetheless get you through a day’s use.

iPhone of Android phones: Google Pixel 3

While it’s starting to show its age, the Google Pixel 3 may be one of the best alternatives to the iPhone 11 due to the fact that it’s considered to be the iPhone of Android Phones. This is a Google-made smartphone that ships with the latest features the OS has to offer, and gets the updates faster than any other Android device on the market.

The Pixel lineup has long-been known for its camera and that remains true with the 3rd iteration of the smartphone. While others have caught up and past it in recent months, including the latest iPhone, the Pixel 3 can still provide stellar photos in virtually any situation.

Shipping with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, 4GB RAM, and 64 or 128GB of storage, the Pixel 3 doesn’t have the sexiest spec list, but thanks to the “stock” Android experience that’s clean and fluid, performance is great on the smartphone.

Looking ahead: Google Pixel 4

While it hasn’t even been announced yet, Google will announce the 4th generation Pixel phone on October 15th, 2019. The smartphone itself has already been leaked heavily, leaving virtually nothing to the imagination. Production units that have been obtained already have full hands-on video of the device.

So, what does the Pixel 4 bring to the table? Well, for starters, it will ship with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, 6GB of RAM, and either 64GB or 128GB of storage. The phone is also getting a second camera in the form of a 16 megapixel shooter. Of course, Google’s software smarts allowed the Pixel 3 to match or best its competition with multiple cameras, so it will be interesting to see what the 4 brings. Some camera features have already leaked, like the ability to adjust the shadows and highlights within the viewfinder so you can get the best picture possible and astrophotography.

Another feature that even Google itself leaked is the addition of a new radar chip, Soli. This will allow you to skip songs, wake your phone, and other actions just by waving your hand in front of the phone. Only time will tell if this turns out to be implemented in any genuinely meaningful way or if it’s simply a gimmick that will be canned in a few years.

Lastly, the Pixel 4 has no fingerprint sensor and will rely on a face unlock feature, not unlike the iPhone implementation. People will either love or hate this, but as long as it’s secure and works well, there will likely be more fans than naysayers.