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The best phones to give in 2019

Hand-picked by CNET editors, these are the best phones to give this holiday season.

Lynn La
Lynn La covers mobile reviews and news. She previously wrote for The Sacramento Bee, Macworld and The Global Post.
Lynn La
iphone-11-pro-galaxy-note-10
1 of 9 Óscar Gutiérrez/CNET

The best phones to give in 2019

The holidays are around the corner and when it comes to gifting (or receiving) a phone, there are tons of options to choose from. No matter your budget this holiday season, there's a right phone for the person you have in mind. Read on to see what the best phones are right now and check out our tips on how to buy a new phone.

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2 of 9 Sarah Tew/CNET

Apple iPhone 11

Starting at $700, the iPhone 11 is the best midtier model Apple has ever made. Its cameras get an excellent new Night Mode and an ultrawide-angle camera adds extra detail in photos. Video is fantastic, too. It also houses the latest and fastest Apple processors, making it among the fastest iPhones ever.  

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3 of 9 Angela Lang/CNET

Galaxy Note 10 Plus

The refined, feature-packed Note 10 Plus closes the gap with rival phones. This top-of-the-line phone was made for people who want the best Android. It has a killer 6.8-inch screen, an all-day battery life and excellent camera tools.

iPhone 8
4 of 9 Sarah Tew/CNET

Apple iPhone 8

The iPhone 8 (and 8 Plus) is the only iPhone with a home button that Apple still sells new. If you're not a fan of swiping up to get to your home screen, but still want a powerful iPhone, this is the best and most affordable one at $449.  

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5 of 9 Josh Miller/CNET

Apple iPhone XR

A year after its release, the iPhone XR is still a fantastic choice. It's fast, has a bright and colorful scree and at $600 is one of the best phone values out there.     

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6 of 9 Angela Lang/CNET

OnePlus 7 Pro

Phones nowadays are constantly one-upping each other with pop-up selfie cameras, in-display fingerprint sensors and multiple rear cameras. The OnePlus 7 Pro has such features du jour to keep its fans enticed. But in addition to these features, it's the phone's $669 (6GB of RAM/128GB) starting price that is the deal maker (There's also an 8GB/256GB variant that costs $699 and will be the one available from T-Mobile.)

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7 of 9

Samsung Galaxy S10E

As the most wallet-friendly Galaxy S10 phone, the Galaxy S10E has a lot to offer. It's a smaller phone, which is great for those looking for a small grip, it has a superfast Snapdragon 855 chipset and a lengthy battery life. It can also wirelessly charge other phones and accessories.

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8 of 9 Angela Lang/CNET

Google Pixel 3A

The new-for-2019 Pixel 3A shaves a few features off of last year's Pixel 3: It's not water-resistant, doesn't have wireless charging, and it maxes out at 64GB of storage. But it adds a headphone jack and keeps the same amazing Night Sight camera that can shoot great photos in the dark. (Daytime photos look amazing, too.)

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9 of 9 Sarah Tew/CNET

Motorola Moto G7

The Moto G7 is one of the most affordable and reliable phones. Though its single speaker doesn't offer the greatest sound, and it takes mediocre low-light photos and video, the G7 has dual rear cameras, an enduring battery life and a sleek design. It also charges really quickly, which is useful when you need to juice up while on the go.

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