Phones for the fall

Price: $950 on AT&T; $960 on Verizon; $930 on T-Mobile; $960 on Sprint; $963 on US Cellular

Availability: Preorders started Aug. 24; phone goes on sale Sept. 15.

The outlook: The Note 8 satisfies all the requirements of today's modern, high-powered phone with its bright 6.3-inch screen and twin rear cameras. Plus, its S Pen stylus has a handful of new tricks you can use to write, draw and navigate.

Check out more of CNET's fall preview.

Price: No official price yet; but expect it to be between $600 and $800.

Availability: It will be available first in South Korea on Sept. 21. North America, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East will follow. 

The outlook: The V30 is a gorgeous phone that sloughs away unnecessary features and amps up all its best. It has a 6-inch OLED screen, water resistance, wireless charging and advanced video features you don't see on a typical phone.

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Price: $699

Availability: Now

The outlook:The Essential Phone is the first device from a new company that's spearheaded by Andy Rubin, the guy who co-created Android. It has two magnetic pins on the back for modular accessories that are the phone's main reason for being. The connection is quick and wireless, and the phone can power the add-ons or vice versa.

Check out more of CNET's fall preview.

Price: It will sell for €399, which converts to roughly to $480.

Availability: It will roll out in September, arriving in other markets in the coming months, including the US and UK.

The outlook: On paper at least, the Moto X4 has a list of hardware features that skew a little more on the higher end than you'd expect for a midrange device. For instance, it has two rear cameras (12 and 8 megapixels, respectively), a 16-megapixel selfie camera with its own flash and a 3,000mAh battery.

Check out more of CNET's fall preview.

Price: $599 (64GB) and $699 (128GB) unlocked; $648 (128GB) on Verizon

Availability: Now

The outlook: The Zenfone is the first phone that lets you use Google Tango AR and Google Daydream VR. If you've ever wanted to try virtual or augmented reality, the phone is compatible with Google's Daydream View VR headset and apps and has a revamped tri-camera system that can achieve depth-sensing 3D scanning and augmented reality through Google Tango.

Check out more of CNET's fall preview.

Price: It will cost €599, which converts to around $700.

Availability: September. Though no plans have been announced for the US, there is a chance it will be sold in the US.

The outlook: At last, there's a true Nokia flagship Android phone to get excited about. The Nokia 8 is a real powerhouse, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 5.3-inch display that is pin sharp thanks to its ultra HD resolution.

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Price: $229 (32GB) and $299 (64GB); $185 (32GB with Amazon Prime ads) and $240 (64GB with Amazon Prime ads)

Availability: Now

The outlook: The thing that makes the Moto G5 Plus the best budget phone on the planet is that, for the most part, it doesn't feel like one at all. It has a modern, metal body, Android 7.0 Nougat and a really good camera -- all while remaining delightfully affordable.

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Price: $129 on MetroPCS

Availability: Now

The outlook: For a budget phone to pack this kind of hardware, you'd expect the Z Max's price to be around the $200-$300 range. But the phone costs just $129 and features a 6-inch display, a capacious 4,080mAh battery and two rear cameras.

Check out more of CNET's fall preview.