Here are 5 best phones for all you notch haters out there

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 our top five below.

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. Its 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).

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Samsung Galaxy Note 8

The Galaxy Note 8’s notch-less display comes in at 6.3 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 8 special.

The Note 8 is a powerful device, packing the Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895 chipset under the hood — depending on the region — along with 6GB 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 that pops out from the bottom edge and gives you another way to interact with the device.

Like all smartphones, the Note 8 has a few drawbacks. The biggest one is its fingerprint scanner that’s located right next to the camera, which is impractical and looks weird. In terms of pricing, the handset launched at $930 back in September 2017 but is currently listed on Samsung’s website for $750.

Specs

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Huawei Mate 10 Pro

 Android Authority named the Huawei Mate 10 Pro the best smartphone of 2017. 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 in Mocha or Titanium Gray, which is a deal worth considering.

Specs

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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 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 will set you back $720, while the Plus model starts at $840.

Specs

Samsung Galaxy S9

Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

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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 $550, if you want it.

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If you’re a notch hater, these five phones are your best options. However, there are plenty of other great notch-less models out there, including the Nokia 8 Sirocco, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, and LG V35 ThinQ. There’s also several innovative notchless options coming down the road, like the Vivo Nex, though these options are available quite yet.

Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!