iPhone XR

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The iPhone XR is not exactly cheap, but it is the cheapest last-gen iPhone you can have today. It is designed to draw attention with its lovely color options, including blue, yellow, red, and coral. But don't let the jolly hues fool you. The iPhone XR has just as much processing power as the iPhone XS and XS Max. It also excels when it comes to battery life.

Of course, Apple had to make compromises to bring the iPhone XR to its current price point. For starters, there's only one camera at the back, so there's no optical zoom for convenience, and Portrait shots are produced solely by software algorithms, as there's no secondary cam to gather depth information. Also, the screen is of the LCD variety instead of OLED and doesn't have as many pixels as those on the XS and XS Max. Still, the iPhone XR should be definitely on your radar if you want an iPhone that doesn't exceed the $1000 threshold.

Best compact phone: iPhone 8

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Because size matters. Sure, large smartphones are cool and all, but there are still people who prefer something a bit more manageable, something that they don't have to take out of their pocket so that they can tie their shoes. All in all, the iPhone 8 is one of the best compact phones around.

Of course, being over a year old means that the iPhone 8 is far from the fanciest iPhone. Its design is clearly dated by now, the screen resolution could be higher, and the camera can't do any fancy tricks like Animoji, Portrait mode or Telephoto zoom. But on the other hand, the iPhone 8 runs the latest version of iOS and still has plenty of processing power to meet the needs of most users.

Best rugged phone: Samsung Galaxy S8 Active

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For those who need something a bit tougher, there's the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active. On top of being highly water-resistant, it can also withstand drops, vibrations, humidity, and heat. At the same time, it matches the performance of the Galaxy S8 with its cameras, system chip, and memory – meaning that it's not a top-performing smartphone anymore, but still rates as relevant in 2018. The extra-large battery pack inside the S8 Active ensures longevity exceeding that of the average smartphone.