Galaxy S9 killer: Here’s what my perfect smartphone looks like

I’m buying a new smartphone, and even though I’m willing to spend up to a grand to get it, I’ll still have to make compromises. I love the design of the Mate 10 Pro but hate HUAWEI’s EMUI skin that sits on top of Android. The OnePlus 6 features a superior skin but has that stupid notch and lacks water resistance. No matter which phone I look at, there’s always something missing — something its rivals do better.

That got me thinking: What would my perfect smartphone look like if I could combine all the best specs and features from current flagships into one device? I played around with the idea and created a beast of a phone that offers everything I need and shames devices like Galaxy S9 Plus — check it out below.

Display — LG V30

My perfect smartphone would sport the display found on the LG V30 series. It’s a 6.0-inch panel with QHD+ resolution and an aspect ratio of 18:9. The screen has vibrant colors, great contrast, and is super easy to read even under harsh sunlight. It’s so good it can give the ones on the Galaxy S and Note series a run for their money. In case you’re wondering, I didn’t go with a Samsung display because of those annoying curved edges.

The V30’s screen is just the right size for me and doesn’t have a notch (hooray!). It also uses OLED technology, which is superior to LCD in my opinion because it provides deeper black and is more power-efficient.

Camera — HUAWEI P20 Pro

HUAWEI P20 Pro’s triple-camera setup is amazing. It features a main 40MP sensor for capturing rich colors, a 20MP secondary monochrome sensor for capturing extra details, and a third 8MP telephoto lens that’s used for zoom and additional focal length. The setup allows for 3X optical zoom and is the first in the world to offer 5X Hybrid Zoom. It also supports scene recognition, which means the camera will recognize what’s in its frame and adjust the settings to produce a better image.

However, the main reason I chose this camera is because it performs great in low-light conditions. Most flagships can capture great images when there’s plenty of light available, but some struggle when it comes to night shots. The P20 Pro is not perfect in this department, but it is better than the competition.

Performance and storage — OnePlus 6

When it comes to performance, I want the crème de la crème. That’s why I’m going with the OnePlus 6, which packs the Snapdragon 845 chipset under the hood along with 8GB of RAM. However, there are quite a few smartphones out there offering the same thing.

When it comes to storage, 128GB is my choice. I know there are phones with 256 and even 512GB of storage out there, but that’s an overkill for me. I’d rather go with the smaller option to save some cash and spend it on pizza. Besides, my perfect phone also supports expandable storage, which we’ll get to later on.

Android skin — OxygenOS

This was an easy choice — OnePlus’ OxygenOS is by far the best skin out there in my opinion. It looks and feels like stock Android but also has tons of useful features on board. Off-screen gestures are my favorite, as they allow you to draw an O, V, S, M, or W on the display when it’s turned off to open an app of choice. I also love Shelf, a productivity tool that lives on the home screen and shows the current weather, lets you create notes, and offers quick access to recent contacts and apps.

Read next: OxygenOS — 5 features you need to know about

Other OxygenOS features include App locker that secures your data-sensitive apps from prying eyes, Gaming mode that’s designed to cut out distractions while you’re playing games, and Parallel apps, which lets you create a cloned version of an app like Facebook or Twitter to use two accounts at the same time.

Battery — HUAWEI P20 Pro

At 4,000mAh, the HUAWEI P20 Pro is a class leader in battery size. For comparison, the Galaxy S9 Plus packs a smaller 3,500mAh battery even though the device is roughly the same size as the P20 Pro. The same goes for the OnePlus 6, which has an even smaller 3,300mAh battery.

The P20 Pro’s battery is good for around two days of average use or approximately six or seven hours of on-screen time. Sure, there are devices out there that offer more, including the Blackview P10000 Pro with its 11,000mAh battery that promises up to seven days of use on a single charge. But this comes at a price. The device, which has a 6-inch display, is over 14mm thick and weighs 293 grams — making it a pain to handle and carry around. A 4,000mAh battery is the biggest I’d go with for a 6-inch device, as that should keep the thickness of the body below 8mm. Also, my perfect phone should feature OnePlus’ Dash charge technology (or whatever it’s called), which is one of the fastest around.

Other features — HTCU12 Plus, Pixel 2 XL…

Now it’s time to add some extras to my perfect smartphone. The first thing is the Edge Sense technology found on the HTC U12 Plus, which lets you open an app of choice by squeezing the device. Next up are the Pixel 2 XL’s dual front-facing speakers and the G7’s Quad DAC. Of course, a headphone jack must also be on board.

Additionally, I want an in-display fingerprint scanner, expandable storage, and IP68 rating for protection against water and dust. I wouldn’t mind having wireless charging and 3D facial recognition, but I’d be willing to trade these two features for a lower price tag.

Design — HUAWEI Mate 10 Pro

The HUAWEI Mate 10 Pro is the most beautiful smartphone you can get in my opinion (Mocha Brown color option). It has a clean and elegant front thanks to the thin bezels that surround the display, but it’s the back that makes the device truly shine. It features a reflective stripe that runs horizontally across the cameras and gives the Mate 10 Pro more character. It’s a simple design element which really improves the overall look of the handset and makes it instantly recognizable.

However, a few design changes would have to be made to accommodate all the specs and features I want in my perfect smartphone. Seeing as my device would feature an in-display fingerprint scanner, there’s no need for the rear-mounted scanner found on the Mate 10 Pro.

Because the back would receive an additional camera, that sexy stripe would have to be bigger. Also, the front of the Mate 10 Pro would look a bit different due to the inclusion of dual front-facing speakers. But even with these changes, the device would still look amazing.

What’s your perfect smartphone?

Now it’s time for you to share your perfect smartphone with me. Let me know what it is via the short poll below, which only contains eight questions. You’ll be able to select everything from the display and chipset to the design and Android skin — we’ll share the poll results in a separate post soon.

Also, tell me what you think about my perfect smartphone in the comments below. Would you get it over the Galaxy S9 Plus, HUAWEI P20 Pro, and OnePlus 6?