Which phone manufacturer had the best year in 2018? (Poll of the Week)

Last week’s poll summary: Last week, we asked you to tell us your thoughts about the Galaxy S10’s design. Surprisingly, about 45 percent of voters said they love the Galaxy S10’s design, although many of the comments mentioned the ugly camera cutout in the display.

2018 had its fair share of highs and lows in the smartphone world. We saw manufacturers release truly great phones with features that push the envelope, while some manufacturers failed miserably this year.

Starting off with the positives, I think Samsung and OnePlus had particularly great years. Despite struggling to reach its sales goals, Samsung impressed us with the Galaxy S9 and Note 9 (the latter of which won our Best of Android 2018 Award). The South Korean company also unveiled its first foldable phone as well as a big improvement to its software. OnePlus, on the other hand, may not have released overly innovative smartphones, but its partnership with T-Mobile is certainly noteworthy. At a time when the United States is concerned about Chinese companies spying on users, OnePlus somehow managed to score a major partnership with a major U.S. carrier.

There were plenty of blunders this year, too. Red completely under delivered on its super hyped Hydrogen One smartphone, and Essential ran into more than a few roadblocks. Even though the P20 Pro and Mate 20 Pro are two of the best Android phones on the market, HUAWEI stole plenty of headlines this year for scandals and dropped partnerships.

Which smartphone manufacturer do you think had the best year? Cast your vote in the poll, and tell us why you voted that way in the comments.