Galaxy S10 vs iPhone XS (2018) vs LG V40 vs Pixel 3 XL comparison preview

Galaxy S10 vs iPhone XS Plus vs Pixel 3 XL concept image by @PhoneDesigner

Summer is winding down, and the most hectic quarters in flagship phone announcements are closing in. Say what you will about 2018's notches, elongated bodies, and 6" panel averages, but in the next six months, we are about to witness the real best in design, specs and added value that the world's largest, most profitable phone makers will be able to muster.

Apple is due for the "mother of all upgrade waves" by offering its largest iPhone screen ever, and finally ditching the scrappy 4.7-inchers for good. Samsung will have a 10th anniversary of the flagship Galaxy S line with the phones to match.

Google is also expected to unleash its largest Pixel phone display ever, while LG is in the running for a penta-camera flagship in a month or so. That is why we are making a quick comparison preview of the upcoming milestone phones of these major smartphone manufacturers so that you decide which one to start saving for. For further details, check our running rumor reviews below:

Galaxy S10 vs iPhone XS Plus vs LG V40 vs Pixel 3 XL design

Glass bodies, wireless charging, water-tight certification, those will be the common design themes. If you have been waiting for some grand anniversary overhaul of the Galaxy S-line body, however, you might be in for a disappointment. The Galaxy S10 will seemingly have... wait for it... Infinity Display design. The smaller models are said to be slightly larger - 0.03" and 0.08", respectively - than their S9 and S9+ predecessors, so a tad larger panels aren't out of the question, too.

Just like there will be three 2018 iPhones, there could be three Galaxy S10 version, too, and one of those is said to land with a 6.44" display now - coincidentally, exactly as the rumored iPhone XS Plus with a 6.46" OLED screen, just without the notch. Like L the V35 before it, the V40 will hopefully have no protruding bezels, encroaching into the sacred screen panel space, but if the leaked Pixel 3 XL is inspired by the V40, all notch and chin bets are back on for LG's quarterly flagship.

Galaxy S10 vs iPhone XS Plus vs LG V40 vs Pixel 3 XL specs

The A12 processor on the 2018 iPhones may not be the first 7nm chipset announced, but it will most likely be first to make it in retail phones and is going to be a beast. The only thing that may ruin its holidays is the next-gen 7nm processing that comes from Samsung in the Galaxy S10. Here's how the fantastic four stacks up, in a digestible table specs form.

	Samsung Galaxy S10/S10+	Apple iPhone XS Plus (2018)	LG V40 ThinQ	Google Pixel 3 XL
Display (est.)	6.1"/6.4" OLED	6.4" OLED	6.1"-6.7" OLED	6.7" OLED
Chipset (est.)	Next-gen 7nm Snapdragon 855 or Exynos 9820	7nm A12	Second-gen 10nm Snapdragon 845	Second-gen 10nm Snapdragon 845
Cameras (est.)	12MP/16MP/13MP main/wide/telephoto lens Dual front-facing camera	12MP/12MP telephoto Face ID camera	20MP/16MP/13MP main/wide/telephoto lens Dual front-facing camera	12MP main 8MP front-facing camera
Memory (est.)	6/8GB RAM, 128/256/512GB storage	4GB RAM, 128/512GB storage	6GB RAM, 128/256GB storage	4GB RAM, 128/256GB storage

Galaxy S10 vs iPhone XS Plus vs LG V40 vs Pixel 3 XL prices and release dates

While it is too early to have any credible tips on the S10's pricing, we'd wager to guess its tags and availability based on Samsung's historical precedents, while for the 2018 iPhones there is plenty of analysts' guesstimates that will mostly turn out right in the end, as usual.

	Samsung Galaxy S10/S10+	Apple iPhone XS Plus (2018)	LG V40 ThinQ	Google Pixel 3 XL
Price (est.)	$800/$950	$999	$800	$850
Release date (est.)	February 2019	September 19, 2018	October 22 week, 2018	October 1 week, 2018

So, based on these dry specs and preliminary design concepts, which one is your favorite, and which one would you pick at its projected price range come next month, and the one after, and then early 2019? Tell us your thoughts below, and take your pick in the poll here.