One month into a new year, and we've already picked a new favorite for the best phone available right now. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is the new standard-bearer, and it proves that phone makers are going to have to be on their game if they hope to go toe-to-toe with our latest top pick.
1. Galaxy S25 Ultra: Best overall
2. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Best iPhone
3. Pixel 9 Pro: Smartest phone
4. Pixel 8a: Best under $500
5. OnePlus 13: Best Android flagship value
6. iPhone 16: Best iPhone value
7. Galaxy S25: Most affordable Samsung flagship
8. OnePlus 13R: Best flagship alternative
9.. OnePlus Open: Best foldable
10. Samsung Galaxy S24 FE: Affordable AI
Samsung's new premium device makes some key hardware improvements, chiefly an impressive new processor. But it's AI that really puts the Galaxy S25 Ultra over the top, as many of the Galaxy AI addition to this year's flagship put more power in the palm of your hand. And if you don't want to pay $1,299 for your next phone, the Samsung Galaxy S25 offers those same AI features for less.
That's not to take away from our previous pick for the best phone, Apple's iPhone 16 Pro Max. The top iPhone has outstanding cameras and epic battery life. It also offers AI tricks of its own via Apple Intelligence, and with Apple continuing to add more features via software update, the iPhone 16 Pro Max could soon find itself more closely competing with the Galaxy S25 Ultra's AI capabilities.
If you want to break out of the Samsung vs. Apple mindset, the Pixel 9 Pro and OnePlus 13 offer some strong alternatives. Bargain hunters will also appreciate the Pixel 8a, which just edges past the OnePlus 13R, thanks to the former's sub-$500 price.
I've reviewed many of these phones first-hand, with the rest of the phones team at Tom's Guide adding their thoughts and insights for an in-depth look at which devices you should consider. Between every one of our phone reviewers, we've got more than four decades of experience evaluating phones from every possible angle.
Our best phone picks are based on our lab tests and real-world use of each phone we get our hands on. Here are the 10 phones you should consider if you're looking to get a new handset right now.
I'm the managing editor for mobile at Tom's Guide, where I've been working since 2015. In total, I've covered technology for 25 years now — I was even there when Steve Jobs showed off the original iPhone back in 2007. I've been looking at and testing phones since that day, and if you visit my Northern California home, you can marvel at the stacks of phones I keep handy for head-to-head testing.
The best phone overall
Don't look for big hardware changes with the Galaxy S25 Ultra compared to last year's model. instead, Samsung has put the focus on building out its Galaxy AI features to excellent effect. In fact, it's fair to say, that mobile AI gets to the next level with the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
That's because Samsung has added important features like cross app actions, where you can use the on-board digital assistant to interact with apps on your phone — both Samsung and Google apps, initially, along with Whatsapp and Spotify. Even better, you can give one command that triggers multiple actions, like looking up the date of an event, adding it to your calendar and texting the info to a friend.
A Personal Data Engine on board the phone learns your preferences, interests and activities and fills a new Now Brief screen with relevant information about upcoming appointments, weather forecasts or more. Now Brief is pretty bare bones at this point, but the promise is that it's going to learn more about you over time and adjust its recommendations accordingly. We'll circle back after using the Galaxy S25 Ultra to see if that's true.
Other AI favorites like Circle to Search gain new powers and new features like the Now Bar serve as Samsung's version of Live Activities on the iPhone, helping you track ongoing notifications from your lock-screen. None of this is to diminish the hardware changes that are present on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but AI takes the starring role here. And it's quite a star turn at that.
Price and value: If there's one blemish to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, it's that the phone continues to cost more than rival flagships. At $1,299, this phone costs $100 more than the most expensive flagships from Apple and Google. But at least Samsung managed to avoid price increases this year, and the base model of the Galaxy S25 Ultra offers 256GB of storage. Galaxy S25 Ultra deals let you whack down the price of this phone a bit.
Camera performance: The biggest hardware change to the Galaxy S25 Ultra's camera setup involves an upgraded ultrawide sensor — it's now 48MP for more detailed shots and sharper macros. But upgrades to the ProVisual Engine that processes photos have paid off big for this year's Galaxy devices, and the S25 Ultra reaps the rewards.
When my colleague Mark Spoonauer put the S25 Ultra up against the iPhone 16 Pro Max in an 11-round photo face-off, the Galaxy S25 Ultra wound up winning more rounds. In particular, Samsung's phone excels at zooms, selfies and low-light shots. There are still some areas where the iPhone 16 Pro Max takes better shots, but the Galaxy S25 Ultra photo output has improved enough to make me conclude that this is the best camera phone you can buy right now.
Battery and charging: Samsung didn't increase the battery size from the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but even so, this year's model outlasted its predecessor on our battery test by 45 minutes. The Galaxy S25 Ultra was able to surf the web over cellular for 17 hours and 14 minutes, the longest time we've recorded for a Samsung device. Credit the Snapdragon 8 Elite inside the phone for improving power efficiency.
Charging speeds are unchanged from the previous few Ultra models, though Samsung has nominally added Qi2 wireless charging support. However, since the phone doesn't feature magnets on its back for a more secure fit with Qi2 charging pads, you're losing many of the benefits of the new charging standard unless you buy a Qi2-ready case.
Overall performance: The Snapdragon 8 Elite inside the Galaxy S25 Ultra does more than just help the new phone last longer on a charge. It also delivers some of the best performance we've seen on an Android device, especially since Samsung is using an overclocked version of the silicon. That helps the Galaxy S25 Ultra produce better benchmark numbers than the OnePlus 13, which also has a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. But the gaming-focused Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro can lay calim to the speed king title, thanks to its numbers on some tests.
The neural engine on the Snapdragon 8 Elite coupled with 12GB of RAM on the base model give the Galaxy s25 Ultra enough processing muscle to handle more AI tasks on device. And the Galaxy S25 Ultra comes with a bigger, brighter display than last year's model so everything from gaming to streaming looks better on this new device.
Verdict: The Galaxy S25 Ultra proves that big hardware changes aren't necessary to make a splash in the smartphone world. The Galaxy AI features debuting on this year's premium Samsung phone are reason enough to upgrade, especially if you've got an older phone. And the improved cameras, longer battery life and brighter screen add to the value, even if you find the Galaxy S25 Ultra's high price a little hard to swallow.
Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | As great a phone as the Galaxy S25 Ultra is, $1,299 is a lot to pay for a handset, especially when you can get an iPhone 16 Pro Max or Galaxy 9 Pro XL for $100 less. | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Cameras | The camera competition between the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the iPhone 16 Pro is a tight one. But based on the head-to-head shots we've taken so far, the better zooms and low-light images help the S25 Ultra edge out the iPhone 16 Pro Max. | ★★★★★ |
| Power | The days of Android phones playing second fiddle to Apple on performance are over. The Galaxy S25 Ultra excels in graphics testing and even beats the best iPhones in some CPU speed tests. A vapor chamber helps keep the phone cool | ★★★★★ |
| Battery life | The longest-lasting Samsung phone ever manages to outlast the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which was no slouch in the battery department, even with the same sized battery. Credit the Snapdragon 8 Elite for top power management features. | ★★★★★ |
More on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
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The best iPhone
The iPhone 16 Pro Max no longer holds down the top spot among the best phones we've tested, but that's more of a reflection of the advanced AI on board the Galaxy S25 Ultra. It's a situation Apple could soon address, as it continues its Apple Intelligence rollout in 2025, particularly if Siri gets its promised overhaul to be more contextually aware.
Even if Samsung now holds the edge, there's plenty to love about the iPhone 16 Pro Max. This model offers a bigger screen (without increasing its overall size too much from the iPhone 15 Pro), an upgraded ultrawide camera and a faster processor. Even better, initial Apple Intelligence features are already available, with more to come.
You won't have to ditch your iPhone 15 Pro Max if you upgraded in 2023, and anyone worried about missing out on the first round of Apple Intelligence features should relax. While a good first step, Apple Intelligence is more of a nice-to-have than a must-have at this point. That said, there are plenty of compelling reasons to upgrade to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, particularly if you've got an iPhone that's at least a couple years old.
Price and value: While this model commands the same $1,199 cost as its predecessor, a larger 6.9-inch screen and bigger battery means you're getting more for your money. That particularly true in light of the $100 price hike Samsung gave to the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which means Apple's top device remains the less expensive option. "Less expensive" is relative, though, as the $1,199 starting price is a lot for some people to pay.
Camera performance: iPhones live and die by their cameras, and the telephoto lens on the iPhone 16 Pro Max offers some notable improvements to both its main camera and its ultrawide lens. These complement the 5x telephoto lens that returns from the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Because the iPhone 16 Pro features the same camera setup for $200 less, we rank that phone as the best camera phone overall, but you won't be disappointed with what the iPhone 16 Pro Max cameras produce. We've even put it through a 200 photo face-off against the Galaxy S24 Ultra to crown an undisputed champion, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max came out on top on the strength of its superior dynamic range and low-light shooting capabilities. For now, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has regained the lead, but the iPhone 16 Pro Max remains an outstanding camera phone option.
Battery and charging: The battery on the iPhone 16 Pro Max lasts more than 17.5 hours on our battery test, where we have a phone surf the web until its battery gives out. The average phone barely makes it past 10 hours, but the iPhone 16 Pro Max was just getting warmed up at that point. No other iPhone has ever lasted that long, with the iPhone 16 Plus coming the closest with an average result of around 16.5 hours. If only the phone could charge quickly, but at least MagSafe charging is improved to 25W speed.
Overall performance: Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite is giving the iPhone all it can handle, but the A18 Pro chipset powering the iPhone 16 Pro Max turns out to be a very fast chip on its own.. We noticed the extra oomph when using the iPhone 16 Pro Max to perform everyday tasks and switch between apps. When we used the iPhone 16 Pro Max to transcode a video, the task took half as long as it did on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and it bests the Galaxy S25 Ultra in that test, too.
Verdict: The iPhone 16 Pro Max wins top marks for design, photography and performance. Charging speed and digital zoom features could be further refined, and it's very expensive relative to some of the other phones on this list, but you definitely get a lot of power and polish for your money.
Read the full review: iPhone 16 Pro Max
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | This is the most expensive iPhone Apple sells. You can save $200 with the iPhone 16 Pro, if you don't mind the smaller screen and less battery life. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Cameras | The iPhone 16 Pro Max is one of the best camera phones we've tested, though both the Pix9 Galaxy S24 Ultra beat it on zoomed shots. | ★★★★☆ |
| Power | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered phones may have caught up to Apple's silicon, but the A18 Pro continues to be a top performer, particularly when it comes to overall speed and daily tasks. | ★★★★★ |
| Battery life | You won't need to charge your phone up during the day. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the second longest-lasting iPhone we've ever tested, finishing ahead of the iPhone 16 Plus. | ★★★★★ |
More on the iPhone 16 Pro Max
Smartest phone
AI is the feature of the moment right now with smartphones, as both Apple and Samsung spent 2024 adding AI-powered features to their phones. Google's an old hand at this, though, having switched to the AI-focused Tensor chipset with the Pixel 6. Now, we're up to Tensor G4 on the Google Pixel 9 Pro, and having used Apple Intelligence, Galaxy AI and Google's AI tools, I think Google has the most capable AI of them all. The Pixel 9 phones — including the 9 Pro — certainly had several of my favorite AI phone features introduced in the last year.
Google says customers wanted a more compact version of the Pro to go with the big-screen model. (If you prefer more screen real estate, consider the Pixel 9 Pro XL, which has the exact same features as the regular Pro, but a 6.7-inch display and bigger battery, instead. It's also harder to use with one hand in my experience.)
Price and Value: The Pixel 9 Pro costs the same $999 that Google charged for the Pixel 8 Pro. But that older phone had a larger screen, which makes me feel like I'm being asked to pay more for less phone. Then again, with the improvements to battery life and display brightness — not to mention the latest AI features — you can't really claim that Google is shortchanging you on anything other than size.
Camera performance: Actual camera improvements are modest — a new ultrawide sensor adds a Macro mode that performed very well when I tried it out, though I think the iPhone 16's macro photos are a little sharper. (They're different phones, but the iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. Pixel 9 Pro XL photo face-off John Velasco did illustrates the superiority of Apple's macro images.) As for the Pixel 9 Pro's front camera, it gets an upgraded sensor, too, though I think Google needs to dial back the camera's tendency to make faces look too smooth. Really, though, the Pixel 9 Pro's camera performance lives on the strength of its photo processing, and that remains strong, the cameras producing well-composed shots that showed off fine details when I tested them.
Battery and charging: Battery life hasn't been a strong suit for recent Google phones, but the Pixel 9 Pro breaks that losing streak. With a 4,700 mAh battery and a more efficient Tensor G4 chipset, the Pixel 9 Pro lasted an average of 13 hours and 30 minutes in our web surfing test — behind the comparably sized iPhone 16 and Galaxy S24 models, sure, but well, ahead of that 10-hour average for other smartphones. Other Pixels struggled to reach even that threshold so I like what I've seen from the Pixel 9 Pro's ability to get through the day on a charge.
Overall performance: The Tensor G4 that powers the Pixel 9 Pro can't keep pace with other top Android phones in benchmark testing, and it trails the iPhone 16, too. But that's not the focus of Tensor. Instead, it powers a number of helpful AI features, including Pixel Screenshots for easy searches of content within screenshots, Add Me for inserting people into group shots and Call Notes for transcriptions and summaries of phone calls. Potentially, the best addition is Gemini Live, a smarter version of the Google Assistant. Pixel 9 Pro owners get a year of Gemini Advanced for supporting for complex features.
Some of the AI tools need some more polish, though they're still further along than Apple Intelligence features at the moment. Right now Pixel Screenshots has been the most useful addition for me since I take a lot of screenshots to remember important details. Using Pixel Screenshots, I'm able to search for those images by their content, and the Pixel 9 Pro is smart enough to show relevant results. If you're more into producing images from nothing, the Pixel Studio generative AI tool lets you create things with nothing more than text prompts.
Verdict: If you're willing to bet that the Pixel 9 Pro's AI features will improve over time, the camera performance, longer battery life and bright display should be enough to give you a great device right now.
Read the full review: Google Pixel 9 Pro
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | On the bright side, the Pixel 9 Pro costs the same $999 as the Pixel 8 Pro. But you're paying the same for a smaller screen. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Cameras | You'll find few hardware changes outside an improved ultrawide sensor and higher-resolution selfie cam, but the Pixel 9 Pro still takes great shots. And the AI features are second to none. | ★★★★☆ |
| Power | The Tensor G4 enables a bunch of new AI-powered features that make the Pixel 9 Pro standout. But it badly lags behind Samsung and Apple phones in terms of speed. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Battery life | We've finally got a series of Pixels that outlasts the average smartphone, with the Pixel 9 Pro beating the average result on our test by 3 hours. | ★★★★☆ |
More on the Google Pixel 9 Pro
Best under $500
Like the Pixel 7a it replaced, Google's Pixel 8a is the best phone to get when you refuse to spend more than $500. In exchange, you'll get one of the best camera phones for the price, along with the AI features found on current Pixel flagships. The only reason to pass on the Pixel 8a at this point is you'd prefer the more powerful Tensor G4 chipset and newer AI capabilities in the Pixel 9 series. Even so, the Pixel 8a remains a great option for bargain hunters who don't want to pay the extra $300 you'd have to spend on a Pixel 9.
Price and value: In addition to saving you money in the near term, the Pixel 8a can be a phone that you hold on to for a long time. Google offers seven years of software and security updates, matching the level of support the regular Pixel 8 phones get. With the Pixel 8a, Google is showing other phone makers how a midrange device should be. That said, Samsung does undercut the Pixel 8a's price by $100 with its midrange model, the Galaxy A35, though the Pixel 8a enjoys some advantages when it comes to performance.
Camera performance: You'll find the same cameras on the Pixel 8a as you did on 2023's Pixel 7a, and photo processing capabilities work the same, too. While we wish there were more substantial improvements, you can't knock the camera performance of the Pixel 8a, especially compared to other camera phones in this price range. For instance, in our 200-photo face-off between the Pixel 8a and Galaxy A35, Google's phone really showed how it excels in photo processing and handling low-light images. People with the Pixel 7a won't need to upgrade, but if you have an older midrange model, you'll definitely see an uptick in photo quality with the Pixel 8a.
Battery and charging: Like the Pixel 9 above, the Pixel 8a beats the average smartphone's performance on our battery test, though less decisively. The Pixel 8a was able to surf the web for 11 hours and 21 minutes before running out of gas. To put that result in context, it's an hour and 16 minutes longer than the Pixel 7a lasted. Wired charging speeds could be faster, low-price phone or no, but Google includes wireless charging on the Pixel 8a after adding it with the Pixel 7a.
Overall performance: As always, the story with Pixel phones is the AI features supported by the Tensor core on Google's silicon. With a Tensor G3 running the show, the Pixel 8a matches the feature set found on Pixel 8 flagships, with Magic Editor and Best Take photo-editing features stealing the show. (The latter is particularly impressive, giving you the ability to edit group shots so that everyone is putting their best face forward.) But don't sleep on the phone's call management features, either, as I think they're some of the best AI features on the Pixel and unique to Google's phones. Forget about blazing speeds, though, as that's not in the Tensor chips' locker. That said, the Pixel 8a does handily out-perform the Galaxy A35, which uses older Exynos silicon.
Verdict: The Pixel 8a is a worthy addition to the A series, with excellent cameras for a budget phone. With better battery life than before and extended software support, Google's midrange phone is a even better bargain than its predecessor.
Read the full review: Google Pixel 8a
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Google kept its midrange phone under $500, making the Pixel 8a one of the better values you can find if you don't want to pay flagship prices. | ★★★★☆ |
| Cameras | The Pixel 9 cameras perform better than the Pixel 8a's, but not so much that you're sacrificing a great camera phone by paying less. This is the best cheap camera phone you can buy. | ★★★★☆ |
| Power | The Pixel 8a uses last year's Tensor G3, so you miss out on newer features (for now), but it's still a pretty smart chip with unique AI features. | ★★★★☆ |
| Battery life | You'll get better than average battery life with the Pixel 8a, though it doesn't last as long as Google's Tensor G4-powered phones. | ★★★★☆ |
More on the Google Pixel 8a
Best Android flagship value
My colleague Richard Priday calls the OnePlus 13 one of the best Android phones out there after testing the phone, and it's hard to argue with him, at least until the new Galaxy S25 models come along in a few weeks. Whatever you want in a phone, the OnePlus 13 delivers it, from strong performance to a long-lasting battery. Even camera performance, long the Achilles heel of OnePlus phones, measures up well to top camera phones. Simply put, the OnePlus 13 delivers a complete package for less than what you'd pay for most flagships, even after a price hike
Price and value: Let's talk about that price hike. The OnePlus 13 starts at $899, which is $100 more than what the OnePlus 12 cost when it debuted. (You can knock that price down by trading in a phone when you buy the OnePlus 13 directly from the phone maker.)
If you compare that to the starting price of entry-level flagships, it doesn't reflect well on the OnePlus 13, though many of those $799 models have smaller displays than the 6.78-inch panel on OnePlus' phone. Compare it to similarly sized phones like the Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max, and the OnePlus 13 still costs substantially less while delivering equivalent features.
Camera performance: Teaming up with lens specialist Hasselblad continues to pay dividends for OnePlus, as the OnePlus 13 cameras perform better than anything we've seen from the phone maker. Testing produced photos that were very bright and colorful, and I'm particularly impressed with how the OnePlus 13 balances external light sources. Shots in low light turned out well, and the OnePlus 13 clearly has a knack for portrait shots, especially if your subject wears glasses. In some situations, photos shot by the OnePlus 13 can be a little too bright, robbing the final image of warmth and depth. But overall, I think the OnePlus 13 cameras hold up well against the competition.
Battery and charging: There's not much to complain about here. A 6,000 mAh battery and the power management features found in the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset powering the OnePlus 13 produced the second-best result we've ever seen in our phone battery test. The new OnePlus flagship lasted 19 hours and 45 minutes, which is nearly 10 hours better than the average smartphone. Only the gaming-focused ROG Phone 9 Pro lasts longer on a charge.
You won't have to wait long to top off that battery either, thanks to 80W charging speeds in the U.S. (It's 100W elsewhere.) With an 80W charger, we got the OnePlus 13 to a 92% charge in half-an-hour after draining its battery.
Overall performance: The top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset inside the OnePlus 13 means the phone can keep pace with just about any flagship, though we've heard that Samsung is optimizing the Snapdragon 8 Elite in its Galaxy S25 phones for better performance. Certainly, the performance-focused ROG Phone 9 Pro churns out better results than the OnePlus 13 with Qualcomm's new chip, but that's not stopping the OnePlus 13 from topping the latest iPhones in graphics testing as well as in some CPU tests.
Just as importantly, OnePlus doesn't turn its back on AI features with this edition of its flagship. AI photo-editing tool take some of the guesswork out of removing blur and reflections from shots while an Intelligent Search tool makes it easier to find what you're looking for on the phone.
Verdict: It's time to start thinking about OnePlus in the same way you'd consider Samsung or Google when mulling over which Android phone to get. The OnePlus 13 belongs in the same conversation as any leading Android device, thanks to its strong performance, long-lasting battery and surprisingly strong cameras. Software support can't quite match what those other phone makers offer, but overall, the OnePlus 13 gives you a top Android experience.
Read the full review: OnePlus 13
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | You'll pay more for the OnePlus 13 than you did for last year's flagship. However, at $899, the OnePlus 13 still costs anywhere from $100 to $400 less than the premium big-screen phones it competes against. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Cameras | A Hasselblad partnership continues to pay dividends for OnePlus, as the OnePlus 13 cameras perform better than any of their predecessors. In our testing, images compared favorably to ones shot by leading camera phones like the Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max. | ★★★★☆ |
| Power | The best Qualcomm chip you can buy powers the OnePlus 13, and the benchmarks results we tallied show why that's important. The OnePlus 13 thrives at playing graphically intense games, and it can speedily handle any tasks you throw at it. | ★★★★☆ |
| Battery life | Only one other phone posts a better time on our battery test than the nearly 20 hours that the OnePlus 13 lasted. In terms of real-world use that translates to multi-day battery life before you need to charge the phone. | ★★★★★ |
More on the OnePlus 13
- Best phone battery life: Where the OnePlus 13 ranks
- OnePlus 13 vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max
- Best OnePlus phones
Best iPhone value
The iPhone 16 is the latest entry-level flagship in Apple's lineup. Not only is it the least expensive way to get Apple's latest hardware, this phone also offers incredible value against the pricier iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max — especially when it has a lot in common with them. In fact, my colleague John Velasco argues that it's a Pro model in disguise, reversing the recent trend of Apple giving all its attention to the Pro phones. Certainly, no one would claim the iPhone 16 is an afterthought, given all the new additions.
Price and value: The $799 starting price of the iPhone 16 remains a lot to pay for most people. But it's cheaper than the $899 iPhone 16 Plus, not to mention those iPhone 16 Pro models., which start at $999 and only climb upward from there. Whether it's the Galaxy S24 or Pixel 9, you're going to pay $799 for an entry-level smartphone, so at least Apple's not charging you more.
Camera performance: The 48MP main camera unlocks a lot of photography potential in the iPhone 16, but its ultrawide camera gets an even better upgrade with a wider f/2.2 aperture that allows it to gather in more light than previous iPhones. That also enables a new macro mode on the iPhone 16, which produces more striking close-ups than I've seen from other phones.
The iPhone 16 continues to offer lossless 2x zoom without the need of a telephoto camera too, which helps bridge the gap between itself and the Pro models. I've tested that feature against phones like the Galaxy S24 that have a dedicated zoom lens, and the iPhone holds its own when comparing 2x zooms. Zooming in further, though, will make the differences more apparent.
Battery and charging: Apple's larger iPhones have more room for bigger batteries but the iPhone 16 still lasts nearly 13 hours on a single charge — that's well ahead of the average smartphone, but not the Galaxy S24. I remain frustrated by Apple's 20W wired charging speeds, even after the company switched to USB connectivity with the iPhone 15. USB was supposed to be faster than Apple's Lightning standard, so where's the innovation? At least Apple improves wireless MagSafe charging to 25W.
Overall performance: The A18 chipset within the iPhone 16 is potent, proving just as capable as the A18 Pro. (Apple's Pro chipset has a little more muscle when it comes to graphics, thanks to an extra core in its GPU.) Even more impressive is how it puts up better scores in GeekBench than most Android phones running the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. This boosted chipset allows the iPhone 16 to support AI-powered Apple Intelligence features just like Apple's Pro models, though as we've noted it's very early days for Apple Intelligence.
Verdict: The iPhone 16 is a better value than the iPhone 15 that came before it, thanks in part to its significantly longer battery life, stronger A18 performance, and how it now carries similar features found on the 16 Pro models — like Camera Control, Action Button, and support for spatial photos and videos. If you prefer a bigger screen and a longer-lasting battery, it may be worth an extra $100 for the iPhone 16 Plus, but Apple's standard iPhone remains a compelling option in its own right.
Read the full review: iPhone 16
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Sporting the same $799 as before, the iPhone 16 is a better value than ever mainly because of how it has more in common with the Pro models than ever before. | ★★★★☆ |
| Cameras | The 48MP main camera does a lot, but it still can't beat a Pro iPhone due to the lack of a dedicated telephoto lens. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Power | Apple uses a variant of its latest chipset, but the A18 manages to deliver outstanding results that narrows the gap against the A18 Pro. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Battery life | As a compact phone, the iPhone 16 offers all-day battery. | ★★★★☆ |
More on the iPhone 16
Best Samsung flagship for most people
As with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, AI improvements are the big draw for the Galaxy S25. Samsung once again offers the same Galaxy AI features across its flagship lineup, so anything the S25 Ultra can do, so can the standard S25.
Considering the Galaxy S25 costs $500 less than Samsung's premium device, this entry-level flagship will be the way most people experience the lastest AI features from Samsung. And if they wind up buying the Galaxy S25, they'll be very pleased with the experience, despite some minimal hardware changes from previous additions.
Price and value: That $799 starting price is what's going to attract people to the Galaxy S25, especially if they balk at paying $1,000 and up for smartphones. If you find the Galaxy S25 Plus and Galaxy S25 Ultra too expensive, the Galaxy S25 provides a less expensive way to enjoy Samsung's latest devices, especially since the AI features Samsung is emphasizing with this lineup are identical from phone to phone.
Camera performance: The Galaxy S25 uses the same camera setup found on the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S23, though the new phone does offer an update ProVisual Engine for better photo processing. Even with that change — which does have a very positive effect on the S25's camera output — owners of recent Galaxy S models may not find much of a reason to upgrade on camera performance alone.
That said, our camera testing revealed that the Galaxy S25 is less prone to over-saturating photos the way recent models did, so colors look a lot more natural in Galaxy S25 shots. Night shots also look livelier on the Galaxy S25 thanks to improvements aimed at low-light photography. The Galaxy S25 remains one of the few $799 phones to offer a telephoto lens, though the 3x optical zoom trails the 5x you'd get by paying up for Pro models from Apple or Google.
Battery life and charging: As Samsung's most compact Galaxy S model, the entry-level version doesn't have a lot of room inside for a big battery. To that end, the Galaxy S25 features a 4,000 mAh battery, just like its predecessor did. But that doesn't stop the s25 from dramatically improving upon battery life.
When we had the Galaxy S25 surf the web continuously as part of our standard battery test, the new phone held out for 15 hours and 43 minutes, which almost 2.5 hours longer than the Galaxy S24's battery test result. Clearly, the S25 is getting a lot of power management help from its Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, as that system-on-chip is supposed to offer better power management.
Charging speeds remain at a disappointing tepid 25W for wired charging. Like the rest of the Galaxy S25 lineup, this standard version supports Qi2 wireless charging, though you'll need a special case to take advantage of that support.
Overall performance: For the Galaxy S25, Samsung stopped using different chipsets for phones released in different regions like it did with the S24. Instead, everyone who buys a Galaxy S25 gets a Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered device — and that's good news if you want the best performance in an Android phone.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite inside the S25 is optimized for Samsung's phones, enabling the Galaxy S25 to pull ahead of the OnePlus 13 in CPU testing. (The two match up fairly well in graphics tests we've run.) And Samsung equips its entry-level flagships with a generous 12GB of RAM.
That combination of chipset and memory also helps power the new Galaxy AI features, highlighted by the ability to perform actions across multiple apps via the phone's digital assistant. The Now Brief feature the surfaces relevant information on your phone screen is promising, though we'll not know how effective it truly is until it has time to learn from our actions and preferences.
Verdict: Not everyone cares for the Galaxy S25's compact size, preferring a bigger screen on their device. However, if you like a phone that's easy to use with one hand, and you want the very best Galaxy AI features without having to pay premium prices, the $799 Galaxy S25 delivers big value in its smaller size.
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | The Galaxy S25's $799 starting price matches similar offerings from Apple and Google. But the big difference is the $500 gap with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, even though those two Samsung phones share AI features. | ★★★★☆ |
| Cameras | There's no real change in hardware from recent Samsung models, so S24 and S23 owners may not feel compelled to upgrade. Photo processing improvements do make S25 photos look less saturated, though — a positive step. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Power | Regardless of where you buy your Galaxy S25, you'll get a phone powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite optimized for Samsung's phones. That means the best Android performance available — once again for less than what Samsung's pricier models cost. | ★★★★☆ |
| Battery life | No change in battery size? No problem. The Snapdragon 8 Elite's power management features help the Galaxy S25 improve upon its predecessor's time in our battery test by nearly 2.5 hours. | ★★★★☆ |
More on the Samsung Galaxy S25
Best flagship alternative
The OnePlus 13R is more proof that you don't need to pay flagship prices to get a great phone. While the OnePlus 13 boasts the better specs, the 13R dials those back just a little bit, while significantly lowering its starting price from the $899 that the flagship phone commands. Even with the scaled-back specs, you still get strong performance and tremendous battery life, plus cameras that can hold their own against other midrange models.
Price and value: At $599, the OnePlus 13R costs $300 less than OnePlus' flagship while offering specs that aren't too far off the features of a higher-end phone. Even better, the OnePlus 13R includes the same AI capabilities OnePlus introduced to its flagship this year, such as some excellent AI-powered photo editing tools.
That said, last year's OnePlus 12R featured a model with less storage that cost less than $500. That's not an option with the 13R, so you can find midrange phones such as the Pixel 8a and Galaxy A35 for much less.
Camera performance: The OnePlus 13R doesn't have the advantage of the Hasselblad partnership that's elevated the cameras on OnePlus' flagships in recent years, the OnePlus 13 included. Nevertheless, the OnePlus 13R's camera setup does impress, particularly the 50MP telephoto lens that specializes in portrait shots. I found portraits taken by the OnePlus 13R to be every bit as good as the ones captured by the Pixel 8a, which consistently ranks as the best performing camera phone among midrange devices.
The OnePlus 13R favors bright colors, which serves its pictures well most of the time, though a few shots I took didn't accurately depict the scene I was trying to capture. Low-light camera performance is very strong, and the zoom lens does capture details that other cameras would miss. You won't be disappointed with camera performance here.
Battery and charging: Long battery life remains the standout feature for OnePlus R series phones. Last year, the OnePlus 12R topped the 18-hour mark on our battery test, a time that the OnePlus 13R managed to beat, thanks to the power management features of its Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and a larger 6,000 mAh battery.
The phone charges quickly, too, with support for 80W charging speeds. (OnePlus only includes a 55W charger in the box, though.) You won't get wireless charging support, a concession to the OnePlus 13R's lower price.
Overall performance: The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 powering the OnePlus 13R is an older chip, predominantly used in 2024 flagship phones. While you're not going to get the performance you would from the newer Snapdragon 8 Elite silicon, the Gen 3 chipset still packs a punch. I had no problem switching between apps, and the phone was able to handle graphically intensive games during my testing. OnePlus says it increased the size of the cooling chamber on the OnePlus 13R, which should help keep the phone from overheating during lengthy gaming sessions.
Verdict: Not everyone wants to pay close to $1,000 for a top-performing phone. The OnePlus 13R makes it so you don't have to. You're not getting the latest and greatest hardware, but what you do get is solid performance, long battery life and surprisingly good photos — all in a phone that sports the same distinctive look as the regular OnePlus flagship.
Read the full review: OnePlus 13R
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | The $599 starting price is much less than the OnePlus 13, though we still wish that OnePlus offered a cheaper sub-$500 model with less storage. | ★★★★☆ |
| Cameras | Camera performance is much improved on the OnePlus 13R, compared to last year's model, helped out by a new telephoto lens. Images give the Pixel 8a's photos a run for the money in our testing. | ★★★★☆ |
| Power | You won't get the latest Snapdragon chipset in this phone, but last year's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 still turns out strong performance, particularly when it comes to graphics. | ★★★★☆ |
| Battery life | You can't complain about a phone that beats the average smartphone by more than 8 hours on our battery test. The OnePlus 13R charges quickly as well. | ★★★★★ |
More on the OnePlus 13R
Best foldable phone
Both the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Pixel 9 Pro Fold may have come out more recently, but the OnePlus Open still tops them both, especially now that it's cheaper than Samsung's top foldable. Not only is the OnePlus Open well made, but it offers up a more practical multitasking experience for users — easily the biggest argument we can make for choosing this phone over other foldables with a similar design.
The OnePlus Open has everything power users crave, and the arrival of a variant called the OnePlus Open Apex Edition delivers storage enhancements and AI photo-editing tools. There's talk of a OnePlus Open 2 follow-up showing up at some point in 2025, so adjust your buying plans accordingly, especially given the high price that foldables demand.
Price and value: OnePlus has an attractive proposition for prospective buyers. It already undercuts other notebook styled foldables with its $1,699 starting cost, but the extra $200 trade-in credit offer effectively makes it $1,499, which is a much better deal than the $1,899 cost for the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
Camera performance: Armed with a Hasselblad camera system, the OnePlus Open handles most situations with ease, excelling mostly with its main camera when lightning conditions are ideal. Its 3x telephoto zoom camera is just as good as the Pixel Fold's 5x zoom camera. That said, when John Velasco tested the OnePlus Open for Tom's Guide, he found that the foldable's cameras struggle in extreme low light conditions.
Battery and charging: Foldable phones don't always last a long time on a charge, given the super-sized screens they have to keep powered. Yet, the OnePlus Open goes the distance lasting over 11 hours on our battery test — easily beating out the Galaxy Z Fold 6. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold finished just a few minutes behind the OnePlus Open, so this is the foldable to get if you want a device that can stay powered up through the day. Like other OnePlus phones, the Open charges quickly, as we got the phone up to 85% capacity after 30 minutes.
Overall performance: Since the OnePlus Open is more than a year old, you're getting a phone with an older chip. But as I noted with the OnePlus 12R, it's not like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 from 2023 is showing its age. Just be aware that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 can handle tasks faster, and even the Tensor G4-powered Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a bit more pep.
But even if the OnePlus Open can't out-muscle newer foldable phones, it still boasts the Open Canvas multitasking feature that John Velasco calls the best implementation of multitasking that he's seen on all the foldable phones he's reviewed for us.
Verdict: The OnePlus Open improves upon what existing notebook styled foldables have done already, but it includes all the necessary improvements to make it the best foldable phone. At the same time, it offers the longest battery life and fastest recharge speeds in a foldable, paired with a lower cost and premium design.
Read the full review: OnePlus Open
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | With other foldable phones going up in price, the OnePlus Open is the least expensive model you can find with a design that opens up like a book. | ★★★★☆ |
| Design | The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is thinner, but the OnePlus Open is lighter and easier to tote around. | ★★★★☆ |
| Power | While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 was a strong chip in its day, the OnePlus Open is starting to fall behind rival foldables with newer silicon. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 beats it handily, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold can keep pace with it. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Battery life | The OnePlus Open doesn't last as long as smaller foldable flip phones, but among foldables with this design, it's the battery life champ. | ★★★★☆ |
More on the OnePlus Open
Most affordable AI phone
You'll find more advanced features on the new Galaxy S25 models, but the Galaxy S24 FE remains a great way to get Galaxy AI on the cheap. This phone costs $649 — $150 less than the S25 — and it boasts nearly all the AI capabilities that debuted with the Galaxy S24 a year ago. We're not sure if the newer AI features will reach the Galaxy S24 FE via software update, but even if they don't, this device remains a tremendous value.
Price and value: It's hard to argue with a phone that delivers both a telephoto lens and significant Galaxy AI features for $649. At the same time, you also enjoy the same seven years of software and security updates Samsung extends to Samsung's more expensive flagships.
There are reasons to pay up for those phones — you want a more powerful telephoto lens than what the FE offers, for example — but it's really hard to beat this model on price. You're getting a device with the same screen size as the 6.7-inch Galaxy S24 Plus as well as the Galaxy S25 Plus, but at a $350 discount.
Camera performance: My colleague John Velasco tested the cameras in the Galaxy S24 FE, saying its output rivaled those of the OnePlus 12 in some instances. He was also impressed by how well the Galaxy S24 FE camera performs under low light, by delivering a fair amount of brightness to the shot to better expose the details that are hiding in the shadows. There are better camera phones on this list, but you're not sacrificing too much in terms of camera quality with the Galaxy S24 FE.
Battery and charging: With an average time of 11 hours and 38 minutes on our battery test, the Galaxy S24 FE bests the average smartphone by a little more than 1.5 hours. Still, you're not getting as much battery life as you would with the Galaxy S24, which lasted nearly 2 hours longer. You should be able to get through the day on that kind of battery life, but you'll certainly need to recharge the Galaxy S24 FE by the end of the day. The phone's 25W charging speed matches the s24 and gets the phone up to 50% capacity after 30 minutes.
Overall performance: Unlike its siblings with their more powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 silicon, the Galaxy S24 FE is powered by an Exynos 2400e chip that does decently for what it is. This silicon definitely isn't flagship caliber, but it does manage to deliver outstanding results in various synthetic benchmark tests we ran on it. In fact, Geekbench 6 scores are very close to the Galaxy S24 Plus, while its GPU performance and support for ray-tracing can handle most of today's demanding titles. You will get better performance from Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered phones, though.
Verdict: The Galaxy S24 FE may not be Samsung's most feature-packed flagship — especially now that the new S25 models are here — but it offers a telephoto lens, Galaxy AI capabilities, and the same seven years of software support. All that comes at a lower price than standard flagships.
As a lower-cost model, the Galaxy S24 FE isn't really affected by the Galaxy S25's arrival, so this is a phone you can buy with confidence right now.
Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | You get a lot of phone for your $649, especially when you find many of the same features on the Galaxy S24 Plus. | ★★★★☆ |
| Cameras | Not many sub-$650 phones have a telephoto lens, so the Galaxy S24 FE stands out in that regard. It also benefits from having useful AI-editing features. | ★★★★½ |
| Power | It doesn't get the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 like its S24 siblings, but the Exynos 2400e still puts out a good performance. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Battery life | It' does last as long as all the other S24 phones, but the S24 FE's battery life is still better than the average phone. | ★★★☆☆ |
More on the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
Best phones: Key specs compared
Here's a closer look at how our best phones pick compare when it comes to display brightness and battery life test results.
| Phone | Screen size | Brightness test results (nits) | Battery life test results (Hrs: Mins) |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | 6.9 inches | 1,860 | 17:14 |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | 6.9 inches | 1,553 | 17:35 |
| Google Pixel 9 Pro | 6.3 inches | 1,880 | 13:30 |
| Google Pixel 8a | 6.1 inches | 1,329 | 11:21 |
| OnePlus 13 | 6.82 inches | 1,104 | 19:45 |
| iPhone 16 | 6.1 inches | 1,348 | 12:43 |
| Samsung Galaxy S25 | 6.2 inches | 1,789 | 15:43 |
| OnePlus 13R | 6.78 inches | 746 | 18:49 |
| OnePlus Open | 7.2 inches (interior display); 6.3 inches (exterior) | 586 | 11:31 |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 FE | 6.7 inches | 1,516 | 11:38 |
FAQ: Finding the best phones
Should I get an Android device or iPhone?
Android phones give you more choice in terms of price, size and innovative designs. However, iPhones offer speedier software updates, better games and apps and better security and privacy. See our iPhone vs Android face-off for more on the strengths and weaknesses of the two mobile platforms.
When do new phones come out?
It helps to have some idea as to when new phones are on their way if for no other reason than you don't unwittingly buy a device that's about to be made obsolete. (There's an argument to be made for buying a phone as its successor is getting announced should the older model see a price drop.) Phone makers tend to keep launch dates close to the vest, but they also have a habit of releasing new models at the same time of the year. Here's out best guess as to what's coming next for the most anticipated phones of 2025:
- Galaxy S25: Available for preorder; arriving in stores February 7
- iPhone SE 4: Spring 2025
- Pixel 9a: Spring 2025
- Galaxy Z Fold 7/Galaxy Z Flip 7: Summer 2025
- Pixel 10: Fall 2025
- iPhone 17: Fall 2025
- Galaxy S25 Edge: 2025
Is it better to buy an unlocked phone?
Most shoppers in the U.S. buy new phones through their wireless carrier. But an unlocked phone gives you the freedom to buy the device without any sort of contract and then bring it to the provider you want to use. And these days, it's pretty easy to bring an unlocked phone to any phone carrier.
That said, some phones cost more when you buy them unlocked. For example, Apple tacks $30 on to the price of the iPhone 16 for an unlocked model. Best Buy typically takes money off the price of a phone when you activate it with a specific carrier at time of purchase.
How big of a phone should I get?
Fans of the best small phones will have a hard time finding devices with screens smaller than 6 inches today, though a few still exist. Thanks to shrinking bezels, most phones with screens around 6.1 inches are fairly compact. If you prefer a big phone, you'll want something with a screen that's 6.5 to 6.8 inches. Anything bigger, and you'll likely want to turn to a foldable phone, where the device opens up to reveal a larger display.
What should I consider when looking at camera features?
Most phones will come with at least two rear cameras — a main lens and an ultrawide shooter, usually. Telephoto lenses offering an optical zoom are often reserved for more expensive flagship phones. Don't pay attention to the megapixel count. Instead, look at camera face-offs between phones to see the photo quality and look for special features like Night Mode to get better quality in low light. Also see our best camera phone roundup for more on the devices that really excel when taking photos.
What do I need to know about smartphone battery life?
Generally, phones with larger batteries (measured in mAh) offer the longest battery life, but that's not always the case. That's why we run our own battery test, in which we make phones surf the web until they run out of power. The average phone runs out of juice in 10 hours in our test, while the best phone battery life we've tested tends to pass the 14-hour mark with some phones lasting longer than 18 hours.
What about AI features?
Artificial intelligence is the talk of the tech world these days, and mobile phones are looking to capitalize on the buzz by adding AI-powered features that either simplify common tasks or help you create new images and documents on the go.
Google's phones — whether it's the flagship Pixel 9 models or the budget Pixel 8a — have the most advanced AI, but Samsung has gotten very aggressive with adding Galaxy AI capabilities, whether it's introducing AI features in new phones or extending those features to older flagships; that said, it's unclear which Galaxy AI additions arriving with the Galaxy S25 will find their way to other Samsung devices.
Apple trails both its rivals, though it hopes the Apple Intelligence features currently rolling out to the iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 Pro models will close the gap somewhat.
How we test smartphones
In order for a smartphone to make our best phone list, it needs to excel on several tests that we run on every handset. We perform some of these tests in our labs and some in the real world.
When it comes to performance, we rely on such synthetic benchmarks as Geekbench 5 and 3DMark's Wild Life Unlimited to measure graphics performance. These tests allow us to compare performance across iPhones and Android devices. We also run a real-world video transcoding test on each phone using the Adobe Premiere Rush app and time the result.
To measure the quality of a phone's display, we perform lab tests to determine the brightness of the panel (in nits), as well as how colorful each screen is (DCI-P3 color gamut). In these cases, higher numbers are better. We also measure color accuracy of each panel with a Delta-E rating, where lower numbers are better and score of 0 is perfect.
One of the most important tests we run is the Tom's Guide battery test. We run a web surfing test over 5G or 4G at 150 nits of screen brightness until the battery gives out. As noted above, a phone that lasts more than 10 hour has good battery life, while phones that last around 12 hours or longer are among the longest-lasting phones we've tested.
Last but not least, we take the best phones out in the field to take photos outdoors, indoors and at night in low light to see how they perform versus their closest competitors. We take shots of landscapes, food, portraits and more, and also allow you to be the judge with side-by-side comparisons in our reviews.
For more information, check out our how we test page for Tom's Guide.
