Another year has passed and it's no surprise that it's been an incredibly active year in the world of smartphones. We've tested all the best phones, including the best iPhones and best Android phones, to collectively determine which devices make the cut in our Tom's Guide Awards 2024.
Even though the release schedule was as busy as prior years, we've seen a big trend around artificial intelligence and how it powers many of the new features and experiences. That's not all either because we've properly put many phones through photo shootouts to see which makes our best camera phones guides. We've also factored in other things, like higher price hikes in many flagship models, to really understand what value they bring to the table.
Knowing that, here are our favorite phones from the past year.
Best phone
Best phone: iPhone 15 Pro Max
Nothing impresses us more than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, even when other newer phones continue to come out trying to test Apple’s flagship. Despite having a $100 price increase over its predecessor, it’s our top pick for the best phone for many reasons. This year’s largest sized iPhone packs all the iterative updates to propel it to the top of the leaderboard, including a new 12MP telephoto camera that gets it closer to subjects than ever before with its 5x optical zoom — which is a major step up over the previous 3x one.
Other notable reasons why it’s the best phone is because it has one of the best performances with its A17 Pro chip. It obviously delivers the muscle power to handle just about everything, including intensive gaming titles, but the power efficiency of Apple’s silicon manages to deliver the best battery life to an iPhone ever by reaching an impressive time of 14 hours and 2 minutes. Everything it packs justifies its higher cost, so it’s simply that good.
Best iPhone
Best iPhone: iPhone 15
As good as the iPhone 15 Pro Max, it also happens to be the most expensive handset in Apple’s lineup, putting it beyond the budget of many iPhone fans. Fortunately, the iPhone 15 comes in at a more affordable $799, and Apple’s entry-level phone has picked up several high-end features from earlier Pro models. The A16 Bionic chip delivers strong performance and excellent power efficiency (even if it won’t support the upcoming Apple Intelligence features coming later to A17 Pro-powered iPhone 15 Pro models later this year). An upgrade to the iPhone’s main camera added a 48MP sensor that’s also capable of cropping in on photos to deliver the equivalent of a 2x optical zoom — a clever workaround the fact that there’s no dedicated telephoto lens on this particular model.
The iPhone 15 is compatible with iOS 18, meaning a whole slate of new features will hit the phone this fall, from customizable home screens to updated Notes, Map, Safari and Messages apps. And another four iOS updates await after that, meaning your iPhone 15 will remain a dynamic mobile device for years to come.
Best Android phone
Best Android phone: Galaxy S24 Ultra
Samsung has shown again and again it knows how to make amazing flagship smartphones, so it's perhaps not surprising to see the Galaxy S24 Ultra take gold this year as the best Android phone. But unlike previous years, Samsung's victory is less reliant on hardware, and more on software.
Using one of the first, and therefore most mature, AI feature sets on a smartphone has ensured the Galaxy S24 Ultra stays at the front of tech's biggest conversation topic right now. A spacious battery, mighty chipset and seven years of promised updates make sure your basic needs are covered, while a 200MP main camera and new titanium frame ensure you're still on the cutting edge with components too. You do have to pay up a fair amount for the privilege, but that's the price that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra can command by being the best.
Best camera phone
Best camera phone: iPhone 15 Pro Max
We tested all the best camera phones, and even though it’s been put through a number of comparisons, the iPhone 15 Pro Max continues to be untested with its superb camera performance. While its triple camera system is a familiar arrangement, the biggest change pertains to its telephoto abilities — with an even better 12MP camera with 5x optical zoom. No matter the situation, including low light, the iPhone 15 Pro Max confidently captures photos with razor sharp results.
Although, you can’t count out its video recording capabilities as well because its 4K clips capture all the smallest details, while still keeping things smooth with its excellent stabilization. And thanks to its switch to a USB-C port, the iPhone 15 Pro Max gains extra utility in the form of recording directly to USB-C storage devices with is 10 Gbit/s USB 3.0 support.
Best gaming phone
Best gaming phone: Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro
Trust a gaming brand to make the best gaming phone. Asus ROG and its Phone 8 Pro could have just focused on performance to make the ultimate gaming device, but the secret to the ROG Phone 8 Pro's success is how well rounded the phone now is. Alongside the latest chipset, customizable software and a big, long-lasting battery, the design's now a lot tamer with optional back lighting, certified water resistance and a triple-camera array on the back for your photography needs.
While those cameras aren't the best we've tried, and a lot of the features are available on the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra for a fair bit less, the overall combination is what elevates the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro above other gaming-focused phones and less specialized flagship devices.
Best foldable phone
Best foldable phone: OnePlus Open
The OnePlus Open takes the crown for the best foldable phone this year for being an outstanding device, and its lower price tag doesn’t come with a bunch of compromises and cut corners. The main benefit is that multitasking support is second to none. Open Canvas takes cues from your desktop PC, letting you have any size app windows you want and even letting you store them (mostly off-screen. That way you can take advantage of the tablet’s 7.8-inch foldable display without restricting yourself to a single app at a time.
You also get a thin, lightweight design, better battery life than rival foldables, up to 67W charging speeds and a camera that is generally pretty good. So long as you’re not in a dark or gloomy area. OnePlus also opted for a shorter and wider design, without reducing the size of the 6.3-inch cover display, making the Open comfortable to use regardless of which screen you’re using. And considering the price tag is $200 less than the brand new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, you’re getting absolutely fantastic value for money.
Best phone design
Best phone design: Nothing Phone 2a
More expensive phones frequently use more premium materials with their designs, but the Nothing Phone 2a bucks the trend with its dazzling design style. Considering how it’s a fraction of the cost of your traditional flagship, the Nothing Phone 2a tastefully features an original look like no other.
While its translucent design is neat, allowing us to see some of the hardware inside of the phone, the design’s further accentuated by the Glyph Interface — a series of LED light strips on the back of the phone that makes it stand out from everything else out there. When you see the light up, it’s almost impossible to not take notice of its dazzling style.
Best phone battery life
Best phone battery life: OnePlus 12R
A gaming phone tops our best phone battery life list, with the ROG Phone 8 pushing past the 18.5-hour mark on our test, in which phones are forced to surf the web over cellular until they run out of power. But not everyone wants a gaming phone. For a long-lasting device that also appeals to a wider audience, try the OnePlus 12R, which finished just 6 minutes behind the ROG Phone 8 in our battery testing. That’s an impressive time in its own right, helped on by the OnePlus 12R’s 5,500 mAh battery and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
But that beefy battery isn’t the only noteworthy thing about the OnePlus 12R’s feature set. With support for 80W charging in the U.S. — it’s faster elsewhere — we were able to almost completely fill a drained OnePlus 12R battery after 30 minutes. You’re never going to be at a loss for power with this phone.
Best budget phone
Best budget phone: Pixel 8a
The Google Pixel 8a takes the award for the best budget phone for several reasons. Building on the already excellent Pixel 7a, the Pixel 8a includes an improved screen with higher brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate, plus Google's latest chipset for flagship-grade power. The included wealth of AI features, including Circle to Search and the wealth of editing options make this the best AI-capable budget phone on the market too, and the seven years of promised software updates will keep the Pixel 8a feeling fresh for a long time to come.
The cameras are strong, although not that different from the previous model, plus Google's still not done much to improve battery longevity or charging speed. But you'll find it hard to find more phone for $500, which for the budget-conscious buyer may be all you need to know to agree that the Pixel deserves the crown here.
Best phone accessory
Best phone accessory: Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station
Anker's been making incredible accessories for years now, but the Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station has everything we want for charging on-the-go. This 3-in-1 charger can supply power to an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously, but it also works with Qi2-compatible Android phones and other wireless earbuds.
Its utility is unlike anything else, thanks in part to its folding design that collapses for better portability. It's a perfect charger for travel thank to this ingenious design. With a max speed of 15W, it can charge most phones in under 2 hours, which makes it an ideal deskside accessory.
