Phones

The closest an e-ink phone has come to feeling like a normal smartphone, and a game changer for anyone wanting flexible minimalism, despite…

Fun idea with three speakers for around $90, but the speaker is no louder than an iPhone and sounds worse.

A surprisingly nice ultra-tall, one-handed phone with a clever diagonal keyboard, but not a game changer.

Maybe the most instantly recommendable phone he has used, with standout design, screen and battery for £200, held back by average performan…

Scores more points than the Pixel 9a overall, with stronger performance, audio, calls and battery, but costs 20% more and lacks an ultrawid…

Impressive detail on the back showing the robot's inner parts and a great theme, though the games icon is a gun.

Chaotic, with a clever NFC case that changes the wallpaper and suits the anime style, but not to his taste.

The wackiest of the three, packaged like a treasure chest with lots of accessories and plenty of love in the custom animations and icons.

Best mid-range phone of 2024, with better screen, battery, charging and zoom than the S24 FE at a lower price.

Budget phone that punches well above its price, with a brilliant 200MP main camera, strong display and build, held back by sluggish softwar…

The best special edition he has used, a thinner and upgraded Fold 6 exclusive to Korea and China, rated A tier.

Impressively themed box, case and software, but only A tier-level: impressive without blowing him away.

The crown jewel: luxurious specs, sapphire back and silver-gold cooling that genuinely improves performance, earning S tier.

A masterclass in branding with a fan-designed story, but the glow-in-the-dark finish is an underwhelming gimmick, so B tier.

Absurdly rare, but it is a completely standard black iPhone 16 Pro, so he gives it an F.

He calls it the greatest camera phone in existence, praising the pin-connected magnetic lens and its results.

The most convincing concept phone he has used, with a clever attachable camera, though battery life and lens quality fall short and mainstr…

Has the best phone camera system he has seen, led by a telephoto lens so good it works as a main camera, though software updates and handli…

A slightly neater Fold that still has the same fundamental flaws at roughly twice the price of a normal flagship, so he finds it hard to re…

Thinnest foldable he has seen, beating Samsung on build, battery, charging, screens and speed, but let down by software polish and cameras.

Best Samsung flagship yet, with a standout anti-reflective screen, polished software, useful AI features and great battery life, though the…

Overall phone of the year, with a superb camera, huge efficient battery and fast software, but hard to buy in the UK and US.

Shares the same great software and main camera as the Pro, but feels artificially limited and has only just-adequate battery life.

Wooden spoon winner: good software ideas but hardware that looks like a shelved prototype for the price.