Phones

The Chinese phone that the AI Plus Nova Flip appears to be a copy of.

Cheap 5G launch phone from AI Plus, caught up in the Chinese-apps controversy.

Arrived with all three Chinese Sprocomm apps despite the CEO's guarantee, and still shows bloatware after updating.

Essentially a rebadged ZTE Nubia Flip 2, which clashes with the made-in-India pitch.

Second-generation phone that still has bloatware and the Chinese apps despite the CEO's claims.

Cheap launch phone whose preinstalled Chinese apps undermined the brand's data-stays-in-India claims.

Runner-up for the why-does-this-exist award: not bad but a disappointing spec bump with a less cool dotty screen at $800.

A delightful, tough and fast phone with a much improved camera, but he says most people should hold off because the AI pricing is unknown a…

Throttles badly, so the so-called A19 Pro Air is slower than the cheaper iPhone 17, and it has a weak single speaker and a weaker portrait…

Honor's 'world's slimmest foldable' claim excluded the camera bump and screen protectors, and Samsung's was actually slimmer.

Its marketed 6,000 nit peak brightness looks no different from a Galaxy S25 Ultra in everyday use.

Finished fifth, with the global version underperforming its huge 6,800mAh capacity because of a restricted cell.

A solid, reliable phone for business buyers, but dated looks and weak cameras mean individuals should spend a bit more on the iPhone 17.

Came second for battery life at just under 13 hours, helped by a dual silicon carbon battery setup.

His overall smartphone of the year, with a huge battery and a big camera upgrade, though it may be hard to buy in some regions.

The standout limited edition, with thermal-reactive back, fully themed software and thoughtful packaging, so S tier.

Great fan-service packaging and a working wand, but the phone is full of ads and sloppy software.

Fashionable and nicely built, but the software offers only one custom wallpaper and the unboxing is bare, so a C tier.

Aimed squarely at fans, with a premium case and an AI cartoon assistant he finds strange, so a B tier.

Not for him, but a thoughtful, glitzy limited edition for its audience, rated high A tier.

Incredible Death Star packaging but a disappointing phone with ad-like wallpaper carousels, rescued to B tier by the glowing 3D Vader mask.

Looks like a sports car phone with polished software; the swappable camera module is silly, but he would use it and gives it A tier.

A charming, heavily branded gag phone that is useless as a phone, earning a C tier for the brand.

Winner of the grandma's choice award for simple software, helpful tutorials, no bloatware and a forgiving camera.