Best phones of 2025

Overachiever award winner that blew past his expectations with flagship-level specs, Bose speakers and a grippy denim finish for $679.

Best camera phone of the year, which he preferred over a real camera on holiday, but its battery is held back in Europe.

Winner of the budget category and the best value option, with Nothing polish, minimal bloatware and a modular design.

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.

Won the outside-the-box award; the huge 10-inch inner display made him want to switch from his iPhone despite the bulk.

The spec-maxing choice under $300, with a good main camera, bright screen and 6,000 mAh battery.

Best gaming phone thanks to active liquid cooling and a reasonable price, though the cameras are cut back.

The most stacked Realme ever, with dual-cell 7,000 mAh battery and swappable camera module, at around $750.

Best one-handed compact phone with a rear second screen and extraordinary battery life, though the screen brings few big features.

Winner of the glow-up award, with a much better screen and doubled storage for the same price.

Rated slightly above Motorola's Razr for being thinner, lighter and taking better photos.

A big surprise: 26% thinner with a larger screen and better crease, though the battery and S Pen support are letdowns and it costs $2,000.

The best choice for anyone wanting a big screen and battery now the Plus is gone, especially in eSIM-only countries.

Great flip phone with a bigger battery and slightly better camera specs, but ranked just behind Samsung's.

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

A safe pick for less techy users with readable screens, big batteries, durability and Easy Mode.

Adds 100x AI zoom and better portrait resolution, but the cameras are basically the Pixel 9 Pro's and 128GB is stingy at $999.