Our lineup of the year’s finest phones is now refreshed and complete, shaped by long days of testing and nights spent switching SIM cards and exploring every corner of each device. We lived with Google’s entire Pixel 10 family—right up to the striking Pixel 10 Pro—and pushed Samsung’s Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 through the kind of daily rhythms that reveal a phone’s true character.
What follows is a guide forged from that hands-on journey: a clear, confident ranking of the best phones across every need, every preference, and every budget. It’s the map we built from experience, pointing you to the device most ready to meet your life head-on.
We don’t just fire up a few benchmarks and call it a day; we carry these phones with us, letting them slip into our routines and reveal who they really are. We use them to capture everyday magic, from hurried snapshots to long-night experiments, and we press their batteries until they surrender their last bit of charge.
Only after this long, immersive journey—after every major model has been tested, challenged, and measured against its rivals—do we return to this guide and shape it anew.
After months of grit, grind, and glove-tight testing… after Future Labs trials and countless face-offs under unforgiving lights… A new champion rises.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max steps forward like a crowned titan, claiming the throne with quiet confidence and thunderous talent. Its performance? A bolt of brilliance. Its new camera system? A lens that turns moments into masterpieces, setting a shimmering new standard for mobile photography.
This isn’t just the best phone yet—it’s the device that dares to push the horizon forward.
Best iPhone: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is Apple at its most complete—a device that gathers the best of what the company can do and delivers it with quiet confidence. It’s the kind of phone that feels instantly right in your hand, powerful without trying to prove it, polished without needing attention.
Yes, the Camera Control turned out to be more flash than substance, much like Apple Intelligence, but none of that really matters. This phone never needed an extra button or a headline trick. It already stands as the most refined, capable, and consistently reliable smartphone you can reach for today.
Best Phone, Android: OnePlus 13
The OnePlus 13 took me by surprise in the best possible way—delivering blistering speed, a battery that seems to defy the clock, and cameras that consistently punch above their weight. It carries a sharp, stylish look and an ease of use that makes every interaction feel effortless.
It might not have the same polished sheen as Apple’s flagship, but its lower price and the ways it quietly outperforms the iPhone make it a compelling force of its own—bold, confident, and impossible to ignore.
Best iPhone Camera: Apple iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max
At long last, the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max stand on equal footing when it comes to their cameras. Each one carries the same powerful setup—5x optical zoom, the new Camera Controls, and a level of fine-tuning Apple has never offered before. It feels like the moment when the Pro lineup finally comes into perfect alignment, giving you the same photographic muscle no matter which size you choose.
Best Phones, Android Camera: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra feels like slipping an entire camera kit into your pocket—versatile, confident, and ready for whatever scene you throw at it. It isn’t a dramatic leap from the S24 Ultra, but the extra megapixels and the power of the Snapdragon 8 Elite give it a sharper edge and smoother command.
This is Samsung at its photographic peak, the company’s finest camera phone yet, and one of the strongest options you can choose if capturing the world is your priority.
Best Foldable: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
With the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung steps back into its stride, packing even more muscle and innovation into a device that somehow manages to be slimmer than any Fold before it. Its 200MP camera, impossibly thin frame, and expansive foldable display come together to create a machine that feels less like a phone and more like a pocket-sized powerhouse.
It’s a cutting-edge mobile computer through and through—brilliant, ambitious, and priced in a way that reflects exactly how exceptional it is.
Best iPhone Battery
The iPhone 16 Plus delivered some of the longest battery endurance I’ve ever seen from an iPhone—whether in day-to-day use or under the scrutiny of Future Labs testing. The 16 Pro Max may squeeze out a little more time, but when you’re saving hundreds and still getting remarkable longevity, the 16 Plus becomes the clear choice for anyone who values staying powered longer than the rest.
Best Bargain Phone: Google Pixel 9a
The Pixel 9a is Google’s newest budget standout, carrying the same processing muscle—and much of the photographic magic—found in the powerful Pixel 9 Pro. It may wander a little too far from the classic Pixel aesthetic, but its lower price more than makes up for that shift.
What you get is not just a budget-friendly Pixel but the best value phone I’ve tested this year. Keep an eye out for discounts, but even at full price, it’s an easy recommendation.
Best Phones For Teens: Apple iPhone 15
The Apple iPhone 15 is a solid all-around performer, blending intuitive, enjoyable software with cameras that consistently impress. It skips the Apple Intelligence features—but maybe that’s a blessing, especially if this is the phone in your teenager’s hands. It delivers everything you really need without overcomplicating the experience.
