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Smartphones have become an indispensable part of our contemporary world and of us, ingrained in our daily routines and essential to our existence as individuals. As Elon Musk once said, we're already modern cyborgs, we just lack the interface. Whether it enhances our social standing or serves as a literal lifesaver, a smartphone plays a significant role in our lives.
As we find ourselves toward the end of 2023, the smartphone landscape is in a constant state of flux and evolution. The rapid pace of change means that a top-tier phone from the previous year may now be relegated to the status of a mundane mid-range device. With a plethora of choices available, selecting the best smartphone for one's needs can be a challenging endeavor. Fret not, we're here for you and we will make it simple!
Best phones of 2023 at a glance
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max - The best iPhone available right now, boasting the latest and fastest chipset, three main cameras, and the new Dynamic Island feature.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra - Thebest Android phone you can get right now. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has it all - fast processor, bright and vivid AMOLED screen, and something other flagships lack - a stylus.
Google Pixel 8 Pro - The flagship Android with the purest Google experience. If you want to get your new "feature drops" before anyone else and you want to dip your toes into the wonderful world of AI directly on your smartphone, the Pixel 8 Pro is your best option.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 - Simply the best foldable phone out there. If you want to hop on the foldable train, there's nothing better on the market, at the moment. Not only is the Galaxy Z Fold 5 a multitasking machine, but you can also use it with a stylus!
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 - The best flip phone at the moment. The Galaxy Z Flip series is another take on the foldable idea, folding a regular phone in half rather than unfolding a phone into a tablet. If you miss the compact phones of the past, the Z Flip series may be the right one for you.
Asus Zenfone 10 - The best compact Android phone on the market, if you don't want to fold your display in half. The Asus Zenfone 10 is specifically designed to be one-hand operation friendly, and also comes with a flagship processor, great battery life, and one of the best optical stabilization systems in the business.
Sony Xperia 1 V - The first phone with a variable zoom camera. The Xperia 1 IV is for serious photography enthusiasts. It basically has the first and only truly variable camera system on the smartphone market. Plus, you're getting Sony's creator-focused Pro apps, namely - Photography Pro, Video Pro, Music Pro, and Cinema Pro.
OnePlus 11 - Back to the flagship-killer roots of OnePlus. This phone will get you most (if not all) flagship smartphone features that matter, but at a very reasonable price.
Google Pixel 7a - The best budget Android flagship is a Pixel. You're getting all software tricks that Google holds up its sleeve, great camera algorithms, and a rather distinctive design for not a lot of money.
Apple iPhone 13 mini - The best compact iPhone is also the best compact phone of them all. With its 5.4-inch display, the iPhone 13 mini is unbeatable when it comes to size. Your pockets will thank you for that choice.
Honorable mentions:
OnePlus Open - The first attempt of the company at the foldable smartphone. Also, one of the best foldable debuts on the market.
Sony Xperia Pro-I- A pro camera in a smartphone, the Xperia Pro-I takes a 1-inch sensor from one of the company's most successful compact cameras (RX-100) and slaps it on a smartphone. The usual Sony Pro-grade creator apps are also onboard. If you're serious about your photography, this one's for you.
Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate - The best gaming phone, period. Asus has a great pedigree when it comes to mobile gaming (and gaming in general), and if you enjoy your Fortnite and want to take it everywhere with your, the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is your best choice.
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G - The best midrange phone. Sometimes you don't have to cough up a lot of money to get the best smartphone experience, and the Galaxy A54 is a perfect example. This midranger has a great design, a beatiful 120Hz AMOLED display, and a price tag that will make you smile.
The above list is just a quick summary of the best phones you can get at the moment. If you want the deep dive, the whole experience, if you like to weigh in pros and cons, get every available information, you should keep on reading. You can always check out each and every review if you want to go even deeper and find every little bit of information about each model.
In this article, we will explore what constitutes the "best smartphone" and provide some tips on how to choose the perfect one for you. There are some key smartphone features that are very important for the user experience, and even though "best" is a subjective thing to some extent, these features are the ones to look for when buying a smartphone.
Display: We consume the world mainly through our eyes, and the bigger and better the display of a smartphone, the better viewing experience we would get. We live in the AMOLED era now, and another buzzy new metric is the refresh rate of the display. Modern flagships sport at least a 120Hz display refresh rate, which makes things very smooth, especially when you scroll through text and websites.
Camera: If the display is how we consume the information on our smartphones, the camera is essentially a device for capturing memories. The number of megapixels is not the only thing to think about. The aperture, image stabilization, and processing technology all play a role in the quality of the camera.
Battery life: Even the best smartphone in the world is worthless if the battery runs out. A long-lasting battery is essential for those who use their phone frequently. The battery life of a phone varies depending on the model and usage patterns, but the bigger the battery, the better, as Winnie the Pooh often says.
Performance: The performance of a smartphone is a composite factor that depends on its processor, RAM, and storage capacity. A powerful processor, ample RAM, and plenty of storage will ensure a smooth and seamless user experience, but you shouldn't forget about the actual software on top of that and the optimization that's going on. A clean and well-optimized smartphone OS could offset more modest hardware inside.
Design and Build Quality: The design and build quality of a smartphone is always an important factor that can determine its durability and aesthetic appeal. A well-built phone with a sleek design will not only look good but also last longer. Different protection ratings also fall into this category, such as the IP dust and water resistance rating, and the tempered glass on the front and back, mainly manufactured by Gorilla Glass.
Software support: This might seem unimportant but getting five years of software updated versus only two or three could potentially save you a lot of trouble and also money. When you pay premium money for a premium phone, you expect it to last. We shouldn't overlook this aspect and even though most manufacturers now strive to offer longer support cycles, there are some clear winners and losers here.
Now that we have looked at the key features to consider when choosing the best smartphone, let's see what's the best phone to buy in 2023.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max looks stunning in Natural Titanium
If you're looking for the best phone and you don't have a preference between iOS and Android, the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is the your only option at the moment (at least until the next Galaxy flagship family launches). This model checks all the boxes, and except for the somewhat higher price, it doesn't have any real drawbacks.
Apple decided to change things around a bit with the Pro lineup this year, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max now comes with a titanium frame! The phone also features the next-gen A17 Pro chipset, poised to climb on the top of every mobile benchmark. Another big change is the newly developed Tetraprism camera system. It more or less exploits the same concept as a periscope zoom lens but uses one prism to bounce light around and offer longer focal length, in the case of the iPhone 15 Pro Max it is 120mm or 5x optical zoom.
Of course, this year marks the big transition from Lightning to USB-C, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max features the faster USB 3.0 (10 Gbps) standard. Last but not least, there's a brand-new Action button replacing the Mute switch. It's a programmable button and you can do a lot of things with it, check out our dedicated Action Button explainer article to learn more about it.
All in all, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the best phone you can get at the moment, and it's reflected in its price tag. The phone starts at $1,199 - the most expensive iPhone to date (although the base storage is now 256GB, so the price remains the same if we compare it to the same storage option last year).
iPhone 15 Pro: get for FREE with a trade-in and a new line
The incredible iPhone 15 Pro is available for order at Verizon for FREE. To take advantage of this awesome deal, you need to provide a suitable trade-in and create a new line activation. Don't miss out on this amazing offer.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: get at Verizon and save up to $1,000 over 36 months
Apple's newest and most capable smartphone yet can be yours for $33.33/mo. However, you can get up to $1,000 off the new smartphone over 36 months with an eligible trade-in and a new line activation.
Get the iPhone 15 Pro Max at AT&T and save up to $1,000 with a trade-in
The iPhone 15 Pro Max can now be ordered at AT&T. The smartphone arrives at $5.56/mo instead of $33.34/mo, allowing you to save a total of $1,000 over 36 months. You need to provide a suitable trade-in and pick or upgrade to an eligible plan.
(Image credit - PhoneArena) The Galaxy S23 Ultra is the best Android phone at the moment
Pros
Battery life is great, big improvement from predecessor
New Snapdragon chip is the best one in years
Design is improved, feels more ergonomic
Screen is less curved and gets very dim (perfect for night time use)
Camera improvements are there, but not quite huge
Loudspeakers sound much better now
You get double the storage (256GB) at base model
Cons
Base model still only has 8GB RAM
Charging speeds have not improved
Haptics are still not as good as rivals
Camera system hasn't improved as much as hoped for
Expensive if you buy at full price
If you're in the Android camp, your best phone bet is the Galaxy S23 Ultra. This phone has an updated, next-generation Dynamic OLED screen that can reach a record-breaking peak brightness of 1750 nits. The screen is an LTPO OLED that can switch between 1 Hz and 120 Hz to save battery life and still show smooth animations when needed.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra also has something the iPhone is missing: the mighty S Pen stylus. Thanks to this little pen, the S23 Ultra is a productivity champion. You can also use it for drawing and writing; it's super sensitive and also has its own slot inside the phone.
If you were impressed with the camera system on the Galaxy S22 Ultra, prepare to be blown away by the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The phone has a huge 200 MP sensor, which gives it a lot of flexibility. You can combine pixels to make 50 MP photos, or you can take 12 MP photos that work well at night.
Also, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has the newest and most powerful Qualcomm chip, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which has been overclocked for Galaxy phones. It's one of the fastest Android phone we've ever tested, and by far the fastest Galaxy phone out there.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra has the same 5000 mAh battery as the S22 Ultra and maintains the 1440p resolution. You can count on the battery life, and there are several ways to save it if you need to. In our tests the Galaxy S23 Ultra showed a clear improvement in the battery life department compared to its predecessor. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is without a doubt the best phone Android can offer at the moment, and also the best phone to buy if you're a Samsung fan. For a more detailed look, you can check out our full Galaxy S23 Ultra review.
Galaxy S23 Ultra 8GB 256GB: up to $750 off at Samsung
The flagship Android with the purest Google experience and AI magic onboard
PhoneArena Rating: 7.9/10
(Image credit - PhoneArena) The Pixel 8 Pro is full of AI magic
Pros
Good battery life
Seven years of updates!
Clean software, no bloat
Top notch camera system
Cons
Portrait Mode is frustratingly bad
Charging is on the slow side
No one really big standout new feature
Pricier now
Phones are so similar nowadays that you'd be hard pressed to find a single original feature that stands out from one brand to another. But there are exceptions to this. Behold the Pixel 8 Pro! The latest Google flagship not only continues to expand Pixel's arsenal of cool software and hardware features, but also bets heavily on AI.
If you want something different, with clever tricks such as the ability to erase objects from photos, manipulate audio, unblur faces in images and videos, alongside generative AI wallpapers, a thermometer, a custom built SoC, and SEVEN years of software support, the Pixel 8 Pro is the right phone for you.
The Pixel 8 Pro offers the cleanest and most genuine Android experience that you won't get with other Android flagships. There are things to improve, for sure, but Google is closer and closer to the big guys, Samsung and Apple, and they will have to pay attention. Competition is a great thing, and kudos to Google for bringing the fight to the veterans in the business.
Pre-order the Pixel 8 Pro at Amazon now and get the Pixel Watch 2 as a gift
The Pixel 8 Pro is available for pre-order at Amazon. The smartphone has one of the brightest screens and most impressive cameras. While the pre-order campaign lasts, you get the Pixel Watch 2 as a gift with your Pixel 8 Pro purchase.
Google Pixel 8: pre-order at Amazon today and get the Pixel Buds Pro as a gift
The Google Pixel 8 can now be pre-ordered at Amazon. Right now, the phone comes with an awesome gift - the Pixel Buds Pro. This deal lasts during the pre-order campaign only.
Pre-order the Pixel 8 Pro at Best Buy and get the Pixel Watch 2 as a gift
The Pixel 8 Pro is available for pre-order at Best Buy. The smartphone has one of the brightest screens and most impressive cameras. While the pre-order campaign lasts, you get the Pixel Watch 2 as a gift with your Pixel 8 Pro purchase.
Google Pixel 8: pre-order at Best Buy today and get the Pixel Buds Pro as a gift
The Google Pixel 8 can now be pre-ordered at Amazon. Right now, the phone comes with an awesome gift - the Pixel Buds Pro. This deal lasts during the pre-order campaign only.
(Image credit - PhoneArena) The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is at the forefront of the foldable revolution
Pros
Improved hinge feels better
Fast and solid performance
Sharp, colorful screen with smooth refresh rate
Wide and detailed sound from the speakers
S Pen (separate purchase) is excellent
Cons
Battery life is ok at best
External screen can be too narrow for comfortable typing
The crease is shallower, but still very much present
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 may not have a significant upgrade compared to its predecessor, but it is arguably the ultimate smartphone for tech enthusiasts who want a device that can do it all. It can function as a phone, tablet, or even emulate a desktop PC. This year's model comes with a new and revised hinge, that closes with almost zero gap.
The device comes equipped with numerous polished power user features, including split-screen and windowed multitasking, a fixed taskbar with up to 4 recent apps, Samsung DeX, and stylus support, giving users the ability to do everything they desire with Android. Plus, this year's model comes equipped with the latest Snapdragon chipset, so you won't lack power.
Even if you just want to enjoy media or play games on a larger screen that is still comfortable to hold, the Z Fold 5 is an excellent choice. This is the best phone for people who want to be on the forefront of technology, and also do some serious work on their phones.
Snatch the Galaxy Z Fold 5: now $200 off
Get your hands on the hottest foldable phone on the market at a bargain price. The device is now some $200 off its price tag on Samsung. But that's not all. If you trade in an eligible device, you can save an additional up to $1000!
Snatch the Galaxy Z Fold 5: up to $1000 with a trade-in and a plan by AT&T
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is now available with a payment plan with AT&T. The device comes at up to $1000 off with an eligible trade-in. Get it today and enjoy your savings.
(Image credit - PhoneArena) The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the best clamshell phone out there, now with functional cover screen
Pros
Larger Flex Screen is better than before
Solidly built, almost no wobble in the hinge
First Flip phone with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Long 4-year software update commitment
Better camera than competition, but still not great
Cons
Flex Screen feels limited and unfinished
Phone is pricey
Battery life and charging speeds are just average
Some dust protection would be nice to have
In 2020, the Galaxy Flip series was introduced, offering a fresh take on the classic clamshell flip phone, which had been popular during the 2000s. This new style of foldable phone was a major technological achievement. Samsung had to solve a lot of engineering problems to come up with this new shape.
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the latest iteration of this clamshell idea, and it features the flexible OLED screens that are at the forefront of the foldable revolution. This phone is all about refinement; it takes everything its predecessor did well, and amplifies it.
It's faster, it can last longer, and its cover screen can now do a lot more stuff, plus it's bigger at 3.4 inches, and better. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is now a true flagship that's not hampered by its innovative design. If you want to get a taste of the foldable phone, but don't like the huge Galaxy Z Fold (and its price tag), the Z Flip 5 is the best phone for you. It's even cheaper than some more "rigid" and non-folding Android phones out there.
Snatch the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and save big on Samsung
The Galaxy Z Flip is now available at the Samsung store with trade-in credit for $600 less. If you want everyone's eyes to be on you every time you take out your phone (and not break the bank), now's your time to get the Galaxy Z Flip 5.
Snatch the Galaxy Z Flip 5 with an Amazon gift card: now
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is now available at Amazon as well. Currently, the retailer sells it alongside a $150 Amazon gift card. The price is for a fully unlocked device with 512GB of internal storage space.
(Image credit - PhoneArena) The Asus Zenfone 10 sticks to the winning formula of its predecessor
Pros
Compact size
Powerful chipset
Good stereo speakers
Wireless charging
3.5 mm headphone jack
Fast and accurate fingerprint scanner
144 Hz display refresh rate in games
Solid battery life
Great selfie camera
IP68 water and dust protection
Cons
Design is the same as last year
Main camera system not flagship-grade
Display could be brighter
No telephoto camera
Only two major OS updates
The compact Android flagship is dead! Wait, Asus doesn't think so. If you long for the old Xperia Compact days, there's an alternative, and it is just great. Asus has been perfecting its Zenfone line in the past couple of years, and the Zenfone 10 is the pinnacle of all that effort.
Despite being criticized for its derivative design (it looks identical to the Zenfone 9), this little fellow sticks to the winning formula of its predecessor. There are some upgrades, don't get us wrong, the phone now comes with wireless charging support, which is a feet in and of itself, given that Asus has managed to keep the same exact size.
There are almost no cons to this model, and if you want to nitpick, there's no microSD card slot, and no telephoto camera, but these are absolutely not necessary. The user experience with the Zenfone 10 is just great, and the only drawback here is that the phone is not more widely available. The Zenfone 10 is the best phone for compact enthusiasts and one of the best Android phones out there. Period.
The first phone with a revolutionary mobile camera sensor
PhoneArena Rating: 8.0/10
(Image credit - PhoneArena) The Xperia 1 V is the best Sony can deliver
Pros
Stylish, classy, and light — great design
Plethora of manual camera modes for fine-tuning video and photos
Eye tracking autofocus is super-fast and responsive
MicroSD slot and headphone jack
Stereo speakers sound pretty good (though a bit boxy)
Cons
Price is well above any other premium phone (sans foldables)
For all its focus on camera, its image quality is not ahead of the competition
Two years of Android updates?
Do you like notches and cutouts in your smartphone display? You don't? Well, there's one brand that stubbornly sticks to its guns and keeps on designing 21:9 phones with great displays, professional-grade software, innovative hardware, and a ton of features that are lacking from other phones. That's right, Sony!
Sony's Xperia 1 V is the pinnacle of what Sony could do in 2023. It's a very camera-focused phone, with three different apps that can either turn it into a manual shooter, a vlogging camera, or a cinematic mini rig. It still features the impressive telephoto lens from last year that moves physically to offer true optical zoom between 3.5x and 5.2x (85 mm and 125 mm). The biggest innovation here is the all-new Exmor T sensor that uses dual-layer transistor-pixel technology to offer low levels of noise and better light gathering capabilities.
This phone has it all: a 3.5mm audio jack, a microSD card slot, great battery life, wireless charging, premium design—the list just goes on and on. The only real drawback is the price. Sony is still asking a hefty $1,399 for this phone at launch (much better than the $1,599 price tag of its predecessor), but the good news is that just a few months later the price dropped significantly to a more pleasant level.
Sony Xperia 1 V 256 GB
Grab a free set of Sony LinkBuds (the open-back in-ears that took the world by storm) and a $50 gift card from Best Buy
(Image credit - PhoneArena) The OnePlus 11 could be the phoenix rising from the ashes for OnePlus
Pros
New, more elegant design with round camera system
Three cameras on the back
2X zoom camera for portraits
OnePlus alert slider is back!
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 inside
Possibly best haptics ever on an Android phone
6.7-inch OLED screen with 120Hz
Insane 100W fast charging
Cons
No wireless charging
no IP68 rating
not exactly cheap
OnePlus used to be great, but then it became greedy. The flagship-killer days of the great OnePlus One are long gone. But are they really? The company is taking a sharp turn with the OnePlus 11 in a bid to return the brand to its flagship-killing glory.
There's no Pro version here; the OnePlus 11 is the only model in the lineup, and it aims to do what the original first model did back then. Offer a ton of features at a great price. This phone starts at $699, and there's little to no competition at that price range, if you want the latest hardware (and software).
The OnePlus 11 is one of the cheapest phones with the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, and the only thing that comes close is the vanilla Galaxy S22, but at $100 more. The OnePlus 11 comes with a new design, a Hasselblad stamped camera system, and a super-fast charging. It might be the best budget flagship out there.
OnePlus 11 256 GB - trade in for $300 off and free memory upgrade!
Order the OnePlus 11 256 GB with free storage upgrade and up to $300 in trade-in bonuses.
You can order both the 128GB and 256GB of storage variants of the OnePlus 11 at Amazon with a free $100 storage upgrade, too.
Expired
OnePlus 11, NOW $200 OFF!
You can get the new OnePlus flagship at BestBuy as well. The retailer is selling the unlocked versions of the device, but you can activate it on any carrier at the time of order or later.
(Image credit - PhoneArena) The Pixel 7a is just as good as its full-fledged siblings but much more affordable
Pros
Good value for money
Flagship-grade performance
Capable camera with lots of fun features
Display finally has a 90Hz refresh rate
Compact and user-friendly size
Face Unlock on board
Wireless charging
Cons
More expensive than its predecessor
Some slight build quality issues
Only a single 128GB storage option
Uninspiring digital zoom
The A series in the Google Pixel range has always brought a great value for the money, and the Pixel 7a is no exception. Granted, it's a tad more expensive than the Pixel 6a but also brings onboard some flagship features, such as the Tensor G2 chipset (the same ticks inside the vanilla Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro), Face unlock, wireless charging, and a 90Hz display refresh rate.
All these goodies come in a similar design package to the core Pixel 7, but cost just $499. And even though this is a $50 bump compared to the predecessor, the deal is still very sweet. If you already have the Pixel 6a, then there's no need to worry about upgrading. But if you're coming from an older Pixel, this phone is a great deal - the best affordable Android flagship at the moment.
(Image credit - PhoneArena) The iPhone 13 mini is the last compact iPhone
Pros
Compact, light, comfortable to carry
Bright and accurate screen
Great camera system
Fast performance
128 GB base storage
Cons
60 Hz screen
Small screen is not for powerusers - feels cramped
Battery life is OK, but still the worst in the lineup
The Apple iPhone 12 mini was pretty good and all, but it kind of lacked in the battery department. The 13 series remedied that issue. So the iPhone 13 mini has the same powerful processor as the 13 Pro, but is a tiny little phone that stays out of the way most of the time.
And, for $600, it's pretty hard to beat — a 5.4-inch display is OLED with excellent colors and brightness, a thin and compact body, superb performance, and pretty respectable cameras. There's no alternative on that front - the iPhone SE is terribly outdated, and aims to capitalize on nostagia, and the iPhone 12 mini has terrible battery life.
If you tend to two-thumb type on your phone often, the 13 mini is probably not your cup of tea. If you want a phone that can fit any pocket and can bring the power and performance if you happen to need it throughout your day — that's the contender right here.
AT&T iPhone 13 mini at Walmart
Deal: The AT&T persion of the iPhone 13 mini is available at Walmart. 36 installments.
It's hard to pick just top 10 phones as the best ones, especially in 2023. There are some pretty niche devices that are worth mentioning, and that's what we're going to do in the next few lines. These are top phones that for some reason couldn't make it into our top 10 list but they absolutely deserve your attention.
OnePlus Open
The best foldable debut of the year
PhoneArena Rating:7.5/10
(Image credit - PhoneArena) Could this be the Galaxy Z fold killer?
Pros
Excellent lightweight design
A rather versatile camera system
Decent performance and great thermal management
Decent battery life even when using the main display
Very fast SuperVOOC charging
Large and bright HDR-capable displays with smooth refresh rate
The OnePlus alert slider is here!
Cons
Relatively high price
Audio system lacks base
No wireless charging
Just IPX4 water resistance
When OnePlus teased the public that it's been working on a foldable everyone got excited. And for good reason. Even though the company practically own the Oppo brand and probably has access to some really cool foldable designs and blueprints, the OnePlus Open is a great debut and a feat in and of itself.
OnePlus' first foldable comes with a lot of bells and whistles, actually - all of them. There are two 2K screens that are super-bright and can do adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz, the latest Snapdragon chipset is onboard coupled with 16GB of RAM, the design is super streamlined with minimal crease, and last but not least, the camera system is one of the best in a foldable to date.
To top it all up, OnePlus offers a great trade-in option: you can return ANY phone in ANY condition and receive a minimum $200 off the $1,699.99 list price of the OnePlus Open.
(Image credit - PhoneArena) There can be only one Camera phone!
Pros
Sharp and accurate 4K 120Hz OLED display
Distinctive industrial design
Remarkable camera versatility
Superb video-recording capabilities
Natural, not overly processed photos and videos
Loud and clear stereo speakers
Plenty of storage plus microSD card support
Outstanding flagship-grade performance
User-friendly hardware features
Cons
High price
Shutter button is too sensitive
Only 30W fast charging
Mushy haptic feedback
No biometric alternative to the fingerprint scanner
White balance discrepancies between the different cameras
Camera interface doesn't rotate
There's much talk about camera phones nowadays, and many manufacturers want to coin their models as DSLR equivalents. There's only one phone that does it right, though: the Sony Xperia Pro-I. This model comes with a 1-inch sensor taken from Sony's compact RX-100VII camera, and if you're into photography, this is one of the best phones for you.
Perhaps it's the phone's impressive camera capabilities, its surprisingly user-friendly design, or the overall unconventional concept behind it. The Sony Xperia Pro-I is unlike any other phone released in 2021.
Smartphones have replaced traditional cameras as the most popular way for most people to take photos. However, there have been surprisingly few phones made for professionals that offer the level of fine-tuning that is needed for essential features. The Sony Xperia Pro-I occupies that niche.
Sony Xperia Pro-I now with 41% off the price for a limited time
Get the best camera phone currently available at a significant discount right away! The Xperia Pro-I checks all the boxes and outperforms other flagships, and it's now cheaper than the majority of them.
(Image credit - PhoneArena) Asus ROG 7 Ultimate - The best gaming phone on the market
Pros
The 165 Hz AMOLED HDR10+ screen is excellent
Top tier performance
Incredibly good speakers, plus subwoofer in the cooler accessory
Camera is adequate even though it's a "gaming phone"
Massive battery, good battery health options
Buttons and controls for handheld gaming
Cons
The edgy gamer design is a taste thing
Camera is adequate, but is outclassed by other flagships
No wireless charging
Gaming phones are a bit of a meme, but it’s nice to see Asus fully embracing it. The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is just what it says on the tin - the ultimate gaming phone.
It wouldn’t be a “gaming phone” if it didn’t have absolutely silly specs, too, and the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate delivers. 16 GB of RAM on a smartphone? 165 Hz screen? External cooler? Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2? Yes, yes, yes, and how else would you have it?
It’s a niche phone, absolutely, but it’s hard to keep it away from a “best” selection. After all, it is probably the (or among the) most powerful Android phone(s) out on the market right now. It could be world's best phone, if you ask the avid gamer. Even if you don’t need all the power — you definitely get the bragging rights.
If the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is a bit too much for you, go for a more toned-down version - there are quite a few iterations in the ROG universe. They're all just as good, there are also limited editions for Diablo fans, a Batman Edition, so if you want, you can go full-nerd with this.
(Image credit - PhoneArena) The Galaxy A54 offers amazing bang for your bucks and a premium design
Pros
Nice and clean design styling
Improved camera quality
Solid battery life
Has a microSD card slot
Improved haptics
Cons
Performance occasionally feels stuttery
Video stabilization could be improved
No wireless charging
Samsung perfected one of the best-selling midrange phones and made it even better. The Galaxy A54 5G now looks like a flagship, borrowing its design from the Galaxy S23 series. It boasts a 6.4-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display that delivers vivid colors and sharp details, making it a joy to use for entertainment, gaming, and work. And it boasts a 120 Hz display refresh rate!
The phone is powered by an octa-core processor and 6GB of RAM, which provides sufficient power for most everyday tasks, including multitasking and running multiple apps simultaneously. There's also 128GB of internal storage, which is expandable up to 1TB via a microSD card. (There's a 8GB/256GB version available outside of the US as well).
This Samsung mid-range phone is one of the best budget phones you can buy. That's because it doesn't really make you compromise with anything. The Galaxy A54 is a great value-for-money device, and that's why it is even Samsung's best selling phone worldwide. You can find one on a deal for much lower than the $450 MSRP these days. It's a steal!
Save $230 on the Galaxy A54 at Samsung with a trade-in
Grab the newest Samsung Galaxy A54 midranger with up to $350 off when you trade for an older eligible phone. The Samsung smartphone is available unlocked or for the carriers AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and US Cellular. It comes with 128GB of storage.
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Below you'll find all the benchmarks and nerdy stuff, if you want to compare those phones but don't want to be bothered to check out each and every individual review. Let's start with the display tests.
The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set(area)of colors that a display can reproduce,with the sRGB colorspace(the highlighted triangle)serving as reference.The chart also provides a visual representation of a display's color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The 'x:CIE31' and 'y:CIE31' values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. 'Y' shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while 'Target Y' is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, 'ΔE 2000' is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.
The Color accuracy chart gives an idea of how close a display's measured colors are to their referential values. The first line holds the measured (actual) colors, while the second line holds the reference (target) colors. The closer the actual colors are to the target ones, the better.
The Grayscale accuracy chart shows whether a display has a correct white balance(balance between red,green and blue)across different levels of grey(from dark to bright).The closer the Actual colors are to the Target ones,the better.
And finally, the battery. A phone can be amazing on all fronts but if the battery dies prematurely, it's as good as a door stopper, right? Here are all the battery tests for the best phones you can get.
Mariyan Slavov is a technology enthusiast and expert in mobile phones. With a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, Mariyan is the former Editor-in-Chief of PCWorld Bulgaria and currently writes for PhoneArena. He enjoys writing about emerging technologies such as graphene batteries, holographic smartphone displays, smart contact lenses, and nanotechnology. In his free time, Mariyan can be found playing guitar, practicing Japanese, or hitting the running track.
The Publisher
PhoneArena has been around since 2001 and, as the name suggests, was intended as a platform where phones can be explored, compared, and pitted against each other. We never stopped building and evolving our expertise and with our 20-some years of experience we serve an audience of over 5 million monthly US readers.
The Approach
We believe that there is not one true phone that is “the best” as each user has their unique needs and preferences. Through our wide range of testing procedures and review approaches, we try to find where each phone shines and what it lacks, and we strictly follow our rating guidelines. We spice it up with our professional opinion and empower you to make an informed decision on which phone is “the best” for you!
How to choose the best phone for you in 2023
So, which is the best cell phone? After all of the devices you've seen on these list, you're probably wondering how do you pick the best one for you? Well, as you should know, everyone has different needs from their smartphones. Some are into photography and need the best camera smartphone there is. Some want the best screen and performance. And some are more modest and want a more affordable, yet all around good and reliable smartphone. On this list there are great camera phones, like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the Sony Xperia 1 V. The best performance and screens are once again found in the Samsung and Apple.
When it comes to functionality or quirkiness, you will find it in Samsung's foldable Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 phones. Example of an affordable, yet good smartphone, are the Galaxy A54 5G, the iPhone 13 mini, and the OnePlus 11. The 13 mini is one of the few compact phones left, and it is actually an excellent device to have, as long as you're not looking for a battery champ.
Consider all we've spoken about in this list carefully, and when you're wondering which phone to pick, ask yourself what are the main features I need daily. That mentality should make your decision a lot easier.
How we test the best phones
We won't lie, we're putting our review phones through many, many tests. The include display, performance, and battery life tests, among others. We are checking every screen's color temperatures, brightness, we are checking the performance of its processor and memory, and we are running days worth of tests to determine how much the battery lasts in different conditions.
Still, real-life conditions are just as, if not even more important. That's why we make sure that we always spend enough time with the devices we review so we can say with certainty what are their strengths and weaknesses. Cameras are very important in phones too, so we put these to the test in many conditions in our goal to determine which one wins and which one is still behind in the smartphone photography race.
Should you go for Android or iOS when choosing the best phone
Android or iOS - this is the question! (Image credit - PhoneArena)
The safe answer to this question is to go for a platform that is familiar to you. For example, if you've been using an Android phone your whole life, an iPhone will be quite an adjustment, and vice versa. Still, you should consider what phones your close friends and family, the people that you're going to text and share files with, are using. If most of them are using an iPhone, AirDrop will be a very missed feature once you switch to Android. If you have a MacBook or an iPad, getting an iPhone is the most logical thing, as it will allow you to stay in the 'ecosystem'. But Apple's iOS doesn't let you share files via Bluetooth-only to any device, so if that's a feature you use often, then an iPhone is a no no.
When it comes to customization and freedom, Android was and still is king. iOS 17 is set to allow for more iPhone customization by the user, but we doubt it will go to the lengths Android has gone. Android also allows you to download and open files more easily, and supports more types of these. That's another important feature if you're either a gaming or app enthusiast.
But the elephant in the room is the fact that iPhone users tend to hold onto their phones much longer than people with Android phones. That's mainly because the long-term software optimization of iOS phones is superior to Android phones. Also, iPhones get major OS updates for many years, while most Android brands only give you two to three years of software updates. Apple's phones also tend to stay fast and unproblematic for longer, which as you may have heard isn't the case with most Android-running phones.
However, you should also consider what you get for the money you spend. Here, the mid-range Android phone market is offering you phones with many flagship features for much cheaper than Apple. That's a fact that shouldn't be overlooked. Of course there's also a downside to this lower class and lower price tag type of phones. These tend to loose their value with time much quicker than iPhones.
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