With you being here, I'm certain that you're fairly aware of what the best phones are, generally speaking. If I'd ask, you'd probably be able to give me some solid suggestions on the best wireless earbuds around too.
But do you know what phones have the best speakers? Yeah, right? Those are a thing too! Not all of us use them on the regular, with phone calls seemingly getting less and less important for the everyday person, but you know what? Phone speakers have gotten better too.
Sure, for me and you, the occasional playing of music while showering or watching of a video (on speaker! How shocking!) while waiting in the car for a bit is just enough. But for some people out there, phone speakers play a larger role in life.
And to you folk, I've got just one thing to say: I get it and there are good phones with great speakers out there. In fact, it's quite the selection. So how would you go about picking the one that's best for you? Well, we're here to help you make the right choice.
Keep in mind though: not all phones with great speakers are equal. For some, that's a bi-product of the build, while for others: it's an intentional thing that the manufacturer did. As such, prices, shapes and sizes vary. But you can see what we mean once you browse the selection below.
Best Phone Speaker — TL;DR:
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 — Samsung's implementation of stereo speakers on its latest Z Fold smartphone makes us wish that the S23 Ultra had gotten the same treatment.
Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate — This gaming behemoth is impressive in many ways and we're happy to report that "sound quality" is certainly among them!
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra — Samsung have heard the feedback for the S22 Ultra and improved the speakers on the S23 Ultra. Still, though, not amazing like the ones above!
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What is the phone with the best speaker in 2023?
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
6.2
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
The Good
Solid build
Empowering multitasking features
Beautiful displays
Stylus support
Smooth performance
Good battery life
The Bad
Expensive
Still has a crease
Thick and heavy, harder to carry around than a slab phone
This is Samsung's latest and greatest foldable phone, that basically unfolds into a tablet. Thanks to its size, it gets to pack a "real" set of dual stereo speakers, meaning it's not just one speaker plus an earpiece masquerading as two speakers, but two equally powerful speakers. One on each side of the device, so you get a perfectly wide stereo effect when playing games or watching movies.
Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
6.2
Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
The Good
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
The Bad
The edgy gamer design is a taste thing
Camera is adequate, but is outclassed by other flagships
No wireless charging
Just in case it wasn't obvious by the phone's names or aesthetic, this phone was made with gamers in mind. But that doesn't mean that you can't leech some benefits out of that fact, without being a gamer too. Hear me out: gamers need super-precise and rich sounds in order to hear the things that are happening in-game in a way that is as realistic as possible. Hence, when you play songs on this thing, they sound superb.
Google has been flopping back and forth when it comes to smartphone speaker quality. While the Pixel 5 isn't going to blow anyone away with stunning sound, even if it's clear and competent, the older Pixel 4 XL was actually quite impressive, and now Google's newest flagship – the 2021 Pixel 6 Pro actually beats its mainstream competition when it comes to sound.
Deservingly getting the second best spot on this list, while the Pixel 6 Pro's signature camera module usually steals a show, we can't underestimate how full, spacious and punchy the sound coming from its speakers is.
Like most mainstream flagships, the Pixel 6 Pro doesn't actually use two equal stereo speakers but a bottom firing one paired with the earpiece, the latter handling mostly highs. But since Google has managed to make the Pixel 6 Pro produce such spacious sound, it doesn't really matter. What matters is that movies, music and games on the Pixel 6 Pro sound loud and clear, the stereo separation is strong, and while the bass isn't on par with the ROG Phone 5 above, it's present and punchy.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
7.3
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
The Good
Exceptional, industry-leading performance
Dynamic Island is a fun and useful twist on the punch hole
Very good battery life
Superb video-recording quality
Very bright and beautiful display with Always-On functionality
Just like the iPhone 12 and 13 series, all phones in the new iPhone 14 series deliver good audio quality, but due to their size, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max sound just a tiny tad better than the smaller boys. Apple is consistent in delivering speakers that are well above the average on its MacBooks, iPads and of course, iPhones, so it's no surprise that we have an Apple phone in the top three here.
If you're an Apple user, you'll be happy to know that the iPhone 14 series are among the best performers in the audio department, although you may want to stay away from the smallest iPhone 13 mini, as due to that one's size, it falls a bit behind its bigger brothers.
Galaxy S23 Ultra
6.9
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
The Good
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
The Bad
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
So, we had issues with the Galaxy S22's speakers. They sounded off. And in our comparison, we found the Pixel 7 Pro to have better speakers. But the issue is that the Pixel 7 Pro didn't make this list, so you can probably figure out how much value that statement has in the first place.
But the resolution came in the form of the next iteration of Galaxy Ultra phones: the S23, which has better speakers than both of the aforementioned phones. The thing is, though, that it still doesn't have the best speakers around. So for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, we hope that Samsung pays attention yet again.
From top to bottom we have the iPhone 12 Pro Max, Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate, Google Pixel 4 XL and Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
We asked and you told us – phone speaker quality matters!
A while back we asked you – does phone speaker quality matter? Nearly 80% of the voters said yes – "Speaker quality matters to me and I want better phone speakers in the future". Just over 15% of the voters said that they're happy with how phone speakers sound right now, while only about 5% said speaker quality isn't important to them.
Those aren't surprising results by any means. And while curiously many phone manufacturers don't seem to put that much focus on speakers and sound quality as a whole, there are still some modern smartphones that do provide a great audio experience. Let's take a look at them...
Which phone should I get if I care about audio quality?
If you can afford the Galaxy Z Fold 4, it is by far the most immersive phone for movie-watching and gaming. Not just because if its beautiful, huge folding display, but the two equally-powerful stereo speakers it's packing.
Otherwise we highly recommend the Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate. Of course, if you don't find gaming phones appealing, you can't go wrong with any of the other phones on this list. While they don't have the ROG's loudness, wide sound and bass, most of them deliver the kind of reasonable clarity and stereo separation you'd expect from a modern flagship. Which is commendable, considering that there are some pretty expensive flagships out there, which can sound quite disappointing.
And in case you prefer being polite at all times...
Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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