You might already have a good idea of which smartphone you want to be your next one. But there are more solid options available now than ever before, making the decision not as cut-and-dry as it used to be. While the decision is a bit easier if you know you want an iPhone, there's even enough variation between those new models that you may have to think about it longer than you anticipated. If you’re an Android person, you have even more options to choose from — including foldables — and more questions to answer before you spend any money.

At Engadget, we review phones regularly and have tested dozens over the years. Whether you’ve had your eye on one of our current top picks, one of Samsung's Galaxy S25 phones, a cheap phone or another device, we’re here to help you decide which is the best phone to buy this year.

Android or iOS?

When you're searching for the best smartphone, it becomes clear that each OS has its pros and cons. Apple’s tight-knit ecosystem makes it super easy to share data between iPhones, iPads and Macs or seamlessly hand-off phone calls or music from one device to another. At the same time, you’re effectively locked in, as services like Apple Messages aren’t available on other platforms.

As for Android, there’s a much wider range of handsets from companies like Google, Samsung, Sony and more. However, Android phones don’t enjoy that same length of software support and often have lower trade-in values. In short, there’s no wrong answer. However, you will want to consider how your phone will fit in with the rest of your devices. So unless you’re really fed up with one OS and willing to learn another, it probably doesn’t make a lot of sense to switch from an iPhone to an Android phone (or vice versa) – especially if everyone else in your household is using the same platform.

Cameras

Since your cell phone often pulls double duty as your primary camera, figuring out what kind of photo tools you want is key. Nowadays, practically every mobile phone can take a great picture in bright light. But if you want a long optical zoom, you’ll probably have to upgrade to a more expensive device.

Cherlynn Low / Engadget

Mid-range phones often only have two rear cameras (a primary wide-angle lens and a secondary ultra-wide camera) and can sometimes struggle in low-light situations. Each phone maker also has various features that might be a better fit for your style, with Apple offering four different color presets on the latest iPhones, while Google’s Pixel 9 Pro comes with neat tools like dedicated long exposure and Action Pan modes.

Will you get mmWave 5G or Wi-Fi 7?

The good news is that in 2025, most phones have at least Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6e and support for some kind of 5G connectivity. However, if you want the fastest wireless speeds possible, it’s going to cost you a little extra. For example, on certain networks, mmWave 5G offers up to gigabit download speeds, less latency and better bandwidth. But mmWave 5G also requires more sophisticated (and pricier) modems, which means support for it is often missing on less expensive devices.

On the bright side, mmWave 5G isn’t as widely available as other versions of 5G, so depending on where you live and what network you’re on, you may not be missing out on much right now if you buy a phone that doesn’t support it. It’s a similar situation for Wi-Fi 7, which is available on some high-end handsets like the Galaxy S25, but harder to find on cheaper devices. Wi-Fi 7 also requires you to have a compatible router, so unless you know you need it or have a specific use case in mind, the lack of support for mmWave 5G or Wi-Fi 7 shouldn’t be a dealbreaker when looking for a new phone.

Other features to consider

Because not everyone agrees on what makes the best phone, you should think about any other specs that might be extra important for you. Mobile gamers will almost certainly appreciate the 120Hz refresh rates you get on phones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 or the Apple iPhone 16 Pro. Alternatively, if long battery life is important, you’ll probably want to go with a larger iPhone or an Android phone with a battery that’s between 4,000 and 5,000 mAh in size. Meanwhile, if you find yourself juggling a lot of devices, it can be really nice to have a phone that supports reverse wireless charging, which on Samsung phones even lets you recharge the company’s Galaxy Watches.

Other smartphones we've tested

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Like its predecessor, the S25 Ultra is an incredibly versatile phone. It’s one of the few handsets that come with an included stylus and premium features like a gorgeous 6.9-inch AMOLED display, titanium frame and a 5x telephoto camera. It also has excellent performance and strong battery life. The issue is that, aside from improved AI, this year’s phone doesn’t offer that much more than the previous model (or the one before that), and with prices starting at $1,300, we feel it needs to do more to earn a top pick spot.

OnePlus 13

While the OnePlus 13 features some basic AI features like Google’s Circle to Search and Gemini assistant, it’s really just an old-fashioned flagship in all the best ways. That’s because instead of focusing on machine learning, OnePlus crammed the phone with tons of top-notch hardware. It sports a 6.8-inch OLED display with an incredible peak brightness of up to 4,500 nits. The OP13 also offers excellent performance thanks to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, along with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. There are also three 50-MP rear cameras including one with a 3x telephoto zoom and a massive 6,000 mAh battery that’s bigger than what you get in practically all of its competitors.

OnePlus didn’t skimp on the phone’s design either, as the OP13 still comes with the company’s signature Alert Slider. Plus, if you opt for the blue or white variants, you’ll get a durable and very touchable vegan leather back that helps the phone stand out among all its glass brick rivals. But the best part is that starting at $900, it costs less than an equivalent Galaxy S25+ too.

FAQs

How do I know which smartphone is the best for me?

While choosing the best smartphone can be challenging, it mostly comes down to how you plan on using the device. All of the best phones available now get the basics right — you’ll be able to make calls, text and access the internet without many hiccups. If your smartphone is your most used gadget, you may want to consider paying for a device on the higher end of the price spectrum. That will get you better overall performance, higher-quality cameras and a phone that will last for many years. If you don’t use your phone for everything, you may be able to compromise on performance and extra perks and spend less on a still-capable handset.

How much is a smartphone?

Smartphones range in price from $300 to over $1,500. The best budget phones available now will usually compromise on overall performance, design, camera prowess and extra features to keep costs down. On the flip side, the most expensive phones will have powerful processors, triple-camera arrays and even flip or fold designs. Most people will find a phone that fits their needs somewhere in the middle of that wide price range — we’ve found that most of the best smartphones available right now cost between $500 and $1,000.

What can you do on a smartphone?

Smartphones are essentially small, portable computers that let you do things like check email, browse social media, follow map directions, make contactless payments and more. This is all on top of the basics like making phone calls and texting, which we’ve come to expect in all modern cell phones. Smartphones have also mostly replaced compact cameras thanks to their high-quality, built-in shooters, and the fact that most smartphones today as just as portable, if not more so, as compact cameras.

How long do smartphones last?

Smartphones can last years and people are holding on to their phones longer now than ever before. Software updates and battery life are two of the biggest factors that can affect phone longevity. Apple promises five years worth of software updates for its latest iPhones, and Google promises the same for its Pixel phones. Samsung phones will get four years worth of Android updates from the time they launch. As for charging speeds and battery life, your phone can deteriorate over time as you use and recharge your phone on a regular basis.

Recent updates

July 2025: Updated to include the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

April 2025: Updated to include the Google Pixel 9a.

February 2025: Updated to include the iPhone 16e.

January 2025: Updated to include details about Samsung's latest Galaxy S-series phones.

September 2024: Updated to include the latest iPhone 16 models and a new midrange iPhone top pick.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/best-smartphones-140004900.html?src=rss

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Amazon's Prime Day is in full swing, and now that two full days have passed, some of us have gotten past our decision paralysis and checked out our online shopping carts. It's no surprise that the Engadget team consists of people who are fans of tech (and non-tech) products, and we also love a good deal. As we've put together roundups and news stories about the best things to buy this week, we've also been tempted by the savings. Here's a list of what several of our team members bought, not only to share our lives with you but to also show you some of the deals we deemed good enough to spend our own money on. 

(Ed. note: Igor Bonifacic saved a whopping $2 on this guitar tuner, but it was worth it to him. I'll let him explain.)

In Canada, the D'Addario tuner I ended up buying is normally a little more expensive at $20 CAD, but I figured there was a chance it would go on sale for Prime Day. So I set up a Camelcamelcamel alert, and on the morning of July 8 I got an email from the website saying it was… $2 off. Not the greatest discount, but hey, in such an expensive hobby, every dollar counts, right?

This past spring, I picked up the guitar for the first time in about 15 years. How it happened doesn't matter. What does matter is that now I play everyday, and I've been asking myself why did I ever stop in the first place. I feel more creative, my eyes feel healthier from less screen time and I'm better now than I ever was as a teenager.

As I've gotten back into the hobby, I've slowly been buying all the little accessories that can make it easier to maintain your guitar. With Prime Day around the corner, I set my sights on a headstock tuner. These little gadgets weren't around when I first started learning the instrument, but let me tell you they're great.

Like the name suggests, you attach one to the headstock of your guitar. It then allows you to tune the instrument by measuring the vibrations produced by the strings. While you could just as easily use an app like GuitarTuna to do the same, clip-on tuners aren't affected by ambient noise, making the entire tuning process fast and easy. Best of all, they're cheap. In the US, you can spend as little as $15 to buy the model I purchased for Prime Day. — Igor Bonifacic, senior reporter

Without even trying, I've become a devotee of Apple's Continuity Camera over the last few years. I think with my laptop and monitor setup, it's just always made more sense to use my iPhone as a camera rather than buying some kind of USB-C docking station or giving up another port on my computer. Unfortunately, I also find having my phone within arm's reach while I'm writing to be pretty distracting. Taking advantage of a Prime Day deal on a dedicated webcam this year is my solution.

I purchased an off-white Logitech Brio 500, which normally costs $130, but is $50 off for Prime Day through Amazon or Logitech. It's a kind of a long, tube-shaped 1080p webcam, so not the sleekest or best option out there, but it has the basics I need, like a manual shutter and auto-framing, and critically, it matches my Logitech mouse. If, like me, you can't stand the idea of paying over $100 for a webcam, I think it's a pretty appealing option at $80. — Ian Carlos Campbell, contributing writer

I recently discovered that as all my gear transitioned to USB-C, I no longer had any compatible thumb drives. Rather than buy an adapter dongle that I would inevitably lose, I figured it would be smart to have a new thumb drive that could handle both USB-C and USB-3. The discount on the SanDisk drive I bought wasn't huge, but Prime Day seemed like a good time to save a few bucks on a practical purchase. — Anna Washenko, contributing reporter

Even though it wasn't on sale this week, I pre-ordered a re-issue for the Studio Series version of Blaster from Amazon because he is one of my favorite Transformers of all time. And then I added Soundwave to my shipment because he's another one of my top 10 favorite bots and you can't really have one without the other. And then I found a small deal on Heatwave, so we picked that up too as a way to save a couple bucks on a present for my son's birthday next month.

It's a bit weird to say that as an adult I'm still this fascinated by plastic toys, but sometimes it feels like we're living through a golden age for Transformer figures despite the awful movies we've been subjected to over the last decade and a half (aside from Transformers One). As bad as the Bayverse films are, there's still a rich history of shows and toys and I've had a blast diving back into all of that with my kid. — Sam Rutherford, senior reviewer

I made a very short, focused list of three things to buy on Prime Day — a Nori Press, a walking pad and the Ms. Rachel Tonie toy for the kids in my life. But when I was looking through our roundup of the best deals this week, the discounted entry-level iPad caught my eye. 

My dad had been asking me repeatedly for weeks about an iPad for watching videos and movies while him and my mom were traveling, and I wasn't able to give them an answer as I was weighing a lot of concerns. What is the best operating system for them? Do they need something released recently, or could they save some money on an older model? 

Seeing this current-generation iPad on sale prompted me to just buy it for them. It simplifies things as my dad uses an iPhone and is familiar with iPadOS, and apps like YouTube and Netflix would satisfy their desires to download videos to watch offline. Saving $70 on what is a very solid device felt like a great deal, but more importantly it earned me points with my family. — Cherlynn Low, managing editor

Like I mentioned earlier, the Nori Press was on my list of things to buy when on sale this week. In fact, the Nori Press was on my holiday wishlist last year. Alas, none of my friends or family got it for me, so I decided finally to buy one myself. The ice-cubes-in-the-dryer method just didn't cut it anymore. 

Nori frequently has sales that put the iron, which usually retails for $120, at $100. When I saw that the Prime Day discount dropped the price down to about $90, I figured it was time to stop procrastinating. I haven't received the iron yet, but I'm certainly excited to wear crisply collared shirts and neatly pressed dresses soon. — Cherlynn Low, managing editor

What we're still considering

As Prime Day goes on till the end of the week, many on the Engadget team are still weighing their decisions. Executive editor John Falcone, for example, hasn't bought Anker's UFO 3-device charger, but says he wishes he did. I'll update this post if he does, because he will save almost 30 percent on it.

Not all our purchases have been through Amazon, either. Editor-in-chief Aaron Souppouris is thinking about buying "a weird camera for too much money not on Amazon." It's a full-spectrum conversion camera, and if and when he does make that purchase, we will be sure to shame him here.

Finally, senior editor Billy Steele has made arguably the best shopping decision all week, on or off Amazon. He bought "three Happy Meals trying to get the cool toys. I got three of the same toy. :(" 

Update, July 10 2025, 5:00PM ET: This story has been updated to add a section on what senior reviewer Sam Rutherford bought.

Update, July 11 2025, 12:00PM ET: This story has been updated to add a section on the Nori Press.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-prime-day-2025-the-deals-that-the-engadget-team-spent-our-hard-earned-money-on-154509453.html?src=rss

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© Igor Bonifacic for Engadget