Device makers have released their best phones of the year; now it’s up to us to separate the contenders from the also-rans, as we help you find the perfect phone to replace your current handset. And if you’re a fan of Apple’s devices, it’s been a very good year indeed.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max stands atop our best phones list, and the standard iPhone 16 isn’t too far behind. But really, any device from the iPhone 16 lineup will serve you will, thanks to powerful processors, outstanding cameras and — soon — all-new AI capabilities.
But if you’re more of an Android fan, you’ve got great options, too in the form of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, which comes up short against the iPhone 16 Pro Max on the photo front, or the super-smart Pixel 9 Pro. Google also makes the best budget buy of the year in the form of the Pixel 8a.
I’ve made my best phone picks using the results of Tom’s Guide testing as well as head-to-head comparisons between the dozens of phones that come into our lab each year. I’ve been reviewing phones since the first iPhone arrived in 2007, and when you take into account the background of the other Tom’s Guide phone team members, we’ve got more than four decades of experience evaluating phones from every possible angle.
The very best phones offer great cameras, enough performance to easily multitask or play intensive games and the kind of battery life to last the whole day. We test each one of those things for every smartphone we review — and we also look at software, display quality and phone design. Read on to find the phone that matches your wish list.
I’m the managing editor for mobile at Tom’s Guide, where I’ve been working since 2015. In total, I’ve covered technology for more than 20 years, and I was there when Steve Jobs showed off the original iPhone back in 2007. I’ve been looking at and testing phones since that day, and if you visit my Northern California home, you can marvel at the stacks of phones I keep handy for head-to-head testing.
The best phone overall
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The iPhone 16 Pro Max keeps Apple in the number one reason for all the good reasons, supplanting its predecessor in the iPhone 15 Pro Max in the process after testing it. The new phone offers a bigger screen (without increasing its overall size too much), an upgraded ultrawide camera and a faster processor. Even better, new Apple Intelligence features arrive as part of a software update this month.
You won’t have to ditch your iPhone 15 Pro Max if you upgraded a year ago, but anyone with an older iPhone will clearly benefit from all the new features we’ve discovered when testing the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Price and value: While this model commands the same $1,199 cost as its predecessor, a larger 6.9-inch screen and bigger battery adds more value to the Pro Max model this time. As for Samsung’s most comparable device to the Pro Max, the Galaxy S24 Ultra underwent a price hike this past year, so Apple’s top device remains the less expensive option by $100.
Camera performance: iPhones live and die by their cameras, and the telephoto lens on the iPhone 16 Pro Max offers some notable improvements to both its main camera and its ultrawide lens. These complement the 5x telephoto lens that returns from the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Because the iPhone 16 Pro features the same camera setup for $200 less, we rank that phone as the best camera phone overall, but you won’t be disappointed with what the iPhone 16 Pro Max cameras produce. We’ve even put it through a 200 photo face-off against the Galaxy S24 Ultra to crown an undisputed champion.
Battery and charging: The battery on the iPhone 16 Pro Max lasts more than 18 hours on our battery test, an impressive jump over the already long-lasting iPhone 15 Pro Max. If only the phone could charge quickly, but at least MagSafe charging is improved to 25W speed.
Overall performance: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip dishes up heated competition, but the A18 Pro chipset powering the iPhone 16 Pro Max turns out to be a very fast chip. You’ll notice the extra oomph when you’re performing everyday tasks and switching between apps. For all the Snapdragon’s gains in graphics, the iPhone 16 Pro Max still outperforms the latest Galaxy device when it comes to real-world tasks like video transcoding.
Verdict: The iPhone 16 Pro Max has been tops for design, photography and performance. Charging speed and digital zoom features could be further refined, and it’s very expensive.
Read the full review: iPhone 16 Pro Max
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | This is the most expensive iPhone Apple sells. You can save $200 with the iPhone 16 Pro, if you don’t mind the smaller screen and less battery life. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Cameras | The iPhone 16 Pro Max is one of the best camera phones we’ve tested, though both the Pix9 Galaxy S24 Ultra beat it on zoomed shots. | ★★★★☆ |
| Power | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered phones may have caught up to Apple’s silicon, but the A18 Pro continues to be a top performer, particularly when it comes to overall speed and daily tasks. | ★★★★★ |
| Battery life | You won’t need to charge your phone up during the day. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the second longest-lasting iPhone we’ve ever tested, finishing ahead of the iPhone 16 Plus. | ★★★★★ |
More on the iPhone 16 Pro Max
Best Samsung phone
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The Galaxy S24 Ultra offers the peak Android experience, with the kind of improvements you’d demand for such a premium phone — a better processor, a brighter display and camera fine-tuning. But this year’s model stands out with the arrival of Galaxy AI features, which tap into artificial intelligence to handle tasks like translation, transcription and summaries. This may be Samsung’s first attempt at putting AI front and center, but tools like Circle to Search and notes auto-formatting already feel very polished. And more importantly, they’re integrated into your everyday phone usage.
Price and Value: Though its price went up up by $100 over the previous generation, you still get what you pay for with the Galaxy S24 Ultra. especially if you can find a lower price through the best Galaxy S24 Ultra deals. Seven years of software and security updates helps justify the cost, though it’s worth noting that Apple’s premium phone remains $100 cheaper.
Camera performance: Swapping out a 10MP telephoto lens with a 10x zoom for a 50MP shooter with a 5x zoom feel like a step back, even with the higher-resolution photos. (At least you can still enjoy 10x zooms by cropping down those 50MP shots. And the 100x Space Zoom feature is as impressive as before.) Nevertheless, the Galaxy S24 Ultra remains a top camera phone, with a better handle on color than previous Samsung flagships. Due to its controversial switch with its telephoto camera, we took over 200 photos against the Galaxy S23 Ultra to see how much better it is.
Battery and charging: The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 powering the Galaxy S24 Ultra is very efficient, helping the S24 Ultra last for 16 hours and 45 minutes on our battery test. Wired charging speeds remain at 45W, which is good but slower than the OnePlus 12 and its 80W charging speeds.
Overall performance: In addition to its power management features, that Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 silicon delivers stellar performance — enough to beat last year’s iPhone 15 Pro models in some tests, particularly when it comes to graphics. And now that the iPhone 16 Pro models are out with A18 Pro silicon, Samsung’s phone still tops them in graphics testing.
Unlike other S24 models, which use different chipsets depending on their region, every Galaxy S24 Ultra uses a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, so you’re guaranteed the best Android performance no matter where you live in the world.
Verdict: The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra gives the iPhone 16 lineup all it can handle, lasting longer than most other Android phones, but comes up short against the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Still for Android users, this is the best phone you can get, especially with seven years of software support and the new smart AI features that Samsung keeps adding.
Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Samsung raised the price on the Galaxy S24 Ultra by $100 over the S23 Ultra. This is the most expensive phone that doesn’t fold. | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Cameras | The hardware that makes up the S24 Ultra’s camera array impresses, but Samsung augments that with some great AI-powered features that help you edit and fine-tune your photos. | ★★★★☆ |
| Power | Forget about a performance gap with the iPhone. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 holds its own against any phone, particularly in terms of graphic pefromance. | ★★★★★ |
| Battery life | This is Samsung’s longest-lasting phone, beating the latest many iPhone models on our battery test. | ★★★★★ |
More on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Smartest phone
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The Google Pixel 9 Pro brings Google’s usual mix of great camera features and AI-powered tools, with more of a focus on the latter this time around. You’ll also get a smaller display — Google says customers wanted a more compact version of the Pro to go with the big-screen model. (If you prefer more screen real estate, consider the Pixel 9 Pro XL, which has the exact same features as the regular Pro, but a 6.7-inch display and bigger battery, instead.)
Price and Value: On the one hand, the Pixel 9 Pro costs the same $999 that Google charged for the Pixel 8 Pro. But that older phone had a larger screen, making you feel that you’re paying more for less phone. Still, with the improvements to battery life and display brightness — not to mention the new AI features — you’re getting plenty of value for your money.
Camera performance: Camera improvements are modest — a new ultrawide sensor adds a Macro mode that performed very well in our testing. The front camera gets an upgraded sensor, too. Otherwise, the Pixel 9 Pro’s camera performance lives on the strength of its photo processing, which turned out some very strong photos during our camera tests. In fact, we were surprised by the outcome in our 200 photo face-off between the Pixel 9 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro.
Battery and charging: Camera improvements are modest — a new ultrawide sensor adds a Macro mode that performed very well in our testing. The front camera gets an upgraded sensor, too. Otherwise, the Pixel 9 Pro’s camera performance lives on the strength of its photo processing, which turned out some very strong photos during our camera tests.
Overall performance: The Tensor G4 that powers the Pixel 9 Pro can’t keep pace with other top Android phones in benchmark testing, and it trails the iPhone 16, too. But that’s not the focus of Tensor. Instead, it powers a number of helpful AI features, including Pixel Screenshots for easy searches of content within screenshots, Add Me for inserting people into group shots and Call Notes for transcriptions and summaries of phone calls. Potentially, the best addition is Gemini Live, a smarter version of the Google Assistant. Pixel 9 Pro owners get a year of Gemini Advanced for supporting for complex features.
Some of the AI tools need some more polish, which we would guess will come over time. Right now Pixel Screenshots is the most useful if you take a lot of screenshots in order to remember important details. The Pixel Studio generative AI tool is also adept at producing images just using your text prompts.
Verdict: If you’re willing to bet that the Pixel 9 Pro’s AI features will improve over time, the camera performance, longer battery life and bright display should be enough to give you a great device right now.
Read the full review: Google Pixel 9 Pro
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | On the bright side, the Pixel 9 Pro costs the same $999 as the Pixel 8 Pro. But you’re paying the same for a smaller screen. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Cameras | You’ll find few hardware changes outside an improved ultrawide sensor and higher-resolution selfie cam, but the Pixel 9 Pro still takes great shots. And the AI features are second to none. | ★★★★☆ |
| Power | The Tensor G4 enables a bunch of new AI-powered features that make the Pixel 9 Pro standout. But it badly lags behind Samsung and Apple phones in terms of speed. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Battery life | We’ve finally got a series of Pixels that outlasts the average smartphone, with the Pixel 9 Pro beating the average result on our test by 3 hours. | ★★★★☆ |
More on the Google Pixel 9 Pro
Best under $500
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Like the Pixel 7a it replaces, Google’s Pixel 8a is the best phone to get when you refuse to spend more than $500. In exchange, you’ll get one of the best camera phones for the price, along with the AI features found on current Pixel flagships. The only reason to pass on the Pixel 8a at this point is you’d prefer the more powerful Tensor G4 chipset and newer AI capabilities in the Pixel 9 series. Even so, the Pixel 8a remains a great option for bargain hunters.
Price and value: In addition to saving you $200 to $300 for flagship level features, the Pixel 8a can be a phone that you hold on to for a long time. Google offers seven years of software and security updates, matching the level of support the regular Pixel 8 phones get. With the Pixel 8a, Google is showing other phone makers how a midrange device should be.
Camera performance: You’ll find the same cameras on the Pixel 8a as you did on the Pixel 7a, and photo processing capabilities work the same, too. While we wish there were more substantial improvements, you can’t knock the camera performance of the Pixel 8a, especially compared to other camera phones in this price range. You may not want to upgrade from last year’s phone, but people with older phones will still be impressed with the quality of images produced by the Pixel 8a. Against the newer Pixel 9 in our 200 photo face-off, the Pixel 8a’s cameras hold up nicely.
Battery and charging: At last, Google has made a phone that lasts longer than the average handset on a charge. The Pixel 8a turned in a time of 11 hours and 21 minutes on our battery test, the best result we’ve seen in a while from a Pixel, at least until the Pixel 9 models came along. We only wish charging speeds were faster, but at least you get wireless charging support.
Overall performance: As always, the story with Pixel phones is the AI features supported by the Tensor core on Google’s silicon. With a Tensor G3 running the show, the Pixel 8a matches the feature set found on Pixel 8 flagships, with Magic Editor and Best Take photo-editing features stealing the show. But don’t sleep on the phone’s call management features, either. That said, if you’re looking for raw performance power, you won’t find it on the Pixel 8a, as Tensor chips lag behind what the Snapdragon silicon in Android phones can provide.
Verdict: The Pixel 8a is a worthy addition to the A series, with excellent cameras for a budget phone. With better battery life than before and extended software support, Google’s midrange phone is a even better bargain than its predecessor.
Read the full review: Google Pixel 8a
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Google kept its midrange phone under $500, making the Pixel 8a one of the better values you can find if you don’t want to pay flagship prices. | ★★★★☆ |
| Cameras | The Pixel 9 cameras perform better than the Pixel 8a’s, but not so much that you’re sacrificing a great camera phone by paying less. This is the best cheap camera phone you can buy. | ★★★★☆ |
| Power | The Pixel 8a uses last year’s Tensor G3, so you miss out on newer features (for now), but it’s still a pretty smart chip with unique AI features. | ★★★★☆ |
| Battery life | You’ll get better than average battery life with the Pixel 8a, though it doesn’t last as long as Google’s Tensor G4-powered phones. | ★★★★☆ |
More on the Google Pixel 8a
Best iPhone value
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The iPhone 16 has replaces the iPhone 15 as the latest entry-level flagship in Apple’s lineup, and offers incredible value against the pricier iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max — especially when it has a lot in common with them. In fact, you can argue it’s a Pro model in disguise.
Price and value: The $799 starting price of the iPhone 16 remains a lot to pay for most people. But it’s cheaper than the $899 iPhone 16 Plus, not to mention those iPhone 16 Pro models. That’s a pretty good value when you consider how it shares similar features as the Pro.
Camera performance: The 48MP main camera unlocks a lot of photography potential in the iPhone 16, but its ultrawide camera gets an even better upgrade with a wider f/2.2 aperture that allows it to gather in more light than previous iPhones. The iPhone 16 continues to offer lossless 2x zoom without the need of a telephoto camera too, which helps bridge the gap between itself and the Pro models.
Battery and charging: Apple’s larger iPhones have more room for bigger batteries but the iPhone 16 still lasts over 13 hours on a single charge. Charging is pretty slow though, with 20W wired speeds still in place from older models. This could be an area where the iPhone 16 takes a big leap forward, but at least Apple improves MagSafe charging to 25W.
Overall performance: The A18 chipset within the iPhone 16 is potent, proving just as capable as the A18 Pro. (Apple’s Pro chipset has a little more muscle when it comes to graphics, thanks to an extra core in its GPU.) Even more impressive is how it puts up better scores in GeekBench than some Android phones running the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. This boosted chipset allows the iPhone 16 to support AI-powered Apple Intelligence features.
Verdict: The iPhone 16 is a better value than the iPhone 15 that came before it, thanks in part to its significantly longer battery life, stronger A18 performance, and how it now carries similar features found on the 16 Pro models — like Camera Control, Action Button, and support for spatial photos and videos. If you prefer a bigger screen and a longer-lasting battery, it may be worth an extra $100 for the iPhone 16 Plus, but Apple’s standard iPhone remains a compelling option in its own right.
Read the full review: iPhone 16
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Sporting the same $799 as before, the iPhone 16 is a better value than ever mainly because of how it has more in common with the Pro models than ever before. | ★★★★☆ |
| Cameras | The 48MP main camera does a lot, but it still can’t beat a Pro iPhone due to the lack of a dedicated telephoto lens. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Power | Apple uses a variant of its latest chipset, but the A18 manages to deliver outstanding results that narrows the gap against the A18 Pro. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Battery life | As a compact phone, the iPhone 16 offers all-day battery. | ★★★★☆ |
More on the iPhone 16
Most affordable AI phone
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Just as iPhone users can turn to the iPhone 16 for a cheaper way to enjoy Apple’s best features, the Galaxy S24 offers a more affordable entry point for Samsung’s flagships. In fact, the Galaxy S24 delivers the best value of Samsung’s current lineup, as it offers the same Galaxy AI feature as the S24 Plus and S24 Ultra but for a $799 starting price. The S24 will be especially attractive to fans of compact phones, as it’s comfortable to use one-handed, even with a larger 6.2-inch display.
Price and value: It’s hard to argue with a phone that delivers both a telephoto lens and Galaxy AI features for less than $800. Seven years of software and security support are even more impressive. Unless you really need a big screen or a more powerful telephoto lens, the Galaxy S24 will more than meet your needs — and you don’t have to contend with a four-figure starting price, either.
That said, Samsung has announced the Galaxy S24 FE, which costs $150 less than the S24. Even with the lower price, the S24 FE offers a telephoto lens and supports many of the same Galaxy AI features as the rest of the S24 models. We’re currently testing the Galaxy S24 FE to see if it truly is a worthwhile alternative to the Galaxy S24.
Camera performance: Very little has changed with the Galaxy S24 cameras compared to the S23, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Samsung’s flagships produce excellent photos, and the S24 was no exception, though some photos turned out a little dark in our testing. Samsung also includes a telephoto lens on its cheapest flagship, something Apple doesn’t do with the iPhone.
Battery and charging: With a time of 13 hours and 28 minutes on our battery test, the Galaxy S24 bests the average smartphone by 3.5 hours. The 25W charging speed is a little disappointing, as Samsung’s other S24 models continue to offer 45W charging. More to the point, the cheaper OnePlus 12 charges faster than the S24.
Overall performance: North American Galaxy S24 models run on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which is good news for Samsung. That silicon produces numbers that surpass Apple’s older mobile chips in some tests, though the A18 silicon bests the Snapdragon in overall performance. Elsewhere, S24 shoppers will have to settle for the Exynos 2400 system-on-chip. Our testing found that the Exynos 2400 wasn’t as fast as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 on the same tests.
Verdict: The Galaxy S24 may not be Samsung’s most feature-packed flagship, but it offers a telephoto lens, Galaxy AI capabilities and — in North America, at least — a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset.
Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy S24
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | You get a lot of phone for your $799, especially now that Google’s Pixel 9 costs the same amount as Samsung’s entry-level phone. | ★★★★☆ |
| Cameras | Not many sub-$800 phones have a telephoto lens, so the Galaxy S24 stands out in that regard. It also benefits from Google AI photo-editing features. | ★★★★☆ |
| Power | You get the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset as the more expensive Galaxy S24 Ultra, giving you a lot of bang for your buck. | ★★★★☆ |
| Battery life | This is a big improvement over the Galaxy S23, improving on that phone’s battery test result by 3 hours. | ★★★★☆ |
More on the Samsung Galaxy S24
Best flagship value
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The OnePlus 12 can hold its own against just about any Android phone, making it a compelling alternative to pricier handsets from Samsung. OnePlus continues to improve camera performance, while equipping its flagship with the best silicon available to Android devices. The OnePlus 12 is one of the longest-lasting Android flagship phones you can, and the phone features fast charging. A bigger display with impressive brightness completes the package.
Price and value: A $100 price hike over the OnePlus 11 is a bit of a bummer, but at least a very liberal trade-in program wipes out that price hike, bringing the OnePlus 12 down to a bargain $699. That’s $100 less than the Galaxy S24 and $300 cheaper than the Galaxy S24 Plus.
Camera performance: The telephoto lens can now offer a 3x zoom — it was 2x on previous OnePlus models — as the OnePlus 12 features the fourth generation Hasselblad camera system. Low-light photos turned out under-exposed in our testing, but in other conditions, images looked sharp and well-composed.
Battery and charging: Outside of gaming phones, you won’t find longer-lasting devices than OnePlus handsets. The OnePlus 12 lasted more than 17.5 hours on our test, where the average smartphone flags around the 10-hour mark. With 80W wired charging and the return of wireless charging, you’ll always be able to keep the battery juiced.
Overall performance: A Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset means the OnePlus 12 can go toe-to-toe with top performers like the Galaxy S24 and not miss a step. On graphics testing, the OnePlus 12 even tops the latest iPhones. The OnePlus 12 has no problem playing demanding games or jumping quickly between apps.
Verdict: The OnePlus 12 is the most complete OnePlus offering to date, featuring Qualcomm’s best chipset, a triple camera system designed with Hasselblad, speedy wired charging, and the return of wireless charging.
Read the full review: OnePlus 12
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | The $799 starting price marks a price increase, but OnePlus has a trade-in promotion that brings your cost back down to OnePlus 11 levels. | ★★★★☆ |
| Cameras | OnePlus continues to improve on its cameras, but we wish the OnePlus 12 performed better in low-light situations. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Power | The same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset in Samsung phones powers OnePlus’ flagship, so expect comparable performance that measures up well against iPhone 16 models. | ★★★★☆ |
| Battery life | A long-lasting battery can be charged up very quickly, thanks to OnePlus’ commitment to fast charging speeds. | ★★★★★ |
More on the OnePlus 12
The most affordable Google flagship
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The Google Pixel 9 may lack the telephoto lens that comes with the Pixel 9 Pro, but it also costs $200 less, giving you a cheaper way to experience the benefits of the new Tensor G4 processor. That means all the AI features Google added to its Pixel 9 Pro models are on board the Pixel 9. (One exception: You don’t access to Gemini Advanced like Pixel 9 owners enjoy.)
Price and value: When the Pixel 7 came out, it cost $599. Two years later, the price of an entry-level Pixel is up to $799, matching what Apple and Samsung charge for their basic models. At least Google offers extensive software support — seven years of both OS updates and security patches — so that you can really extend the life of the Pixel 9.
Camera performance: There’s a new ultrawide camera sensor, but that does it for major hardware changes to the Pixel 9’s camera setup. Still, the cameras on the Pixel 9 perform as well as ever in our head-to-head testing with other top camera phones, which we credit to the photo processing chops that Google’s developed over the years.
Battery and charging: Apart from the Pixel 9’s brighter display, the biggest improvement to this phone involves its battery life. Recent Pixel flagships haven’t fared too well in our battery test, but the Pixel 9 managed to last more than 13 hours, beating out the average smartphone result by 3 hours.
Overall performance: As with the Pixel 9 Pro, the Tensor G4 powering this phone is nothing to write home about when it comes to speed and graphics testing. But Tensor is all about AI features, and you’ll find plenty of new additions on the Pixel 9. The AI tools run the gamut from amusing (Pixel Studio’s image generating abilities) to the practical. (Pixel Screenshots helps you track down information and the Weather app now has AI-generated weather reports.) Some features, like phone call transcripts are still a little rough, but we imagine Google will improve over time via software updates.
Verdict: You’ll make some sacrifices by opting for the Pixel 9 over one of the Pro models — the screen is smaller than the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and you won’t get free access to Gemini Advanced. But you’ll also pay hundreds less for a great camera phone with serious smarts.
Read the full review: Google Pixel 9
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | While $799 is an affordable flagship price, we liked it when Google tried undercutting the prices that Apple and Samsung charged instead of matching them. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Cameras | AI features still impress, but there are few hardware changes from previous Pixel models. And forget about a telephoto lens on this entry-level model. | ★★★★☆ |
| Power | As with the Pixel 9 Pro, we love the new AI features enabled by the Tensor G4 chipset. But this isn’t the fastest chip by any means. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Battery life | We’re pleased to see Google phones perform well on our battery test, with the Pixel 9 keeping pace with the Pro model. | ★★★★☆ |
More on the Google Pixel 9
Best Android value
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The OnePlus 12R is the first R series phone from OnePlus to ship outside of China and India, and if this model is an indication, we hope it’s not the last. The 12R is a solid midrange device that retains some high-end flagship features at a lower price. It’s one of our favorite phones under $500, competing against the Pixel 8a.
Price and value: The OnePlus 12R packs in a lot for a $499 phone. We only wish the software and security support ran a little bit longer. In Europe, the cheaper 8GB/128GB model isn’t available, somewhat negating the OnePlus 12R’s appeal as a Pixel 8a-like budget alternative.
Camera performance: Cameras are perhaps the biggest shortcoming of the OnePlus 12R, as it lacks the Hasselblad partnership that’s bolsted the cameras on the main OnePlus 12. Phones like the Pixel 7a simply take better photos than what the OnePlus 12R produces.
Battery and charging: The OnePlus 12R delivers outstanding battery life, outlasting all but one phone that we’ve tested in the last 18 months. With 80W wired charging, you can top off the battery quickly, but there’s no wireless charging on this model.
Overall performance: The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 inside the OnePlus 12R isn’t the fastest Android silicon any more, now that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is powering Android flagships. But last year’s top silicon remains very speedy and powerful enough to propel the 12R past other phones in its price range.
Bottom line: The OnePlus 12R has outstanding battery life and solid performance. Add a low starting price in the U.S. and you’ve got an unbeatable value for a midrange phone.
Read the full review: OnePlus 12R
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | While the Pixel 8a is the better overall value thanks to its AI features, it’s hard to ignore the sub-$500 starting price of the OnePlus 12R (at least in the U.S.). | ★★★★★ |
| Cameras | If there’s one area where the OnePlus 12R falls short, it’s the camera performance, even compared to the OnePlus 12 flagship. | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Power | Most budget phones turn to much less capable processors. But the OnePlus 12R uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 which powered 2023’s best Android phones. | ★★★★☆ |
| Battery life | Outside of gaming phones and a few flagships, you won’t find a phone that lasts as long as the OnePlus 12R, particularly at this price. | ★★★★★ |
More on the OnePlus 12R
Best foldable phone
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Both the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Pixel 9 Pro Fold may have come out more recently, but the OnePlus Open still tops them both, especially now that it’s cheaper than Samsung’s top foldable. Not only is the OnePlus Open well made, but it offers up a more practical multitasking experience for users. This phone has everything power users crave, and the arrival of a variant called the OnePlus Open Apex Edition delivers storage enhancements and AI photo-editing tools.
Price and value: OnePlus has an attractive proposition for prospective buyers. It already undercuts other notebook styled foldables with its $1,699 starting cost, but the extra $200 trade-in credit offer effectively makes it $1,499, which is a much better deal than the $1,899 cost for the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
Camera performance: Armed with a Hasselblad camera system, the OnePlus Open handles most situations with ease, excelling mostly with its main camera when lightning conditions are ideal. Its 3x telephoto zoom camera is just as good as the Pixel Fold’s 5x zoom camera, but it struggles in extreme low light.
Battery and charging: Foldable phones don’t always last a long time on a charge, given the super-sized screens they have to keep powered. Yet, the OnePlus Open goes the distance lasting over 11 hours on our battery test — easily beating out the Pixel Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 5. It also charges much faster, achieving an 85% charged capacity with 30 minutes of charging.
Overall performance: You’re getting a phone with an older chip when you buy the OnePlus Open, but it’s not as if the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is showing its age. The 2023 silicon delivers good results with the OnePlus Open, which we found to be a pretty responsive phone in daily use. That said, it now trails the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Pixel 9 Pro Fold on Geekbench performance tests, though it has peppier graphics than Google’s foldable.
Verdict: The OnePlus Open improves upon what existing notebook styled foldables have done already, but it makes all the necessary improvements to make it the best foldable phone. At the same time, it offers the longest battery life and recharge in a foldable, paired with a lower cost and premium design.
Read the full review: OnePlus Open
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | With other foldable phones going up in price, the OnePlus Open is the least expensive model you can find with a design that opens up like a book. | ★★★★☆ |
| Design | The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is thinner, but the OnePlus Open is lighter and easier to tote around. | ★★★★☆ |
| Power | While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 was a strong chip in its day, the OnePlus Open is starting to fall behind rival foldables with newer silicon. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 beats it handily, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold can keep pace with it. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Battery life | The OnePlus Open doesn’t last as long as smaller foldable flip phones, but among foldables with this design, it’s the battery life champ. | ★★★★☆ |
More on the OnePlus Open
Longest-lasting phone
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The Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro is one of the best gaming phones we’ve tested. But it benefits a toned-down design that makes it look like any flagship phone — perfect for people who want to mix business with pleasure while also reaping the benefits of using a long-lasting, durable device.
Price and value: As good as the ROG Phone 8 Pro is, $1,199 is a lot to spend on any device. We’d feel better about the outlay if Asus delivered more than two years of software support.
Camera performance: Cameras aren’t traditionally a strong spot for gaming phones, but Asus does its best to improve things. We appreciate the inclusion of a telephoto lens and the steady video footage shot by the gimbal-stabilized main camera. That said, similarly priced flagship phones turn out better photos.
Battery and charging: The ROG Phone 8 Pro approached the 19-hour mark on our battery test — an outstanding time that tops any other phone we’ve tested. With 65W wired charging, you can top of the phone quickly, too.
Overall performance: With the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, you’ll get the best performance of any Android phone from the Asus ROG Phone 8. You can also load up the device with as much as 24GB of RAM.
Verdict: The ROG Phone 8 Pro is a high-powered device that wouldn’t look out of place in the hands of any user. Still, gamers will get the most out of the ROG Phone’s powerful processor and battery life.
Read the full review: Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | The entry-level model starts at a hefty $1,199, and prices only go up as you add more RAM and accessories. | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Cameras | Gaming phones aren’t known for having great cameras, but the ROG Phone 8’s are pretty good all things considering. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Power | Another Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered phone delivers outstanding graphics performance. | ★★★★★ |
| Battery life | No phone lasts longer than this one. It’s our current battery life champ. | ★★★★★ |
More on the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro
FAQ: Finding the best phones
Should I get an Android device or iPhone?
Android phones give you more choice in terms of price, size and innovative designs. However, iPhones offer speedier software updates, better games and apps and better security and privacy. See our iPhone vs Android face-off for more on the strengths and weaknesses of the two mobile platforms.
Is it better to buy an unlocked phone?
Most shoppers in the U.S. buy new phones through their wireless carrier. But an unlocked phone gives you the freedom to buy the device without any sort of contract and then bring it to the provider you want to use. And these days, it’s pretty easy to bring an unlocked phone to any phone carrier.
How big of a phone should I get?
Fans of the best small phones will have a hard time finding devices with screens smaller than 6 inches today, though a few still exist. Thanks to shrinking bezels, most phones with screens around 6.1 inches are fairly compact. If you prefer a big phone, you’ll want something with a screen that’s 6.5 to 6.8 inches. Anything bigger, and you’ll likely want to turn to a foldable phone, where the device opens up to reveal a larger display.
What should I consider when looking at camera features?
Most phones will come with at least two rear cameras — a main lens and an ultrawide shooter, usually. Telephoto lenses offering an optical zoom are often reserved for more expensive flagship phones. Don’t pay attention to the megapixel count. Instead, look at camera face-offs between phones to see the photo quality and look for special features like Night Mode to get better quality in low light. Also see our best camera phone roundup for more on the devices that really excel when taking photos.
What do I need to know about smartphone battery life?
Generally, phones with larger batteries (measured in mAh) offer the longest battery life, but that’s not always the case. That’s why we run our own battery test, in which we make phones surf the web until they run out of power. The average phone runs out of juice in 10 hours, while the best phone battery life we’ve tested tends to pass the 12-hour mark.
What about AI features?
Artificial intelligence is the talk of the tech world these days, and mobile phones are looking to capitalize on the buzz by adding AI-powered features that either simplify common tasks or help you create new images and documents on the go. Google’s phones — whether it’s the flagship Pixel 9 models or the budget Pixel 8a — have the most advanced AI, but Samsung has gotten very aggressive with adding Galaxy AI capabilities, whether it’s introducing AI features in new phones or extending those features to older flagships. Apple trails both its rivals, though it hopes the Apple Intelligence features launching for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 Pro models will close the gap somewhat.
How we test smartphones
In order for a smartphone to make our best phone list, it needs to excel on several tests that we run on every handset. We perform some of these tests in our labs and some in the real world.
When it comes to performance, we rely on such synthetic benchmarks as Geekbench 5 and 3DMark’s Wild Life Unlimited to measure graphics performance. These tests allow us to compare performance across iPhones and Android devices. We also run a real-world video transcoding test on each phone using the Adobe Premiere Rush app and time the result.
To measure the quality of a phone’s display, we perform lab tests to determine the brightness of the panel (in nits), as well as how colorful each screen is (DCI-P3 color gamut). In these cases, higher numbers are better. We also measure color accuracy of each panel with a Delta-E rating, where lower numbers are better and score of 0 is perfect.
One of the most important tests we run is the Tom’s Guide battery test. We run a web surfing test over 5G or 4G at 150 nits of screen brightness until the battery gives out. As noted above, a phone that lasts more than 10 hour has good battery life, while phones that last around 12 hours or longer are among the longest-lasting phones we’ve tested.
Last but not least, we take the best phones out in the field to take photos outdoors, indoors and at night in low light to see how they perform versus their closest competitors. We take shots of landscapes, food, portraits and more, and also allow you to be the judge with side-by-side comparisons in our reviews.
For more information, check out our how we test page for Tom’s Guide.
