13 best smartphones 2025 of the year

2018 has been a fantastic year for smartphone buyers. Over the past 12 months, we've seen a slew of high-end flagships, including the Samsung Galaxy S9, Google Pixel 3, iPhone XS, and Huawei P20 Pro, to bring some of the most innovative phone innovations in the world. Excellent phones from aspiring market players such as the stellar Asus ROG phone, Pocophone F1 and OnePlus 6T have also been released, proving that there is still plenty of room for innovation and success in the smartphone market. Our team has tried to select only the best smartphones you can buy right now, before the next wave of phones arrives in 2025 year.

What criteria we followed when choosing the best smartphones

Every phone we look at in this ranking is tested using the same combination of real-world use cases and repeatable performance tests. This means we test everything from battery life and CPU performance through the full range of day-to-day tasks to call quality and screen calibration. First of all, we take these phones out and use them as our own for a long period, living with them to find out their capabilities and discover any hidden innovations or flaws.

So now that you know how we pick the best smartphones, let's take a look at our contenders.

1. Huawei Mate 20 Pro

2018 ended in triumph for Huawei, the Mate 20 Pro is a stunning phone that packs a ton of features. Seriously, no smartphone compares to it.

The highlight is the triple camera, which combines wide-angle, super-wide-angle, and an f / 2.4 aperture telephoto lens. The excellent night mode allows you to take pictures in very dark conditions, and the AI ​​immediately optimizes the brightness.

The colorful display boasts HDR content support. Of course, the dimensions of a smartphone are not suitable for small hands. The smartphone also has support for wireless charging, the smartphone demonstrates exceptionally good battery life. This is one of the few phones that can last two days on a single charge. The only drawback is the operating system, which is still buggy and extremely unstable.

Advantages:

• battery life at altitude;
• excellent main camera with three modules;
• fast charging speed is impressive;
• stylish appearance;
• high quality display.

Disadvantages:

• minor flaws in the software.

Today's best deals for Huawei Mate 20 Pro

2. iPhone XR

For us, the iPhone XR is better than the iPhone released in 2018. It offers the same fantastic 12MP f / 1.8 wide-angle camera with intelligent HDR and Bionic A12 processor as the XS, but at a more budgetary cost. At $ 750, the iPhone XR costs $ 250 less than the iPhone XS.

On the plus side, battery life, wireless charging, nice colors and exceptional Apple build quality are worth noting. A lot has been said about the 6.1-inch Retina LCD before the release of this model, and while it's not as good as the screen on the XS, it still has vibrant colors and looks good.

Minus one, like many Apple smartphones, there is no fast charging charger included. Instead, you'll have to spend about three hours charging your smartphone from traditional 5W charging, or pay extra for a separate charger for fast charging.

Advantages:

• powerful platform, more affordable than XS;
• great camera;
• wide range of colors;
• screen with excellent color rendering and high brightness reserve;
• nice value compared to other Apple products;

Disadvantages:

• wide bezels around the display;
• no 3D Touch support;
• A power supply unit for fast charging must be purchased separately.

Today's Best Deals for iPhone XR

3. Asus ROG Phone

If you are a gamer looking for the perfect gaming smartphone, the Asus ROG Phone is worth buying. The ROG Phone is targeted at the same market segment as its main competitor, the Razer Phone 2, and has a number of interesting features. Highlights include a customizable cooling system, RGB lighting and a high refresh rate display.

The smartphone outperforms its competitors by offering a number of nifty enhancements. The best of them include a gorgeous 6-inch AMOLED screen with a fast 90Hz refresh rate, a super-powerful Snapdragon 845 processor and capacitive “Airtrigger” buttons.

Add to that a nifty peripheral system that lets you do everything from adding a second 3DS-like screen to a TV docking station. You can play on a smartphone with a full mouse and keyboard using additional modules.

Advantages:

• great screen;
• innovative peripheral system;
• excellent performance;
• Airtrigger control.

Disadvantages:

• battery life could be better;
• not enough games that use hardware.

Today's Best Deals for Asus ROG Phone

4. Google Pixel 3

The 5.5-inch Pixel 3 is noteworthy because it has nearly all the functionality of the Google Pixel 3 XL. It runs on the same Snapdragon 845 as most of the devices in this rating, only slightly inferior in the size of RAM - there are only 4 GB of them here.

The new glass back design sets it apart from its predecessor and allows wireless charging, while the OLED display on the front is great for watching HDR content. Camera technology is the most important thing for any Pixel smartphone, and it looks like Google has once again been able to deliver maximum quality. The company has added a very interesting dark mode, and a built-in zoom helps alleviate the lack of a secondary rear sensor, and an optional wide-angle front camera allows for more voluminous selfies.

What we liked:

• very responsive sensor;
• Google's Android is the best Android
• excellent OLED display;
• significantly improved design;
• breathtaking camera both front and back;
• fast and wireless charging.

Among the disadvantages, it is worth highlighting:

• poor quality of face recognition;
• only 4 GB of RAM;
• the case is easily scratched.

Today's best deals for the Google Pixel 3

5.Samsung Galaxy Note 9

The Samsung Note series has long been the “best big phone” and the Note 9 is no exception. Of course, many people compare it to the previous version, but this is inappropriate. The biggest upgrade is the battery. The manufacturer has installed a powerful 4000mAh battery and there really is a difference. The smartphone will easily work all day long, even with intensive use.

Alternatively, you can purchase a model with 128 GB of onboard storage (not 64 GB), with support for microSD cards up to 512 GB. Additionally, they are pleased with the protection according to the IP68 standard, support for wireless charging technology and the S Pen stylus.
The S Pen is a handy note-taking solution. In addition, the styluses themselves differ in color. The stylus now supports Bluetooth, which allows you to remotely control cameras and a smartphone player.

The Note 9 hardware is very similar to the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus. Exynos 9810 chipset, or version with Snapdragon 845, combined with 6 GB or 8 GB of RAM.

On the back there is a 12-megapixel camera with a dual aperture and apertures of f / 1.5 and f / 2.4, depending on the selected mode. The camera is good, but it doesn't match the quality of the Pixel 3 or Mate 20 Pro.

Advantages:

• one of the best screens on the smartphone market;
• capacious battery;
• the presence of the S Pen stylus;
• top-end iron;
• high quality of communication modules.

Disadvantages:

• A useless and unassignable Bixby button;

Today's best deals for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9

6. Honor View 20 6/128

The Honor View 20 is a well-equipped smartphone that you almost never feel like spending much money on when you buy it. For a phone under $ 650, the View 20 impresses with its design, 7nm Kirin 980 chipset and a very large 4,000mAh battery that comes bundled with 22.5W SuperCharge fast charging.

All the advantages of a smartphone do not end there. The company also quickly picked up on the punch-hole display design, which means the smartphone's impressive 25MP front-facing camera doesn't fit in an iPhone X-style notch, but just floats in the top corner of the 6.4-inch screen.

As far as the phone's main camera goes, you get an impressive 48MP sensor that takes excellent 12MP stills (with the standard setting). However, if you want, you can take photos at the maximum resolution.

Advantages:

• great design and excellent display;
• decent autonomy and fast charging;
• the manufacturer has not abandoned the 3.5 mm jack;
• wide possibilities of cameras.

Disadvantages:

• wireless charging is not supported;
• The software needs some work.

Today's Best Deals for Honor View 20 6/128

7.OnePlus 6T

You will pay half the price of an iPhone XS for this smartphone, but still get the same enjoyment. With a large 6.41-inch AMOLED screen with in-display fingerprint sensor, Snapdragon 845 processor, 8GB of RAM and a whopping 3,700mAh battery, the OnePlus 6T deserves attention from buyers.

The base version is priced at $ 645 and offers a better price / performance ratio than its predecessor OnePlus 6 (which starts at 128GB). Standard Android 9.0 does an excellent job with the tasks assigned to it. Additional options include HDR support and high-quality shooting in low light conditions, which is provided by a dual camera with a 16/20-megapixel sensor.

Advantages:

• very fast fingerprint scanner located under the display;
• well-developed software;
• battery life at 3700 mAh;
• excellent iron;
• fast charging is now even more efficient.

Disadvantages:

• not always correct operation of the fingerprint scanner, requires improvements;
• weak audio capabilities;
• no standard headphone jack.

Today's best deals for the OnePlus 6T

8. iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max

Apple's latest flagship smartphones, the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, offer a choice of high-end technology. We have paired both phones together as they are more similar to each other than any other iPhone, and whichever you choose, you will have a great smartphone experience.

Both phones feature HDR10 support and OLED Super Retina displays compatible with Dolby Vision, both feature Apple's latest and most powerful chipset, the A12 Bionic, both come with 4GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage, and dual SIM support - for the first time in the iPhone line.

Among the additional characteristics, it is worth highlighting: IP68 protection class, as well as dust and water resistance. There is also a proprietary TrueDepth sensor for quick Face ID unlocking, a dual 12MP camera with two sensors on board.
The iPhone XS is for those who want the latest and greatest iPhone hardware in the same form factor as last year's iPhone X, while the larger iPhone XS Max has replaced the 5.8-inch display with a larger 6. 5-inch matrix, which is ideal for watching video content and playing games.

Advantages:

• amazing displays;
• exceptional performance;
• premium design;
• combination of price and modern technology;
• Face ID remains the best in face recognition.

Disadvantages:

• high price;
• modest equipment;
• iOS is not optimized for the large XS Max display.

Today's best deals for the Apple iPhone XS Max

9.Huawei P20 Pro

The Huawei P20 Pro is the first smartphone on the market to introduce a triple camera - a 40MP f / 1.8 RGB sensor, a 20MP f / 1.6 depth and texture sensor, and an 8MP f / 2.4. telephoto lens with optical stabilization. But this is far from the only virtue: the smartphone also comes with a great processor, 6GB of RAM and a huge 4000mAh battery.

The P20 Pro is a smartphone that can surprise almost anyone. The smartphone can work for 48 hours without recharging, the cost, in comparison with competitors, also wins.

Advantages:

• fantastic triple camera;
• 128 GB of built-in storage;
• huge battery;
• stunning design;
• carefully designed EMUI interface.

Disadvantages:

• no 3.5 mm headphone jack;
• the screen needs fine tuning;
• no wireless charging.

Today's best deals for Huawei P20 Pro

10. Moto G6

Many of the phones in this TOP are expensive flagship devices, but this is not the case with the Moto G6. For less than $ 290, you get a great display, user-friendly, sophisticated software and an amazingly high-quality smartphone.

Moto does a great job with basic tasks. Several apps that are added on top of Android are thoughtful. There is even basic face unlock, which is still rare in the budget market. The camera is fine, but the video recording app is slow and you often find it difficult to focus. If you don't care about all the disadvantages mentioned above, then you will be very impressed.

Advantages:

• the best price in the rating;
• high quality screen;
• well-optimized software and stable work;
• great speakers.

Disadvantages:

• weak performance;
• no event indicator;
• average photo quality.

Today's best deals for Motorola Moto G6

11. Pocophone F1

2018 was a watershed year for affordable phones thanks to the arrival of new players - the Honor Play and the Pocophone F1. The latter, backed by the Chinese tech giant Xiaomi, launched its first F1 smartphone in India, but its popularity quickly spread to new markets.

Confidently referred to by the company as a "master of speed," the Pocophone F1 promises to deliver flagship-class performance while serving as an insanely affordable phone, starting at $ 300. At this very low price, the phone boasts a decent 6.12-inch display with Full HD + support, 6GB or 8GB of RAM, and comes with the same suite as most other top smartphones. 2025 years in the ranking including Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 processor.

As we know, in budget smartphones, the camera cannot surprise, but here they did not save on quality and installed a 12/5 megapixel sensor, which in terms of characteristics is not inferior to the flagship smartphone from Xiaomi, Mi 8.

Advantages:

• a good combination of price and quality;
• decent gaming performance;
• excellent battery life;
• great cameras.

Disadvantages:

• the body is made of plastic;
• no NFC support;
• interface unusual for most users.

Today's best deals for Xiaomi Pocophone F1

12. Google Pixel 2 XL

Despite the fact that the Pixel 3 recently appeared, this did not diminish the popularity of the Google Pixel 2 XL due to the fact that the price of this smartphone has dropped quite significantly, causing even more demand.

This is one of the best smartphones we've tested to date. It got a 9 out of 10 in our comprehensive review. We can confidently praise its build, camera and performance. If that's not enough to entice a potential buyer, you're sure to be interested in the cost - $ 775 direct from Google, or cheaper from resellers.

Advantages:

• best Android smartphone;
• minimal frames around the screen;
• amazing camera;
• availability of protection according to the IP 67 standard;
• excellent functionality and optimization for hardware.

Disadvantages:

• dim screen;
• no support for wireless charging.

Today's best deals for the Google Pixel 2 XL

13. Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus

You can't go wrong with the Samsung Galaxy S9 or Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, although if we had to recommend one, we'd go for the latter - and that's because it comes with dual cameras. In this case, an additional lens is needed to zoom without losing quality, which makes the camera much more versatile.

Both the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus have the same design (despite the difference in size) and similar internals, with the main differences being that the Plus model comes with an additional 2GB of RAM, a slightly larger battery and the aforementioned dual-camera configuration.

The biggest update Samsung has applied to the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus is the new in-camera variable aperture setting, allowing users to switch between f / 2.4 and f / 1.5 aperture whenever they want, which should deliver vibrant images like daylight. , and at night.

Advantages:

• fantastic screens;
• excellent stereo speakers;
• excellent functionality.

Disadvantages:

• dual camera only in the version with the Plus attachment;
• short battery life

Today's best deals for the Samsung Galaxy S9

All presented smartphones deserve to be bought, it is difficult to say which phone is ideal in all characteristics, therefore buying any model from the presented rating of the best smartphones 2025 year you definitely can't go wrong.