My favorite phone this year was the Google Pixel 9 Pro, but it was an exciting year all around for phones, from the Camera Control on every new iPhone 16 series phone from Apple, to refined new foldable phones from Samsung.
I reviewed all of the best phones and I'm confident this list has the best phone for you, whether you want a great iPhone (but not $1,000 great!), or just a solid phone with amazing battery life, like the OnePlus 12R.
Next year could be even more exciting, with Qualcomm delivering a more powerful mobile processor than we ever expected, the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
If you want a phone that doubles as a tablet, literally, check out our list of the best foldable phones. If you need to save money, you can find the best budget phones, and we've reviewed them all. We're constantly following price drops and deals, so we'll keep that list updated regularly.
📱Phil Berne is a pre-eminent voice in smartphone reviews, a professional reviewer since the Palm Treo 700 and BlackBerry Pearl days. He has used and reviewed hundreds of smartphones, including all of the best iPhone, Galaxy, and Pixel phones. Phil is TechRadar's Senior Editor for Mobile Reviews and Buying Guides.
The Best Phones
The Google Pixel 9 Pro is our phone of the year, with a fantastic design and AI features that work so well, they can be scary. It has great cameras and it's more durable than any previous Pixel. Plus, it gets seven years of Android updates, starting with the new Android 15 that just arrived.
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The iPhone 16 Pro Max gives you the best of everything Apple offers, and it's everything I want in a smartphone. The new Camera Control is useful and getting better, and Apple Intelligence is just over the horizon. Plus, it performs like a champion.
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The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max have identical cameras, at last. Both give you 5x optical zoom, Camera Controls, and more fine tuning than ever before on an iPhone.
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The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is like having a full camera bag in your pocket. No other phone camera is so versatile, and you'll be amazed by this phone's moon photos and food pics.
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The iPhone 16 Plus had the longest battery life of almost any iPhone I've tested in Future Labs. The Pro Max may last a bit longer, but for hundreds less the Plus is the right choice if longevity is your concern.
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OnePlus builds flagship killers, and the 12R has a great screen and a generous battery. I got better battery life from this phone than any other phone I've tested in the past few years.
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The Pixel 8a is a bargain phone with a premium processor, photos that look almost good enough to fool a pro, and a sleek design that matches the best Pixel phones. Google also keeps this phone up to date, and it just got the latest Android 15.
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The Apple iPhone 15 is a fantastic phone all around, with software that is intuitive and fun to use and great cameras. It won't get Apple Intelligence features, and maybe that's for the best when it comes to your teenager's smartphone.
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The Galaxy Z Fold 6 gives you more of literally everything, including a foldable inner screen that is as big as a tablet, and performance that will blow away the competition. This is the best of everything Samsung makes.
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The best phone in 2024
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Below, you'll find in-depth details about each of the best phones on our list. I've tested each model extensively, so you can be sure to trust our recommendations.
The best Android overall
✅ You want to create a lot of stuff using AI: The Google Pixel 9 Pro has tons of AI features to be creative. You can make your own images, tweak photos, write stories and messages, and plenty more.
✅ You want an assistant to take notes for you: Google AI can listen to your calls and take notes later, so you don't have to grab a pen when the doctor or the dog-sitter starts giving you detailed instructions.
❌ You're worried about AI: The Google Pixel can listen to your calls and make deep fake images that will fool most people. If you're worried about AI, this phone won't help.
❌ You want the absolute best cameras: While the Pixel 9 Pro is impressive, nothing beats the Galaxy S24 Ultra for camera capabilities and quality, not even with Video Boost.
❌ You want a bigger Pixel 9 Pro: If you want this same exact phone, I mean exactly the same cameras and everything, only bigger ... get the Pixel 9 Pro XL.
📱 The Google Pixel 9 Pro is a huge departure from the past few years of Pixel design, and I love the changes. It looks sleek and modern, and it features more AI tools than you could imagine. Google's AI can have a conversation, fix your photos, or fake an insurance scam. Maybe don't do that last thing. ★★★★½
The Google Pixel 9 Pro is a whole new look for the Pixel family, but it keeps the recent Pixel heritage of new AI features, outstanding cameras, and the brightest and most colorful displays you'll find on any smartphone. It's not just a whole new look for Pixel, there's a lot going on that you need to check out, even if you just want to be wary of what's coming.
Design: The Pixel 9 Pro gets rid of the old camera bar for a newer, raised camera pill that is sleek, rounded, and very modern. The Pixel is more durable this year, with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back for the best scratch and crack protection. The Pro and the Pro XL are identical, except for the bigger size, so pick your phone according to your comfort.
Display: Google continues to quietly dominate smartphone displays with the Super Actua screen on the Pixel 9 Pro. It's the brightest screen you'll find, and it looks fantastic. It also uses LTPO technology to refresh between 1-120Hz, so it works as an Always-On display without draining too much power. You won't find much better, especially if you need to take photos in bright sunlight. The Pixel 9 Pro display can handle it.
Camera: Photos looked fantastic from the Pixel 9 Pro, and video looked even better after it got an AI upgrade using Video Boost. There are still better camera phones for image quality and features, but the Pixel 9 Pro gives you a perfect starting point, and then you can jump into Google Photos for exclusive AI editing tools you'll only find on the Pixel phone.
Performance: The Pixel 9 pro lags behind all of the competition in terms of raw performance, and unfortunately that lag rears its head in the real world. I saw slowdowns and stuttering when I tried to do everything at once, even though my Galaxy S24 Ultra can handle everything and more. I hope this phone really lasts sevent years of Android updates, but the future is unclear.
Battery life: Battery life on the Pixel 9 Pro was solid, but it isn't the best around. I had no trouble getting a full day of use from my phone, but I wish it had faster charging in case I needed to top up. The Pixel 9 Pro XL charges faster than other Pixels, if you want that benefit, but otherwise I have no battery complaints, only wishes for next year.
Value for money: The Pixel 9 Pro seems a bit expensive, especially considering performance can lag behind the competition. Still, with a free year of Google One AI Premium, which includes 2TB of cloud storage, the deal looks a bit sweeter. Keep an eye out later in the year for price drops, there are usually discounts on Google phones near the holiday season.
Read our full Google Pixel 9 Pro review
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Value | It’s a great phone all around, but performance lags significantly versus other phones in this price range, so maybe wait for a discount or a bundle deal. | 4 / 5 |
| Design | Excellent new design; the biggest change to Pixel phones in four years. Fantastic materials and a more modern look. | 5 / 5 |
| Display | Google offers the best smartphone screens around on the Pixel 9 Pro, and it’s surprising the company doesn’t crow louder. Super-bright – be careful to not overheat. | 5 / 5 |
| Software | With a grain of salt and a sense of humor, the AI stuff is A-Okay. Google avoids bad AI stereotypes, and gives us a nice glimpse of the future for mobile AI. | 4 / 5 |
| Camera | Fantastic cameras rival the best camera phones you can buy. Great new features, including Add Me for AI group photos. Camera settings are too difficult to manage. | 5 / 5 |
| Performance | Performance lags significantly, both in benchmark testing and the real world. This phone lags if you push too hard, and Google wants you to push too hard. Seven years ahead? We’ll see. | 3 / 5 |
| Battery | Solid battery life beats the iPhone, and the phone has no trouble lasting all day. You’ll want to use the cameras, so pack an extra charger, but if you’re careful this phone lasts no problem. I wish the charging was as fast as Google makes it seem. | 4 / 5 |
The best iPhone overall
✅ You want the biggest and best: The iPhone 16 Pro Max is the biggest, fastest, longest-lasting iPhone I've ever tested.
✅ You want Apple Intelligence ... eventually: Sometime in the next month this phone will get AI features, then more after that, then more...
❌ You want an affordable big screen: If you want to save hundreds, and have more AI features today, check out the Pixel 9 Pro XL instead.
❌ You want a smaller screen, actually: The iPhone 16 Pro has all the same cameras this year, so you aren't missing out by picking the smaller phone.
📱 The iPhone 16 Pro Max is the ultimate iPhone, with all of Apple's newest features inside, including the cool Camera Control and the superfast Apple A18 Pro chipset. Apple Intelligence is on the way, so this phone might get better over time, but it's a powerful, durable, stylish smartphone, if you can afford Apple's best. ★★★★½
Apple's iPhone 15 marks the most significant step up for a base iPhone in several years, earning its place as the best value phone money can buy today.
Design: This year's iPhone 16 Pro Max is recognizably an iPhone, of course, but the antenna gap is now a Camera Control that offers many new features. There's also a cool desert titanium, which is probably the best color and not just because it's the one I got.
Display: The iPhone 16 Pro Max has the biggest, brightest display ever on an iPhone, and it's a pleasure to use in any lighting conditions, even shooting photos outside under bright sunlight.
Camera: This is a big year for Apple cameras thanks to Camera Control, but Apple is also giving the iPhone 16 Pro Max more fine tuned tweaks over the tone and look of your photos, and early reviews say the results are fantastic. The high-speed video recording that enables more fluid slow motion may also be a game-changer for cinematic videos.
Performance: I couldn't find any way to slow down the iPhone 16 Pro Max, with its Apple A18 Pro chipset inside. I'll see how it handles Apple Intelligence, but in my tests with everything it can do today, the iPhone 16 Pro Max delivered all of the features with no problems.
Battery life: Our Future Labs battery test rank the iPhone 16 Pro Max as the longest lasting iPhone you can buy today. It lasted just a bit longer than the iPhone 16 Plus, but both offer incredible battery life.
Value for money: The iPhone 16 Pro Max isn't a cheap phone, but at least Apple didn't raise the price this year, even though this year's Pro Max inarguably offers more hardware and more value than before.
Read our full iPhone 16 Pro Max review
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Value | A bigger phone with even more power and intelligence that holds the line on pricing | 4 / 5 |
| Design | Iconic design with excellent materials and a brand-new hardware feature | 5 / 5 |
| Display | Larger display but the resolution is unchanged. Still one of the best in the smartphone game | 4.5 / 5 |
| Software | iOS 18 full of useful updates and a handful of really big changes to digest. Apple Intelligence is an exciting addition that has yet to reach its full potential | 4 / 5 |
| Camera | Solid sensor updates but a lot ofbig changes on image processing and control. The Camera Control might be a game changer | 4.5 / 5 |
| Performance | A18 Pro is more power than most need but you will never be disappointed in performance | 5 / 5 |
| Battery | Excellent battery life and a weclome upgrade on wireless charge speed | 4.5 / 5 |
The best iPhone cameras
✅ You want Pro performance in a smaller size: Finally, the iPhone 16 Pro doesn't compromise on performance or features vs. Apple's larger iPhone.
✅ You want Apple Intelligence ASAP: There are some new features available, but when Apple Intelligence launches with iOS 18.1, the iPhone 16 Pro will be ready.
❌ You want the biggest and best screen: The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a bigger display that packs more pixels, and other small phones might be more sharp.
❌ You want more AI now: If AI is your jam, check out what the Android phone makers are doing, especially Google and Samsung, because they tend to offer more features right away.
📱 With the latest camera features and the new Camera Control, the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max give you the best iPhone camera experience ever, and it's only going to get more interesting as Apple Intelligence rolls out with new photo features and much more. ★★★★½
The iPhone 16 Pro is the pint-sized powerhouse in Apple's latest iPhone lineup. It features all the same camera capabilities as its Pro Max sibling, but at a smaller size and weight. I wish it had more than 128GB to start, because those cameras produce great images you'll want to keep shooting. Otherwise, there are no big complaints about this year's iPhone.
Design: The iPhone 16 Pro looks exactly like last year's iPhone. It's a bit heavier, but you won't notice unless you put the two on a scale. The iPhone looks sleek in the new desert titanium color, and make sure to get a case that works with the Camera Control button on the side.
Display: The iPhone 16 Pro features a 6.1-inch OLED display that can remain always-on and can refresh up to 120Hz. For folks complaining about the refresh rate on the iPhone, just go Pro, it's where the best displays can be found.
Camera: The iPhone 16 Pro has the same 5X zoom lens as the Pro Max iPhone, but its really the improved quality thanks to the A18 chip that will have folks talking. I especially like the slow motion video that looks extra smooth thanks to higher recording speeds.
Performance: The A18 Pro chipset is the most powerful mobile platform I've tested, and there was nothing I could throw at this iPhone to slow it down.
Battery life: Battery life was very good on the iPhone 16 Pro, it always lasted a day of use. The Pro Max lasts much longer, thanks to its bigger battery inside, but the iPhone 16 Pro won't let you down early. Still, buy the faster charger just in case.
Value for money: The iPhone 16 Pro is a good value for a powerhouse phone in a compact package. Apple hasn't raised the price this year, though I wish it came with more than 128GB storage standard, so upgrade if you can.
Read our full iPhone 16 Pro review
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Value | The price holds on this lovely and slightly larger phone but the value would be better with more storage | 4 / 5 |
| Design | Iconic design with excellent materials and a brand-new hardware feature | 4.5 / 5 |
| Display | Slightly larger display but the resolution is unchanged. Still excellent | 4.5 / 5 |
| Software | iOS 18 full of useful updates and a handful of really big changes to digest. Apple Intelligence is an exciting addition that has yet to reach its full potential | 4 / 5 |
| Camera | Solid sensor updates, 5x zoom is so welcome, and the Camera Control is an exciting addition | 4.5 / 5 |
| Performance | A18 Pro is more power than most need but you will never be disappointed in performance | 4.5 / 5 |
| Battery | Excellent battery life and a weclome upgrade on wireless charge speed | 4.5 / 5 |
