What is the best phone in 2023?

Objectively speaking, the best phone in 2023 is either the iPhone 15 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, but both devices excel in different areas. The former is the world's most powerful phone, while the latter boasts the best mobile cameras on the market. The OnePlus Open is also the best tablet foldable in 2023. If you're not keen on paying the eye-wateringly high asking prices of any of those phones, though, the iPhone 15 Pro is our current pick as the best phone for most people.

How to choose the best phone for you

The first thing you need to decide when buying a new smartphone is how much you want to spend. The smartphone market varies dramatically, from very high-end handsets that cost well over four-figures, to much cheaper phones that can be found for only a few hundred. We have options on our list at both ends of the price spectrum. Once you've decided how much you want to spend, you should decide whether you want to try one of the best Android phones or go for one of the best iPhones . Often, the platform decision has more to do with your work, your friends and family and what they use to share photos and messages, and what sort of computer or devices you already own. Now that you've settled on your price and platform, you should decide on the cameras. Are you a serious photographer looking for a serious camera? Or do you like to take easy photos that are fun to edit and share? Phones with more lenses and higher megapixel counts demand more, but offer versatility; simpler phones with a 12MP limit tend to do the work for you. If you're looking for something outside the norm, we have plenty of unique options, as well. There are phones with a built-in pen for writing, and phones that fold in half to be more compact. There are large phones, small phones, and Max-sized phones. We have phones with space-level zoom, and phones that specialize in touching portraits. No matter what phone you choose, you can be sure that we've thoroughly tested and vetted every phone on this list, and we know you'll be satisfied with any of these devices in your pocket.

The best phone 2023: top smartphones in the US right now

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Quick List
Best for most people
Best overall
Best iPhone
Best Pixel
Best budget
Best value
Best camera phone
Best clamshell foldable
Best tablet foldable
FAQs
How we test

Best phone: quick menu

iPhone 15 Pro hero — (Image credit: Future / Apple)

• The list in brief
1. Best for most people
2. Best overall
3. Best iPhone
4. Best Pixel
5. Best budget
6. Best value
7. Best camera phone
8. Best clamshell foldable
9. Best tablet foldable
• FAQs
• How we test

The best phone needs to be a great communicator, an excellent camera, a fun gaming machine, and much more. It needs to have a battery that can last all day, and the ability to charge quickly to get you going without delay. It needs to be durable enough to withstand drops, even if it's not wearing a case, and a quick dunk in the sink shouldn't present a problem.

2023 has been a great year for foldable phones, with fascinating options from new and old companies alike. Of course, we've seen reliable updates from the usual suspects, too, including a titanium iPhone 15 Pro Max and a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra that literally shoots for the moon.

We've gotten our hands on just about every new phone in 2023, with the OnePlus Open marking the last flagship release of the year (incidentally, it replaces the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 as the best tablet foldable on this list). The Google Pixel 8 Pro is now available, too, and it replaces the Pixel 7 Pro on our list as the best Pixel phone. Google says it'll support the latest Pixels with a record-setting seven years of updates, which is a commitment we hope to see replicated by other mobile manufacturers in the future.

In this guide, we've ranked the best phones money can buy in 2023. Our current favorite is the iPhone 15, a super fast phone that's as fun to use as it is to show off. We love Android phones just as much, and if you want a Google-powered device that can do just about everything, then the Galaxy S23 Ultra is still our best phone overall.

If you don't find a model that takes your fancy, check out our brand-specific rankings instead. We’ve reviewed all the latest handsets, and detailed the best Samsung phones, best iPhones, and best Google Pixel phones elsewhere on TechRadar.

Quick List

Best for most people

1. iPhone 15

A superfast A16 Bionic chipset, USB-C port, 48MP main camera and the Dynamic Island ensure that, for the first time in a long while, Apple’s latest standard iPhone offers cracking value for money.
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Best overall

2. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra does everything, and then a bit more. It’s packed with features (and a hidden pen) that rivals simply can’t match, and its cameras are the best money can buy.
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Best iPhone

3. iPhone 15 Pro Max

If you want a big iPhone and can meet the hefty asking price, then the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s A17 Pro chipset, titanium design and 5x periscope zoom lens make it the best overall choice.
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Best Pixel

4. Google Pixel 8 Pro

The Google Pixel 8 Pro is more phone than Google has ever given us. It has the best cameras ever on a Pixel, but it's the machine learning features like a call screener and magic photo editor that set this phone apart.
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Best budget

5. Google Pixel 7

The Pixel 6a was our favorite budget phone, but the Pixel 7 just offers so much more in terms of performance, durability, and camera power that we have to recommend it, especially since it goes on sale so often and is likely to drop further in price.
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