If you have read our reviews of the recently launched Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35, you may have noticed us complaining about Samsung’s 25W charging technology feeling a little outdated in this day and age, even on a mid-range smartphone.
Well, Samsung may have heard our cries, as it recently launched the first mid-range Galaxy smartphone that supports 45W charging, or Super Fast Charging 2.0 as Samsung calls it. That phone is the Galaxy M55, which was made available for pre-order in Brazil a week ago.
Galaxy M55 can be charged up to 70% in 30 minutes with 45W charger
According to Samsung, the Galaxy M55’s 5,000 mAh battery can be charged to 70% in just 30 minutes with a 45W charger. The Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35 sport the same battery capacities, but a half hour charge only gets them up to around 40% and 30% respectively as they charge at 25W.
Some will rightfully point out that the difference between 25W and 45W charging isn’t huge. But that’s only applicable to the time it takes for the battery to go from 0 to 100%. 45W charging has a sizable advantage in the first half hour, as evident from the testing we have done here at SamMobile and as Samsung itself confirms in the Galaxy M55’s promotional material.
However, we will have to wait and see if Samsung will bring 45W charging to the Galaxy A series next year with the Galaxy A55 or Galaxy A35’s sequel or to other Galaxy M smartphones. Samsung still limits even some of its flagship phones to 25W charging, so we can see the Galaxy M55 being an exception instead of a sign of 45W becoming more common across Samsung smartphones in the future.
Galaxy M55 is also the first Samsung phone with a 50MP front camera
While the M55’s 45W charging is a first for mid-range Samsung phones, it also has something we have never seen on any Galaxy device before: a 50MP front camera. 40MP is the highest we have seen on Galaxy devices until now, and while the megapixel count isn’t everything, we are very interested in checking out what the M55’s 50MP front camera is capable of.
Another first for the Galaxy M55 is the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chip that powers it. Samsung made heavy use of Snapdragon chips for mid-range phones in 2021 but has gone back to using Exynos and MediaTek chips in recent years.
The Exynos 1480 inside the Galaxy A55 is more powerful than the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, though the M55 probably won’t make users feel like it lacks the processing power for most tasks. Not to mention that the Exynos 1480 may never be used to its full potential, especially in games, as developers don’t usually put extra effort into taking advantage of specific chips.
The rumored Nothing Phone 3 could switch back to Qualcomm chips and use a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 to help power onboard generative AI features, according to 91mobiles’ “industry sources who work closely with Nothing.”
This suggests that we could see something more powerful than the recently launched Nothing Phone 2a. This aligns with the idea that the Phone 3 will offer near-flagship performance while maintaining Nothing’s reputation for making affordable phones. After all, both the Nothing Phone 1 and Phone 2 used slightly older hardware and some speculation pointed to Phone 3 following suit.
Snapping up Snapdragon
Unveiled in March, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip is designed for affordable flagship phones. It integrates advanced AI features such as on-device generative AI and intelligent photography tools, which can fill in missing details from photos. While it shares technology with the premium Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 used in this year’s best Android phones, the more modest Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 offers slightly less power.
It could also provide Phone 3 with improved battery life depending on the battery size due to the more efficient 4-nanometer technology from TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co).
However, the addition of the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip would provide a significant boost in performance compared to both Phone 2 and Phone 2a. It features a Cortex-X4 core clocked at 3GHz, three performance cores reaching up to 2.8GHz, and four efficiency cores at 2GHz. This will place the chip between the 8 Gen 2 and 8 Gen 3 in terms of performance.
If the rumor is true then Nothing won’t be the only one taking advantage of the new Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip as Honor and Xiaomi will also be using it in some upcoming phones that are yet to be announced.
The insider sources also claim that the phone will be released around July and will cost around 40,000 Rupees, which is approximately £380 / $479 / AU$737. This seems unlikely as it would put the proposed Nothing Phone 3’s price very close to the Nothing Phone 2a, which was $349 / £319 /AU$675, and make it cheaper than the Nothing Phone 2’s release price of $599 / £579 / AU$1,049.
This all coincides with Nothing posting a teaser for an unidentified product showing a frog jumping over a Beatle and promising “a big leap.” Another post clarifies slightly by saying “Want to hear more? Don’t miss our next Community Update,” which will be 18 April 2024.
This could refer to a new phone, but it’s more likely it could point to another audio product like the Nothing Ear 2 earbuds or headphones.
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I remember begging my parents to get me a phone with a camera when the earliest ones were launched. The idea of taking photos wherever I went was new and appealing, but it’s since become less of a novelty and more of a daily habit. Yes, I’m one of those. I take pictures of everything — from beautiful meals and funny signs to gorgeous landscapes and plumes of smoke billowing in the distance.
If you grew up in the Nokia 3310 era like me, then you know how far we’ve come. Gone are the 2-megapixel embarrassments that we used to post to Friendster with glee. Now, many of us use the cameras on our phones to not only capture precious memories of our adventures and loved ones, but also to share our lives with the world.
I’m lucky enough that I have access to multiple phones thanks to my job, and at times would carry a second device with me on a day-trip just because I preferred its cameras. But most people don’t have that luxury. Chances are, if you’re reading this, a phone’s cameras may be of utmost importance to you. But you’ll still want to make sure the device you end up getting doesn’t fall flat in other ways. At Engadget, we test and review dozens of smartphones every year; our top picks below represent not only the best phone cameras available right now, but also the most well-rounded options out there.
What to look for when choosing a phone for its cameras
Before scrutinizing a phone’s camera array, you’ll want to take stock of your needs — what are you using it for? If your needs are fairly simple, like taking photos and videos of your new baby or pet, most modern smartphones will serve you well. Those who plan to shoot for audiences on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube should look for video-optimizing features like stabilization and high frame rate support (for slow-motion clips).
Most smartphones today have at least two cameras on the rear and one up front. Those that cost more than $700 usually come with three, including wide-angle, telephoto or macro lenses. We’ve also reached a point where the number of megapixels (MP) doesn’t really matter anymore — most flagship phones from Apple, Samsung and Google have sensors that are either 48MP or 50MP. You’ll even come across some touting resolutions of 108MP or 200MP, in pro-level devices like the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Most people won’t need anything that sharp, and in general, smartphone makers combine the pixels to deliver pictures that are the equivalent of 12MP anyway. The benefits of pixel-binning are fairly minor in phone cameras, though, and you’ll usually need to blow up an image to fit a 27-inch monitor before you’ll see the slightest improvements.
In fact, smartphone cameras tend to be so limited in size that there’s often little room for variation across devices. They typically use sensors from the same manufacturers and have similar aperture sizes, lens lengths and fields of view. So while it might be worth considering the impact of sensor size on things like DSLRs or mirrorless cameras, on a smartphone those differences are minimal.
Sensor size and field of view
If you still want a bit of guidance on what to look for, here are some quick tips: By and large, the bigger the sensor the better, as this will allow more light and data to be captured. Not many phone makers will list the sensor size in spec lists, so you’ll have to dig around for this info. A larger aperture (usually indicated by a smaller number with an “f/” preceding a digit) is ideal for the same reason, and it also affects the level of depth of field (or background blur) that’s not added via software. Since portrait modes are available on most phones these days, though, a big aperture isn’t as necessary to achieve this effect.
When looking for a specific field of view on a wide-angle camera, know that the most common offering from companies like Samsung and Google is about 120 degrees. Finally, most premium phones like the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra offer telephoto systems that go up to 5x optical zoom with software taking that to 20x or even 100x.
Processing and extra features
These features will likely perform at a similar quality across the board, and where you really see a difference is in the processing. Samsung traditionally renders pictures that are more saturated, while Google’s Pixel phones take photos that are more neutral and evenly exposed. iPhones have historically produced pictures with color profiles that seem more accurate, though in comparison to images from the other two, they can come off yellowish. However, that was mostly resolved after Apple introduced a feature in the iPhone 13 called Photographic Styles that lets you set a profile with customizable contrast levels and color temperature that would apply to every picture taken via the native camera app.
Pro users who want to manually edit their shots should see if the phone they’re considering can take images in RAW format. Those who want to shoot a lot of videos while on the move should look for stabilization features and a decent frame rate. Most of the phones we’ve tested at Engadget record at either 60 frames per second at 1080p or 30 fps at 4K. It’s worth checking to see what the front camera shoots at, too, since they’re not usually on par with their counterparts on the rear.
Finally, while the phone’s native editor is usually not a dealbreaker (since you can install a third-party app for better controls), it’s worth noting that the latest flagships from Samsung and Google all offer AI tools that make manipulating an image a lot easier. They also offer a lot of fun, useful extras, like erasing photobombers, moving objects around or making sure everyone in the shot has their eyes open.
How we test smartphone cameras
For the last few years, I’ve reviewed flagships from Google, Samsung and Apple, and each time, I do the same set of tests. I’m especially particular when testing their cameras, and usually take all the phones I’m comparing out on a day or weekend photo-taking trip. Any time I see a photo- or video-worthy moment, I whip out all the devices and record what I can, doing my best to keep all factors identical and maintain the same angle and framing across the board.
It isn’t always easy to perfectly replicate the shooting conditions for each camera, even if I have them out immediately after I put the last one away. Of course, having them on some sort of multi-mount rack would be the most scientific way, but that makes framing shots a lot harder and is not representative of most people’s real-world use. Also, just imagine me holding up a three-prong camera rack running after the poor panicked wildlife I’m trying to photograph. It’s just not practical.
For each device, I make sure to test all modes, like portrait, night and video, as well as all the lenses, including wide, telephoto and macro. When there are new or special features, I test them as well. Since different phone displays can affect how their pictures appear, I wanted to level the playing field: I upload all the material to Google Drive in full resolution so I can compare everything on the same large screen. Because the photos from today’s phones are of mostly the same quality, I usually have to zoom in very closely to see the differences. I also frequently get a coworker who’s a photo or video expert to look at the files and weigh in.
Photo by Sam Rutherford / Engadget
Screen size: 6.7-inch | Screen resolution: 2,992 x 1,344 | Weight: 7.5 oz | Front camera resolution: 10.5MP | Back camera resolution: 50MP main, 48MP ultrawide, 48MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom | Storage: 128/256/512GB | RAM: 12GB | Battery: 5,050mAh
Google’s Pixel 8 Pro has the best camera game in town, outshining even the latest iPhones. That’s not just because Google continues to deliver the cleanest results in low-light, especially compared to Samsung’s flagships, but it’s typically the first to bring useful features to market. Things like Portrait Mode, Night Sight and Super Res Zoom may not have originated on Google phones (sometimes companies from China, like Huawei or Xiaomi, did these earlier), but when they arrive on Pixels, they’re usually better than the rest. Getting a Google handset should guarantee you’re among the first to experience such tools earlier than your friends.
The company has historically used its superior processing to make up for hardware shortfalls, but nowadays its flagships have imaging setups that easily stand up against the competition. The Pixel 8 Pro’s 50MP main sensor, 48MP ultrawide camera and 48MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom rival the best of Samsung and Apple. Google’s Magic Editor lets you tweak almost anything you want in your pictures, and its new video boost allows for even more advanced processing. Plus, I was very impressed by the Audio Magic Eraser tool, which can drastically reduce background noise.
You’ll also love using the Pixel 8 Pro as your daily driver thanks to its pleasant interface, which is both pretty and easy to use. Google’s premium phone is one of the first to offer built-in generative AI features like summarizing a website and generating customized wallpapers and color themes, in addition to helpful Call Screening and Recorder tools. The Pixel 8 Pro’s battery clocked 21 hours on our test as well, and Google’s Tensor G3 processor delivered speedy performance. Plus, at $999, the Pixel 8 Pro is the cheapest flagship on this list and our favorite Android phone, period — more reasons to recommend it over the rest.
Samsung’s Ultra series of flagships is usually packed to the brim with top-tier components for power users, which makes it no surprise that the Galaxy S24 Ultra has the edge in camera specs. With its 200MP main sensor accompanied by 10MP, 12MP and 50MP options for its wide, 3x telephoto and 5x telephoto systems respectively, Samsung’s premium handset is kitted with the most advanced hardware.
The company also introduced its own Magic Editor tool this year, which basically does what Google’s version offers — remove photobombers, reposition subjects, suggest tweaks, replace backgrounds and more. Those who are familiar with Samsung’s history might also catch that a 5x optical zoom is relatively low for the Galaxy S series, since it’s reached 10x with older lenses. Still, this new system, combined with software, allows Samsung to still offer what it calls “10x optical quality zoom,” which our reviewer Sam Rutherford said is surprisingly sharp. He even described the S24 Ultra’s close-up shots of distant objects as comparable to those from a Pixel 8 Pro.
In low light, Sam notes the S24 Ultra largely keeps up with Google’s Night Sight as well. From my experience, Samsung tends to deliver pictures that are more saturated than the competition, as well as portrait shots that are a tad less accurate at blurring around a subject’s outlines than Pixel phones. Still, these differences are minor enough that whether they’re acceptable boils down to your preference.
I generally recommend the S24 Ultra to pro users, since Samsung offers a manual mode in its camera app that gives advanced photographers more control over specific settings. I also particularly like the native video editor in the phone’s Gallery app, which lets me easily trim and split clips, as well as export individual frames.
The S24 Ultra is also an excellent phone, thanks to its titanium build, helpful new AI features and bright, colorful display. It also has the longest-lasting battery of all the candidates on this roundup, so you can take it on a two-day camping trip and not worry about bringing a charger and looking for outlets. Chances are, if you’re already a fan of Samsung, or use its other devices like the Galaxy Watch or one of the company’s laptops or TVs, you’ll find even more benefits in getting the S24 Ultra.
I’m the sort of person that hangs on to an older phone because I’m too lazy to move my data over, but after I tested the iPhone 15 Pro Max, I instantly set it up to replace my iPhone 14 Pro. Even though I had reservations about its size, the improvement in quality, especially in telephoto shots, was enough to convince me.
A lot of my pictures are of wildlife, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 5x optical zoom helped me get much clearer shots of an Eastern screech owl hidden in a tall tree than my iPhone 14 Pro. I’ve been able to get closer to subjects like grazing deer, soaring hawks and busy woodpeckers in both still and video capture.
In more typical scenarios, the iPhone 15 Pro Max delivers great color and clarity, both at night and during the day. I also appreciate Apple’s Photographic Styles, which lets me set a bunch of levels and have all my pictures turn out the way I like them. While I sometimes wish the native editor in the Photos app offered more tools for splitting up videos and exporting individual frames, at least there’s always iMovie available in iOS that provides all I need to quickly produce a clip for Instagram or TikTok.
Though Apple and Google’s flagships are generally neck-and-neck when it comes to cameras, I still find Pixel phones more accurate and consistent in Portrait mode and slightly stronger in low light. iPhones have the advantage in Cinematic videos, though, so if you’re not married to Android or iOS, your choice boils down to what and when you shoot most.
Like I said earlier, Google’s ability to use software to make up for limited hardware is its greatest strength. This is particularly helpful in the midrange category, where phone makers have to use cheaper components and camera sensors tend to be one of the areas of sacrifice. Still, with its 64MP main rear camera and 13MP one up front, the Pixel 7a offers better photo and video quality than anything else at this price. In some cases, Google’s midrange device even did better than Samsung’s S23 Ultra, according to my colleague Sam Rutherford in his review.
Devices from OnePlus and Nothing, and Samsung’s A series, don’t even come close. Apple’s only sub-$500 offering is the iPhone SE (2022), which packs a single 12MP sensor in the back. Even if you can find an iPhone 13 on the secondhand market, its image and video quality still lags the Pixel 7a, which can record footage in 4K resolution.
Throw in the fact that the Pixel 7a lasted 17 hours on our battery test and comes with a 90Hz OLED screen, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better phone at this price, much less one with cameras like Google’s.
Samsung’s rivals are thinking bigger, though, and the South Korean firm is falling behind the curve in the flip-style phone segment as well.
Xiaomi MIX Flip will have a telephoto camera and Galaxy Z Flip 5 doesn’t
Last year, OPPO became the first brand to introduce a flip phone with a dedicated telephoto camera. The Find N3 Flip has a 32MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom. In February 2024, Huawei introduced the Pocket 2, a flip phone with an 8MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. Now, Xiaomi is ready to launch its first flip phone—Xiaomi MIX Flip—in China, and it will have a dedicated telephoto camera.
According to reports, the Xiaomi MIX Flip has a 60MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom. It reportedly uses an OmniVision OV60A sensor (1/2.61-inch) with 0.6µm pixels. Its primary camera is reportedly a 50MP OmniVision OVX800 sensor (1/1.55-inch), which is bigger than the one used in the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and as big as the primary camera on the Galaxy S24. The MIX Flip seems to lack an ultrawide camera, though. It is expected to have a 32MP selfie camera on the foldable screen.
In comparison, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 doesn’t have a telephoto or high-resolution primary camera. You can watch our Galaxy Z Flip 5 camera review in the video below.
Galaxy Z Flip 6 could use a 50MP primary camera for in-sensor zoom, but it might not be enough
A few weeks ago, the first renders of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 were leaked. If those are accurate, the upcoming flip phone from Samsung will continue to have two cameras. It means we won’t see a telephoto camera on the Galaxy Z Flip lineup for the sixth year in a row.
Some reports claim the Galaxy Z Flip 6 will have a 50MP primary camera. Samsung could use the in-sensor crop for improved 2x zoom shots. However, those shots will likely not be as good as shots captured using the dedicated telephoto camera on the Xiaomi MIX Flip. This is a bit disappointing, especially since three of Samsung’s rivals have decided to ship flip phones with telephoto cameras.
The best phone for you will be the phone that does everything you need, whether you want something simple and capable like the Apple iPhone 15, or a feature-packed technology marvel like the Galaxy S24 Ultra, our best phone all around to start 2024. No matter what you need, we’ve got recommendations for all of the best phones available right now.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is such a supremely powerful, capable device that we had to make it our top pick, but there is still plenty of room for improvement at the top. We’re loving the latest iOS 17 software found on the best iPhones, including the iPhone 15 Pro Max, our premium iPhone pick. Samsung has a lot to learn when it comes to software.
Still, the Galaxy S24 Ultra earns top marks for its amazing battery life, superior performance, and improved durability, and it does so much more than other phones that it’s almost a class by itself. It can actually replace a laptop computer, and the S Pen is much more than a simple stylus.
In 2023, Samsung and Google set a new standard with promises to support the latest flagship phones for seven years of Android OS and security updates. That’s a major leap forward, and even beats Apple‘s traditional five years of support. We’ll see if Apple tries to match the Android world, and if other Android phone makers can keep up.
The best phones you can buy aren’t just the most expensive flagship phones, though. You can find great performance and excellent cameras on phones that cost hundreds less, like Google’s Pixel 8 Pro and phones from OnePlus. If you don’t care as much about cameras, you can even get a cool foldable phone in the Motorola Razr Ultra for less than a new iPhone.
If you don’t find a model that takes your fancy among the below options, 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.
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is so much more than just a smartphone that it practically deserves its own category. It’s expensive, complicated, and undeniably the best phone you can buy overall. If you don’t need this much power and capability, keep reading, but if you are looking for a phone that can replace your laptop, and every other phone, look no further. Read more below
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. Read more below
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. Read more below
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. Read more below
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. Read more below
The iPhone 13 is still available new from Apple, and it’s the best value you can find on an iPhone. It comes in great color options, and it’s powered by the same chip that’s in the iPhone 14. Apple updates its phones for five years, so this phone has plenty of time left. Read more below
The Motorola Razr Plus is a clamshell foldable triumph. It’s so far ahead of what other clamshell phones offer that there’s barely a flaw that isn’t forgivable. Read more below
The OnePlus Open boasts a superior design, display, and set of cameras to its main competitors from Google and Samsung, making it the best foldable phone available today. Read more below
The best phone in 2024
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Below, you’ll find full write-ups for each of the best phones in our list. We’ve tested each model extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.
The best overall phone
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
The best overall phone
Specifications
Release date: January 2024
Weight: 232g
Dimensions: 162.3 x 79.0 x 8.6mm
OS; Expected Upgrades: Android 14 / One UI 6; 7 years of upgrades
Screen size: 6.8-inch
Resolution: QHD+
CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform for Galaxy
✅ You want more than just a smartphone: The Galaxy S24 Ultra gives you more than any other smartphone. It can act as a laptop replacement, a drawing tablet, and an entire camera bag.
✅ You want to feel the future: The Galaxy AI features can sometimes feel magical, especially if you use the language translation and some of the better summary features. There are definitely more AI features to come, so this phone could get better with time.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You don’t need all of that phone: If you don’t need everything and more, you can spend less and still get a great phone. It just won’t be Ultra.
❌ You prefer elegance and simplicity: The Samsung software is really showing its age, especially against newer and simpler phones like the elegant iPhone 15 Pro running iOS 17, which is sociable and fun, not confusing.
The bottom line
📱 The Galaxy S24 Ultra takes smartphone features to the extreme. You won’t find a more capable, adaptable, and clever device for any price, but that price is mighty steep. If you don’t need everything, you can keep reading, but if you want the best phone, the best cameras, and the best overall, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the phone to beat. ★★★★½
Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra takes smartphone features to the extreme, then keeps going. It’s a top-performing phone, the best phone you can buy overall in so many ways. It has better battery life and performance than the iPhone, more versatile cameras than any other Android, and it packs features we don’t see in smartphones these days, like the Samsung DeX desktop environment.
Design: The differences between the Galaxy S24 Ultra and last year’s phone are subtle but significant. The S24 Ultra is a big slab of phone, now more flat than before, and that makes it easier to see in bright light and easier to use, especially with the S Pen. Unfortunately, it’s still a gigantic device, and titanium didn’t help Samsung shed weight.
Display: You won’t find a better all-around display on a smartphone than the bright OLED screen on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. You can find a bit brighter, a bit faster, but the anti-glare finish helps in bright light, and Samsung’s display is colorful and sharp for every task.
Camera: Samsung has done more work behind the scenes on its Galaxy S24 Ultra cameras than on the spec sheet, and the results pay off with better images in every setting. Portrait and landscape photos are much better, but even zoom shots have been improved, though we do miss that extra 10X zoom.
Performance: If you need the fastest phone, this is the one to buy. In our benchmark tests and real world gaming and photo editing, the Galaxy S24 Ultra was the fastest phone we’ve ever used, even beating the iPhone 15 Pro, which is a first for Android phones since Apple starting baking its own chipsets.
Battery life: You can easily use the Galaxy S24 Ultra for two days of normal use, and it lasted through a full day of intense usage with no trouble. The battery hasn’t gotten any bigger, Samsung is just better at managing power on this phone than ever before.
Value for money: The Galaxy S24 Ultra is more expensive than last year, and you don’t get a lot more for the money, but what you get is a big deal. Samsung promises seven years of software updates, including major Android OS updates, and that makes this phone a better value than any Samsung Galaxy Ultra to come before.
Even more than last year, with fewer deals to find, but you get the best when you pay for it.
★★★☆☆
Design
It looks like last year, but the screen is flat which makes it less reflective, but also sharper. Just as heavy, even with titanium.
★★★★☆
Display
You won’t find a better display on a smartphone worth buying, and the anti-glare finish really helps outdoors.
★★★★★
Camera
Better camera performance all around, even if the spec sheet looks a bit suspicious. Still the best, most versatile camera system.
★★★★★
Performance
Performance that can top an iPhone 15 Pro, for the first time in recent memory putting Android ahead of Apple.
★★★★★
Battery life
Better power management this year means the Galaxy S24 Ultra has some of the best battery life we’ve ever seen on a smartphone.
★★★★★
The best phone for most people
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
The best phone for most people
Specifications
Weight: 171g
Dimensions: 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80mm
OS: iOS 17
Screen size: 6.1-inch
Resolution: 2556 x 1179
CPU: A16 Bionic
RAM: 6GB
Storage: 128GB/256GB/512GB
Battery: 3,349mAh (unofficial)
Rear camera: 48MP (wide) +12MP (ultra-wide)
Front camera: 12MP
Reasons to buy
+
Dynamic Island retires the notch
+
Smooth design and soft-feel, color-infused rear glass
Reasons to avoid
–
No zoom lens
–
No macro capabilities
Buy it if
✅ You want an affordable iPhone: The iPhone 15 strikes a nice balance between price and cutting-edge features, so you don’t feel like you’re missing out.
✅ You want a camera upgrade: Between the new 48MP main camera and some excellent portrait photography capabilities, the iPhone 15 offers strong camera specs for the price.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want a bigger phone: The iPhone 15’s 6.1-inch screen might feel cramped if you currently own a Pro Max or Plus.
❌ You want bigger zoom: The 2x optical zoom on offer here doesn’t quite compare to 3x optical zoom on the iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S23.
The bottom line
📱 If you’re not bothered by titanium sides, 120Hz scrolling or high-spec zoom photography, then the standard iPhone 15 offers pretty much everything you could want from a flagship phone, but for significantly less money. ★★★★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: The iPhone 15 does what the iPhone 14 did not: it moves the base model forward with a refreshed chassis design, a brand-new (and eye-catching) rear glass panel, and a compatibility-improving USB-C port.
Display: The iPhone 15’s 6.1-inch Super XDR OLED display is bright and responsive, however, as on the iPhone 14, its refresh rate is locked to 60Hz. You do get Apple’s Dynamic Island this time around, though.
Camera: There are still just two lenses on the back of the iPhone 15, but one of them is vastly improved over the iPhone 14. The 12MP ultrawide is basically the same, but the main camera is now the same 48MP lens that you’ll find on the excellent iPhone 14 Pro (and indeed the iPhone 15 Pro).
Performance: The iPhone 15 uses the iPhone 14 Pro’s superfast A16 Bionic chipset, which should provide more than enough power for most iPhone owners (for context, the latter was the most powerful handset of 2022).
Battery life: The iPhone 15 is rated for 20 hours of video playback, 80 hours of audio-only, and a 50% recharge in 30 minutes with the optional 20W charger. In our testing, we were able to use the phone casually for a full day.
Value for money: In recent years, Apple’s standard models have felt like minor upgrades that pale in comparison to their respective Pro-level counterparts, but the iPhone 15 bucks that trend by being a genuinely great value product.
✅ You want the biggest and best iPhone: The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the most technologically advanced iPhone Apple has ever made, period.
✅ You want the most powerful phone: Apple’s A17 Pro chipset is more powerful than anything else on the market, so much so that you’re able to play console-quality games on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
✅ You want a versatile camera system: In addition to its 5x optical zoom capabilities, the iPhone 15 Pro Max features the smartest portrait photography tech around.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want the best mobile zoom camera: The addition of 5x optical zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro Max is welcome, but the 5x camera on the Galaxy S23 is arguably better.
❌ You need fast charging: The iPhone 15 Pro Max offers reassuringly-solid battery life and functionally-fine charging, but rivals from every angle offer much faster speeds.
The bottom line
📱 When it comes to iPhones, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the best of the best. But you’ll have to pay handsomely for the privilege of owning one, and Samsung’s similarly priced Galaxy S24 Ultra has slightly better cameras. ★★★★½
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is indisputably the best iPhone money can buy right now, so for Apple fans with a bottomless supply of cash, this is the top choice. The smaller iPhone 15 Pro is also an exceptional handset that’s worth considering if you prefer its more practical 6.1-inch size, but since the larger iPhone 15 Pro Max offers a 5x periscope zoom lens, the latter phone is the objectively superior device.
Design: As with its smaller sibling, the iPhone 15 Pro boasts a gorgeous titanium design that can withstand unwelcome drops more effectively than its predecessor. The addition of a USB-C port and configurable Action button makes this a more versatile device, too.
Display: The iPhone 15 Pro Max packs an excellent 6.7-inch Super XDR OLED screen (with ProMotion), which is unchanged from the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Camera: In addition to that aforementioned 5x periscope zoom lens – which marks the first of its kind on an iPhone – the iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts a 48MP quad-pixel main lens and a 12MP ultra-wide lens, making it the most capable and versatile iPhone yet for mobile photographers.
Performance: Apple’s all-new A17 Pro chipset delivers mobile gaming performance that’s comparable to some high-end PCs (yes, really). Along with the iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the most powerful phone on the market.
Battery life: The iPhone 15 Pro Max managed 28 hours of mixed-use in our testing, with the phone recharging to 50% in just over 30 minutes. That’s pretty good going for a phone of this size and power, but others charge faster.
Value for money: As with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is an exceptionally expensive handset that can never truly be considered good value for money. That said, you’re still getting a whole lot of phone for the price.
✅ You’ve taken a lot of bad photos and videos: The Pixel 8 Pro can fix whatever photos you have in your Google Photos library, even if you took them with a different phone in the past.
✅ You’re a die-hard Android fan forever and ever: Good news, Android fan, this phone will last longer than any other Android. If you want an Android that will get updates in 2030, this is the first.
✅ You want a receptionist to answer your calls: The call screening feature really works (if you can find it), and it gives you a quick, written transcript of what your caller wants before you decide to answer.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ Your friends all have iPhones: With iOS 17, Apple is making a compelling argument for sticking with the same phone everybody around you is buying.
❌ You want the absolute best cameras: While the Pixel 8 Pro is impressive, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max is a serious upgrade, nothing beats the Galaxy S24 Ultra for camera capabilities and quality.
❌ You are a journalist or reporter: The camera editing tools on the Google Pixel 8 Pro may create questions about credibility from the shots it makes, and the summary tool is factually inaccurate.
The bottom line
📱 The Google Pixel 8 Pro is the best Pixel that Google has ever made, and it represents Google’s vision for the future of mobile technology, though that vision does seem a bit clouded and unfocused at times. It has a fantastic display that’s bigger and brighter than its competitors at this price, and the photography features, bolstered by Google’s machine learning, are unmatched. ★★★★
The Pixel 8 Pro is Google’s most ambitious Pixel yet, with some serious camera upgrades that will satisfy even pro photogs, and a Tensor G3 chipset custom built to run Google’s machine learning features. Google is so confident in this phone’s performance that it is promising an unprecedented seven years of major updates, longer than any other phone maker supports its phones, currently.
Design: The Pixel 8 Pro is more rounded on the corners, and more flat on the display. This makes the phone easier to hold, while also giving you a better view of your content. The finish is lovely, and the colors are more classy and inviting than unusual and modern. This is the nicest Pixel phone Google has made so far, which is good because it has largely made the same phone three times now.
Display: The Pixel 8 Pro display is a standout feature this year, and Google has even endowed it with its own branding: Super Actua. The Pixel 8 Pro can reach 2,400 nits at peak brightness, and still pumps out 1,600 nits when you aren’t in direct sunlight. In almost every way, the Pixel 8 Pro display beats that of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Camera: Compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, some photos looked better when shot with the Pixel 8 Pro, but others, especially night pics and low-light images, looked better taken with the iPhone. That’s surprising, but there are still some reasons for Google to brag. Only the Pixel 8 Pro has Magic Editor, which combines generative AI with Google’s Magic Eraser to fix and change images with a little too much ease.
Performance: In terms of raw performance, pushing games and graphics to new heights, the Pixel 8 Pro does just fine, but it won’t win any competitions. It handled all of my favorite games and ran high-resolution videos smoothly, but everything looked better on phones like the iPhone 15 Pro or Android phones like the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Battery life: The Pixel 8 Pro had no trouble lasting through a full day of use. That should come as no surprise, since it has a larger battery than either the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus or the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. Google really packed in the biggest cell it could fit, and you’ll need to buy a gaming phone to find bigger.
Value for money: Google can be liberal with discounts, especially around the sales season. More than with any other brand, I recommend waiting for a deal when you’re considering a Pixel phone, because as good as the phone is now, it feels like an even better buy for a few hundred dollars or pounds less.
More expensive than last year, but still competitive compared to other Android phones, especially with longer software support.
★★★★☆
Design
The same old look, now refined with a matte finish and nicer colors. It’s the nicest Pixel yet, but the Pixel look is getting stale.
★★★★☆
Display
The standout feature on the Pixel 8 Pro, this bright and sharp display is just as good as the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and maybe better.
★★★★★
Camera
Great all-around camera features, with some unique AI editing tools that are more like Photoshop creation than photography. Still, undeniably good pics.
★★★★☆
Performance
Good enough performance for now, but it’s unclear if this phone will live up to Google’s seven-year promise, or if Android will cut corners to fit into the Pixel 8 Pro in the future.
★★★☆☆
Battery life
Excellent battery life thanks to a very large cell inside and solid power management keeping that bright display under control.
★★★★☆
The best budget phone
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
The best budget phone
Specifications
Release date: October 2022
Weight: 197g
Dimensions: 155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7mm
OS: Android 13
Screen size: 6.3 inches
Resolution: 1080 x 2400
CPU: Google Tensor G2
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 128GB
Battery: 4,355 mAh
Rear camera: 50MP (main) +12MP (ultrawide)
Front camera: 10.8MP
Reasons to buy
+
Relatively compact size
+
Clean software
Reasons to avoid
–
Poor battery life
–
Slow charging
Buy it if
✅ You want a budget phone that stands out: Not everyone will love the camera bar, but Google has created something that’s undeniably different to anything else on the market, and that’s no easy task (without it also looking terrible). The Lemongrass finish is equally divisive, but if you want an eye-catching phone with substance, the Pixel 7 delivers.
✅ You’re a creative mobile photographer: If you rely on your phone’s camera for more than snapping pics of a fancy dinner or your receipts (it’s good for those too), the Pixel 7 comes with some creative photo capture modes and editing features that allow for some amazing results; it also just takes great pictures.
✅ You like Google’s assistive features: Whether you rely on accessibility, or just like the idea of being able to dictate to your phone, have it read content back to your and the like, the Pixel 7 has the feature set and hardware to make your life easier in lots of little ways, and it’s set to get better over time.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want a compact phone: Sure, Google has slimmed down the bezels, but the Pixel 7 still feels like a sizeable phone (remember, it’s a similar size to XL Pixel phones of old). The Pixel 7a may be a better option if you want a pocketable rocket.
❌ You shoot a lot of video: Google has improved the Pixel line’s video quality, and Cinematic Blur is an ambitious new addition, but you’ll still have to do a lot of work if you’re looking to become the next Roger Deakins (Google him). Video is otherwise better year-on-year, but Samsung and Apple still have the edge here.
❌ You need a lot of storage: One of the most basic issues with the Pixel 7 is storage. The options of 128GB or 256GB aren’t exaclty generous by today’s standards when the phone’s main rivals offer up to 512GB and beyond.
The bottom line
📱What the Pixel 7 offers – from its distinct design to its creative and capable camera and intelligent user experience – make it a great value-for-money flagship buy. The user experience feels polished, the AI-supported features are unique and competent, and the promise of more functionality via forthcoming ‘feature drops’ mean this Pixel is only likely to get better with time. ★★★★
While you might expect the Pixel 7a would be our budget phone pick, Google has given the Pixel 7 such good discounts throughout the past year that it is worth paying more, though you may not have to. Even though the Pixel 6a is still on sale at a great low price, for better durability, wireless charging, and much better photography, the Pixel 7 is worth spending just a bit more to buy.
Design: The Pixel 7 looks like the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 8, but there are different color options every year, and we like the lemongrass hue offered for this phone. The camera bar is metal and tinted depending on the color you buy, and it has a great look for a budget device. Plus, it is rated IP68 for water resistance, which is a huge improvement over the previous model.
Display: The Pixel 7 has a Full HD+ resolution and 20:9 aspect ratio, and it runs at up to 1000 nits in normal use, and can push to 1400 nits at its peak (25% brighter than that of the Pixel 6’s display) for better visibility in bright surroundings.
Camera: With the Pixel 7 you’re getting the same 50MP main camera as the Pixel 7 Pro, as well as a similar 12MP ultra-wide. You also get the same 10.8MP punch-hole selfie snapper, plus 4K video recording up to 60fps and support for 10-bit HDR video capture for better colors, brightness and contrast. But hardware is only one part of the puzzle here and it’s the phones image processing and camera software that plays a big part of the Pixel photography experience.
Performance: The Pixel 7 doesn’t have the raw power to match phones powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip, such as the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. However, the difference isn’t likely to be all that significant in real-world use. All in all, while it may not have the raw horsepower of an iPhone or newer Galaxy, the Pixel 7 can hold its own, especially where AI tasks are concerned.
Battery life: The 4,355mAh battery in the Google Pixel 7 may sound large, but we wish it was bigger, especially as it’s technically a capacity reduction compared to the 4,614mAh battery inside its predecessor. We had no trouble getting the phone to last all day, and ended most days at around 15%, with usage including streaming, gaming, and extended TikTok sessions.
Value for money: Don’t buy this phone for the full suggested retail price. Google and Amazon both offer deals on this phone often, and you can buy it for less than $449 / £449 / AU$749 often. Amazon sold this phone for that price more than two months of the last year. Get the best deal on the best budget with a little patience.
Great functionality and nice hardware in a standout design at a good price.
★★★★☆
Design
An eye-catching design that’s a subtle evolution on the Pixel 6 that can still turn heads.
★★★★☆
Display
90Hz for a flagship is behind the curve but the screen looks great otherwise.
★★★½☆
Performance
The Tensor G2 chip does what it’s meant to well, even if it doesn’t compare to mainstream competition..
★★★★☆
Cameras
No optical zoom, and some features need work, but it’s hard to take bad photos with this phone.
★★★★☆
Battery life
Battery life lives up to Google’s claims, but faster charging would have been nice.
★★★½☆
The best value phone
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
6. Apple iPhone 13
The best budget phone
Specifications
Release date: September 2021
Weight: 174g
Dimensions: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.7mm
OS: iOS 17
Screen size: 6.1 inches
Resolution: 1170 x 2532
CPU: Apple A15 Bionic
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 128GB / 256GB / 512GB
Battery: 3,240 mAh
Rear camera: 12MP (main) +12MP (ultrawide)
Front camera: 12MP
Reasons to buy
+
Strong battery life
+
Powerful internals
Reasons to avoid
–
No 120Hz screen
–
No Ceramic Shield on rear
Buy it if
✅ You own an even older iPhone: If you own an iPhone 12, the iPhone 13 likely isn’t for you, as there’s not enough that’s new here to merit the upgrade – but if you own an older iPhone, such as an iPhone 8 or iPhone XR, there’s plenty to be excited about.
✅ You need good battery life: The battery life on the iPhone 13 is a big step up over what we’ve seen from previous iPhone models. If you need a smartphone that’s capable of lasting a full day on a full charge, opt for this iPhone over older and cheaper models.
✅ You wants lots of power: The iPhone 13 is a powerful smartphone, and it’s one of the most capable handsets we’ve ever used. If you need lots of power you’ll get that here, without having to step up to the iPhone 13 Pro.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want to keep it more than three years: Apple updates its phones for around five years, so this phone should get updates through iOS 20, we hope, but not longer than that.
❌ You want the best iPhone cameras: The iPhone 13 has great cameras for a phone in its price range, but you can get higher resolution and better imaging from newer iPhones, and cheaper Androids will also give you better photos.
❌ You want the most affordable phone: The iPhone 13 may be one of the most affordable members of this list, but it isn’t that cheap in the grand scheme of things. There are many more affordable Android phones out there – or you could look at the iPhone SE if you want to stay in Apple’s stable.
The bottom line
📱The iPhone 13 isn’t a game changer for Apple’s series of smartphones, but it’s an important iteration that offers better battery life, a better processor and an upgraded camera setup than iPhones that have gone before it. If you’re looking for a fast and capable smartphone, and don’t need the extra features of the pricier Pro model, this is a top choice. ★★★★½
Previously, iPhones haven’t been synonymous with strong battery life, but during every day of our testing we’ve been hard-pressed to run the iPhone 13 out of juice. Apple has finally cracked it when it comes to battery life, and it’s now far better than it has been on previous iPhone iterations. But that’s not to say the iPhone 13 skimps on power with the A15 Bionic chip and its accompanying 4GB of RAM easily capable of handling modern games and multitasking apps.
Design: The iPhone 13 features a flat-edge design, which debuted with the iPhone 12 range. That means the design is a touch more angular than the rounded finish of previous iterations, but the phone is still comfortable to use one-handed. iP68 water and dust resistance should mean the iPhone 13 can survive a sudden downpour or a trip to the beach,
Display: The display on the iPhone 13 is 6.1 inches, with a resolution of 2532 x 1170. It’s a Super Retina XDR OLED display made by Apple, and it makes for a clear and bright image – the brightness has been improved on the iPhone 13, and it can hold its own against other smartphones in direct sunlight.
Camera: You’ve got two cameras on the rear: a 12MP wide camera with an aperture of f/1.6, and a 12MP ultrawide camera with a f/2.4 aperture and a 120-degree field of view. Just be aware the lack of a telephoto camera means you’ll be limited on optical zooming options for photos.
Performance: Apple has made another big step up here, but it’s most noticeable in benchmarking results. The everyday experience is largely the same, but it’ll be a marked step up from much older iPhone models. The A15 Bionic chipset is teamed with 4GB of RAM, and that’s enough to keep it running at full tilt.
Battery life: During our testing time, the iPhone 13 made it through every day with enough charge in the tank to keep going for at least another couple of hours. This isn’t the best battery life you’ll find in a smartphone – many Android alternatives will be able to last longer – but this is a big step up for Apple from previous iPhone models, and it’ll make the iPhone a more compelling option for many potential buyers.
Value for money: The iPhone 13 is the cheapest iPhone model you can buy that doesn’t have the old Home button, and it’s still quite a powerful and capable phone, with some of the best power management ever in an iPhone. It isn’t cheap, and you can find Android phones cheaper, but Apple treats every iPhone like the best iPhone, giving them all the same great software update features.
✅ You want a unique Android: If most phones in this list are fighting and playing catch up with each other, OnePlus goes its own way with unique features such as super-fast charging.
✅ You want to save on a premier flagship: OnePlus gives you a dynamite screen and great performance for less than many competitors, with cool deals running all the time.
✅ You like the unique look: If you want a phone that stands out, the OnePlus 11 looks more like the big Chinese flagships your friends haven’t seen yet.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You ever get your phone wet: The OnePlus 11 isn’t water resistant beyond a good splash. You can’t take it into the pool for photos, and won’t want to drop it in the sink.
❌ You want a versatile camera: The OnePlus 11 essentially has an array of portrait lenses. It can’t handle telephoto zoom, and doesn’t do a great job on close-ups, either.
❌ You need a carrier deal: OnePlus has good deals online, but you won’t find this phone at your local carrier in the US, which means you won’t find a deal paired with a contract.
The bottom line
📱 The OnePlus 11 is super fast, with a dazzling display that really pops with color. The interface is a lighter touch on Google’s Android than Samsung’s One UI, while adding useful features. If you’re into shareable photography, the OnePlus 11 delivers a unique camera experience that can be unpredictable and limited, but that results in amazing shots when it delivers. ★★★★
The OnePlus 11 returns to the company’s roots, delivering premium performance and a few impressive specs while trading other features for a price cut versus the big name competitors. That means the OnePlus 11 is cheaper than the flagships from Samsung and Apple, and OnePlus doesn’t confuse its lineup with Pro and Plus versions, either. It’s got everything OnePlus does well, and it works great.
Design: The OnePlus 11 is a slim phone, with a glossy finish if you buy the green color. The camera array dominates the back and will stand out among iPhones and Galaxys. Sadly, the phone isn’t IP68 rated for water resistance. The phone keeps the popular mute switch to silence the noise in a hurry.
Display: The display on the OnePlus 11 really pops. The AMOLED screen can refresh up to 120Hz, and the smooth rate is noticeable playing fast games with tons of particle effects. It supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ for color accuracy. It could be brighter, but it’s otherwise fantastic.
Camera: The Hasselblad-branded camera setup on the OnePlus 11 isn’t for everyone. We managed to grab some amazing portraits, and landscape photos looked excellent, but photos had a distinct look and feel to them. The camera can’t handle versatile shots like distant zoom or macro close-ups.
Performance: The OnePlus 11 was the first phone we tried with the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform, and though its rival at the time, Samsung’s Galaxy S23, is a hair faster, the difference isn’t noticeable except in benchmark numbers. The OnePlus 11 is snappy and efficient, doing a great job with games and apps alike.
Battery life: Battery life is decent in its own right, but when it comes to charging it’s a champion. With the included (!) charger, you can fill the battery in less than 30 minutes. It’s even faster outside of the US, where higher voltage rules. There’s no wireless charging, though.
Value for money: Like the best OnePlus phones of the past, the OnePlus 11 offers great performance for a solid value. It isn’t the cheapest flagship on this list, but for the money you get a huge screen, unique cameras, and other standout features you won’t find elsewhere.
Slippery and glossy, without the water resistance we require.
★★★☆☆
Display
Huge, sharp, colorful, and bright.
★★★★★
Camera
Unique style and great color for portraits, but lack the versatility of competitors.
★★★★☆
Performance
Smooth performance wherever you look.
★★★★★
Battery life
Big battery and fast charge means we didn’t mind the lack of wireless charging.
★★★★☆
The best clamshell foldable
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
The best clamshell foldable
Specifications
Release date: June 2023
Weight: 184.5g
Dimensions: 170.8 x 74 x 7mm open; 88.4 x 74 x 15.1mm closed
OS: Android 13
Main screen size: 6.9 inches
Resolution: 1080 x 2640 pixels
Cover display size: 3.6 inches
Resolution: 1056 x 1066
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1
RAM: 8GB / 12GB
Storage: 256GB / 512GB
Battery: 3,800mAh
Rear camera: 12MP (wide) + 13MP (ultrawide)
Front camera: 32MP
Reasons to buy
+
Huge cover display is actually useful
+
Cool vegan leather and unique colors
Reasons to avoid
–
Not water resistant enough
–
Too expensive for what you get
Buy it if
✅ You’ve been waiting for phones to get cool again: If you’ve been telling yourself “I’ll buy a new phone when there’s a reason to buy something new,” you now have that reason.
✅ You want a small phone but need a big screen: The Motorola Razr Plus is the thinnest flip phone when folded shut, and has the biggest display when open. It’s bigger on the inside than the others, and you don’t need to be a Time Lord to appreciate the magic.
✅ You aren’t addicted to your iPhone: Seriously, what’s stopping you from buying a cool phone? Are you really addicted to blue bubbles and the Dynamic Island? Try something cooler, I promise you’ll like it.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You need a great camera phone: The Motorola Razr Plus has forgivable flaws, but the cameras aren’t among them. They’re pretty lousy for regular photos, although selfies benefit from using the main lens.
❌ You’re going to get it wet: The Moto Razr Plus is more dust resistant than other flip phones, but less water resistant than the Galaxy Z family devices, which can take a dunk.
❌ You want to totally unplug and hang up: Unlike other flip phones, the Razr Plus doesn’t go to sleep when you hang up. It’s often even more fun when it’s closed, but wait for the base model Razr if you appreciate the joy of tuning out.
The bottom line
📱 The Motorola Razr Plus / Razr 40 Ultra is a major evolutionary step for smartphones, going beyond what any previous flip or foldable has offered. With the screen open, it’s surprisingly thin, with a huge display. When it’s closed – and you start using apps on the external screen – you’ve got an entirely new device, different from anything you’ve used before. It’s not perfect, but it’s so far ahead of what other phones offer that there’s barely a flaw that isn’t forgivable. The Motorola Razr Plus is a winner – and if you want to get excited about phones again you need to check it out. ★★★★½
The Motorola Razr Plus (or the Razr 40 Ultra outside the US) is more than just the best foldable phone you can buy (as far as flip phones go); it’s an entirely new category of smartphone, offering more than any handset before it. With the phone shut, it’s a compact miniature communicator, a pocket mirror, and a palm-sized map. This is the phone that finally justifies folding a display in half, and it makes you wonder when the rest of the best phone makers will catch up.
Design: When folded, the two halves of the phone smack together like pursed lips, with a gentle curve around the edges that still manages to cleave together in a sealed crease. Perhaps it’s the Viva Magenta hue that adds to this impression. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, by comparison, seems boxy and square. The Razr Plus shows no visible gap when closed, unlike every competing flip phone that came before it.
Display: This is the first flip phone that isn’t paying lip service to the cover screen. This isn’t a screen that’s just for checking the weather or simple notifications, and neither is it there to just show cute animations. This is the real deal. You can run full apps on this display. That said, if the Motorola Razr Plus didn’t have the great external display it would still be a standout for its big folding internal screen
Camera: All around, this phone has all the hallmarks of a low-quality camera. In photos of flowers, the camera blew out red tones until the details were mostly gone. Taking photos in the woods, stems and leaves in the background were either unnaturally blurry or digitally oversharpened, with deep black lines dividing objects.
Performance: If all you care about are benchmark scores, the Motorola Razr Plus won’t be the phone to pick. Thankfully, real-world performance tells a different story than I expected from the specs, and even though this phone uses the same platform as last year (or perhaps because it does), it performs better than the previous Razr, and better than you’d expect.
Battery life: Motorola has done the best it could in fitting a large battery inside the thin folding shell of the Razr Plus. It’s even managed to fit a larger battery into the folding frame than you’ll find in the iPhone 15 Pro, though Apple manages power slightly better. We couldn’t quite make it through a full day on a full charge with the Motorola Razr Plus, though that’s probably because the phone was just so much fun to use.
Value for money: The Razr Plus is expensive, but it’s the first clamshell foldable phone that we’d recommend to anyone and everyone, not just people asking about flip phones, or folks who want the coolest new thing.
Design looks and feels more ‘normal’ that other foldables
+
Best cameras on any foldable phone
Reasons to avoid
–
Not as feature-packed as the Galaxy Z Fold 5
–
Whoa, that’s a big camera bump
Buy it if
✅ You’re ready to try a foldable phone: Excellent design choices make this the only tablet foldable worth considering. It feels like a normal phone when closed, unlike the Galaxy and Pixel Folds.
✅ You want quality photography: The Open boasts the best cameras on any foldable phone, putting it on a par with the best camera phones. It can’t beat the iPhone 15 Pro Max at everything, but it wins a few rounds.
✅ You want an imposing display: This phone has truly brilliant displays all around; it’s brighter than almost any other phone you can buy, with a nearly-invisible crease.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You’re on a budget: At £1,599, this is one of the most expensive Android phones on the market. At the very least, look for deals before you buy.
❌ You want a sleek and slim phone: The thickness of the OnePlus Open, especially at its big camera bump, is the foldable’s biggest shortcoming versus the best flat phones.
The bottom line
📱 The OnePlus Open is the only big foldable phone that doesn’t feel like a compromise. It looks and feels like a normal phone, and the camera is the best you’ll find on any foldable. There are some missteps – the performance and battery life could stand some improvement – but the Open is better than the rest, and the best part is that it costs a lot less (although you’ll still pay handsomely for the privilege of owning one). ★★★★½
The OnePlus Open is the newest phone on this list, and we consider it to be among the best foldable phones (if not the best foldable phone) money can buy right now. Sure, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 offers myriad more special features, and the Google Pixel Fold utilizes the power of Android in a way that only Google-made phones can, but in almost every other department, the OnePlus Open is the best there is.
Design: For us, this the first tablet foldable phone that simply feels right. All the ‘Folds’ that came before feel wrong being too narrow or squat. The Open, however, hits the design sweet spot, and it’s the most important improvement OnePlus could have made to the foldable form factor. If you’re paying twice as much for a phone, you shouldn’t feel like it’s the wrong size half the time. Display: The two displays on the OnePlus Open are a marvel to behold, and both of them are just as good as the flagship phone or tablet they’ll replace in your collection. The cover display is 6.3 inches, with LTPO 3.0 technology that can slow down to 10Hz for a low-power, always-on mode. The inner display is a huge 7.82-inch screen with a variable 1Hz to 120Hz refresh rate, which has almost the same screen area as an iPad Mini (2021).
Camera: On every other foldable phone, the size limitations of the fold-in-half design have resulted in cameras that range from inferior to downright awful. The OnePlus Open has the best cameras of the bunch, and comes close to being as good as the best flat camera phones, closer than any foldable we’ve used so far.
Performance: The OnePlus Open uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, so it’s as powerful as other flagship phones using that same processor, like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Sure, faster chipsets now exist, but you’ll have absolutely no trouble juggling multiple applications on this phone. Mind you, its gaming performance doesn’t compare to the best Android phones on the market.
Battery life: The OnePlus Open can last you a full day, if you’re judicious with your usage. With a two-cell design the Open has an overall battery capacity of 4,805mAh, which is some 200mAh below other foldables. But with some smart power management features, OnePlus can get sold battery life out of these cells without needing to make the phone bigger and bulkier.
Value for money: At $1,699, this is not a cheap phone, but that price is still some $100 less than the starting price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Google Pixel Fold. What’s more, OnePlus is offering a deal for the full life of the OnePlus Open that gives you at least $200 off if you trade in any phone.
It’s expensive, but it’s the cheapest tablet foldable, while still giving you more screen inside and out.
★★★★★
Design
Excellent design choices make this the only tablet foldable worth considering. It feels like a normal phone when closed, unlike the Galaxy and Pixel Folds.
★★★★★
Display
Brilliant displays all around, brighter than almost any other phone you can buy, with a nearly-invisible crease.
★★★★★
Camera
The best cameras on any foldable phone, and on a par with the best camera phones. Can’t beat the iPhone 15 Pro Max at everything, but it wins a few rounds.
★★★★☆
Performance
Solid performance to drive the two displays, but gaming isn’t as impressive, as it can’t beat the base-model iPhone 15.
★★★★☆
Battery life
Good battery life and super-fast charging, but it could use a bit more power to last all day, every day.
★★★☆☆
FAQs
What is the best phone in 2024?
Objectively speaking, the best phone in 2024 is either the iPhone 15 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S24 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 2024. If you’re not keen on paying the eye-wateringly high asking prices of any of those phones, though, the iPhone 15 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.
How we test
We’ve only included phones on this list that we’ve thoroughly tested, and our testing regiment is deep and detailed. We test every aspect of a phone that you might use from day-to-day, then we dive deeper to discover all of the hidden features.
We test phones for battery life and charging, speed and performance, and especially for camera capabilities. We make sure that phones deliver on their manufacturer’s promise. If it says a phone can charge in 30 minutes, we break out the stopwatch.
We’ve seen every phone around, so we have a good idea of how each model stacks up to one another. We use both iPhone and Android, from the most expensive models to the most affordable, so we know what you’re getting, no matter what you pay. We make sure the phones deliver what we’d expect for the cost.
Once we’re done, we don’t stop. We keep updating our reviews as we learn more, and as the phones are updated. Our reviews are always fresh, so check back before you buy to make sure you’re getting the latest opinion on the best phones you can buy.
Your phone is the guardian of your digital life. It has that video of your child’s first words, the heart-warming message from your significant other that never fails to cheer you up, and the latest save from your favorite mobile game. You have invested time in getting it just the way you want, and there are irreplaceable memories onboard. Spending a couple of minutes backing up is a small price to pay to ensure you don’t lose it all.
Updated March 2024: We verified all steps, updated Samsung’s backup steps, and added screenshots to illustrate.
Table of Contents
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Backing Up to Google
The simplest and easiest backup option is Google’s cloud service, which is built into Android.
Android via Simon Hill
Go to Settings, Google, and choose Backup.
You can see how much storage is available for the Google account you are signed into listed at the top.
Below that, you will likely see an option that says Backup to Google Drive with a toggle next to it. (If you have Google One installed, it might say Backup by Google One.) Make sure it is toggled on.
There is a Back up now button beneath. Tap it. Remember that backups can take several hours to complete if you haven’t backed up before. It’s best to leave your phone plugged into a charger and connected to Wi-Fi overnight.
The section at the bottom shows details of your backup. Tap on Photos & Videos and make sure that Backup is toggled on. You can also do this in the menu in the Google Photos app.
At the bottom of the Backup details section, you can tap Google Account data (also accessible via Settings > Accounts > [Your Google Account] > Account sync). This is where you can choose what to sync with your Google Account. The list of toggles that appears here differs based on the apps and services you use.
Managing Backups and Extra Storage
Google via Simon Hill
You can find your backups in the Google Drive app by tapping the menu at the top left and choosing Backups.
It can be a challenge to stay under Google Drive’s free 15 GB of storage, so you might consider signing up for a plan with Google One. You can get 100 GB for $2 per month or $20 annually, 200 GB for $3 per month or $30 annually, or 2 TB for $10 per month or $100 annually. Once you subscribe you will see options for even more storage from 5 TB for $25 per month or $250 annually all the way up to 30 TB for $150 per month. You can share this storage with up to six family members.
The Google One app offers more insight and control for your backups, found on the Storage tab listed under Device Backup.
You might not want to pay for extra space, so let’s look at how to back up files directly to your computer before we dip into alternative backup services.
Backing Up to Your Windows PC
Google via Simon Hill
It is easy to back up files from your Android phone on a Windows PC. Here’s how:
Receiving calls from unknown numbers is a recurring theme that can often be quite aggravating to deal with, especially since most of them tend to be from pranksters and telemarketers. However, the fact remains that some calls may be important, which raises the question, how can you truly distinguish the real from the fake?
The answer is simple. With the help of a reverse phone number lookup site, it is now easier than ever for anyone to conduct a quick background check. These platforms can instantly identify the owner of the number and provide you with in-depth information with just a few clicks.
To this end, we’ve taken the liberty of breaking down each of the 10 best ways to answer the question, “Who keeps calling me?” So, if you want to uncover the identity of an unknown caller, make sure to read on for more information on the best reverse phone lookup tools around.
Let’s get started with our picks of five recommended platforms:
Spokeo – Top reverse phone lookup site for accurate background reports
USPhoneLookup – Provides access to comprehensive background reports
CocoFinder – Offers a highly intuitive and reliable reverse phone lookup search tool
NumLooker – Best lookup service for reverse searches based on city, state or country
PeopleFinderFree – Offers fast processing of reverse phone lookup searches
Then we’ll go into five more reverse phone number lookup sites that can offer additional information.
Spokeo
Spokeo is the leading reverse phone number lookup site. Photo: Spokeo
When it comes to online popularity, Spokeo leads the pack, with notable brands like AT&T even cosigning the platform as a top choice for identifying unknown callers. The platform is linked to millions of public data sites, government databases, social networks and mailing lists.
This enables it to consistently provide users with accurate and detailed background reports that typically include in-depth information, such as criminal records, financial data, educational history, property records, etc. Users are also provided with complete search privacy, as none of their searches are recorded.
There is even the option of requesting for your data to be scrubbed from Spokeo’s database, which can make it harder for others to find information on you. In addition, the platform comes with advanced search filters that can speed up the process of finding the data you need on the target.
Users can even choose to be notified whenever new information about the caller pops up on record.
Search results in USPhoneLookup include info from local, state and federal databases. Photo: USPhoneLookUp
USPhoneLookup is an excellent choice for those looking to gather in-depth information on a target with minimal time, effort or money required. Aside from online phone directories and listings, the platform is linked to local, state and federal databases. As such, users can gather a ton of information on a caller, such as their home and office addresses, families and mutuals, educational background and criminal history.
In addition, the site is mobile-optimized, which allows you to conduct reverse phone lookups on any phone or tablet. Moreover, the platform guarantees complete user confidentiality, as it utilizes high-end encryption protocols to keep your search history private. The service even comes with cellphone tracking capabilities that allow users to pinpoint the location of the unknown caller instantly.
Why settle for looking up unknown numbers? CocoFinder serves up names, addresses, contact information, court records and more. Photo: CocoFinderWhy settle for looking up unknown numbers? CocoFinder serves up names, addresses, contact information, court records and more. Photo: CocoFinder
CocoFinder operates one of the most advanced reverse phone lookup search engines to find out who called you from any phone number. It connects to public data sites, social platforms, online directories, and even government databases to provide relevant information on any unknown caller. With this tool, you can find out the caller’s name, address, contact information, court records and more. But what makes the platform unique are the additional features it offers.
Aside from phone lookups, CocoFinder offers multiple search parameters, such as address lookups and people searches. It comes with a unique search optimization feature that enables users to include extra information on a target for more-precise reporting. Furthermore, the interface offers smooth navigation, and it is mobile-optimized for convenient browsing.
With NumLooker, you can look up name, address, email and more. Photo: NumLooker
With NumLooker, you can look up name, address, email and more. Photo: NumLooker
NumLooker allows users to access valuable data on any unknown caller, but what makes it a popular option is that users can conduct reverse searches based on city, state or country. It comes with several different search options, such as address lookups, people lookups and email lookups, which make it a highly versatile tool you can rely upon.
In terms of background results, it collects a wide variety of publicly available data that ranges from personal biodata to governmental records. The site regularly updates its database to ensure information accuracy is maintained. In addition, it allows users to be notified whenever there are any new updates made to their target’s background.
PeopleFinderFree
Run a search in PeopleFinderFree to get a caller’s name, acquaintances, addresses, social accounts and more. Photo: PeopleFinderFreeRun a search in PeopleFinderFree to get a caller’s name, acquaintances, addresses, social accounts and more. Photo: PeopleFinderFree
PeopleFinderFree shines when it comes to delivering speedy background results, as it only takes seconds to receive reliable reports on an unknown caller that are relatively broad and detailed. This covers basic information such as the caller’s name, acquaintances, addresses, social accounts, etc.
The platform is designed to be easy to navigate, which makes it accessible to all users, even those with no technical experience. It even has a large database of registered numbers that is continuously updated to facilitate faster searches. On top of that, the platform remains available for use 24/7. And the provider put in place a strict privacy policy that ensures all user data remains confidential.
Since PeopleFinderFree doesn’t charge users any fees to access its services, you won’t ever need to go through a paywall to conduct a background check, either.
EasyPeopleSearch
Research any type of number — landline, mobile, VOIP or toll-free line — with EasyPeopleSearch. Photo: Easypeoplesearch
EasyPeopleSearch is a great option for those who need a simple and efficient way to gather basic details about a target with minimal hassle. The platform is designed with a highly intuitive and easy-to-use search engine that can retrieve information from any unknown number. It also doesn’t matter if the caller is using a landline, mobile, VOIP or toll-free line.
Whether you want to know the unknown caller’s name, age, location, criminal history, educational background or even current address, this tool will scan numerous public directories, data archives and online listings before generating a full background report. You won’t have to wait long, either. EasyPeopleSearch typically produces the information in a matter of minutes — and at no cost whatsoever.
Plus, the site implements advanced encryption, so all your searches remain completely private. That means the caller will never know you’re investigating them.
TruePeopleSearch
With TruePeopleSearch, you can search white pages, public directories, databank sites and even dating profiles. Photo: TruePeopleSearch
TruePeopleSearch is a simple tool for those looking to gather quick results on a target, as it gathers any online information it can find on a caller before compiling it into a report. It scours white pages, public directories, databank sites and even dating profiles to provide you with any relevant information tied to the unknown number’s owner.
As a result, you can learn the most basic details about a target, such as their name, gender, age, mutuals, social accounts, contact details, email, residence, etc. Since it filters all the information it finds, you won’t need to bother sorting through a bunch of irrelevant data.
All you need to do is input the unknown number in the search bar. Within a matter of seconds, you will get a report that covers all the basic information you need to know.
RealPeopleSearch
Queries on RealPeopleSearch are 100% anonymous: Targets can’t find who searched them. Photo: RealPeopleSearch
RealPeopleSearch uses an advanced search algorithm to effectively sift through millions of online datasets and public records to find any information linked to an unknown number. It offers access to search filter options that make it easy to specify the exact information you need, be it the caller’s name, address, family members or even financial details.
The platform’s database is constantly kept up-to-date, which allows users to check the top most-searched numbers to quickly uncover the identity of an unknown caller. Moreover, the service is 100% anonymous, so there is no risk of the caller ever finding out that you conducted a background check on them. The search engine is simple and intuitive, not to mention that it produces quality reports at no charge.
SearchPeopleFree
SearchPeopleFree can search public records, data collection sites and even social networks. Photo: SearchPeopleFree
When it comes to gathering basic information on an unknown number, SearchPeopleFree does an effective job of quickly compiling as much information as it can find on the caller. The platform can access online public records, data collection sites and even social networks, which enables it to provide details such as the caller’s full name, gender, age, email, social accounts, mutuals, etc.
SearchPeopleFree is completely free to use, and its user interface is fairly easy to understand. You just need to paste the number into the search engine, and it will summarize all the data it finds into one convenient profile for easy perusal. The search results on the platform will usually load quickly, so it won’t take long to get the background information you need.
In addition, the platform has an extensive database of previously searched numbers, which enables users to quickly identify spam callers.
FindPeopleFast
You can search multiple sources, from public data archives to social networks, with FindPeopleFast. Photo: Findpeoplefast
FindPeopleFast is a reliable reverse lookup platform that extracts valuable information on any caller from multiple sources. It pulls info from public data archives, state and federal databases, social networks, online directories and more. Within minutes, it compiles any data it finds into a detailed list that includes information such as the caller’s contact details, relatives, mutuals, etc.
The search tool is designed to be straightforward to navigate. Plus, users can download the compiled reports for later perusal. In addition, the platform offers excellent privacy protection, as there is never any record of the searches you make. Plus, there is a reliable customer support team available to provide 24/7 assistance.
Conclusion
To summarize, conducting a reverse phone number lookup has never been easier than with the 10 sites listed above. With their help, you should have no trouble uncovering the identity behind an unknown number. You can gather a fair amount of information on unknown callers with minimal time, effort or money required. So, take your time and choose the one that suits your needs best to unmask all anonymous callers today!
We have gotten used to seeing Samsung rebranding its Galaxy A smartphones and selling them as Galaxy M and Galaxy F handsets in some markets. The Galaxy M and Galaxy F lineups aren’t replacements for their Galaxy A counterparts, but alternative options for those on tighter budgets.
If selling similar phones in three different lineups wasn’t enough, Samsung seemingly wants to add a fourth lineup to the mix. To be more precise, the company may be resurrecting an existing lineup: a phone called the Galaxy C55 is on the way, seven years after the last device in the Galaxy C series.
We have known for some time that Samsung has been working on a Galaxy C55, and the phone could be very close to its official launch, as it has made multiple appearances on the Google Play Console, the backend dashboard for Android app developers.
While the Galaxy C55 was first seen on the Google Play Console almost a week ago, the listing we’re talking about here names the device outright. Everything else is the same, once again confirming that the C55 is a rebranded version of the Galaxy M55/F55 for the Chinese market.
Most interestingly, all three handsets will use the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, a mid-range chip that was announced back in 2022. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 didn’t catch on and has only been seen on a handful of devices in nearly two years, and in 2024, it will be making its debut on Samsung-branded smartphones.
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 is older than the Exynos 1480, which is used on the Galaxy A55 and has AMD-powered graphics, but it should be perfectly capable of handling all kinds of tasks. In addition to a different chip, it appears the C55, F55, and M55 may not have a variant with 12GB of RAM, though it’s not confirmed at the time of publication.
The Motorola Razr knocked my socks off when I first saw it last year, and it’s remained one of my top three phone designs of the past year (the other two being OnePlus phones). I love the color options, I dig the feel of the ‘vegan leather’ finish, and I show off the amazing clamshell design. If you haven’t seen this phone go from a truly huge smartphone to a tiny, pocketable communicator, you need to get your hands on one for a look.
Compared to the Motorola Razr Plus, I missed the larger display but the smaller screen on the cover of the Motorola Razr was still sharp and very usable. You can get a preview of your selfies and videos on this phone, just like on the more expensive clamshell foldables, which means you can use the main camera as your selfie cam.
Unfortunately, the camera is the perennial compromise with foldable phones, and none moreso than on this Razr. The Razr Plus had disappointing cameras, but the Moto Razr cameras just feel a bit cheap compared to other options in this price range. For $500, you can get a Google Pixel 7 or a OnePlus 12R, and both of those have much, much better cameras than this phone.
What those phones, and any other phone in this price lacks is the cool factor of the Razr. You can snap it shut to hang up on a phone call. Heck, you can hang up on TikTok or Snapchat the same way. It’s a very satisfying way to put your phone away and focus what’s in front of you, and that is part of what makes the Razr so cool.
The Motorola Razr dares you to put away your phone. You can take photos without the distraction of a big screen. You can check messages with a quick glance. You can snap it shut and show off the look instead of looking at the show. That’s cool. Being hundreds cheaper than other clamshell phones? Maybe the coolest part of all.
Motorola Razr 2023 review: price & availability
Launched at a higher price and immediately went on sale
Cheaper than every other new clamshell
Don’t buy it when it’s not on sale
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Storage
US Price
UK Price
AU Price
128GB (US) / 256GB (UK, AU)
$499.99
£799.99
$999.99
The Motorola Razr had a staggered launch across the globe, in the shadow of the more exciting Motorola Razr Plus. This phone snuck into US stores at a price close to $700 at launch, after sitting on shelves in the UK for months prior. It quickly went on sale, dropping $100 then another $100, settling at its current price point.
Except Motorola hasn’t changed the price, it’s just kept the phone on sale for months. Not one sale, either, but different sales that tend to run concurrently. As I write this there is a “Spring Break” sale offering $200 off. I’m sure there will soon be an “April Showers” sale offering $200 off, followed by a Mother’s Day $200 sale. Don’t worry about that sale expiration date, but don’t buy this phone if it’s not on sale.
Outside of the US, this phone ships with 256GB of storage, but Americans only get 128GB. We all get 8GB of RAM on this phone, though a 12GB variant may be available in other regions.
Motorola Razr 2023 review: specs
The Motorola Razr 40 isn’t a very powerful phone, but it can handle any apps, web pages, and games you throw its way. It lacks the high-end camera specs you’ll find on other bargain phones like the OnePlus 12R, and even the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra has slightly better cameras. That said, you still get a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset, a respectable engine that is capable enough, as well as 8GB of RAM and just enough storage, 256GB if you live outside the US (sorry Americans, only 128GB for us).
It’s hard to compare specs directly, because the Motorola Razr 40 bends in half. The OnePlus 12R may have better cameras, but the Motorola Razr weighs 20g less, and it folds up to a pocketable shape that is half the length of the OnePlus phone. If size and style are meaningful, that’s worth a lot more than a little spec bump.
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Dimensions:
Open: 170.8 x 74 x 7.4mm; Closed: 88.2 x 74 x 15.8mm
External display is much more useful than anticipated
Very thin whether open or closed
At a glance, the Motorola Razr Plus seems to borrow heavily from Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip design while ditching some signature Razr design elements, notably the chin. Motorola wouldn’t come right out and say it ditched the chin because it was downright ugly, but let’s face it – it was ugly.
When folded, the two halves of the phone smack together like pursed lips, with a gentle curve around the edges that still manages to cleave together in a sealed crease. Perhaps it’s the Viva Magenta hue of my review unit that adds to this impression. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, by comparison, seems boxy and square. The Razr Plus shows no visible gap when closed, unlike every competing flip phone so far.
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
When you open the Razr Plus, the crease disappears more completely than on any flip phone I’ve used. It’s there, and you can feel it, but it’s so unnoticeable that my dad, upon seeing the phone unfold, exclaimed “Wow, the crease just disappears!” Folding phones are new to him, but he was enamored enough by the Razr Plus to look ruefully at the Galaxy S23 he’d just purchased.
Those rounded edges also come together very nicely when the phone is unfolded, creating a seamless curved edge that makes the flexible glass seem even more impossible. The fingerprint scanner is embedded in the power button, which doesn’t stick out as much as the volume rockers, which are the only protruding buttons.
When you close the Razr Plus, the external display lights up and wraps around the dual camera lenses and the small flashlight. Rather than looking odd or compromised, it makes the phone look ultramodern. It doesn’t say “we’ve cut up our display,” it says “our display doesn’t stop for camera lenses.”
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
It was absolutely the right choice (apologies to the rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 cover display camera corner cutout), and Motorola has even designed games that have you drop marbles into the holes created by the lenses, embracing the design. I’ll talk more about what this screen can do later, but suffice to say, for now, that it’s very big for a second screen on a flip phone, and it makes a huge difference.
As mentioned, my review unit is in the Viva Magenta finish, which also uses a so-called ‘vegan leather’ material. It may be plastic, but it feels great. Also, the phone never slipped off a surface, even in my car when I left it sitting on my center console while in stop-and-go traffic.
Motorola should seriously consider launching more (read: all) color options in this vegan leather finish. It feels more durable than glass, it weighs a few grams less, and it looks great. I’m tired of glass. As long as Moto is shaking up the phone world, let’s shake off the glass back as well.
Motorola Razr Plus review: display
Bigger and brighter than competing flip phones
External display is a real game changer
Cover screen is bigger than the original iPhone’s screen
If the Motorola Razr Plus didn’t have the great external display it would still be a standout for its big folding internal screen, which is great news if you’re holding out for the Motorola Razr 2023, which will have the exact same internal screen (though the slower chipset will run it at ‘only’ 144Hz).
Motorola’s display has the same ‘FHD+’ resolution as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, at 2640 x 1080 pixels. It unfurls to a majestic 6.9 inches, which really is a marvel of modern technology when you think about it. When the first tablets were launched, that compact models had a 7-inch display, and now that same display size – and a higher-quality display too – is available on a thin smartphone that folds up to fit in your pocket.
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
For comparison, the iPhone 14 Pro gives you around 2.5 inches less screen area, even though it weighs more. No matter what phone you’re used to using, when you open up the Motorola Razr Plus you’re going to be amazed by just how much screen you can fold up and stow in your pocket.
Here’s another mind-blowing iPhone comparison. The original iPhone had a 3.5-inch display (with a 480 x 320 resolution), with just over 5.6 inches of screen area. On the Moto Razr Plus you get almost 6.5 square inches of screen space on the external 3.6-inch square display, and it runs at a stunning 1056 x 1066 resolution, which means it has the same sharpness (pixel density) as the internal screen.
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
In other words, this is the first flip phone that isn’t paying lip service to the cover screen. This isn’t a screen that’s just for checking the weather or simple notifications, and neither is it there to just show cute animations. This is the real deal. You can run full apps on this display, as I’ll explain in the Software section below. Apps aren’t always drawn properly, but you can run almost anything, unlike on previous external displays, which could run almost nothing.
I wish both displays were much brighter, but that’s because I was using them a lot for taking outdoor photos, and from unusual angles, making them harder to see. The internal screen can go just a bit brighter than the one on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4, but the external screen needs a real boost. Neither display comes close to the brightness you’ll get from an iPhone 14 Pro.
Motorola Razr Plus review: cameras
The weakest link in the Razr Plus’ chain
Image processing is terrible
Better for selfies than most competitors
Ugh… why Motorola? Why does everything have to fall apart when it comes to the cameras? I have reviewed and previewed quite a few Motorola phones in the past year, and none of them have impressed me with their photography capabilities. The Motorola Razr Plus sadly continues Moto’s problematic tradition of phones that take bad photos.
How bad? Pretty bad. I relied on this phone for my kid’s 8th grade graduation, and it was a big mistake. I won’t make that mistake again for the High School finale (the one that matters). Zoomed photos look blurry and oversharpened, and even basic portrait shots need help.
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I’ve blurred the kids that aren’t mine, but mine is still too blurry(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
A low-light night selfie that should look much better(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
Where is the Chrysler building?! Blown out by terrible exposure(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
This is an unacceptable shot, no matter the zoom(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
All around, this phone has all the hallmarks of a low-quality camera. In photos of flowers, the camera blew out red tones until the details were mostly gone. Taking photos in the woods, stems and leaves in the background were either unnaturally blurry or digitally oversharpened, with deep black lines dividing objects.
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(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
The one saving grace is that this low-quality main camera is still better quality than most selfie cameras, and the Motorola Razr Plus is made for using the main lens as your selfie shooter. You can easily use the external display as your viewfinder, and there are a couple tricks that let take a shot even if you aren’t holding the Razr. You can smile or wave your hand, with both options selectable as shortcuts in the camera settings.
Can I forgive bad photos if the process of taking photos is so much better? They say the best camera is the one you have with you, and more often than not that’s going to be one of the best camera phones. I always carry a smartphone, but I found myself taking more photos with the Razr Plus – more selfies, and more unusual shots taking advantage of the angled flex of the display.
I also took more group shots, because people love seeing themselves in the external display viewfinder. It was one of the most delightful things about this phone when I was showing it off to friends. Foldable 6.9-inch display? Not impressed. Want to see yourself while I take your picture? OMG, YES!!!
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(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
I want better cameras, though. Even Samsung skimps on the cameras in its Galaxy Z Flip 4, but I was especially disappointed here. The main camera uses a wide aperture lens, wider than any flip phone competitor and most other smartphones. It should be great at low-light photos, and it should produce a smoothly blurred backgrounds with attractive bokeh.
If it actually makes a difference, I couldn’t see it. I put the Motorola Razr Plus up against my iPhone 14 Pro, and there wasn’t a single photo from the main camera that was better, unless I was comparing it to one from the selfie camera on the iPhone.
I can forgive most of the Razr Plus’ faults, but the poor camera performance is hard to swallow. I enjoyed taking more selfies and delighting friends with the external display camera tricks, but I need at least a partly competent zoom lens for school functions and the occasional bird sighting. The Motorola Razr Plus 2023 is great for selfies, but otherwise getting great shots will be a matter of luck, not technical advantage.
Motorola Razr Plus review: software
Useful clocks and widgets for the external screen
Most apps will run on both displays
Useful Motorola gestures and shortcuts
I can tell you the exact moment that I realized the Motorola Razr Plus was something entirely new. I was out hiking with my dog, expecting to use the Razr for photos and fitness tracking. I downloaded my maps to AllTrails as I always do, and as I hiked I checked my maps and recorded my progress.
Normally I obsessively check my phone maps to make sure I’m on track, finding the best and easiest routes to keep the dog and kiddo interested. Every time, I feel like I’m interrupting my hike with my technology – but not with the Razr Plus. Using the external display, I could simply glance at my AllTrails map without opening the phone. Everything worked, including the high-definition map, the progress tracking, and all of the other apps I had running at the same time.
It wasn’t like having a phone on my hike; it was like having a pocket-sized map device. And while I’ve never had a pocket-sized map device, this was much nicer and more convenient than a big smartphone. In this context it becomes a whole new device, and a whole new experience.
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(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
When I go to the grocery store, I’m not lighting up my smartphone every time I need to check my list; I can just keep my list on the external display. Now I have a pocket-sized shopping list device too. A smartphone is big and obnoxious and distracting; this is quick and unobtrusive. I check the box on my Google Keep Notes shopping list, then flip to Spotify or Apple Music (yes, on Android). It all works great on the external display, and I don’t need to open my phone.
For almost every app on the phone, you can set how it behaves when you close the display. An app can do nothing, or it can appear automatically on the external screen. You can also have apps ‘tap to transition’ giving you agency over whether they become available on the cover screen on an ad-hoc basis with a single button press. Every app can be set with its own behavior.
Not every app works perfectly. I tried to play Marvel Snap, a game that’s designed for portrait mode. It ran just fine on the square external display, but the text was too small (though legible), and the layout was weird. It worked, it just wasn’t optimal.
More apps work well and look good than not, though. I had no trouble scrolling my feeds in Slack, Facebook, Instagram, and other social apps. I could read web pages in Chrome, or browse Yelp with the display shut. There’s a keyboard if you really need to type, but that’s obviously easier with the screen open.
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
Other than on the external screen, Motorola’s software hews very close to Google’s own designs for Android, as you’ll find on the Pixel 7 Pro, for instance. There aren’t many new tweaks or improvements for this new Razr, but that’s fine. I’d like to see some aspects of the experience improved, but it’s already mature, and doesn’t overload you with features or pop-up windows.
I like Motorola’s gestures and use them frequently. On Moto phones you can twist your hand back and forth to open the camera, and on the Razr Plus this works even when the display is closed. You can make a couple of quick karate-chop motions to turn the flashlight on and off. These gestures work well, and I used them often once I’d committed them to memory.
The Motorola Razr Plus comes with Android 13 preloaded, and we expect three major OS updates for this phone, which should take it to Android 16. Google is launching its own folding phone this month, the Google Pixel Fold, so it’s an interesting time for folding phones, and hopefully Google’s own improvements will trickle down to other Android foldables.
Motorola Razr Plus review: performance
Fast performance for games and running both displays
Improved performance over last year
Same chipset as the Razr 2022 and Galaxy Z Flip 4
If all you care about are benchmark scores, the Motorola Razr Plus won’t be the phone to pick. Thankfully, real-world performance tells a different story than I expected from the specs, and even though this phone uses the same platform as last year (or perhaps because it does), it performs better than the previous Razr, and better than I expected.
Inside, the Razr Plus is nearly identical to the Motorola Razr 2022. They both use the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, and 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and in the year since the Razr 2022 was launched, Moto has clearly done some work to optimize its software. We complained in our Razr 2022 review that it stuttered while playing games or switching to the external display, but I had no performance complaints at all during my review period with the Razr Plus. It ran smoothly no matter what I was doing, whether playing new games like the highly-detailed Marvel Snap or shooting video with the flex mode video camera.
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
The Razr Plus was impressively responsive. When I used the camera, I set the phone to snap when it detected a smile, and it responded almost instantaneously whenever anyone so much as smirked. When I clapped the phone shut, the external display lit up with no delay, and apps switched smoothly from one screen to the other without hesitation.
It’s likely that the Motorola Razr base model will see more of a sacrifice performance-wise, as it relies on a mid-level Snapdragon 7 chipset. The Razr Plus uses a flagship platform, and the fact that there’s been a Snapdragon update since it was launched doesn’t diminish its performance. It’s a very fast chipset, and Motorola has clearly learned how to make the best use of it.
Performance score: 4.5 / 5
Motorola Razr Plus review: battery
Slightly larger battery than Galaxy Z Flip 4
Battery life could be better
Using two displays drains the battery faster, go figure
Motorola has done the best it could in fitting a large battery inside the thin folding shell of the Razr Plus. It’s even managed to fit a larger battery into the folding frame than you’ll find in the iPhone 14 Pro, though Apple manages power slightly better. I couldn’t quite make it through a full day on a full charge with the Motorola Razr Plus, though that’s probably because the phone was just so much fun to use.
Having a dynamic and useful external display meant that I used the phone a lot more than I would a flip phone that’s dark and motionless when it’s shut. Even when I wasn’t checking my hiking trails or keeping up with Slack chats, I just liked having the clock and screen saver active. It looks cute, and I don’t mind charging my phone a little more often as a trade-off for a bit of cuteness.
(Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
That said, the Razr Plus would benefit from faster charging. The 30W charging capability is fine, though Moto doesn’t give you a charger in the box (they sent one with my review unit). You can charge the phone wirelessly if you have a lot of spare time, as the Razr Plus charges at a trickling 5W, a fraction of the 15W wireless you’ll find as standard on the best smartphones.
If you need extra power, you might want to wait until the base model Motorola Razr shows up. It will have a slightly larger battery inside, a benefit of foregoing the cool external display in favor of a smaller display strip. Having used the Razr Plus for a while, though, I’d rather have the external screen and charge more often.
If I’d wanted the Moto Razr Plus to last longer I could have turned off the screensaver clocks and engaged power management, but I didn’t do that, I let it drain. I was having too much fun.
Should you buy the Motorola Razr Plus?
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Motorola Razr Plus / Razr 40 Ultra score card
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Value
Same price as last year’s model, with an extra half-screen more
4 / 5
Design
Most refined and tight-fitting flip phone ever, with a game-changing external screen
5 / 5
Display
Big on the outside, bigger on the inside, and the external display is much more than an afterthought
5 / 5
Cameras
Not the best cameras, but great design makes it easy to get unique shots that other phones can’t manage
3 / 5
Software
Some apps are optimized, but everything kind of works with the external screen, making it endlessly useful
4 / 5
Performance
Good enough to keep up with every task, but it could get warm when pushed with video recording or gaming
4 / 5
Battery
Battery life could be better, and using that external display (or both at once!) means using more power
4 / 5
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Motorola Razr Plus review: also consider
Note that this chart is going to change when Samsung launches the Galaxy Z Flip 5, and I’d also expect the Z Flip 4 to stay on the market for a while at a lower price.
If you’re looking for other flip phones to consider alongside the Motorola Razr Plus, here are a few of options.
How I tested the Motorola Razr Plus
I’ve had the Motorola Razr Plus for two full weeks of testing
This was the only phone I used for the review period
I use benchmarking software, developer tools, and internal data collection
I used the Motorola Razr Plus as my primary phone for both business and personal use for a few weeks while writing this review. I used the Razr Plus in every way I imagined a typical user would want to use it. I took photos, played games, and used it for all of my social networking and communication needs. I used productivity apps and tools, mindfulness and health apps, and fitness apps on the phone.
I also used the Razr Plus with wearable devices, including the Pixel Buds Pro earbuds and my Pixel Watch. I used it with an Xbox gaming controller, my Honda and Kia cars, and numerous Bluetooth accessories.
We benchmark all the phones we test using standard benchmarking software, and we also perform internal testing on the phone’s performance and battery life. I used GFX Benchmark, PhoneTester Pro, and Geekbench, among other testing apps. I also access the developer options on Android phones for direct feedback on performance from the device itself.
During my review time with the Motorola Razr Plus I loaded all of the apps I normally use with my smartphone. I used it for maps and navigation, music and video playback, as well as for calls and messaging. I took lots of photos and videos, played games, and used the phone to take photos at special occasions, including my kid’s middle school graduation.
The 8849 TANK3 PRO is a rugged smartphone sporting a massive 23,800mAh battery, which means you won’t have to worry about running out of juice while on the go.
While the battery should be the main highlight, as the phone also supports 120W super-fast charging, the TANK3 PRO boasts several other unexpected standout features.
Marketed as the ‘Ultimate 5G Projection Rugged Smartphone,’ the IP68 waterproof rated TANK3 PRO comes equipped with a DLP projector, a 200-megapixel camera, and a camping torch.
200MP main camera
The built-in 100 Lumens 120Hz DLP projector allows users to project content onto any surface, making it suitable for presentations or movie viewing – indoors or outdoors – and it features an adjustable focus. The large LED camping light not only illuminates your path at night but can also emit red or blue light for those moments when, 8849 suggests, you want to add “more fun to your life” (perhaps by pretending to be a police car).
The phone features a 6.79-inch FHD screen and is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8200 processor. It has 5G, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity.
TANK3 PRO comes with 16/18GB of memory, which can be increased to 32/36GB, and 512GB of storage space. In addition, the device supports up to 2TB memory cards for expanded storage.
For photography, the phone is equipped with a 200MP AI main camera, 64MP night vision shooter and 50MP selfie camera.
The TANK3 PRO is currently available for pre-order at the official AliExpress 8849 store. A $50 off promotional offer running at the moment means the price comes in at around $600.
