Smartphone is your most important possession – do you have the best phone you could have?
Follow the list below to find and compare world’s best smartphones. Go to PAGE 2 > for TOP 10 lists, MARKET REPORT and the Phone RELEASE SCHEDULE.
To see how I rate each phone, please visit the About page > .
RECENTLY ADDED phones
Here are the phones that were recently added to this list. Click on the name to see phone’s ranking, features and scores:
Xiaomi 15T > Xiaomi 17 Pro Max > , Xiaomi 17 Pro > , Xiaomi 17 > , Honor Magic V Flip 2 > , Xiaomi 15T Pro > , Infinix Hot 60 Pro+ > , Apple iPhone Air > , Sony Xperia 10 VII > , Samsung Galaxy S25 FE > , Apple iPhone 17 > , Apple iPhone 17 Pro > , Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max > , (Xiaomi) Redmi Note 15 Pro+ > , Google Pixel 10 Pro XL > , Google Pixel 10 > , Google Pixel 10 Pro > , Vivo V60 > , Motorola G86 > , OnePlus Nord 5 > , Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 >
100 BEST PHONES in the world:
follow below. This list features all of the best phones, globally. Updated daily, here you’ll find ratings and rankings based only on numbers. The list is sorted by each phone’s total points. When two phones share the same score, the more recent one is placed above. If the total score and the release date are the same, the narower phone (easier to use and more difficult to make) ends up on top.
Every phone’s listing includes: ranking and name, phone’s width, release month and the score string showing value for each of the 10 categories and the total. For phones that don’t have the usual 4 cameras (a selfie plus main, zoom and ultrawide lense), I will add a number of lenses next to the release date.
Phone size has no bearing on it’s total score. But in case you prefer typing by swipe and like to use your phone with just one hand – below each phone’s name, you will find it’s width in millimeters. It conveniently lives right below phone’s name and will help you quickly focus on phones that best fit your hand size. To comfortably use a phone with one hand, phone’s width should be equal or less then the length of your pinky finger.
EDITORIAL: my 100 BEST phones list is divided into 3 sections: the SUPERIOR group, EXCELLENT phones list and a GREAT phones list round up the list of the best 100 phones in the world. This grouping follows how phone makers design and pitch the top end , flagship and midrange phones. I prefer to use the “flagship” and “midrange” adjectives for CPU chip differentiation.
1 – 16: the SUPERIOR phone group
you won’t regret getting any one of these phones. You could even consider yourself lucky to get your first choice as many of them are not universally available. The biggest difference between them is in size and price. Battery and cameras will vary to some degree but none of these phones will disappoint you in a day-to-day use (altho Galaxy phones in this segment will run out of battery faster than others). Here are the best flagship phones in the world…
What do the numbers mean?…
This string of 10 numbers separated by plus signs shows the score for each of the 10 categories I use to evaluate a phone. The maximum possible score is 100 points. Bigger number is always better. Here are the categories (with number of maximum points in parentheses):
1st: Performance (15) 2nd: Battery (15) 3rd: Screen (15) 4th: Ingress protection (15) and 5th: Main camera (15)
6th: Selfie camera (5) 7th: Video recording (5) 8th: SD memory (5) 9th: Software (5) and 10th: Desktop replacement (5)
Score string allows you to quickly compare phones. For example, to compare Battery and the quality of Main camera photos of two phones, you will compare 2nd and 5th numbers in their score strings.
Phones also score BADGES to underline important features:
FOLD badge after phone’s name indicates a “fold” type of foldable phone with a hinge running on the long edge of it’s body.
FLIP badge after phone’s name indicates a “flip” type foldable phone – a hinge along the short side of it’s body.
* BEST badge indicates the BEST – better than all others and it is given to the Top scoring phone of the season. It is also assigned to a phone consistently judged as the best in a single category. Only a few phones hold the BEST badge in a single category:
• Battery: OnePlus 12, (Oppo) Realme GT 5 Pro and (Oppo) Realme GT 6 Pro got the BEST Battery badge for their battery endurance combined with the top charging speed (0 to 100% in less than 30 minutes).
• Screen: Samsung S25 Ultra
• Protection: Motorola Thinkphone 25 and Ulefone Armor Mini 20T Pro for adding Military grade drop and element protection to already maximum water and dust resistance.
• Main camera: Huawei Pura 70 Ultra
• Video recording: iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max
* TOP badge goes to the phone with maximum points in a category (i.e. Battery) or a subcategory (i.e. Battery endurance). In the “TOP Battery endurance” case, it marks a phone with a “more than a full day of battery life” (12 or more points at the 2nd position in the score string)
* TOP PHOTO/VIDEO badge is given to a phone with maximum scores in all three camera categories (the 5th, 6th and 7th number in the score string)
* BEST Midranger badge is given to the best scoring phone with a midrange processor like SD 7 (or lower) series or a Mediatec Dimensity 8xxx series or lower. Midrange phone score string will start with a number 9 or less indicating it’s processor performance
* TOP Midranger badge is given to top scoring midrange phones
★ star is added to the listing that displays expected (but not yet confirmed) test results. I will add and update these phones to give you more options to consider when making your purchasing plans.
76.8 mm / Apr 2025
13+14+15+12+15+5+5+0+5+0 = 84
78mm / Sep 2025
15+13+11+12+15+5+5+0+5+0 = 81
74 mm / Apr 2025 / 3 lenses
13+14+13+12+9+5+3+0+3+5 = 77
17 – 64: the EXCELLENT group
EDITORIAL: below are the phones with flagship processors and performance (and more years of use that comes along) with some of the top midrange chip phones sprinkled in. These are all excellent devices that will bring you more value and better experience compared to the GREAT phones group that follows them. All of these phones are great options if you’re looking for years of good performance, great build, good screen, reliable cameras and long software support at a lower price then phones in the SUPERIOR phone group.
FLAGSHIP vs the MIDRANGE adjectives create some confusion but are the current industry jargon for different hardware and price points. On this site, a flagship phone has a top tier (flagship) processor (currently Apple’s A18, SnapDragon 8 Elite, Mediatec 94xx series or the new Xiaomi XRing 01). Midrange phones have processors that are considerably less powerful. Having a high-end chip pushes the price up but provides much more processing power so it is safer to expect they will remain fast after more years of additional software updates.
Use the score string below each phones name to easily compare any two listings on my site. The string shows scores for: (1) Performance + (2) Battery + (3) Screen + (4) Protection + (5) Main camera + (6) Selfie + (7) Video recording + (8) Expandable memory + (9) Software + (10) Desktop replacement software. The first 5 categories can each have a maximum of 15 points and the second 5 can only go up to 5 points each (for a maximum possible total of 100 points). To see what points mean, please visit my ABOUT page > .
77.6 mm / Sep 2024
13+12+13+12+12+5+5+0+5+0 = 77
79 mm / Jan 2024
11+6+15+12+12+5+5+0+5+5 = 76
76.7 mm / Sep 2023
11+12+13+12+12+5+5+0+5+0 = 75
78.1 mm / Feb 2023
9+8+13+12+12+5+5+0+5+5 = 74
77.6 mm / Sep 2022
9+12+13+12+12+5+5+0+5+0 = 73
73 mm / Apr 2025 / 3 lenses
1+14+13+15+9+3+4+5+3+3 = 70
65 – 100: the GREAT group
EDITORIAL: I divide the TOP 100 phones into SUPERIOR, EXCELLENT and the GREAT group to give you a better sense of different types of phones and customers they target. As mentioned before: on this site, all flagship phones have flagship processors and midrange phones do not.
The bottom 44% of world’s TOP 100 PHONES has many excellent choices too. This is a group to focus on, if (like the many of us) you are looking to spend as little money on a phone as you can. There are many flagships in this group, phones over a year old that are now underpriced but can be used for another 3+ years. But overall, all of the phones in the GREAT phone part of the list offer lower performance and less years of updates than phones landing above.
Please consider that these phones offer less value then the phones in the first two groups (SUPERIOR and EXCELLENT). This is because the lower price will bring you lower quality components (processor speed, screen clarity, battery and camera performance) you will have to live with every day you have this phone. When divided over 30 months of use, the price difference between a $800 and a $400 phone is only $13 per month – a price of just one or two meals. You will do better to consider getting the best phone you could get and maybe holding onto it longer if your main concern is the price.
Use the score string to easily compare any two phones in my list. The string shows scores for: Performance + Battery + Screen + Protection + Main camera + Selfie + Video recording + Expandable memory + Software + Desktop replacement. The first 5 numbers carry a Max score of 15 points each and the second 5 numbers can only go to 5 points each.
101… : Phones outside the TOP 100…
As lowest scoring phones lose their spots in the TOP 100 list, they are moved here…
73.8 mm / Dec 2024
7+8+11+12+12+5+3+0+3+3 = 64
72.7 mm / May 2024 / 3 lenses
7+6+13+12+15+3+3+0+5+0 = 64
72.4 mm / Apr 2024
7+9+11+12+9+5+3+0+5+3 = 64
76.7 mm / Mar 2023
7+8+11+12+15+5+3+0+3+0 = 64
73.3mm / Jun 2025 / 3 lenses
5+14+11+6+9+5+3+5+5+0 = 63
77 mm / Feb 2025
13+8+10+12+9+5+3+0+3+0 = 63
71.2 mm / Aug 2024
4+8+13+15+9+3+3+0+5+3 = 63
72 mm / Aug 2024 / 3 lenses
7+6+13+12+12+5+3+0+5+0 = 63
74.0 mm / Jun 2024 / 3 lenses
9+8+11+12+9+5+3+0+3+3 = 63
72.4 mm / May 2024
9+9+13+12+9+5+0+0+3+3 = 63
74.6 mm / Apr 2023
9+8+13+12+12+3+3+0+3+0 = 63
71.5 mm / Sep 2021 / 3 lenses
7+6+11+12+12+5+5+0+5+0 = 63
75.2mm / Jul 2025 / 3 lenses
9+7+10+12+9+5+0+0+5+5 = 62
76.1 mm / May 2025 / 3 lenses
13+14+9+6+9+0+3+0+3+5 = 62
74.7mm / May 2025
5+14+11+12+9+5+3+0+3+0 = 62
74.7 mm / Nov 2024
5+14+11+12+9+5+3+0+3+0 = 62
75.1 mm / Sep 2024
9+9+11+12+9+3+4+0+5+0 = 62
74.8 mm / Jun 2024
7+14+10+6+9+5+3+5+3+0 = 62
75.4 mm / Jan 2024
11+9+11+6+12+5+5+0+3+0 = 62
75.4 mm / Nov 2023
11+8+13+12+9+3+3+0+3+0 = 62
73.1 mm / May 2025
3+8+13+15+3+3+3+5+3+5 = 61
75.1 mm / Sep 2024
5+8+13+12+12+3+3+0+5+0 = 61
71.5 mm / Nov 2023
11+8+11+12+9+0+5+0+5+0 = 61
70.8 mm / Oct 2023 / 3 lenses
7+6+13+12+12+3+3+0+5+0 = 61
77.1 mm / Sep 2024
7+6+13+12+9+5+3+0+5+0 = 61
75.1 mm / Dec 2023
11+15+13+6+9+3+0+0+3+0 = 60
74 mm / Jun 2025 / 3 lenses
3+8+11+12+9+5+3+0+3+5 = 59
78 mm / May 2025
3+13+8+12+9+3+3+5+3+0 = 59
77.3 mm / Oct 2024
6+6+10+12+9+3+3+0+5+5 = 59
72.4 mm / Aug 2024
3+8+13+15+9+3+0+0+5+3 = 59
71.9 mm / Jul 2024 / 3 lenses
9+6+13+12+9+5+0+0+5+0 = 59
77.9mm / Jun 2025 / 3 lenses
11+14+13+12+3+0+0+0+5+0 = 58
73.3 mm / Apr 2025 / 3 lenses
7+6+13+12+9+3+3+0+5+0 = 58
75.1 mm / Jun 2024
9+15+13+6+9+0+3+0+3+0 = 58
74.1 mm / Jun 2024
7+14+8+6+9+3+3+5+3+0 = 58
75.9 mm / Nov 2023
9+9+13+6+12+3+3+0+3+0 = 58
78.3mm / Aug 2025
2+14+11+12+9+3+3+0+3+0 = 57
77.5 mm / Mar 2025
7+7+11+12+9+3+3+0+5+0 = 57
74 mm / Jul 2024 / 3 lenses
11+8+13+0+12+5+5+0+3+0 = 57
73.5 mm / Aug 2023
9+14+11+0+12+5+3+0+3+0 = 57
74.6 mm / May 2025 / 3 lenses
5+8+13+6+12+4+3+0+5+0 = 56
74.2 mm / Nov 2024 / 3 lenses
7+14+11+6+9+3+3+0+3+0 = 56
75.1 mm / Mar 2024 / 3 lenses
5+14+11+6+9+5+3+0+3+0 = 56
75.8 mm / Sep 2023
7+8+11+6+12+5+3+0+5+0 = 56
71.9 mm / Aug 2023 / 3 lenses
9+2+11+12+9+5+3+0+5+0 = 56
75.2 mm / May 2024
7+8+11+6+12+3+3+0+5+0 = 55
77.4 mm / Mar 2024
4+6+8+12+9+3+3+5+5+0 = 55
64.2 mm / Sep 2021 / 3 lenses
7+6+6+12+9+5+5+0+5+0 = 55
71.5 mm / Feb 2025 / 2 lenses
13+6+6+12+9+5+3+0+5+0 = 54
75.3 mm / Nov 2024
11+8+11+6+9+3+3+0+3+0 = 54
76.4 mm / Jul 2024 / 3 lenses
11+14+11+0+9+3+3+0+3+0 = 54
73.3 mm / Oct 2023 / 3 lenses
9+8+11+6+12+5+0+0+3+0 = 54
73.3 mm / Oct 2023 / 3 lenses
9+8+11+6+12+5+0+0+3+0 = 54
75.1 mm / Mar 2024
5+8+11+6+12+5+3+0+3+0 = 53
68.1 mm / Jul 2023 / 3 lenses
9+6+8+12+9+3+3+0+3+0 = 53
75.0 mm / May 2024
9+9+13+6+9+0+3+0+3+0 = 52
75.8 mm / Sep 2023 / 2 lenses
1+8+3+15+9+3+3+5+5+0 = 52
73.9 mm / Jul 2024
7+8+11+6+9+3+3+0+3+0 = 51
76.3 mm / Mar 2024 / 3 lenses
3+14+8+6+9+3+5+0+3+0 = 51
77.2 mm / Oct 2024 / 3 lenses
1+6+6+15+9+3+0+5+5+0 = 50
76.3 mm / Aug 2024 / 3 lenses
3+14+8+6+9+3+3+0+3+0 = 49
74.3 mm / Jan 2024
9+8+11+6+9+0+3+0+3+0 = 49
77.5 mm / Mar 2025
7+7+10+6+9+3+3+0+3+0 = 48
74.7 mm / Sep 2024
7+9+11+12+6+0+0+0+3+0 = 48
74.2 mm / Sep 2023
3+8+13+6+9+3+3+0+3+0 = 48
73.4 mm / Apr 2023
9+9+10+0+9+5+3+0+3+0 = 48
OnePlus Nord 5
77mm / Jul 2025 / 3 lenses
7+8+13+6+3+5+0+0+5+0 = 47 …
* TOP Selfie * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: A change in direction for the Nord line – gone is the all aluminium uni-body of Nord 4, the volume slider, UFS4.0 memory and excellent battery endurance and charging. Bring in a faster chip (with UFS3.1) and a bigger screen. OnePlus also brings in Plus Key and AI Plus Mind. The former replaces volume slider with a programmable key and the latter is a useful virtual space for all information you wish to keep and organize. Nord 5 comes in two versions with incredibly different battery sizes. One is 5200mAh and the other is whooping 6800mAh in the same body size! How is it possible to fit a battery that big or: why on Earth would you offer 5200mAh when you could do so much better!?…
PROs: good SD 8s Gen 3 with UFS3.1 performance, excellent battery life on the 6800mAh Indian version, great selfie camera with AF and 4 years of OS updates
CONs: all plastic build (except for screen), still only IP54, downgraded sub24hr battery endurance (on 5200mAh version) and 80W sub1hr charging speed, inconsistent photo and video performance from 50MP OIS PDAF main + 8MP ultrawide, no SDmemory, desktop replacement or video out from a slow USB-C 2.0 port (added Jul 14, 2025)
76.1 mm / Nov 2024
13+14+11+0+3+3+0+0+3+0 = 47
68 mm / Jun 2024 / 3 lenses
3+12+6+12+3+3+0+5+3+0 = 47
74.5 mm / May 2024 / 3 lenses
10+8+11+6+9+0+0+0+3+0 = 47
78mm wide / Mar 2024
0+6+6+12+9+3+0+5+5+0 = 46
Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G
74.4mm / Jan 2025
3+7+11+12+3+3+3+0+3+0 = 45
EDITORIAL: More than a year since the 13 Pro, Xiaomi is putting up an upgrade. The processor is a downgrade in terms of performance, battery endurance is still less then 24 hours with slower charging, IP want up to IP69 (full water immersion), same camera setup and no SDmemory or desktop replacement feature. There is no video-out either, Redmi Note sticks to the same formula of delivering a large, mediocre phone for a low price.
PROs: relatively compact and easy to hold one Hand, stable Dimensity 7300 Ultra chip with UFS2.2 performance, 65min 45W wired charging, IP69 and good day and night imaging from the 200MP OIS PDAF main camera
CONs: sub24hr 5110mAh Li battery endurance, unreliable 8MP ultrawide and mediocre 20MP selfie (neither has AF), a token 2MP macro lens, no SDmemory, no video out, slow USB-C 2.0 and just 3 years of OS updates (added Jul 24, 2025)
75.7mm wide / Sep 2019
3+8+0+12+9+5+3+0+5+0 = 45
74.3 mm / Jan 2024
7+8+13+6+3+3+0+0+3+0 = 43
74.1 mm / Jul 2023
7+2+11+0+9+5+3+0+3+3 = 42
Infinix Hot 60 Pro+
75.8mm / Jul 2025 / 2 lenses
0+7+13+6+9+4+0+0+3+0 = 42
EDITORIAL: This super-thin 4G phone comes with a very bright 144Hz screen and a 5000mAh Si/C battery – a real competition for Apple and Samsung’s 2025 slim phones. And you can get it for just $150!…
PROs: 4D screen makes it feel even thinner then 5.9mm, okay Helio G200 (6nm) performance, >12hr endurance from a 5100mAh Silicone Carbon battery, 65min 45W wired charging, >1600nits AMOLED screen with Widevine L1 DRM certification, IP65 with 1.5m drop protection, reliable pics from a 50MP PDAF main shooter, very good 13MP (no AF) selfie, very light 155g plastic-frame fiberglass-back build, IR blaster
CONs: 1 back camera made to look like there are 3 lenses, only 4G, poor night video recording, no SDmemory slot, no desktop replacement feature, slow USB-C 2.0 port (with OTG) (added Sep 16, 2025)
74.9 mm / Jan 2025
0+6+10+6+9+3+0+5+3+0 = 42
74.4 mm / Jan 2025
4+6+11+12+3+0+3+0+3+0 = 42
77 mm / Jul 2024 / 2 lenses
3+13+3+6+3+3+3+5+3+0 = 42
73.5 mm / Sep 2024
5+8+6+0+12+5+0+0+3+3 = 42
75 mm / Aug 2024
5+15+11+6+3+0+0+0+5+0 = 42
76.8 mm / Jan 2024
11+14+10+0+3+0+0+0+3+0 = 41
78.8 mm / Mar 2025
0+7+6+12+3+3+3+0+5+0 = 39
63.3 mm / Oct 2024
0+6+0+15+3+3+3+5+3+0 = 38
74.2 mm / Sep 2023
5+8+13+6+3+0+0+0+3+0 = 38
Sony Xperia 10 VII
72mm / Sep 2025 / 3 lenses
0+6+9+12+0+0+5+3+0 = 35
EDITORIAL: 15 months after 10 VI comes a major change in Sony’s approach to what midrange phones should be like. Gone is the battery champion and unique and scroll super-friendly 21:9 aspect ratio. The phone retaines the headphone jack, SDmemory slot as well as notch-free display Xperias have been known for. There is now a (one-step) camera button – a 1st on a 10 series Xperia. Cameras have been upgraded but their imaging performance remains disappointing.
PROs: still compact and one-hand friendly 169g body, descent SD 6 Gen 3 performance, >1000nits OLED screen finally with 120Hz refresh rate, IP68 protection, SDmemory slot, well-balanced front-facing stereo speakers
CONs: plastic frame and back, sub-24hr 5000mAh battery endurance with slow >90min 30W wired charging. poorly optimized screen refresh rate is limited to 60 OR 120Hz needlessly draining the (old-tech) Lithium battery. unreliable imaging from a 50MP PDAF main + 13MP ultrawide, unreliable 8MP selfie (no AF), unreliable video recording front and back. less then 4 years of very clean version of Android updates, no desktop replacement feature or video out from a slow USB-C 2.0 port (added Sep 14, 2025)
76.6 mm / Jan 2025
0+12+6+6+3+0+0+5+3+0 = 35
75 mm / May 2023
7+8+8+6+3+0+0+0+3+0 = 35
77.9 mm / Oct 2024
0+6+0+6+3+3+3+5+5+0 = 31
78 mm / Nov 2023
1+12+0+0+3+3+0+5+5+0 = 29
76.8 mm / Dec 2023
0+12+0+0+3+3+0+5+5+0 = 28
Since 2020, last update Oct 11, 2025
Updates in the last 30 days:
Oct 11 added Xiaomi 15T listing at 37th spot
Oct 6 added a pre-test listing for Xiaomi 17 Pro Max on 7th spot
Oct 6 added a pre-test listing for Xiaomi 17 Pro on 6th spot
Oct 5 added a pre-test listing for Xiaomi 17 at 8th spot
Oct 5 added Honor Magic V Flip 2 at 41st spot
Oct 3 updated Apple iPhone 17 Pro post-test scores and position from the 16th to the 12th spot
Oct 2 added Xiaomi 15T Pro on 40th position
Sep 30 updated Phone RELEASE SCHEDULE on PAGE 2
Sep 27 updated Apple iPhone 17 post-test scores and position from the 40th to the 67th spot
Sep 26 updated Apple iPhone Air post-test scores and position from the 41st to the 55th spot
Sep 24 updated Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max scores to match is camera quality to 17 Pro Max. Adjusted it’s location from 10th to 16th spot
Sep 24 updated Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max post-test score and position
Sep 17 updated Google Pixel 10 Pro XL post-test listing status
Sep 16 added Infinix Hot 60 Pro+
Sep 15 added a pre-test Apple iPhone 17 Air at 41st spot
Sep 14 added Sony Xperia 10 VII
Sep 13 added Samsung Galaxy S25 FE at 91st spot
Sep 12 added a pre-test Apple iPhone 17 at 40th spot
Sep 11 added a pre-test Apple iPhone 17 Pro listing at 16th place
Sep 10 reduced every listing’s processor and total score by 2 points to allow for the next gen processors to get the max (15 pts) score and added a pre-test Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max listing at 4th spot
Sep 9 added (Xiaomi) Redmi Note 15 Pro+ pre-test listing
Sep 8 updated Google Pixel 10 Pro post-test listing status
Sep 7 added PAGE 2 with TOP 10 lists, Current MARKET REPORT and Phone RELEASE SCHEDULE