reviews for phones 1-29

the SUPERIOR phones offer the best value. They come with top processors that allow for more years of great performance and longer software support. They also have a better build that gives you more peace of mind. They typically pack biger batteries that can last a day and a half or longer, have excellent screens and all of the world’s best camera phones happen to be in this group. The SUPERIOR group phones cost more but when you amortize the price over 30 months (the average length of phone ownership) you pay a very nominal premium when compared to a price of a good midrange phone.
The math is simple: when broken over two and a half years (30 months), one of the $1,100 phones will cost you about $37 per month. A $500 (good) midrange phone would be $17 – this gives you a $20 difference per month. But if you reached for a more expensive option, you could be using the best tool you could have, taking the best photos and videos, seeing everything on a better and brighter screen, wasting less time having to charge your phone more often and using the most advanced AI and other software features and updates… AND IF you decide to hold on to your phone for full 3 years, the difference is $17 per month (1100/36 vs 500/36).

Here is the Samsung S24 Ultra’s score string:

13+6+15+12+12+5+5+0+5+5 = 78

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. The bigger number is always better. The first 5 categories carry a maximum of 15 points each. Categories 6 to 10 are “value categories” each adding up to 5 points.

(1) Performance + (2) Battery + (3) Screen + (4) Ingress protection + (5) Main camera + (6) Selfie camera + (7) Video recording + (8) SD memory + (9) Software and (10) Desktop replacement

The 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 their 2nd and 5th numbers in the score string.

To see how I rate each category, please visit the About page .

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.
* 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.

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Photos * TOP Software * TOP Desktop replacement · Badge Guide >
EDITORIAL: This is Honor’s “Ultra” model, now smaller in every way when compared to Magic 7 Pro and significantly (>2mm) narrower. It features the best SnapDragon chip, a much bigger battery, fast charging, brighter LTPO screen, excellent and very loud speakers and possibly the best set of back cameras in business. There are three different variants, based on battery size and charging: China gets 7200mAh battery with 120W wired charging, Global version has a 7100mAh model with 100W charging and the EU market gets a 6270mAh also with 100W wired charging. Honor promises 7 years of OS updates and (along Pixel and Samsung) includes market leading AI integration. There is also a great desktop replacement feature rivaling Samsung’s DeX. This pocket-friendly flagship is incredibly hard to beat.
PROs: one-hand friendly 75mm narrow, flagship built, top SD 8 Elite Gen 5 with UFS 4.1 performance, 48hr endurance from 7100mAh (36hr from 6270mAh version) Si/C battery, 40min 100W charging (80W wireless). bright >1800nits 450ppi LTPO AMOLED screen with >4000Hz PWM and Dolby Vision certification, IP69 protection. top imaging from a 50MP 23mm OIS main + 200MP 85mm OIS periscope telephoto + 50MP 12mm ultrawide (all with PDAF) and excellent 50MP selfie, up to 7 years of OS updates, advanced AI integration, powerful desktop replacement functionality and fast USB-C 3.2 with Display Port tech
CONs: limited market availability, selfie with no AF (tho it does have a TOF 3D sensor), somewhat inconsistent videos across lenses, no SDmemory slot (updated Jan 9, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Photos * TOP Software . Badge Guide > …
EDITORIAL: (this is a pre-test listing based on reasonable expectations of battery endurance and charging, camera, selfie and video recording performance) 5mm shorter and 2mm narrower then last year’s model, Magic 8 comes with a much bigger battery and improved main and telephoto cameras. The selfie is still AF-less and the USB-C stayed a disappointingly slow 2.0 but got the Display Port 1.2 feature
PROs: 74mm narrow body, flagship grade build with a small and centered camera bump, top SD 8 Elite Gen 5 with UFS 4.0 performance, close to 48hr endurance from a 7000mAh Si-C battery with sub-60min 90W (80W wireless) charging. bright >1800nits 460ppi LTPO AMOLED screen with >4300Hz PWM dimming and Dolby Vision certification, IP69 protection. great pics from a 50MP OIS main + 64MP OIS telephoto + 50MP ultrawide (all with PDAF) back camera setup, up to 7 years of OS updates, market leading AI integration (along Samsung and Google phones) and desktop replacement functionality
CONs: limited market availability, no AF on selfie, inconsistent videos across lenses, no SDmemory slot, slow USB-C 2.0 port (updated Jan 25, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Screen * TOP Photos * TOP Selfie * BEST Video recording * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: A major redesign means bigger and heavier (in every way) 17 Pro with a new camera “plateau”. The processor is improved and the first iPhone cooling chamber added. It comes with a minimum of 256GB of storage, less bright but less reflective screen, new periscope telephoto and a new selfie camera. It has the same starting price as 16 Pro and no mention of any AI additions. Same old battery tech and 24hr endurance means you may have to carry a charging brick – pretty embarrassing for a US$1100 phone.
PROs: attractive new colors (but no black), fast A19 Pro performance, longer endurance compared to 16 Pro from a 3900mAh lithium battery with a sub-90min 30W wired charging (25W wireless), sub-1050nits bright LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED with Dolby Vision and new anti reflective coating, excellent triple 48MP PDAF camera setup (main + periscope with OIS) with ProRes, excellent Center Stage 18MP selfie with OIS PDAF and ProRes too, best video recording in industry, stable OS with up to 6 years of updates, USB-C 3.2 with Video-out tech
CONs: same Lithium battery tech with 24hr battery endurance and sub-80min of 45W charging (a 2 year old solution), better color science can not make up for smudgy detail in some photos, the ultrawide camera colors can differ from the other 2 lenses, 24MP default pic size eats up twice the space and forces one to store more pics in iCloud (reenforcing dependency on Apple), no expandable memory, no desktop replacement feature, silence on AI improvements, overall lack of innovation Apple used to be known for (updated Oct 19, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Selfie * BEST Video * TOP Software . Badge Guide > …
EDITORIAL: Apple decided to introduce an aluminium frame for it’s Pro phones after years of promoting steel and titanium as better options. The camera bump now stretches across the top portion of the back to allow for a bigger battery and the new cooling chamber. These make for the biggest design changes in years and it’s a needed move considering there is much more Android competition in the premium segment. All of the back cameras are now 48MP but photography is not showing improvement over 16 Pro Max while phones from Vivo, Huawei, Vivo and Xiaomi now offer better pics. A new 18MP selfie produces great photos (as did the old one) and iPhone Pros still record the best videos, front and back. New A19 Pro is a good processor but not as powerful as are the latest SnapDragon and Mediatec chips. iOS 26 brings Liquid Glass design language while keeping the fundamentals the same. Home screen has to include several panes of icons and while labels can now be removed, the overall design is not the most efficient and/or visually pleasing. In all, this Best iPhone ever may struggle to add more converts to Apple’s ecosystem.
PROs: attractive new design and colors, great Apple A19 Pro with NVMe performance, over 24hrs of battery life, sub-90min 35W charging (25W wireless), new anti reflective LTPO HDR OLED screen with Dolby Vision, IP68 protection (down to 6m), great pics from 48MP OIS main + 48MP OIS periscope telephoto + 48MP ultrawide (all with PDAF) back lenses, new 18MP Center Stage selfie, the best video recording, 6+ years of OS updates, video out USB-C port and a new 2TB storage option
CONs: wider and heavier then 16 Pro Max, many reports of easy scratching, dropped screen brightness to about 1000nits, no memory expansion slot, no desktop replacement software, expensive (updated Sep 24, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Screen * TOP PHOTO/VIDEO * TOP Software · Badge Guide >
EDITORIAL: Eagerly anticipated Vivo X200 Ultra came with top hardware and very mature photo and video processing. It improves on the amazing X200 Pro by adding UFS 4.1, higher pixel density screen, OIS PDAF on all of its back lenses, AF selfie and a dedicated iPhone-like photo hardware slider. An amazing smartphone if you don’t mind it’s big size and heft. There is also an extensive optional camera accessories package that adds controls, battery and a 200mm telephoto lens.
SUPERPOWER: raises the bar in every facet of mobile photography
PROs: top Snapdragon 8 Elite with UFS 4.1 performance, almost 36hr endurance from a 6000mAh silicone diode battery with sub-50min 90W charging (40W wireless), a >500ppi >1800nits bright Dolby Vision LTPO AMOLED screen, IP69 protection, top imaging from 50MP 35mm main + 200MP 85mm periscope + 50MP 14mm ultrawide (all with OIS PDAF!) back cameras with an optional add-on 200mm zoom lens, great 50MP 24mm AF selfie and reliable video recording from all lenses. up to 5 years of stable and mature OriginOS, fast USBC 3.2 with OTG and Display Port tech
CONs: 229g heavy, massive camera bump, still no expandable memory or desktop replacement feature. (updated Jan 13, 2025)

* TOP Performance * BEST Screen * TOP PHOTO/VIDEO * TOP Software * TOP Desktop replacement . Badge Guide > …
EDITORIAL: The S25 Ultra may be an incremental upgrade in hardware and camera tech but it is a world leader in AI functionality as Samsung turns to AI software to set itself apart from the competition. This is a phone with top performance, a full day of battery life, excellent photo and video results and 7 years of very stable OS package. Included is DeX – still the very best desktop replacement software there is. The screen, while not the brightest and still without Dolby Vision, minimizes reflections and is more usable outdoors than any other. This year, Samsung decided to give us an Ultra with better battery endurance and faster charging too. The lack of expandable memory is the only thing keeping the S25 Ultra back. The stylus lost it’s Bluetooth magic but still works great.
SUPERPOWER: has every feature and does everything very well too
PROs: Snapdragon 8 Elite, LTPO AMOLED screen with anti reflective coating, 200MP main camera joined by a 10MP and 50MP tele photos and a 50MP ultrawide and a 12MP PDAF Selfie, 7 years of OS updates, AI features ahead of the pack and the amazing DeX computer replacement software
CONs: 218gr 77.6mm wide glass and metal brick with a small 5000mAh battery, 45W slow charging, Samsung’s refusal to include expandable SDmemory storage (do you know how big are these 8k video files?), the Ecosystem that’s trying to lock you in (since 2019) (updated Mar 26,2025)

* TOP Performance * BEST Battery endurance * TOP Photos * TOP Selfie * TOP Software . Badge Guide > …
EDITORIAL: This is a meaningful upgrade of a Find X8 Pro. Significantly bigger battery with record breaking endurance, a excellent 200MP periscope telephoto that replaced two 50MP zoom lenses, finally an AF on the upgraded selfie and a customizable action button. Unlike Vivo, Xiaomi and Honor, Oppo likes it’s phones to be wide. X9 has actually gone a millimeter shorter while staying 76mm wide for a more squarish screen ratio. The imaging performance is Ultra level with minor complaints like 2x performance of the main lens. No 8k video.
PROs: flagship built, excellent Dimensity 9500 with UFS 4.1 performance, full 48hr endurance from a 7500mAh Si tech battery with sub-70min 80W charging (50W wireless). >450ppi LTPO AMOLED screen with 2000Hz PWM Dolby Vision and HDR10+ certification, IP69 protection. excellent imaging from a 50MP 23mm OIS main + 200MP 70mm OIS 3x periscope telephoto + 50MP 15mm ultrawide (all with multi-directional PDAF), great new 50MP PDAF selfie and up to 5 years of OS updates of already stable and AI feature-rich software
CONs: >220g heavy, no SDmemory slot, no desktop replacement functionality or even Video Out (updated Jan 27, 2026)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Video * TOP Software . Badge Guide > …
EDITORIAL: (this is a pre-test listing based on a reasonable expectation of battery charging, imaging and software performance) Xiaomi is going after Apple this year with matching gen number and addition of Pro and Pro Max models. The plain 17 one adds a massive battery upgrade (from 5500 to 7000mAh!), faster processor and storage, better selfie (finally with AF) and Dolby Atmos certified speakers. It should be a battery endurance beast.
PROs: compact, fast SD 8 Elite Gen 5 with UFS 4.1 performance, 2day endurance from 7000mAh battery with sub-60min 100W charging (50W wireless). >1600nits bright LTPO AMOLED screen with Dolby Vision and >2100 PWM dimming, IP68 protection. excellent photo and video recording from a 50MP OIS PDAF main & tele cameras + 50MP ultrawide, great 50MP PDAF selfie, more than 3 years of OS updates
CONs: dated design, still no AF on ultrawide camera, no SDmemory, no desktop replacement feature (added Oct 5, 2025)

* TOP Selfie * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: As last year, Honor brought us a customized (luxury) version of it’s top phone. The Magic 7 RSR Porsche Design is an amazing phone in every regard.
PROs: Porsche Design, SD 8 Elite processor with UPS 4.0 memory, 5850mAh Silicone Carbon battery, 1500+nits bright 4320Hz PWM LTPO OLED screen, IP69 protection, PDAF 50MP + 200MP periscope tele + 50MP ultrawide with a 50MP AF Selfie, 7 years of very stable and feature rich OS and Desktop replacement software too
CONs: 228gr 77.1 body, inconsistent videos across lenses, lack of expandable storage (do they know how big are these 8k video files?) (updated Jun 29, 2025)

* TOP Selfie * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: While seemingly incremental, this is a real upgrade over the 2024 Magic 6 Pro. Only the camera is similar but the physical build, (flatter) screen, fingerprint reader, speakers, water resistance, OS, AI features and even battery charging speed (both weird and wireless) have been upgraded. This time, there are different battery size models: some markets will receive Magic 7 Pro with a 5270mAh pack, others with a 5850mAh sized battery. The smaller battery model will still give you a full-day battery life but not the close to 36hr performance you will get from the bigger one. Either way, check before you buy. What is still missing is the SD memory expansion slot and a more polished desktop replacement software.
PROs: SnapDragon 8 Elite processor with UFS 4.0 and excellent overall performance, choose to 36hr endurance from a 5850mAh Silicone Carbon battery (smaller in Europe), sub-40min 100W (80W wireless) charging, 1500+nits bright LTPO AMOLED screen with Dolby Vision and >4000Hz PWM, IP69 water protection, descendent photos from 50MP 24mm OIS main + 200MP 72mm OIS periscope tele + 50MP 12mm ultrawide (each with PDAF) camera system, a 50MP 21mm PDAF selfie, 7 years of very stable and AI feature-rich OS that includes Desktop replacement feature
CONs: big andv 223gr heavy, 77.1mm wide body, inconsistent videos across lenses and a lack of expandable SDmemory storage (updated Mar 26, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Screen * TOP Selfie * TOP Video * TOP Software * TOP Desktop replacement . Badge Guide > …
EDITORIAL: Despite minimal upgrades the S25+ looks great. It comes with the fastest processor, memory and USB hardware, top screen and a big push in AI and overall functionality. A very complete (if uninspired) package.
PROs: SnapDragon 8 Elite, full day battery life, 1400+nits 500+ppi LTPO AMOLED with HDR10+, PDAF 12MP Selfie, leading AI features, 7 years of OS updates and DeX software that can replace your computer for most work scenarios
CONs: a sub-24-hour battery endurance, 8k Video recording but no expandable storage (updated Mar 26, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Screen * TOP Software
EDITORIAL:Less then a year after GT 7 here comes a proper upgrade that may signal a shift in Realme’s (and it’s parent Oppo’s) expectations. This is a true flagship phone with a slow USB-C 2.0 port as it’s only real weakness. GT 8 is shorter and thinner then it’s precessor while bringing a bigger 144Hz hi-res Dolby Vision screen, top performance chip and memory, very long battery endurance and a strong Ricoh tech imaging package that includes a 200MP periscope telephoto. To razzle dazzle, Realme created a removable camera module cover that can be replaced with custom covers of different materials, shapes and colors making this a truly unique offering for a fraction of the price your will pay elsewhere.
PROs: customizable camera cover system – a true 1st on the market, fast SD 8 Elite Gen 5 with UFS 4.1 performance, 2day endurance from a 7000mAh Si-C diode battery with sub-50min 120W (50W wireless) charging. >1900nits bright >500ppi 144Hz LTPO AMOLED with Dolby Vision, IP69 protection. flagship grade imaging from a 50MP 22mm main + 200MP 65mm periscope telephoto (both with OIS PDAF) + 50MP 16mm ultrawide, up to 4 years of OS updates
CONs: almost 79mm wide and hard to use one-hand, scratch and drop resistance may not be flagship-like, no AF on ultrawide, mediocre 32MP non-AF selfie, mediocre video recording, no expandable memory nor video-out or desktop replacement functionality (updated Nov 20, 2025)

* TOP Processor * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Screen * TOP Software . Badge Guide > …
EDITORIAL: Featuring Xiaomi’s own processor, the 15S Pro masks a beginning of a new era. Unlike Huawei’s Kirin chips, the new XRing 01 is a proper 3nm top-of-the-line processor that competes head on with SD 8 Elite and Mediatec’s top Dimensity 9400. The rest of this phone is a copy of Xiaomi 15 Pro: battery, screen, IP protection, cameras and connection.
PROs: the 1st Xiaomi XRing chip phone is a historic step, excellent performance from XRing 01 processor with UFS4.1, 2-day+ 6100mAh Si-C endurance with sub-60min 90W charging (50W wireless), >1500 nits bright >520ppi LTPO AMOLED with Dolby Vision screen, IP68 protection, great imaging from 50MP main + 50MP periscope telephoto (both OIS PDAF) + 50MP AF ultrawide cameras, 4+ years of OS updates
CONs: China-only model, no AF on selfie, no expandable memory or desktop replacement functionality (added Jul 2, 2025)

* TOP Screen * TOP Photo * TOP Video * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: This year, one of the TOP 5 camera phones came with a significant battery endurance improvement. The main camera retained the 1″ sensor but lost the variable aperture but the 2 zoom cameras are better then ever. There is no AF on the selfie but like last year, there is an extra camera grip available for the ultimate photo & video creation. Still missing are SD memory card and the desktop replacement feature. Promised are 4 years of OS updates.
SUPERPOWER: Top 5 flagship Main camera
PROs: 75mm narrow for a flagship, great SnapDragon 8 Elite processor with UFS 4.1 performance, 36hr endurance from a 6000mAh (China model) SihC diode battery (Global version gets a 5410mAh battery with 24hr endurance), 90W wired (80W wireless) charging, outstanding 1600+nits bright 500+ppi LTPO AMOLED screen with Dolby Vision, a 50MP 23mm OIS main + 50MP 70mm OIS tele + 200MP 100mm OIS periscope telephoto + 50MP 14mm ultrawide (all PDAF), excellent video recording, up to 4 years of OS updates, fast USBC 3.2 with OTG and Display Port tech
CONs: selfie with no OIS or even AF, lack of expandable SDmemory storage (while offering 8k video recording) and a lack of desktop replacement software (updated Jan 25, 2026)

* TOP Processor * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Screen * TOP Software . Badge Guide > …
EDITORIAL: Xiaomi got it right with this outstanding phone. The processor, excellent battery life and charging, top screen, main camera and OS update support. It is a mystery why there is no AF on the selfie (again), no SDmemory expansion and no desktop replacement functionality. This is a China market exclusive.
PROs: SnapDragon 8 Elite processor, a 6100mAh Silicone Carbon battery with 2-day+ endurance, 90W wired or 50W wireless charging, a bright 500+ppi LTPO AMOLED screen with Dolby Vision, a 50MP main + 50MP tele with OIS PDAF + a 50MP AF ultrawide
CONs: this is a China-only phone, selfie with no OIS or even AF, lack of expandable SDmemory storage and a lack of desktop replacement software (updated Mar 26, 2025)

* TOP Battery endurance * TOP Software . Badge Guide > …
EDITORIAL: The most powerful Apple phone until 2025, delivered the best Apple had to offer. It was also the best all around phone on the market in the Fall of 2024, excelling in prosessor power and video recording while bringing top tier battery endurance, photos, selfies and videos. Apple never offered expandable memory, preferring to charge a lot for larger memory capacity and the use of iCloud. It will probably never include a desktop repacement option either. But this phone’s USB C port does provides video-out, waiting for an app that could turn all that processing power into a desktop computer replacement dream… Oh, and Apple’s iPhone lounch is still the best phone industry event, hands down.
SUPERPOWER: the Best Video recording and phone’s amazing integration inside the Apple ecosystem
PROs: being the best iPhone, fast A18 Pro chip performance, >24hr battery endurance, 1800nits very bright LTPO OLED with Dolby Vision, 48MP main + 12MP periscope tele (both with OIS PDAF) + new 48MP PDAF ultrawide, a 12MP OIS and PDAF Selfie, up to 6 years of updates of already very stable and mature iOS
CONs: getting locked into an overpriced ecosystem, lack of innovation in recent years, embarrassing AI effort, >90min sub-40W slow battery charging (15W wireless), lack of expandable storage, no Desktop replacement software (updated Sep 25, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Software …
EDITORIAL: Oppo’s OnePlus skipped number 14 to bring us an interesting upgrade of excellent OnePlus 13. The 15 is a very competent and affordable flagship with excellent build and performance, chart topping b battery endurance, fast charging, bright 165Hz refresh rate screen and a reliable camera setup that dropped Hasselblad tech and now leans on image processing tech. It adds AF selfie and replaces the excellent 3-step alert slider with an AI button. Software is smooth, modern and AI feature packed.
PROs: improved design and build, great SD 8 Elite Gen 5 with UFS 4.1 performance. 2day battery endurance from 7300mAh Si-C battery with sub-50min 120W (50W wireless) charging. >1300nits bright 450ppi LTPO AMOLED screen with Dolby Vision, IP69 protection (down to 2m for 30min). reliable imaging from 50MP 24mm OIS main + 50MP 80mm OIS periscope telephoto + 50MP 16mm ultrawide (all with PDAF). good 32MP 21mm AF selfie. reliable flagship-like video recording (except from ultrawide in low light) up to 4 years of updates of stable and mature ColorOS – OnePlus version of Oppo’s OS.
CONs: 76.7mm wide and hard to use one-hand, less potent camera hardware with a loss of Hasselblad tech, no expandable memory and no desktop replacement functionality or even Video-Out functionality (updated Nov 15, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP BATTERY * TOP Photos * TOP Selfie * TOP Software . Badge Guide > …
EDITORIAL: Vivo has improved on it’s most popular 2024 phone by making it smaller, adding the top Dimensity chip with a two channel UFS 4.1. optimizing software, adding 500mAh to it’s Silicone diode battery and giving it a new 50MP selfie with AF. This makes Vivo X Pro model one of the best imaging phones in the world.
PROs: smaller in every direction with flat front and back panels, very fast Dimensity 9500 (3nm) with dual UFS 4.1 performance, 6500mAh Si battery (some markets get a 5440mAh unit), sub-30min 90W charging (40W wireless). >2000nits bright 450ppi LTPO AMOLED screen with >2000Hz PWM and Dolby Vision, IP69 protection. outstanding 50MP 24mm main + 200MP 85mm 3.7zoom periscope telephoto (both with OIS PDAF) + 50MP 15mm AF ultrawide and 50MP 20mm AF selfie, up to 5 OS updates, fast USB-C 3.2 with OTG functionality. excellent add-on photography kit with battery extender ultra zoom and more
CONs: not globally available (tho sold in most countries), only 24hr endurance from a 6500mAh battery (sub-24hr endurance for the smaller 5440mAh battery model), no SDmemory slot, no desktop replacement feature nor Video-Out, much more expensive on release compared to X200 Pro, very expensive camera add-on kit (updated Nov 30, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Photo * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: Ten months since last Xiaomi’s Ultra comes a phone with the first-ever physical zoom ring. 17 Ultra Leica edition features a physical zoom ring, ribbed frame for better grip, encryption chip and dual satellite communication chops that plain 17 Ultra lacks. Both models loose one of the two telephoto lenses 15 Ultra had and their screens drop below 500ppi. The phones gained in width and battery size but their photography skills are better then ever.
SUPERPOWER: this is the TOP 5 camera phone in the world
PROs: very fast SD 8 Elite Gen 5 with NFS 4.1 performance, great 36hr endurance from a 6800mAh Si-C diode battery with sub-60min 90W (50W wireless) charging, excellent >1100nits bright 416ppi LTPO OLED screen with >2000 PWM dimming and Dolby Vision, IP69 (down to 6m for up to 30min), superb photography from a 50MP 1″ 23mm OIS main + 200MP 75-100mm OIS periscope telephoto + 50MP 14mm ultra wide (all PDAF) Leica back camera, good 50MP selfie (no AF), very good video recording, up to 4 years of very stable HyperOS
CONs: 1.6mm taller and 2.3mm wider, no expandable memory slot, minor software glitches and no desktop replacement functionality (updated Jan 22, 2026)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Software …
EDITORIAL: (this is a pre-test listing based on reasonable expectations of processor, battery, charging, screen, imaging and software performance) A true flagship phone from Redmi brings a spec-fest: world’s best processor, 7500mAh battery with fast charging, big and bright Dolby Vision screen, Dolby Atmos and Bose tuned stereo sound, triple 50MP back cameras, ultrasonic authentication and a flagship grade Display-Out USB-C port – all for half the price of iPhone 17PM or A25U (at lounch). Naturally, there are compromises on performance speed, imaging and software fronts.
PROs: flagship built, great SD 8 Elite Gen 5 with UFS 4.1 performance, 2day endurance from 7500mAp Si-C battery with sub-60min 100W (50W wireless) charging, bright >410ppi LTPO AMOLED screen with Dolby Vision,. IP68 protection, good imaging from 50MP main + 50MP 5x periscope telephoto (both with OIS PDAF) + 50MP ultrawide, 6 years of OS updates and a fast USB-C port with Display Out tech and OTG
CONs: big and hard to use one-hand, uneven ultrawide and selfie performance, no SDmemory slot, only basic desktop replacement functionality (added Oct 25, 2025)

* TOP Processor * TOP Selfie * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: Like other Chinese phone makers, Vivo is going small. This years X vanilla model is 2mm narrower and almost 10mm shorter to put X300 well into the new “compact” size. The battery is bigger than before and the Zeiss camera system Vivos are known for is also upgraded. It now features a new 200MP main and a new 50MP AF selfie. The built is improved as well with silky finish both on the back glass panel and on aluminium frame. Photos are outstanding and outdated FuntouchOS is replaced by excellent OriginOS that is packed to the brim with features.
PROs: compact and flagship built, very fast Dimensity 9500 with UFS 4.1 performance, 36hr endurance from a 6040mAh Si catode battery with sub-50min 90W charging (40W wireless). >1800nits bright 450ppi LTPO AMOLED screen with >2000Hz PWM and HDR10+ certification, IP69 protection, excellent pics from Zeiss optics 200MP 23mm OIS PDAF main + 50MP 75mm OIS PDAF 3x periscope telephoto + 50MP 15mm AF ultrawide, flagship grade 50MP 20mm AF selfie, very good videos, up to 4 years of OS updates and easy screen mirroring on Macs and PCs
CONs: limited market availability, no SDmemory slot, Vivo and Apple are falling behind Honor, Samsung, Pixel and Oppo in AI features race, no desktop replacement feature or video-out (updated Nov 11, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Selfie * TOP Desktop replacement …
EDITORIAL: This year Motorola has made an all-out assault on the flip-phone market. Top hardware joined with their years of excellent OS development. If you’re looking for a pocketable and premium, look no further… just be okay with a heavily throttled performance – I guess one can’t have everything.
PROs: the best battery endurance and sub-1hr charging – unheard of in the FLIP phone segment (4700mAh with 67W wired charging), 2 >1500nits bright LTPO AMOLED screens with Dolby Vision, IP48 water immersion, very good triple 50MP camera setup (50MP OIS main + 50MP ultrawide, both with PDAF) and a 50MP selfie, excellent desktop replacement software
CONs: poor SD 8 Elite & UFS4.0 performance compared to other phones with same hardware, low dust protection, no SDmemory, only 3 years of OS updates (added Apr 25, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Selfie * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: (this is a pre-test review as the star indicates. There is every reason to expect: a 2-day battery endurance and sub-1hr charging, more than 1300nits of screen brightness, great camera & selfie performance and 4 or more years of OS updates)
The Find X8s and it’s bigger version (a 74.5mm wide) X8s+ are China-only models. Both are flagship grade, sitting just below Find X8 Ultra and Find X8 Pro. They offer small (relatively compact) bodies, stellar processor and battery performance, with some compromises on screen, cameras and the USB port performance.
PROs: great built small body, fast Mediatec 9400+ with UFS4.0 performance, excellent 2-day battery endurance from a large 5700mAh Si/C battery, bright >1300nits AMOLED screen with Dolby Vision, IP69 protection, great triple 50MP camera (all PDAF, main and tele with OIS), reliable 32MP AF selfie
CONs: no SDmemory, no desktop replacement software, slow USB-C2.0 connection (added Apr 19, 2025)

* TOP Photos * TOP Selfie * TOP Video recording * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: Oppo’s top phone is limited to Chinese market but it is a worth purchase wherever you live. It has all the best phone hardware features and the only letdown are varying photo file sizes and minor software inconsistencies. Performance is top of the charts tho phone will throttle under prolonged, heavy load. Following Apple, there are now 2 new hardware buttons: a Shortcut button and a iPhone-like camera control button with capacitive touch support.
SUPERPOWER: Top 5 flagship Main camera
PROs: great build with a Shortcut and a Quick button, top performance scores of the SD 8 Elite combined with UFS 4.1 storage, close to 36hr 6100mAh Silicone diode battery with sub-40min 100W (50W wireless) charging, a flat >1100nits 510ppi sharp HDR10+ screen with high-frequency PWM dimming, IP69 ingress protection, a 1″ 50MP main camera sensor + 2 50MP tele lenses (all 3 OIS PDAF) + 50MP PDAF ultrawide, 32MP PDAF selfie, 5 years of OS updates
CONs: one of the biggest/ heaviest (226gr) phones on the market, relatively low maximum brightness may frustrate you in bright sunlight, lack of expandable storage & desktop replacement feature, stereo speakers could have been louder (updated Jan 25, 2026)

* TOP Performance * TOP Selfie * TOP Video * TOP Software * TOP Desktop replacement …
EDITORIAL: S25 is taking on other flagship phones with excellent (very pocketable) build, great screen, good cameras, excellent selfie and of course: DeX – the best desktop replacement software there is. This year, Samsung is focusing on the software side, adding tons of features meant to set it apart. The battery tests confirmed our expectations: S25 offers no improvement over S24’s mediocre battery life and charging performance. S25 is not bad but what a shame to have to worry about topping up your phone before going out in the evening.
PROs: just 70mm width, SnapDragon 8 Elite, 1400+nits LTPO AMOLED with HDR10+, PDAF 12MP Selfie, leading AI features, 7 years of OS updates and DeX software that can save you so much money
CONs: less-than-a-day battery endurance, no expandable storage (updated Mar 26, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: The best Oppo phone of 2024 is a full feature, mature flagship. Outstanding performance, excellent build with a silent-vibrate-ring slider and a new “control button” to start the camera, zoom and take a quick photo. Feels smaller and easier to hold due to both font and back 4 side micro-curved glass panels. 5 years of very stable OS and a great main camera with 2 zoom lenses but Oppo is saving it’s best for the X8 Ultra, expected in early 2025. Still no AF on Selfie, no memory expansion or desktop replacement software.
SUPERPOWER: Top 5 flagship Main camera
PROs: great performance led by Mediatek Dimensity 9400, 2-day battery life of 5910mAh Silicone Carbon battery with 80W wired (50W wireless) fast charging, >1300nits bright LTPO AMOLED screen with Dolby Vision, IP69 water protection, 50MP main + two 50MP tele lenses with PDAF and OIS plus a 50MP ultrawide with PDAF, great build and a ring-vibrate-off hardware slider
CONs: still big at 76.7mm, a lack of expandable SDmemory storage and no desktop replacement (updated Mar 27, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Software …
EDITORIAL: Great performance (with throttling under pressure) and exceptional battery endurance. Fast charging, excellent screen and very good photos and videos. It is too bad that Xiaomi cuts corners with it’s best compact so the 15 Pro and 15 Ultra can justify their higher prices. There is still no AF on the ultrawide. No AF on the selfie either. No memory expansion, headphone jack or desktop replacement feature but Xiaomi 15 comes with a 90W charger in the box (in many markets).
PROs: SnapDragon 8 Elite processor fast performance, a 5240mAh Silicone Carbon battery with a 2-day endurance, 90W wired (50W wireless) fast charging, a 1500nits bright LTPO AMOLED screen with Dolby Vision, a capable 50MP OIS PDAF main + 50MP PDAF tele plus a 50MP ultrawide setup, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port with OTG
CONs: ultrawide and selfie cameras with no OIS, PDAF or even AF, lack of expandable storage and lack of desktop replacement software (but video-out is there) (updated Mar 27, 2025)

* TOP Battery endurance * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: One of the best 2024 camera phones owes it’s reputation to it’s Zeiss optics and excellent 200MP 3.7zoom periscope telephoto with multi-directional PDAF and OIS. This phone set new standard for phone photography topping most lists in 2024.
PROs: flagship quality built, excellent Dimensity 9400 with UFS 4.0 performance, 24+hr endurance from a 6000mAh Si battery with sub-50min 90W charging (30W wireless). >1800nits bright 450ppi LTPO AMOLED screen with Dolby Vision, IP69 protection. outstanding photography from Zeiss optics equipped 50MP main + 200MP 3.7zoom periscope telephoto (both with PDAF OIS) + 50MP AF ultrawide, good selfies from a 32MP front camera, reliable video recording, up to 4 years of OS updates
CONs: not globally available, no AF on selfie, no SDmemory slot nor desktop replacement feature (added Oct 15, 2025)