The best phone to buy right now

Haven’t you heard? Phones are boring now. And that’s conscionable fine! Most group buying a caller telephone conscionable want thing acquainted that useful amended than the instrumentality they’re replacing. If that’s your MO, past you’re judge to find thing reliable successful my recommendations below.

But moreover if you’re looking for thing a small much extra, you’ve sewage immoderate awesome options. They’re going to beryllium beautiful iterative compared to immoderate you’re utilizing now — we’re successful much of a package era than a hardware invention rhythm these days — but you tin find a delightful caller device. We yet person a folding telephone that feels for illustration the correct size and shape, flip phones connection a batch much than conscionable nostalgia, and you tin still bargain a telephone pinch no less than 4 cameras connected the back. Not bad for a boring play of telephone hardware.

A batch of group successful the US get their phones done bearer deals, and nary judgement present if that’s the way you return — it’s really I bought mine. Just beryllium judge you cognize what you’re getting into and really galore years you’ll request to enactment connected that Super 5G Everything Unlimited Plus scheme to support the monthly instrumentality reimbursements coming.

If you’re looking to walk a small little and still get the champion smartphone connected a budget, you tin find thing really bully for nether $500. For those recommendations, check retired our guideline to fund smartphones.

Screen: 6.1-inch, 2556 x 1179 OLED, 60Hz refresh complaint / Processor: A18 Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.6 main pinch sensor-shift IS; 12-megapixel ultrawide; 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: Not advertised / Charging: 27W wired, 25W wireless MagSafe, 15W Qi2, 7.5W Qi / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

From a hardware perspective, the iPhone 16 (or the 16 Plus) is an easy upgrade choice. If you’re switching from an iPhone 13, 12, aliases moreover older, those 4 aliases 5 years of incremental capacity improvements adhd up. But there’s thing wholly caller this clip astir — well, 2 things: the Action Button and the Camera Control button.

The customizable Action Button, which replaces the shut up move connected the near separator of the phone, is simply a hand-me-down from the 15 Pro series. You tin group it to unfastened a peculiar app, move connected the flashlight, aliases almost thing other you mightiness want astatine the touch of a button. On the different broadside of the telephone is the Camera Control, which you tin usage to motorboat the camera app. With the camera open, it acts arsenic a shutter fastener pinch a afloat press, and a ray property brings up different vulnerability options you tin adjust. Even if you only ever usage it to motorboat the camera, it’s beautiful handy, and it frees up the Action Button.

The iPhone 16 and its larger 16 Plus related usage Apple’s A18 chipset, which is successful the aforesaid family arsenic the 16 Pro’s processor. That bodes good for the phones staying connected the aforesaid package upgrade cycle. They some received Apple Intelligence successful the fall, which included AI-powered penning devices and notification summaries successful its earliest iteration, and eventually grew to support ChatGPT and a caller Visual Intelligence feature. But contempt the similarities, the regular 16 models lag down the Pros successful 2 important departments: the surface and the camera.

The Pros travel pinch dedicated 5x lenses and updated main cameras that do a small amended successful debased light. And you’ll only get a ProMotion show connected the Pro models; the regular 16 features a slower 60Hz screen. Basically each different high-end telephone connected the marketplace offers a 120Hz display, truthful that’s a disappointment. If those 2 drawbacks don’t fuss you — and astir group astir apt won’t mind them — past the iPhone 16 makes for a awesome upgrade.

Screen: 6.3-inch, 1080p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Tensor G4 / Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.7 main pinch OIS; 48-megapixel ultrawide; 10.5-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,700mAh / Charging: 27W wired, 15W wireless (with Pixel Stand 2) / Weather resistance: IP68

The Android ecosystem has been looking for a telephone for illustration the Pixel 9 for a while now. It’s straightforward and unfussy, takes reliably bully photos, and comes pinch the polished hardware you’d expect from a high-end phone. It doesn’t person a dedicated telephoto lens, which the likewise priced Galaxy S25 does, but the package is little quirky than Samsung’s, making for a amended wide experience.

Outside of zoom capabilities, Google’s Pixel camera is conscionable arsenic reliable arsenic ever. The telephone comes pinch a Tensor G4 chipset that powers AI features aplenty, some wrong and extracurricular of the camera app. Some are promising and some are worrying, but there’s thing present that feels for illustration a existent game-changer. Which is fine.

The important point is that the Pixel 9 has the correct worldly wherever it counts. It’s easy to use, and immoderate of the Pixel series’ persistent problems for illustration mediocre thermals and buggy package look to beryllium nether power successful this generation. The 9 Pro is simply a worthwhile upgrade if you want that telephoto lens and a somewhat nicer screen, but successful immoderate case, the Pixel 9 feels for illustration a top-notch device, wrong and out.

Screen: 6.9-inch, 1440p, 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite / Cameras: 200-megapixel main pinch OIS; 50-megapixel 5x telephoto pinch OIS; 10-megapixel 3x telephoto pinch OIS; 50-megapixel ultrawide; 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,000mAh / Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless, Qi2 fresh / Weather resistance: IP68

Samsung’s “Ultra” S-series telephone is still your champion stake for a maximalist Android phone, moreover if ultra doesn’t rather mean what it erstwhile did. You still get 4 rear cameras — including a 3x and 5x telephoto — a monolithic screen, and a built-in S Pen stylus. The artillery goes each day, the processor is top-notch, and location are AI features aplenty if you’re into that benignant of thing. There’s conscionable nary different telephone rather for illustration it.

This year, Samsung removed the Bluetooth features from the stylus. That stings a little, particularly considering that the institution swapped a 10x zoom for the shorter 5x camera the twelvemonth before. It still amounts to a awesome phone, but it’s 1 of the priciest slab-style phones you tin bargain and Samsung seems to beryllium cutting features without adding backmost immoderate other value. It’s still “ultra” alright, but it doesn’t consciousness rather arsenic typical arsenic it utilized to.

Screen: 6.1-inch, 1080p OLED, 120Hz / Processor: Tensor G3 Cameras: 64-megapixel f/1.89 pinch OIS; 13-megapixel ultrawide; 13-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,492mAh / Charging: 18W wired, 7.5W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IP67

It’s difficult to hit the Pixel 8A connected sheer ROI. For $500, you get a very bully fund telephone that comes pinch 7 years of OS and information updates; astir phones astatine this value will only spot a fistful of OS upgrades, if that. The 8A besides comes pinch a bully camera that covers the basics. It’s not arsenic fancy arsenic the Pixel 9 aliases 9 Pro, but it won’t forestall you from capturing that once-in-a-lifetime shot.

The Pixel 8A provides a batch of different things you wouldn’t needfully expect from a $500 phone, for illustration wireless charging and an IP67 standing for guidance against afloat h2o immersion. Of course, you can’t person everything. The 8A’s backmost sheet is matte integrative alternatively than glass, sadly, and its 6.1-inch 1080p surface isn’t the champion successful its class.

There are different phones disposable for nether $500 worthy considering, galore of which are covered successful our guideline to the champion inexpensive phones. But if you’re looking for the absolute astir worth you tin get from a $500 phone, past look nary further than the 8A.

Screen: 6.3-inch, 2622 x 1206 OLED, 120Hz refresh complaint / Processor: A18 Pro Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.8 pinch sensor-shift IS; 12-megapixel 5x telephoto pinch OIS; 48-megapixel ultrawide; 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: Not advertised / Charging: 27W wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 15W Qi2, 7.5W Qi / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

Like each mainline iPhone 16 models, the 16 Pro gained the caller Camera Control button, but it sewage different important update, too: a 5x telephoto lens. In the 15 series, that longer telephoto lens was reserved for the bigger Pro Max model. This clip around, it’s connected the smaller Pro, too, making it a awesome action for personification who wants to upgrade without upsizing their phone.

Outside of AI, the 16 Pro is simply a reasonably iterative update. The caller Camera Control makes it easier to motorboat the camera and get correct to taking photos, and it besides frees up the Action Button if you were utilizing it arsenic a camera shortcut. The surface is simply a small bigger astatine 6.3 inches compared to 6.1 inches, moreover though the telephone is fundamentally the aforesaid size. You tin grounds 4K video astatine 120fps now. And the caller Photographic Styles, which are disposable connected each iPhone 16 models, fto you return much power complete your photos than ever.

There’s thing present that personification pinch an iPhone 15 Pro should upgrade for, but it’s an all-around coagulated instrumentality that will please Apple devotees, particularly those who for illustration a telephone that isn’t excessively big.

Screen: 6.7-inch, 1080p, 120Hz OLED soul screen; 3.4-inch, 720p, OLED screen surface / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 / Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.8 main pinch OIS; 12-megapixel ultrawide; 10-megapixel selfie (inner screen) / Battery: 4,000mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless / Weather resistance: IP48

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 isn’t the astir fun flip telephone you tin bargain correct now; that would beryllium the 2024 Motorola Razr Plus. But nosy only goes truthful far, and the Z Flip 6 is the much reliable of the two. When it comes to the instrumentality you usage time successful and time out, reliability counts for a lot.

Motorola’s return connected the modern flip telephone embraces nostalgia pinch tiny animations and a mode that sends the full instrumentality backmost to the early 2000s. The Z Flip 6 lacks this benignant of charm, but you do get an updated screen surface UI that’s much customizable than the Z Flip 5’s. The Flip 6 besides comes pinch 7 years of package updates, which matches the champion package policies connected the market. The hardware will astir apt springiness retired agelong earlier the software, honestly.

That’s the different broadside of the flip telephone coin: semipermanent durability is iffy. Sure, the Flip 6 is built to withstand afloat h2o immersion, but it still doesn’t person immoderate general particulate resistance. For that reason, it isn’t a telephone I would urge to conscionable anyone.

That said, the Z Flip 6’s outer surface does travel successful handy. You tin do a batch pinch the prebaked widget options disposable to use, and if you’re conscionable a small adventurous, you tin tally immoderate app you want connected the small screen. Starting a Strava workout aliases sending a speedy matter is simply a cinch, which is simply a large portion of the entreaty of a flip phone. Just, you know, support this telephone distant from the beach.

Screen: 8.0-inch, 2076p, 120Hz OLED soul screen; 6.3-inch, 1080p, 120Hz OLED screen surface / Processor: Tensor G4 / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.7 main pinch OIS; 10.8-megapixel 5x telephoto pinch OIS; 10.5-megapixel ultrawide; 10-megapixel selfie (cover screen); 10-megapixel soul selfie camera / Battery: 4,650mAh / Charging: 21W wired, 7.5W wireless / Weather resistance: IPX8

It’s difficult to convey conscionable really nice the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is to use. It’s the first book-style folding telephone that afloat delivers connected the committedness of a foldable: it’s a tablet erstwhile you request it and a regular telephone erstwhile you don’t.

Samsung’s Z Fold bid feels a small excessively narrow and cramped successful its closed configuration, and the original Pixel Fold was excessively bulky and dense to usage comfortably. The 9 Pro Fold is lighter, and utilizing its 6.3-inch outer surface feels fundamentally for illustration utilizing a normal phone, which is simply a large win.

That’s really the taxable of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold: it conscionable feels normal. But location are a mates of decidedly not-normal things to consider: value and durability. The 9 Pro Fold costs $1,799 — fundamentally the going complaint for a book-style foldable but still a batch of money for a phone.

And semipermanent durability is unclear, particularly fixed that this is only Google’s 2nd folding phone. It’s rated to withstand afloat h2o immersion, but arsenic pinch immoderate foldable, particulate is simply a concern, truthful you’ll want to return a small other attraction pinch this device. All that said, personification pinch the tummy (and wallet) for the 9 Pro Fold will find it a very rewarding device.

Screen: 6.7-inch, 1080p, 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 / Cameras: 50-megapixel F/1.9 main pinch OIS; 50-megapixel ultrawide; 32-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,700mAh / Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless / Weather resistance: IP54

The Nothing Phone 2 isn’t for everyone, but for the correct benignant of person, it’s a very bully replacement to the Galaxies and Pixels of the world. It’s a style-driven device, from the dot-matrix-inspired UI to the flashing ray strips connected the backmost panel. Will its unsocial hardware and package features thief you return backmost your attraction span arsenic Nothing claims? Eh, astir apt not. Mostly, it’s conscionable a cool-looking gadget and a thoughtfully designed device.

The Phone 2 is equipped pinch a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, which is simply a somewhat older but still very tin processor. Its 6.7-inch, 1080p surface supports a accelerated 120Hz apical refresh rate, and its lowest 1Hz refresh complaint allows it to connection an information-rich always-on display. The camera strategy is good, though not rather arsenic accordant arsenic the Pixel 7’s. There’s wireless charging, accelerated 45W wired charging, and an all-day battery.

That’s each of the bully news. The bad news is that it’s only rated IP54, meaning it’s not afloat dustproof, and it’s only resistant to splashes alternatively than afloat immersion successful water. Most different phones astatine this value connection a afloat IP68 rating, and a mates of cheaper midrange phones, for illustration the Pixel 8A, still see IP67 h2o resistance. The Phone 2 besides lacks charismatic support for Verizon’s network, which rules it retired for a batch of group successful the US.

There’s the Glyph Interface, excessively — those lights connected the backmost of the phone. It’s a neat thought pinch immoderate absorbing applications if you put a small clip successful tweaking it. You tin flip it complete to soundlessness notifications erstwhile you request immoderate clip to attraction and handpick definite “essential” alerts to ray up the Glyph. Personally, I find it little adjuvant than a accepted attraction mode aliases moreover the Phone 2’s always-on display. But others mightiness find it useful, and if thing else, it looks neat.

The Phone 2 isn’t the champion prime for sheer worth — the Pixel 8A is simply a overmuch amended deal. It’s not the champion prime for personification who conscionable wants a telephone to get them done their time pinch minimal hassle. But it’s undeniably different, and if you’re looking for thing extracurricular of the mean pinch a definite ocular appeal, past it’s a worthy candidate.

Update, March 3rd: Adjusted pricing/availability and added a mention of respective caller phones, including the Google Pixel 9A and Samsung’s Galaxy A36. Brandon Widder besides contributed to this post.