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 still find a delightful caller device. We yet person a folding telephone that offers afloat h2o and particulate resistance, location are flip phones that connection more 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 $600. For those recommendations, check retired our guideline to fund smartphones.

Screen: 6.3-inch 2622 x 1206 OLED, 120Hz refresh complaint / Processor: A19 / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.6 main pinch sensor-shift IS; 48-megapixel ultrawide; 18-megapixel selfie / Battery: Not advertised / Charging: 40W wired, 25W wireless MagSafe (Qi2) / Weather-resistance: IP68

This year’s modular iPhone offers a fistful of awesome upgrades complete its predecessor, including a larger 6.3-inch surface pinch a 120Hz sheet and an always-on display. These 2 features make the mundane acquisition meaningfully better, but they’re not the only ones: you besides get faster performance, amended artillery life, and doubly the magnitude of guidelines retention astatine 256GB. It besides has the aforesaid starting value of $799, which is simply a shockingly awesome deal.

On the camera front, the iPhone 17’s caller 48-megapixel ultrawide matches the Pro’s resolution, delivering sharper, much vibrant shots, while the main camera remains reliably bully successful astir conditions. It besides features the Pro’s 18-megapixel selfie camera, which lets you return horizontal shots without rotating the device. If you attraction astir zoom aliases portraits, the iPhone 17’s deficiency of a telephoto camera is the clearest logic to spell Pro. For astir people, though, the device’s 2x “optical quality” zoom will beryllium good for mundane snaps, making it a awesome upgrade.

Screen: 6.3-inch, 1080p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Tensor G5 / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.7 main pinch OIS; 13-megapixel f/2.2 ultrawide; 10.8-megapixel 5x telephoto pinch OIS; 10.5-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,970mAh / Charging: 30W wired, 15W wireless / Weather resistance: IP68

The Pixel 10 is an easygoing Android telephone that offers immoderate useful upgrades complete its predecessor. The summation of Qi2 pinch built-in magnets is simply a delight, making it easier than ever to quickly complaint up without plugging in. AI features for illustration Magic Cue, which tin proactively propose accusation based connected what you’re doing connected your phone, are yet showing promise. And for the first clip ever, the guidelines exemplary features a dedicated telephoto lens.

But, alas, there’s a catch: The Pixel 10 nary longer features the aforesaid main and ultrawide camera hardware arsenic the Pro. You’re fundamentally getting the 2 rear cameras recovered successful the midrange Pixel 9A, positive a telephoto lens. Still, arsenic a whole, the device’s triple camera strategy produces images that are wholly fine. Beyond the cameras, the Pixel 10 features the aforesaid Tensor G5 chipset that’s recovered successful the Pro phones — useful for those aforementioned AI features.

Overall, the Pixel 10 mostly improves upon what made past year’s Pixel 9 specified a coagulated release. We’re not thrilled pinch the downgraded camera, but the summation of Qi2 and a telephoto lens helps to soften the blow. If you tin unrecorded pinch the camera tradeoffs, the Pixel 10 is still a smart prime for anyone who wants a flagship acquisition astatine a much approachable price.

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 buy, 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: 6.3-inch, 1080p OLED, 120Hz / Processor: Tensor G4 / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.7 pinch OIS, 13-megapixel ultrawide, 13-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,100mAh / Charging: 23W wired, 7.5W wireless / Weather-resistance: IP68

Every year, we’re pleasantly amazed by really overmuch Google packs into its midrange Pixel A-series devices. Last year, it was the Pixel 8A, and this year, it’s the moreover amended Pixel 9A. For $500, the 9A offers Google’s fourth-gen civilization Tensor G4 chipset (the very aforesaid spot that’s successful the pricier Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro), a brighter and larger 6.3-inch OLED display, and an IP68 standing for improved durability. Plus, you get the use of 7 years of package updates and information support. What you extremity up pinch is simply a instrumentality that delivers awesome value, particularly compared to different inexpensive devices.

The Pixel 9A offers a fistful of different features that put it supra the pack, for illustration a 120Hz refresh rate, wireless charging, and the largest artillery crossed the Pixel line. It does autumn short successful a fewer areas, though — the camera’s debased ray capacity and Portrait mode could beryllium better. That said, the 9A’s camera is still awesome for mundane snaps, and for the price, the instrumentality is an easy proposal arsenic the champion successful this category.

Screen: 6.3-inch 2622 x 1206 OLED, 120Hz refresh complaint / Processor: A19 Pro / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.78 pinch sensor-shift IS; 48-megapixel 8x telephoto pinch OIS; 48-megapixel ultrawide; 18-megapixel selfie / Battery: Not advertised / Charging: 40W wired, 25W MagSafe (Qi2) / Weather-resistance: IP68

The iPhone 17 Pro is the exemplary to get if you want Apple’s astir tin camera strategy and the longest artillery life you tin get successful an iPhone. All 3 rear sensors usage 48-megapixel lenses — including the telephoto pinch 4x zoom — and support creator-focused devices for illustration ProRes RAW. Apple’s move to an aluminum assemblage pinch a vapor enclosure besides helps support temperatures debased during intensive tasks, including high-res video recording, while the Ceramic Shield 2 beforehand improves durability. And it’s each wrapped successful a fresh, rounded design.

As portion of that redesign, Apple carved retired the framework to fresh a larger battery, which lasts done a emblematic time of mixed usage while browsing societal media, gaming, etc. The 17 Pro supports 40W wired charging and somewhat faster MagSafe charging, allowing you to return it from zero to 50 percent successful arsenic small arsenic 20 minutes. It besides supports USB 3 for lightning-fast transportation speeds, truthful you tin quickly transcript complete each your picnic photos and videos to your laptop.

Since the modular iPhone 17 has the aforesaid 120Hz refresh complaint and an always‑on display, it’s easier to skip the Pro this year. That being said, if you want longer artillery life and the astir elastic camera strategy successful the lineup, the 17 Pro is the measurement to go. Plus, it comes successful a bold orangish shadiness that’s dissimilar thing other successful Apple’s lineup.

Screen: 6.9-inch, 1080p, 120Hz OLED soul screen; 4.1-inch, 948p, OLED screen surface / Processor: Samsung Exynos 2500 / Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.8 main pinch OIS; 12-megapixel ultrawide; 10-megapixel selfie (inner screen) / Battery: 4,300mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless / Weather resistance: IP48

Samsung yet sewage the memo pinch the Galaxy Z Flip 7’s screen screen. The company’s latest flip telephone ditches the record folder-shaped look of its predecessor for a 4.1-inch, edge-to-edge show that wraps astir the cameras. With much outer surface existent estate, it’s easier to respond to texts and punch successful a java bid without flipping unfastened the telephone and getting sucked into a integer rabbit hole.

The Flip 7 still makes you jump done a fewer hoops if you want to tally afloat apps connected the screen screen, but erstwhile you’ve wrangled the settings, it unlocks a batch of convenience for mundane tasks. That said, the screen surface isn’t cleanable for each app. Sometimes a fastener hides down the camera cutout, forcing you to alteration the app’s model size. But astir tasks are a breeze, and opening the telephone is ever an option.

Under the hood, Samsung swapped retired Qualcomm’s processor for an in-house Exynos chip, though we didn’t announcement immoderate hits to performance. The caller 4,300mAh artillery will past you each time pinch mean use, but dense gaming and hotspot usage will importantly effect artillery life. The camera system, meanwhile, remains unchanged from the Z Flip 6, which isn’t a bad thing. You still get a 50-megapixel main shooter and each the nosy flex mode tricks, which are awesome for capturing candids.

Unfortunately, the Flip 7 still offers nary protection against good particles for illustration particulate aliases sand, which mightiness activity their measurement into the hinge and origin damage. This raises concerns astir really the instrumentality mightiness clasp up complete time. But Samsung’s beefed-up warranty and repair programme tin supply other bid of mind. Plus, pinch 7 years of OS and information updates, the Flip 7 should beryllium reliable until you determine to upgrade.

Screen: 8-inch, 2076p, 120Hz OLED soul screen; 6.4-inch, 1080p, 120Hz OLED screen surface / Processor: Google Tensor G5 / 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: 5,015mAh / Charging: 30W wired, 15W wireless (Qi2) / Weather resistance: IP68

Concerns complete semipermanent durability person kept america from recommending foldables to anyone but the astir diehard gadget nerd. Then Google said “hold my USB-C cable” and bestowed an IP68 standing connected the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, making it the first foldable to supply afloat h2o and particulate resistance. That intends the instrumentality tin past a tumble connected the formation without the hinge and soul surface failing. What’s more, the instrumentality features Qi2 support pinch built-in magnets for accessories and wireless charging. And pinch a caller Tensor G5 chip, it offers soft performance, whether you’re playing intensive games for illustration Diablo Immortal aliases multitasking connected the larger soul display.

As overmuch arsenic we emotion the 10 Pro Fold’s improved durability, its cameras can’t rather support up pinch those of different 10 Pro models. The instrumentality is besides dense and alternatively chunky; it’s complete 40 grams heavier than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 and astir 2 millimeters thicker erstwhile folded shut. There’s a positive broadside to the thicker frame, though: it leaves much room for the phone’s larger battery, which tin past a afloat time pinch minimal usage of the soul display. If you find yourself spending astir of your clip utilizing the larger display, you whitethorn request to find the nearest outlet by the extremity of the day.

We’re successful a comparatively quiet play now that Google and Apple person released their latest handsets. There mightiness beryllium a fewer much surprises successful shop for the remainder of 2025 — Samsung has yet to merchandise its heavily rumored trifold — but we haven’t heard overmuch since the summer. Regardless, now is simply a awesome clip to commencement taking banal of immoderate deals you see, particularly pinch Black Friday and Cyber Monday astir the corner.

Update, October 27th: Adjusted pricing / readiness and added the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold arsenic caller picks. Brandon Russell besides contributed to this post.