SUPERIOR phones list

these phones actually 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 pack big batteries that last a full day or longer, excellent screens, some of the world’s best cameras. Phones on this page make less compromises then phones in the EXCELLENT and GREAT groups. Phones on this page do cost more but when you amortize the price over 30 months (the estimated average of how often people buy a new phone) 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 and it gives you a $20 difference per month. But all of this time, 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 having better software features and updates…
If you decide to hold on to your phone for 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. 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 16 Pro and iPhone 16 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.

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Screen * TOP PHOTO/VIDEO * TOP Software · Badge Guide >
EDITORIAL: Eagerly anticipated Vivo X200 Ultra comes with the top hardware and very mature photo and video processing. It improves on the amazing X200 Pro with 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 care for its big size and heft. It also has an extensive optional camera accessories package that adds controls, battery, and telephoto skills.
SUPERPOWER: raises the bar in every facet of mobile photography
PROs: top Snapdragon 8 Elite with UFS 4.1 performance, a 2-day 6000mAh silicone battery with 90W sub-1hr fast charging (40W wireless), a >500ppi >1800nits Dolby Vision LTPO AMOLED screen, IP69 protection, top imaging from 50MP main + 200MP periscope + 50MP ultrawide (all with OIS PDAF!) back camera with an optional add-on 200mm zoom lens, a 50MP AF selfie and 4 years of OS updates.
CONs: 229g heavy, massive camera bump, still no expandable memory or desktop replacement feature. (updated May 12, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Photo * TOP Selfie * TOP Software . Badge Guide > …
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, currently beaten only by a phone that brings the very best camera to the fight. To put it another way, the RSR is so good – what is missing are just : 15 minute faster charging (for a perfect score), an above-500ppi screen resolution, military grade impact protection, the very best video recording and a SDmemory expansion slot.
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 Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Photo * TOP Selfie * TOP Software . Badge Guide > …
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. There is a difference in the SiCarbon battery size this time: 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 two-day (24+ hours) performance you will get from the bigger battery version. Either way, check before you buy. What is still missing is the SD memory expansion slot and a more polished desktop replacement software.
SUPERPOWER: Top 5 flagship Main camera
PROs: SnapDragon 8 Elite processor with excellent overall performance, a 5850mAh Silicone Carbon battery (smaller in Europe), 1500+nits bright LTPO screen with HDR, IP69 water protection, 50MP main + 200MP periscope tele + 50MP ultrawide and a 50MP Selfie (each with PDAF), 7 years of very stable and feature rich OS and that includes Desktop replacement feature
CONs: large 223gr 77.1 body, inconsistent videos across lenses and a lack of expandable SDmemory storage (while offering 8k video recording) (updated Mar 26, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Software . Badge Guide > …
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 minor software inconsistencies. Performance is top of the charts but the 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, a 2-day 6100mAh Silicone battery with sub-1-hour 100W charging (50W wireless), a flat >500ppi 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: being one of the biggest/ heaviest (226gr) phones on the market, relatively low maximum brightness may frustrate you in bright light, lack of expandable storage & desktop replacement feature, stereo speakers could have been louder (updated Apr 17, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Screen * TOP Photo * TOP Video * TOP Software . Badge Guide > …
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: SnapDragon 8 Elite processor with very good overall performance, a 5410mAh Silicone Carbon battery (6000mAh in China) with a 2-day endurance, 90W wired or 80W wireless charging, 1600+nits bright 500+ppi LTPO screen with Dolby Vision, a 50MP main+200MP tele+50MP tele (all with PDAF & OIS) plus a 50MP PDAF ultrawide,
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 Mar 26, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Selfie * TOP Video * TOP Software . Badge Guide > …
EDITORIAL: (this is a pre-test listing based on reasonable expectations of battery, cameras and software performance) Xiaomi is all out after Apple, this year. Not only did they skip the 16th gen and name their flagships to match Apple’s – they also matched the design too. Except, instead of just offering a “plateau” bump across the upper back of their Pro phones, Xiaomi added a second screen there. Both back and main screens match in brightness and Dolby Vision certification and allow you to take selfies with back cameras. Otherwise, 17 Pro upgrades on last year’s (China only) 15 Pro with b better processor, memory speed, battery size and charging speed, screen brightness and PWM dimming rate, water immersion depth, selfie PDAF, new OS and even added Dolby Atmos speaker certification. There may be a downgrade tho: ultrawide camera lost auto focus.
PROs: compact, great new design with a large and bright back screen, year’s best Elite 8 Gen 5 processor with UFS 4.1 performance, 2day 6300mAh battery endurance with sub-60min 100W (50W wireless) charging. 2 LTPO AMOLED screens with >1600nits of brightness 120Hz refresh >2000Hz PWM and HDR10+ and Dolby Vision tech. IP68 protection (up to 4m water immersion for 30 min). Excellent imaging from a 50MP main and 50MP 5x periscope telephoto (both with OIS PDAF), new 50MP with PDAF selfie. HyperOS 3.0 with 4 years of updates and a fast USB-C 3.2 port with Video-out
CONs: could end up China-only, no AF on ultrawide, no SDmemory, no desktop replacement feature, minor OS quirks (added Oct 6, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Selfie * TOP Video * TOP Software . Badge Guide > …
EDITORIAL: (this is a pre-test listing based on reasonable expectations of battery, cameras and software performance) Xiaomi created the Pro Max models this year to underline it’s focus on Apple’s market share. And rightfully so as Xiaomi 17 Pro Max does everything as well as iPhone 17 Pro Max except video recording. To make up for it, Xiaomi’s Pro Max has better endurance, faster charging, brighter screen and of course: a second display that can even be used as a gaming platform! With optional attachment, some restrictions apply…
PROs: great built, top SD 8 Elite Gen 5 with UFS 4.1 performance, >2day endurance from 7500mAh Si-C battery, sub-60min 100W (50W wireless) charging. 2 LTPO AMOLED screens with >1600nits brightness, >2000Hz PWM dimming and both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ certification. IP68 protection (down to 6m for 30min). Excellent imaging from 50MP main + 50MP periscope telephoto (both OIS PDAF) and a 50MP PDAF selfie, 4 years of OS updates
CONs: probably limited to China market, no AF on ultrawide, no expandable memory, no desktop replacement feature, Harmony OS is not everyone’s cup of tea (added Oct 6, 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 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 * 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 * 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 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 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 (add Jul 2, 2025)

* 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 Photos * TOP Selfie
EDITORIAL: Many years of hard work at Huawei photo prowness are on display here with beautiful photos and selfies. Magic 6 Pro was the first Honor phone to offer outstanding battery life, a great screen and even the computer replacement function. In 2024, it placed top or close to the top of smartphone photo quality lists
PROs: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor with very good overall performance, a 2-day endurance 5600mAh Silicone Carbon battery with fast 80W wired (66W wireless) charging, >1580nits LTPO OLED with Dolby Vision, IP68 protection. 50MP main + 180MP periscope tele (both with PDAF and OIS) + AF 50MP ultrawide, 50MP AF selfie, and a Desktop replacement software too
CONs: it is heavy at >220gr, inconsistent video quality across lenses. no expandable storage and only 3 years of OS updates (updated Mar 26, 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 a 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 less then a 25hr endurance means you’ll 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 sub24hr battery endurance and the same >90min of 45W charging (2 year old solution), better color science can not make up for smudgy detail in some photos, the ultrawide colors 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 to Apple), no expandable memory, no desktop replacement feature, silence on AI improvements, overall lack of innovation Apple used to be known for (updated Oct 3, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Selfie * TOP Desktop replacement . Badge Guide > …
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)