GREAT phones list

as midrange phones get better, some flagship (chip) phones struggle to compete. Flagship processor phones in this part of my list are 2023 or earlier make or flagship processor smartphones with compromises made elsewhere.

To see how I evaluate and compare phones, please visit my About page > .

* TOP Performance * TOP Selfie * TOP Video recording * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: This round Apple upgraded it’s non-Pro models’ chips to match the Pro level. They are now better then ever. iPhone 16 is a great option for anyone needing great photos and videos from a compact iPhone. The screen is still only 60htz (no one else makes phones with such slow refresh rate any more) but this is a flagship grade phone in every other way.
PROs: fast performance led by A18 chip, up to 6m of water submersion, good photos and excellent videos from a 48MP main + 12MP ultrawide plus a 12MP Selfie – all with PDAF, 6 years of iOS updates
CONs: improved but still barely a day of battery endurance, slow charging, only 60Hz when every other maker offers 120Hz screen refresh rate, no expandable storage or desktop replacement (updated Mar 30, 2025)

* TOP Video recording * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: This China exclusive is still a great camera phone with lovely design, great in-hand feel, beautiful screen, triple 50MP back camera setup and a stable OS.
PROs: flagship build, fast SD 8 Gen 3 with UFS4.0 performance, 1-day 4880mAh Li-P b battery endurance, sub-30min 120W wired charging (50W wireless), excellent pics and videos from a 50MP main + 50MP tele (both OIS PDAF) + 50MP AF ultrawide, 4 years of OS updates and a fast USB-C 3.2 connection with OTG
CONs: only full-day battery endurance, sans-AF selfie, no memory slot or desktop replacement functionality (updated Jul 4, 2025)

* TOP Camera * TOP Selfie * TOP Video * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: A meaningful upgrade from iPhone 14 Pro brought a smaller & lighter body with a same size screen and a bigger battery too! Finally a USB-C port (forced in by EU regulators) brings compatibility with most charging cables out there. A 3nm A17 Pro chip with delivers great smoothness and fluidity (tho lags ~20% behind top SnapDragon and Mediatec chips in raw numbers).
PROs: a great 180gr build, >1800nits 6.1″ Dolby Vision screen, excellent photography and video from both back (48MP OIS main + 12MP OIS tele + 12MP ultrawide) and front (12MP OIS) all with PDAF cameras, 6 years of OS updates, great integration inside Apple ecosystem (for good and bad)
CONs: just a 1-day endurance with >90min slow charging, no SDmemory, no desktop replacement software (updated Apr 21, 2025)

* TOP Selfie * TOP Software * TOP Desktop replacement
EDITORIAL: Samsung’s top of the line contact in 2023 is still a good flagship. Great build, fast SnapDragon 8 Gen 2 performance (iPhone 15 Pro Max level) with more years of One UI updates and regular security patches make it a relevant smartphone while many of it’s peers are being retired. Excellent selfie too.
PROs: still good SD 8 Gen 2 with UFS4.0 (the 128GB version gets UFS3.1) performance, HDR10+ screen with >430ppi resolution, great photos and videos from a 50MP main + 10MP tele (both with OIS PDAF) + 12MP ultrawide, a very competent 12MP PDAF selfie, years of OS and security updates and of course: DeX software
CONs: less-than-a-day 3900mAh battery with >1hr charging and no memory expansion (updated Apr 28, 2025)

* TOP Battery endurance * TOP Screen
EDITORIAL: Asus has added this Zenfone Ultra in 2024 and in 2025 they put away it’s more compact (and more interesting) smaller model. So it looks like they gave up on the “compact phone” idea and are turning towards more crowded and stiffer competition space. This, first Ultra of theirs was a good effort. (It you can still find it)
PROs: good SD 8 Gen 3 performance, great 2-day battery endurance with fast (40 minute to 100%) charging, bright 144Hz refresh rate screen, IP68 water protection.
CONs: 76.8mm & 228gr size, not-so-Ultra-photo and video performance, no expandable storage, no desktop replacement software and just two years of OS updates policy. (updated Apr 2, 2025)

* TOP Battery endurance * TOP Memory expansion
EDITORIAL: This 68mm wide flagship phone is a little marvel of Japanese engineering. It came with the top processor (SD 8 Gen 2), amazing battery life, cameras with Sony Alpha tech, SDmemory expansion, quality front facing speakers, a great 21.5:9 screen proportion that excels at scrolling content and showing movies full-screen, no selfie camera cut out, a camera button and even a tool-less SIM card tray… Sony was out to razzle-dazzle us!
PROs: Sony’s last small flagship, excellent 2-day 5000mAh Li/Po battery endurance with sub-90min 30W charging, always-on 120Hz refresh rate very accurate 800nits punch hole-free 21:9 screen with front facing speakers, excellent pics from Zeiss optics 48MP main + 12MP ultrawide (both dual pixel PDAF OIS) back camera and good selfies from a (non-AF) 12MP, SDmemory slot and headphone jack, tool-less SIM tray
CONs: Sony’s lack of commitment to software development and support, only 2 OS updates (updated May 27, 2025)

* TOP Battery endurance * TOP Selfie * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: Excellent build, good performance, 2-day battery life, solid cameras and Apple’s well coordinated ecosystem are keeping this phone very competitive despite the lack of innovation, screen with old technology no other phone maker uses and Apple’s strong effort to make it difficult for anyone to leave their phones
PROs: great build, 2-day battery, >1600nits bright screen with Dolby Vision, reliable photos, first-iPhone-with-USB-C-port title, 6 years of iOS updates and the familiar iOS design
CONs: lack of innovation and pursuit of excellence that Apple used to be known for, expensive accessories and repairs, sub standard 60mHz video refresh rate, meh night videos from the ultrawide, no expandable storage, no desktop replacement software and a slow 2.0 USB-C port (updated May 26, 2025)

* TOP Video recording * TOP Memory expansion
EDITORIAL: The craftmeship and Japanese engineering shine her with great build, narrow 21:9 body that allows easy one-hand use and scrolling down long pages. A no notch, 4k, >640ppi (!) screen provides full-screen viewing of cinema content. Loud front facing speakers. IP68 water and dust resistance. Reliable cameras and great video recording. Dedicated two-step camera button. Tool-less SIM tray with fast SDmemory card option allows for swapping memory cards in seconds. headphone/microphone jack allows for using external microphones for your video footage.
PROs: it’s historical value, great built, excellent one-hand-use design, very hi-res screen with no notch what so ever, very capable photo and video setup, expandable storage and earphone jack.
CONs: only 1-day 5000mAh battery life (due to very high res screen), multiple photo and multiple video recording apps with steep learning curve. OS updates only up to Android 15. (updated Apr 3, 2025)

* TOP Selfie * TOP Video * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: The vanilla 17 gets a new A19 (3nm) chip along with now minimum 256GB of fast memory. In one of the biggest upgrades to an iPhone, Apple finally put in a 120Hz LTPO OLED screen with advanced anti-glare coating. The resolution and Dolby Vision are the same as on the 17 Pro. Ultrawide camera is upgraded to 48MP and the new 18MP selfie is shared with Pro models too. In a true Apple fashion, battery tech is the same with just 130mAh more power. Taking the upgraded screen into account explains noticably worse battery endurance compared to iPhone 16. As with it’s Pro models, there is a new design with a camera plateau bump and fresh new colors.
PROs: fast A19 performance with a minimum of 256GB storage, sub-90min 30W charging (25W wireless), iPhone 17 Pro level 460ppi LTPO OLED screen with a proper 120Hz refresh rate and Dolby Vision, IP68 protection (to 6m), reliable photos from a 48MP OIS main + 48MP ultrawide (both with PDAF), excellent photos and videos from a new 18MP OIS PDAF Center Stage selfie, great videos front and back, stable and mature iOS with up to 6 years of updates
CONs: sub-24hr endurance from a 3692mAh Lithium battery, no SDmemory slot, no desktop replacement feature, slow USB-C 2.0 port tho there is a DisplayPort support (updated Sep 27, 2025)

* TOP Battery endurance * TOP Selfie * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: Vivo’s V series delivers some of the best midrange phones. While always playing on the battery+screen+imaging formula the V60 brings the first periscope telephoto to a V series phone. It is excellent. The battery endurance remains class leading, a true 2-day performance. Along the 4 Zaiss tuned cameras (3 with AF) you also get a large, bright screen. The Funtouch OS is stable and mature, easy to use and like but the screen has grown in size while dropping to 1080p. Overall, V 60 is a joy to use and it’s main, periscope telephoto and selfie cameras are hard to beat.
PROs: good SnapDragon 7 Gen 4 with UFS 2.2 performance, outstanding endurance of the 6500mAh Si-C battery with sub-1hr 90W wired charging, bright >1300nits AMOLED HDR10+ screen with high frequency PWM, IP69 protection, Zeiss branded 50MP OIS main + 50MP OIS periscope telephoto (both with PDAF) and a great 50MP AF selfie, 4 years of OS updates
CONs: wider and harder to use one hand, only 388ppi screen, 8MP ultrawide with no AF, no SDmemory, no desktop replacement feature or even video out, slow USB-C 2.0 port (added Aug 15, 2025)

* TOP Protection * TOP Memory expansion * TOP Software …
EDITORIAL: The best G series phone is a “light” version of the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion. It comes with a same processor and memory, screen and battery size, selfie and probably the same main camera as well. Downgraded are just charging speed and the ultrawide. Also missing is the desktop replacement feature reserved for Motorola’s flagship Edge series.
PROs: great build and colors, a charger and bumper case included in some markets, good Mediatec 7300 with UFS 2.2 performance, 24+hour endurance from 5200mAh battery, sub90min 30W wired charging (no wireless), 1300+nits P-OLED screen with HDR10+, excellent IP69 with military standard drop protection, reliable photos and videos from 50MP OIS PDAF main + 8MP AF ultrawide, SDmemory slot, excellent OS with AI integration and video mirroring options with 4 years of OS updates
CONs: relatively low PWM screen refresh frequency may cause headaches in sensitive users, no AF on selfie, no desktop replacement software (updated Jul 17, 2025)

* TOP Selfie * TOP Software …
EDITORIAL: Vivo is aiming for the very best with the X Fold 5. The biggest battery on a foldable and excellent brightness on both screens but this Vivo is a bit of a disappointment. While better then rival foldables, the battery will last less then 24 hours. More disappointingly, the back camera performance good but not as good as you’d expect from the world’s best camera-phone company.
PROs: very good SnapDragon 8 Gen 3 with UFS4.1 performance, sub1hour 80W wired (40W wireless) fast charging, a >1600nits bright LTPO AMOLED screens with Dolby Vision, 4 years of OS updates and a very fast USB-C 3.2 port with video out
CONs: 1 year old processor, the 6000mAh Silicone Carbon battery should deliver better battery endurance, Zeiss branded 50MP OIS main + 50MP OIS periscope tele + 50MP ultrawide (all with PDAF) are great on paper but produce only “good” images and videos (with limited dynamic range), no AF on either selfie (but you’ll use the main camera for selfies), no expandable memory, no desktop replacement software and limited market availability (updated Jul 29, 2025)

* TOP Battery endurance * TOP Selfie
EDITORIAL: (this is a pre-test listing based on a reasonable expectation of battery endurance, screen and camera performance) Reno 14 Pro is an iterative update of Reno 13 Pro. Slightly wider, thinner and heavier, it features a new (slightly faster) chip, slightly bigger battery but camera gets 2 major updates: a periscope telephoto and a proper 50MP ultrawide. Reno remains one of the best midrange (chip) phones.
PROs: complete package at a good price, solid Dimensity 8450 with UFS 3.1 performance, excellent 2-day+ endurance from a 6200mAh battery with 80W (50W wireless) fast charging, large bright AMOLED with HDR10+ and 3800+PWM, IP69 (2m for up to 30 min) protection, great pics from 50MP main + 50MP periscope telephoto (both with OIS PDAF) + 50MP AF ultrawide and a 50MP AF selfie
CONs: hard to use one-hand, bland looks, no SDmemory, short OS update policy, no desktop replacement functionality or even video-out (added Jun 21, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * Macro camera
EDITORIAL: Asus’ ROG (Republic of Gamers) phones keep getting better. The 2024 edition refined the already excellent 2023 version and added an improved AeroActive Cooler X Pro. This is an excellent phone with top performance, NTFS storage support, great battery endurance, very bright HDR10 Screen, IP68 protection, gaming triggers, cool mini-LED (85 dot) matrix on the back panel and even decent (if not great) photos from it’s 50MP OIS PDAF main + 13MP ultrawide + 5MP macro lenses.
PROs: top tier SD 8 Elite (UFS4.0) performance, outstanding 2-day battery endurance from the 5800mAh Lithium battery with 45min 65W charging (15W wireless), eye-searing 1900+nits bright 185Hz LTPO AMOLED screen, USB-C ports with Display Port 1.4 and OTG, 3.5mm headphone jack
CONs: 227gr big, lack of expandable storage, very short OS update support, no desktop replacement feature (updated Apr 28, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance
EDITORIAL: The Pro version of ROG 9 comes only in black. It offers more mini-LED dots on the back (648 vs 85) then ROG 9 (see listing above) and replaces the macro lens with a proper 32MP OIS PDAF telephoto. It has a 1TB, 24GB RAM version too b but otherwise matches the ROG 9 in physical build, processor, memory, battery, charging, screen, gaming tech and (only 2 year) OS support.
PROs: top performance scores by SD 8 Elite processor with UFS4.0, 2-day endurance from a 5800mAh Li battery and fast 45min (0 to 100%) 65W wired (15W wireless) charging, >1900nits bright LTPO AMOLED with 185Hz refresh rate (!), gaming triggers, 2 USB-C ports (1 with OTG), 3.5mm headphone jack
CONs: heavy at 227gr, lack of expandable storage, very short OS update support, no desktop replacement feature (updated Apr 28, 2025)

* TOP Battery endurance * TOP Selfie
EDITORIAL: Vivo V40 has perfected the midrange formula putting out another excellent phone. For about $500, you will get a battery + screen + pics phone that is a pleasure to use. This is a great phone to consider, if it is sold in your market.
PROs: a easily pocketable (just 7.6 mm thick) body with a thin (plastic) frame and curved sides on both front and back, lag-free performance from SD 7 Gen 3 processor, a 2-day endurance by 5500mAh Si/C battery with 45min (0-100%) 80W charging, excellent >1300nits 450ppi HDR10+ AMOLED screen, IP69 element protection, Zeiss tuned 50MP PDAF OIS main + 50MP AF ultrawide produce reliable photos and very good videos and macro shots, the 50MP AF selfie is excellent for both pics and videos (day or night)
CONs: UFS2.2 and the USB-C2.0 slow things down, no wireless charging, no SDmemory or Desktop replacement feature, only 2 years of OS updates (updated May 27, 2025)

* TOP Selfie
EDITORIAL: Pura 70 Ultra is a China-only camera-phone dream with proven photo (hardware and software) performance. It is considered by many to be the very best camera-phone of the 2024. Processor is a Kirin 9010, with performance on par with (2024) upper-midrange processors, scoring just below Dimensity 8300. Battery endurance is almost a full day. The screen is a solid but MOR: sub-1300nits, 460ppi with no HDR10+. Phone is beautifully crafted (altho 226gr heavy) and feels as premium as any featuring a lovely and grip-friendly fake-leather back. To run Google apps, you will have to get GBox depository and install them from there.
PROs: high-quality build, reliable Kirin 9010 performance, 1-day 5200mAh Li battery endurance with a 100W sub-60min wired charging (80W wireless), IP68 protection, outstanding photo performance from a 1″ 50MP variable f/1.6-4.0 aperture OIS PDAF retractable main + 50MP PDAF telephoto + 40MP AF ultrawide camera and 13MP AF selfie cameras, Huawei’s good desktop replacement feature and bring the very first Pura branded top phone
CONs: very limited software update future and support, battery life that could have been better for a phone this price and size, mediocre video recording quality and the lack of expandable memory (updated Jun 3, 2025)

* TOP Selfie * TOP Video recording * TOP Software

* TOP Software
EDITORIAL: After competing with entry-level and midrange phones, Nothing claims it is ready to offer a flagship. The Phone (3) is their first attempt. It comes with just below top-shelf components, stabile and very functional OS with some useful new AI features. Nothing decided to replace the glyph interface that company’s phones were known for with a dot matrix back screen of 489 LEDs that can provide a more contextual interaction.
PROs: unique and recognizable design with a see-through back panel, good SD 8s Gen 4 with UFS4.0 performance, 1-day endurance from a 5150mAh Si-C battery with 60min 65W charging (15W wireless), IP68 protection, 4 reliable 50MP cameras (main and periscope tele with OIS PDAF), a great (no AF) selfie, good video recording and 5 years of updates of it’s mature and unique OS
CONs: boxy body, no SDmemory, no desktop replacement feature and a slow USB-C 2.0 with no video-out (updated Sep 21, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Battery endurance * TOP Selfie * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: (this is a pre-release and pre-test listing based on reasonable expectations of battery endurance and camera performance) This year, OnePlus joins other Chinese makers in adding a mini-flagship. The 13s could be a bulls eye with top processing and battery endurance, very good screen, AF selfie and 4 years of OS updates. Upcoming tests will confirm the charging speed (sub-60min expected) and the main + tele lens performance. Unfortunately, this phone is only IP65 (can’t be submerged) and the awesome hardware ring-slider is now replaced with a programmable button.
PROs: great build, great SD 8 Elite with UFS4.0 performance, 2-day 5850mAh Li-Ion battery endurance, sub-60min fast 80W wired charging (no wireless), reliable OIS 50MP main + 50MP tele (both PDAF) back camera, great 32MP selfie with AF and 4 years of OS updates
CONs: flat back-front-and-sides design, lack of wireless charging, just IP65 (splash-resistant) protection and a lack of expandable memory or desktop replacement functionality (added Jun 2, 2025)

* TOP Photo * TOP Selfie * TOP Desktop replacement
EDITORIAL: (this is a pre-test listing based on reasonable expectations of battery, charging, photo and video recording performance) Released on Jun 12th, 2025 the Pura 80 Pro is a slightly downgraded version of the Pro+. These two share the same size body, processor, battery, charging, screen, element protection, selfie and even software with the mighty Pura 80 Ultra. Difference is just in phone colors and the back camera tech: this Pro features a 50MP OIS PDAF main + 48MP PDAF telephoto + 40MP AF ultrawide while it’s more expensive siblings have better hardware. Still, expect excellent photos from it. (added Jun 8, 2025)

* TOP Photo * TOP Selfie * TOP Desktop replacement
EDITORIAL: (this is a pre-test listing based on reasonable expectations of battery, charging, photo and video recording performance) Pura 80 Pro+ was announced along the Pura 80 Ultra on Jun 11, 2025. It is noticably cheaper then the Ultra and shares all of Ultra’s features except the zoom unit that is a 48MP OIS PDAF telephoto instead of the new 50MP sensor that serves two periscope tele lenses by utilizing mechanical sliding tech.
PROs: premium build quality and a very unique camera bump design, good (upper-midrange) performance from Kirin 9020, a full-day battery endurance with sub-60min 100W charging (80W wireless), >1400nits 460ppi LTPO OLED with 1440Hz PWM, IP69 element protection (2m for up to 30min), excellent photos from a 50MP f/1.6-4.0 main + 48MP telephoto (both OIS PDAF) + 40MP AF ultrawide back camera setup, great 13MP AF ultrawide performance and mature desktop replacement functionality
CONs: lack of (out-of-the-box) Google services, unknown software update future, big heavy (76.1mm 219g) body, short battery life for such a big phone and lack of expandable memory slot (added Jun 7, 2025)

* TOP Battery endurance * TOP Selfie * TOP Video
EDITORIAL: Vivo V50 comes 6 months after the V40 and it brings the same Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chip (same as V30 too), a bigger (6000mAh) Si-C battery and a selfie that is now also Zeiss enhanced. This is a great example of Vivo’s strategy of focusing on battery-screen-photography and is another midranger that will best many flagship phones with it’s very thin body and a lovely, solid feel (despite having a plastic frame), top battery life and excellent photo and video performance. This time, screen resolution is dropped to 1080 and the body is even wider than on V40. Could Vivo be saving the compact size for it’s future flagships?
PROs: thin and very comfortable to use build, Outstanding 2-day 6000mAh Si-C battery endurance with sub-60min 90W charging, good 1080p almost 1300nits 3840PWM AMOLED screen, IP69 element protection, 50MP OIS PDAF main + 50MP AF ultrawide + 50MP AF selfie – all with Zeiss optics for excellent portraits, great photographs and videos
CONs: wide 76.7mm body, a 1080 screen (albeit with HDR10+), no memory expansion, just 3 years of OS updates and no desktop replacement software (updated Jun 9, 2025)

* TOP Performance * TOP Screen * TOP Software
PROs: fast SD 8 Gen 3 UFS4.1 performance, full day 6000mAh Li/P battery + 90W sub-40min charging, 1500nits >520ppi 3840PWM AMOLED screen with Dolby Vision, IP68, reliable pics and videos from 50MP OIS PDAF main + 8MP ultrawide back cameras, 4 years of OS updates, good build and price
CONs: lack of 2-day endurance, mediocre ultrawide camera imaging , no tele lense, no SDmemory, no video out or desktop replacement feature (updated Jun 10, 2025)

* TOP Battery endurance * TOP Selfie

* TOP Photos * TOP Selfie * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: In keeping with the 2024 tend, Google added a mini-flagship. It is Google’s best phone ever with improved battery life that now can last almost the whole day, a great screen and camera tech and a great software experience as well. Google promises 7 years of OS updates too. What’s keeping it from directly competing with other top compacts are it’s midrange processor, a less-than-a-day battery life, the lack of memory expansion and desktop replacement software.
PROs: great build, compact size, IP68 water and dust protection, capable main & selfie cameras, clean Android experience with cutting edge AI features and (a promise of) 7 years of OS and security updates (it is to be seen if Tensor G4 chip can handle them)
CONs: a midrange chip for a flagship phone price, less than 24-hour battery endurance, unreliable video recording, lack of expandable storage (to force you into Google Drive’s monthly subscription) and absence of any desktop replacement functionality (updated Apr 7, 2025)

* TOP Main camera * TOP Selfie * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: Google’s 2025 top phone is one of the best camera phones in the world and would have easily had a TOP 10 ranking if it came with a flagship (grade) processor and a battery that lasts 24 hours. Missing is the SDmemory. Charging is (as with all Pixel phones) painfully slow.
(updated Mar 30, 2025)

* TOP Selfie * TOP Software * TOP Desktop replacement
EDITORIAL: Samsung’s top folding phone (2024) is going against the wind. Remaining very (12mm) thick when closed), with the smallish (still Li/Po!) battery and a $1000+ price, the Z Fold 6 struggles to compete but does have some aces up it’s sleeve.
PROs: 68.1mm narrow and very hand-friendly premium build, fast USB-C3.2 OTG connection, good SD 8 Gen 3 UFS4.0 performance, excellent >1600nits LTPO AMOLED HDR10+ stylus friendly screens, reliable 50MP OIS PDAF wide + 10MP PDAF tele + 12MP ultrawide photo and video performance, 7 years of OS updates, DeX is included.
CONs: lighter then predecessor but still 239gr heavy body, poor 4400mAh Li/Polymer battery life with 90min slow charging, sub-400ppi main screen, no AF on ultrawide or selfies, no SDmemory, stylus not included (updated May 27, 2025)

* TOP Battery * TOP Software

* TOP Selfie * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: Here is a downgrade of Pixel 9 with the 1st telephoto camera on a plain Pixel. The chip (Tensor G5, 3nm) is a disappointing midrange performer, battery is still a Li-Ion (old technology) and with less endurance and slow charging. Like Apple, Google is not innovating on the hardware front and while Pixels offer the most advanced AI tricks, Pixel phones that were known for excellent imaging now feel as if in decline.
PROs: relatively compact and easy to use one hand, very bright >1800nits 420ppi OLED with HDR10+ screen, IP68 protection, reliable pics and videos from 48MP main + 10.8MP tele (both with OIS) + 13MP ultrawide (all 3 with PDAF) back setup, great 10.5MP PDAF selfie, the best AI and Gemini integration, excellent 7 years of OS updates and a desktop replacement feature baked into Android 16
CONs: lack of hardware improvement, disappointing Tensor G5 performance and unusually poor endurance from the 4970mAh Li-Ion battery, slow >90min 30W wired charging (15W wireless), unreliable video recording, no expandable memory (updated Sep 6, 2025)

* TOP Selfie

* TOP Selfie

* TOP Video recording * TOP Software

* TOP Software * TOP Desktop replacement
EDITORIAL: This is a proper upgrade of A24 FE. Smaller and narrower body, Samsung’s best 2024 processor, LTPO screen with smaller bazels, S25 flagship series selfie camera and the very first phone to run OneUI 8.0 out of the box.
PROs: flagship build, fast Exynos 2400 UFS4.0 performance, sub-60min 4900mAh battery (15W wireless) charging, >1200nits bright LTPO OLED with HDR10+. IP68 protection, good imaging from 50MP OIS PDAF + 8MP OIS PDAF telephoto + 12MP ultrawide, good 12MP selfies, reliable video recording, up to 7 years of OS updates, DeX desktop replacement feature and a fast USB-C 3.2 with OTG
CONs: wide and hard to use one-hand, quick to throttle and get hot under a heavy load, disappointing sub-24hr endurance for such a big phone. sub-400ppi screen, same back cameras as last year, no AF on selfie, no SDmemory slot (added Sep 13, 2025)

* TOP Selfie * TOP Software * Just 4.2 mm thick
EDITORIAL: The N3 was one of the most exciting foldables of the 2023 so the N5 feels a bit disappointing. While a miracle of engineering for it’s thinness and battery size, the N5 comes with compromises not seen on N3. The top SD 8 Elite processor comes with 7 (instead of 8) cores. It tests slower than competition while presenting some heat issues. The screen brightness is not quite up to par (at less than 1200 nits on either screen). The ultrawide camera is just 8MP (!?) and ruins otherwise excellent camera experience. Both selfies have 8MP sensors too – midrange phones do better than that. The USB is just 2.0 (very slow data transfers) but at least offers Video Out and OTG features. No expandable memory or desktop replacement functionality. (added Feb 21, 2025)

* TOP Battery endurance * TOP Software
EDITORIAL: Like last year’s 12R, OnePlus 13R uses Snapdragon’s previous top processor, in this case SD 8 Gen 3 and as expected, it delivers excellent performance. Battery has been upgraded to 6000, it’s endurance is a two-day level. The screen is good but below the 1300 nit and 500 ppi level, ingress rating is (only) IP65, the triple lens camera produces good photos and videos and OnePlus says it will deliver 4 OS updates making this a great midrange phone with a flagship grade processor. (updated Jan 14, 2025)