To help you pick the best smartphone for you, we test dozens of handsets in the lab and in the real world to bring you in-depth reviews and make recommendations you can trust. We also compare the best camera phones side by side to see which devices offer the best image quality.
With strong options available at all price levels, you don't have to spend a lot to get something great. You can get a solid mid-range phone that delivers all the features you need for under $500.
Our best phones list has something for everyone, including great bargains and amazing flagships for those willing to pay a premium. We've ranked all the top phones based on our testing. Here are the top smartphones right now.
What are the best phones?
Based on our testing, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is the best phone you can buy right now. It delivers a 120Hz ProMotion display along with the best cameras in a phone. This includes a new macro mode, Cinematic mode for video and brighter images in low light. Plus, you get over 12 hours of battery life in our testing. The iPhone 13 Pro is great as well if you prefer a smaller 6.1-inch display, as it has all the same features.
If you're unwilling to spend upward of $1,000 on a phone, though, Apple has you covered with the $799 iPhone 13. It's the best value among flagship phones at the moment with a brighter display than the iPhone 12 and improved wide and ultra-wide cameras that are a step ahead of Android phones, plus blistering performance from the A15 Bionic processor and long battery life.
If you prefer Android, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is the top premium phone, as it delivers the brightest and more colorful display we've tested, a built-in S Pen that's 70% faster than before and much improved cameras. The Galaxy S22 lets you enjoy many of the great features included in the Galaxy S lineup, but for less than both the Ultra and the Galaxy S22 Plus.
Android fans shouldn't overlook the OnePlus 10 Pro, a great update from OnePlus that continues the camera improvements that began with the OnePlus 9 series. The OnePlus 10 Pro is also less expensive than the Galaxy S22 Ultra and offers a long battery life, too. But the better choice for camera buffs would be one of Google's flagships — either the Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro.
The best budget pick would normally be Google's Pixel 5a, but the Pixel 6a is coming in July at the same $449 and featuring a more powerful Tensor processor. We're eager to see how that compares to other great low-cost phones like the $449 Samsung Galaxy A52 and the $429 iPhone SE.
The iPhone 13 Pro Max earns the title of best phone thanks to a number of key upgrades. This includes a new 6.7-inch ProMotion display that scales up to 120Hz for silky smooth animations, awesome performance from the A15 Bionic chip and epic battery life of over 12 hours in our web surfing test.
The cameras on the iPhone 13 Pro Max are simply best in class, thanks to improved sensors that capture more light and a new Photographic styles feature that lets you tweak the look of your pics. But the coolest camera features are a new macro mode that helps you shoot awesome close-ups and a Cinematic mode for video that delivers a compelling bokeh effect along with automatic focusing between subjects.
The charging could be faster. But, overall, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is second to none among smartphones.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the ultimate Android phone for power users. It delivers a built-in S Pen just like a Galaxy Note, and you get 70% less latency for smoother performance. The 6.8-inch display is simply the best we've tested, offering class-leading brightness and color saturation, making this panel easy to read outdoors in direct sunlight and fantastic for watching shows and movies.
The other big reason to buy the Galaxy S22 Ultra is the camera improvements. There's a larger main 108MP sensor that lets in more light, which means brighter pictures without having to use Night mode. And when you do engage Night mode, you'll get even better pics in some scenarios than the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Add in faster 45W charging and a sleek design and you have a winner. We just wish the battery life were a bit longer
The best phone for the money, the iPhone 13 delivers a fantastic camera experience in a compact design. The main camera gathers more light now and the ultra-wide camera captures more of the scene. And the Cinematic mode for video gives you Hollywood-like depth of focus in your footage, thanks to the powerful new A15 Bionic processor.
Other highlights include a brighter 6.1-inch display and a smaller notch up top so you get more screen real estate. The biggest improvement is battery life, as we saw about 10.5 hours of endurance, which is an improvement of over 1.5 hours from the iPhone 12. Add in a base 128GB of storage for your $799 and you can’t go wrong with this iPhone.
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