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From the latest Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel or iPhone Pro to handsets with impressive battery life, these are the models to consider
Jon is a freelance journalist for Telegraph Recommended, specialising in consumer technology and popular culture. Jon has contributed reviews, news and opinion pieces to some of the UK’s biggest tech websites, including TechRadar, Trusted Reviews, Tech Advisor and Expert Reviews.
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Smartphones have become our primary means of remote communication, whether we’re placing and receiving calls, sending text and WhatsApp messages, checking emails, or posting social media updates. But they’re so much more than that. Smartphones are our personal media playback machines, our cameras, and our personal organisers. Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), they’re quickly becoming our personal assistants, too.
For some people, this gradual creeping colonisation of every part of our lives has prompted a backlash, bringing the old-fashioned “dumbphone” back to prominence.
There remains a sizeable market for classic feature phones that simply handle calls and messages, but little else. Whatever mobile phone you want, we’ve assembled the following guide to highlight the best of the best. Whether you’re an iPhone user, an Android die-hard, or a smartphone refusenik, there’s a mobile phone here to suit your needs.
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There are two broad types of smartphones on the market: iPhones and Android devices. With the former, both the built-in software and hardware are exclusively made by Apple. Android phones, on the other hand, are made by a range of manufacturers, but all run Google’s Android software.
Here are the main sub-categories you’ll encounter when shopping for a new handset, in descending price order:
We tested all phones for at least a week and often for as long as a month, focusing on improvements over the preceding generation, if applicable. The quality of the cameras and the software behind them is always an important factor, so we take pictures and video in a wide variety of day and night conditions, testing each shooting mode. This is closely followed by battery life, charging time and the speed of the processor: can it smoothly handle the demands of high-definition video and the latest AI-driven software?
Screen size and resolution are important when assessing phones as video and gaming platforms, but we also take into account how they feel in the hand and how resistant they are to knocks and scratches. We tend not to compare operating systems given that both iOS and Android are frequently updated, but we do pay attention to how well they work with headphones and other wireless peripherals.
Most phones are available with a choice of storage capacities ranging from 128GB to 512GB, and sometimes even 1TB. The difference in performance between storage tiers is, at most, negligible, so we test the ones that we believe represent the best value. You can visit our Who We Are page to learn more about our testing process.
There is no single “best phone” that will suit everyone. If you just want a phone to handle the basics, then a Pro or Ultra-tier handset is overkill.
This brings us to form factor. Modern smartphones vary wildly in size, from the pocket-friendly Samsung Galaxy S26 to the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold that unfurls into a mini-tablet. The latter is great for getting things done on the go, but it won’t travel lightly in the pocket.
For some people, a smartphone is more like a hyper-connected camera. Thankfully, every flagship phone these days carries a capable camera, but you need to ask yourself what kind of photography or videography you favour. High-quality zoom lenses, for example, are often reserved for Pro and Ultra models.
Now that you’ve established the kind of phone you might be after, we can offer up some specific recommendations.
Apple made smartphones mainstream with the launch of the original iPhone in 2007. Every smartphone that has been released since has owed the company a significant debt.
Apple continues to make the most popular phones on the market, and that popularity is well deserved. iPhones are expensive, but they’re well-built, easy to use, and have outstanding cameras, while Apple’s customer support is second to none.
Best Buy iPhone
Apple’s Pro models typically top our iPhone recommendation list, but this year is different. While the iPhone 17 Pro is a brilliant phone, particularly in the camera department, the standard iPhone 17 is the best buy for most people.
That’s because Apple has significantly closed the gap between its standard model and its premium option. At last, the iPhone 17’s OLED display has adopted Apple’s ProMotion technology, doubling the refresh rate to 120Hz and making it perform just as fluidly as the Pro model.
The camera system might lack the dedicated zoom capability of the iPhone 17 Pro, but the two cameras that are there are so good, you probably won’t even notice. What’s more, the Pro’s exciting new flexible 18-megapixel selfie camera is also present in the regular handset.
Performance from the A19 processor is unimpeachable, battery life is excellent, and Apple’s iOS software remains a pleasure to use.
Best Value iPhone
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have been replaced by the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air, but they’re sticking around in Apple’s roster for another year at a lower price. This makes them fine value picks for those not prepared to pay top whack.
Apple has essentially knocked £100 off the price of two phones that remain compelling. I can’t quibble with the quality of the 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch OLED displays on offer, other than to highlight their slightly sluggish 60Hz refresh rates. Performance isn’t an issue either, thanks to Apple’s still-capable A18 chip.
You also get several of the little hardware flourishes that mark out Apple’s more recent smartphone design. This includes the Dynamic Island, which replaces the ugly display notch of old with a more compact front camera set-up that incorporates useful animated widgets for key apps and functions.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus also incorporate Apple’s Action Button and Camera Control, which supply a customisable shortcut and manual control over the camera, respectively. Both camera and battery performance are excellent, especially the latter in the case of the larger iPhone 16 Plus.
Best Budget iPhone
The iPhone 17e replaces the iPhone 16e as the entry point to Apple’s smartphones, starting at £599. That makes it £200 cheaper than my Best Buy and £100 cheaper than my Best Value picks above. Some compromises have been made to hit the lower price, but there are several meaningful upgrades over last year’s model that make up for them.
It has the same lightweight, compact design, but Apple’s MagSafe technology has been added this time around, making this model compatible with a range of accessories and chargers that its predecessor lacked. It’s also powered by the same A19 processor as the iPhone 17, delivering smooth performance, and it offers double the starting storage (256GB) of the iPhone 16e, while maintaining excellent battery life.
You miss out on a few premium features, like a 120Hz refresh rate (allowing for smoother scrolling), the Always-On display, and the secondary ultrawide rear camera. You also don’t get the iPhone 17’s clever new front camera or the Camera Control button for quicker access to camera functions and Apple’s Visual Intelligence feature.
However, the iPhone 17e’s single rear camera is still a great snapper that yields excellent results in all lighting conditions, and the software experience is the same as the more expensive models. If you are upgrading from an older phone or are new to Apple’s system, the iPhone 17e is an excellent smartphone for its price, delivering pretty much everything most people will need.
Apple might have the single most valuable smartphone brand on the market in the iPhone, but Android is the most popular mobile platform out there. Rather than a single hardware manufacturer, Google’s operating system runs on handsets made by a wide range of companies from across the globe.
The key appeal of this approach over Apple’s is choice. Android phones come in all shapes and sizes, not to mention price points, giving buyers far more flexibility to prioritise what’s important to them.
Best Buy Android Smartphone
If you’re more accustomed to using Google’s Android, then the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra remains the best pick for most people. It’s not cheap, but it features outstanding performance, a large and sharp 6.9-inch OLED display, and a flexible camera system that’s now even better at taking low-light shots and steady videos.
Samsung’s latest flagship phone stands apart from strong competitors in two clear ways. It remains a somewhat niche provision, but Samsung’s dedicated S Pen stylus allows you to scribble notes and sketches in a way that no other premium phone can, enhanced by powerful handwriting recognition software. Privacy Display is a newer and more broadly useful innovation, working to prevent bystanders from being able to view the content of your screen by blacking out sensitive information from any angle except for head-on. It works well and can be fine-tuned to block out text and images from incoming notifications or particular apps.
Samsung’s AI implementation is as extensive as any other manufacturer – arguably to a fault – and its One UI interface adds some useful widgets and customisation options. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is far from perfect. The Privacy Display feature has made the phone’s screen slightly dimmer than before, while its battery life and charging speeds haven’t kept pace with competitors from China. Samsung’s busy UI won’t be to everyone’s taste, either.
Among an extremely competitive Android phone field, however, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra manages to simultaneously stand out with unique features while remaining solidly dependable. It’s a winning formula.
Best Value Android Smartphone
The Google Pixel 10 isn’t a cheap phone, but at £799 (RRP) it’s a full £200 less expensive than the Google Pixel 10 Pro. Despite such a considerable price difference, Google’s mainstream smartphone option has never been closer to the step-up model.
Its design is similar indeed, with a flat, compact look that carries more than a hint of Apple’s refined iPhone 17. This design also incorporates Google’s PixelSnap mounting system, which facilitates magnetised Qi2 wireless charging.
Performance is nigh-on identical to the more expensive Pro model, thanks to the use of the exact same Tensor G5 processor. This places the Pixel 10 at the back of the wider flagship pack, but still supplies enough headroom to feel fast and fluid.
It should feel that way for years to come, thanks to Google’s pioneering offer of a seven-year software update promise. And what appealing software it is, with the company’s clean, AI-enhanced take on Android making rival UIs look positively clumsy.
Google has even added a dedicated zoom camera to this year’s model, closing off another way in which the Pro model used to differentiate itself. It’s a shame the main camera isn’t as good as the Pixel 9’s before it, but Google’s expert image processing ensures that the Pixel 10 still takes good photos.
An increasing number of people are rejecting the constant distraction of smartphones, instead opting for a type of handset that predates the first iPhone. Such devices are pejoratively known as “dumbphones”, but they’re sometimes more kindly referred to as “feature phones”.
These compact handsets are incredibly cheap, usually retailing for under £100, and are extremely simple to use. They use physical buttons rather than touchscreens, and are primarily designed with calls and text messages in mind. In place of ready internet connectivity, you get epic battery life and a blissful lack of bleeping notifications, except for the odd incoming SMS.
Best Buy Dumbphone
The Nokia brand is virtually synonymous with handsets from the pre-iPhone era. Formed by ex-Nokia employees, HMD Global is still using the brand to make high-quality revisions of its popular 90s output.
Its modern take on the classic Nokia 3210 is our favourite dumbphone right now. It crams all of the basic functionality of a phone into a small body that weighs less than 90g, with a basic but intuitive interface and solid, clicky buttons.
While its main use is for calls and texts, you also get basic timer and calculator apps, and there’s an FM radio should you wish to listen to music the old-fashioned way. There’s even a handy torch function to help find the keyhole at night.
Web browsing is possible, there’s a pre-installed Facebook web application, and there’s even a rudimentary camera. They’re all terrible at what they do, of course, but that’s not what the Nokia 3210 is about. It’s a smart, economical way to disconnect without leaving yourself completely isolated.
Best Value Dumbphone
As one of the cheapest dumbphones you can buy, it’s easy to ignore the Nokia 110 4G’s foibles. It doesn’t have Bluetooth, its screen is microscopic and its charging port is the outdated micro-USB type. All that said, it’s built by a reputable manufacturer and you can pick it up for less than £40 SIM-free, making it superb value.
Texting is easy thanks to the large backlit keys. The screen, while small, is bright and sharp. The radio works well and, after a short pause to “tune in,” is capable of emitting reasonable sound quality with or without wired headphones inserted. The interface is old-fashioned, but then so is the premise. In terms of functionality, the 110 4G offers early-2000s brick phone utilities but with up-to-date 4G connectivity and clear calls both ways.
You won’t want to use that connectivity to browse the internet on the built-in Opera web browser, nor to check Facebook on the web app that comes with the phone. For just a little more, you could get one of parent company HMD’s entry-level smartphones. But, if you just need to make or take calls, receive the odd two-factor verification SMS from your bank and perhaps listen to the radio, the 110 4G is a good starting point that won’t take up much room in your life, or your pocket.
For many, the modern smartphone is more of a digital camera than a telephone. That’s partly a side effect of the changing ways in which we communicate, through messages and social media rather than through phone calls.
But it also comes down to the quality of modern smartphone cameras, which use powerful image processing and machine learning algorithms to take the kind of pictures and videos that used to be the preserve of expensive DSLR cameras.
Best Buy Camera Phone
The iPhone 17 might be more than enough phone for most people, but the iPhone 17 Pro and its larger Pro Max sibling go the extra mile in the camera department.
Its 48-megapixel main camera sensor is larger and more advanced than before, while a dedicated 4x zoom lens takes phenomenal zoomed-in shots. Around the front, Apple’s new 18-megapixel camera takes the best selfies in the business, with an innovative square form factor enabling you to switch the orientation without having to tilt the phone.
All of this, and the image quality from all four cameras is of the highest order. Apple’s colour science is natural and nuanced, while offering a range of compelling looks and tones for those who like to experiment. A dedicated Camera Control button grants you more direct control of taking pictures, while the iPhone remains the absolute best at capturing video.
Away from the camera, the iPhone 17 Pro has an attractive new design, excellent battery life, faster charging, and impeccable performance from Apple’s vapour-cooled A19 Pro processor. Its OLED display, too, outputs vibrant yet natural colours and at an impressive 3,000 nits peak brightness.
Best Value Camera Phone
You don’t need to spend big to secure yourself a good phone camera. The Google Pixel 9a can be picked up for less than £350 these days, yet it provides a level of image quality that broadly approximates that of a far more expensive flagship phone.
This comes down to Google’s image processing expertise. While the Pixel 9a’s 48-megapixel main camera isn’t particularly large or advanced, it turns out shots with the brand’s customary level of pop and contrast. Night shots, too, are clear and sharp.
It helps that the Pixel 9a runs on the same Tensor G4 processor that powered the more premium Google Pixel 9 Pro. This component also ensures that the Pixel 9a runs smoothly and that it should continue to perform well towards the end of its extensive seven-year software update period.
Google’s clean take on Android 16 is one of the more attractive of its kind, with none of the clutter or questionable UI design of most other Android phones. It also integrates powerful AI features better than the rest.
The Google Pixel 9a is functionally identical to the more recent Google Pixel 10a, yet it now sells for significantly less money, which makes it a much better buy while stock remains.
One perpetual weakness of smartphones over their dumbphone equivalents is battery life. It used to be that your average iPhone or Android phone would struggle to make it through a full working day without requiring a top-up.
That’s thankfully no longer the case, with some smartphones capable of going through two or even three days before they require recharging. The best phone for battery life has set a new standard in this department.
Best Buy Smartphone Battery
Despite being cheaper than its predecessor, the OnePlus 15 is even more of a stamina beast than ever. With a massive 7,300mAh capacity, the batter size dwarfs that of most of its rivals. Combined with OnePlus’ efficiency tweaks, this is a phone that can last three days in between charges if your usage is light.
Recharging is similarly impressive. Support for rapid 120W wired charging means the phone can go from flat to full in just 39 minutes, while 50W wireless charging promises 50 per cent in the same time. Performance is also among the best of any phone, thanks to Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip.
It’s a shame that OnePlus has abandoned its steadily refined design language in favour of something more generic. The camera system has also regressed somewhat since the OnePlus 13, with smaller sensors and no more support from camera specialist Hasselblad. It still handles well and takes decent pictures, however.
Best Value Smartphone Battery
For sheer battery capacity at a reasonable price (starting from £469), nothing touches the Poco X8 Pro Max right now. Indeed, with an 8,500mAh cell, no phone on the market can compare.
Battery life involves more than mere milliampere-hour units, of course, and the Poco X8 Pro Max isn’t the most efficient runner on the market. However, it still impresses with its stamina and is capable of lasting beyond two full days of normal use in between charges. Support for 100W wired charging ensures that it won’t take longer than an hour to get up to 100 per cent.
This is also an extremely capable phone in other departments, with a level of performance that approaches that of far more expensive flagship phones. Elsewhere, the Poco’s 6.83-inch OLED display is big, bright, and accurate, and its build quality is of an impressively high standard.
Those who favour portability, camera quality, or crisp and uncluttered software will be better served with the Google Pixel 9a or 10a. But for raw stamina and performance on a budget, the Poco X8 Pro Max is outstanding in its field.
Foldable phones come in two basic styles: book-style foldables that start out like ‘normal’ smartphones before transforming into mini-tablets, and flip phones that fold down into a smaller form factor.
While the latter is considerably cheaper than the former, they’re both among the most expensive phones on the market, and manufacturers still need to iron out a few kinks in their design. But if you’re seeking the cutting edge of smartphone development, it can be found right here.
Best Book-Style Foldable Smartphone
Samsung took a big step forward with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, slimming down its design to produce a book-style foldable that’s easy to use in either configuration. When closed, it’s around the same dimensions as the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Despite this, it’s extremely capable, with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite providing high level performance. Both the 8-inch internal OLED screen and the 6.5-inch external display are bright, sharp and fluid.
Samsung has also brought its 200-megapixel main camera sensor across from the Galaxy S25 Ultra, meaning that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 can take excellent photographs in all lighting conditions.
It’s a shame that the battery is a little slight at 4,400mAh, but Samsung’s optimisation ensures a full day’s usage. There’s no explaining away the high asking price for this phone, though, other than to point out that all foldables are expensive.
Whatever its flaws, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the easiest and most pleasant foldable phone to use, which goes a long way.
Best Flip Phone
Rather than expanding into a tablet like other foldables, the Motorola Razr 60 Ultra uses its hinged mechanism to reduce its footprint. It resembles a square makeup compact, and can fit comfortably in the smallest pocket or bag pouch.
Despite its incredible shrinking nature, the Motorola Razr 60 Ultra performs much like a regular high-end phone when open. On the inside of its clamshell design is an unusually large 6.9-inch 165Hz OLED display, with a smaller 4-inch outer screen allowing some use even when the phone is closed.
This also lets you use the phone’s 50-megapixel main camera to shoot selfies of the highest quality, with the outer screen serving as an effective viewfinder. Performance isn’t an issue, thanks to a speedy Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, and nor is stamina with a decent-sized 4,700mAh battery.
In order to fit that folding form factor, Motorola has had to jettison the zoom camera, and £1,000 is a lot to pay for a phone that doesn’t properly excel in anything beyond its compact nature. But if saving space is the priority, there’s no better flip phone on the market.
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