The Best Phones In 2024 : Expert Tested

Published On: May 14, 2024

The best phones In 2024 : We activated the best phones on the market, from iPhone to Android, and these are the top picks for adeptness users, agreeable creators, account shoppers, and more.

With the affluence of smartphones accessible on the market, allotment the best one may not be as aboveboard as it seems, abnormally if you adopt Android over iOS. That’s why I’ve done all the bedraggled work, accepting activated and advised aloof about every above handset appear over the accomplished year to accord you this absolute account of your best options appropriate now.

What is the best Phones right now? The best phones In 2024

The best buzz all-embracing goes to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for its immersive and active display, reliable array life, and abundance of appropriate features, some of which are powered by the company’s new abundant AI model. Of course, the best buzz all-embracing may not absolutely be the best buzz for you. For the added top options, see the account below.
The best phones In 2024

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra : The best phones In 2024

pros
• Best affectation accessible in any smartphone
• Reliable quad-camera setup
• Battery activity charcoal amid best in class
• AI appearance bear new value
cons
• Costs added than some exceptional laptops
• No Qi2 alluring charging
• Can be bulky for some, abnormally with a case
more details
Samsung’s latest Galaxy S24 band is the aboriginal to go all-in on AI, and the S24 Ultra, the best exceptional of the three, is the best Android buzz today. The new Galaxy AI archetypal anchored in the accessory brings a host of abundant capabilities, including real-time buzz alarm translations, the adeptness to amphitheater an article on awning to accomplish an image-based Google search, AI-assisted photo alteration and transcriptions, and alike a Chat Assist affection for addition out how to byword a bulletin in altered tones.

Like its predecessor, the S23 Ultra, the S24 Ultra is congenital with a ample 6.8-inch AMOLED affectation and a reliable 5,000mAh battery. Though the amount has gone up to $1,299 ($100 added than the S23 Ultra), the phone’s upgrades accomplish it able-bodied account it: The S24 Ultra is fabricated of a failing yet abiding titanium frame, compared to aftermost year’s aluminum, and appearance Corning’s new Gorilla Armor.

The aberration in affectation aegis agency the S24 Ultra is added glare-free than ever, which ZDNET analyst Jason Hiner suggested: “makes its awning added agreeable to use than the iPhone 15 Pro Max and added flagship phones.” Reddit users assume to accede with Hiner, including one who said he believes “the anti-reflective bottle absolutely makes a difference.”
Under the hood, the S24 Ultra includes an upgraded Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset for bigger cartoon and AI features, 12GB RAM (an access from aftermost year’s 8GB), and 2,600 nits of accuracy — a big advance over aftermost year’s 1,750. As for the new camera system, the big advancement comes in the anatomy of a 50MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. The results, as Hiner discovered, were bluff and beneath blatant images, and an all-embracing camera arrangement that can cull in added ablaze than anytime before.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra tech specs:

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
Affectation size: 6.8 inches |
Storage options: Up to 1TB |
Rear cameras: 200MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 50MP telephoto (5x), 10MP telephoto (3x) | Front camera: 12MP |
Battery: 5,000mAh

iPhone 15 Pro Max : The best phones In 2024

pros

Action button brings new customizability
Lighter, added adequate anatomy factor
Brighter awning for bigger alfresco use
5X zoom camera for high-quality shots

cons

Battery activity could be longer
Apple-branded cases, abnormally the FineWoven, allegation to be better
more details

The latest iPhone 15 Pro Max offers aggregate a exceptional flagship smartphone should, including a ablaze 6.7-inch AMOLED affectation for all the media burning — and adaptable productivity, of course. This year’s archetypal additionally looks and feels altered than any above-mentioned Pro Max devices, as it’s fabricated of titanium instead of stainless animate and, therefore, decidedly lighter in the hand. This makes the iPhone 15 Pro Max acutely added adequate to use, as ZDNET Editor-in-Chief Jason Hiner acclaimed in his review.

Another above affection of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the USB-C connector; particularly, one that supports faster charging and abstracts transfers and can allegation added accessories including the Apple Watch from your iPhone, anon alteration photos and videos into a carriageable SSD, and affix to an alien 4K monitor. These allowances are game-changing for able agreeable creators.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max additionally appearance a new 5x zoom camera lens — the agnate of a 120mm focal breadth on a mirrorless or DSLR camera. The far-distance capturing and bigger low-light achievement of the new camera arrangement has been so reliable that the iPhone 15 Pro Max has become my go-to for video recording during artefact barrage events. Lastly, a new Action button replaces the mute-switch toggle of earlier iPhones and lets you bigger adapt shortcuts and calmly accessible the apps you need, including battlefront up the camera with a press-and-hold.

And the A17 Pro dent circuit out the year’s upgrades, alms bigger graphical achievement over aftermost year’s iPhone 14 Pro model. Multiple Best Buy barter accept accurate to the iPhone’s bigger performance, with one citing, “No glitches accept appear up in the several weeks I’ve had the phone.” Given all the upgrades, Apple is charging you added for the latest iPhone 15 Pro Max, with a starting amount that’s now been bumped up to $1,199. In turn, the accessory comes with a abject accumulator of 256GB.

iPhone 15 Pro Max tech specs : The best phones In 2024

Processor: A17 Pro
Affectation size: 6.7 inches
Accumulator options: Up to 1TB
Rear cameras: 48MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP telephoto (2x), 12MP telephoto (5x) | Front camera: 12MP

GOOGLE Pixel 8a : The best phones In 2024

pros

Competitively priced at beneath $500
Bright and bland 120Hz OLED display
Seven years of operating arrangement updates
Plenty of Android AI features, with added to come

cons

Lack of committed telephoto lens
6.1-inch awning may be too baby for some users
Wired charging capped at 18W

more detailsIf blast for your blade is what you’re after, accede the Google Pixel 8a. There are absolutely three key affidavit why you should buy the latest Pixel over any added mid-range phone: For $499, you get a adequate 6.1-inch OLED affectation that ramps up to a 120Hz brace rate, a reliable 64MP camera system, and Google’s archive of AI appearance like Magic Editor, Audio Eraser, and Gemini, all backed by seven years of operating arrangement updates.

Software is the name of the bold with Google Pixel phones, and the all-encompassing abutment provided for the 8a series, powered by a new Tensor G3 chip, should accumulate it feature-relevant for as continued as until 2031. For reference, best phones in this amount range, including aftermost year’s Pixel 7a, about accept two to four years of software and aegis updates.

Of course, some limitations are to be accepted from a buzz at this amount range, such as the abridgement of a committed telephoto lens and a slower active charging amount (18W). However, from my hands-on time with the Pixel 8a, I begin it aloof as able of capturing assorted capacity and styles, and the attendance of wireless charging makes up for the buzz demography a few account best to absolutely allegation than flagship handsets.

Google Pixel 8a tech specs:

Processor: Google Tensor G3 | Affectation size: 6.1 inches | Storage options: 128GB, 256GB | Rear cameras: 64MP main, 13MP ultrawide| Front camera: 13MP

Google Pixal 8Pro : The best phones In 2024

pros

Quality cameras all beyond the board
Plenty of advantageous AI features
5,050mAh array with LTPO display
Priced to attenuate the beyond iPhone and Samsung Galaxy
cons
Stock Android can feel too minimal
Capped at 30W fast charging
Costs $100 added than aftermost year’s model
more details

When it comes to camera performance, you absolutely can’t go amiss with any of the flagship accessories from the big three (Apple, Samsung, and Google). Depending on your alternative for blush temperature and affection set, you may angular appear one architect over the other. But added about than not, it’s Google’s Pixel camera arrangement that satisfies the best users, and the latest Pixel 8 Pro charcoal a best both for burning capturing and post-processing.

The latest archetypal appearance a reliable amateur lens setup, with a 50MP primary lens, a 48MP ultrawide that’s conspicuously added able at capturing macro and close-up photos than the 12MP sensor on the earlier Pixel 7 Pro model, and a 48MP telephoto lens for far-distance shots. Should you appetite added bound ascendancy over the Pixel 8 Pro’s camera quality, there’s now a alternation of Pro controls that acquiesce you to abuse abduction settings like the acknowledgment and bang speed.

But real-time capturing is alone bisected the action with adaptable photography; there’s additionally post-processing and how adjustable accessories are with alteration and tweaking capacity around. In that regard, the Pixel 8 Pro, powered by a new Tensor G3 chipset, may aloof accept the best adjustable and artistic photo toolbox on the market, with AI appearance like Magic Editor, Photo Unblur, and Best Take that can about-face any bad photo into a acceptable one. When I activated the camera arrangement aftermost year, I begin its stabilization and HDR capabilities aloof as impressive.

All in all, the Pixel 8 Pro has one of the best able camera systems on the market, with an achievement that’s counterbalanced in blush and about acceptable to attending at. One annoyed Reddit user alike says “The camera is a joy, and absolutely adopt the attending on this over the iPhone.”

Google Pixel 8 Pro tech specs: Processor: Google Tensor G3 | Display size: 6.7 inches | Storage options: 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB | Rear cameras: 50MP main, 48MP ultrawide, 48MP telephoto | Front camera: 10.8MP

Oneplus Open : The best phones In 2024
Best Tablet – style Foldeble Phone

pros

Lightest and thinnest foldable design
Intuitive multitasking and abundance features
65W fast charging will blemish you
16GB RAM and 512GB of accumulator is the abject level

cons

$1,699 is still pricey, alike if it undercuts the competition
No IP68 appraisement and wireless charging support
more details
The cardinal of foldable phones on the bazaar has never been higher, acknowledgment to the aggregate accomplishment of aloof about every manufacturer, including Google with its Pixel Fold, Motorola with its Razr lineup, and OnePlus with the OnePlus Open. While Samsung has captivated the reins of the best foldable account for years, I’m giving the top atom appropriate now to the OnePlus Open.

Unlike its competitors, the OnePlus Accessible strikes the best antithesis of weight-to-size ratio. Back folded, the buzz is as ablaze as an iPhone, and back unfolded, it expands into a attenuate slate of beheld goodness. OnePlus leverages the 7.8-inch affectation by alms some of the best automatic multitasking appearance I’ve tested, accent by “Open Canvas.” With it, you can accessible up to three apps at once, and as you tap into anniversary one, the added one or two will constrict itself to the side, accessible to reappear back needed.

The amateur camera setup, while presented in a case that sticks out added than I’d prefer, captures amazing photos and videos, with an accent on dejected and orangish hues that cinematographers and photography buffs apperceive and love. By attributes of the foldable anatomy factor, the Accessible is additionally able of demography hands-free selfies and accumulation photos.

OnePlus got the fundamentals bottomward pat with the Open, too, including 65W fast charging capabilities (with a charger in the box) that draft accomplished Samsung’s Z Fold 5 and Google’s Pixel Fold standards, a abject agreement of 16GB RAM and 512GB storage, and a crease-less close display. The blooming on top for me is its $1,699 amount tag. One Amazon chump alike says the Accessible was a decidedly bland aperture into Android, “after activity with aloof iPhones back the iPhone 7.”

OnePlus Accessible tech specs: Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Affectation size: 6.3 inches and 7.8 inches | Accumulator options: 512GB | Rear cameras: 48MP main, 48MP ultrawide, 64MP telephoto| Front camera: 32MP (outer) and 20MP (inner)

Asuse Zenfone 10 : The best phones In 2024

There’s no abstinent that, over the accomplished bristles years, smartphones accept become added and added unwieldy. Apple now offers Plus and Max-sized iPhones, Samsung has an “Ultra” beast, and alike Google has a foldable that opens up to 7.6 inches. On the added end of the spectrum sits the Asus Zenfone 10, a accessory that deviates from the barometer in favor of ergonomics and in-hand comfort, and the accommodation pays off.

Compared to its predecessor, the Asus Zenfone 9, which I alleged “the iPhone Mini another for Android enthusiasts,” the newest archetypal appearance a bunched 5.9-inch AMOLED display, all the ability you’d charge in a modern-day buzz acknowledgment to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, and two able cameras on the rear.

The array activity on the Asus holds up decidedly well, too, with my analysis assemblage recording about two canicule of acceptance afore hitting 0%. Some abate yet cogent capacity to agenda accommodate the 3.5mm headphone jack on top, a concrete side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and a texturized aback awning that looks and feels abundant in the hand. If you’re planning to buy the Zenfone 10, assorted Reddit users accept appropriate to “get the 512GB adaptation because there is no SD agenda slot,” which I absolutely accede with.

Oneplus 12 : The best phones In 2024
Best Fast Charging Phones\

pros

Snappy and bland performance
80W in the US with charger in the box
Premium body affection for the price
Competitive capital camera for photos

cons

IP65 appraisement is not as baptize aggressive as flagship phones
Curved glass/frame architecture can be glace for some
Video recording is not the best
more details

OnePlus has had its ups and downs over the accomplished four years, pivoting from value-driven smartphones to ultra-premium and again aback to aboveboard one with aftermost year’s OnePlus 11. This year, it’s acceleration bottomward on its value-driven flagships.

The OnePlus 12 starts at $899, which undercuts its abutting competitors, the $999 Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus and Google Pixel 8 Pro, and here’s aggregate you get for the price: a ample 6.8-inch AMOLED 120Hz display, a 5,400mAh battery, a amateur camera bureaucracy with a competent 50MP capital lens at the helm, the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, and more. Again: $899, and that’s afore the $100 abatement back you barter in any buzz in any action to OnePlus. Booty advantage of that.

Putting the amount aspect aside, the OnePlus 12 shines with its charging speed, article you’ll bound booty for accepted already you apprehend that phones don’t accept to be sitting by an aperture for two hours every day. The 80W active charging on the buzz can ability it from 0 to 50% aural 10 minutes. A abounding allegation takes beneath than 30 minutes. “80W fast charging is life-changing,” a annoyed Best Buy chump adds.

Just as absorbing is the OnePlus 12’s new 50W wireless charging, a affection abounding users accept been allurement for and was hardly absent on aftermost year’s model. While the OnePlus 12 is not as “all in” on abundant AI features, it offers a well-rounded, high-performing Android acquaintance for a brace of hundred dollars beneath than added flagship phones.

OnePlus 12 tech specs: Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 | Affectation size: 6.8 inches | Storage options: Up to 512GB | Rear cameras: 50MP main, 48MP ultrawide, 64MP telephoto| Front camera: 16MP

Motorola Razr Plus : The best phones In 2024
Best Flip-Style Foldebale Phone

pros

Large awning awning is a buzz in and of itself
Incredibly compact
First dust-resistant foldable
Form agency lends itself to artistic camera features

cons

Battery is aloof acceptable abundant for a day of use
Repair solutions abide up in the air
Undeniably added brittle than the archetypal slab phone

Phones are accepting faster and added powerful, but they’re additionally demography up added amplitude in our pockets. That’s why the Motorola Razr Plus shines in the sea of avant-garde smartphones. This is a clamshell-style foldable, to be clear, acceptation it shape-shifts from a abate 3.6-inch affectation amount to a beyond 6.9-inch admeasurement back you charge it. Naturally, back folded, the buzz is no beyond than a agenda aperture wallet.

Despite its baby stature, the Motorola Razr Plus packs a lot of appearance and performance, as I apparent during my weeks of testing. The handset is powered by an earlier Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor but is still able of active the archetypal bulk of apps and casework like Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, games, and more. Thanks to the beyond alien affectation (up from 2.7 inches of the antecedent model), you can run the above programs after anytime defective to cast accessible the phone. An Amazon chump notes, “I get a lot of use of the alien screen, and accepting the buzz accessible center comes in accessible a lot added than I would accept thought.”

This adduce from my abounding analysis sums up my thoughts: “Razr Plus is Motorola’s acknowledgment to form, modernizing a archetypal cast buzz into one of today’s best foldables.” While the above OnePlus Accessible charcoal the best in its class, the Razr Plus is aloof as ample if you appetite a dual-screen handset for a atom of the price.

Motorola Razr Plus tech specs: Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 | Affectation size: 3.6 inches and 6.9 inches | Storage options: 256GB | Rear cameras: 12MP main, 13MP ultrawide | Front camera: 32MP

The best phones In 2024

Our aces for the best buzz all-embracing is the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. It appearance aggregate you could appetite from a smartphone including a ample display, four cameras that can shoot 200MP photos and 8K video, up to 1TB of storage, a congenital S Pen for autograph and drawing, and a 5,000mAh array powering the system. Here’s how the S24 Ultra fares with the blow of our top picks.

Choosing a buzz can be a alarming task. But accepting a account of your must-have appearance can go a continued way against absorption bottomward your options. If you’re a adaptable able or biking a lot for work, you’ll appetite to accept a buzz that can accommodate you with at atomic a abounding day of use on a abounding array as able-bodied as both LTE and Wi-Fi connectivity.

If you’re attractive for your teen’s aboriginal smartphone, a budget-friendly and beneath feature-heavy advantage may be bigger to anticipate absurdity as able-bodied as misuse. And if you’re a agreeable architect or added artistic professional, you’ll appetite a buzz with an accomplished advanced and rear camera to abduction photos and videos for your amusing media feed.

Choose this best phone…

If you want…

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
A no-compromise smartphone that around any blazon of user can booty advantage of. It’s the alone 2024 smartphone with a congenital stylus.

iPhone 15 Pro Max

The best iPhone money can buy. It has a ample screen, the longest-lasting array out of all the models, and a toolbox of a camera system.

Google Pixel 8 Pro

A flagship camera acquaintance at your fingertips. The Pixel 8 Pro differentiates itself with a bulk of AI-powered camera tricks like Magic Editor and Best Take.

OnePlus Open

The best phone-to-tablet foldable that money can buy. And if you’re a adeptness user, the multitasking and charging appearance abnormally will serve you well.

Motorola Razr Plus

A flip-style foldable that’s both bunched and performant. With a ample 3.6-inch alien affectation and the market’s aboriginal dust-resistant build, this is the foldable to buy for best people.

Google Pixel 8a

A added budget-friendly smartphone that doesn’t accommodation on achievement and camera quality. The Pixel 8a will additionally accept seven years of OS updates, befitting it feature-relevant until at atomic 2031.

OnePlus 12

A buzz that lasts continued and accuse from 0% to 100% in aloof 30 minutes. The OnePlus 12 is agilely acceptable value, too, starting at $799.

Asus Zenfone 10

A bunched buzz that’s accessible to abridged but doesn’t accommodation on achievement and specs. The Zenfone 10 is additionally competitively priced, starting at $699.

Factors to accede back allotment a phone
The action of authoritative our buzz selections includes real-world testing and researching about the phones for weeks, consulting with colleagues, industry experts, and analysts who additionally accept hands-on acquaintance with the smartphones, and again selecting the best from all of the accessible choices.

Ultimately, we counterbalance in the afterward aspects back curating this list:

Design: There’s alone so abundant you can do with a slab design, but admeasurement differences, absolute choices, blush options, and alike the adeptness to angle a awning in bisected accord shoppers abundant assortment to accept a preference. That’s why we accept a advocacy for every anatomy factor.
Performance: For many, smartphones are the centermost of our lives, which agency the best ones are performant and can handle most, if not all, tasks you bandy at them.
Camera: Arguably the best admired affection of a smartphone; the bendability and believability of a camera arrangement can accomplish or breach the all-embracing adaptable experience. We analysis every accessory in ample aurora and in the darkest of nights back finalizing this list.
Battery: Every advantage in this adviser should aftermost you at atomic a day of abstinent use. We additionally accede what accessories abutment fast charging and/or wireless charging.
Value: Amount credibility are noted, but the best important affair with affairs a buzz is accepting your money’s worth. With these picks, you can blow assured that you’re accepting the best blast for your buck.
How we analysis phones
ZDNET’s analysis aggregation spends upwards of a year testing the ins and outs of every aloft buzz release, evaluating the circadian performance, camera quality, array activity and endurance, and appropriate features. Achievement testing includes real-world acceptance scenarios like amusing media browsing, demography buzz calls, arena games, and emailing. Throughout the year, we pit the latest accessories with their abutting competitors, including the Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, OnePlus, and iPhone.

You can go added all-embracing with anniversary archetypal mentioned in this commodity through ZDNET’s committed artefact spotlight or review, which break bottomward specifics like array life, software experience, and durability.

What is the #1 best phone?
As mentioned above, the best buzz appropriate now is the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, which appearance aloof about aggregate you could appetite in a adaptable accretion device. From the ample and active affectation to the abundant AI appearance to the quad-camera setup, there’s no accessory on the bazaar that checks added boxes than Samsung’s latest Ultra flagship.

Which buzz is best for money?
Besides the ones listed above, the OnePlus 12R is addition abundant aces for the money. At $499, the accessory appearance a ample 6.7-inch affectation with 120Hz brace rate, a 50MP capital camera system, a 5,500mAh array that beats that of higher-cost devices, and 80W active charging. The absolute article is OnePlus’ advancing trade-in offer, with the aggregation discounting $100 back you about-face in any buzz in any condition, finer bringing the 12R’s amount bottomward to $399.

Which buzz has the best camera?
It’s arguable amid the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Google Pixel 8 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. For long-distance shots, Samsung’s 200MP rear camera with 100x Amplitude Zoom can abduction accommodation as far out as the moon. For point-and-shoot pictures and a rather simplified (but effective) camera experience, Google’s Pixel phones accept consistently been at the top. If you’re a videographer at heart, again the iPhone 15 Pro Max, with Cinematic approach and Action mode, makes for an accomplished apparatus to get the shots you need.

How continued should a buzz array last?
The boilerplate buzz array gives you about 22 hours of use on a abounding charge, which is abundant for blockage affiliated on your commutes, assignment flights, and at home in the evenings. But that’s aloof the average, absolute use time varies by buzz archetypal and by what you’re application your buzz for.

For example, the latest iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts a 29-hour array life. But you’ll best absolutely get beneath than that if you commonly annal through amusing media or beck video and music.

How abundant accumulator should my buzz have?
Most smartphones accept a abject accumulator accommodation of 128GB, which is affluence of amplitude for boilerplate users to download apps and music, booty photos, and shoot videos. However, if you’re a adaptable or artistic professional, you’ll allegation added space. Abounding smartphones accept broadcast accumulator options up to 512GB or alike 1TB, and you can consistently accompany your buzz to your adopted billow accumulator account to chargeless up bounded accumulator space.

Other phones we tested
Whether you’re attractive to advancement or get your aboriginal smartphone, Apple, Samsung, and OnePlus accept abundant choices that ZDNET’s activated and recommends.