Best Phone to Buy for 2025

Yahoo

2 days ago

Out of all the phones we test in a year, there are just a handful that we consider the best. From Apple's iPhone 16 family and Google's Pixel 9 series to Samsung's Galaxy S25 series and foldable phones like the Motorola Razr Ultra the best phones in 2025 have cameras that take stunning photos and a battery life that lasts a day or more. They also have vibrant displays, perfect for scrolling Instagram or watching The Last of Us season 2. To help you decide what to buy, we've rounded up the best phones that we've tested and reviewed. While tariffs and economic uncertainty have caused people to consider upgrading their phone, companies like Apple, Samsung and Google have not raised the prices.
The best phone for most people is the $799 iPhone 16. It comes in two sizes: a 6.1-inch regular iPhone 16 model or a larger 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus model that starts at $899. The phones have a new 12-megapixel ultrawide camera that performs better in low light and can now take macro photos, meaning you'll be able to focus close to take amazing food snaps. The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have a handful of Apple Intelligence tools for writing, removing distractions from photos and doing summaries of messages and webpages. There's also adds a ChatGPT integration to Siri.
The phones also have an Action button that can be programed for different functions like turning on the flashlight, recording a voice memo, changing the focus mode and more. There's also a new Camera Control button that not only lets you take photos and quickly change things like zoom, Portrait mode aperture and Photographic Styles, but can also trigger a new feature called Visual Intelligence, which will add context to whatever the camera is pointed at, a bit like Google Lens. We think the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are ideal for most people looking for a great phone that will last for years.
In May 2025, we added the Google Pixel 9A and the Motorola Razr Ultra to our list. The Pixel 9A replaces last year's Google Pixel 8A and come with a new processor, design, upgraded screen and cameras -- all for the same $499 price. The Razr Ultra is the best built foldable flip phone that we've tested. The battery life gets you through a day with enough battery life left to start a second day. The main camera is solid and the displays are brighter. The biggest downside is the $1,300 price.
Pick the most important feature: Is it screen size? Camera quality? Battery life? This will help narrow down your choices. Phones like the iPhone 16 Pro Max or Galaxy S24 Ultra cost well over $1,000, for example, but pack large batteries that will last most people a day and a half to two days on a single charge.
Don't dismiss $500 to $800 phones: You can get a great phone that does almost everything that a more expensive flagship model can do for a fraction of the price. Google's Pixel 9 (which starts at $799) packs a great camera, a bright screen and unique AI features, but the $499 Pixel 8A has most of the same key specs and comes at a lower price.
Shop Cyber Monday: Look for sales and deals close to holidays, especially Amazon's Prime Day and Cyber Monday.Consider last year's models: When a new phone gets launched, stores and carriers discount their older phones to sell off existing stock.
See the phone in person: It's worth going to a store and trying out a potential phone. You may love or hate the way it looks and feels.
Decide on Android or iPhone: Do you have a lot of iPhone apps and Apple subscriptions? Stick with an iPhone. If you've invested in loads of Android apps, you may want to stay on that side of the fence. Otherwise, it's simple enough to switch platforms.
Budget for a case and screen protector: Phones sold today are more durable than phones from even a few years ago, but it still might be a good idea to protect your phone with a case to keep it in tip-top shape.
We test every phone in real-world scenarios, focusing on its features, design, performance, cameras, battery life and overall value. We document our findings in an initial review that is periodically updated when there are new software updates, or to compare it against new phones from competitors such as Apple, Samsung, Google and OnePlus.
Photography is a major focus for most phones these days, so we take pictures and videos of various subjects in a variety of settings and lighting scenarios. We try out any new camera modes, such as 4K slow motion video that debuted with the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, or the new Magic Editor photo tools that launched with the Google Pixel 9 series.
Battery testing is conducted in a variety of ways. We assess how long a phone lasts during a typical day of use and note how it performs during more focused sessions of video calls, media streaming and gaming. We also conduct a video playback test, as a simple, replicable measure of pure battery life, which isn't always included in the initial review but sometimes added later in an update.
We use benchmarking apps to measure each phone's performance, alongside our own anecdotal experiences using the phone for our review. Most noteworthy is how graphics and animations look. Are they smooth? Do they lag or stutter? We also look at how quickly the phone switches between horizontal and vertical orientations, and how fast the camera app opens and is ready to take a photo.
We perform processor-heavy tasks like editing photos, exporting videos and playing games. We evaluate whether a newer version of a particular phone includes enough features to make it worth upgrading from older models.
Read more: How We Test Phones
While Apple doesn't sell the , you can still find it at carriers and third-party retailers. The 15 Pro has a 6.1-inch adaptive-refresh rate screen that adjusts between 1-120Hz depending on what's on the screen. It has excellent cameras, a fast processor, an always-on display, supports iOS 18 and safety features like Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via Satellite. Driving all these upgrades is Apple's A17 Pro chip which in use feels peppy. The iPhone 15 Pro is still an excellent phone in 2025. Check out our iPhone 15 Pro review.
Typically the best time to buy a phone is just after it's been announced. Some companies offer really great deals for pre-orders and bundle the phone with accessories at no extra cost. Phone makers usually offer high trade-in values for the first month on old phones that can bring a new phone's price down by hundreds of dollars--if not cover the cost entirely.
Most smartphones -- even those at the top end -- should be able to deliver a full day of mixed use out of a single charge. That means you should have a bit of juice left at the end of your day, but you should expect to give it a full charge when you plug it in next to your bed at night.
Most phones tend to come with a minimum of 128GB of storage, which is a decent amount for apps, games and locally stored music. But as phones can take higher-resolution photos and videos it's important to think about what your phone's storage might look like in two or three years. It's also important to think about what you'll be doing with your phone: If you want to download and play a lot of games, then consider opting for a higher-capacity version. So if you can afford to get a phone with 256GB of storage, your future self will thank you.
In 2025, some of the best phone makers include Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Google, Motorola, Nothing and OnePlus.
Google is expected to launch the Pixel 10 series in August. There's also buzz for the next iPhone, likely called the iPhone 17 -- from a slimmer version of the upcoming device to a new screen with a higher refresh rate on baseline models. We've rounded up rumors, leaks and analysis on the iPhone 17 Air (one of several nicknames for Apple's next iPhone). Read CNET's iPhone 17 rumor roundup for more info.