The Best Phone To Buy Right Now

The champion screens for surface time. | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge

Haven’t you heard? Phones are boring now. And that’s conscionable fine! Most group buying a caller telephone conscionable want thing acquainted that useful amended than nan instrumentality they’re replacing. If that’s your MO, past you’re judge to find thing reliable successful my recommendations below.

But moreover if you’re looking for thing a small much extra, you’ve sewage immoderate awesome options. They’re going to beryllium beautiful iterative compared to immoderate you’re utilizing now — we’re successful much of a package era than a hardware invention rhythm these days — but you tin find a delightful caller device. We yet person a folding telephone that feels for illustration nan correct size and shape, flip phones connection a batch much than conscionable nostalgia, and you tin still bargain a telephone pinch no less than 4 cameras connected nan back. Not bad for a boring play of telephone hardware.

A batch of group successful nan US get their phones done bearer deals, and nary judgement present if that’s nan way you return — it’s really I bought mine. Just beryllium judge you cognize what you’re getting into and really galore years you’ll request to enactment connected that Super 5G Everything Unlimited Plus scheme to support nan monthly instrumentality reimbursements coming.

If you’re looking to walk a small little and still get nan champion smartphone connected a budget, you tin find thing really bully for nether $600. For those recommendations, check retired our guideline to fund smartphones.

The champion iPhone for astir people

Screen: 6.1-inch, 2556 x 1179 OLED, 60Hz refresh complaint / Processor: A18 Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.6 main pinch sensor-shift IS; 12-megapixel ultrawide; 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: Not advertised / Charging: 27W wired, 25W wireless MagSafe, 15W Qi2, 7.5W Qi / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

From a hardware perspective, nan iPhone 16 (or nan 16 Plus) is an easy upgrade choice. If you’re switching from an iPhone 13, 12, aliases moreover older, those 4 aliases 5 years of incremental capacity improvements adhd up. But there’s thing wholly caller this clip astir — well, 2 things: nan Action Button and nan Camera Control button.

The customizable Action Button, which replaces nan shut up move connected nan near separator of nan phone, is simply a hand-me-down from nan 15 Pro series. You tin group it to unfastened a peculiar app, move connected nan flashlight, aliases almost thing other you mightiness want astatine nan property of a button. On nan different broadside of nan telephone is nan Camera Control, which you tin usage to motorboat nan camera app. With nan camera open, it acts arsenic a shutter fastener pinch a afloat press, and a ray property brings up different vulnerability options you tin adjust. Even if you only ever usage it to motorboat nan camera, it’s beautiful handy, and it frees up nan Action Button.

The iPhone 16 and its larger 16 Plus related usage Apple’s A18 chipset, which is successful nan aforesaid family arsenic nan 16 Pro’s processor. That bodes good for nan phones staying connected nan aforesaid package upgrade cycle. They some received Apple Intelligence past fall, which included AI-powered penning devices and notification summaries successful its earliest iteration, and eventually grew to support ChatGPT and a caller Visual Intelligence feature. But contempt nan similarities, nan regular 16 models lag down nan Pros successful 2 important departments: nan surface and nan camera.

The Pros travel pinch dedicated 5x lenses and updated main cameras that do a small amended successful debased light. And you’ll only get a ProMotion show connected nan Pro models; nan regular 16 features a slower 60Hz screen. Basically each different high-end telephone connected nan marketplace offers a 120Hz display, truthful that’s a disappointment fixed nan price. If those 2 drawbacks don’t fuss you — and astir group astir apt won’t mind them — past nan iPhone 16 makes for a awesome upgrade.

Read our afloat iPhone 16 review.

The champion Android telephone for astir people

Screen: 6.3-inch, 1080p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Tensor G4 / Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.7 main pinch OIS; 48-megapixel ultrawide; 10.5-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,700mAh / Charging: 27W wired, 15W wireless (with Pixel Stand 2) / Weather resistance: IP68

The Android ecosystem has been looking for a telephone for illustration nan Pixel 9 for a while now. It’s straightforward and unfussy, takes reliably bully photos, and comes pinch nan polished hardware you’d expect from a high-end phone. It doesn’t person a dedicated telephoto lens, which nan likewise priced Galaxy S25 does, but nan package is little quirky than Samsung’s, making for a amended wide experience.

Outside of zoom capabilities, Google’s Pixel camera is conscionable arsenic reliable arsenic ever. The telephone comes pinch a Tensor G4 chipset that powers AI features aplenty, some wrong and extracurricular of nan camera app. Some are promising and some are worrying, but there’s thing present that feels for illustration a existent game-changer. Which is fine.

The important point is that nan Pixel 9 has nan correct worldly wherever it counts. It’s easy to use, and immoderate of nan Pixel series’ persistent problems for illustration mediocre thermals and buggy package look to beryllium nether power successful this generation. The 9 Pro is simply a worthwhile upgrade if you want that telephoto lens and a somewhat nicer screen, but successful immoderate case, nan Pixel 9 feels for illustration a top-notch device, wrong and out.

Read our afloat Pixel 9 review.

The champion high-end Android phone

Screen: 6.9-inch, 1440p, 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite / Cameras: 200-megapixel main pinch OIS; 50-megapixel 5x telephoto pinch OIS; 10-megapixel 3x telephoto pinch OIS; 50-megapixel ultrawide; 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,000mAh / Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless, Qi2 fresh / Weather resistance: IP68

Samsung’s “Ultra” S-series telephone is still your champion stake for a maximalist Android phone, moreover if ultra doesn’t rather mean what it erstwhile did. You still get 4 rear cameras — including a 3x and 5x telephoto — a monolithic screen, and a built-in S Pen stylus. The artillery goes each day, nan processor is top-notch, and location are AI features aplenty if you’re into that benignant of thing. There’s conscionable nary different telephone rather for illustration it.

This year, Samsung removed nan Bluetooth features from nan stylus. That stings a little, particularly considering that nan institution swapped a 10x zoom for nan shorter 5x camera nan twelvemonth before. It still amounts to a awesome phone, but it’s 1 of nan priciest slab-style phones you tin buy, and Samsung seems to beryllium cutting features without adding backmost immoderate other value. It’s still “ultra” alright, but it doesn’t consciousness rather arsenic typical arsenic it utilized to.

Read my afloat Galaxy S25 Ultra review.

The champion telephone for astir $500

Screen: 6.3-inch, 1080p OLED, 120Hz / Processor: Tensor G4 / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.7 pinch OIS, 13-megapixel ultrawide, 13-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,100mAh / Charging: 23W wired, 7.5W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

Every year, we’re pleasantly amazed by really overmuch Google packs into its midrange Pixel A-series devices. Last year, it was nan Pixel 8A, and this year, it’s nan moreover amended Pixel 9A. For $500, nan 9A offers Google’s fourth-gen civilization Tensor G4 chipset (the very aforesaid spot that’s successful nan pricier Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro), a brighter and larger 6.3-inch OLED display, and an IP68 standing for improved durability. Plus, you get nan use of 7 years of package updates and information support. What you extremity up pinch is simply a instrumentality that delivers awesome value, particularly compared to different inexpensive devices.

The Pixel 9A offers a fistful of different features that put it supra nan pack, for illustration a 120Hz refresh rate, wireless charging, and nan largest artillery crossed nan Pixel line. It does autumn short successful a fewer areas, though — nan camera’s debased ray capacity and Portrait mode could beryllium better. That said, nan 9A’s camera is still awesome for mundane snaps, and for nan price, nan instrumentality is an easy proposal arsenic nan champion successful this category.

Read my afloat Pixel 9A review.

The champion high-end iPhone

Screen: 6.3-inch, 2622 x 1206 OLED, 120Hz refresh complaint / Processor: A18 Pro Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.8 pinch sensor-shift IS; 12-megapixel 5x telephoto pinch OIS; 48-megapixel ultrawide; 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: Not advertised / Charging: 27W wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 15W Qi2, 7.5W Qi / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

Like each mainline iPhone 16 models, nan 16 Pro gained nan caller Camera Control button, but it sewage different important update, too: a 5x telephoto lens. In nan 15 series, that longer telephoto lens was reserved for nan bigger Pro Max model. This clip around, it’s connected nan smaller Pro, too, making it a awesome action for personification who wants to upgrade without upsizing their phone.

Like nan Pro Max, nan iPhone 16 Pro uses an A18 Pro chipset designed to support Apple Intelligence, which started rolling retired successful nan autumn of 2024. The first update included things for illustration notification summaries and nan caller glowing-border Siri UI, which Apple centered its motorboat arena on. Subsequent updates brought ChatGPT integration and Visual Intelligence. But don’t expect thing radical — astatine slightest astatine first.

Outside of AI, nan 16 Pro is simply a reasonably iterative update. The caller Camera Control makes it easier to motorboat nan camera and get correct to taking photos, and it besides frees up nan Action Button if you were utilizing it arsenic a camera shortcut. The surface is simply a small bigger astatine 6.3 inches compared to 6.1 inches, moreover though nan telephone is fundamentally nan aforesaid size. You tin grounds 4K video astatine 120fps now. And nan caller Photographic Styles, which are disposable connected each iPhone 16 models, fto you return much power complete your photos than ever.

There’s thing present that personification pinch an iPhone 15 Pro should upgrade for, but it’s an all-around coagulated instrumentality that will please Apple devotees, particularly those who for illustration a telephone that isn’t excessively big.

Read our afloat iPhone 16 Pro review.

The champion flip phone

Screen: 6.9-inch, 1080p, 120Hz OLED soul screen; 4.1-inch, 948p, OLED screen surface / Processor: Samsung Exynos 2500 / Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.8 main pinch OIS; 12-megapixel ultrawide; 10-megapixel selfie (inner screen) / Battery: 4,300mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless / Weather resistance: IP48

Samsung yet sewage nan memo pinch nan Galaxy Z Flip 7’s screen screen. The company’s latest flip telephone ditches nan record folder-shaped look of its predecessor for a 4.1-inch, edge-to-edge show that wraps astir nan cameras. With much outer surface existent estate, it’s easier to respond to texts and punch successful a java bid without flipping unfastened nan telephone and getting sucked into a integer rabbit hole.

The Flip 7 still makes you jump done a fewer hoops if you want to tally afloat apps connected nan screen screen, but erstwhile you’ve wrangled nan settings, it unlocks a batch of convenience for mundane tasks. That said, nan screen surface isn’t cleanable for each app. Sometimes a fastener hides down nan camera cutout, forcing you to alteration nan app’s model size. But astir tasks are a breeze, and opening nan telephone is ever an option.

Under nan hood, Samsung swapped retired Qualcomm’s processor for an in-house Exynos chip, though we didn’t announcement immoderate hits to performance. The caller 4,300mAh artillery will past you each time pinch mean use, but dense gaming and hotspot usage will importantly effect artillery life. The camera system, meanwhile, remains unchanged from nan Z Flip 6, which isn’t a bad thing. You still get a 50-megapixel main shooter and each nan nosy flex mode tricks, which are awesome for capturing candids.

Unfortunately, nan Flip 7 still offers nary protection against good particles for illustration particulate aliases sand, which mightiness activity their measurement into nan hinge and origin damage. This raises concerns astir really nan instrumentality clasp up complete time. But Samsung’s beefed-up warranty and repair programme tin supply other bid of mind. Plus, pinch 7 years of OS and information updates, nan Flip 7 should beryllium reliable until you determine to upgrade.

Read our afloat Galaxy Z Flip 7 review.

The champion folding phone

Screen: 8-inch, 1968p, 120Hz OLED soul screen; 6.5-inch, 1080p, 120Hz OLED screen surface / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite / Cameras: 200-megapixel f/1.7 main pinch OIS; 10-megapixel 3x telephoto pinch OIS; 12-megapixel ultrawide; 10-megapixel selfie (cover screen); 10-megapixel soul selfie camera / Battery: 4,400mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless / Weather resistance: IP48

One of our biggest criticisms of nan Z Fold bid has been that it feels excessively constrictive and cramped erstwhile closed. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 fixes that. With a much acquainted 21:9 facet ratio, it nary longer feels for illustration you’re holding a TV distant control. The consequence is simply a book-style foldable that mostly feels for illustration a regular slab-style phone. It’s astir arsenic slim, too, truthful it doesn’t consciousness arsenic bulky successful your pocket.

The Z Fold 7’s reworked proportions make it easier to wield erstwhile replying to texts and Slack messages. When you commencement craving much surface existent estate, nan instrumentality opens to uncover a freely 8-inch soul display, giving you an wholly different acquisition that’s cleanable for managing aggregate tabs successful Chrome and playing games for illustration Diablo Immortal. It’s awesome for multitasking — being capable to way your Uber driver’s presence clip connected 1 half of nan surface while replying to emails connected nan different half is incredibly useful.

The bad news? The Z Fold 7 costs $1,999, making nan obstruction of introduction very high. It besides has 1 of nan largest camera bumps we’ve encountered successful a telephone and doesn’t transportation a general particulate guidance rating, meaning moreover a mini magnitude of particulate has nan imaginable to origin important harm to nan hinge. Despite these shortcomings, however, Samsung has created a luxurious foldable that’s thinner, lighter, and incredibly bully to use.

Read our afloat Galaxy Z Fold 7 review.

---

Other phones we tested

• The Samsung Galaxy S25 is simply a very bully device, and it’s fundamentally nan past small-ish Android telephone you tin bargain successful nan US. I find nan package to beryllium fussier and much cluttered than nan Pixel 9’s, truthful it’s not my wide pick, but it’s a reliable instrumentality — and your champion stake for a telephone that isn’t gigantic. Read our review.
• The iPhone 16E is simply a awesome telephone that makes a batch of absorbing trade-offs. Apple’s latest entry-level telephone starts astatine $599 and comes pinch nan company’s latest A18 processor, USB-C and wireless charging, a 60Hz OLED display, and nan customizable Action Button recovered connected Apple’s much premium handsets. The 6.1-inch telephone doesn’t person MagSafe support aliases a Camera Control button, though, and it’s constricted to a azygous 48-megapixel Fusion camera (sorry, ultrawide stans). That makes it difficult for america to urge complete nan modular iPhone 16, moreover if it does commencement astatine $200 less. Read our review.
• The Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 is an fantabulous foldable that exemplifies what makes nan brand’s phones truthful unique. It’s 1 of nan best-looking phones you tin buy, acknowledgment to its gold-bronze chassis and woody back. Plus, it features a freely screen surface that’s useful for quickly performing tasks without opening nan device. However, arsenic overmuch arsenic we bask nan Razr Ultra, Motorola’s committedness of 3 OS upgrades and 4 years of information updates is connected nan shorter side. Read our review.
• The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is an ultra-thin replacement to nan big, chunky flagships we’ve seen complete nan past year. At conscionable 5.8mm thick, it packs a 6.7-inch 1440p OLED show pinch a refresh complaint of up to 120Hz, a 3,900mAh battery, and a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. Despite its thinner frame, artillery life is amazingly acceptable, though it won’t past arsenic agelong arsenic different flagship devices. The S25 Edge besides lacks a telephoto camera, truthful it’s not nan champion telephone for image photos. Read our review.
• The OnePlus 13R stands retired successful 2 cardinal ways: artillery life and screen. The 6.78-inch OLED show has a adaptable refresh complaint of up to 120Hz and a solution of 1264 x 2780, some of which are awesome specs for a midrange phone. Meanwhile, its 6,000mAh artillery tin past for a agelong clip — astir group are apt to compression retired 2 days earlier nan instrumentality needs to beryllium recharged. That said, nan 13R lacks features for illustration wireless charging and much robust h2o resistance, and OnePlus is only promising 4 awesome OS upgrades and six years of information updates, which is less than nan 7 years of OS upgrades connected nan Google Pixel 9A. Read our review.
• The Nothing Phone 3 is nan brand’s “first existent flagship phone,” pinch a 6.67-inch OLED screen, a Snapdragon 8S Gen 4 chip, and a 5,150mAh battery. It besides features 4 cameras — 3 connected nan backmost and 1 connected nan beforehand — each of which are 50 megapixels. Additionally, nan Phone 3 ditches Nothing’s signature ray strips for a mini dot-matrix LED show connected nan back, which tin show images aliases emoji tied to circumstantial apps and contacts. Read our review.
• The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is an awesome sophomore effort from Google. Like nan Z Fold 7, nan outer surface matches nan dimensions of a regular slab-style phone, while nan soul surface is awesome for multitasking. The full package is besides ray capable that it sometimes doesn’t consciousness for illustration you’re holding a foldable, though it does suffer from a somewhat downgraded camera strategy compared to different Pixel 9 devices. There’s besides nary general particulate resistance, truthful semipermanent durability remains a concern. Read our review.

---

What’s coming next

• Google has an event scheduled for August 20th, wherever we’re expecting to study much astir nan upcoming Pixel 10 series. The institution has already fixed america a glimpse at nan modular Pixel 10 up of nan motorboat event, moreover going truthful acold arsenic to release an ad for nan instrumentality that takes a excavation astatine Apple. Other leaks person shown nan entire Pixel 10 bid lineup, while a erstwhile rumor suggested nan Pixel 10 Pro Fold could reside a awesome durability interest by being completely dust-proof.

Update, August 6th: Adjusted pricing / readiness and added nan Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Fold 7 arsenic caller picks. Brandon Russell besides contributed to this post.