Budget is a huge consideration as well, and both iOS and Android have offerings that can fit your budget. Maybe you want the cream of the crop in a flagship. Maybe you’re looking for something more moderately priced. Most, but not all phones can connect to 5G. Most, but not all phones in this list have multiple camera sensors.
Our experts have examined offerings up and down the list of specifications and we’ve come up with our favorites. Read on for our recommendations!
Price Watch: MSRP $799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1099 (512GB)
What do buyers say? 83% of 200+ Best Buy reviewers rated it 4.7 or above - a fantastic rating
Our tester Victoria spent a month using the iPhone 13, racking up 520 hours of use. She concluded the iPhone 13 is “the best way to get Apple’s most advanced hardware and software improvements without having to sacrifice too much on price, size or design.”
The iPhone 13 feels sturdy and luxurious, Victoria said, and its 6.1-inch display is coated in a type of glass known as Ceramic Shield, which Apple claims offers four times the protection of rival smartphone glass. The display is sharp and bright from all angles, although for the ultimate in streaming performance, the iPhone 13 Pro does boast a bigger and better screen. However, for most people the iPhone 13 will be more than enough, and is also far lighter than its big brother, weighing in at 6.1 ounces.
In our real-world tests, the iPhone 13 lasted an impressive 29 hours on a single charge. During this test, we used the iPhone 13 as we would do normally for a month; we used it to send WhatsApp messages, play Sim City, make video calls with our parents, send emails, record videos on days out with our toddler, watch TikTok, stream Netflix shows and more. We then recorded how long it lasted between charges each day and took the average.
On paper, the camera setup on the iPhone 13 looks nearly identical to the iPhone 12 but Apple has made a number of software and sensor upgrades that make this camera among the best our tester has used.
Overall, the iPhone 13 is the sweet spot of the iPhone range, and is not only the best phone Apple has ever made, but the best smartphone from any manufacturer.
Screen Size: 6.1 inches | Resolution: 2532x1170 | Processor: A15 Bionic | Camera: 12MP/12MP rear and 12MP front | Battery: 3,227mAh
The Samsung Galaxy S21 comes with a 6.2-inch FHD+ screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. It has great viewing angles and is what our reviewer Andrew calls “utterly gorgeous”. It’s bright and vibrant, everything you’d expect from a Samsung display. The processor is top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, boasting a 9% speed improvement over the last generation of Samsung phones. The S21 also has 8GB of RAM and 128 or 256GB of storage which is not expandable via a microSD card.
The S21 has three cameras including a 12-megapixel main sensor, 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor, and 64 megapixel 3x lossless zoom lens. Andrew writes, “All three of the cameras pump out sharp, stellar shots. They are very adept at capturing excellent detail in ample lighting, but still capable of producing very good low-light results in most scenarios. Samsung has a tendency to punch up its photos, and that’s definitely true here: the vibrant results sometimes make photos look more appealing, but can occasionally look a bit unnatural or over-brightened.” Put all that together and this isn’t just the best Android phone you can buy today, but it’s arguably the best smartphone overall.
Screen Size: 6.2 inches | Resolution: 1080 x 2400 | Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | Camera: 64MP/12MP/12MP rear and 10MP front | Battery: 4,000mAh
As for the rest of the phone, you get the top of the line in every respect. You’ll get the Snapdragon 888, 12GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of storage. Add to that you get a 5,000 mAh battery, 6.8-inch screen with a WQHD resolution, and 120Hz variable refresh rate. Of course, all that means is the phone is huge and fills up every inch of your pants pocket.
The phone is also very pricey with a $1,199 MSRP. Adding insult to injury, this phone ships without a charging brick. That’s upsetting when you’re buying a $799 iPhone, but it’s borderline criminal at $1,199. But if you want the very best camera on the very best phone, that comes at a premium to be sure. This phone earns the name Ultra in every possible way.
Screen Size: 6.8 inches | Resolution: 3200x1440 | Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | Camera: 108MP/10MP/10MP/12MP rear and 40MP front | Battery: 5,000mAh
The phone mimic’s the iPhone 6 in terms of design, so some consider it dated. But the iPhone SE is more for people who want a powerful phone, but don’t want to carry a phone which is big enough to land small planes. Apple did leave out 5G connectivity and indeed wouldn’t debut a 5G iPhone for another 6 months after the iPhone SE came out. The battery life is also not great on this phone. The battery compromise that had to be made to get the phone this small also means the phone has trouble getting through a day. Bu the phone does offer wireless charging which is another nice bonus.
Basically, if you want a powerful Apple phone and a fingerprint in a very small package, this is the best phone that meets all those criteria.
Screen Size: 4.7 inches | Resolution: 1334x750 | Processor: A13 Bionic | Camera: 12MP rear and 7MP front | Battery: 1,821mAh
The Google Pixel 4a delivers a quality Android experience, powered by the Snapdragon 730G mid-range processor along with 6GB of RAM. Those specifications aren’t awesome on their own, but Android runs very smoothly on them and delivers a great experience, along with all-day battery life. The phone has a single camera that our reviewer Andrew describes as “so consistent that I’d take it over the multi-camera modules of much more expensive phones with underwhelming cameras.”
Screen Size: 5.8 inches | Resolution: 1080 x 23400 | Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G | Camera: 12.2MP/12.2 rear and 8MP front | Battery: 3,140mAH
OnePlus has had a reputation up until now of delivering great specs, but with consistently substandard cameras. That’s no longer the case as the OnePlus 9 Pro delivers a very good camera experience as well. The phone has a triple camera setup including a 3.3x optical zoom. All of the cameras are tuned by Hasselblad which gives you good performance in most lighting conditions.
One area where the OnePlus 9 particularly excels is in the area of charging. OnePlus not only ships a charging brick in the box but that charging brick delivers an astonishing 65W of charging, bringing your phone from zero to full in just 33 minutes. A wireless charger sold separately can charge your phone from 1% to 70% in just 30 minutes. These amazing charge times can save your day if you need to top off quickly before heading out for the evening, or if you forget to plug in your phone overnight and need some juice before heading to work.
Screen Size: 6.7 inches | Resolution: 3216x1440 | Processor: Snapdragon 888 | Camera: 48MP/8MP/50MP/2MP rear and 16MP front | Battery: 4,500mAh
You still get the Snapdragon 865 processor, 6 or 8 GB of RAM, and 128 or 256GB of storage. You get 5G, but not mmWave 5G. Overall, this is a speedy phone with a really good battery life. Andrew, our reviewer, wrote, “On a standard day, I’d typically wind up within spitting distance of a 50 percent charge by the time I hit the pillow.”
As for the camera setup, you get the same cameras found on the Samsung Galaxy S20 except instead of a cropped 64GB cropped sensor, you get a 3x optical zoom. According to Andrew, “Everyday snaps are pretty excellent across the board, with strong detail and vivid coloring, although Samsung’s aggressive processing can give photos an unrealistic sheen at times.”
Screen Size: 6.5 inches | Resolution: 2400x1080 | Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | Camera: 12MP/8MP/12MP rear and 32MP front | Battery: 4,500mAh
On the plus side, this makes this one of the most powerful compact phones you can buy. You get the powerful A15 bionic processor and great cameras, plus 5G connectivity. But the trade-off is that the battery is tiny by most modern standards and it can struggle to make it through a full day on a single charge. iOS usually runs well on a smaller battery, but in the case of the iPhone 12 Mini, the battery might be a little too small.
Of course, if you don’t mind charging up a bit during the day, or while you’re at work, that’s not a problem at all. The iPhone 13 Mini has flagship power in a tiny package that slips easily into your pocket or your bag.
Screen Size: 5.4 inches | Resolution: 2340x1080 | Processor: A15 Bionic | Camera: 12MP/12MP rear and12MP front | Battery: 2,227mAh
In his review of the Pixel 5, our reviewer Andrew wrote, “The Pixel 5 feels plenty responsive across the board…It’s not surprising, since even the less-powerful Pixel 3a models were pretty swift; Google has done a great job of optimizing its Android OS for the hardware.” The Pixel 5a runs the same version of Android on the same processor and it’s just as smooth. What’s more, the Pixel 5a comes in at $250 less than the Pixel 5, with only some small compromises. Gone is the 90Hz refresh rate, in favor of an increasingly less common 60Hz. Plus, the polycarbonate body of the Pixel 5a won’t win any awards, and like the Pixel 4a, it only comes in black.
The Pixel 5a uses the exact same camera setup as the Pixel 5, about which Andrew wrote, “between a 12-megapixel wide-angle and 16-megapixel ultra-wide camera on the back, you’ll consistently take great shots with minimal effort. The results typically are more natural-looking than you’ll see from Samsung’s flagship cameras, for example, which tend to provide an overly vibrant look that not everyone will be fond of. From nature to faces, pets, and places, the Pixel 5 is well-equipped to take sharp, detailed snaps in nearly any scenario.” The camera on this phone is really good, though a bit dated. But if you want a reliable camera that you can whip out of your pocket and grab a good snap every time, this is your phone.
Screen Size: 6.34 inches | Resolution: 2400x1080 | Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G | Camera: 12.2MP/16MP rear and 8MP front | Battery: 4,680mAh
When shopping for a smartphone, there are many factors to consider. First, you’ll have to figure out which operating system you want that smartphone to run. And you’ll also want to consider other factors, including the amount of storage, screen size, battery life, and camera quality, to name a few. And so, because a smartphone is one of our most important possessions, it can sometimes be tough to pick out the right one. That, however, is why we’ve put together this guide—to help you find the perfect smartphone for your needs.
So if you decided you want a smartphone, you’ll have to then consider which operating system you want to use. The operating system on a smartphone plays the same role as an operating system on a computer. It’s basically the software that you interact with on a daily basis. On an iPhone, the operating system is iOS, while on an Android phone, it’s Android. There are a few advantages and disadvantages to each operating system, which we’ll go over below.
Android
Interested in an Android operating system? Android is the most popular smartphone operating system in the world, and for a number of reasons. For starters, unlike Apple, which only allows for iOS to be used on its iPhones, Google licenses out Android to other companies. That’s why the likes of Samsung, HTC, Huawei, and Google itself all use the Android operating system. If you’re a tried-and-true Google user, then Android is usually better at working with those apps and services. We’re not just talking about the Google search engine here—other operating systems make good use of that, too. Instead, we’re talking about the Google Play Music streaming service, Google Drive cloud storage, other Google devices like the Google Home smart speaker, and more. Now more than ever, choosing a smartphone operating system is about choosing an ecosystem, and if you go for an Android phone, it might be helpful to either already use Google’s services, or be willing to switch. In the end, there are a few main reasons to go for an Android phone. They can be a little cheaper, they work better with Google’s apps and services, and they’re a little smarter.
iOS
Apple’s iOS may not be used by as many people around the world, but in the U.S. it’s actually the dominant smartphone operating system. There are plenty of reasons to go for an iPhone—the phone that runs iOS—over an Android device. The main ones, however, are that it’s built by Apple, and as such it’s both super easy to use, ultra-stylish, and plays nice with other Apple devices. If you want a simple user interface, better Apple integration, and a phone that performs better for longer, then a phone with iOS is probably the way to go.
Other Features to look for
The operating system isn’t the only thing to consider when buying a smartphone, though if you’ve figured out which operating system you want, then you’ve done a lot of the work. You’ll also want to think about the hardware (processor, RAM, etc.) under the hood, the camera, screen size, battery capacity, and more. Only a few of these things are an issue when buying an iPhone (there are only a few iPhone models each year to choose from). But if you’re buying an Android phone, these things might all be something to consider.
Processor
The processor is essentially the brain of a computer, or in this case, a phone. More powerful processors basically mean that your phone can “think” faster, meaning tasks are completed quicker, multitasking is zippier, and your phone will perform well for longer. Longevity is important here: A phone with a sub-par processor might be perfectly fine at handling the apps of today, but that may not be true of the apps being released in two years. There are a few companies developing processors for smartphones. Apple develops its own processors in-house, but the likes of Qualcomm, MediaTek, Samsung, and more, all develop processors for Android phones. In the U.S., Qualcomm chips are most common, and in 2018, the flagship Qualcomm chip is the Snapdragon 845. The higher the number here, the better. If you want more powerful processors, you’ll want processors with multiple “cores.” Traditional processors can only perform one task at a time, but a dual-core processor can process two, and a quad-core processor can process four.
Storage
Storage is perhaps the most important thing for most people to consider. The more storage you have on your phone, the more files, apps, photos, video, etc., that you can keep on there at a time. These days, it’s a little easier to get by with less storage if you use cloud storage like Apple Photos or Google Drive, but some things simply can’t work without being stored on your phone. We recommend getting a phone with at least 16GB of storage (for light users), though 32GB is going to be much better, and 64GB or more should be enough for heavy users. Some phones also allow for external storage, usually through a MicroSD card slot. With this slot, you can buy a small card about the size of a SIM card, which can be used to store files on. MicroSD cards start at a low price for low-capacity ones and range up from there.
Camera
There are a few things that make a great camera, but the most important is the software behind it. Two phones with identical camera specs can yield vastly different results, so, unfortunately, it’s near impossible to shop for a phone with a great camera by only looking at specs on paper.
RAM
RAM, or Random Access Memory, is another form of storage, but instead of using it to save files, its used by your system to save things that it might want to pull up quickly. Most commonly, open apps are saved in RAM so that when you close them and open them again, they can show up on the screen without having to completely load again. Generally speaking, more RAM is better when buying a smartphone, but phones with more RAM also often cost more. For a mid-range phone, you’ll probably find phones in the 2GB of RAM range, but for most users, a device with 3GB or more is recommended.
Display Type
When it comes to phones, a screen isn’t just a screen. There are a few different types of displays, and they’re not all created equal. The most common type of display type in mid-range and low-end phones is the LCD, or Liquid Crystal Display. LCDs are inexpensive to produce, which is why they’re used so often, but the trade-off is that they’re not the best at conserving battery life and they generally don’t produce the deepest blacks or brightest colors. There are two types of LCD’s though: TFT-LCDs, which are cheaper and the worst at color reproduction, and IPS-LCDs, which are a little better at color reproduction and wider viewing angles. These days, high-end phones are doing away with LCDs in favor of OLED displays. Because OLED displays light up individual pixels rather than the display as a whole, it saves on battery life. On top of that, when black shows up on the screen, OLED displays simply don’t light it, meaning that blacks look deeper, and contrast ratios are higher. You might see “Super AMOLED” displays out there, which is basically Samsung branding for its OLED displays. You’ll probably only notice the difference between LCD and OLED displays if you have a truly sharp eye, although you might find the battery improvements that come with OLED displays to be worth the extra cash.
Screen Size
Phone display sizes have gotten a whole lot bigger over the years, and that might be important to you. Smaller displays come in at four inches, while larger displays can range up to seven inches.
Biometric Authentication
Gone are the days when you had to enter a PIN code to access your phone. These days, most smartphones have a fingerprint sensor built into them, ensuring you can get into your device quickly and easily, and at the touch of a sensor. Some higher-end phones also have other forms of biometric authentication, like iris scanning or facial recognition. Many consider fingerprint sensing to be the easiest way to authenticate, especially depending on its placement. While some phones mount a fingerprint sensor on the front of the device, others have a sensor on the back, making it easy to quickly scan your fingerprint as you take your device out of your pocket. These days, some phones also have facial recognition, which is both safer, and sometimes easier to use. All you have to do to authenticate yourself with facial recognition is look at your phone, which does present some difficulty if your phone is on your desk, for example. We recommend a phone with at least a fingerprint scanner, though any other methods of authentication can be useful, too.
Battery Capacity
Not all batteries are the same size, and a smaller battery can have a serious impact on how long your phone lasts on a single charge. Battery capacity is measured in milliampere-hours, or mAh—where a higher number represents a larger capacity. Of course, it’s not always as simple as “larger batteries make your phone last longer.” A phone with a larger battery but an equally high-resolution display and power-hungry processor may not last as long as a phone with a smaller battery, lower-resolution display, and less intense processor.
About Our Trusted Experts
Jesse Hollington has been testing and reviewing smartphones and smartphone accessories for over a decade, and has used every smartphone and mobile platform from the early Palm, Symbian, and Windows CE days to the modern era of Apple iPhones and the entire gamut of Android-based phones from the Google Nexus One to the latest Samsung devices. Andrew Hayward has been covering the latest tech since back in 2006 for a number of major media publications. His top specialty is smartphone and mobile accessories, meaning he was the perfect choice to review a big chunk of the phones on this roundup. Ajay Kumar is a tech editor at Lifewire who’s been covering mobile phones and consumer electronics for nearly a decade. He’s been published in PCMag where he’s reviewed hundreds of phones, tablets, and other devices. He’s personally used several of the phones on this list. Yoona Wagener has been writing for Lifewire since 2019, covering a wide range of consumer tech including phones, laptops, smart home devices, and more. Adam Doud has been writing in the technology space for almost a decade. When he’s not hosting the Benefit of the Doud podcast, he’s playing with the latest phones, tablets, and laptops. When not working, he’s a cyclist, geocacher, and spends as much time outside as he can.
