Here are the best smartphones on the market today. From the iPhone 14 Pro to the Galaxy S23, if you're shopping for a new phone, we're here for you.
What's the best phone in 2023? It may seem like a simple question, but it's anything but. Smartphones are so good these days, and while it's great having so many excellent options to choose from, it also means that finding the perfect one for you can be a challenge.
Starting with the design, it may look like not much has changed, and you'd be right in thinking so. The iPhone 14 Pro boasts the same flat, angular design, stainless steel frame, and toughened glass on the back as the iPhone 13 Pro. This time around, those buying the phone in the U.S. will notice the lack of SIM tray — this is Apple's first iPhone that's eSIM only.
Under the hood, the iPhone 14 Pro doesn't disappoint either, with Apple's new A16 Bionic processor giving you another reason to choose the Pro model over the standard iPhone 14. Though there's no immediately noticeable performance boost compared to the A15 chip, you're getting Apple's latest and most powerful processor, which will handle anything you throw at it. Apple's solid update record ensures it'll stay that way for years to come, too.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Best phone for iOS More Apple iPhone 14 Best phone for iOS runner-up Apple iPhone 14 Review Pros Cons Though the iPhone 14 Pro snagged our top iPhone spot, its weakness may be its price. It isn't actually that much better than its lower-priced sibling, the iPhone 14, though it does boast a few key additions and improvements.
Ultimately, it comes down to whether these new features and improvements are worth the extra $200 to you. The opportunity to save that cash might be one that's hard to turn down. We've seen the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in other phones, like the OnePlus 11 below, but the processor goes up to a new level in the S23 Ultra. It's the"Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy" now, which basically means it's been overclocked and optimized for Samsung's devices. Does that make a difference? As it turns out, yes. We couldn't do much to faze this processor, and it handled everything we threw at it.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra starts at $1,200, with 256GB of storage, so it'll cost you quite a lot of money. However, with some exceptional cameras, stupendous processing power, and two days of battery life, it's fair to say this is a phone that can easily last you for many years before needing to be replaced.
But it's what's beneath the OnePlus 11's design that makes it so special. Powering the phone is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. Simply put, it's a beast. Apps open instantly, it powers through graphically-intense games without heating up, and it's wonderfully battery efficient — easily getting through two days of use on a single charge. And when your battery does run out, 80W charging gets you from 0% to 100% in about 30 minutes.
Are you on a budget but want great value? Then you can't go wrong with Samsung's A-Series phones, which are excellent for the price. The Galaxy A14 5G is one of the latest entries in the family, and it's well worth your attention. And lastly, though the Galaxy A14 5G doesn't have wireless charging, it does have a massive 5,000mAh battery that will last at least two days with regular use. But wired charging caps out at 15W, so it's a little slow. However, considering how much use you'll get from a single charge, you may not be having to plug it in every night.
As mentioned, the rest of the phone is impressive too. The Pixel 6a uses the same Tensor chip found in the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, so it has flagship-level performance and shouldn't balk from any of the latest 3D games. It does run hot under load, though, so keep an eye on that. Battery life doesn't shine as much, being limited to a single day. Charging is also fairly slow at just 18W.
At the end of the day, the Pixel 7a is not worth $150 more than the Pixel 6a, so if you still want a very affordable Pixel phone, but also like saving some dough, then go with the Pixel 6a. Under the hood, you'll find Google's latest Tensor G2 chip, which is built using a 5nm process, 8G of RAM, and up to 256GB of storage. The phone runs Android 13 out of the box, with an expanded and more customizable Material You, packs an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, boasts 5G connectivity, and will receive years of Android updates — plus, battery life is excellent.
Who it’s for: Anyone who wants a phone that looks like Samsung's flagship S23 and has good performance — but for half the price.The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G offers a lot of flagship features for less. It looks like the company's newest S23, and though the internals aren't quite the same, it still has fast and snappy performance — just like the S23. But there are some differences, so let's talk about them.
Samsung put its Exynos 1380 processor inside, with either 6GB or 8GB RAM and 128GB or 256GB storage, plus you have a microSD card slot. While the Exynos 1380 may not be as fast as the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 that is in the S23 series, it's still reasonably fast and performs well for the price point. It comes with Android 13 and One UI 5.1, which is the same as the S23. Samsung promises software upgrades for the next four years, with five years of security updates.
Big phones aren't for everyone, but if you're a fan of something more substantial, the iPhone 14 Pro Max ticks all the boxes, and then some. We really do mean substantial — this phone is a beast, weighing in at 240 grams and measuring 160.7mm tall. Visually, it looks a lot like the iPhone 13 Pro Max, but you'll find many of the same tweaks and upgrades as on the iPhone 14 Pro. A gorgeous display, versatile cameras, and sleek design set it apart from the crowd.
When it comes to performance, Apple's A16 Bionic chip that we mentioned earlier doesn't disappoint and can handle anything you throw at it, with up to 1TB of onboard storage and Apple's reliable update record. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max Best big iPhone Apple iPhone SE Best small iPhone iPhone SE Review Pros Cons Why you should buy this: Apple's latest iPhone SE is a pint-sized wonder that's powerful, affordable, and future-proof.Why we picked the Apple iPhone SE
Add 5G connectivity, iOS 15 out of the box, and five or six years of OS updates, and it's easy to see why the iPhone SE is our best small smartphone. Yes, the design feels a bit old-fashioned, those bezels are pretty clunky, and there's no charger in the box — but now we're nitpicking. The iPhone SE comes priced at an incredible $429, so you won't need to break the bank to afford it.
Motorola packed the Edge Plus with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, so it's quite snappy in performance and power efficiency. You also get 8GB RAM and 512GB storage, so there's plenty of space for your media, photos, and apps. Android 13 comes equipped, and the internal components can handle it with ease. Even if you've not used a Motorola phone before, the interface is actually very Pixel-like, and it's easy and intuitive enough to use.
Motorola Edge Plus Best big Android phone Samsung Galaxy S23 Best small Android phone Samsung Galaxy S23 Review Pros Cons Why you should buy this: It has fast performance, reliable cameras, and a lightweight and compact design that is comfortable for one-handed use.Why we picked the Samsung Galaxy S23:
While Samsung gave the best camera to the S23 Ultra with the 200MP sensor, the Galaxy S23 still has very reliable cameras that make it hard to take a bad photo or video. You'll get a 50MP main camera, 12MP ultra-wide, and 10MP telephoto, with optical image stabilization on the main and telephoto cameras. The telephoto gives you 3x optical zoom, but you also get up to 30x digital zoom as well, which is decent enough if you want to really zoom in on something .
While the Galaxy Z Fold 5 does not look much different than the Galaxy Z Fold 4 before it, Samsung has made some nice improvements that affect the overall usability of the foldable. The new Flex Hinge allows the phone to not have a gap when closed, unlike the wedge-shaped gap that was found on the Z Fold 4. This means less debris can get into the inner screens, and it feels better and more ergonomic to hold and use the cover display.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip and has 12GB RAM, along with your choice of 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB internal storage. It ships with Android 13 and Samsung's One UI 5.1.1 installed, and there's plenty of power to handle pretty much anything you need with ease. The taskbar is great for multitasking, and it now can show up to four recent apps instead of two.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Best foldable phone More Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Best flip phone Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Review Pros Cons Why you should buy this: It looks great, boasts fast performance, and has a fun and foldable form factor and bespoke colors.Why we picked the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: Cameras on the Z Flip 5 are pretty similar to the Flip 4, with just a 12MP main camera with f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilization, plus a 12MP ultrawide camera with a 123-degree field of view. However, there are some improvements overall, like better color reproduction. Samsung also added a clear lens coating that will help prevent lens flares in images, and the selfie camera has a slightly larger sensor.
Can smartphones get viruses? While it is possible to get viruses on iPhones or Android phones, what most people mean when they say"virus" is malware. Technically, the term virus means software that infects a host, inserts itself into an existing program, and then spreads that infection by self-replicating. They are a very small percentage of malware and extremely rare on smartphones, but malware isn't.
How do prepaid phones work? Prepaid cell phones work just like any other phone, but they come without a monthly contract or long-term commitment. You usually pay for service in advance. When you buy a prepaid phone they tend to come with a fixed number of minutes, text messages, and possibly a fixed amount of mobile data. This removes the chance of any overage charges. When you run out, you simply top up by buying more minutes, texts, and data in chunks.
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