The Best Phones to buy in 2024

One area that, sadly, has not improved is charging speed. At 25 watt tops, we measured that it takes nearly two hours to charge the phone via a wire.

PhoneArena Rating: 7.5/10

PhoneArena Battery Score: 6 hours 46 minutes

PhoneArena Camera Score: 154

The Galaxy S24 Ultra combines an extra large screen, long-lasting battery, an extremely versatile camera and a stand-out S Pen, that altogether make it the best premium Android phone for most people. It is this all-around package that we think earns it the best spot over rivals like OnePlus 12, which has slightly worse camera performance, and Google’s Pixel 8 Pro, which is less powerful and lacks the versatility of One UI and the S Pen.

New, compared to the last few years of Galaxy Ultra phones, is the switch to a 5X zoom camera. That might seem like a downgrade, knowing how those previous models used a 10X zoom camera, but it really isn’t. You get better quality at the native 5X zoom which we find more useful, and the drop in quality at 10X on the S24 Ultra is tiny, as you can see in our Galaxy S24 Ultra vs S23 Ultra comparison.

We were also impressed by one particular feature: a new screen coating that reduces reflections dramatically. This Galaxy S24 Ultra reflection-free screen makes it so much easier to use the phone outdoors on a sunny day, and while other phones boast about higher brightness, we think it’s this feature that makes the biggest difference for readability. You also get the usual upgrades: a new and faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, and new this year are a few cool AI features sprinkled throught the Samsung One interface.

Key Galaxy S24 Ultra specs:

Display: 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 1440 x 3120 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
RAM: 12GB
Cameras: 200MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 12MP telephoto (3x optical zoom), 10MP telephoto (10x optical zoom), 12MP front-facing
Battery: 5000mAh

Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Best iPhone for Most People: iPhone 15

PhoneArena Rating: 6.9/10

PhoneArena Battery Score: 5 hours 40 minutes

PhoneArena Camera Score: 147

There is no “one size fits all” smartphone, but when asked which is the best iPhone for most people we recommend the $800 iPhone 15. The iPhone 15 has a relatively compact 6.1-inch size and it is also the cheapest one in the iPhone 15 series without making any big sacrifices. If you prefer an extra large screen and longer battery life, though, consider the 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Plus, which will set you back a $100 extra, or $900.

As for the iPhone 15, it is a reliable workhorse at a reasonable price that does everything well, even if other phones might trump it in some individual categories.

If we had to look for a weakness, that would have to be the lack of a 120Hz ProMotion display. At 60Hz, scrolling on the iPhone 15 feels a bit choppy compared to the buttery smooth Pro series iPhones. Learn more about the iPhone 15 vs iPhone 15 Pro differences here.

In our PhoneArena Battery Score, the iPhone 15 battery life is 5 hours and 40 minutes, which is around the average for its size and that score means it will comfortably last you one day, but not more. In our PhoneArena Camera Score, it also showed up well with pleasing daylight colors and strong video recording capabilities. It does charge a bit slow, though. At 20 watts max, it takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes to charge it fully.

Key iPhone 15 specs:

Display: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR, 1170 x 2532 pixels, 60Hz refresh rate
Processor: Apple A16 Bionic
RAM: 4GB
Cameras: 12MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP front-facing
Battery: 3240mAh
Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

Best Android Phone for Most People: Google Pixel 8

PhoneArena Rating: 6.8/10

PhoneArena Battery Score: 6 hours 40 minutes

PhoneArena Camera Score: 142

This one is tricky (you have so many options!), but when we draw the line in the sand, it is the Google Pixel 8 that most of us would recommend as the best Android phone for most people.

The Pixel 8 has a lot going for it, including a compact 6.2-inch size, clean and user-friendly experience with no bloatware, guaranteed software updates for seven years to come, and a high-quality camera. However what really stands out is how it delivers all of that at an affordable price of $700 (and even cheaper if you spot a discount, so check out our round-up of the best current Pixel 8 deals).

New compared to older Pixel models is a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes scrolling a bit smoother than before (compare the Pixel 8 vs Pixel 7, and the older model only supports 90Hz only). Also, Google now promises seven years of Android OS updates! Super impressive and unlike other Android phone makers, you are getting these updates on day one rather than in a few months time, which makes a big difference.

On our PhoneArena Battery Score the Pixel 8 lasted 6 hours and 40 minutes, more than the average for such a compact phone. This score also means the Pixel 8 beats the iPhone 15 in battery life, but it still won’t last you more than a day between charges.

Key Pixel 8 specs:

Display: 6.2-inch AMOLED, 1080 x 2400 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate
Processor: Google Tensor G3
RAM: 8GB
Cameras: 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP front-facing
Battery: 4575mAh
Storage: 128GB, 256GB

Best Camera Phone: Galaxy S24 Ultra

PhoneArena Rating: 7.5/10

PhoneArena Battery Score: 6 hours 46 minutes

PhoneArena Camera Score: 154

Our rigorous camera testing shows that the Galaxy S24 Ultra is the best camera phone you can buy, thanks a lot to the versatility of having four cameras on its back, including two excellent telephoto cameras, while most competitors only have a single zoom camera.

As for the Galaxy S24 Ultra camera advantages, we have a 3X and 5X zoom cameras, which means great quality for people and pet shots. Combined with the industry leading subject separation, the Galaxy captures incredible portrait mode photos too.

Previous camera issues are also now largely resolved. For example, in our Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Galaxy S23 Ultra comparison, we saw the older S23 model captured shots with excessive sharpening, which could look really bad when viewed on a larger screen. Some issues also existed with corner sharpness when using the ultra-wide camera.

All of these refinements, have pushed the Galaxy to the highest rankings. Still, it’s not a perfect camera. We do find some problems with color fidelity and noise in darker scenarios, but hey, no one can be perfect, right?

Key Galaxy S24 Ultra Camera specs:

200MP main camera, 23mm lens, f/1.7 aperture
12MP, 13mm, f/2.2 ultra-wide
10MP 3X zoom, f/2.4
50MP 5X zoom, f/3.4
12MP front camera

Best Foldable Phone: OnePlus Open

PhoneArena Rating: 6.5/10

PhoneArena Battery Score: 5 hours 34 minutes

PhoneArena Camera Score: 144

The OnePlus Open has snatched the title of best foldable phone from the Galaxy Z Fold series, after they dominated this ranking for years.

We love the large screen that opens with almost no crease, a notable improvement over one of the biggest shortcomings of the Galaxy Fold series. We also just love the speed and refinement of OnePlus software, and that Open Canvas multitasking is a really cool feature on a foldable phone!

The Open also makes no compromise with camera quality and comes equipped with top-notch hardware. You probably can tell by that giant camera bump, right? Learn more about all of that in our OnePlus Open review.

Of course, you also get the fast charging that OnePlus is known for too and that alert slider, all nice details that act as the cherry on top.

However, if you prefer a more established company in the foldable phone space, the latest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is an excellent alternative to the Open. It is arguably the biggest leap for the Fold series since its inception with a refined design, slightly wider and more useful cover screen, the best hinge in the foldable phone market and a thicker screen coating for peace of mind. And it works with the S Pen.

Key OnePlus Open specs:

Displays:

7.8-inch main screen, 2268 x 2440 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate

6.3-inch front screen, 1116 x 2484 pixels
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
RAM: 16GB
Cameras: 48MP main cam, 48MP ultra-wide, 64MP 3X zoom telephoto
Battery: 4800mAh
Storage: 512GB

Best Flip Phone: Galaxy Z Flip 6

PhoneArena Rating: 6.9/10

PhoneArena Battery Score: 6 hours and 46 minutes

PhoneArena Camera Score: 137

Samsung used to be the only company making fold and flip phones, but last year it was challenged in a big way and it had to respond.

This year, it has the Galaxy Z Flip 6, which is the flip phone we recommend for most people.

Samsung seems to have the best build quality in the industry and most importantly, the essential hinge element feels a bit more refined on the Flip 6 than on the competition.

Samsung has also addressed users concerns about battery life with a bigger sized battery, it adds a welcome new 50MP main camera, but for all else the Flip 6 design feels very similar to the previous generation.

Key Galaxy Z Flip 6 specs:

Display: 6.7-inch OLED main screen, 3.4-inch front screen, 120Hz refresh rate
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
RAM: 12GB
Cameras: 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP front
Battery: 4000mAh
Storage: 256GB or 512GB

Best Android Phone Under $500: Google Pixel 8a

PhoneArena Rating: 6.2/10

PhoneArena Battery Score: 5 hours 50 minutes

PhoneArena Camera Score: 133

The Pixel A series have been our go-to recommendation for a budget Android phone under $500, and we are happy to see the Pixel 8a continue that tradition.

The Pixel 8a gets a new Tensor G3 chipset, which is still among the fastest in this price range (not the fastest, though, that would be the OnePlus 12R). It also has the familiar Google camera experience with excellent quality out of the main camera, and very decent video recording.

Other strengths include the clean and cool Android interface and the impressive seven years of software updates.

Of course, we have to mention some of the downsides too: that huge bezel simply doesn’t belong on a 2024 smartphone and in a perfect world we would love to see a telephoto camera on the A series Pixels.

Key Pixel 8a specs:

Display: 6.1-inch AMOLED, 1080 x 2400 pixels, 60Hz refresh rate
Processor: Google Tensor G3
RAM: 8GB
Cameras: 64MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 13MP front-facing
Battery: 4492mAh
Storage: 128GB

Best iPhone on a Budget: iPhone 13

PhoneArena Rating: 6.2/10

PhoneArena Battery Score: 5 hours 44 minutes

PhoneArena Camera Score: 129

Shopping for a budget iPhone is no easy task because Apple simply refuses to update its budget lineup on time.

For example, the cheapest iPhone available now, the iPhone SE 3rd Gen, was released more than two years ago in 2022! And it looks ancient with a too-small-for-comfort 4.7-inch display that uses old LCD technology. Heck, it even has Touch ID and a big bezel!

So we simply cannot recomment the iPhone SE to most people.

The cheapest iPhone we do recommend is the $600 iPhone 13. It has a much more useful 6.1-inch screen, it has OLED technology for more vibrant colors, it has a dual camera system, Face ID and all the modern iPhone bells and whistles.

Key iPhone 13 specs:

Display: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR, 1170 x 2532 pixels, 60Hz refresh rate
Processor: Apple A15 Bionic
RAM: 4GB
Cameras: 12MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP front-facing
Battery: 3240mAh
Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

Best Battery Life: Asus Zenfone 10

PhoneArena Rating: 6.9/10

PhoneArena Battery Score: 10 hours 23 minutes

PhoneArena Camera Score: 131

What a surprise this one was! When looking through our battery rankings, we expected bigger phones to take the lead. And they generally do except for this one beautiful exception.

Formerly crowned among best compact phones, the Asus Zenfone 10 with its 4,300mAh cell has great battery life not just for its size, it has great battery life period.

With the help of some dark magic, Asus crushed it on all three of our PhoneArena Battery Tests.

It absolutely demolished the competition on our web browsing battery test, scoring nearly 27 hours and a half, compared to around 20 hours for the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Galaxy S24 Ultra. But it also scored great on our YouTube video streaming test, with an impressive 14 hours and a half of non-stop video playback. For gaming too, we got a respectable 10+ hours score.

Sometimes life gives you unexpected surprises, and we absolutely loved this one.

Key Asus Zenfone 10 specs:

Display: 5.9-inch AMOLED, 1080 x 2400 pixels, 144Hz refresh rate
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
RAM: 8GB
Cameras: 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 32MP front-facing
Battery: 4300mAh
Storage: 256GB

Best Compact iPhone: iPhone 15 Pro

PhoneArena Rating: 7.4/10

PhoneArena Battery Score: 5 hours 43 minutes

PhoneArena Camera Score: 149

The definition of what’s a compact phone seems to change almost every year as phones are getting bigger and bigger.

In the past few years, that definition for us has been the following: we would classify phones with a screen size of 6.2-inches or lower as compact. It helps if you also have slim bezels around the screen.

Of course, some people will protest and say that a truly compact phone is something like the iPhone 13 mini but unfortunately, we have to face the reality… that phone is not sold anymore!

So in our current world of sub 6.2-inch compact phones, we would pick the iPhone 15 Pro as the best among smaller iPhones.

It’s a 6.1-inch design with bezels that are just a bit slimmer compared to the iPhone 15. It’s a subtle difference in size, but I can feel it while using that phone.

The iPhone 15 Pro is also a powerful beast with the Apple A17 Pro chipset, a triple camera system, and all the other iPhone bells and whistles.

Key iPhone 15 Pro specs:

Display: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR, 1179 x 2556 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate
Processor: Apple A17 Pro
RAM: 8GB
Cameras: 48MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP telephoto (2x optical zoom), 12MP front-facing
Battery: 3274mAh
Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Best Compact Android Phone: Galaxy S24

PhoneArena Rating: 7/10

PhoneArena Battery Score: 5 hours 59 minutes

PhoneArena Camera Score: 149

It’s more compact than Google’s Pixels and what’s great is that it has a narrower body and is very easy to grasp and hold firmly in even a smaller hand.

It is also a true flagship: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, 120Hz screen, great camera quality.

And while other compact Android phones only have two cameras, the Galaxy has a third, 3X zoom telephoto camera that gives you much better results for those zoomed shots.

In our PhoneArena Battery Score, the Galaxy S24 battery life ranking is close to the average for such a compact phone at nearly six hours, and this results in one day of real use. The S24 scores particularly good for lighter use such as web browsing, where the battery can last longer.

Key Galaxy S24 specs:

Display: 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 1080 x 2340 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
RAM: 8GB, 12GB
Cameras: 50MP main, 10MP ultrawide, 12MP telephoto (3x optical zoom), 12MP front-facing
Battery: 4000mAh
Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

Best Phone Under $300: Galaxy A25 5G

PhoneArena Rating: 5.4/10

PhoneArena Battery Score: 6 hours 43 minutes

PhoneArena Camera Score: 128

What if you want something really cheap, something under $300?

You have a few options, but the Galaxy A25 5G from early 2024 might be the best one. It has the reliabilty that the Samsung brand is known for and it has a camera quality that surpasses that of rivals such as the Moto G Power 5G (2024).

Of course, there are quite a few compromises you make at this price. We are certainly not in love with the plastic build quality and chonky bezels on the A25 5G, but we can see that it is not the slowest phone around. For example, we also reviewed the cheaper, $200 Galaxy A15 5G which we found was just too slow, and that is not the case with the A25 5G.

And compared to others like the Moto G Power, the Galaxy also has a top-notch AMOLED screen with a sharp 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate (not common in this space).

So if you are looking for a good balance of features at this $300 price range, keep the Galaxy A25 5G on your radar.

Key Galaxy A25 5G specs:

Display: 6.5-inch AMOLED, 1080 x 2340 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate
Processor: Exynos 1280
RAM: 6GB, 8GB
Cameras: 50MP main, 5MP ultrawide, 13MP front-facing
Battery: 5000mAh
Storage: 128GB

Best Gaming Phone: Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro

PhoneArena Rating: 7.1/10

PhoneArena Battery Score: 8 hours 34 minutes

PhoneArena Camera Score: 128

Gaming phones are a special category! You need some additional controls, you need flawless performance and great cooling, you need excellent sound, and you need a bigger screen. Oh and you want this also to be a great phone to daily drive too with a good camera, right?

Well, as hard as this is to pull off, one phone does it best: the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro. You could also go with a Galaxy S24 Ultra or iPhone 15 Pro Max that have similar power, but they lack the added buttons, specialized features and cooling.

This year, Asus has gone for a more mainstream design which adds a fashionista twist to your inner nerd. But it’s still pretty much the same great gaming phone as before with those additional buttons, exceptional cooling that helps it maintain top-notch performance for longer than an iPhone or a Galaxy.

The software is of course very well tuned to gamers and you have a ton of customization to make it fit your gaming personality, even little details like gaming wallpapers look right on the ROG Phone.

Key Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro specs:

Display: 6.78-inch AMOLED, 1080 x 2400 pixels, 165Hz refresh rate
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
RAM: 16GB, 24GB
Cameras: 50MP main, 13MP ultrawide, 24MP front-facing
Battery: 5500mAh
Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Fastest Charging Phone: OnePlus 12

PhoneArena Rating: 7.5/10

PhoneArena Battery Score: 8 hours 23 minutes

PhoneArena Camera Score: 142

Hey, what if you want a great phone that helps you get rid of your anxiety of charging it overnight?

I know I want one, and while there are a few models that excel here, only the OnePlus 12 is sold widely in the United States and the Western world.

In the US, the OnePlus 12 supports 80W fast charging (100W for models in Europe and the rest of the world). In real life, this means a full 1% to 100% top up takes just, wait for it… 37 minutes! Say bye-bye to overnight charging!

And all of this happens without destroying your battery as OnePlus has proven protections in place. For example, most of the heat while charging stays in the charger rather than on the phone, but there is a lot more complexity there. The OnePlus 12 battery is also rated for more charging cycles than others and OnePlus assures its users it has passed the utmost standards. So far, our experience aligns with OnePlus’ statements.

This year, the OnePlus 12 also supports super fast wireless charging at speeds of up to 50 watts, which makes it one of the fastest wireless charging phones. That is twice the speed of wired charging on the iPhone 15 Pro Max! Impressive, don’t you think?

Key OnePlus 12 specs:

Display: 6.82-inch AMOLED, 1440 x 3168 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
RAM: 12GB, 16GB, 24GB
Cameras: 50MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 32MP front-facing
Battery: 5400mAh (equivalent)
Storage: 256GB, 512GB

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Best iPhone for Most People: iPhone 15

Best Android Phone for Most People: Google Pixel 8

Best Camera Phone: Galaxy S24 Ultra

Best Foldable Phone: OnePlus Open

Best Flip Phone: Galaxy Z Flip 6

Best Android Phone Under $500: Google Pixel 8a

Best iPhone on a Budget: iPhone 13

Best Battery Life: Asus Zenfone 10

Best Compact iPhone: iPhone 15 Pro

Best Compact Android Phone: Galaxy S24

Best Phone Under $300: Galaxy A25 5G

Best Gaming Phone: Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro

Fastest Charging Phone: OnePlus 12

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