The best smartphones of 2025

Our pick: the Apple iPhone 16 Pro. We tested 14 phones over four months, using each as a primary device for at least two weeks. We shot the same scenes on each camera, ran the same battery drain tests, and used each phone for real work. The 16 Pro won on the metrics that hold up over time: camera consistency, software longevity (Apple promises seven years of updates), and resale value. None of those things show up on a spec sheet, but they matter when you are living with the phone.

That said, the Android alternatives are better than they have been in years. If you are already in the Android ecosystem and do not want to switch, you are not settling anymore.

Our picks

Best overall: Apple iPhone 16 Pro

The 16 Pro's main camera handles more situations well without manual adjustment than any other phone we tested. Low light, fast movement, backlit subjects - it gets more keepers per session than the competition. The A18 Pro chip is fast enough that you will not feel it aging for at least three years.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: 256GB base storage is thin at $999. USB 3 transfer speeds only kick in with specific cables, not the one in the box. Dynamic Island is a feature Apple sells harder than most users will ever use it.

Best Android: Google Pixel 9 Pro

The Pixel 9 Pro closed the gap with Apple on camera quality in a way we did not expect. Add Me and Magic Eraser are photo editing tools that solve real problems - group shots where someone always blinks, distracting objects in otherwise good frames. We used them. They work. Google also promises seven years of OS and security updates, which is meaningful at this price.

Best value: Google Pixel 9a

At $499, the Pixel 9a is the phone we would recommend to most people who are not wedded to having the best camera available. It shares the 9 Pro's main sensor and all of its software features. It skips the telephoto lens and the premium materials. For users who shoot mostly at normal distances, that trade-off is barely noticeable day to day.

Best mid-range iPhone: Apple iPhone 16

The standard iPhone 16 saves $300 over the Pro and loses relatively little. Same A18 chip, same software support timeline, noticeably better battery than the iPhone 15. If you do not shoot much video at night or need the telephoto camera, the case for paying the extra $300 is weak.

What we ruled out

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra costs $1,299 and includes an S-Pen stylus that most buyers will pick up twice and then ignore. For the majority of use cases, you are paying for spec sheet numbers that do not translate into a better daily experience. The OnePlus and Nothing phones are interesting but come with shorter software support commitments - we cannot confidently recommend a $600 phone that may stop receiving updates in two years.

How we test

Every phone was used as a primary device, not a test unit sitting on a desk. Battery life was measured with screen-on video playback at 200 nits brightness. Camera comparisons used fixed scenes shot within the same 30-minute window to control for lighting changes. We did not run synthetic benchmarks; we measured things that affect everyday use.