Best phone 2024: the top smartphones to buy right now

The AI telephones are right here, however that doesn’t imply they’ve actually arrived. The yr’s hottest pattern is trickling right down to cellular tech, however the outcomes to date are a combined bag, to say the least. Samsung and Google have a variety of AI tips on their telephones that don’t actually quantity to a lot but, and Apple is scrambling to catch up. AI actually might be the beginning of useful new methods to work together with our telephones! However we’re positively not there but. Within the meantime, be ready to listen to much more about AI in your subsequent telephone — and mood your expectations.

Lots of people within the US get their telephones via provider offers, and no judgment right here if that’s the route you’re taking — it’s how I purchased mine. Simply ensure you realize what you’re stepping into and what number of years you’ll want to remain on that Tremendous 5G All the things Limitless Plus plan to maintain the month-to-month machine reimbursements coming.

Should you’re seeking to spend rather less and nonetheless get the very best smartphone on a funds, you will discover one thing actually good for below $500. For these suggestions, try our information to funds smartphones.

Display: 6.1-inch, 2556 x 1179 OLED, 60Hz refresh fee / Processor: A18 Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.6 predominant with sensor-shift IS; 12-megapixel ultrawide; 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: Not marketed / Charging: 27W wired, 25W wi-fi MagSafe, 15W Qi2, 7.5W Qi / Climate-resistance score: IP68

From a {hardware} perspective, the iPhone 16 (or the 16 Plus) is a simple improve alternative. Should you’re switching from an iPhone 13, 12, and even older, these 4 or 5 years of incremental efficiency enhancements add up. However there’s one thing totally new this time round — nicely, two issues: the Motion Button and the Digicam Management button.

The customizable Motion Button, which replaces the mute swap on the left fringe of the telephone, is a hand-me-down from the 15 Professional sequence. You possibly can set it to open a specific app, activate the flashlight, or nearly the rest you may want on the contact of a button. On the opposite facet of the telephone is the Digicam Management, which you should utilize to launch the digital camera app. With the digital camera open, it acts as a shutter button with a full press, and a lightweight press brings up different publicity choices you possibly can modify. Even should you solely ever use it to launch the digital camera, it’s fairly useful, and it frees up the Motion Button.

The iPhone 16 and its bigger 16 Plus sibling use Apple’s A18 chipset, which is in the identical household because the 16 Professional’s processor. That bodes nicely for the telephones staying on the identical software program improve cycle. They’re each slated to get an replace with Apple Intelligence within the fall, which can embrace AI-powered writing instruments and notification summaries in its earliest iteration. However regardless of the similarities, the common 16 fashions lag behind the Execs in two vital departments: the display and the digital camera.

The Execs include devoted 5x lenses and up to date predominant cameras that perform a little higher in low gentle. And also you’ll solely get a ProMotion show on the Professional fashions; the common 16 incorporates a slower 60Hz display. Principally each different high-end telephone available on the market affords a 120Hz show, in order that’s a disappointment. If these two drawbacks don’t hassle you — and most of the people in all probability received’t thoughts them — then the iPhone 16 makes for an amazing improve.

Learn our assessment of the Apple iPhone 16.

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

The Android ecosystem has been in search of a telephone just like the Pixel 9 for some time now. It’s simple and unfussy, takes reliably good pictures, and comes with the polished {hardware} you’d anticipate from a high-end telephone. It doesn’t have a devoted telephoto lens, which the equally priced Galaxy S24 does, however the software program is much less quirky than Samsung’s, making for a greater general expertise.

Outdoors of zoom capabilities, Google’s Pixel digital camera is simply as dependable as ever. The telephone comes with a Tensor G4 chipset that powers AI options aplenty, each inside and outdoors of the digital camera app. Some are promising and a few are worrying, however there’s nothing right here that appears like a real game-changer. Which is ok.

The vital factor is that the Pixel 9 has the best stuff the place it counts. It’s straightforward to make use of, and a few of the Pixel sequence’ persistent issues like poor thermals and buggy software program appear to be below management on this era. The 9 Professional is a worthwhile improve if you’d like that telephoto lens and a barely nicer display, however in any case, the Pixel 9 appears like a top-notch machine, inside and outside.

Learn our full Google Pixel 9 assessment.

Display: 6.8-inch, 1440p, 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 / Cameras: 200-megapixel predominant with OIS; 50-megapixel 5x telephoto with OIS; 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS; 12-megapixel ultrawide; 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,000mAh / Charging: 45W wired, 15W wi-fi / Climate resistance: IP68

Samsung’s maximalist S-series Extremely telephone type of exists in its personal stratosphere. The place else are you going to discover a telephone with 4 rear cameras and a built-in stylus? The S24 Extremely stays an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink telephone, and despite the fact that it’s each bit as feature-packed as final yr’s mannequin, it feels just a bit much less particular than the S23 Extremely did.

The aforementioned Galaxy AI options are right here, in fact, however they’re nothing to jot down house about simply but, they usually’re accessible on the S23 sequence, too. The S24 Extremely’s beginning worth went up, too — now $1,299 moderately than $1,199. And the optical 10x zoom lens is gone, changed by a 5x zoom with extra megapixels and in-sensor cropping to get to 10x. It’s largely effective, however man, there was one thing cool a couple of true 10x zoom on a telephone.

All that mentioned, the S24 Extremely can’t be beat should you’re in search of the easiest Android telephone — value and measurement be damned. The 6.8-inch show now comes with anti-glare therapy that does a implausible job of chopping reflections and protecting the display snug to make use of outside. The telephone handles heavy processing duties and not using a downside, and the digital camera system is often good and infrequently good, particularly with 3x portrait mode pictures. And there’s an S Pen! Have you ever ever seen a fancier technique to make a to-do checklist?

Extremely devotees possible received’t have an issue stomaching the value hike this yr thanks in no small half to Samsung’s beneficiant trade-in offers. For everybody else, it’s finest to consider the S24 Extremely like every other expensive gadget — a good looking, splurge-worthy machine if nothing however the very best will make you content.

Learn my full Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely assessment.

Display: 6.1-inch, 1080p OLED, 120Hz / Processor: Tensor G3 Cameras: 64-megapixel f/1.89 with OIS; 13-megapixel ultrawide; 13-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,492mAh / Charging: 18W wired, 7.5W wi-fi / Climate-resistance score: IP67

It’s exhausting to beat the Pixel 8A on sheer ROI. For $500, you get an excellent funds telephone that comes with seven years of OS and safety updates; most telephones at this worth will solely see a handful of OS upgrades, if that. The 8A additionally comes with a great digital camera that covers the fundamentals. It’s not as fancy because the Pixel 9 or 9 Professional, but it surely received’t stop you from capturing that once-in-a-lifetime shot.

The Pixel 8A gives a variety of different stuff you wouldn’t essentially anticipate from a $500 telephone, like wi-fi charging and an IP67 score for resistance in opposition to full water immersion. In fact, you possibly can’t have all the pieces. The 8A’s again panel is matte plastic moderately than glass, sadly, and its 6.1-inch 1080p display isn’t the very best in its class (see the OnePlus 12R).

There are different telephones accessible for below $500 price contemplating, a lot of that are coated in our information to the very best cheap telephones. However should you’re in search of absolutely the most worth you will get from a $500 telephone, then look no additional than the 8A.

Learn my full assessment of the Google Pixel 8A.

Display: 6.3-inch, 2622 x 1206 OLED, 120Hz refresh fee / Processor: A18 Professional Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.8 with sensor-shift IS; 12-megapixel 5x telephoto with OIS; 48-megapixel ultrawide; 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: Not marketed / Charging: 27W wired, 25W MagSafe wi-fi, 15W Qi2, 7.5W Qi / Climate-resistance score: IP68

Like all 4 iPhone 16 fashions, the 16 Professional gained the brand new Digicam Management, but it surely received one other vital replace, too: a 5x telephoto lens. Within the 15 sequence, that longer telephoto lens was reserved for the larger Professional Max mannequin. This time round, it’s on the smaller Professional, too, making it an amazing possibility for somebody who desires to improve with out upsizing their telephone.

Just like the Professional Max, the iPhone 16 Professional makes use of an A18 Professional chipset designed to assist Apple Intelligence, which can begin rolling out within the fall of 2024. The primary replace will embrace issues like notification summaries and the brand new glowing-border Siri UI, which Apple centered its launch occasion on. However don’t anticipate something radical — at the least at first.

Outdoors of AI, the 16 Professional is a reasonably iterative replace. The brand new Digicam Management makes it simpler to launch the digital camera and get proper to taking pictures, and it additionally frees up the Motion Button should you had been utilizing it as a digital camera shortcut. The display is slightly greater at 6.3 inches in comparison with 6.1 inches, despite the fact that the telephone is mainly the identical measurement. You possibly can report 4K video at 120fps now. And the brand new Photographic Kinds, which can be found on all iPhone 16 fashions, allow you to take extra management over your pictures than ever.

There’s nothing right here that somebody with an iPhone 15 Professional ought to improve for, but it surely’s an all-around strong machine that can please Apple devotees, particularly those that want a telephone that isn’t too large.

Learn our full Apple iPhone 16 Professional assessment.

Display: 6.7-inch, 1080p, 120Hz OLED inside display; 3.4-inch, 720p, OLED cowl display / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 / Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.8 predominant with OIS; 12-megapixel ultrawide; 10-megapixel selfie (inside display) / Battery: 4,000mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wi-fi / Climate resistance: IP48

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 isn’t probably the most enjoyable flip telephone you should purchase proper now; that will be the 2024 Motorola Razr Plus. However enjoyable solely goes to date, and the Z Flip 6 is the extra dependable machine of the 2. Relating to the machine you utilize day in and day trip, reliability counts for lots.

Motorola’s tackle the fashionable flip telephone embraces nostalgia with cute animations and a mode that sends the entire machine again to the early 2000s. The Z Flip 6 lacks this type of appeal, however you do get an up to date cowl display UI that’s extra customizable than the Z Flip 5’s. The Flip 6 additionally comes with seven years of software program updates, which matches the very best software program insurance policies available on the market. The {hardware} will in all probability give out lengthy earlier than the software program, actually.

That’s the opposite facet of the flip telephone coin: long-term sturdiness is iffy. Positive, the Flip 6 is constructed to resist full water immersion, but it surely nonetheless doesn’t have any formal mud resistance. For that purpose, it isn’t a telephone I’d advocate to only anybody.

That mentioned, the Z Flip 6’s outer display does come in useful. You are able to do so much with the prebaked widget choices accessible to make use of, and should you’re just a bit adventurous, you possibly can run any app you need on the little display. Beginning a Strava exercise or sending a fast textual content is a cinch, which is a giant a part of the attraction of a flip telephone. Simply, you realize, preserve this telephone away from the seashore.

Learn my full assessment of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Display: 8.0-inch, 2076p, 120Hz OLED inside display; 6.3-inch, 1080p, 120Hz OLED cowl display / Processor: Tensor G4 / Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.7 predominant with OIS; 10.8-megapixel 5x telephoto with OIS; 10.5-megapixel ultrawide; 10-megapixel selfie (cowl display); 10-megapixel inside selfie digital camera / Battery: 4,650mAh / Charging: 21W wired, 7.5W wi-fi / Climate resistance: IPX8

It’s exhausting to convey simply how good the Pixel 9 Professional Fold is to make use of. It’s the primary book-style folding telephone that totally delivers on the promise of a foldable: it’s a pill while you want it and a daily telephone while you don’t.

Samsung’s Z Fold sequence feels slightly too slim and cramped in its closed configuration, and the unique Pixel Fold was too cumbersome and heavy to make use of comfortably. The 9 Professional Fold is lighter, and utilizing its 6.3-inch outer display feels mainly like utilizing a traditional telephone, which is a giant win.

That’s actually the theme of the Pixel 9 Professional Fold: it simply feels regular. However there are a few decidedly not-normal issues to think about: worth and sturdiness. The 9 Professional Fold prices $1,799 — mainly the going fee for a book-style foldable however nonetheless some huge cash for a telephone.

And long-term sturdiness is unclear, particularly on condition that that is solely Google’s second folding telephone. It’s rated to resist full water immersion, however as with all foldable, mud is a priority, so that you’ll need to take slightly additional care with this machine. All that mentioned, somebody with the abdomen (and pockets) for the 9 Professional Fold will discover it a really rewarding machine.

Learn my full Google Pixel 9 Professional Fold assessment.

Display: 6.7-inch, 1080p, 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 / Cameras: 50-megapixel F/1.9 predominant with OIS; 50-megapixel ultrawide; 32-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,700mAh / Charging: 45W wired, 15W wi-fi / Climate resistance: IP54

The Nothing Cellphone 2 isn’t for everybody, however for the proper of particular person, it’s an excellent various to the Galaxies and Pixels of the world. It’s a style-driven machine, from the dot-matrix-inspired UI to the flashing gentle strips on the again panel. Will its distinctive {hardware} and software program options assist you take again your consideration span as Nothing claims? Eh, in all probability not. Principally, it’s only a cool-looking gadget and a thoughtfully designed machine.

The Cellphone 2 is supplied with a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, which is a barely older however nonetheless very succesful processor. Its 6.7-inch, 1080p display helps a quick 120Hz high refresh fee, and its lowest 1Hz refresh fee permits it to supply an information-rich always-on show. The digital camera system is nice, although not fairly as constant because the Pixel 7’s. There’s wi-fi charging, quick 45W wired charging, and an all-day battery.

That’s the entire excellent news. The unhealthy information is that it’s solely rated IP54, that means it’s not totally dustproof, and it’s solely proof against splashes moderately than full immersion in water. Most different telephones at this worth supply a full IP68 score, and a few cheaper midrange telephones, just like the Pixel 8A, nonetheless embrace IP67 water resistance. The Cellphone 2 additionally lacks official assist for Verizon’s community, which guidelines it out for lots of people within the US.

There’s the Glyph Interface, too — these lights on the again of the telephone. It’s a neat thought with some fascinating purposes should you make investments slightly time in tweaking it. You possibly can flip it over to silence notifications while you want a while to focus and handpick sure “important” alerts to gentle up the Glyph. Personally, I discover it much less useful than a standard focus mode and even the Cellphone 2’s always-on show. However others would possibly discover it helpful, and if nothing else, it appears to be like neat.

The Cellphone 2 isn’t the only option for sheer worth — the Pixel 8A is a a lot better deal. It’s not the only option for somebody who simply desires a telephone to get them via their day with minimal problem. But it surely’s undeniably completely different, and should you’re in search of one thing outdoors of the atypical with a sure visible attraction, then it’s a worthy candidate.

Learn my full Nothing Cellphone 2 assessment.

• The Samsung Galaxy S24 is slightly fussier to make use of than our general choose for the very best Android telephone, but it surely’s nonetheless a strong performer and features a telephoto lens, which only a few of the “primary” flagships do. At this level, it’s additionally the smallest high-end telephone you should purchase within the US, if that’s your factor. (It’s my factor.)
• The 2024 Motorola Razr Plus is a pleasant flip telephone with tons of nostalgic vibes, with a giant cowl display that’s useful for accessing fast duties with out opening the telephone. However Motorola’s monitor report for well timed software program updates isn’t nice, making it exhausting to completely advocate the Razr Plus.

Replace, November seventh: Adjusted pricing.