It features a stylus that you can store inside the phone along with a built-in Notes app to help with productivity. This phone also offers a triple-rear camera, GB of internal storage and a robust 4,mAh battery. Read our Moto G Stylus 5G review. Discover the latest news and best reviews in smartphones and carriers from CNET's mobile experts. Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy , which we encourage you to read.
Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion. CNET editors pick the products and services we write about. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Andrew Hoyle , Lynn La. The all-around best phone Apple iPhone 13 Pro. Jump to details. Flagship phone with a great value Google Pixel 6 Pro. Best everyday phone Apple iPhone Best camera for its price Google Pixel 5A with 5G. Best small phone Apple iPhone 13 Mini. Best foldable phone Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3.
Best phone for creatives Sony Xperia Pro. The all-around best phone. Apple iPhone 13 Pro. Top-of-the-line Android smartphone. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. Flagship phone with a great value.
Google Pixel 6 Pro. Best everyday phone. Apple iPhone OnePlus 9. Google Pixel 6. Our tests have shown that it's capable of both Best Buys and Don't Buys, so check our Motorola mobile phone reviews to make sure your money's spent wisely.
If you're after a brand that provides value for money, look no further than Xiaomi. While it does produce high end phones, Xiaomi has a wide range of cheap yet feature-packed models that have seriously impressed. It is capable of producing a stinker though, so read our Xiaomi smartphone reviews before you buy. Google aims for quality over quantity - it has a limited range but the phones are popular with budding smartphone photographers, and those who appreciate timely operating system updates - Google does own Android, after all.
Browse our Google smartphone reviews to see if they tick the boxes elsewhere. OnePlus has really upped its game in recent years, and its flagships can now challenge those of Apple and Samsung. Prices have risen as well, though, so you might want to consider a range of cheaper OnePlus models. Head to our OnePlus smartphone reviews to check them out.
We've tested nearly mobile phones to bring you a definitive verdict on your next model — from old-hands Sony and Nokia to new kids on the block Oppo and Realme.
Browse all our mobile phone reviews to find the perfect model. When buying a mobile phone, make sure you're handing your money over to a reputable seller.
Check the retailer's returns policy and pay attention to customer feedback and reviews. For more details on shopping online safely and arranging refunds for faulty products, see our advice on shopping online.
Mobile Phones Direct, Argos and Carphone Warehouse are some of the most searched-for mobile phone retailers at the time of writing. Test score. Apple or Android? Cheap or premium? Find out how to choose right phone, get the best deal, and which brands are most reliable.
In this article Video: how to buy the best mobile phone How much do I need to spend for a good mobile phone?
What size of phone should I buy? Which mobile phones have the best battery life? Should I buy a phone on contract or Sim-free? Should I buy a second hand phone? View more links. Video: how to buy the best mobile phone. Should I buy a Huawei mobile phone? Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share by email. Latest News In Which? The S21 Ultra offers neither of these things, requiring extra spend for a stylus, and no way to dock the stylus inside the phone.
There's also a lot to like about the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G, and if you can manage the cost, it's undoubtedly one of the best Android experiences going right now. It features a brilliant design, a more than capable camera, and internal specs that mean it will outpace almost every phone on the market. The biggest reason for buying the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G, though, is of course that S Pen — scribble on the lock screen, control the camera remotely, unleash your creative side, and more.
If you need a phone with a stylus for serious work on the go, this phone has you covered. As we've said, the price is a little on the eye-watering side, but for something you're going to use every day for years to come, you might consider it worthwhile. The triple-lens rear camera with 5x optical zoom deserves a mention too, as it's capable of capturing some fantastic snaps in any kind of lighting.
OnePlus is becoming a major contender when it comes to flagship smartphones. The new OnePlus 9 easily rivals competitors with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, Hz refresh rate, a brand new Hasselblad triple camera system and very fast charging.
With lightning-fast speeds, a 6. It's seriously impressive and will mean the end of waiting around for your phone to charge. Having partnered with camera manufacturer Hasselblad to create it, the triple camera system shoots accurate, well-balanced photos with plenty of manual controls for those who want it.
When we had a go, the best shots were its up-close macro shots which had tons of intricate detail. Granted, there are still a few things to improve on, like the standard battery life and the camera was less impressive on a gloomy day.
But this is still an impressive handset that is a good match for other flagship smartphones available right now. Is it worth upgrading from the OnePlus 8? There's so much to like about the new iPhone 12 Pro that it's hard to know where to start: there's the blazingly fast A14 Bionic processor, the addition of 5G, the improved triple-lens camera system with added LiDAR, the redesigned shape of the phone, and plenty more besides.
That's before you get to the software side — iOS continues to go from strength to strength, and iOS 14 introduces new features like home screen widgets, pinned chats in Messages, and a new Translate app to take on Google Translate.
From both a hardware and a software perspective, it's an impressive package. This edition of the phone is more expensive than the standard iPhone 12, and the main difference is the camera: the Pro model adds a telephoto lens and built-in LiDAR for better depth sensing.
Both are great phones, but we think the Pro edition will be less popular because of the higher price. The colour choices are different too, with the iPhone 12 Pro available in blue, gold, graphite or silver. Whichever way you look at it, it's an easy inclusion for our best phones of list, and we're happy to recommend it — as long as you get along with Apple software and can accommodate the price. With a gorgeous 6. If that's something that you like to do, then this is a phone that's worth putting on your shortlist when you're choosing the best phone for you.
We can also tell you that the camera is very impressive too, whether you want to just point and shoot or take more control over the various on-board photography settings. The Sony Xperia 1 II will serve you well when it comes to taking photos and making movies, and again this is something that Sony handsets are well known for.
Add in a nice design, strong battery life, wireless charging, 5G and an IP68 rating, and you can tell that this is a phone with very few flaws. The aesthetics and the tall screen might not be to everyone's taste, and it's on the pricey side, but the Sony Xperia 1 II is worthy of the flagship label.
The latest Google flagship phone is more of a premium mid-ranger than an actual flagship — the Pixel 5 settles for a Snapdragon G chip rather than the faster Snapdragon processors, and it ditches some of the advanced features of the Pixel 4 including Face Unlock, which we very much liked. None of this really matters too much though, because it allows the Pixel 5 to hit a lower price point: and when you take the asking price into consideration, this is very much one of the best phones on the market at the moment.
It's especially attractive if you like the clean, stock version of Android. There are some neat features here, including a 90Hz refresh rate for the screen, IP68 waterproofing, and wireless charging. There are also some useful Pixel exclusives on the software side like the Recorder app that can turn spoken words into transcribed text in an instant.
As usual for the Pixel series, it's the camera that helps the Pixel 5 stand out from the pack. While the physical hardware of the rear camera hasn't changed all that much from last year, the on-board image processing continues to impress, and it's difficult to beat in terms of photo-taking.
The problems that Huawei has had with accessing Google apps and the Android Play Store have been well documented, but there's absolutely no doubting the quality of its hardware — the Mate 40 Pro is a stunning smartphone, finished with a premium glass and metal feel and running some of the fastest components around. The handset scores highly in two areas that are crucial to any smartphone buyer: the camera is excellent, and the battery life can get you almost two days between charges if you're careful.
No matter what the drawbacks on the software side, those advantages are worth taking note of. Admittedly this is a pricey phone, but sometimes you've got to invest to get the best, and the Huawei Mate 40 Pro is one of the handsets that's really impressed us this year. In terms of the feel of the phone in the hand and the performance it offers, it's hard to beat. Do make sure you're going to be able to run the apps you need to run on this phone before parting with your cash though — a lot of the top Android apps will have to be sideloaded, which means you need to be careful in terms of updates and security.
On the whole, we think the Mate 40 Pro is still worth it for some users. Looking for a one of the cheapest best phones on the market? Then check out the Google Pixel 4a 5G. The Google Pixel 4a 5G isn't the cheapest Pixel that Google has brought out recently, and nor is it the most powerful, but it just might be the best — combining elements of the Pixel 4a and the Pixel 5 in one well-priced package.
It has the same excellent camera as the Pixel 5, and the same Snapdragon G processor, and 5G like the Pixel 5, and an even bigger screen. Plus, like all the Pixels, it's running a clean and bloat-free version of Android that's guaranteed timely updates from Google. All that said, it makes a few compromises to hit a lower price point: no wireless charging, no waterproofing, and slightly less RAM than the more expensive Pixel. Does any of that matter?
It depends what you want from a smartphone. The combination of price, performance and features that the Pixel 4a 5G manages to pull together makes it just about our favourite Pixel phone of the year — more of this please Google.
It's also an easy choice for our best phones list. Want a premium large-screen Android phone from one of the world's best smartphone makers? Then check out the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus. The Samsung Galaxy S21 range has been a great success for the South Korean phone maker, and the reason why can be seen clearly in the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus, which sits between the standard S21 and flagship S21 Ultra in the range. In the simplest terms, the S21 Plus is an S21 but with a larger screen, and what a screen that is, with the 6.
It's a strong core package that delivers some impressive benchmark results and rapid real-world usage. This speed is also carried into its data connection, with a state-of-the-art 5G modem on board. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus will also appeal to photographers, as it comes with a triple rear camera system and powerful selfie camera. This camera hardware is backed up with Samsung's excellent camera software, too, which delivers a bounty of shooting modes and options, including Director's View, which shoots video from the front and rear cameras simultaneously.
Throw in the latest Android 11 operation system, an in-display fingerprint reader, and an fast charging and long lasting battery, and it's easy to see why the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus is one of the best phones on the market today.
The Xiaomi Mi 11 is the latest handset from Chinese phone maker Xiaomi, and it is interesting as, just a OnePlus did last year, the firm has continued to move away from its more budget background with this handset.
Just like last year's Mi 10 and then Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro , this handset retails for flagship-level money. In terms of specs and hardware, though, you are getting a flagship package.
The screen is a beast as well, not only measuring in at 6. The screen has an eye-popping peak brightness of 1, nits as well. The OS is also the very latest version Android, too, Android 11, and the phone has a very versatile camera system with superb macro shooting mode.
Overall, another strong mobile from Xiaomi, albeit it one that is rivalled for the price by various other manufacturers, including Samsung, Huawei and OnePlus. Every phone that OnePlus has launched over the last year has been a hit in our eyes, and the OnePlus 8T is in some ways a combination of everything that came before this year: a mix of the OnePlus 8, the OnePlus 8 Pro, and the OnePlus Nord.
It combines some excellent features with a very reasonable price in the mid-range section of the market. The headline features are perhaps the Hz refresh rate on the 6. You can juice up the phone from zero to full in the space of just half an hour or so, and that means you might not need to put your phone on charge overnight ever again.
There are plenty more specs to like as well, including the top-tier Snapdragon processor and plenty of RAM and storage. The camera isn't the best in the business, but it's certainly capable of taking some decent snaps, and that extends to low light and night time photography too. You do miss out on some flagship-level extras, like IP68 waterproofing and wireless charging, but everything considered including the price this is one of the best smartphones on the market in The Vivo X51 5G represents a new breed of premium mid-range phones that are currently taking the market by storm.
They offer plenty of flagship-grade features but do so while costing less as they tend to come with more mid-tier core hardware. Combined with a lightly skinned Android 10 operating system out of the box, and a price that rings in under the majority of flagship phones, and its easy to see how the Vivo X51 5G asks the question of if you need to spend more for, benchmark scores aside, small gains in terms of usage experience. Overall, one of the best phones on the market for offering a near-flagship experience but at a noticeably lower price point.
There's a huge amount to like when it comes to the Oppo Find X3 Pro , and the premium flagship phone comfortably earns a place in our list of the best phones available right now. It's polished, it's fast, it lasts a long time between battery charges, it has a fantastic screen, and the camera is great too — was there anything else you were looking for?
The quad-lens rear camera is worth a special mention actually, because as well as offering an ultrawide mode and 2x optical zoom, it also has a microscopic mode that lets you take super-close-ups of fabric, surfaces, and more. It's a lot of fun to use and it helps the Oppo Find X3 Pro stand out even more.
It's fair to say that the handset is on the expensive side, but you get plenty back in return for your money — including 5G connectivity, the top-tier Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm, IP68 protection against water and dust, and plenty more besides. Absolutely get this one on your shortlist.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is not the best phone for most people. Think of it less as a phone and more of a mobile film or photo studio. The 6. Check out our iPhone 12 Pro Max Review for examples. But if you primarily use your phone for photography or filming, this is the cream of the Apple crop.
Yes, both those phones offer some improvements in terms of specs over the standard S21, but in terms of core usage experience they are very similar. And, well, the S21 delivers everything you would want from a modern smartphone. You get a large Hz display, rapid 5G connectivity, a feature-packed camera system, and a strong all-round internal hardware spec.
You also get the very latest version of Android as an OS, too. The battery isn't the most capacious on this phone, that is true, and you also don't get a charger in its box also, which is an added expense unless you're already outfitted with a USB Type-C wired charger or one the best wireless chargers , but aside from that there really isn't much to dislike at all. Choosing the right phone is no easy task, as there are so many on the market and, truth be told, many of them are very similar.
There are some core questions you should ask yourself before pulling the trigger on a smartphone upgrade, though. Firstly, you need to establish if you're going to buy the phone SIM free as in buy the phone outright upfront or on contract. Both these options have their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, buying a phone outright, and especially if it is a premium handset, can cost a lot of money, so you need to be able to swallow that. Once the phone is bought, though, then it is yours and you can go about getting one of the best SIM only deals , which offer better allowances for less money.
On contract purchases are great in the sense that they often put the phone in your hand for comparatively very little money or even for nothing, but then you need to pay for the phone over the period of your contract, which is tied to a network SIM plan that, most of the time, doesn't offer as good allowances or value as a SIM only one.
Next up you should ask yourself what you budget is, and what you're primarily going to be using the phone for. If you're a gamer then you're going to need to ensure you have a phone with good gaming functionality, while if you're a creative then you could benefit from a phone with digital stylus support.
0コメント