Summary
Highlights
The Glow Award for the most improved phone of 2025 goes to the iPhone 17. While the Samsung Galaxy ZFold 7 made significant strides in slimness and lightness, the base iPhone 17 saw massive improvements in its screen, making it one of the strongest in its price segment, and doubled its base storage without a price increase. This makes upgrading to the iPhone 17 particularly compelling.
The Outside the Box award for a phone with a unique and genuinely beneficial trait goes to Samsung's Galaxy Z Trifold. While other unique phones like ultra-thin models or those with e-ink displays have drawbacks, the Z Trifold offers an enormous, widescreen 10-inch display that makes the sacrifices of carrying a foldable worthwhile.
The Unkillable Battery Award goes to the Oppo Find X9 Pro. While the iPhone 17 Pro Max offers spectacular battery life, phones like the Vivo X300 Pro face EU regulatory caps on battery size. The Oppo Find X9 Pro, utilizing a dual-cell design to bypass these limitations, achieves a massive 7,500 mAh capacity and a significantly upgraded camera, making it the top choice for battery endurance, despite slightly slower charging than some rivals.
The Filmmaker's Choice Award, considering both camera quality and overall experience (battery, screen, app), goes to the Vivo X300 Pro. Traditional flagships like iPhone and Samsung are hesitant to adopt larger camera sensors due to design compromises. The Vivo X300 Pro, however, boasts advanced camera hardware, an incredibly bright outdoor display, and optimized software, making it exceptional for photography enthusiasts, including a 200-megapixel telephoto lens.
For dedicated gamers, the Pocket Console Award goes to the Red Magic 11 Pro. While the iPhone 17 Pro Max is excellent for most, the Red Magic 11 Pro pushes boundaries with the latest chip, ample RAM, a vapor chamber, and introduces active liquid cooling, rivaling high-end PC cooling systems. This allows for sustained top-tier gaming performance at a reasonable price, though camera quality is a trade-off.
The Grandmar's Choice Award for the most hassle-free device for less tech-savvy users is the Google Pixel 9a. While specialized phones like Chatsy or Samsung's mid-ranges offer specific features, the Pixel 9a provides beautifully simple Google software, with helpful tutorials, no bloatware, and an effective 'simple view.' Its camera consistently produces good photos and offers excellent post-capture editing tools, making it easy to use.
The One-Handed Hero Award for the best compact phone without significant compromises goes to the Xiaomi 17 Pro. Unlike smaller versions of Samsung and iPhone flagships that often sacrifice features or battery, the Xiaomi 17 Pro retains all bells and whistles from its larger variant, including a secondary screen, a powerful Snapdragon chip, and extraordinary battery life in a compact form factor. For flip phones, the Samsung Z Flip is slightly preferred over the Motorola Razer 60 Ultra.
The Why Does This Exist Award for the most disappointing or confusing launch is jointly given to the Samsung S25 Edge and Apple's iPhone Air. While feats of engineering, their ultra-thin design leads to significant battery degradation and compromised camera performance, which users will notice long-term. The Nothing Phone 3 was also a runner-up for being a slightly disappointing and overpriced iterative update.
For the best smartphone under $300, the Bargain Hunter Award is shared. The Poco X7 Pro offers an impressive spec-to-price ratio with a great 50MP camera, a 3,200 nits bright screen, and a 6,000 mAh battery. However, for a better overall user experience and polish, the CMF Phone 2 Pro by Nothing, priced at $250, offers optimized software, minimal bloatware, surprisingly good dual 50MP cameras, and modular capabilities, providing excellent value.
The Overachiever Award, for a mid-range phone that exceeds expectations and rivals flagships, goes to the Poco F8 Ultra. While the Realme GT8 Pro is stacked with features, the Poco F8 Ultra offers a similar level of performance at a more affordable $679. It stands out with a smart, unique, and grippy denim finish and incredible speakers, featuring a built-in subwoofer that elevates the audio experience beyond even premium phones like the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The Overall Smartphone of the Year, for those seeking the very best flagship experience, is the Oppo Find X9 Pro. While contenders like the Samsung S25 Ultra, iPhone 17 Pro Max, Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, and Vivo X300 Pro all have strong merits, the Oppo Find X9 Pro combines strong battery life with an exceptional camera, a balanced feature set, and high polish, making it the closest to a flawless phone, despite potential regional availability issues.