Bold### Our favorite phones of 2023
This is the best smartphone you can buy right now.
The iPhone 14 Pro brings a new front design, upgraded cameras, and a new all-powerful Apple silicon for the most premium iPhone yet.
** Pros**
- The most powerful iPhone right now (along with the bigger Max model)
- Buttery smooth UI and performance
- The phone is surrounded by the best selection of accessories and has the best app selection
Cons
- Main camera blows out highlights
- Boxy design not comfortable to hold without a case
- Relatively mediocre zoom lens compared to Android rivals
Picking the iPhone 14 Pro in this spot was a very tough decision because there are a lot of worthy challengers. I'd rather use an Android flagship for its superior cameras, or if I have to go iPhone, I'd choose the bigger iPhone 14 Pro Max for the epic battery life. But this list is written for the public, the so-called "average consumer," and for most people, the iPhone 14 Pro is the best combination of performance, value, and availability.
Apple improved on the Pro iPhones more so than in previous years, with a new screen cutout design that switches to a pill-shaped cutout instead of a notch. The cutout also gets a new UI, named "dynamic island," which gives off the illusion that the cutout can shift in shape and size depending on the UI action. The main camera got an upgrade to a 48MP camera that uses pixel binning to bring in more light and details, but the camera still tends to overexpose bright lights. The image sensor has also increased in size for the main and ultra-wide cameras, so the cameras did improve. Video stabilization continues to be best in class.
There's also the new Apple A16 Bionic, which is by far the most powerful silicon in mobile, and it is very energy efficient. I already said the iPhone 14 Pro Max has epic battery life, but the iPhone 14 Pro is no slouch either, able to finish a full 12- to 13-hour day of heavy use with some juice to spare. All these things come together to make the iPhone 14 Pro one of the most polished and best overall phones you can buy. Of course, if you're an Android fan, we'd recommend you take a look at the other options below.
OnePlus reclaimed its affordable flagship title this year
$550 $700 Save $150
The OnePlus 11 is the company's return to form, offering an almost-flagship experience at a lower price point than what Samsung charges.
Pros
- Excellent performance-to-price ratio in flagship category
- Excellent cameras that can hang with the $1,000 Galaxy S23 Pus
- Fast charging, with charger included
Cons
- No official IP rating
- The Pixel 7 Pro with better cameras is only slightly pricier
- Not available at US carriers
This category is for people who follow the smartphone market closely and want a phone with the best combination of specs, features, and value. And yes, some will take issue with us calling a $699 phone "affordable," but the OnePlus 11, for the most part, looks, feels, and behaves like a $1,000 phone. The OnePlus 11 offers a 120Hz display, triple-lens camera system, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It might not be typically affordable, but it's affordable for what you get.
The OnePlus 11 brings back the premium design of the OnePlus 10 Pro, with a camera module crafted out of stainless steel that blends seamlessly into the aluminum railings. Its 120Hz LTPO 3.0 OLED screen is gorgeous and energy efficient, the software zips around as fast as ever, and the triple camera system is surprisingly good, with accurate colors and a fast shutter. The 50MP main camera, in particular, holds up very well against the top dogs and often handles exposure better than even the newest iPhone. The 2x zoom lens doesn't quite reach the lengths of other phones, but it's got a relatively large 1/1.56-inch sensor for a zoom lens, which results in strong bokeh for portraits and better light intake ability.
Next best option if you don't want to spend $1,000
$499 $599 Save $100
The Google Pixel 7 is a refinement of the already excellent Pixel 6, making for a very polished phone with a great camera.
Pros
- Main camera is in contention for best main camera
- Pixel UI is fluid and full of whimsical features
- Comfortable in-hand feel
Cons
- No zoom lens
- Just 90Hz display
- Mediocre battery life
First things first, we mean no insult calling the Pixel 7 an "almost flagship," but with a 90Hz display and no dedicated zoom camera, it's tough to call this a flat-out flagship phone. What it is, is a darn good deal, a phone that's almost a flagship in the most important areas but costs way less. In fact, the Pixel 7 has dropped to a low of $449 in recent months, making this perhaps the best price-to-performance ratio of any phone right now.
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
Getting close to the premium flagship territory $375 $450 Save $75
The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G is a great mid-range phone. It offers a sleek design, a beautiful 120Hz display, plenty of power under the hood, and a triple camera setup on the back.
Pros
- Excellent screen for a mid-range device
- Solid main camera
- Glass back this year instead of plastic
Cons
- Mediocre ultra-wide camera
- The Pixel 7 is similar price, with a better camera and SoC
- Useless macro sensor
Samsung's Galaxy A54 is a big improvement over the company's previous mid-range A-series offerings. Instead of a plastic body, you get actual Gorilla Glass on the front and back side, though the frame is still plastic. For $450, you get a gorgeous 120Hz OLED display with a capable 50MP, f/1.8 main camera. The ultra-wide camera is solid too, but the third lens is a mostly pointless macro sensor.
OnePlus Nord N20 5G
Budget phones never looked this good.
The OnePlus Nord N20 5G is a good successor to the Nord N10 that looks great both on paper and in real life.
Pros
- Affordable price
- Clean design
Cons
- Mediocre cameras
- Weak haptics
The OnePlus Nord N20 at $249 is a good option for those who can't pay more than $300. For a quarter of the price of an iPhone 13 Pro Max or Galaxy S22 Ultra, you're getting a 5G-ready handset, a solid main camera, and a pretty design.
