Which is the top rated smartphone

The flagship model in the Galaxy S21 line includes a 6. Apple has released four different variations of the iPhone 12, more than it ever has at one time. Despite all of those choices, the traditional, regular model is still a good pick. The 12 has the same overall design, the same processor, the same wireless charging, the same Face ID system, the same 5G support, the same front camera, and the same main and wide-angle rear cameras as the pricier 12 Pro but for hundreds of dollars less.

On top of all that, it comes in five colors, one more than you can choose from in the Pro models. Compared to the iPhone 12 mini, the iPhone 12 has a noticeably roomier display and a bigger battery — two things that are important to many people. Battery life is also very good; you can reliably expect this phone to last all day without needing to charge up before bed. It also has a sleeker, more modern design than the previous iPhone 11 or iPhone XR, which feel frumpy in comparison.

In all, the iPhone 12 is an easy choice for most people: it offers top-level performance, design, and camera features, while providing reliable battery life for less money than other options on the market. If neither size nor price is a concern, the best Android phone you can buy right now is the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

With a big 6. In some cases, its cameras can even best the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The Galaxy S21 Ultra comes with the latest and best specs you can get on Android. It has the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, which is the fastest you can get on Android.

The screen has a high refresh rate, which makes scrolling much smoother. It also has a huge battery that will last two days without much effort. Samsung updated the design of the S21 Ultra, with a metal rail that curves naturally into the camera bump on the back.

It is the best-looking big phone you can get right now. That camera bump houses four cameras: a regular wide-angle with a megapixel sensor, an ultrawide, and two different telephoto lenses.

This makes it an incredibly versatile camera system that also has a ton of advanced video features like Pro modes and 8K recording.

Read our Sony Xperia Pro review. If you're looking for a good budget phone that comes with a basic stylus and support for 5G, then the Moto G Stylus 5 is a great pick. 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. Samsung includes a 25W fast wired charger in the box and offers compatibility with 15W fast wireless charging, but it has backed off of supporting 45W wired charging for some reason.

Camera: The Note 20 Ultra has one of the best cameras on an Android phone, and that's in part because of its 5x optical zoom and 50x digital zoom. It makes 2x optical zooms from the iPhone seem like minor cropping at the edges of 1x photos. With 5x optical and, in good light, 10x digital, Samsung punches in with a dramatic zoom and usable photos on Instagram 50x zoom is mostly a party trick.

We also found this phone to have the best ultrawide camera, and the regular 12MP camera is sharp. You don't need the MP camera and should watch out for skin softening in low-light.

The iPhone SE is the sequel to the one-hand-friendly iPhone from , and it takes the power and specs we loved from the iPhone 11 series and crams them into the design of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8.

Why it's ranked 8th: This isn't Apple's most powerful iPhone, but it's the best value for people who want to stick with iOS 15 without paying through the nose. Its screen technology won't wow you like an iPhone 13 Pro, and there's just one camera on the back, but the relatively low price means this is hard to beat if you're on a budget and don't want to switch to Android.

Screen: This new iPhone SE has a 4. That's become important for people who have been demanding a smaller phone. This is the one to get, even if the resolution and bezel won't wow anyone. Battery life: As long as you aren't a power user who would likely opt for the iPhone 11 series anyway , then you'll be OK with what Apple offers in terms of battery life.

It's not going to last you any longer than a day, though, with generally the same amount of power as we saw on the iPhone 8, which had a 1,mAh battery capacity.

Camera: For the money, the iPhone SE takes perfectly fine photos in good light. You won't notice much of a difference outside of it occasionally failing to nail perfect exposure levels and depth of field outdoors during the daytime. Dim the lights, however, and you'll notice one glaring omission: the night mode that's on the more powerful iPhones. That requires an upgrade to at least the iPhone The Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition is 's version of the Samsung S10 Lite and the S10e before it — the best of the flagship specs with a few trimmed features to save costs.

Why it's ranked 9th: The S20 Fan Edition is a good combination of specs and cameras, making it a good value for and Android phone with a signature Samsung polish that puts it ahead of most phones at the same price tier. It retains an in-screen fingerprint sensor, leaving the phone's back unblemished. We found it lasted a day or more, though we still haven't hit the two-day battery life threshold yet. Camera: The cameras are another area of trimmed capability: while the 12MP main shooter is fine, but not quite the high-megapixel of the S20 and especially the MP S20 Ultra.

The other cameras are perfectly suitable, including the 12MP ultra-wide lens, an 8MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a hefty 32MP selfie shooter in a punch-hole. Why it's ranked 10th: The OnePlus 9 is a phone that almost has it all. From its great screen to its high-end chipset, capable cameras, long-lasting battery, and good software. Much like the phones before it, this isn't the absolute best choice but it's very good for the price. Plus, there's wireless charging in here too if you wanted to opt for a charging pad instead.

Camera: This is the big upgrade for the OnePlus 9, and while it doesn't reach the heights of the OnePlus 9 Pro is makes some fantastic true-to-life imagery that you won't be embarrassed to share with your friends. The iPhone 12 Pro takes everything great about the iPhone 12 and elevates it. Then there's the iPhone 12 Pro Max that offers better battery life and a slightly more powerful camera as well as a huge screen.

The extra for the iPhone 12 Pro may not be worth the notable price hike, but this phone pairing was undeniably the best Apple had released until the iPhone 13 range arrived. While the same amount of money could buy you a Samsung phone with a bigger screen and more storage at the base level, most iOS users don't want to deal with Android. Instead, they can look forward to a few key upgrades over the iPhone 11 Pro , like 5G and MagSafe for clipping on accessories as well as wireless chargers easily and securely.

Screen: Apple's 6. Yes, the notch cut out at the top is still here, but we find it to be easy to ignore after a while, even as other phones do just fine with punch-holes in displays.

Battery life: This is some of the best battery life we've ever experienced on an iPhone, with further optimizations within iOS and a larger cell inside the phone itself. It's still not game-changing, but it's better than other Apple handsets and the iPhone 12 Pro Max is particularly notable. Camera: The triple camera setup on the iPhone 12 Pro is fantastic. While the three rear cameras aren't too different than the ones in the iPhone 11 Pro, save for the added LiDAR sensor that supposedly enables portrait mode-style shots even in Night Mode.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the one to go for though if you want the very best camera on an Apple device. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus was previously the best phone you can buy today, while the smaller and slightly less capable Galaxy S20 is so similar that we've lumped the two together. Why they're ranked 12th: Previously the best smartphones money can buy, the Samsung Galaxy S21 series has knocked the Galaxy S20 range from its top spot but these are still fantastic choices for your next handset.

Plus, if you're looking to buy one soon you may find it's cheaper than it was before the Galaxy S21 appeared. The notches are both centralized like the Note 10, but they're much smaller this time around, and the S20 Plus only has a single lens. The result: more screen. That is, to put it lightly, a lot, and frequently got us through over a day without recharging.

Keep in mind that battery life estimate will dip down if you set the refresh rate at Hz, use a ton of 5G connectivity or lend juice with Wireless PowerShare, so adapt accordingly if you're looking to keep your phone going longer.

Camera: The S20 and S20 Plus have truly spectacular cameras. No, not their 12MP main shooters, which are fine — it's the 64MP telephoto that really shines with a 3x optical zoom up from the usual 2x zoom. The camera can also crop zoom to a muddy 30x digital zoom — which means the interim intervals are still a good deal more impressive than the competition.

The 12MP ultra-wide performs adequately, while the 10MP front-facing camera works great with fun filters. Another first-time bonus: 8K 24fps video from the rear camera. Still, with its impressive Hz refresh rate and 6,mAh battery it could appeal to plenty of non-gamers too.

Screen: You get a 6. This phone has a bright, vibrant 6. The A15 Bionic SoC provides more than enough power for gaming and heavy apps. The cameras are versatile and deliver great quality for stills as well as video, plus you get the same Cinematic Mode and Photographic Styles features as on the more expensive iPhone 13 Pro. Battery life is good, but not great.

The iPhone 13 mini is equivalent in terms of features and performance. It also has a matte-finished metal frame along the sides. Games ran smoothly without any hiccups and the phone did not get hot during gameplay. Camera hardware and performance have taken a noticeable leap.

OIS is offered on all four rear cameras and they ensure not just good quality photos but also great-looking video. One glance at the iQoo 7 Legend and it makes quite an impression.

The unique colour combination inspired by BMW's racecars not only looks good, but also feels premium with a well-polished metal frame and a matte glass back. Gaming is handled well with excellent heat management.

No matter which camera you choose, the image quality is quite good. This includes the wide-angle camera, which doubles up as the macro camera and shoots close-ups with excellent detail. Surprisingly, it's the ultra-wide angle camera that underperforms in low-light shooting conditions. With a relatively small 4,mAh battery, the iQoo 7 Legend never lasted beyond a day, but with a 66W charging adapter in the box, charging speed was jaw-dropping, going from per cent in just 31 minutes.

The Mi 11X Pro sports a big 6. The design looks flashy and has a big camera module at the back which protrudes quite a bit. It does have preinstalled apps that occasionally push spammy notifications.

These cameras offer good performance in moist lighting scenarios for the price. If you are looking for a good allrounder with flagship performance, the Mi 11X Pro will appeal to you.

Priced starting from Rs 37,, the Realme GT lacks features like an IP rating and wireless charging but still turned out to be a good all-rounder. With its top variant available only in a Racing Yellow vegan leather finish, it is aimed at the youth who want a no-frills performance-oriented smartphone.

The cameras also perform quite well for still photos and video recording. OnePlus hasn't gone too crazy with the design of the OnePlus 9 Pro. It uses a 6. It's powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC, and is available in two varaints. I was happy with the accuracy of the in-display fingerprint sensor, and I also like the fact that the edges of the display are slightly less curved compared to the OnePlus 8 Pro, which helps in preventing accidental touches.

What's new is faster wireless charging. OnePlus has introduced its Warp Charge 50 wireless charger, which as the name suggests, can now wirelessly charge the 9 Pro at up to 50W.

The OnePlus 9 Pro does have brand new rear sensors, which are said to be custom-developed with Sony. You can now shoot 8K 30fps stabilised videos or up to 4K fps. Oddly, there's no p fps option. The design of the Mi 11 Ultra is stunning. It has an aluminium frame, a curved display with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, and a ceramic back. However, all these premium materials contribute to the g weight.

The back has a 1. The main display on the Mi 11 Ultra is easily one of the best out there. HDR videos look good when played locally or even on YouTube. Heavy titles such as Call of Duty: Mobile and Asphalt 9: Legends ran smoothly without skipping a beat.

Actual battery life was more than satisfactory during the review period. The areas in which this phone does excel include its excellent build quality, the vivid high-refresh-rate display, all-day battery life, and the very good set of cameras. The relatively spam-free MIUI experience is also refreshing. The OnePlus 9 still feels solidly built and the plastic frame does look like metal, even though it's not. The alert slider and buttons have good tactile feedback, similar to the ones on the 9 Pro.

The OnePlus 9 has a similar 6. Software is taken care of by OxygenOS 11, which is based on Android Performance has been very solid right from the get go thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdraogn The display is excellent — colours are vibrant, brightness is very good, and viewing angles are more than satisfactory. The OnePlus 9 delivers very good battery life; a bit better than the 9 Pro in fact, in my opinion.

The cameras on the OnePlus 9 are a big upgrade compared to its predecessor's mainly due to better sensors. The selfie camera is the same one used for the OnePlus 9 Pro, and it's decent but not great. The display looks very nice too. It's a 6. Performance was blazing quick too. Even with all its bells and whistles, FunTouch OS ran smoothly and was easy to master.

This is a great alternative to the Mi 11 Ultra and the OnePlus 9 Pro, especially if you'll be creating a lot of videos. There's a new-generation megapixel primary camera,megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera and two telephoto cameras. Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has a mighty impressive set of rear cameras, and all of them have important roles to play, unlike phones with dedicated depth or macro cameras.

The selfie camera is also equally competent here. The 6. The 5,mAh battery capacity is the same as what the Galaxy S20 Ultra had, and easily lasts for more than a full day of heavy to medium usage. The new design makes the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G look way better than previous models. Samsung's new contour-cut design for the camera module is unique, and manages to mask the camera bulge pretty well.

The Oppo Reno 5 Pro 5G is also very slim and light, measuring 7. Build quality is also very good, despite this phone having a plastic frame, and the rear cameras barely protrude at all.

It has an integrated 5G modem and supports wireless connectivity such as Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5. I found the display to be excellent. Brightness was more than adequate, and even under sunlight, content was very legible. In the real world, the Reno 5 Pro 5G is able to handle demanding apps and games with relative ease. The Oppo Reno 5 Pro 5G is a good package overall for the price. It has a premium design, a vivid display, long battery life, very fast charging, and fairly competent cameras.

Video quality could be improved though, especially in low light, and I would like to see stabilisation at 4K. It wouldn't have hurt to have stereo speakers either.

Its design has been slightly improved and it offers better grip, but is still made of plastic. There is a 6. The Z5 finally gets stereo speakers, which worked well both while watching movies or playing games. Camera performance is decent in daylight but not great in low light. This does not make the Z5 look good, since it has to compete with mid-range smartphones that offer better photo quality as well as performance.

Battery life is excellent, though you do lose out a bit in terms of charging speed. The Z5 certainly does not feel like a solid step up over its predecessor.

It does offer minor improvements, but not enough to make it easy to recommend given that competition offers much better at only slightly higher prices. The Infinix Hot 11S is a gamer-focussed smartphone for those on a tight budget. While the plastic body looks elegant, it has a glossy coating which feels cheap and is a smudge magnet.

The display on the other hand is quite good at resisting fingerprints. The large display makes this phone a bit unwieldy, and one-handed use is impossible. The large display is accompanied by stereo speakers. They work well for gaming and are sufficiently loud. Streaming movies was limited to SD resolution thanks to the limited Widevine L3 certification.

Battery life is excellent, and charging is quick too, which makes this smartphone good for casual users and those seeking a gaming experience on a tight budget. The Redmi 10 Prime carries the family look and sports a big 6. The phone packs in a 6,mAh battery and is capable of 18W fast charging. It runs MIUI The Redmi 10 Prime packs in a quad-camera setup consisting of a megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor.

Daylight camera performance was average but lowlight camera performance was below average. The Redmi 10 Prime offers better performance than its predecessor but does not offer the same value.

The Realme 8s 5G looks nearly identical to the Realme 8 5G. It has a 6. The Realme 8s 5G has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The Realme 8s 5G has a triple camera module which protrudes enough to cause the device to rock when kept on a table.

Both variants have GB of storage which is expandable using the dedicated microSD card slot. You get a 5,mAh battery and a 33W charger in the box. Battery life on the Realme 8s 5G was good, and it can last beyond a day quite easily. Charging the 5,mAh battery with the supplied 33W Dart Charger got the phone to 94 percent in an hour.

It managed good photos in daylight but the lack of an ultra-wide angle camera makes it less versatile than some of the competition. Lowlight camera performance was average though Night mode helped improve the output. The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion sports a 6. It has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner,a dedicated Google Assistant button and is IP52 rated.

You get a triple camera module at the back which protrudes significantly. Both variants get GB of storage. The UI feels like stock Android and is further customisable. The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion sports a triple camera setup consisting of a megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor.

For selfies, this phone has a megapixel front camera. Camera performance on the Moto Edge 20 Fusion was good for daylight and closeups. Lowlight camera performance appeared smoothened. The Edge 20 Fusion offer clean Stock Android and will appeal to purists on a budget. The Samsung Galaxy A52s is a quality mid-range smartphone with a premium price tag. This makes it a hard sell, both to a premium smartphone buyer and someone who is looking for a solid mid-range smartphone.

The Galaxy A52s is positioned higher than the Galaxy A52 because it has a faster display, a new and updated processor with better overall performance, and 5G. While its design is identical to that of the Galaxy A52, it retains the IP67 rating which appears to be the only standout feature against its competitors. The upgraded Hz display keeps up with the competition and offers deep blacks, while its stereo speakers deliver loud and clear sound. Camera performance is quite good in daylight, but low-light photos and videos leave a lot to be desired.

Battery life is quite good and charging speed is average, even though some competing smartphones priced much lower do better. Camera performance is quite good in daylight but is only saved by the Night mode in low light. Battery life is quite good for a slim mid-range smartphone and charging is quite fast, going from zero to percent in about 35 minutes. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is priced way lower than the Galaxy Z Fold 3, but it's still an expensive phone and sits in proper flagship territory.

The big design change is the new dual-tone look and the larger outer display or cover screen. The main 6.