There are stacks of phone options to choose from in 2023, so where do you even begin? Let our expert best smartphones guide show you the way to your ideal mobile phone handset, whether you're an Apple (opens in new tab) or Android (opens in new tab) fan.
Below, we've rounded up the best smartphones for 2023, including models from Apple, Samsung, OnePlus and many more. If you're looking for something more affordable then check out our best cheap phones guide instead.
10 Most Elegant Smartphones
The best phone for most people is the Google Pixel 7 Pro. Great features but at a cut of the price, plus a distinctive design and accomplished cameras, Google's 2022 flagship is a super handset without a massive price tag.
Above all else, however, it's the design that's distinctive and a real breath of fresh air. Sure, the aluminium finish does scuff too easily and should be hardier, but given the overall price of this device it undercuts the super-priced flagships and that will make it an ideal phone for most people (who aren't looking for iPhone anyway).
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.
Our forth stage of testing is dedicated purely to the phone's camera system, as truth be told they are one of the most important parts of a phone today and a primary reason why people choose one model over another. This stage involved taking photographs with the phone and testing out each of its main shooting modes, as well as analysing what video capabilities are on offer, too.
The modern smartphone is a far cry from its mobile ancestors. Although these gadgets have become an essential part of modern living, some smartphones are built with that added touch of luxury and class. Intended for high end consumers, these 9 smartphones are not just loaded with the latest mobile tech, they also got that bling bling no other smartphone can match. Here are 9 smartphones built for the rich and the elite.
Porsche and Blackberry teamed up to give birth to this elegant and lavish device, the P9982. Fusing stainless steel with classic black Italian leather gives this phone a modern edge. However, if you prefer something exotic, a crocodile leather option is also available. The phone is also built with high end Blackberry features such as BBM Video with Screen Share, BlackBerry Priority Hub and BlackBerry Keyboard.
This may seem an odd choice, but after two previous generations of Communicator (running GeOS and Series 80 on Symbian respectively), we at last had one which looked sleeked and stylish, with flowing lines all round. Yes, the 9500 is still a brick by most people's definition, but the superb contoured keyboard inside tips this device inside my top 10. [Original long term review from 2005]
Yes, another device in this top 10 that's actually almost unusable in the real world - but which still stands as a piece of Symbian art, at least. The N93i was a complete no-go as a smartphone - it tried to take the classic N93 design and slim it down, adding a load of mirror-finish style, and it succeeded. But for some reason the product manager decided to stick in the same display tech as the N76 above, meaning that when you wanted to photograph something out in the sunshine you couldn't actually see the screen, rather foiling the point. But the mirrored front with embedded time and status display and the steel-effect keypad with lovely rubber dividers both swing my vote. Ultimately, the N93i also failed because the N95 arrived, rather stealing its camera phone thunder. But a beautiful device for its time - as long as you didn't try and use it when the sun was out. [Original review from 2007]
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is one of the distinct-looking smartphones you can buy. The compact form factor, clamshell design, foldable screen and a wide range of punch and vibrant colour options are enough to put it on the list of the top most good-looking phones.
The Oppo Reno 8 Pro is one of the most gorgeous phones on the market. The unibody glass design covers the entire back, moulded to cover the camera bump. And that camera module on the back with the huge cutouts for the sensor and flash is a homage to vintage cinema cameras.
Almost every smartphone brand has adopted the same rectangular or squared housing for the rear camera setup. However, the OnePlus 10T set itself apart with a new rear design language for the camera module giving it a distinctive and fresh look.
Motorola Edge 30 Fusion is one of the sleekest-looking smartphones on the market. Its curved front and back panels paired with a thin metallic rim make the phone look slimmer and more compact than it actually is. Also, the colour options -- Solar Gold and Cosmic Grey -- on offer look appealing, especially in Solar Gold colour.
The entry-level Samsung Galaxy S23 is once again the best option for most buyers. Available in several colors, it has an elegant design, a powerful chip, a capable camera setup, and a beautiful AMOLED display. The product also has an agreeable price, despite its cutting-edge specs.
The Galaxy Z Flip4 is a follow-up to the most popular foldable phone in the business and, again, a more futuristic alternative to today's best smartphones. Compared to the Galaxy Z Flip3, the new iteration has a more refined design, a beefier chip, a better camera, and a bigger battery. Once again, the Flip4 starts below $1,000 despite its cutting-edge shape and hardware.
Like its predecessors, the Galaxy Z Fold4 is Samsung's most avant-garde, most expensive smartphone. It can transform from a phone to a tablet, so it's as attention-commanding as a Galaxy can be.Samsung has equipped the Galaxy Z Fold4 with Qualcomm's most powerful chipset, plenty of memory, and an excellent triple camera. The latter has the same primary image sensor and zoom capabilities as the Galaxy S22's snapper, meaning that you no longer have to compromise on camera performance to have the most design-forward Galaxy. Its selfie camera setup includes one snapper hidden underneath the foldable display.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today unveiled the Galaxy Note10, a new line of premium smartphones that combines elegant design with powerful performance and productivity tools to help you make the most of every moment. Inspired by a generation that flows seamlessly between work and life, the Galaxy Note10 gives people the freedom to work the way they want and showcase their creative spirit, all on the go. For years, the Galaxy Note series has helped millions of loyal fans around the world pursue their passions and achieve their goals, and with the Galaxy Note10, Samsung is helping them do more of what they love.
Note fans put a premium on productivity, and they see their phone as essential to helping them do and achieve more. For these users, the Galaxy Note10 features new technologies, enhanced capabilities and powerful integrations all in service of giving them the freedom to work in the way that makes them the most productive.
As smartphone displays grow larger, it is nice to still have an extremely pocketable smartphone with the iPhone 5s. While Android gets most of the newest apps and services, iOS still has an advantage here as most companies release iOS apps first and that is why I need one in my collection.
LG's Nexus 5 was leaked well in advance of its release and it sold out quickly as soon as it appeared on Halloween. LG did a great job with the Nexus 5 and it is one of the best Android smartphones available today.
Google has released a couple of software updates for the camera to improve its performance and it likely will continue to get updated and improved over time. I personally prefer the Moto X customizations and design, but the Nexus 5 is the next on my list of Android smartphones. It is available at a great price too.
I am still a fan of Windows Phone and it seems almost daily apps that I find essential, such as USAA bank, appear in the Windows Phone Store. While the Nokia Lumia 1520 is the newest high-end device, AT&T messed it up and it is just too large to be comfortable as a daily device so the Nokia Lumia 1020 remains my top Windows Phone device.
All that may sound similar to most new smartphones these days, but you won't find a phone where it all comes together as nicely as on the Vivo Nex 3. Samsung's Note 10+ has a similar display, but the punch-hole camera sours the experience. On the Huawei's P30 Pro and Mate 30 Pro, it's the notch that's in the way. And there are a bunch of smartphones with uninterrupted displays, but none of them are nearly as good as the Vivo Nex 3's AMOLED (which, by the way, has been manufactured by Samsung).
There are a couple of things that are missing, like wireless charging, water resistance, face unlocking, and a stereo speaker. But for the most part, this is one of the most powerful smartphones you can buy.
I can't give you a complete picture of how well the Vivo Nex 3 performs. That's because the unit I've gotten for review is tailored for the Chinese market, and it came without Google's Play Store or any Google apps. Through various hacks I've managed to install most of the things I needed and gotten rid of some crapware (though not all) that came with the phone, but I was still constantly greeted by Chinese language notifications that prompted me to upgrade this or that app. I also didn't test 5G due to lack of coverage in my area.
What I can say is that the phone comes with an absolute onslaught of software features. Some, like the fancy always-on graphics or the visualizations that show up on the edges of the screen when you play music, are nice. But most of the time, I couldn't find what I was looking for. I ended up constantly using the built-in search (Baidu-based, and therefore quite foreign to me) to find this or that option. I can't say how an international version of the phone would work in this regard, but this is a real issue that made using the phone a lot less enjoyable. 2ff7e9595c
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