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The best phones of 2025such a vibrant orange color iPhone 17 ProComprehensive Android system Google Pixel 10 Pro And consistently high performance Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Share many things. They all offer amazing performance and come with amazing camera setups. Then there are the huge, vibrant displays and funky new AI skill sets, all of which make these flagship phones the pinnacle of what mobile technology can offer. It is also not surprising that this… Fan favorite phones There’s something else in common, too: huge price tags.
Today’s best phones, which cost $1,000 and up, are out of reach for many — or simply unnecessary for those of us who just want an everyday phone to keep in touch with friends or browse Instagram on the bus. Fortunately, there are a wide range of options to meet all needs and budgets, whether you’re looking for a high-end model or a less expensive option, like our award-winning CNET Editors’ Choice Nothing Phone 3A Pro.
You might think that the sheer number of options would make shopping simple. But the truth is, sometimes all the options make it more confusing. To help you cut through some of the jargon and spend your money sensibly, I’ve put together tips for buying a phone.
How to buy a new phone: Top tips for buying a phone
- Find out what matters most to you: Is it the screen size? Camera quality? Battery life? This will help narrow down your choices. Phones like iPhone 17 Pro, Galaxy S25 Ultra, or Xiaomi 15 Ultrafor example, pack amazing cameras that almost rival the quality you’d get from a mirrorless camera. If you’re into photography and always want to carry a great camera to use when inspiration strikes, spending money here is a good idea. If not, you should probably save yourself a bundle.
- Don’t rule out the medium term: The features of last year’s flagship phones always carry over to this year’s mid-range phones.You can get a great phone that does almost everything a premium phone can do for a fraction of the price. Google’s Pixel 10 Pro has a great zoom camera, but the base Pixel 10 has most of the basic specs and comes at a more reasonable price. Even low-spec phones like the Nothing Phone 3A Pro offer a great experience and ask for little money in return.
- Shop Sales: Look for big discounts and promotional deals during major holidays, especially Amazon’s Prime Day and Black Friday. And find out what your grace period is in case you need a quick return or exchange.
- Consider last year’s phones: It can often be a great deal too. Wait for this year’s launch to get last year’s phone at a lower price, when stores and carriers try to unload their existing inventory. You should also check for used options because they can save you a lot of money, as long as whatever you buy still receives security updates.
- Pick up the phone in the store first: You may love or hate the way you look and feel in person.
- Check if you have already invested: Have you already purchased a lot of iPhone apps and iTunes movies? Stick to your iPhone if you still want access to it. Likewise, if you’ve invested in a lot of Android apps, you’ll want to stay on that side of the fence. Otherwise, it’s simple enough Switch pads.
- Buy a case and screen protector: It will protect your phone from costly damage and increase the phone’s resale or trade-in value when you’re ready to move on. If you’re careful about how you use your phone, It should last for years.
Smartphone performance vs budget
In general, performance matches cost. The latest and greatest technology usually comes at a higher price. Flagship phones have the best cameras, most powerful processors, and may contain the latest technology Folding screens. The high prices mean that these phones are only worth considering by those who want the absolute latest technology in their pockets.
However, not everyone needs such advanced technology, or they may simply be unwilling to spend the $1,000 or more typically required to obtain it. Fortunately, the mid-range segment of the phone world has been one of the fiercest battlegrounds on which companies compete, producing some great phones that won’t break your budget. Features like wireless charging and multi-lens cameras that were once a flagship area are now common on mid-range phones.
Even budget phones will still offer good camera quality and enough power to get you through your daily web browsing, WhatsApp-ing, and Instagramming.
Screen size
All the phones have gotten steadily larger over the past few years, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra measuring 6.9 inches. Small phones are not that common anymore, as there are almost no phones under six inches in size.
Apple has discontinued its iPhone Mini line, and while the 2022 iPhone SE remains the smallest iPhone you can buy, the company replaced it with the 6.1-inch iPhone 16E, which can hardly be considered small. On the Android side, the Google Pixel 8A’s 6.1-inch display makes it one of the better smaller phones, but like the iPhone 16E, it’s hardly what you’d call small. Google replaced it with the Pixel 9A, thus increasing the screen size to 6.3 inches. Sorry, small phone lovers, it looks like you’re out of luck.
Software support period
The phone remains safe to use only as long as it receives security updates from the manufacturer to protect it from hackers. In the past, this was more of a concern since most phones were only supported for two or three years, leaving them with a short shelf life. Today, however, extended support has become a competitive advantage, with Google now offering an impressive seven years of software and security updates on its latest phones.
This means the latest Pixel 10 Pro will still be safe to use in 2032, while Samsung has promised a similar support period for the Galaxy S25 range. Samsung’s Galaxy S20, released in 2020, received its final security update in 2024, so it’s important to check how long your phone of choice will remain safe to use, especially if you’re buying an older phone on the used market. Not only does a longer support period give you better value for money over the life of the device, it’s also better for the planet, as phones stay older, but they can still be used out of landfill and reduce the number of new devices being made and shipped.
Camera performance
Camera features have been a major bragging point in modern phones, with manufacturers always wanting a bigger, more exciting number, whether that’s the number of megapixels or the amount of actual camera lenses. Three rear cameras are now common — a regular lens, an ultra-wide lens, and a telephoto lens — and even budget-focused phones have multiple cameras.
Read more: The best camera phone you can buy in 2025
This is great, as more lenses mean more shooting options when you’re out and about. But that doesn’t mean any multi-lens camera is as good as another. As with processor performance, the more you spend, the better you usually get, with the best cameras ever found in more expensive flagships.
Look for features like optical zoom (instead of digital), Night mode for better low-light photos, and optical image stabilization. Sometimes these features may not be obvious, and a camera’s performance cannot be judged just by looking at the specifications. If you really care about your phone’s photography skills, take some time to look at reviews and see how the camera performs before you spend your money.
Battery life
Most phones, from budget phones to elite flagships, can last most of the day on a single charge. Larger phones may have larger batteries, but they also often have larger displays and more powerful processors, so they soak up that extra juice quickly. Few phones will give you more than one day of use. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Always plan to fully charge your phone overnight.
- Look for features like fast charging, which allows your phone to get a lot of power in a short period of time. Some phones, like the OnePlus 15, support 80W fast charging which will take it from empty to full in about 30 minutes. Check to see if your phone has a compatible fast charger, as your old USB plug likely won’t provide the required power output.
- Your battery will last longer if you avoid more demanding tasks like gaming or video streaming. Reducing the screen brightness will also help, and if you’re really trying to make use of that last few percent to help you get back home, turning off Wifi and Bluetooth can help too.
Processor performance
High-end phones have powerful processors as well as 12GB or more of RAM. It’s enough to make these phones handle any task effortlessly, but you don’t need to spend flagship-level money to get great performance.
Most decent mid-range phones offer enough power to handle all your daily needs. You will still be able to play almost any game from the Google Play Store Edit your high resolution photos In apps like Snapseed or Adobe Lightroom. There’s only so much you can throw at most mid-range phones that they won’t be able to handle it.
When you move to the end of the budget range, that’s when you’ll start to notice some slowdown in things like gaming. More demanding 3D games may seem more stuttering and may freeze unexpectedly. However, basic tasks like sending emails, listening to Spotify, and browsing Instagram shouldn’t be a problem.
4G or 5G?
5G is the latest standard that promises super-fast mobile data speeds when you’re out and about. Although 5G coverage still isn’t available everywhere yet, it’s widespread enough that you should definitely look forward to a 5G phone. This is easy to do, as is the case with almost all phones, from high-end flagships to budget phones.
The only reason you should consider buying a 4G phone now is if you’re looking at the used market and find a good deal on an older generation model that will last you a few years.
How much phone storage space do you need?
Most phones, even budget phones, come with at least 64GB of storage, of which 10 can be occupied by pre-installed apps and the phone’s operating system. If you don’t plan on recording video, and gaming isn’t your thing, 64GB might be enough, but otherwise you should consider 128GB as a safer minimum.
High-end phones — especially those that can record high-quality 4K video — offer capacities of 256GB or more. With this much space, you won’t need to think twice before having to delete old files.
If your phone supports microSD cards, it’s a different story. You can get 32GB (or larger) microSD cards for very little money these days, and inserting one into your phone will dramatically increase the amount of storage you have access to. Unfortunately, expandable storage is a very rare feature in phones these days. However, most phones will support external storage via USB-C, so if you’re on vacation and want to shoot a lot of HD video, using a small SSD to offload the footage might be a good idea.
Bonus features
Many of these features are now common on phones at different price points and are worth keeping in mind when shopping.
- Fingerprint scanner or face unlock: The scanner may be located on the back or even invisibly integrated into the screen. Biometric security, as it’s called, is more secure than having to remember a PIN.
- water resistant: Do you often receive calls in the rain? Look for a phone with at least an IP67 rating to keep it safe from water and spilled drinks. This is very common on most high-end phones these days.
- Wireless charging: This is available on many phones, and some now offer faster wireless charging speeds, as long as you use a compatible charging pad.