Sometimes the gods smile on you, the computer says ‘yes’, and you realise you can buy the very best smartphone available, lucky you! But then it hits you: when you can choose literally any phone, which one ticks your boxes? And which one should you actually buy? If you’re struggling with the overwhelming choice, allow us to present our best phone guide.
To be clear, this guide looks only at the absolute best smartphones you can buy right now. If you’ve got deep pockets or exacting tastes, you’re in the right place to find the best all-rounder, or the best phone for a specific job. If you’re on a tighter budget, our best budget phones guide has you covered, but otherwise buckle up for the best phones money can buy.
Why buy? The best smartphone you can buy.
The iPhone 18 Pro is, quite simply, the best smartphone you can buy. It packs Apple’s most powerful chip, a superb triple-camera system and all the latest features into a 6.3-inch body that still sits comfortably in one hand.
At its heart is the A20 Pro chip, built on a 2nm process, so it is faster and more efficient than anything Apple has made before. The ProMotion screen runs at up to 120Hz, the new vapour-chamber cooling keeps it quick under load, and the camera system is as good as phone photography gets.
It isn’t cheap, but nothing else balances performance, cameras and everyday usability quite so well, and with years of iOS updates ahead of it, it is about as future-proof as a phone gets.
Why buy? The best big smartphone you can buy.
If the iPhone 18 Pro is the best smartphone you can buy, the Pro Max is the best big one. It has all the same strengths, the same A20 Pro chip and the same class-leading cameras, in a larger 6.9-inch frame.
That bigger body buys you two things: a gorgeous expanse of 120Hz OLED that is made for films and games, and the longest battery life of any iPhone. If you watch, read or play a lot on your phone, this is the one.
It is big, heavy and expensive, but if money is no object and you want the most phone Apple makes, it is unrivalled.
Why buy? The best thin-and-light phone.
Not everyone wants a chunky flagship, and the iPhone Air is Apple’s answer. At just 5.6mm thin and 165g it is the lightest iPhone there is, and picking it up after a normal flagship is genuinely startling.
It doesn’t skimp where it matters: the A19 Pro chip is quick, the 6.5-inch OLED is lovely, and the single camera is very capable. The trade-offs are a slightly shorter battery life and one rear lens rather than a full Pro system.
If what puts you off modern phones is the sheer heft, the Air is the most desirable thin-and-light phone going.
Why buy? Peak Android.
If you want the best of everything but prefer Android to iOS, this is your phone. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is the most complete Android handset money can buy, with a vast 6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED that is one of the finest screens on any phone.
It runs the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, so it is quick enough to trade blows with the best iPhones, and its camera system, led by a 200MP main sensor and a long periscope zoom, is built to shoot absolutely everything. The built-in S Pen is still unique at this level.
Add seven years of updates and it is a phone that will stay at the top for years. It is big and pricey, but as peak Android goes, nothing beats it.
Why buy? The most versatile phone you can buy.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 earns its place by doing something none of the others can. Closed, it is a normal phone; open it out and you have an 8-inch 120Hz screen that is closer to a small tablet, brilliant for multitasking, reading, films and gaming.
It runs the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, keeps S Pen support, and the thinner, lighter design makes it the most pocketable Fold yet. Seven years of updates mean it will last.
It is one of the most expensive phones here, and the crease hasn’t entirely gone, but if you want a phone that doubles as a tablet, nothing else comes close.
Why buy? The best camera and cleverest software.
Rounding out the list is Google’s finest. The Pixel 11 Pro XL pairs a near-stock version of Android, updated first and supported for seven years, with the best computational photography in the business.
The Tensor G6 chip is tuned for on-device AI rather than raw benchmark wins, and it shows in the camera: point and shoot and it quietly nails the shot, with natural colour, superb night photos and the most useful editing tools around. The 6.8-inch 120Hz OLED and big battery round it off.
It won’t top every performance chart, but for photos, software and sheer ease of use, it is a brilliant flagship and a genuine iPhone alternative.
The iPhone X ushered in a new era of iPhone design, making everything that came before it look dated. Its huge screen and updated features made it a sensation - but that was four years ago. Is it still worth buying today? Read our review.
The iPhone 8 Plus was the last big iPhone with bezels above and below the screen. It’s better than an iPhone 8 or an iPhone 7 Plus, but it is getting on a bit. Today it’s comparatively cheap, but does that mean you should buy one? Read our iPhone 8 Plus review.
The iPhone XS Max was Apple’s first plus-sized flagship phone since the design changes introduced with the iPhone X. It’s a big, beautiful slab of a phone - but is it worth buying now it’s three generations old? Read our iPhone XS Max review.
