Best Smartphones of 2025: Top 5 Picks from CNET

Top Smartphone Picks for 2025

• 💡 The year 2025 saw a battle between folding phones, thin phones, and traditional smartphones, with CNET reviewers sharing their top five tested picks.
• 🎯 The list aims to cover options across Android and iPhone that cater to various needs and budgets.

iPhone 17: The Value Champion

• 📱 The baseline iPhone 17 is highlighted for narrowing the gap with Pro models, offering features like dual capture video, Center Stage, and a 120Hz variable refresh rate display.
• 🔋 It boasts an always-on display and support for iOS 26 features such as live translation and call screening, all while providing comparable or better battery life than the iPhone 17 Pro.
• ✅ This model is recommended for the average user seeking good cameras, solid battery life, and a quality display without the premium Pro price.

Motorola Razr Ultra: The Stylish Foldable

• 🚀 The Motorola Razr Ultra is praised as one of the best-built and most fun foldable flip phones tested, improving upon its predecessor.
• 💎 Key improvements include solid battery life, bright displays, and a delightful fabric backing that resists cracking.
• 💰 While priced at $1,300, it offers Motorola's best processor, battery, design, and cameras, with frequent discounts available.

Google Pixel 10: Affordable Excellence

• 📸 The Google Pixel 10 is a great choice for casual photography, offering a solid camera system at an affordable price, often found for around $600.
• 🌟 It includes features found in Google's Pro phones, such as a telephoto camera, long-lasting battery, and Gemini AI features.
• ⏳ With seven years of software and security updates, it's a dependable option designed to last.

Honorable Mentions: iPhone Air & OnePlus 15

• ✨ The iPhone Air is noted for its exceptional feel and being a favorite to review, despite potential areas for improvement like camera count and battery size.
• 🔋 The OnePlus 15 is recognized for its amazing battery life, capable of lasting through extended gaming sessions, though its cameras are considered just okay.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: The Premium Foldable Experience

• 📱 The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a standout foldable that combines the feel of a standard phone when closed with a massive, 11% larger main display when opened.
• ⚡ It features solid cameras, a 4,400 mAh battery, and a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor powering numerous AI features from Samsung and Google.
• ⏳ With support for 7 years of software and security updates, it aims to justify its $2,000 price tag for those seeking a premium, fun foldable experience.

iPhone 17 Pro: The Camera Powerhouse

• 📸 The iPhone 17 Pro is highlighted for its bold, bright redesign and exceptional battery life, with the Pro Max model testing among the best CNET has ever seen.
• 🌟 Its camera system, featuring a trio of 48-megapixel sensors, is consistently excellent, with footage often rivaling professional cinema cameras.
• 🚀 It's considered an excellent upgrade for users coming from older iPhone Pro models.