The tech sector’s third-party mobile phone makers are hopeful that the first half of the next decade would be their time to shine, since the smartphone industry is one of the most active. We have tested the most popular smartphone models to help you choose the best one. This is the best of the best. Since Labo Capital debuted in 2024, our reporters have reviewed over 50 phones across all price ranges, leading to our definitive guide: The Best Smartphones for Every Budget.
This list shows each pricing range in both classic and folding styles. If you’re on a tight budget and want a smartphone, we have a handy guide that will show you the top “cheap” smartphones sold in the mid-range. People who want to take pictures with their smartphones, have very little money, or really want to buy a foldable smartphone should read our best articles about smartphone photography, budget smartphones, or folding smartphones instead. We are evaluating cellphones in two parts. The first step is a technical one that works for all devices.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: the best smartphone
We can get a good indication of how well each device’s processor and graphics work by running a few synthetic tests, which are also called benchmark software (like Geekbench and 3DMark). A colorimeter then measures the brightness (in cd/m2), contrast (a ratio of xxx:1 that shows the difference between the brightest white and the darkest black), and color accuracy (the average Delta E, which is the difference between what you expect to see on the screen and what you actually see; the number should be as low as possible).
We use that on every screen. After the battery has been broken in (emptied and charged at least once) and the brightness has been set to 200 cd/m2, you should now test the battery life with a 4K resolution video. Our numbers are fair and unbiased for comparing all items; they don’t show how long the device was really used, as that can vary a lot from person to person. When the battery runs out, we set the gadget to charge on a timer using either the suggested charger or the one that came with the device.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: The best Apple smartphone
We check the color accuracy, lens distortions, sharpness, and digital image processing, as well as perform a sensitivity increase test and test the different features. In other words, this will let us check the quality of the photo sensors (before they are processed) by manually raising the sensor’s sensitivity, which happens automatically when there isn’t enough light, without you even knowing it.
This is basically the amount of noise they make (loss of color, sharpness, etc.). Another important number that makes the shot quality worse overall. It can take a few days or weeks. We would then use them as our regular smartphones to check their functionality every day, as well as for work, taking pictures, playing games, and browsing the Web. Pierre FONTAINE has been a journalist writing on emerging technology since the early 2000s.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra: the best camera phone
He was born while the TO7 was still quite popular, and he likes the competition and keeps a close eye on Apple news. He is a dedicated geek who joined group tests after making a name for himself at the now-defunct Internet Actu. Below are the summary of our tests that we did at Labo Capital. There are also links to the broader test, in case you want to learn more about the smartphones we recommend and see a bigger range.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra from Samsung uses the same formula that made its predecessor the star, but it now has gentler curves and a design that is lighter but yet strong, due to titanium. The LTPO AMOLED screen is 6.9 inches wide and almost 92.5% of the front area. The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and 12 GB of RAM inside the S25 Ultra make it easier to run multiple programs and tasks at once than more demanding ones.
Conclusion
The Now Bar is one example of this. It collects running apps and shows useful information. Samsung is also betting on the synergies between Bixby and Google’s forthcoming AI assistant, Gemini, to make the experience even better. The camera system needs at least four modules to work. These include a wide-angle lens, an ultra-wide-angle lens, and two telephoto lenses. The telephoto lenses don’t work as well when the light is low, however not all of the modules are of bad quality. The 8K capture, better stability, and smoother zoom between modules in films are also worth mentioning.
Finally, we’re sorry that this year’s charging didn’t go beyond 45 W. However, the 5,000 mAh battery lasted almost 25 hours in our tests, which is a very good performance that places the gadget in the group of the longest-lasting. Samsung has also promised to support the software for seven years. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is the company’s newest smartphone. It boasts a bigger screen, a better battery, and a few additional features, like a single camera button. It also has a high-quality 6.9-inch display with an LTPO OLED panel. Its brightness can reach 1,566 cd/m2, its contrast is unlimited, and its color accuracy is the best (mean Delta E of 2.26).