The best phone 2023: Top Smartphones in the US right now To best price$$$$$
1.The Samsung Galaxy S23
Ultra is the best phone you can buy right now
When we consider the best phones in 2023, we're struck by two
considerations. First, the best overall phone you can buy does more than we'd
ever imagined a mobile phone would do. Second, you can buy an inexpensive phone
that performs as well as a flagship device, and you'll be amazed at what you
can get for a fraction of the price of the most expensive ultraphones.
That
said, the best phones list starts with the Galaxy S23 Ultra, period. It is the
best phone you can buy, if you can afford to buy one (hint: trade-ins and
contract deals). The camera system is so versatile it can replace a bag of
lenses and maybe even a telescope. It's big, bright, and beautiful; durably
made and water resistance yet it somehow hides a magic-wand pen inside.
If
you want to spend a lot less, you might gasp at the Pixel 6a's low price
(especially because it's frequently on sale), but you can actually get a great
smartphone for around a third of the price of the mighty Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Google doesn't skimp on performance, and the Tensor chip inside can pull off
all of the same tricks as Google's fanciest Pixel 7 Pro, which is our favorite
ultraphone bargain, by the way.
SPECIFICATIONS
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
Why it’s ranked 1st: The Galaxy S23 Ultra does everything and then a bit more. It’s packed with features (and a hidden pen) that rivals can’t match.
Screen: You won't find a much better display than the big, bright, AMOLED screen on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. It isn't quite the brightest, and it lacks Dolby Vision support, but it's still smooth, with a fast 120Hz refresh that looks fantastic watching movies or playing games.
Battery life: Sure, we can always ask for more battery (maybe instead of the pen next time?), but the Galaxy S23 Ultra lasted incredibly long in our review tests, longer than most devices we've tested recently. It keeps the same 5,000 mAh battery as its predecessor (and most flagships today), but manages power well.
Camera: The Galaxy S23 Ultra is like carrying an entire camera bag full of lenses. Its versatility makes it the best camera phone money can buy. There are plenty of lenses, great shooting modes, and now even an expert-level app, making this the best phone for serious photography.
Google Pixel 6a 5G is the best phone you can buy right now
At full price the Pixel 6a isn't worth buying (check out the new Pixel 7a instead), but we often see this phone priced much less, and we expect to see it on sale again soon as the new model fills up shelves. We still think the Pixel 6a performs as well as you'd need for a bargain phone, and it's our top pick if you can get it much cheaper than the Pixel 7a.
Why it’s ranked 2nd: If you’re looking for a seriously great phone for the most affordable price, we’ve bumped the Google Pixel 6a high on this list because it fits the bill for you right now. The camera takes photos that are real crowd-pleasers and easy to share. Plus, it’s packed with Pixel-exclusive features thanks to the Google Tensor chipset. ★★★★
Screen: The 6.1-inch display on the Pixel 6a is a bit smaller than the Pixel 6, but keeps the same resolution, so it looks sharp. Most flagship phones run faster and have smoother refresh rates, but this Pixel is stuck at 60Hz, one of our biggest complaints. Faster refresh would drain more power, though.
Battery life: Our biggest complaint about the Pixel 6a in our in-depth review was that the battery died too early, and we wanted faster charging to make up for it. The battery cell is a solid 4,410mAh, and it managed to make it through most of our day, but we still needed to top it up regularly to stay charged.
Camera: The Pixel 6a won a major blind image survey conducted by Marques Brownlee, which is a convincing win for this simplified shooter. It doesn’t pack megapixels or zoom, just competent image processing that delivers photos you’ll consistently enjoy at a 12MP size that makes them good for simple sharing or even printing.
Read our full Google Pixel 6a review
SPECIFICATIONS
The iPhone 14 Pro and the bigger Pro Max are Apple's best phones yet, thanks to new cameras and the cool Dynamic Island.
Why it's ranked 3rd: There’s a reason why the iPhone 14 Pro is so popular: it simply gets everything right. It doesn’t pack too many features or ask you to adjust tons of settings, which makes it easier to use for most people. It’s an iPhone, so you know that it’s a phone you can keep for years to come.
Screen: The iPhone 14 Pro's display is the brightest you can buy in most regions (some Chinese phones top it), and it looks great, even in low-refresh always-on mode. The Dynamic Island camera cutout is contentious; we’re not fans of the insipid pill, but maybe Apple will remember it exists eventually.
Battery life: We always want better battery life, but the iPhone 14 Pro will last a full day, and maybe more if you’re careful. The iPhone 14 Pro Max hides a bigger battery behind its bigger display, so if stamina is really important, that’s a reason to go for the larger model.
Camera: The Apple iPhone 14 Pro finally gets a major camera upgrade, quadrupling the pixels on the main camera sensor. Of course, most images still develop at 12MP, not the full 48MP, but that pixel-binning technique gives you great images in any light condition.
Read more: iPhone 14 Pro review | iPhone 14 Pro Max review
SPECIFICATIONS
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
Why it’s ranked 4th: The Pixel 7 Pro is every bit as good as the best smartphones from Apple and Samsung. It looks great, takes amazing photos, and stands out in a crowd. Google implements software features as art, and the Pixel 7 Pro improves the smartphone in areas we’d forgotten needed improvement.
Screen: We’ve been very impressed with the display on the Google Pixel 7 Pro. It uses an LTPO OLED display, similar to the tech you’ll find on the iPhone 14 Pro, and has a super-crisp 3120 x 1440 resolution. We always find the Pixel 7 Pro exceedingly bright and colorful. It’s a delight to read, and easy to use for photographs, even in bright sunlight.
Battery life: Battery life on the Pixel 7 Pro is good, more than a day's full use, but we ended each day with only between 10-20% juice left. The Pixel 7 Pro also supports wireless charging in both directions.
Camera: Photos that we took with the Google Pixel 7 Pro always looked the way we wanted them to look, and that’s high praise. It never seemed to focus on the wrong part of the scene, or underexpose our subject in favor of a brighter background. Our images looked warm and dynamic, as opposed to the flat, colder images the iPhone camera sometimes passes off as ‘accurate.’
5. iPhone 13 is best phone you can buy right now
SPECIFICATIONS
The iPhone 13 was a refined, high-performing improvement when it launched, and time has hardly aged this marvel. Instead of upgrading the newest iPhone 14 with bigger cameras and faster chips, it left the base model mostly untouched, while the iPhone 14 Pro got the big changes. That means the iPhone 13 is just as fast and feature-packed as today’s entry iPhone, but easier on the wallet. We’d save money and buy this one without hesitation.
Why it's ranked 6th: The Apple iPhone 13 won fans at launch, and Apple didn’t give much reason to upgrade when the next gen arrived. The iPhone 13 performs like a champ, with the same A15 Bionic used in the iPhone 14, and the screen, the cameras, and the overall design are essentially unchanged. For less money, it’s a much better pick, especially since it’s still available new from Apple.
Screen: An iPhone display is always sharp and color accurate, and the iPhone 13 doesn’t disappoint. The display is the same as you’ll find on the iPhone 14. It isn’t the brightest, but it looks great. If you are into serious gaming you may want a phone with a faster refresh rate, but for most uses, you won’t notice.
Battery life: We always want more battery life, but the iPhone 13 was better than most iPhones for longevity. While the iPhone 14 offers marginal improvements in some circumstances, our own experience is that the iPhone 13 lasted just as long.
Camera: There is no doubt that the iPhone 13 can take great photos, and the cameras were not significantly upgraded for the iPhone 14, so you won’t feel left out compared to the new model. Photos max out at 12MP, which is a shareable size. Apple’s base iPhone lacks a serious zoom lens, and the photo options can be limited compared to Androids.
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