So, this is going to be a weirdly motivated list, but hear me out. Finding 5 phones to really like in a year – in 2025 and in our line of work – is no trivial task. Take Ro, for example – he only made it to 4, as did Sagar, and Ivan has 3 different but, let’s face it, really same-ish foldables on his ‘Top 5’ list. So, in a way, I’ve assembled a ‘Top 5’ that’s not entirely mine – there’s one real personal pick, a couple of crowdsourced ones, and two more that are on here because of… tradition.
Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold
I have no use for a foldable. I’ve tried living with a clamshell and I’ve dabbled into phone-turns-tablet territory and neither makes any sense in my world. My phone is mostly used for doomscrolling and instant messaging, and I want me some state-of-the-art cameras (not so much for actual photography, but rather for the confidence of having them just in case I might need them) – neither bendy form factor is optimal for that combination.
But, just because I’m an old soul that does online shopping or other important stuff like travel plans on a PC and watches movies (rare as that may be) on an actual TV, doesn’t mean everyone is like me. The Galaxy Z TriFold is a phone when it needs to be, and a tablet – a larger and more sensibly proportioned one than the rest of them Folds – when extra screen area is called for. It’s also much better at protecting its flexible display when it’s not in use than that other tri-fold out there, the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate.
Yes, the Z TriFold is wildly expensive and its cameras would be considered little more than so-so on a midrange conventional phone, let alone one that goes for, what is it, €3,000? But it’s about priorities. While the ones that the Z TriFold addresses may be entirely foreign to me, I can still appreciate it taking the foldable form factor a fold further.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro and Google Pixel 10 Pro
These two will get bunched up because they are the same thing in my mind, only on different sides of the OS divide. Every year I want at least one of them, often both, but ultimately common sense prevails and I look elsewhere.
There’s a certain unquantifiable sense of specialness when using Apple’s or Google’s hardware and software and that’s as true on the latest generation smartphones as it has always been. Glass feels different, the displays shine brighter, animations are that extra bit smoother, haptics are more refined – things like that.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro • Google Pixel 10 Pro
Plus, it’s only these two makers that seem to want to make handsets with Qi2 magnetic attachment capability built-in, which is something I’m chasing after despite mounting evidence against the practicality of the whole concept – at least in my ever so specific use cases.
The thing is though, neither model has cameras that are remotely exciting and exciting cameras are a must. Magnets and an esoteric perception of greatness can only get you so far.
vivo X300
A certain better half of mine had been on the lookout for a replacement to her Pixel 7 Pro for some time, with her own very specific set of wants and needs. To her credit, she was patient enough to wait for the right package, passing on some offerings that covered only some of the requirements.
In came the vivo X300. It’s small – the Pixel was anything but, and that had to change. It’s got great rear cameras – modern ones, unlike those on the Pixel. It’s got a capable selfie camera – better than the Pixel’s. It’s got a big battery (that depends, but she got lucky with a non-EU unit) – the Pixel was tied to the wall. So it was a four out of four. She loves it, and if that’s not enough for a phone to make it to my top 5, nothing is.
Oppo Find X9 Pro
And we finally arrive at my one true favorite phone of the year, the Oppo Find X9 Pro. You may have picked up by now what my type is, and the Find X9 Pro is as close to perfect as it gets – a top-class cameraphone with a huge battery and, as luck would have it, with a first-party case with Qi2-compliant metal ring inside. What more can I ask for?
Well, I know – the Ultra-level cameraphones take the camera system another step up. However, so far these have been China-only releases or at least that has been the case with the vivo and Oppo ones – I’ll believe there’s a global Find X9 Ultra or a vivo X300 Ultra when I hold one in my hands. Admittedly, the Xiaomis have been more reliably international, but in-office logistics have denied me the 15 Ultra after a year or so with the previous model and I’ve been happy to play around with the vivo and Oppo alternatives.
A tri-phone camera comparison that we worked on a while back helped answer a few… personal questions, and the Oppo prevailed over the vivo X300 Pro for what I’ve rationalized to be my priorities. It’s also much better equipped in terms of battery than the vivo X300 Pro in EU trim – sure, I’m rarely away from a power source, but it’s nice to have better autonomy when I occasionally do need it. For a brief moment in time we were going to be a vivo-only family, but hers is better at what it tries to be than the X300 Pro is in its own context, for me at least.
You’ll probably note that my list isn’t packed with enthusiasm, but is based in practicality instead. It’s just that the magnitude of upgrades has tapered off a bit, or if we’re getting major developments in one area, they come with concessions in other aspects and I can’t get wholeheartedly excited about a phone, not that easily at least. Let’s hope that’ll change with the upcoming batch of Ultra.
