Best Phones of 2025 | Tom's Guide Review - video Dailymotion

Tom's Guide

It's halfway through the year, so Paul is ranking the best smartphones of 2025 so far. Whether it's the all-powerful Galaxy S25 Ultra, the smartest AI-packed Pixel 9 Pro, or the best value pick like the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, Paul shares the top choices today if you're in the market for a new phone. Our team has tested and ranked the best flagship, best budget, best android, and best iPhones to help you decide which one is worth your money. Or simply, if you're curious about how Apple, Samsung, and Google are stacking up so far.

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00:00If you're looking for the best smartphone of early 2025, I've tested and ranked the top choices to

00:04help you decide which one is right for you. Whether you want the ultimate flagship, a killer budget

00:09option, or the best foldable, here are the top phones you can buy right now. The Galaxy S25 doesn't

00:15shake things up in terms of hardware, but Samsung has gone all in on Galaxy AI, making this one of

00:20the smartest phones yet. Cross-app actions let you trigger multiple tasks at once, like checking an

00:26event date, adding it to your calendar, and texting a friend, all with a single command. Now brief screen

00:31learns from your habits and provides relevant updates, and tools like Circle to Surge and the

00:36Now bar make multitasking smoother than ever. Samsung has also refined the hardware. The ultra-wide camera

00:42is now 50 megapixels, improving detail and macro shots, while the Pro Visual Engine enhances image

00:48processing. In our camera test, the S25 Ultra won more rounds than the iPhone 16 Pro Max, especially

00:54with zoom, selfies, and low-light photography. Battery life is also better, lasting over 17 hours

01:00in testing, Samsung's longest flagship yet. The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, 12 gigabytes of RAM,

01:05and Qi 2 wireless charging support all help make this Samsung's most advanced phone to date,

01:10with meaningful upgrades over last year's model. At $1299, the S25 Ultra is $100 more than the iPhone 16 Pro

01:16Max and Pixel 9 Pro, but Samsung has at least avoided another price increase.

01:22The iPhone 16 Pro Max doesn't hold the overall top spot anymore, but that's more about Samsung's AI push

01:28than any flaws on Apple's side. This year's 6.9-inch display is bigger while keeping a similar

01:34footprint, and the A18 Pro chip delivers top-tier performance. Apple intelligence is still rolling

01:40out, but for right now, its AI features feel more like nice extras than essential tools. Battery life is

01:46where this phone truly shines, though. The iPhone 16 Pro Max lasted 17.5 hours in testing, longer than

01:53any previous iPhone, and even outlasting the S25 Ultra. The 48-megapixel main camera and wider

01:59ultrawide lens deliver stronger low-light and macro shots, while the 5x telephoto lens carries over from

02:05last year. While Apple's photo processing continues to set standard for dynamic range, Samsung's zoom

02:10capabilities have pulled ahead this year. At $1,199, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is $100 cheaper than

02:16the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and you still get MagSafe wireless charging at 25 watts, best-in-class video

02:22recording, and one of the longest-lasting batteries ever in an iPhone. It's still an absolute powerhouse,

02:28and if you're deep into Apple ecosystem, this is the one to get. Google has been leading the AI race

02:34for years, and the Pixel 9 Pro makes the case that it's still the smartest AI experience of any phone.

02:38Pixel Screenshots lets you search within images, Gemini Live takes Google Assistant to the next

02:44level with real-time conversational abilities, and Call Notes automatically transcribes and summarizes

02:49calls. Hardware upgrades include a 6.5-inch brighter display and a larger 4700 mAh battery, which finally

02:56gives the Pixel solid battery life at over 13.5 hours in testing. The ultrawide camera now supports

03:03macro mode, and Google's photo processing remains top-tier, producing crisp and detailed

03:08shots with excellent HDR. At $999, the Pixel 9 Pro cost the same as last year's model, but with better

03:14battery life, a brighter screen, and more advanced AI tools, it's one of the most capable Android phones

03:19that you can buy today. If you want Google's best advice, this is the phone to get. Google's decision

03:25to keep the mid-range phone at the same $499 price point while packing some serious upgrades makes the

03:31Pixel 9a, our best-value phone of 2025. The 9a goes bigger in every way with a larger 6.3-inch,

03:37120Hz actual display, a nearly flush back body that fits a massive 5100 mAh battery, delivering some of

03:45the best endurance of any Pixel phone and comparable performance to their flagships with a Tensor G4

03:50processor and 8GB of RAM. There's now a 48-megapixel camera that pairs well with a 13-megapixel

03:57ultra-wide. While the main camera is down from the Pixel 8a's 64-megapixel one, it features a wider

04:03f1.7 aperture that allows it to capture better photos under low-light conditions. The Pixel 9a gets

04:09nearly the same AI features found on the more expensive Pixel 9 models, with Pixel Studio and

04:15Admi photo editing features stealing the show. The 9a continues to prove how budget phones can rival

04:20flagship models, and you can see just how close it comes to beating the twice as expensive iPhone 16 Pro

04:26and my other video linked below. Motorola's foldable flip phones continue to get better

04:31each year, and the Motorola RAZR Ultra brings some serious upgrades, including a titanium-reinforced

04:37hinge that improves durability and reduces the screen crease. The top-end RAZR Ultra costs $12.99,

04:43but gives you a more powerful processor, upgraded camera setup, and a major battery life boost.

04:48The Ultra model also goes back to featuring a main camera and an ultra-wide lens in its rear array.

04:54The ultra-wide lens replaces the telephoto camera that we found on the 2024 edition of the RAZR+,

04:59which we feel this year gives you better flexibility, especially for capturing big group

05:04shots. With its massive 4700 mAh battery and screen set to its default refresh rate, the Motorola RAZR

05:10Ultra lasted about 15 hours and 42 minutes in our battery life test, the best time that we've

05:15recorded with any foldable phone. Its efficiency and power comes from the Snapdragon 8 Elite, giving you

05:21comparable performance to the S25 Ultra and the OnePlus 13. If you've been on the edge about

05:26foldable phones because of concerns with durability, performance, or battery life, the Motorola RAZR

05:32Ultra 2025 puts those issues to bed. It is one of the priciest foldable flip phones that you can buy

05:37today, but it has the hardware to back it up. The OnePlus 13 is proof that you don't need to spend

05:43over $1,000 for a flagship experience. At $899, it costs $100 more than last year's model, but it still

05:49undercuts similarly-sized competitors like the S25 Ultra and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, while delivering

05:55impressive specs and a gorgeous 6.82-inch OLED display. Its Hasselblad-tuned cameras are OnePlus's

06:01best yet, producing bright and well-balanced photos, strong portrait shots, and impressive low-light performance.

06:07The 6000 mAh battery is a standout feature, lasting nearly 20 hours in testing, one of the longest

06:13battery lives of any flagship phone, and nearly twice as long as some of the phones on this list.

06:18Add to that its ridiculous 80-watt fast charging or 100-watt internationally, and you get a 90% charge

06:24in just 30 minutes. With a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, the OnePlus 13 offers comparable performance to other

06:31flagships on this list, while offering better battery life for less. If you want top-tier performance at a

06:36lower price, this is the best Android flagship value. The iPhone 16 keeps much of what makes

06:41the Pro models great, but at a more affordable $799. It shares the same A18 chip and 48-megapixel

06:49main camera as the iPhone 16 Pro, making it arguably the best-value iPhone you can buy today. Apple

06:55upgraded the ultrawide camera with a wider f2.2 aperture, which allows for better low-light shots

07:00and a new macro mode. While it lacks a telephoto lens, its sensor crop 2x digital zoom still holds

07:06up well against phones with a dedicated zoom camera. Battery life is solid at over 12 hours,

07:11though charging speeds remain capped at 20-watt wired. At least we still have 25-watt wireless

07:16charging with MagSafe. At $799, the iPhone 16 delivers much of the Pro experience for $200 less. Unless you

07:23need ProMotion or telephoto lenses, this is the best balance of price and features in the iPhone lineup.

07:30For $459, the NothingPhone 3A Pro redefines what budget phones can offer. It's one of the few sub-$500

07:38phones offering a triple camera system, including a telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, something

07:44rarely seen at this price point. The 5,000 milliamp hour battery lasted over 14 and a half hours in

07:49testing, beating competitors like the Pixel 8a and the iPhone 16e. 50-watt wired fast charging can get

07:56it to about 70% in just 30 minutes, though wireless charging is absent. Powered by a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3,

08:03performance is decent for daily tasks, but more demanded gaming can feel choppy. If you want a

08:09cool-looking feature-rich phone with great battery life and versatile cameras, the NothingPhone 3A Pro is

08:14an unbeatable deal. The Galaxy S25 brings all of Samsung's latest AI tools to a more compact and

08:21affordable flagship. At $799, it's $500 cheaper than the S25 Ultra, making it the best way for most

08:28people to experience Samsung's AI features. Samsung kept the same camera setup as the S24,

08:34but the updated ProVisual engine improves photo processing, low-light performance, and color accuracy.

08:40It's one of the few $799 phones with a dedicated telephoto lens, though its 3x zoom falls short of

08:47the 5x lenses found on the Pro models from Apple and Google. Owners of recent Galaxy S models won't

08:53find much of a reason to upgrade here on camera performance alone. The 4,000 milliamp hour battery

08:58lasted over 15.5 hours in testing, a huge improvement over last year's model. However, charging remains at

09:0525 watt wired, and while T2 wireless charging is available, you're gonna need a supported case to take

09:11full advantage of it. With a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, 12 gigabytes of RAM, and Samsung's full AI suite,

09:17the Galaxy S25 is the best Samsung flagship for most people, especially if you prefer a more compact

09:24phone without the ultra price tag. Those are the best phones of early 2025. Whether you're after the best

09:30overall, top value, or killer foldable. If you found this video helpful, drop a comment below and let me

09:35know which phone you're thinking of picking up this year, or if there's another one that I should cover

09:39for the next time. You can find us everywhere at Tom's Guide, and you can follow me to see what other

09:43cool tech I'm testing, and until the next one, I'll catch you later.

Best Phones of 2025 | Tom's Guide Review

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