The Best Smartphones
Besides the ranking of the high-end smartphones, the following charts might be interesting as well:
Smartphones are destroying everything else in terms of sales in the mobile market. These incredibly versatile devices outstripped normal cell phones ages ago. With even stronger processors and growing display sizes, the so-called "phablets" are now encroaching on tablet territory. The line between these devices is growing increasingly blurry - at least at the upper end of the market. These smartphone-tablet crossbreeds have taken many of the top spots in our smartphone Top 10 list. As a result, most of the top models in our list are occupied by very recently released devices. Still, here and there a brave old soldier has clung on to the top of the ladder.
The Best Smartphones
Position | Total Rating | Date | Image | Model | Height | Weight | Size | Refresh-Rate | Resolution | Screen-to-Body | OS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 91.1 % | 12/2023 | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Apple A17 Pro Apple A17 Pro GPU 8 GB Memory, 256 GB NVMe | 8.25 mm | 221 g | 6.70" | 120 Hz | 2796x1290 | 88 % | Apple iOS 17 | |
2 | 91.1 % | 03/2023 | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy Qualcomm Adreno 740 12 GB Memory, 256 GB | 8.9 mm | 233 g | 6.80" | 120 Hz | 3080x1440 | 90 % | Android 13 | |
3 | 90.5 % | 03/2023 | Samsung Galaxy S23 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy Qualcomm Adreno 740 8 GB Memory, 128 GB | 7.6 mm | 167 g | 6.10" | 120 Hz | 2340x1080 | 88 % | Android 13 | |
4 | 90.1 % | 07/2023 | Honor Magic5 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Qualcomm Adreno 740 12 GB Memory, 512 GB | 8.77 mm | 219 g | 6.81" | 120 Hz | 2848x1312 | 91 % | Android 13 | |
5 | 90.2 % | 05/2023 | Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Qualcomm Adreno 740 16 GB Memory, 512 GB | 10.3 mm | 239 g | 6.78" | 165 Hz | 2448x1080 | 82 % | Android 13 | |
6 | 89.9 % | 06/2023 | Sony Xperia 1 V Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Qualcomm Adreno 740 12 GB Memory, 256 GB | 8.3 mm | 187 g | 6.50" | 120 Hz | 3840x1644 | 84.2 % | Android 13 | |
7 | 89.7 % | 11/2023 | Apple iPhone 15 Plus Apple A16 Bionic Apple A16 GPU 5-Core 6 GB Memory, 128 GB NVMe | 7.8 mm | 201 g | 6.70" | 060 Hz | 2796x1290 | 88 % | Apple iOS 17 | |
8 | 89.7 % | 06/2023 | Xiaomi 13 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Qualcomm Adreno 740 12 GB Memory, 512 GB | 9.1 mm | 227 g | 6.73" | 120 Hz | 3200x1440 | 89.5 % | Android 13 | |
9 | 89.4 % | 12/2023 New! | Xiaomi 14 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Qualcomm Adreno 750 12 GB Memory, 256 GB | 8.49 mm | 223 g | 6.73" | 120 Hz | 3200x1440 | 90 % | Android 14 | |
10 | 89.4 % | 05/2023 | Motorola Edge 40 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Qualcomm Adreno 740 12 GB Memory, 256 GB | 8.6 mm | 199 g | 6.67" | 165 Hz | 2400x1080 | 91 % | Android 13 |
The table above contains an overview over the best smartphones reviewed by Notebookcheck over the course of the past 12 months as well as still relevant and available older products. In cases of identical score the more recent device is listed first. All prices in above table and price comparisons are updated daily and can thus differ.
Link: all devices in this class reviewed
Editors' Comments
The Xiaomi 14 Pro jumps into the top 10, which is why we have to say goodbye to the Motorola Edge 30 Ultra. With the Galaxy S24 series, other promising test candidates are about to be launched on the market.
1st – Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is slightly slimmer than its predecessor and, above all, noticeably lighter. This is mainly due to the titanium alloy of the new frame. Apple is also saying goodbye to the Lightning port and integrating USB-C instead.
The display is a 6.7-inch OLED panel with a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, a high resolution and Dolby Vision support. With the largest battery in an iPhone, the runtimes are also correspondingly long.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is an all-round successful smartphone. Even if it has to put up with a lot of malice for the late switch to USB-C, it is still very well done.
There have also been changes to the camera: the main camera once again uses a 48 MPix sensor, which now generates 24 MPix images. A new feature is the optical zoom, which now offers five times the magnification and can rely on a brand new stabilization system. The iPhone 15 Pro is slightly smaller and has a weaker zoom lens.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max can be purchased directly from Apple in all color and storage variants.
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2nd - Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the top product from the Koreans and lives up to its ambitions of being the best smartphone. It features a large 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED panel that works with a dynamic refresh rate of 1 to 120 Hz and has a high resolution. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy ensures a strong performance and can rely on 8 or 12 GB of RAM depending on the variant. Storage capacities of 256, 512 or 1,024 GB are available. The S Pen is also on board again.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra offers a super-strong overall package that only has a few equipment gaps.
The powerful camera setup offers a wide range of applications from an ultra-wide-angle with macro mode to a 100x zoom. The video features are not neglected in the process. The 5,000 mAh battery helps the S23 Ultra to long battery runtimes, and it is also IP68-certified again, supports wireless charging, eSIM support, USB 3.2, UWB and much more. Only Wi-Fi 7 has to be omitted and the audio codec support for Bluetooth is expandable.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is available among others on Amazon, with prices starting just North of $1,000 for the 256 GB SKU.
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3rd – Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+
The Samsung Galaxy S23 has a 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED display that can get enormously bright and supports a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. The display-surface ratio is also very appealing. The S23 is powered by the fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, which has 8 GB of RAM. Both a 128 GB and a 256 GB storage solution are available.
Samsung Galaxy S23 is one of the best smartphones of 2023, and its big brother S23+ offers another icing on the cake in some areas.
The 3,900 mAh battery helps Samsung's smartphone to achieve long runtimes and the triple camera takes really good photos as well as videos. The compact phone is rounded off by an IP68 certification and a long update supply. Only UWB and Wi-Fi 7 have to be waived.
The Galaxy S23+ not only has a slightly larger screen, but also a disproportionately larger battery (4,700 mAh), which is why its runtimes are even better. It also has a UWB chip and can also be purchased with 512 GB of storage.
The Galaxy smartphones can be ordered directly from Samsung, but are also available from all common online retailers like Amazon.
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4th – Honor Magic5 Pro
The Honor Magic5 Pro is a powerful high-end smartphone with an impressive triple camera, a large battery, fast charging, 3D facial recognition, and a long update supply. It uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor with 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage.
The Honor Magic5 Pro is a very good Android smartphone that only allows itself a few weaknesses.
The case is well-made and waterproof. It has a fast USB 3.2 port, but does not support UWB. The smartphone comes with Google Android 13 and the MagicOS 7.1 user interface. The cameras offer good results in both photos and videos. The communication features are modern, but the smartphone does not support 6 GHz WLAN. It has good navigation features and offers good telephony quality. The quite extensive scope of delivery should also be emphasized positively. Overall, the Honor Magic5 Pro is a powerful smartphone with minor limitations.
The Honor Magic5 Pro is not available in the US.
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5th – Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
The Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is a gaming smartphone that relies on powerful hardware to deliver a premium gaming experience. It features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and is available in a variety of storage configurations. The smartphone's 6.78-inch AMOLED display has a refresh rate of up to 165 Hz, and the high touch sampling rate of 720 Hz enables fast responses to inputs.
Even in the latest version, the ROG Phone 7 cannot knock anyone off the throne: It remains the best gaming smartphone.
The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate stands out with its opulent equipment list. It has a 6,000 mAh battery that ensures a long gaming time and an external fan that provides additional cooling. The smartphone ships with the Android 13 operating system and the custom user interface ROG UI. Asus plans to provide two OS upgrades and provide the device with security updates for four years. The device is IP54 certified, making it dust and splash resistant.
The ROG Phone 7 can be found in all configurations in Asus' web store. Otherwise, user can purchase the smartphone via Amazon US.
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6th – Sony Xperia 1 V
The Sony Xperia 1 V offers a slim 21:9 display with an enormously high resolution and a peak brightness of up to 1,566 cd/m². A fast SoC from Qualcomm is just as much a part of the equipment as a water- and dust-proof casing, but its display-surface ratio looks a bit old-fashioned. In return, the wider bezel accommodates really good speakers and the Xperia 1 V can also accommodate an optional memory card. An audio jack also adorns the equipment list.
Sony's Xperia 1 V is a really good smartphone and can score with features that other manufacturers have already shelved.
The Sony Xperia 1 V is available through Sony's online store as well as the usual retail channels, such as Amazon US.
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7th – Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus
While the iPhone 15 has a 6.1-inch display, the iPhone 15 Plus has a 6.7-inch display. Accordingly, the batteries are also different in size at 3,349 mAh and 4,383 mAh respectively. And that's it for the differences.
Both iPhones are powered by a fast SoC and have access to 6 GB of RAM. There is a choice of 128, 256 or 512 GB of memory. The dual camera relies on a 48 MPix sensor, which is designed to enable a dual, almost lossless digital zoom and is supplemented by an ultra-wide-angle lens. The Apple smartphones are equipped with MagSafe, UWB and wireless charging and are protected against dust and water in accordance with IP68.
The iPhone 15 models are characterized by excellent workmanship, long battery life, a good dual camera and bright display, but we also miss some features that are otherwise common in this price range.
In the review, both iPhones were convincing, but also had to put up with criticism for the fact that, among other things, the display only works at 60 Hz, only slow USB 2.0 is installed and no 6 GHz WLAN is supported.
Both iPhones can be purchased is available directly from Apple, but can also be purchased from Amazon US for around $930.
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8th - Xiaomi 13 Ultra
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra just throws superlatives around. The 6.73-inch AMOLED display is supposed to be able to get up to 2,600 cd/m² brightness, but this was not confirmed in our test. The camera setup is based on a Sony IMX989 and was developed in cooperation with Leica. Fast charging with up to 90 watts and a lot of memory are also included.
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra leaves hardly anything to be desired, but it also has a steep price.
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra does not really have to put up with much criticism. However, despite the great specs, the smartphone is not the spearhead in terms of photography and the front-facing camera does not support Ultra HD video despite its massive resolution. It is also anything but lightweight at 227 grams. However, fans of the manufacturer will get their money's worth.
Currently, the device is available as an import device from TradingShenzhen, prices starting around $1,185.
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9th – Xiaomi 14 Pro
The Xiaomi 14 Pro has a 6.73-inch AMOLED display, which offers QHD+ and a refresh rate of 1 - 120 Hz and can also be very bright. The highlight is the triple camera on the back, which was developed in cooperation with Leica and uses three 50 MPix sensors. Unfortunately, the main sensor has become smaller, but is still impressive in the test.
The Xiaomi 14 Pro is a well-equipped high-end smartphone.
The battery of the Xiaomi 14 Pro delivers good battery life and can also be charged very quickly. However, the transfer speed of the USB 3.2 port is quite low for the selected standard. The version tested so far for the Chinese market also has very low frequency coverage and does not support eSIM. The global version, which we expect at the beginning of March, will be better equipped in this respect.
Currently, the Xiaomi 14 Pro is only available as an import and can be purchased from TradingShenzhen, among others.
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10th – Motorola Edge 40 Pro
The Edge 40 Pro is lightweight and compact and offers high-end features, including 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It features a USB-C port with USB 3.2 speed, NFC for wireless payments, and support for an eSIM profile. The Motorola smartphone comes with Android 13, and Motorola has assured that it will receive future updates. However, the security patches were outdated at the time of review.
Motorola Edge 40 Pro shines with a strong price-performance ratio.
The Edge 40 Pro offers good camera quality with a 50-megapixel main camera, a wide-angle lens and an optical zoom for close-ups. The OLED display is bright and can display HDR content well, although it is not outstanding in terms of resolution and luminosity. The speakers deliver good sound, and the phone has a variety of Bluetooth audio codecs.
The battery has a capacity of 4,600 mAh and offers good runtimes. The phone supports fast charging. Overall, the Motorola Edge 40 Pro offers a good total package at a relatively low price.
At the time of writing, the Edge Pro 40 only appears to be available in Europe.
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Best Smartphones in Comparison
Test Results
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 256 GB NVMe | Apple iPhone 15 Pro A17 Pro GPU, A17 Pro, 128 GB NVMe | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | Samsung Galaxy S23+ Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | Samsung Galaxy S23 Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | Honor Magic5 Pro Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | Sony Xperia 1 V Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | Apple iPhone 15 Plus A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 128 GB NVMe | Apple iPhone 15 A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 128 GB NVMe | Xiaomi 13 Ultra Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | Xiaomi 14 Pro Adreno 750, SD 8 Gen 3, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | Motorola Edge 40 Pro Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | |
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Response Times | |||||||||||||
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 1.58 ? | 2 ? | 2.43 ? | 0.98 ? | 1.36 ? | 0.87 ? | 1.29 ? | 1.54 ? | 3.26 ? | 2.7 ? | 1.02 ? | 1.36 ? | 1.1 ? |
Response Time Black / White * | 0.88 ? | 1.6 ? | 2.07 ? | 1.37 ? | 1.77 ? | 1.18 ? | 1.2 ? | 0.93 ? | 1.83 ? | 2.2 ? | 1.04 ? | 1.5 ? | 1.1 ? |
PWM Frequency | 240 | 242 | 240 | 240 | 240 | 120 | 513 | 376 | 60 | 306 | 120 | 120.5 | 235 |
Screen | |||||||||||||
Brightness middle | 1102 | 1092 | 1117 | 1128 | 1125 | 1291 | 1010 | 934 | 1044 | 1046 | 1357 | 1025 | 1056 |
Brightness | 1102 | 1086 | 1133 | 1136 | 1122 | 1289 | 1016 | 948 | 1040 | 1019 | 1340 | 1046 | 1055 |
Brightness Distribution | 98 | 99 | 97 | 99 | 96 | 96 | 95 | 96 | 99 | 94 | 89 | 95 | 92 |
Black Level * | |||||||||||||
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.1 | 0.91 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.28 |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 3.1 | 1.95 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 4 | 2.4 | 2.84 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 2.85 |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.6 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2 | 2.2 | 1.7 |
Gamma | 2.19 100% | 2.215 99% | 2.37 93% | 2.05 107% | 1.97 112% | 2.28 96% | 2.24 98% | 2.2 100% | 2.14 103% | 2.158 102% | 2.2 100% | 2.25 98% | 2.206 100% |
CCT | 6555 99% | 6481 100% | 6572 99% | 6644 98% | 6504 100% | 6472 100% | 6405 101% | 6384 102% | 6411 101% | 6410 101% | 6366 102% | 6622 98% | 6320 103% |
Heat | |||||||||||||
Maximum Upper Side * | 45.8 | 43 | 31.1 | 32.7 | 30.6 | 34 | 30.7 | 44.6 | 38.4 | 42 | 48.4 | 44.6 | 46.8 |
Maximum Bottom * | 45.2 | 43.4 | 30.1 | 30.8 | 30.2 | 31.6 | 29.4 | 44.3 | 39.5 | 43.7 | 46.8 | 44.2 | 46.1 |
Idle Upper Side * | 34.6 | 23.2 | 23.7 | 24.1 | 25.2 | 34 | 27.3 | 32.8 | 30.5 | 24 | 31.2 | 27.8 | 22.6 |
Idle Bottom * | 33.2 | 23.6 | 23.4 | 23.7 | 24.2 | 29.1 | 25.1 | 28.2 | 28.1 | 23.6 | 29.7 | 26 | 23 |
Battery Runtime | |||||||||||||
Reader / Idle | 3514 | 2714 | 2139 | 2585 | 2249 | 2580 | 2448 | 1321 | 2480 | 2698 | 1729 | 1998 | 2102 |
H.264 | 2013 | 1522 | 1543 | 1524 | 1255 | 1249 | 1554 | 859 | 1585 | 1305 | 1010 | 1437 | 1062 |
WiFi v1.3 | 1163 | 832 | 1100 | 1196 | 926 | 1074 | 1050 | 743 | 1102 | 1002 | 1065 | 897 | 984 |
Load | 384 | 362 | 400 | 385 | 370 | 276 | 412 | 336 | 306 | 298 | 189 | 297 | |
Power Consumption | |||||||||||||
Idle Minimum * | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.64 | 0.57 | 0.91 | 0.75 | 1.52 | 0.71 | 0.9 | 0.86 | 0.89 | 0.7 |
Idle Average * | 1.97 | 0.9 | 1.05 | 0.88 | 0.74 | 1.63 | 0.85 | 2.16 | 2.09 | 1 | 1.53 | 1.05 | 0.8 |
Idle Maximum * | 1.99 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.94 | 0.83 | 1.67 | 1.14 | 2.2 | 2.11 | 1.1 | 1.64 | 1.11 | 1.3 |
Load Average * | 3.36 | 6 | 3.99 | 4.18 | 4.26 | 2.61 | 3.52 | 7.85 | 4.32 | 6 | 3.12 | 9.03 | 10 |
Load Maximum * | 10.43 | 10.1 | 7.82 | 6.59 | 6.16 | 4.57 | 6.01 | 11.57 | 6.25 | 13.6 | 6.5 | 9.06 | 13.7 |
* ... smaller is better
Benchmarks
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal - offscreen Overall Score (sort by value) | |
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
Apple iPhone 15 Pro | |
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
Samsung Galaxy S23 | |
Apple iPhone 15 Plus | |
Apple iPhone 15 | |
Xiaomi 14 Pro |
UL Procyon AI Inference for Android - Overall Score NNAPI (sort by value) | |
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
Samsung Galaxy S23+ | |
Samsung Galaxy S23 | |
Honor Magic5 Pro | |
Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate | |
Xiaomi 13 Ultra | |
Xiaomi 14 Pro | |
Motorola Edge 40 Pro |