Ranking: Best smartphones reviewed by Notebookcheck

The 17 Ultra is a consistently high-end flagship with high-quality workmanship. The flat LTPO OLED supports variable refresh rates, modern HDR formats and a finely calibrated color display, while a powerful speaker system underlines its multimedia qualities. In terms of technology, Xiaomi relies on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with plenty of RAM, very fast UFS 4.1 flash and Wi-Fi 7, which means that everyday and gaming performance are clearly in the high-end league, even if the SoC noticeably throttles under continuous load. The list of features is very extensive with USB 3.2 and DisplayPort Alt Mode, NFC, UWB, an IR blaster, and optional camera kit. eSIM support is reserved for the global version, though.

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra impresses with a very good camera setup.

At its core is the Leica camera system with 1-inch main sensor (Omnivision Light Hunter 1050L), new Leica APO zoom in the 75-100 mm range, additional 200 MPix camera and ultra-wide angle/macro, which sets standards in terms of dynamic range, telephoto quality and video (including 8K and Dolby Vision), even if the color balance in Leica Vibrant mode sometimes leads to brighter tones. The battery configuration offers solid endurance, but is reduced in size in the global version compared to the Chinese model and does not charge quite as quickly as some competitors in everyday use despite its high rated power.

The smartphone is currently only available as an import - from TradingShenzhen, among other options.

The iPhone 17 Pro is a predictable further development of the series, scoring points with numerous improvements such as the new, significantly brighter OLED display with better colors, a larger and more enduring battery, and the powerful A19 Pro chip with 12 GB of RAM ensuring outstanding system performance and one of the best battery runtimes for the product subcategory.

The iPhone 17 Pro is a powerful premium smartphone.

The main cameras have been improved, in particular the telephoto lens and the new 18-MP Center Stage front camera offer more flexibility and quality in everyday life. The updated design features a sturdy, albeit more scratch-sensitive aluminum frame, which underlines the slim look.

In terms of technology, the smartphone offers an extensive set of modern features including Wi-Fi 7, dual eSIM and USB 3.2. Nevertheless, there is some criticism: high-res Bluetooth audio codecs are missing, and some new iOS 26 features are not available in Europe.

If you want a larger display and even better battery life, and are not afraid of more weight, you should consider the iPhone 17 Pro Max instead.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra focuses on artificial intelligence (AI). Hardware improvements compared to the predecessor model are moderate at best. Cameras-wise, the phone offers a 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera with the Samsung GN3 sensor, which is also used for macro shots. The main camera sensor has 200 megapixels, producing 12-megapixel photos through pixel binning. 3x and 5x optical zoom hardware is onboard. Image stabilization quality is remarkable, especially with the 5x zoom. Videos can be recorded in resolutions from 720p to 8K, with neat new features available, such as "Audio Eraser" to reduce background noise and "Nightography" for better recordings in low-light conditions.

Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra is a strong product that comes with 7 years of software updates.

The smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor, supported by 12 GB of RAM. Performance in benchmarks is excellent at first glance, but is reduced under continuous load to prevent overheating.

The Honor Magic8 Pro is positioned as an almost complete high-end smartphone with a very bright 6.71-inch LTPO OLED that achieves peak HDR values beyond 6,000 cd/m², is very evenly illuminated and is color-calibrated with low DeltaE values. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, it delivers excellent peak performance with ray tracing support in CPU and GPU benchmarks, but throttles by around 50% under continuous load while remaining well below 45 °C on the surface. The Adreno 840 GPU achieves top results in 3DMark and GFXBench scenarios, making the device clearly suitable for gaming.

The Honor Magic8 Pro shines with its strong technical features and good camera setup.

Technically, it also stands out with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0 including Auracast, USB 3.2 with image output, ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, 3D face recognition and a freely assignable AI button, even if UWB is missing and the Wi-Fi speed lags behind other Wi-Fi 7 flagships. The triple camera combines a main camera with f/1.6 and OIS according to CIPA 5.5, periscope zoom with up to 100x magnification, ultra-wide angle/macro and delivers detailed, stabilized photos and 4K videos, but tends to produce very bright, strong images ex works. The EU-battery, which has been reduced to 6,270 mAh, achieves just under 27 hours in the WLAN surf test and charges quickly in 36 minutes using a 100 W power adapter.

While Xiaomi's 17 does set new standards for compact smartphones with its huge 7,000 mAh battery and powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the phone is not without its weaknesses. The enormous battery capacity ensures runtimes that are well above those of most rival phones, but ups the weight and size noticeably which may turn fans of truly slim phones off.

The 17 shines with its gigantic battery, but is heavier as a consequence.

The new processor performs well, however, thermal management issues apparently prevent it, and its integrated graphics unit in particular, from revealing its full potential in longer load scenarios. Although the camera setup impresses with Leica optics and good low-light capabilities, the photos can sometimes appear oversaturated and over-sharpened in daylight. In addition, HyperOS 3 takes heavy inspiration from iOS, which may not appeal to every Android fan, and the Chinese version comes with limitations such as the lack of eSIM support and fewer years of guaranteed software support. Despite its strengths, the Xiaomi 17 therefore remains a compromise and is only available to buy from China-based sellers, such as TradingShenzhen.

The Pixel 10 Pro has a high-quality glass-and-aluminum casing with IP68 certification. Running the town here is the Tensor G5 processor with 16 GB of RAM, which runs smoothly in everyday use but lags behind the competition in benchmarks. Storage options up to 1 TB are available, but transfer rates are lower than expected despite the UFS 4.0 specification.

Google's Pixel 10 Pro impresses with its lovely display, excellent camera and long updates. It's the SoC performance, storage performance and PWM display flickering that are dragging it down.

The 6.3-inch LTPO OLED display resolving at 2,856 × 1,280 achieves peak brightness of up to 3,200 cd/m² and has a 120-Hz refresh rate, but uses rather low-frequency PWM. The Pixel's key features include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, UWB, NFC and dual-band GNSS. The latter is not very precise indoors.

Its 4,870-mAh battery can be charged at up to 30 W wired and 15 W wirelessly. Its triple primary camera with 50, 48 and 48 MP delivers impressive photos, and its ultrasonic fingerprint scanner recognizes fingers quickly. The phone's vibration motor provides precise feedback.

The Galaxy S25 is a relatively compact flagship smartphone with a 6.2-inch screen. It comes equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, which promises a significant boost in performance compared to the previous model. The device offers 12 GB of RAM and is available with 128 GB, 256 GB or 512 GB of storage.

Its AMOLED display supports an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120 Hz and offers a Full HD+ resolution. The primary camera has optical image stabilization, and there is a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera as well as a telephoto lens with triple optical zoom supporting it.

Samsung's Galaxy S25 is positioned as a powerful and compact flagship smartphone with modern AI functions, but with few changes compared to its predecessors.

The 4,000-mAh battery supports wired charging at 25 watts as well as wireless charging via Fast Wireless Charging 2.0. The product is IP68-certified, which offers protection against water and dust. Despite its high-quality features, the S25 remains light and compact at 162 grams. The phone also offers advanced AI functions, including Google's Gemini Assistant.

The Galaxy S25 Plus is a slightly larger and better brother of the base S25.

The Xperia 1 VII is a high-end smartphone for photo and video professionals. It uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite with 12-GB RAM and offers a 6.5-inch OLED display (4K, 120 Hz). The panel can be as bright as 1,979 cd/m², and 240-Hz PWM dimming is supported. The triple camera comprises a 48-MP main lens, 48-MP ultra-wide-angle lens and 12-MP telephoto lens with continuous 3.5x to 7.1x zoom. It delivers high-quality results, especially in Pro mode, but the automatic mode is not great.

Sony's Xperia 1 VII impresses with its brilliant 4K OLED display, professional camera with continuous zoom, and strong battery life, but shows weaknesses in charging speed and digital telephoto zoom performance.

The Sony phone has 256 GB of storage, micro-SD card support, a 3.5-mm jack, USB-C video output and Wi-Fi 7. The 5,000-mAh battery offers long runtimes, but only charges at 30 W. On the software side, the device ships with Android 15 and receives four years of system updates and six years of security updates. Overall, the Xperia 1 VII impresses with its precise technology, excellent display and professional camera options, but is weaker when it comes to charging speeds and the automatic camera modes.

The ultra-slim Galaxy S25 Edge is 5.85-mm-thick with a robust finish on its titanium frame, Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 in charge of protecting the display, and IP68 certification. Despite the size and weight reduction, the 163-g-lightweight product is surprisingly torsion-resistant. It also relies on modern technology: A bright 6.7″ LTPO OLED panel with 120 Hz and the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chip with 12 GB of RAM.

Samsung delivers an impressively thin, yet powerful flagship with the Galaxy S25 Edge.

Other features include Wi-Fi 7, UWB, dual eSIM, USB 3.2 and up to seven years of software updates. In terms of the camera system, Samsung uses the same 200 MP main camera here as in the Ultra model. A 12 MP ultra-wide angle camera is onboard as well, whereas a telephoto lens is missing due to the thin nature of the phone. The battery only has a capacity of 3,900 mAh, but still delivers solid runtimes in everyday use.

The Poco F8 Ultra is an attractively priced high-end smartphone that delivers very high everyday and gaming performance thanks to Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, fast UFS 4.1 memory and HyperOS 3.0. The large 120 Hz AMOLED is sharp, color-accurate and bright, but does without LTPO and therefore without particularly efficient, finely graduated refresh rates.

The Poco F8 Ultra offers an affordable overall package with exceptional sound.

Technically, the device scores with an IP68 housing, USB 3.2 including display output, Wi-Fi 7 (without 6 GHz band), dual eSIM, ultrasonic fingerprint sensor in the display and Xiaomi's HyperAI functions, but has to make do without UWB and a jack. The triple camera with Light Fusion 950 main sensor, ultra-wide angle and optical zoom including OIS delivers good photos in daylight and into the twilight range, complemented by 8K and 4K video.

The large battery combines a very decent battery life with extremely fast charging times, both wired and wireless, while the device reaches its thermal limits in the 3D stress test and benchmarks can stop due to overheating. A unique selling point are the speakers developed by Bose with a subwoofer on the back, which provide an exceptionally powerful and balanced sound in the smartphone sector.