The Best Smartphones of Winter 2023 - 33 Models Reviewed

Comparison of all the latest smartphones. Over the past three months, we have seen the release of new iPhones and Google Pixel smartphones. Several other manufacturers have also released new models. This is an overview of the best smartphones of the past 3 months and our personal favorites.

Florian Schmitt, 👁 Florian Schmitt (translated by Marius Schell), Published 01/23/2023 🇩🇪 🇷🇺

The Best of the Best - Smartphones With the Highest Overall Rating

Since many manufacturers release their flagship models at the end of the year, seeing a total of 13 smartphones from the past 3 months achieve a "very good" rating in their reviews makes sense. The two devices in first place should not come as a surprise to most people: The Apple iPhone 14 Pro and the slightly bigger iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Equipped with the latest Apple A16 SoC, the models have become even faster and once again offer the fastest performance on the market. Apple makes great use of the Dynamic Island, which is technically an even bigger notch than on previous models. The feature is still controversial. By contrast, the camera setups of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max leave barely any room for complaints, even from Apple's most vocal critics: Both smartphones are able to capture fantastic pictures in almost any situation.

The runner-up in terms of the overall score is a smartphone that not many people would have expected at the beginning last year: It has been a long time since we saw a high-end Motorola smartphone after all. Regardless, the latest Edge 30 Ultra comes with a bright display, fast charging technology, long battery life, and a full-featured triple camera.

The Apple iPhone 14 is close behind. Although it is not equipped with the latest processor and instead based on last year's Apple A15, the latter is still one of the fastest SoCs on the market. While many aspects remain otherwise unchanged, there is no need to entirely reinventing the wheel.

The Sony Xperia 5 IV is somewhat of an outlier among flagship smartphones and includes a headphone jack and a microSD card reader in its compact case. Additionally, it comes with great speakers. Unfortunately, the camera no longer supports variable zoom.

The Google Pixel 7 Pro is another surprise and features one of the best camera setups of any Android phone. Similarly, it performs well in many other disciplines and comes with added software functionality courtesy of Google.

So close, yet so far: Although Huawei's Mate 50 Pro takes excellent pictures, has a great screen, and offers fast performance, there is no support for Google services or 5G. Since the user experience is more involved and requires certain concessions, it is generally harder to recommend.

The Apple iPhone 14 Plus is a significantly larger non-Pro iPhone that primarily struggles when compared to its in-house competition. Its 60-Hz screen and less premium case are drawbacks which the iPhone 13 Pro Max does not suffer from despite its similar price point.

The Asus ROG Phone 6D is a great gaming phone with a powerful MediaTek SoC: The Dimensity 9000+ reaches a similar performance level as Qualcomm's latest SoCs - a big milestone. That being said, there is very heavy throttling under load without the optional cooler.

The Google Pixel 7 is a very affordable high-end phone with a compact form factor. Highlights include long update support and a great camera setup. Wi-Fi 6 support was enabled via an update in December.

The Asus ROG Phone 6D Ultimate comes with a higher storage capacity and an included cooler. However, the price premium of around 375 USD compared to the Asus ROG Phone 6D is quite substantial.

With its unique folding mechanism, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 5G also makes it into our list of the best smartphones. Compared to earlier foldable smartphone models, it looks significantly more robust and delivers lots of performance as well as a good display.

Finally, the Xiaomi 12T Pro 5G also achieves a very good score. At just around 700 USD, it is particularly affordable and comes with great cooling and excellent battery life.

Our Favorites - Editor's Choice Awards Winter 2023

Our publishing team votes based on the test results from a specific period to award our Editor's Choice Award.

It highlights smartphones that stand out with a particularly well-rounded set of features, top scores in certain subcategories, or particularly good value, making them especially enticing offerings in their respective categories and the eyes of our editors.

Motorola Moto G72

The Motorola Moto G72 is a smartphone for users who are looking for a very bright OLED screen for a cheap price: With the ambient light sensor enabled, it allows for a full-screen brightness of more than 1000 nits. This is an outstanding result for a smartphone that costs just around 295 USD.

While the performance of the smartphone is average, it is equipped with a long-lasting battery and benefits from low heat development. The lightweight, slim case of the smartphone results in a sleek appearance.

Although there is no 5G support, the excellent screen of the budget smartphone is so unique that the Motorola Moto G72 deserves our Editor's Choice Award.

Editors Choice Award Winter 2023: Motorola Moto G72

Note: Commercial use of the Award graphics may be subject to licensing agreements. More Details.

The Best Smartphones of Winter 2023

Score	Model	Case Score	Size	Thickness	Weight Score	Weight	Display Score	Display Type	Resolution	Pixel Density	Aspect Ratio	Screen-to-Body Ratio	Screen Brightness	DeltaE Colorchecker	Screen Refresh Rate	Camera Score	DeltaE Colorchecker low-light	DeltaE Colorchecker daylight	Application Performance Score	Gaming Performance Score	3DMark for A. Sling Shot Ext. (ES 3.1) Un.	GFXBench Aztec Ruins H.T. Onscreen	PUBG Mobile HD	Battery Life Score	Battery Life Wi-Fi 150 nits	Temperature Score	Top Idle	Top Load	Audio Score	Max. Audio Output (dB)	Touchscreen Input Score	Connectivity Score
87.9 %	Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 5G SD 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730	90.1 %	6.70"	6.9 mm	89.1 %	187 g	93.2 %	Dynamic AMOLED	2640x1080	426 PPI	22:9	85.4 %	800 cd/m²	1	120 Hz	77.4 %	42.12	8.76	91.7 %	57.6 %	9166	62		88.7 %	657 min	94.3 %	25.7 °C	33.4 °C	78.2 %	86.3 dB	93.9 %	49.3 %
89.3 %	Motorola Edge 30 Ultra SD 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730	88.7 %	6.67"	8.39 mm	88.1 %	198.5 g	92.8 %	pOLED	2400x1080	393 PPI	20:9	90 %	1020 cd/m²	1	144 Hz	76.6 %	35.39	7.88	90.7 %	65.9 %	13223	68	60	90.8 %	872 min	94.1 %	28 °C	32.3 °C	75 %	90.3 dB	93.9 %	67.5 %
87.4 %	Motorola Edge 30 Fusion SD 888+ 5G, Adreno 660	82.7 %	6.55"	7.45 mm	90.4 %	172 g	92.9 %	pOLED	2400x1080	402 PPI	20:9	91 %	961 cd/m²	1.5	144 Hz	72 %	25.02	6.93	89 %	62.2 %	8677	36		88.9 %	686 min	92.7 %	29.4 °C	34.7 °C	83.2 %	88.9 dB	90.6 %	53.2 %
83.6 %	Motorola Edge 30 Neo SD 695 5G, Adreno 619	83.7 %	6.30"	7.75 mm	91.9 %	155 g	91.8 %	pOLED	2400x1080	418 PPI	20:9	88 %	992 cd/m²	1.6	120 Hz	65 %	45.12	3.87	77.5 %	32.4 %	3024	12		89.1 %	721 min	93.9 %	28.4 °C	32.3 °C	82.4 %	88.1 dB	91.1 %	47.8 %
89.2 %	Apple iPhone 14 A15, A15 GPU 5-Core	89.7 %	6.10"	7.8 mm	90.4 %	172 g	89.7 %	OLED	2532x1170	460 PPI	19.5:9	86 %	841 cd/m²	1.05	060 Hz	79.8 %	6.54	11.57	90.9 %	72 %		57.6		91.6 %	1010 min	91.8 %	23.3 °C	39.7 °C	80.8 %	80.9 dB	95 %	48.2 %
88.7 %	Apple iPhone 14 Plus A15, A15 GPU 5-Core	89.9 %	6.70"	7.8 mm	88 %	203 g	89.5 %	OLED	2778x1284	458 PPI	19.5:9	87.4 %	800 cd/m²	0.97	060 Hz	79.8 %	16.47	13.23	90.8 %	71.6 %		49.4		92.7 %	1085 min	90.6 %	23.5 °C	40.7 °C	80 %	79.8 dB	95 %	48.2 %
90.3 %	Apple iPhone 14 Pro A16, A16 GPU 5-Core	92.1 %	6.10"	7.85 mm	87.9 %	206 g	94.4 %	Super Retina XDR OLED	2556x1179	461 PPI	19.5:9	87 %	1049 cd/m²	1.2	120 Hz	81 %	21.25	9.22	95.3 %	71.3 %		59		91.2 %	807 min	91.3 %	28.7 °C	37.6 °C	78.6 %	89.5 dB	97.2 %	59.7 %
90.3 %	Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max A16, A16 GPU 5-Core	92.3 %	6.70"	7.85 mm	87.4 %	240 g	94.4 %	Super Retina XDR OLED	2796x1290	460 PPI	19.5:9	88 %	1057 cd/m²	1.3	120 Hz	80.8 %	21.57	9.4	95.3 %	68 %		54		92.7 %	948 min	87.1 %	31.1 °C	41.4 °C	79.8 %	89 dB	97.2 %	59.7 %
80.3 %	Samsung Galaxy A23 5G SD 695 5G, Adreno 619	82.3 %	6.60"	8.4 mm	88.3 %	197 g	83.2 %	PLS	2408x1080	400 PPI	20:9	82 %	428 cd/m²	5.54	120 Hz	60 %	42.97	10.88	68.4 %	28.8 %	2994	12	30	92 %	1099 min	90.9 %	22.2 °C	40.1 °C	66.6 %	85.9 dB	93.3 %	47.8 %
79.2 %	Nokia G60 SD 695 5G, Adreno 619	81.6 %	6.58"	8.6 mm	88.9 %	190 g	83.6 %	IPS	2408x1080	401 PPI	20:9	81 %	388 cd/m²	5.68	120 Hz	55.6 %	39	6.2	68 %	36.9 %	3096	12		90.3 %	871 min	77.9 %	22.6 °C	46.7 °C	52 %	79.9 dB	92.8 %	47.9 %
85.6 %	Xiaomi Poco X4 GT Dimensity 8100, Mali-G610 MP6	81.9 %	6.60"	8.9 mm	88 %	200 g	89.8 %	IPS	2460x1080	407 PPI	20.5:9	85.1 %	614 cd/m²	1.2	144 Hz	66.8 %	41.64	7.19	84.4 %	61.2 %	8155	39	30	90.7 %	929 min	92.3 %	31.4 °C	35.1 °C	80.8 %	86.1 dB	88.3 %	53.3 %
74.5 %	Ulefone Armor 15 Helio G35, PowerVR GE8320	77.7 %	5.45"	18.2 mm	85.6 %	346 g	80.4 %	IPS	1440x720	295 PPI	18:9	57 %	407 cd/m²	7.3	060 Hz	49.8 %	47.07	4.94	60.8 %	6.4 %	538	4.8		91.7 %	1059 min	93 %	32.3 °C	33.9 °C	76.2 %	94.5 dB	81.7 %	51.4 %
77.9 %	Samsung Galaxy A13 5G Dimensity 700, Mali-G57 MP2	78.3 %	6.50"	8.8 mm	88.4 %	195 g	82.9 %	PLS	1600x720	270 PPI	20:9	82 %	437 cd/m²	5.43	090 Hz	52 %	43.97	7.68	65.2 %	26.1 %	2478	17	30	91.8 %	1102 min	91.6 %	22.5 °C	39.7 °C	60 %	82.1 dB	89.4 %	47.6 %
84.9 %	Honor 70 SD 778G+ 5G, Adreno 642L	84.4 %	6.67"	7.9 mm	89.9 %	178 g	90.5 %	OLED	2400x1080	395 PPI	16:9	91 %	758 cd/m²	1.72	120 Hz	72.6 %	7.96	12.37	74 %	53 %	5711	21	39	89.8 %	794 min	87.8 %	26.6 °C	44.5 °C	60 %	80.6 dB	93.9 %	48.9 %
80.2 %	Oppo A77 5G Dimensity 810, Mali-G57 MP2	84.3 %	6.56"	8 mm	88.9 %	190 g	85.3 %	IPS	1612x720	269 PPI	20:9	84 %	566 cd/m²	4.62	090 Hz	59 %	44.45	9.3	68 %	32 %	2708	19		91.5 %	1032 min	88.4 %	24.9 °C	42.8 °C	56 %	82 dB	91.7 %	47.8 %
75.4 %	Motorola Moto E22i Helio G37, PowerVR GE8320	81.3 %	6.50"	8 mm	90.7 %	169 g	84.1 %	IPS	1600x720	270 PPI	20:9	83 %	355 cd/m²	3.81	090 Hz	51.2 %	46.41	14.06	47 %	5 %		4.9		89.4 %	753 min	92.3 %	22.2 °C	38.8 °C	58 %	79.2 dB	90 %	44.4 %
74.7 %	Samsung Galaxy A04s Exynos 850, Mali-G52 MP1	75.9 %	6.50"	9.1 mm	88.4 %	195 g	83.4 %	PLS	1600x720	270 PPI	20:9	81 %	390 cd/m²	4.39	090 Hz	47.2 %	45.22	16.67	55 %	10.1 %	920	6.9	17.5	90.8 %	977 min	92 %	23 °C	38.5 °C	56 %	78.4 dB	88.3 %	45.5 %
81.7 %	Nokia X30 SD 695 5G, Adreno 619	83 %	6.43"	8 mm	89.3 %	185 g	84.7 %	AMOLED	2400x1080	409 PPI	20:9	85 %	709 cd/m²	4.78	090 Hz	68.2 %	38.44	9.28	72.8 %	33.5 %	3079	12	30	90.9 %	860 min	93.1 %	23 °C	37.5 °C	74 %	82.3 dB	88.3 %	46.4 %
74.4 %	Xiaomi Poco C40 JR510, Mali-G52 MP1	81.1 %	6.71"	9.2 mm	87.9 %	204 g	83.6 %	IPS	1650x720	268 PPI	20.6:9	82 %	450 cd/m²	4.53	060 Hz	50 %	47.04	7.9	35 %	6.8 %	605	4.5	16	92.3 %	1205 min	94 %	23.3 °C	36.2 °C	56 %	80.1 dB	88.9 %	43.2 %
77.3 %	Samsung Galaxy A13 4G A137F Helio G80, Mali-G52 MP2	78.1 %	6.60"	8.8 mm	88.4 %	195 g	85.3 %	PLS	2408x1080	456 PPI	20:9	81 %	453 cd/m²	4.34	060 Hz	50.4 %	45.35	15.19	60 %	16.2 %	1357	5.1		90.5 %	896 min	92.3 %	23.1 °C	38.1 °C	68 %	82.7 dB	92.8 %	44.8 %
89.1 %	Google Pixel 7 Pro Tensor G2, Mali-G710 MP7	91.4 %	6.70"	8.9 mm	87.8 %	212 g	94.6 %	OLED	3120x1440	513 PPI	19.5:9	88 %	1025 cd/m²	0.9	120 Hz	81.8 %	36.03	4.98	82.9 %	62.4 %	8449	28	60	90.2 %	676 min	88.8 %	28.6 °C	41.3 °C	75.2 %	88.4 dB	94.4 %	59 %
88.5 %	Google Pixel 7 Tensor G2, Mali-G710 MP7	89.7 %	6.30"	8.7 mm	88.3 %	197 g	93.7 %	OLED	2400x1080	418 PPI	20:9	84 %	947 cd/m²	1.3	090 Hz	80.8 %	33.85	4.76	82.9 %	58.6 %	8192	48	60	90.4 %	731 min	88.5 %	29.5 °C	43.2 °C	77.4 %	88.3 dB	93.3 %	58.2 %
88.9 %	Huawei Mate 50 Pro SD 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730	91.7 %	6.70"	8.5 mm	87.9 %	209 g	92.2 %	AMOLED	2616x1212	430 PPI	20:9	92 %	945 cd/m²	1.18	120 Hz	84.2 %	9.89	8.63	81.5 %	58.8 %		54		90.1 %	717 min	86.1 %	32 °C	45.1 °C	80 %	79.5 dB	97.8 %	52.4 %
78.9 %	Xiaomi Poco M5 Helio G99, Mali-G57 MP2	81.3 %	6.58"	8.9 mm	88 %	201 g	90.4 %	IPS	2408x1080	401 PPI	20:9	83 %	396 cd/m²	1.26	090 Hz	51.2 %	45.68	6.72	72 %	26.9 %	2618	8.8	30	90.7 %	916 min	92.7 %	22.2 °C	40.1 °C	50 %	80.7 dB	91.7 %	45.9 %
87.7 %	Xiaomi 12T Pro 5G SD 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730	85.6 %	6.67"	8.6 mm	87.9 %	205 g	93.3 %	AMOLED	2712x1220	446 PPI	20:9	87 %	913 cd/m²	1	120 Hz	70.2 %	35.74	11.44	88.3 %	73.3 %	12876	53	60	91.9 %	1085 min	93.4 %	31.4 °C	31.9 °C	74.2 %	90.1 dB	93.9 %	53.7 %
81.9 %	Motorola Moto G72 Helio G99, Mali-G57 MP2	84 %	6.60"	7.9 mm	90.9 %	166 g	88.6 %	P-OLED	2400x1080	399 PPI	20:9	86 %	980 cd/m²	4.56	120 Hz	65 %	45.75	6.75	70 %	27.1 %	2648	8.9	29	90.8 %	929 min	92.8 %	25.8 °C	36.5 °C	64 %	85.4 dB	93.3 %	48 %
86 %	Huawei Nova 10 Pro SD 778G 4G, Adreno 642L	83.6 %	6.78"	7.96 mm	88.8 %	191 g	92.8 %	OLED	2652x1200	429 PPI	19.9:9	91 %	802 cd/m²	1.1	120 Hz	71.4 %	16.78	6.97	81.3 %	56.7 %	5334	16		88.8 %	674 min	91.9 %	33.2 °C	34.8 °C	82.2 %	83.8 dB	92.2 %	51.4 %
82.6 %	Gigaset GX6 Dimensity 900, Mali-G68 MP4	88.1 %	6.60"	11.9 mm	86.7 %	278 g	86.4 %	IPS	2412x1080	400 PPI	20:9	69 %	491 cd/m²	4.32	120 Hz	63.6 %	32.67	9.91	79.2 %	43.8 %	4173	16		91.3 %	1002 min	91.6 %	30.3 °C	37.1 °C	52 %	80.2 dB	92.8 %	52.3 %
86.3 %	Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 SD 8+ Gen 1, Adreno 730	84.7 %	8.02"	5.4 mm	87 %	262 g	92.3 %	OLED	2160x1914	360 PPI	10.2:9	88 %	1022 cd/m²	1.6	120 Hz	69.8 %	38.94	8.63	92.6 %	59.9 %	13077	32		87.7 %	567 min	93.8 %	28 °C	33.6 °C	77.6 %	84 dB	93.3 %	53.4 %
80.9 %	Xiaomi Poco M5s Helio G95, Mali-G76 MP4	83.1 %	6.43"	8.3 mm	89.8 %	178.8 g	83.1 %	AMOLED	2400x1080	409 PPI	20:9	83.5 %	720 cd/m²	2.04	060 Hz	56.8 %	44.38	6.57	72.5 %	32.9 %	2855	11	29	91.8 %	1011 min	88.4 %	22.3 °C	46.6 °C	73.8 %	81.8 dB	91.1 %	47.3 %
89.2 %	Sony Xperia 5 IV SD 8 Gen 1, Adreno 730	88.9 %	6.10"	8.2 mm	90.5 %	171 g	92.1 %	OLED	2520x1080	449 PPI	21:9	82 %	902 cd/m²	2	120 Hz	71.4 %	45.04	6.47	88.7 %	57.9 %	10103	41		89.4 %	617 min	90.2 %	30 °C	39.6 °C	90 %	87.1 dB	95.6 %	67.6 %
88.6 %	Asus ROG Phone 6D Dimensity 9000+, Mali-G710 MP10	85.6 %	6.78"	10.4 mm	87.4 %	239 g	87.5 %	AMOLED	2448x1080	395 PPI	20.4:9	81 %	768 cd/m²	3.97	165 Hz	71.8 %			91 %	72.1 %		64		91.2 %	986 min	88 %			80 %		99.4 %	68.3 %
88.5 %	Asus ROG Phone 6D Ultimate Dimensity 9000+, Mali-G710 MP10	85.6 %	6.78"	10.4 mm	87.2 %	247 g	87.5 %	AMOLED	2448x1080	395 PPI	20.4:9	85 %	768 cd/m²	3.97	165 Hz	71.8 %	15.94	6.39	91 %	72.1 %	12000	64	59	91.1 %	986 min	88 %	24.2 °C	48.9 °C	80 %	85 dB	99.4 %	68.3 %

The table above shows all smartphones from our review period with total scores and subscores from our in-depth reviews as well as a selection of important specifications and benchmark results. All results and details can be found in the linked reviews.

The table can be sorted relative to any column by clicking on its title, for example "Weight".

Winter 2023 Honorable Mentions

While Samsung's Galaxy A series has been very popular for a long time, recent models demand steep prices despite often falling behind compared to some competitors. While the Galaxy A23 5G is not exactly cheap at 300 USD, it has a lot to offer: This includes optical image stabilization for the camera, a 120-Hz display and good battery life.

The Galaxy A23 5G impressed us in our review with significant improvements in many areas compared to the previous model.

New Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra camera samples show off impressive nightography and improved zoom performance News @ 01/23/2023
iPhone 15 series: Design changes for Apple's upcoming smartphones include thinner bezels and curved edges News @ 01/22/2023
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's Adreno 740 GPU thrashes S22 Ultra's Adreno 730 in Vulkan by over 56% News @ 01/22/2023
First Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra hands-on leak showcases the flagship in the flesh as Galaxy S23+ packaging gets outed by retail store News @ 01/22/2023
ASUS Zenfone 8, ASUS 8z and Zenfone 8 Flip now eligible for Android 13 updates News @ 01/18/2023
iPhone 15 Pro Max tipped to launch with new periscope zoom lens from LG News @ 01/17/2023
Google Pixel Fold: Dummy unit highlights ultra-thin design of Google's first foldable smartphone News @ 01/17/2023
iPhone 14 Pro/Pro Max line-flashing screen defect is a software issue with an upcoming iOS 16 patch News @ 01/14/2023
iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max tipped to launch with solid-state buttons from Cirrus Logic News @ 01/13/2023
Google Pixel 6 Pro now up to 33% off on Amazon News @ 01/12/2023
Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro return to their most enticing sale price ever News @ 01/11/2023
Asus ROG Phone 6D: How is it different to the ROG Phone 6? News @ 12/22/2022
Asus ROG Phone 6D and 6D Ultimate Smartphone review – Gaming phones with great accessories Review @ 12/20/2022

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Editor of the original article: Florian Schmitt - Managing Editor Mobile - 1135 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2009

I initially wrote about gaming laptops when I joined Notebookcheck in 2009. I was then involved with the setup of the comparison portal Notebookinfo and worked with social media concepts for large companies like BMW and Adidas, while also returning to work for Notebookcheck in 2012. Nowadays, I focus on smartphones, tablets, and future technologies. Since 2018 I have been Managing Editor for mobile device reviews, working alongside my colleague Daniel Schmidt.

contact me via: @FloSchmi26, LinkedIn, Xing

Translator: Marius Schell - Tech Writer - 398 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2020

Even in my youth I was already very enthusiastic about technology, and as a result I started building PCs, optimizing them, and writing programs while I was still in school. When dealing with the inevitable hardware and software problems associated with computers, I was always relentless in my search for the necessary solutions. The compact forms of laptops and smartphones introduced further challenges in this regard. In my reviews for Notebookcheck I try to communicate as objectively as possible how well a device copes with these hurdles.

contact me via: LinkedIn

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > The Best Smartphones of Winter 2023 - 33 Models Reviewed

Florian Schmitt, 2023-01-23 (Update: 2023-01-28)