The best smartphones for fall 2026 – 19 phones compared

Sony is once again going its own way with its 2026 flagship phone, the Xperia 1 VIII. It still has a memory card slot, a notch-free screen design, and a 3.5-mm headphone jack unlike so many rival options. The 21:9 display of the previous-gen models, however, has been superseded by a more conventional aspect ratio.

This is a smartphone for individualists who do not fancy walking around with an iPhone or a Galaxy S in their hands like everyone else. Like its predecessors, it is more compact than the average flagship, if only by a small margin. It is also quite expensive, just like its predecessors were. In Germany, you will have to pay almost 1,500 euros if ordering from Amazon.de.

The Magic V6 aims to be one of the best foldable smartphones, and as we found in our review, that is more than just a claim. The phone offers a large battery with long runtimes, as well plenty of computing power, IP69 certification, and long-term updates.

The device has issues cooling its SoC, with the extremely slim design being the most likely culprit. The foldable smartphone currently costs around 1,500 euros at Amazon.de.

For the Editor's Choice Awards, we ask our editors what models impressed them the most over the past few months. The product's review rating is not what matters most here.

This means anything goes, from outdoor phones with unusual features, to exceptionally well-equipped budget phones, to all-around excellent mid-rangers that our editors want to spotlight once more.

With the Razr Fold, the brand's first full-size foldable smartphone, Motorola is playing it safe. Its performance and features are very similar to those of rival phones.

It's already seen noticeable discounts, and is currently available for around 1,549 euros on Amazon.de. Which is not to say it is the most affordable foldable on the market.

Thankfully, its bright, color-accurate displays, strong performance, and powerful cameras make up for this well enough.

Google's Pixel 10a is available for less than 400 euros in Germany. On can order it on Amazon.de among other options. While the Pixel offers few features that are not found on its predecessor, it is a good mid-range phone nonetheless with a simple yet stylish design, a USB-C 3.2 port, and a good main camera.

Sensitive users should try out the screen before buying, as it exhibits PWM flickering.

A truly distinctive feature, especially in this price range, is the phone's ability to make emergency calls via satellites.

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The table above lists all smartphones tested during the period under consideration, with their overall and individual ratings from our in-depth reviews, as well as a selection of key specifications, measurements and benchmark scores. Further scores and details can be found by visiting the linked reviews.