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The best smartphones of autumn 2023 - Comparison of 26 reviewed phones

The release of the new iPhones in September was a highlight in the smartphone market this year. Similarly, companies like Samsung, Sony, Motorola and Xiaomi also showcased interesting devices. Read our overview to find out which phones received the best ratings from us and which devices are worth taking a closer look at.

This article only features smartphones that we reviewed in the past three months. There are links to our in-depth reviews in the table at the end of this article. You can also find more exciting recommendations and possibly great deals in our previous best-of lists:

Highest rated devices: Here are the best smartphones right now!

The new Apple iPhones were unveiled on 12 September, and we have taken a comprehensive look at three of the four models. The iPhone 15 Pro Max (starting at €1,449 on Amazon, or US$1,200 with plan in the US) sits at the top of the best smartphone releases in the past three months. The phone is a great upgrade over its predecessor, offering a chassis with titanium finish, an even faster and more power-efficient processor as well as a 5x zoom camera that takes superb pictures.

The iPhone 15 Pro (starting at €1,199 on Amazon, or US$1,000 with plan) is next on the list with a slightly lower score. Despite having a shorter zoom and a marginally more compact body, it is just as premium and speedy as its bigger sibling.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (91%)
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (91%)
Apple iPhone 15 Pro (91%)
Apple iPhone 15 Pro (91%)

Coming in at third place is the non-Pro iPhone 15 (starting at €949 on Amazon, or US$830 with plan). This model comes with the likewise very fast Apple A16 SoC as well as some meaningful upgrades, including a USB-C port and a telephoto lens (though it only offers 2x optical zoom).

We gave the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 (starting €1,399 on Amazon, or US$1,500) a “Very Good” rating. The foldable phone features pen input, an excellent OLED display and long update support and wowed us with its high-quality chassis. However, considering the rapid pace at which foldable devices are evolving, Samsung needs to strive to deliver slightly more improvements in the next generation.

Apple iPhone 15 (89%)
Apple iPhone 15 (89%)
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 (89%)
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 (89%)

The Sony Xperia 5 V (starting at €980 on Amazon, or US$850) likewise earned our Top Rated Award. It is after all extremely premium, lightweight and compact. The phone also has a fantastic camera that stands out with its rich feature set, especially for professional users. That said, Sony needs to keep the thick bezel in check so as not to get left behind. 

The Nubia RedMagic 8S Pro (starting at €939 on Amazon, or US$899) similarly received a top rating from us. This gaming phone has a built-in fan that allows it to deliver high and consistent performance. True to its gaming nature, the RedMagic 8S Pro is equipped with a highly responsive screen and shoulder buttons.

Last but not least, the Xiaomi 13T Pro (starting at €692 on Amazon, or US$760) has earned a spot amongst the best smartphones released in the past months. This is because the Xiaomi boasts an excellent camera system, lightning-fast charging, a bright OLED display and long battery life.

Sony Xperia 5 V (89%)
Sony Xperia 5 V (89%)
Nubia RedMagic 8S Pro (88%)
Nubia RedMagic 8S Pro (88%)
Xiaomi 13T Pro (88%)
Xiaomi 13T Pro (88%)

Our favourites - Editors Choice Awards autumn 2023

Motorola Edge 40 Neo

The Motorola Edge 40 Neo received our Editor’s Choice Award. Over the past few months, we kept thinking about this phone, particularly because it offers great specs whilst costing only about €400 (may sometimes even go for less at some retailers).

The Edge 40 Neo truly shines when compared with other devices in this price range: the 144Hz screen can get very bright and also supports HDR, and the modern SoC offers heaps of performance and lets you game at 60 FPS. The phone is also kitted out with a huge amount of fast storage, a water-resistant chassis and a snappy Wi-Fi solution with 6GHz support.

Overall, the device represents tremendous value for money.

Motorola Edge 40 Neo

Honor 90 5G

Another recent release that impressed us is the Honor 90 5G, which currently can be had for around €400 (US$498). This upper mid-range phone stands out with its slim design, large and bright AMOLED display and exceptional main shooter. In particular, this camera captures sharp images and performs very well in challenging lighting conditions.

Though the SoC could be somewhat faster for the price and the phone lacks stereo speakers and wireless charging, the 512 GB of storage in particular is able to make up for some of the shortcomings in the specs department.

Honor 90 5G

Note: Commercial use of award graphics may be subject to licensing. More details.

The best smartphones of autumn 2023

Total rating
Model
Image
Price from
Case rating
Size
Thickness
Weight rating
Weight
Display rating
Display Type
Resolution
Pixel density
Aspect ratio
Screen-to-body ratio
Display brightness
Δ E ColorChecker
Refresh rate
Camera rating
Δ E ColorChecker, low light
Δ E ColorChecker, daylight
Application performance rating
Gaming performance rating
3DMark for A. Sling Shot Ext. (ES 3.1) Un.
GFXBench Aztec Ruins H.T. Onscreen
PUBG Mobile HD
Battery life rating
Battery life WiFi 150 cd/m²
Temperature rating
Top at idle
Top under load
Audio rating
Max. audio output (dB)
Touchscreen rating
Connectivity rating
78.5 %
v7 (old)
Realme C55
Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2
Realme C55
84.7 %
v7 (old)
6.72"7.9 mm88.9 %
v7 (old)
189.5 g86.9 %
v7 (old)
IPS2400x1080392 PPI20:987 %469 cd/m²3.46090 Hz57.2 %
v7 (old)
44.1514.4364 %
v7 (old)
15.9 %
v7 (old)
14055.43091.1 %
v7 (old)
975 min87.1 %
v7 (old)
24.1 °C47.2 °C68.6 %
v7 (old)
80.6 dB88.9 %
v7 (old)
46.1 %
v7 (old)
79 %
v7 (old)
Xiaomi Redmi 12
Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2
Xiaomi Redmi 12
84.7 %
v7 (old)
6.79"8.2 mm88.1 %
v7 (old)
198.5 g87.6 %
v7 (old)
IPS2460x1080396 PPI20:985 %437 cd/m²2.29090 Hz63 %
v7 (old)
45.647.4661.9 %
v7 (old)
15.5 %
v7 (old)
13344.72990.2 %
v7 (old)
803 min88.5 %
v7 (old)
24.8 °C44 °C74 %
v7 (old)
79.4 dB88.3 %
v7 (old)
48.4 %
v7 (old)
80.4 %
v7 (old)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S
Helio G96, Mali-G57 MP2
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S
81.4 %
v7 (old)
6.43"8.1 mm90.1 %
v7 (old)
176 g92 %
v7 (old)
AMOLED2400x1080409 PPI20:986 %631 cd/m²1.15090 Hz59.6 %
v7 (old)
44.18.869.4 %
v7 (old)
24.1 %
v7 (old)
24008.33090.7 %
v7 (old)
953 min89.3 %
v7 (old)
26 °C42.2 °C64 %
v7 (old)
81.3 dB90 %
v7 (old)
46.4 %
v7 (old)
78.3 %
v7 (old)
Nokia G42
SD 480+, Adreno 619
Nokia G42
82.7 %
v7 (old)
6.56"8.6 mm88.5 %
v7 (old)
194 g82.2 %
v7 (old)
IPS1612x720269 PPI20:983 %452 cd/m²6.09090 Hz59 %
v7 (old)
37.25.8864 %
v7 (old)
20 %
v7 (old)
2605193090.8 %
v7 (old)
933 min89.6 %
v7 (old)
24.5 °C43.1 °C66 %
v7 (old)
78.5 dB88.9 %
v7 (old)
48.2 %
v7 (old)
84.7 %
v7 (old)
Google Pixel Fold
Tensor G2, Mali-G710 MP7
Google Pixel Fold
83 %
v7 (old)
7.60"6.05 mm86.7 %
v7 (old)
283 g82.5 %
v7 (old)
OLED2208x1840378 PPI6:583 %997 cd/m²1.4120 Hz77.8 %
v7 (old)
24.174.5582.7 %
v7 (old)
50.1 %
v7 (old)
8459285889.3 %
v7 (old)
651 min85.8 %
v7 (old)
33.1 °C46.5 °C81.8 %
v7 (old)
82.5 dB91.1 %
v7 (old)
57.3 %
v7 (old)
86.9 %
v7 (old)
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 5G
SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 5G
89.6 %
v7 (old)
6.70"6.9 mm89.1 %
v7 (old)
187 g91.8 %
v7 (old)
Dynamic AMOLED2640x1080426 PPI22:986 %848 cd/m²2.6120 Hz77.2 %
v7 (old)
4.886.5794.4 %
v7 (old)
57.1 %
v7 (old)
130518888.6 %
v7 (old)
647 min79.3 %
v7 (old)
26.6 °C56 °C78.8 %
v7 (old)
89.6 dB92.2 %
v7 (old)
52 %
v7 (old)
88.3 %
v7 (old)
Nubia RedMagic 8S Pro
SD 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740
Nubia RedMagic 8S Pro
83.6 %
v7 (old)
6.80"9.47 mm87.5 %
v7 (old)
228 g92.3 %
v7 (old)
AMOLED2480x1116400 PPI20:989 %778 cd/m²1.3120 Hz
v7 (old)
15.558.5297.1 %
v7 (old)
82.2 %
v7 (old)
162916091.5 %
v7 (old)
1026 min74.8 %
v7 (old)
28.4 °C55.8 °C74.2 %
v7 (old)
92.4 dB93.9 %
v7 (old)
66.2 %
v7 (old)
89.1 %
v7 (old)
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
90.4 %
v7 (old)
7.60"6.1 mm87.1 %
v7 (old)
253 g91.7 %
v7 (old)
Dynamic AMOLED2176x1812373 PPI10.8:991 %1107 cd/m²3.1120 Hz78 %
v7 (old)
6.066.7494.6 %
v7 (old)
64.5 %
v7 (old)
144826589.5 %
v7 (old)
763 min87.5 %
v7 (old)
26.1 °C48.6 °C73.4 %
v7 (old)
88.4 dB96.1 %
v7 (old)
68.7 %
v7 (old)
86 %
v7 (old)
Honor 90 5G
SD 7 Gen 1, Adreno 644
Honor 90 5G
86 %
v7 (old)
6.70"7.8 mm89.5 %
v7 (old)
183 g91 %
v7 (old)
AMOLED2664x1200436 PPI20:990 %1202 cd/m²1.5120 Hz74.8 %
v7 (old)
21.177.4380 %
v7 (old)
58.2 %
v7 (old)
6466234090.3 %
v7 (old)
901 min81.6 %
v7 (old)
36.9 °C47.7 °C74.6 %
v7 (old)
91.1 dB89.4 %
v7 (old)
51.4 %
v7 (old)
78.7 %
v7 (old)
Tecno Spark 10 5G
Dimensity 6020, Mali-G57 MP2
Tecno Spark 10 5G
81.6 %
v7 (old)
6.60"8.4 mm88.5 %
v7 (old)
194 g84.8 %
v7 (old)
IPS1612x720267 PPI20:983 %435 cd/m²4.04090 Hz55.2 %
v7 (old)
42.9114.7771 %
v7 (old)
30.3 %
v7 (old)
2549183091 %
v7 (old)
962 min89 %
v7 (old)
41.3 °C64 %
v7 (old)
80.2 dB85.6 %
v7 (old)
45.2 %
v7 (old)
83.6 %
v7 (old)
HTC U23 pro
SD 7 Gen 1, Adreno 644
HTC U23 pro
82.1 %
v7 (old)
6.70"8.9 mm87.9 %
v7 (old)
205 g88.5 %
v7 (old)
OLED2400x1080393 PPI20:984 %724 cd/m²2.9120 Hz63.2 %
v7 (old)
40.477.6382.1 %
v7 (old)
57.2 %
v7 (old)
62382488.3 %
v7 (old)
607 min81.8 %
v7 (old)
30.8 °C49.6 °C72.2 %
v7 (old)
88.9 dB91.1 %
v7 (old)
50.6 %
v7 (old)
78.1 %
v7 (old)
Motorola Moto G14
T7255, Mali-G57 MP1
Motorola Moto G14
84.9 %
v7 (old)
6.50"8 mm90 %
v7 (old)
177 g84.9 %
v7 (old)
IPS2400x1080405 PPI20:986 %478 cd/m²4.68060 Hz54.8 %
v7 (old)
34.3912.0160 %
v7 (old)
13.2 %
v7 (old)
11083.591.2 %
v7 (old)
995 min89.7 %
v7 (old)
27 °C41.3 °C72 %
v7 (old)
81.9 dB88.9 %
v7 (old)
46.1 %
v7 (old)
83.9 %
v7 (old)
Realme 11 Pro
Dimensity 7050, Mali-G68 MP4
Realme 11 Pro
86.7 %
v7 (old)
6.70"8.7 mm88.8 %
v7 (old)
191 g91 %
v7 (old)
AMOLED2412x1080394 PPI20:991 %764 cd/m²1.72120 Hz65.6 %
v7 (old)
37.986.3977.5 %
v7 (old)
45.8 %
v7 (old)
4326174090.7 %
v7 (old)
799 min85.8 %
v7 (old)
27.2 °C48.3 °C71.6 %
v7 (old)
85.6 dB92.8 %
v7 (old)
45.2 %
v7 (old)
86.8 %
v7 (old)
Xiaomi Poco F5
SD 7+ Gen 2, Adreno 725
Xiaomi Poco F5
83.9 %
v7 (old)
6.67"7.9 mm89.6 %
v7 (old)
181 g92.2 %
v7 (old)
AMOLED2400x1080395 PPI20:989 %1033 cd/m²1.9120 Hz65 %
v7 (old)
47.1710.2685 %
v7 (old)
66.9 %
v7 (old)
10274496091.2 %
v7 (old)
1014 min84.7 %
v7 (old)
29.6 °C44.8 °C73 %
v7 (old)
90.6 dB94.4 %
v7 (old)
52.8 %
v7 (old)
84.3 %
v7 (old)
Realme 11 Pro+
Dimensity 7050, Mali-G68 MP4
Realme 11 Pro+
87 %
v7 (old)
6.70"8.7 mm88.9 %
v7 (old)
189 g90.6 %
v7 (old)
AMOLED2412x1080393 PPI20:991 %756 cd/m²1.9120 Hz69.4 %
v7 (old)
22.4510.7878 %
v7 (old)
46 %
v7 (old)
43161790 %
v7 (old)
829 min84.6 %
v7 (old)
37.8 °C46.3 °C72 %
v7 (old)
80.5 dB92.8 %
v7 (old)
47.1 %
v7 (old)
76.1 %
v7 (old)
Tecno Spark 10 Pro
Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2
Tecno Spark 10 Pro
79.7 %
v7 (old)
6.80"8.5 mm87.9 %
v7 (old)
206 g82.4 %
v7 (old)
IPS2460x1080395 PPI20:984 %435 cd/m²7.19090 Hz54.4 %
v7 (old)
40.079.6162 %
v7 (old)
16 %
v7 (old)
14534.990.2 %
v7 (old)
866 min89.7 %
v7 (old)
25.9 °C43.5 °C50 %
v7 (old)
73.9 dB87.8 %
v7 (old)
49.6 %
v7 (old)
83.1 %
v7 (old)
Sony Xperia 10 V
SD 695 5G, Adreno 619
Sony Xperia 10 V
88 %
v7 (old)
6.10"8.3 mm91.5 %
v7 (old)
159 g93.4 %
v7 (old)
OLED2520x1080449 PPI21:982 %944 cd/m²1.1060 Hz54.6 %
v7 (old)
47.475.8271.9 %
v7 (old)
33.6 %
v7 (old)
3092113093.2 %
v7 (old)
1157 min89.3 %
v7 (old)
29.4 °C40.5 °C81 %
v7 (old)
89.2 dB89.4 %
v7 (old)
48.6 %
v7 (old)
89 %
v7 (old)
Sony Xperia 5 V
SD 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740
Sony Xperia 5 V
89.3 %
v7 (old)
6.10"8.6 mm89.5 %
v7 (old)
182 g93 %
v7 (old)
OLED2520x1080449 PPI21:983 %898 cd/m²1.4120 Hz76.2 %
v7 (old)
33.956.3794.3 %
v7 (old)
65.9 %
v7 (old)
14492876092.1 %
v7 (old)
952 min84.3 %
v7 (old)
32.4 °C45.7 °C83.8 %
v7 (old)
89.9 dB92.2 %
v7 (old)
57.1 %
v7 (old)
91.1 %
v7 (old)
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
A17 Pro, A17 Pro GPU
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
92 %
v7 (old)
6.70"8.25 mm87.7 %
v7 (old)
221 g94.5 %
v7 (old)
OLED2796x1290460 PPI19.5:988 %1102 cd/m²1.1120 Hz83 %
v7 (old)
15.686.5791.8 %
v7 (old)
65.5 %
v7 (old)
5594.5 %
v7 (old)
1163 min83.7 %
v7 (old)
34.6 °C45.8 °C80.6 %
v7 (old)
92.3 dB97.2 %
v7 (old)
65 %
v7 (old)
83.3 %
v7 (old)
Tecno Phantom V Flip
Dimensity 8050, Mali-G77 MP9
Tecno Phantom V Flip
85.5 %
v7 (old)
6.90"6.95 mm88.5 %
v7 (old)
194 g89.8 %
v7 (old)
AMOLED2640x1080413 PPI22:986 %797 cd/m²3.5120 Hz73 %
v7 (old)
24.828.9780 %
v7 (old)
48 %
v7 (old)
304088.2 %
v7 (old)
598 min83.4 %
v7 (old)
26.5 °C55.4 °C60 %
v7 (old)
81.9 dB89.4 %
v7 (old)
48.4 %
v7 (old)
88.1 %
v7 (old)
Xiaomi 13T Pro
Dimensity 9200+, Immortalis-G715 MP11
Xiaomi 13T Pro
86.7 %
v7 (old)
6.67"8.62 mm87.9 %
v7 (old)
206 g93.1 %
v7 (old)
AMOLED2712x1220446 PPI20:987.5 %1230 cd/m²1.4144 Hz76.2 %
v7 (old)
22.237.4693.6 %
v7 (old)
68.2 %
v7 (old)
10301696092 %
v7 (old)
1099 min84.1 %
v7 (old)
30.7 °C45.4 °C78 %
v7 (old)
89.7 dB94.4 %
v7 (old)
51.5 %
v7 (old)
90.7 %
v7 (old)
Apple iPhone 15 Pro
A17 Pro, A17 Pro GPU
Apple iPhone 15 Pro
91.7 %
v7 (old)
6.10"8.3 mm89.1 %
v7 (old)
187 g94.8 %
v7 (old)
Super Retina XDR OLED2556x1179461 PPI19.5:988 %1086 cd/m²0.91120 Hz80.6 %
v7 (old)
7.358.9591.7 %
v7 (old)
66 %
v7 (old)
6091.7 %
v7 (old)
832 min88.7 %
v7 (old)
23.2 °C43 °C80 %
v7 (old)
79.4 dB96.1 %
v7 (old)
65.9 %
v7 (old)
84.6 %
v7 (old)
Motorola Edge 40 Neo
Dimensity 7030, Mali-G610 MP3
Motorola Edge 40 Neo
84.9 %
v7 (old)
6.55"7.8 mm90.6 %
v7 (old)
170 g91.5 %
v7 (old)
pOLED2400x1080402 PPI20:992 %957 cd/m²1.87144 Hz68.8 %
v7 (old)
8.158.8478.8 %
v7 (old)
44.7 %
v7 (old)
4211184090.9 %
v7 (old)
864 min85.5 %
v7 (old)
23.3 °C46.9 °C76 %
v7 (old)
83.9 dB90 %
v7 (old)
49 %
v7 (old)
89.1 %
v7 (old)
Apple iPhone 15
A16, A16 GPU 5-Core
Apple iPhone 15
90.4 %
v7 (old)
6.10"7.8 mm90.5 %
v7 (old)
171 g92.6 %
v7 (old)
Super Retina XDR OLED2556x1179461 PPI19.5:985 %1019 cd/m²1.4060 Hz75.6 %
v7 (old)
7.3810.991.2 %
v7 (old)
68.8 %
v7 (old)
58.191.7 %
v7 (old)
1002 min89.7 %
v7 (old)
24 °C42 °C80 %
v7 (old)
81.6 dB95 %
v7 (old)
48.3 %
v7 (old)
80.7 %
v7 (old)
Motorola Moto G54
Dimensity 7020, IMG BXM-8-256
Motorola Moto G54
85.2 %
v7 (old)
6.50"8 mm90 %
v7 (old)
177 g84.1 %
v7 (old)
IPS2400x1080405 PPI20:986 %470 cd/m²3.9120 Hz65.2 %
v7 (old)
17.529.3570 %
v7 (old)
25 %
v7 (old)
2580113090.4 %
v7 (old)
875 min87.7 %
v7 (old)
24 °C45.4 °C76.8 %
v7 (old)
79.7 dB88.9 %
v7 (old)
45.3 %
v7 (old)
82.2 %
v7 (old)
Motorola Moto G84
SD 695 5G, Adreno 619
Motorola Moto G84
85 %
v7 (old)
6.50"7.6 mm90.8 %
v7 (old)
166.8 g91.7 %
v7 (old)
P-OLED2400x1080405 PPI20:987 %889 cd/m²1.1120 Hz63.2 %
v7 (old)
8.039.5976 %
v7 (old)
32 %
v7 (old)
3073123090.4 %
v7 (old)
908 min88 %
v7 (old)
24.4 °C44 °C60 %
v7 (old)
82 dB90 %
v7 (old)
51.7 %
v7 (old)

The table above shows all the smartphones we tested during the last three months including their overall and partial scores in our detailed reviews as well as a selection of important parameters and benchmarks. All results and details can be found in the linked reviews. 
The table can be sorted in each column - just click on the respective column title, for example "weight".

Other interesting phones in autumn 2023

Sustainability is growing in importance. That’s why Nokia has kickstarted an initiative with the G42 – a phone designed to be repaired by users with affordable spare parts. There are also guides and videos to help users with the process. Moreover, the company promises to provide updates for a long time. Whilst this is commendable, repairing the phone is probably still too difficult for a complete layperson.

When it comes to storage, improvement has been made especially in the more budget segment. For instance, despite being priced at just €150, the Motorola Moto G14 is equipped with not only 128 GB of storage but also a Full HD screen and NFC functionality.

Nokia G42
Nokia G42
Motorola Moto G14
Motorola Moto G14
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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > The best smartphones of autumn 2023 - Comparison of 26 reviewed phones
Florian Schmitt, 2023-11- 9 (Update: 2024-09-26)