TLDR;
This video reviews the best smartphones of 2025, covering various categories such as most improved, unique design, battery life, camera quality, gaming performance, user-friendliness, compact size, and overall value. The awards include the Glow Award (most improved), Outside the Box Award (unique design), Unkillable Battery Award (best battery life), Filmmaker's Choice Award (best camera experience), Pocket Console Award (best gaming performance), Grandma's Choice Award (most user-friendly), One-Handed Hero (best compact phone), Why Does This Exist Award (most disappointing), Wallet Protector Award (best under $300), Overachiever Award (best mid-range), and Overall Smartphone of the Year.
- iPhone 17 wins the Glow-Up Award for significant improvements.
- Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold wins the Outside the Box Award for its unique foldable design.
- Oppo Find X9 Pro wins the Unkillable Battery Award for its large battery and efficient optimization.
- Vivo X300 Pro wins the Filmmaker's Choice Award for its exceptional camera hardware and software.
- Red Magic 11 Pro wins the Pocket Console Award for its advanced cooling system and gaming performance.
- Google Pixel 9a wins the Grandma's Choice Award for its user-friendly software and helpful tutorials.
- Xiaomi 17 Pro wins the One-Handed Hero Award for its compact size and high-end features.
- Samsung S25 Edge and Apple iPhone Air win the Why Does This Exist Award for their disappointing compromises.
- CMF Phone 2 Pro wins the Wallet Protector Award for its value and optimized software.
- Poco F8 Ultra wins the Overachiever Award for its flagship-level features at a mid-range price.
- Oppo Find X9 Pro wins the Overall Smartphone of the Year for its near-flawless performance.
Glow-Up Award: iPhone 17 [0:26]
The Glow-Up Award recognizes the most improved phone from the previous year, with the iPhone 17 taking the title. The iPhone 17 saw significant enhancements, including a substantially improved screen and doubled base storage, all while maintaining its original price. These upgrades mark the iPhone 17 as a compelling choice for those looking to upgrade, representing a notable leap forward in its category.
Outside the Box Award: Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold [1:16]
The Outside the Box Award celebrates phones with unique traits that enhance their functionality, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold emerges as the winner. Despite being thicker and heavier than standard foldables when closed, the Z Trifold boasts a large 10-inch widescreen display that significantly enhances content viewing. This expansive screen makes the sacrifices in portability worthwhile, offering an immersive experience that sets it apart.
Unkillable Battery Award: Oppo Find X9 Pro [3:00]
The Unkillable Battery Award goes to the phone with the best battery endurance, considering optimization and charging speed alongside battery size. The Oppo Find X9 Pro wins this award with its 7,500 mAh battery and design similar to the OnePlus 15, but with upgraded cameras. Despite having 80W charging, which is less than some competitors, it is still a significant upgrade from brands like iPhone and Samsung.
Filmmaker's Choice Award: Vivo X300 Pro [6:11]
The Filmmaker's Choice Award is awarded to the best camera, factoring in the camera experience, battery life, screen brightness, and camera app usability. The Vivo X300 Pro wins this award due to its advanced camera hardware and software. It features a bright outdoor display, sufficient battery for a full day of shooting, and specialized camera software that delivers perfect skin tones. The 200-megapixel telephoto camera is also a standout feature.
Pocket Console Award: Red Magic 11 Pro [9:32]
The Pocket Console Award recognizes the phone with the most impressive sustained gaming experience. The Red Magic 11 Pro wins this award due to its active liquid cooling system, which enhances thermal performance beyond standard vapor chambers. This phone maintains optimal performance during intensive gaming sessions and starts at a reasonable price of $729.
Grandma's Choice Award: Google Pixel 9a [11:14]
The Grandma's Choice Award is given to the most hassle-free and user-friendly device for those less tech-savvy. The Google Pixel 9a wins this award due to its simple and intuitive software, helpful tutorials, and lack of bloatware. It also features a simple view mode and a camera that makes it easy to take good photos.
One-Handed Hero Award: Xiaomi 17 Pro [12:56]
The One-Handed Hero Award recognizes compact phones that offer premium features without significant compromises. The Xiaomi 17 Pro wins this award because it retains all the features of the larger Pro Max model, including a second screen, and has a well-above-average Snapdragon chip. It also has extraordinary battery life.
Why Does This Exist Award: Samsung S25 Edge and Apple iPhone Air [15:04]
The Why Does This Exist Award is given to the most disappointing or confusing launch of the year. The Samsung S25 Edge and Apple iPhone Air share this award due to their two-dimensional designs, which are seen as beautiful traps. While they are engineering feats, their form factor leads to compromises in battery life and camera performance, making them potentially disappointing in the long term.
Wallet Protector Award: CMF Phone 2 Pro [16:51]
The Wallet Protector Award recognizes the phone that offers the most value for under $300. The CMF Phone 2 Pro by Nothing wins this award due to its optimized software, minimal bloatware, and surprisingly good photos. It also features a modular design with the ability to swap out back plates and add accessories.
Overachiever Award: Poco F8 Ultra [18:13]
The Overachiever Award is given to the mid-range phone that exceeds expectations and ventures into flagship territory. The Poco F8 Ultra wins this award due to its flagship-level specs at a more affordable price of $679. It features a unique denim finish, incredible speakers in partnership with Bose, and an extra subwoofer on the back.
Overall Smartphone of the Year: Oppo Find X9 Pro [20:01]
The Overall Smartphone of the Year award is given to the phone that offers the very best overall experience for flagship money. The Oppo Find X9 Pro wins this award because it is considered the closest to a flawless phone. Its only flaw is its limited availability depending on the region.
