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Best Cell phones & services

Which Cell phones & services performed best in our tests?

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We tested 202 cell phones & services to determine the best-performing models. Our expert lab technicians tested each Cell phone & service based on the following criteria:

  • Voice quality
  • Messaging
  • Battery life
  • Ease of use

Below lists the Cell phones & services that rated best in each of the tests our experts looked for. Learn about how these tests were performed and find out which Cell phone & service is rated best when you subscribe.

Consumer Reports Ratings for Best Cell phones & services

ratingsBest Cell phone & service for Voice quality
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Voice quality considers listening quality which reflects what you hear; talking, what's heard by other phones. Tests were conducted in noisy and quiet environments using live phone calls indicated by carrier used.


This Cell phone & service which tested best for Voice quality has the following features: .

ratingsBest Cell phone & service for Messaging
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Messaging mainly assesses keyboard and keypad ergonomics, text-messaging features, its support for Microsoft Outlook, and whether or not the phone can open various e-mail attachments.


This Cell phone & service which tested best for Messaging has the following features: .

ratingsBest Cell phone & service for Battery life
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Battery life represents mainly talk time under strong and weak network-signal conditions, as well as battery consumption performing tasks that involve data, standby, display, and other factors.


This Cell phone & service which tested best for Battery life has the following features: Document editing, Touch screen, QWERTY keyboard, Camera (megapixels), Camera flash, Camera recording resolution, Front-facing camera, Music player, Memory card, Speakerphone, Voice memo, Voice command, Headset, GPS navigation, Requires data service, Broadband data, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and World phone.

ratingsBest Cell phone & service for Ease of use
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Ease of use mainly considers the phone's various features and modes, including the step-saving functions for making and receiving calls, and display and keypad readability under different lighting conditions. We also factor in features and capabilities, such as camera, music, Web browsing, and broadband connections, as well as the phone's size and weight.


This Cell phone & service which tested best for Ease of use has the following features: Camera (megapixels), Video record, Music player, Memory card, Speakerphone, Voice memo, Voice command, Headset, GPS navigation, Broadband data, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and World phone.