Best Smartphones of 2026, Lab-Tested and Reviewed
Searching for a cell phone with great battery life? An awesome camera system? A nice price? Take a look at these options from Apple, Google, and Samsung.
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Whether you’re looking for a cutting-edge phone or a more budget-friendly pick, there’s no shortage of well-made options in our smartphone ratings.
We test dozens of models each year, checking the basics, including battery life, how well the display performs, the image quality from multicamera setups, and the hinges on foldable phones.
This CR robot mimics real-world usage to test smartphone battery life. Top models can deliver 30 to 50 hours per charge.
Best iPhones for Most People
Apple phones frequently sit at the top of our ratings, but you don’t necessarily need a top-of-the-line model. Here are our recommendations, backed by rigorous lab testing.
Best Android Phones for Most People
If you’re in the market for an Android phone, you have solid options from multiple manufacturers. Here are some models that rank highly in our ratings and have high-quality displays, great camera systems, and lab-tested durability.
Best Low-Priced iPhones
You don’t have to shell out top dollar for an iPhone. For Apple loyalists, here are reasonably priced options recommended by CR.
Best Low-Priced Android Phones
There are even more low-cost Android options. Here are a few solid picks from a variety of manufacturers. And no, you don’t have to compromise on performance.
Phones With Great Cameras
These premium phones feature versatile camera systems with multiple sensors, which allow you to capture sharp photos and videos with real-to-life color across a range of lighting conditions.
Best Phones With Large Screens
If you want as much screen space as possible for immersive scrolling and streaming, here are a few of the top-performing phones with large displays from our ratings. The foldable phones featured below offer extra-large displays when opened.
Best Foldable Phones
Today’s foldable phones offer impressive versatility. They sport dual displays of various sizes. When opened, some even have interior screens large enough to function like a small tablet. But foldable phones tend to come at a premium price.
