Best US market phones of 2023 - buyer’s guide

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is Apple's current best iPhone and we think it’s the best phone you can buy in the US. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is worth getting for its well-rounded user experience, luxurious design, its premium services and warranty, for its clockwork iOS, and for its versatile camera performance with great photos and exceptional videos. The great battery life doesn't hurt, and the introduction of USB-C means one fewer built-in shortcoming too.

Admittedly, iOS makes moving from an Android a daunting task and one that even comes at an extra cost - Apple's price tags tend to be higher than competitors across the OS divide. The slow charging and heavy GPU throttling may or may not be an issue in your world, but they're there anyway, and the photo processing isn't universally likable either.

In any case however, we reckon the good far outweighs the bad, particularly for the US consumer that gets to enjoy all the benefits of the Apple realm. Most of these directly apply to the regular Pro, of course, and it's up to you to decide which size suits you best.

The Galaxy Fold5 offers the best foldable experience on the market - while its hardware seems to trail certain more region-limited competitors there's no matching its complete software package. We applaud Samsung for the multi-tasking implementation on the Fold5 and all neat software tricks available throughout One UI, while the new S-Pen Slim Case means the stylus is now even more convenient to carry around.

Samsung did hold back updating some of the Fold5's internals. The camera system in particular would have benefited from an update - of the ultrawide, at least. The charging speed is rather meh as well. That body, while looking pretty cool on its own, is nowhere near as striking as rivals from China.

Still, the Fold5 offers ingress protection, spectacular displays, great performance, even pretty nice cameras, all things considered. Its battery life is solid, and so are the speakers, and the connectivity options.

At the end of the day, the Fold5 is an easy decision for any tech-addicted user, or any power user. Even with the OnePlus Open and the Pixel Fold available in the US, the Galaxy's versatile software and proven track record with bendy displays makes it a much easier recommendation.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra remains Samsung's ultimate smartphone, and it's the most complete package you can buy today. Samsung didn't just coast for another year, which we felt was the case with the S23 Ultra. We got more new stuff this time around than we could have predicted. The new materials in the build don't just feel nice; they also improve the visual experience. After years of enjoying the coolness of curved displays, we've now grown up to realize that flat screens have their benefits, and Samsung's now giving us flat screens across the range.

Without much fuss around that subject, the S24 Ultra is one of the longest-lasting Androids you can buy, and even if the big names from China charge three times as fast, the Pixel and the iPhone don't. An always-with-you stylus remains elusive outside of the Samsung flagship, and you may not know you want or need one until you've had one.

The camera system is also mostly a source of satisfaction. The rethinking of the telephoto setup is a forward step that adds another layer of versatility. The rest of the rear modules we'd almost call stale next to what we're seeing from Chinese brands and their impressive hardware, but Samsung has managed to squeeze out such performance out of these otherwise uninspired bits that it doesn't feel like we're getting less than what is right.

Yes, there were display issues. And, yes, the charging is far from great. But in the end, Samsung's ultimate smartphone comes easily recommended.

The OnePlus Open is a great addition to the foldable segment, one that has everything to make the Galaxy Z Fold5 sweat. The Open has a classier and supposedly sturdier design; it's thinner and lighter. And it became evident it has better displays - both are of higher resolution, higher color bitrate, and support Dolby Vision. The cover one also offers a much more convenient aspect ratio than the Samsung.

The OnePlus Open runs on the latest available (at the time of writing) Snapdragon chip, and its cooling solution and software optimizations make for a nicely stable performance with no harsh throttling or frame heating. We also found the battery life of the Open to be great, no matter if it was closed or open. The charging speed is more than adequate - better than on the Galaxy; the 3-speaker Dolby Atmos experience turned out good, too.

The Hasselblad cameras are thoroughly impressive with natural rendition and overall impressive photo and video quality across the board, day and night. We are particularly fond of the selfies, portraits, and closeups shot with this setup. The 'selfie' cameras mostly unremarkable results are not that relevant for this form factor, but the most frustrating thing we experienced was the camera app avoided using the actual telephoto camera for zoom photos at night, which is a shame as it snaps superb photos..

Finally, the OxygenOS 13 is incredibly feature-rich and highly customizable, while the foldable-exclusive Open Canvas multi-tasking is super clever once you get the gist of it. OnePlus is promising 4 years of major Android updates and another one of security patches, too.

The OnePlus Open is an excellent alternative to the Fold5 if a stylus is not a must and if you don't plan on (accidentally) taking it underwater.

With the Pixel 8 Pro Google has made strides to address a host of the complaints we had about the previous generation. No longer is the selfie camera a hit-and-miss affair, and the new ultrawide is also miles better than before. The improvement in charging speed didn't go unnoticed either, but the Pixel had so much to catch up here that it couldn't all happen in one generation. The in-house chipset isn't quite up to the standard of the day in absolute performance and doesn't handle sustained load with much grace.

Moving to the good stuff, it's not just that the ultrawide camera is no longer a source of grievances, but the telephoto has been improved too. So, with both flanks of an already great main camera now covered, the normally excellent cameraphone is now somehow even better.

The brand-new display is now up there with the leading efforts in the industry - not that the old one was bad, it's just that this Super Actua panel is more deserving of high praise, than a simple 'yeah, that's good enough'. Similarly, the already stellar software support gets promoted to best-in-business - we'll see how quickly Google will forget about that 7-year promise, but right now, it sounds really nice.

This year Google has also fitted a thermometer on the Pixel 8 Pro - we're not quite sure just how useful it is yet, but if no one else has one, it has to be a plus. What we find to be another welcome development is the flat display.

In the end, we think the Pixel 8 Pro is the evolutionary upgrade you'd expect it to be and then some. Google could have done less this generation and still charged the extra $100, but instead, they actually did bring some meaningful improvements that move the series forward. We approve. Every now and then it goes for $800, which we approve even more.

The iPhone 15 Pro is a logical if not quite exciting, evolutionary step for the lineup. Small advancement in key areas go with continued refusal to improve on others, but Apple will be Apple. Perhaps that statement alone explains the fact that the new 5x telephoto only comes on the Pro Max and not the Pro, and we're bummed about it on principle, even if it's objectively not a big deal.

The high price, scant retail bundle, iOS quirks, and heavy throttling sound like cons we've listed before and will continue to do so. On the other hand, traditional strong points of the iPhone are only getting stronger - like the upmarket build and in-hand feel, spectacular display, versatile camera system and great speakers. We're more than happy to welcome the USB-C port this year on iPhone too.

Ultimately, the iPhone 15 Pro is what you'd expect it to be - the best one to date in size small.

Nominally at $999, but often discounted and bundled with Bose earbuds, the Motorola Razr+, also known as Motorola Razr 40 Ultra elsewhere, packs some impressive flagship hardware. Both displays are great, and we like the foldable screen implementation. They are vivid and bright enough, while the external screen offers almost full functionality. The chipset may not be the most recent one, but it's capable of running everything you find on Play Store. However, there are several pitfalls that are hard to ignore, even in the context of a foldable device.

The stills and videos are cropped when the device is closed, the charging speed is unimpressive, and the battery life is about average. Sustained performance may also be an issue for some of you who like to play demanding games from time to time. And although powerful enough, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 isn't as energy-efficient as its successor, the SD8 Gen 2. A flip phone with such a small battery would have benefitted from the extra hardware efficiency gains.

All in all, the Razr 40 Ultra marks a big improvement over its predecessor. It's competitive in the clamshell foldable category, and its asking price may get you any 2023 flagship smartphone with fast charging, longer battery life and excellent camera performance. That's the price - both literally and metaphorically - for getting this exclusive form factor and iconic name.

The Z Flip5 comes with two meaningful and significant upgrades over the previous generation. The gapless folding design is finally here, so the handset no longer looks like a prototype - it's sexier this way but also simply more compact. The other thing is the cover display - the new one is large enough to actually be useful for a change.

Alongside those two major developments, we're getting a handful of small ones that add up. The new chipset deserves a mention even if it was a given, but it's also at least partially responsible for the improved battery life compared to the previous generation - it has to be, since battery capacity has remained the same. Similarly, the camera hardware is unchanged, yet the 5 takes better pictures than the 4.

The Galaxy Flips have been steadily evolving, and with the Z Flip5, Samsung is approaching that point where it would need to do something big soon. For this year, however, we think a cover display and hinge will do. We'd be happy recommending the Galaxy Z Flip5.

Overall, the iPhone 15 Plus boasts a significant upgrade over its predecessor in a couple of key departments - display, battery life, performance, main camera and charging.

It's still nowhere near the Pro lineup, and it's missing features such as this year's chipset, the optical zoom, the autofocus on the ultra-wide camera, the 120Hz high-refresh-rate screen that comes with Always-On Display, or the new customizable Action key. Depending on your priorities, the lack of some of these might be a deal-breaker for you.

The iPhone 15 Plus is one really niche device, but if we had to pinpoint one key feature – it would be its really impressive battery life. And then adding the well-rounded specs, we think have a winner here.

As usual, the Plus-size Galaxy offers a solid and dependable Samsung flagship experience with all (okay, most) of the bells and whistles - with some meaningful updates this year bringing it closer to the Ultra. The QHD resolution display (now LTPO too) is one such development, and the 12GB of RAM across the entire range is also most welcome. With 7 years of software updates promised, the Galaxy is a futureproof option too.

These improvements come on top of the already excellent build with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and next-gen Armor Aluminum frame, and the IP68 ingress protection rating we've gotten used to from Samsung.

The S24+ is also a dependable point-and-shoot camera with photos that look great across the board on the first try and with amazing consistency from shot to shot.

Battery life has taken a bit of hit this year, though it's still solid, so not really grounds for complaint. What continues to bug us is the slow charging, though it's still better than the iPhones and Pixels of this world, so it's almost as if this global con turns into a US pro. The aggressive CPU and GPU throttling are less than ideal, but that's hardly specific to the Galaxy as well. The 8-bit color display is a blemish in the specsheet that's worth mentioning too.

The 2024 Zenfone may no longer be a mini, but the 11 Ultra is a pretty solid plus-size model. Indeed, while having a compact device option is great (the Zenfone 10 remains on sale), this larger size is better suited to what most people would want.

And it doesn't really have any glaring faults. The only thing that rubbed us the wrong way was the absence of a charger in the retail box, but that's mostly par for the course now, just new for an Asus. Perhaps cooling could be better for the beastly Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, but that in turn is a common flagship problem.

Other than that, we have nothing but praise for the Zenfone 11 Ultra. It is a superb device all around, worthy of rubbing shoulders with the best and most popular premium phones currently out there. Here's hoping it brings Asus some much-needed market success and wider popularity with buyers.

The $800 Samsung Galaxy S24 is one of the most compact Android flagships available and the small size does't come at the cost of cut features.

The phone has an excellent 6.2-inch LTPO OLED screen with high brightness and adaptive refresh rate - sure it's not QHD, but it doesn't need to be at this size. The most powerful chipset on the US Android market is also on board, as is a superb quartet of cameras that will reliably capture whatever you put in front of their lenses.

Starting with this generation, you also get 7 years of OS updates, and Samsung's close collaboration with Google means an abundance of AI-enabled functionality.

Apple's smartphone ecosystem is mostly an isolated island at this point snd the vanilla iPhone definitely has its place. It's the one you get when you simply want "an iPhone," and since it just happens to be the cheapest of the latest bunch, it gets a lot of attention on that front as well.

As far as innovations go, the iPhone 15 brings much more to the table than its predecessor. The all-new and incredibly bright OLED display is a great step forward, and we appreciate Apple finally unifying its design with Dynamic Island across all models. And speaking of unification, Type-C was a long-overdue change. The other major novelty this year must be the new 48MP main camera. We found it to be excellent all-around and a noticeable improvement over last year's 12MP cam.

All things considered, the vanilla iPhone 15 will get you most of the way there to the full iPhone Pro-level experience.

You could be after a larger display on your iPhone and within this budget, the iPhone 14 Plus will deliver that. A bonus that stems from the size is the larger battery capacity and hence - the better battery life.

The iPhone 14 Plus is one of the lightest 6.7-inch smartphones around with a flagship-grade design, screen, speakers, battery life, performance and video quality. The cameras may not be as good as the ones on the 15 generation, but trade-offs must be made.

OnePlus may have lost its distinct character as the brand grew into maturity, but that doesn't mean they're not making great phones still. Sure, OxygenOS is now just another name for Oppo's ColorOS, but why should ColorOS be a bad thing. Certain issues we had with the OnePlus 11 have been resolved on the 12 and its only the sub-standard water protection that remains - essentially all other high-end phones are rated for submersion, while the 12 isn't.

We're not quite fond of the 12's video output during the day, though we're almost convinced that the spectacular stabilization makes up for shortcomings elsewhere. Selfies are also unusually good, but more important, we feel, is the overall great stills performance from all rear cameras in all conditions.

Excellence on the fundamentals should go without saying at this level. Even in this context, however, the OP12 is among the better ones in terms of battery life, charges faster than just about anything else mainstream, and has a display that does more HDR than a lot of competitors.

In the end, the OnePlus 12 makes it quite easy for us. It's so great in many ways and only has small-ish missteps in just a couple of areas - that sounds like grounds for a recommendation.

The Pixel 8 offers an improved viewing experience compared to the previous generation, excellent all-round camera results, faster charging, 7 years of software support, and timely major OS updates. And, it is one of the most compact smartphones on the market.

But the Pixel 8 isn't without its flaws. For instance, a 3x telephoto unit would have been greatly appreciated. Charging and battery life aren't particularly impressive either, although somewhat okay in Pixel terms. We also wonder why Google decided to skip the autofocus feature on the selfie camera and the support for Pro camera mode on the smaller Pixel.

Bottom line, the Pixel 8 is an easy recommendation because, despite its issues, it's a significant upgrade over the previous generation and manages to pack competent hardware into a compact body. It's also nice that it gets good discounts every now and again.

There's an iPhone at every price point now and it's the iPhone 14 that comes in at $700. It was an incremental upgrade over last year's model, while the 15 seems to bring a bit more to the table, but $100 is $100. Battery life is solid, while the now two-year-old chipset remains plenty powerful.

The camera may not be the latest either, but you still get a reasonably large sensor on the main unit, top-notch stabilization and AF for selfies. Nice stereo speakers and robust update policy remain strong selling points as well.

The Zenfone 10 ended up without a true successor but it remains on sale here or there and it still brings heaps of performance into an easily pocketable package. Its small size doesn't get in the way of achieving excellent battery life, the Snapdragon chip isn't all too bothered by the compact body, and there was room for the usual headphone jack, but also for the addition of wireless charging.

While all that is great, it's just that we're not entirely sure that the gaming-only 144Hz refresh rate on the display counts, and we most definitely aren't thrilled about AF being gone from the ultrawide and the selfie camera, compared to the previous generation. The continued absence of a telephoto isn't helping the Zenfone's case either.

Still, getting this Zenfone 10 is not a bad idea at all. It remains part of a relatively short list of phones catering to customers prioritizing compactness over everything else. And it does deliver flagship specs and promising performance across the board.

The Motorola Edge+ (2023) is a pure flagship sold at an upper midrange price. While somewhat aging, it still impresses with a 165Hz OLED screen with Dolby Vision, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip is easily powerful enough, and the powerful stereo speakers and waterproof design don't hurt. The phone has only one version and it comes with 512GB UFS 4.0 storage, which is quite nice.

The camera experience seems great, too. There is a 50MP OIS primary, a 50MP ultrawide with autofocus, and a 12MP 2x zoom tele at the back. 8K video capturing is available. Oh, and inside the small display perforation you will find a high-end 60MP selfie camera with 4K video recording capability.

The phone offers all sorts of connectivity options including Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, dial-SIM 5G (via eSIM), Ready For 3.5 support, even USB 3.2 with DisplayPort 1.4 support.

The only thing that’s probably average on this Moto is the short 2x zoom on the telephoto camera, other phones do better.

Known outside of the US as the Razr 40, the Motorola razr can stand its ground successfully against most competitors and it does so from the comfortable position of being the cheapest-but-still-great clamshell. It's also nicely discounted more often than not.

We found its bendy OLED display to be of excellent quality, while its external panel turned out to be quite useful if a step behind the 2023 trends. The loud stereo speakers were also a nice touch, and the solid camera quality across the board was much appreciated. The battery life turned out to be adequate for such a device, and if Motorola addresses the high standby drain with an update it could well become great.

The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor is perhaps more than enough for the category as we don't see many heavy gamers going for flip phones. So all things considered we liked the Motorola razr and while it doesn't feel like it will be the new V3, it looks destined to become the most popular of the new generation Razr phones.

The Nothing Phone (2) is an excellent sequel and a tempting offer in this pretty tough crowd. The phone has something that no other phone, well, except Phone (1), has, and that's the Glyph UI. Even better, the LED functionality has been expanded, and it's a really cool and convenient way to see what's happening on your phone without looking at its screen.

The Phone (2) has a larger and brighter LTPO OLED display, with a much more adaptive refresh rate, a welcome update over the Phone (1). The most notable upgrade is the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 flagship chipset, which makes working with the Phone (2) a breezy experience, gaming included (albeit at up to 60Hz). Then there is the improved battery life. The richer audio from the stereo speakers. And better photo and video quality across the board. Let's not forget the faster 45W charging speed.

If you just want a breath of fresh air, an innovation of sorts in an otherwise boring market, the Nothing Phone (2) will not disappoint you. The fact that it's also solid on the fundamentals doesn't hurt either.

Slotting inbetween the S23 and the S23+ in terms of screen size, the 6.4-inch Galaxy S23 FE is the not-quite-flagship for those willing to give up on some of the top-tier models' niceties in return for some savings - particularly in the US context.

While its name makes little sense, the phone itself is quite competent. What in our minds is a late Galaxy S22 FE has an attractive dual-glass design, a great OLED screen, capable hardware, consistently good cameras, superb speakers, and flagship software.

As we mentioned as part of our iPhone 14 entry, the iPhone 13 is an equally attractive offer as it is almost an identical phone, cheaper at that - now at $100 lower still. The iPhone 13, just like the 14, does lack a high refresh rate screen – its most notable omission. But the iPhone 13 is still one of the most durable and powerful phones on the market, yet lightweight and comfortable. The OLED screen is great; it has reduced though still huge notch, offers outstanding contrast and brightness, Dolby Vision and HDR10 support.

The iPhone 13 has a powerful Apple chip with 5G, a reasonably competent main camera and okay ultrawide and selfie shooters. Stereo speakers are on board, battery life is solid, and you get MagSafe support.

The appeal of Pixel phones tends to be difficult to explain with just numbers and test results, and such is the case with the 7a. Google hasn't been quick to adopt a high refresh rate display on its 'midrange' model and even when it finally has, it's a 90Hz panel. Battery life is unremarkable, charging speed is downright unacceptable, the lack of storage options is limiting, and the Tensor G2 runs hot and throttles. There are also missteps in what should be any Pixel's forte - camera performance.

Counter the above, we have an Android experience tailored to Google's own vision with a clutter-free interface, Pixel-only features, and an update policy that's hard to rival. An otherwise meh flagship chipset does make for a pretty great midrange one, prone to throttling as it may be. And so long as you avoid people shots in most of their incarnations, the Pixel 7a's camera's system will deliver image quality that wouldn't be out of place on an actual flagship.

In summary, with the 7a, Google appears to have simply created a more affordable Pixel 7, making the latest a-series model the go-to option for someone just looking for a Pixel. And it's one of the most sensible options in its price segment in the US in particular.

The Motorola Edge (2023), sold in the US, is a mix of two Motos available globally - the Edge 40 and Edge 40 Neo. While we haven't really experienced the US version, we have plenty of findings for the other two to be able to tell what the Edge (2023) is going to be like.

We're really liking the Moto's form factor and it's a really nice option if you're after a more pocketable (especially lightweight) device in this class. The grippy back and IP68 rating are strong points too. The fast charging and wireless charging capability are most welcome as is the brawny Mediatek chipset. The nice camera system rounds up an overall very strong perfomnace.

The OnePlus 12R's weaknesses may be readily seen in the specsheet - the lack of wireless charging and the IP rating will possibly disqualify it for some potential buyers. More limiting, we reckon, is the camera system that features a so-so ultrawide and is missing a zoom unit - that's the weak point that rivals can readily exploit.

That said, stills performance is superb on the main camera and not half bad on the ultrawide, with both excelling in the dark - that's anything but a disappointing performance, if you don't particularly care for video. Add to that a wonderful display, class-leading battery life, and charging speed that's also among the best (in any class), and the 12R isn't looking too shabby, all things considered.

Ultimately, whether the OnePlus 12R is merely good enough or just great for you will be decided on exactly how much you want to be zooming in or out on your cameras. Less frequent zooming - go ahead and pick up a 12R; more zooming - have a look at some other options first.

The A54 put the series back on the right track last year, so the delayed arrival of the A55 in the US isn't too problematic. Tha A54's chip may not be cutting-edge (roughly on par with the old A52s), but you get improved battery life, and an even nicer display.

The somewhat generic styling may not be overly eye-catchy, but it does quickly reveal your brand allegiance, and it can easily pass for the brand's flagship too. The dust and water protection rating is almost flagshippy too, and not a given at this price point.

The brand-new primary camera is a significant step up from the A53's, and it's one of the best units of its kind for the class, possibly even punching above its weight. The selfie camera takes great photos too, and the not-so-impressive ultrawide does the job.

That is, so long as you don't need it for video. Add to that the lack of stabilization in 4K, and the A54's viability as a video camera is more than slightly shaken. The fact that you don't get a charger in the box still rubs us the wrong way, and as good as the new chipset may be, it only brings us back to the level the series was at two years ago.

All things considered, we are quite liking the Galaxy A54. It's a meaningful generational improvement and a competent midrange package.

The Galaxy A35 is a very well-rounded device through and through and even if it doesn't do anything groundbreaking with the tried-and-true Galaxy A formula, it further refines the A3X series. You get glass on both sides (Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the front) and an IP67 ingress protection rating. The 6.6-inch Super AMOLED 120Hz display is still solid without really changing much from previous generations. A solid hybrid stereo speaker setup and a large 5,000 mAh battery with good endurance.

Performance-wise, the Exynos 1380 is a nice little step up from the Dimensity 1080 inside the A34. It is perfectly adequate for the class and enough to offer a fluent One UI experience. That experience will be a big draw for a lot of people with very few features still limited to Samsung's flagship models and outright missing from the Galaxy A35. Plus, the A35 comes with four years of major software updates and five years of security updates.

The Galaxy A25 brings 5G to the A2x lineup but, while welcome, that's not the only sensible upgrade introduced to the formula. The move from 90Hz to 120Hz refresh rate might be relatively small, but it is meaningful and helps the phone feel smother and more responsive overall. You could probably eek some longer battery life runtimes out of it with the high refresh rate disabled so it's up to you to make that choice.

The jump up from the MediaTek Helio G99 to the Exynos 1280 might not be colossal in terms of raw performance either, but beyond the already mentioned 5G connectivity, it also brings 4K video recording - another small but significant update. The new stereo speaker setup also counts big time in our books, it's miles better than the single speaker offered on the Galaxy A24.

All of these small updates pile up and arguably place the Galaxy A25 closer than ever to Galaxy A3X territory regarding features. It still offers a solid build, now with a slightly tweaked design, which we found to offer a more comfortable grip. Both the battery life and performance are dependable, and the same can mostly be said about the camera setup. Well, at least in daylight. Low-light photography is a bit of a letdown, though still not bad enough to be a dealbreaker.

The Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) can be found at about $300 or even $250, and it’s an outstanding mid-range phone with a 120Hz display, good performance and reliable cameras with 4K video capture. The large battery is a thumbs up, too.

The Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) also offers clean no-nonsense Android experience. There are stereo speakers and plenty of storage, too.

Overall, we like the OnePlus Nord N30 5G. It has a 120Hz display, a high-res camera, decent performance, stereo speakers, fast charging on a large battery.

We really wish the N30 had an OLED or, failing that, a better and brighter LCD and one backed up by proper high refresh rate handling. The Snapdragon 695 also leaves us kind of wanting, particularly in the video recording department, with its unfortunate 1080p capture limit. Some sort of ingress protection is also attainable in this price range.

However, having said all that, we still don't think the Nord N30 5G is a disappointment. Seeing how the US market has limited options in this price range, the Nord N30 does have a fairly decent market standing. We wouldn't recommend you actively go out to buy one, but you might not have too many alternatives and if you do end up owning it through some amazing deal or another circumstance, it is a solid budget device overall.

The Moto G Power (2024) addresses a bunch of it spredecessor's shortcomings and makes for a nice budget-conscious package, now all the more well-rounded. The additions this year include an ultrawide camera (with AF nontheless), NFC, and faster charging (at 30W). Add to that the larger 120Hz LCD screen, a decent performing Dimensity 7020 chipset (with 5G), and a sizeable 5,000mAh battery, and there's not a lot to dislike about this Moto.

The Galaxy А15 5G is a balanced smartphone across the board. It has an easily likable design available in various cool colors; the OLED screen is bright and fast; the battery life is outstanding, and the charging speed is great.

The performance is not a strong side of the phone, and the cameras are rather average, with the ultrawide camera being straight-up disappointing, though it's still an upgrade over the A14 5G's entirely absent ultrawide. Overall, we'd say the A15 5G is the most smartphone you can get in the US for $200.

The Moto G Play (2024) is another possibility in this price bracket, and it's typically more affordable than the Galaxy. It has a large 720p LCD and a sizeable 5,000mAh battery - a virtue that will probably offset the slow charging capability, though that's been improved for the latest generation (15W vs. 10W on the 2023 model).

Also upgraded is the primary camera, the new 50MP unit being more in touch with the times than the predecessor's 16MP shooter. With that in mind, we'd be willing to forgive the lack of an ultrawide, which is also not something to consider a given to begin with in this price bracket. The 2MP macro and depth cameras of the old model won't be missed either. More importantly, the G Play (2024) has gotten a memory bump to 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM, and we're now getting stereo speakers too. The water-repellent coating on the internals is a nice touch too.

Motorola has styluses at multiple price points and you can still get the 4G version of the Moto G Stylus (2023). Its biggest selling point is, well, the stylus, but the phone also packs a 120Hz display and a 5,000mAh battery, as well as a decently capable 50MP main camera.

Niceties like a microSD slot and a 3.5mm jack also help its case. As most Motos, this G Stylus is also water-repellent offering some level of protection against the elements at a low price.