Best smartphones of 2024 - buyer’s guide

GSMArena team, Last updated 29 August 2024.

Last updated: August 29, 2024

Welcome to the always-up-to-date GSMArena Smartphone Buyer's Guide where we round up the best smartphones you can buy.

You will find the different categories of phones below with our top pick as a highlight. Click on the category to see the other suggested options.

Flagship phones

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Specs

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is not the perfect smartphone, this year we even have a cons section, but it is the ideal all-round flagship and for that it becomes our top pick in this category.

Flagship killers

Xiaomi 13T Pro

Specs

The Xiaomi 13T Pro is one of the best all-round phones right now, with top-notch hardware, exceptional execution across the board and a mid-range price. Sounds like a flagship killer, doesn’t it?

Camera phones

Xiaomi 14 Ultra

Specs

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is one of the best cameraphones in 2024. A favorite cameraphone in the office, the 13 Ultra didn't leave a lot to ask for, yet Xiaomi did find a few areas to touch up for the 14.

Gaming phones

Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro

Specs

Nobody does smartphone gaming quite like Asus. Four iterations into the ROG Phone line, that remains a fact.

Battery life champions

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

Specs

We are putting the iPhone 15 Pro Max as our top pick here for being not only one of the best flagships, but also one of the phones to offer the longer battery life nowadays.

Compact phones

Goodbye iPhone 13 mini, hello Moto! Yes, we are putting a clamshell for the first-time as our top pick for this category, but it surely deserves it! The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra offers a ton of flagship features in its super compact body.

Premium all-rounders

Xiaomi 13T Pro

Specs

The now cheaper €600 Xiaomi 13T Pro remains one the best phones you can get right now. It delivers on every single promise and has plenty of flagship-grade, class-leading features. The new IP68-rated design, especially the one with the vegan leather back, is classy and stunning.

Midrange phones (around €400)

Motorola Edge 50 Fusion

Specs

The €350 Motorola Edge 50 Fusion is undoubtedly a gorgeous device through and through, one that deserves a special spot on this list, the top one.

Midrange phones (around €300)

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus

Specs

The Nothing Phone (2a) Plus model is a solid overall package. All of the unique Nothing design and aesthetics are there.

Midrange phones (around €200)

Xiaomi Poco X6

Specs

The Poco X6 is an excellent upgrade over the Poco X5, improving on almost every single aspect - design, display, battery and charging, speakers, performance, camera, software even. And it is as well-rounded as every other Xiaomi-made phone and offers great bang for the money. No wonder we picked it as our top phone in this category.

Entry-level phones

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12

Specs

Just like our previous top pick - the Redmi Note 12 4G, the affordable Redmi Note 12 5G is a solid all-rounder with little to complain about. It has a solid OLED panel, decent battery life, although we expected more, competitive fast charging, a dependable main camera and a dedicated microSD card slot.

US market phones

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

Specs

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.

Best phones by category

Flagship phones

Flagship killers

Camera phones

Gaming phones

Battery life champions

Compact phones

Premium all-rounders

Midrange all-rounders

Entry-level smartphones

US market smartphones

Reader comments

Lulushu
13 Oct 2024
LaK

So everyone is going to forget the fact that the Sony Xperia 1 VI absolutely destroyed every single other phone in battery life, yet they keep the iPhone 15 Pro Max as the poster boy for battery life? Don't get me wrong, the Sony might not be an...

Anonymous
13 Oct 2024
v{u

Yes

Trollhammeren
12 Oct 2024
Lax

Mi 14 Ultra best camera phone ... LOL nice joke :D It's worse then last years model of Huawei and Honor :D