The best Samsung phone in 2025: How to pick the right Galaxy model

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The best Samsung phone has the performance, camera quality, and features you want at a price within your budget.

It would be too easy to say the top overall Samsung phone is the Galaxy S24 Ultra, the $1,300 model in a league of its own in terms of price and features. It's a stellar phone, but recommending the most expensive of anything is too obvious and doesn't consider value.

Ahead of the release of the company's 2025 flagship series, the best Samsung phone for most people in our testing remains the Galaxy S24, which starts at $800. It includes most of Samsung's high-end features for the best value. For more conservative spending habits, the Galaxy A35 5G is the budget Samsung phone of choice. It's not as powerful as the company's flagship series, but its camera is capable, and its battery life is very impressive for a phone that costs $400.

Our top picks for the best Samsung phone

Best overall: Samsung Galaxy S24 - See at Amazon

Best budget: Samsung Galaxy A35 5G - See at Amazon

Best camera: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra - See at Amazon

Best battery life: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra - See at Amazon

Best small phone: Samsung Galaxy S24 - See at Amazon 

Best foldable phone: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 - See at Amazon

Best overall

Samsung's Galaxy S24 contains the vast majority of Samsung's premium features, including the company's latest AI software features, and offers the biggest bang for your buck. Unless you specifically value a larger display and faster charging speeds, there's little reason to spend $200 more on the Galaxy S24 Plus. 

In the same vein, unless you specifically value a larger display, longer battery life, faster charging, and Samsung's S Pen stylus, there's little reason to upgrade to the Galaxy S24 Ultra for $500 more. 

The $800 Galaxy S24 basically has the same performance as the $1,000 Galaxy S24 Plus and $1,300 Galaxy S24 Ultra, as all three models run on the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Optimized for Galaxy processor. Where the Galaxy S24 differs is with its 8GB RAM compared to the 12GB you get standard on the larger models. It resulted in slightly lower benchmark numbers in our testing, but we couldn't tell the difference in normal daily use. 

The Galaxy S24 also features the same triple-lens camera system and takes photos in identical quality as the Galaxy S24 Plus, so there's no upgrade by spending $1,000 here. 

You'll also find the Galaxy S24 has a similar display with an adaptive 1-120Hz refresh rate, but it's limited to 1080p resolution compared to the 1440p resolution of the Galaxy S24 Plus. While technically an upgrade, we found the Galaxy S24's 1080p resolution to be more than sharp enough, and we'd even use the same resolution on the larger Galaxy S24 models, too. 

The Galaxy S24 scored surprisingly well in our battery test, ending with a 58% result compared to the Galaxy S24 Plus' 60%. The only disappointing thing about the Galaxy S24 is its comparatively slow 25W charging speed compared to the 45W charging speed on the larger models. Still, it's not a reason to ignore the Galaxy S24.

Realizing that some prefer larger displays regardless of the higher price tag, the Galaxy S24 Plus comes in at a close second, with the added benefit of slightly longer battery life and faster 45W charging.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S24 review, and see our guide to the best Samsung Galaxy S24 cases to protect the phone. 

Best budget

In the sub-$500 price range, Samsung's Galaxy A35 5G stands out with its 120Hz 6.6-inch display and superb battery life for its list price of $400, placing it easily among the best budget Android phones.

The Galaxy A35 obtained one of the best scores of any phone in our intensive battery test, with 65% remaining. That's Galaxy S24 Ultra territory, as the high-end phone scored 66% after our battery test. To top it off, the Galaxy A35 supports 25W charging, which is on the fast side in the budget realm, and the same charging speed as the base Galaxy S24.

The Galaxy A35's excellent battery life pairs nicely with the mid-range Samsung Exynos 1380 processor, which is fairly snappy when running apps. This processor also featured in the Galaxy A35's predecessor, the Galaxy A54, where performance was equally snappy but delivered stuttery animations when swiping around the phone. It seems Samsung has optimized its One UI phone software to run more smoothly on the Exynos 1380 processor. 

Photo quality from the main 50MP camera and 8MP ultrawide lens can be surprisingly good and easily mistaken for photos taken with a more expensive premium device. At the same time, the Galaxy A35 can excessively brighten photos and bright details, especially. Still, it doesn't detract from the memories you're trying to capture, and it's an excusable facet of many of the best cheap phones.

Best camera

With its four camera lenses, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has the best and most versatile camera system among Samsung's latest phone lineup.

Photos taken with the Galaxy S24 Ultra's 200MP main camera don't actually look much better than the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus' photos taken with their 50MP main cameras. Samsung uses the same 10MP 3x zoom camera for all three models, so photos are identical here.

However, the Galaxy S24 Ultra's fourth camera — a 50MP 5x zoom lens — sets it apart. It takes significantly sharper photos of objects and subjects further away at 5x magnification than the 3x lenses common to all the Galaxy S24 models. The 5x lens can also take shots up to 10x in full optical quality without employing digital zoom that degrades quality, thanks to cropping the 50MP sensor's center pixels. 

In this regard, the Galaxy S24 Ultra's 5x zoom lens is actually an upgrade from the Galaxy S23 Ultra's 10x zoom lens. According to Samsung, the latest model takes sharper photos between the 3x and 10x zoom ranges, where most people tend to zoom. 

It's worth noting that the Galaxy S24 Ultra and all Samsung phones continue to suffer from an issue with overexposing elements of photos and videos in our testing. While this has improved slightly since the Galaxy S23 series, it continues to place them behind any of the best iPhones and best Google Pixel phones in overall camera quality and consistency.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review, and see our guide to the best Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra cases to protect the phone. 

Best battery life

As with most phone lineups, the largest model has the best battery life. The Galaxy S24 Ultra ended our battery test with 66% remaining, while the Galaxy S24 Plus ended with 60% and the base Galaxy S24 with 58%. That's a significant difference that has the potential to change your daily charging habit, especially if you're used to smaller phones.

Our battery test puts phones through four tests designed to simulate a mix of heavy and light use. Five runs of the Geekbench 6 CPU test and two runs of the 3D Mark Wild Life Stress Test mimic heavy use, while two hours of video streaming and one hour of music streaming when connected to a Bluetooth speaker mimic light use. At the end of the test, we record the remaining battery percentage, with higher scores suggesting a phone has better battery life.

At the very least, it should impart more confidence that your phone will comfortably last your entire day, even if you have a lot of screen time.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra's score is surprisingly good, considering its 5,000mAh battery is only 100mAh larger than the Galaxy S24 Plus. In addition, the Galaxy S24 Ultra's display is only 0.1 inch larger than the Galaxy S24 Plus. With that in mind, we'd expect better battery life from the Galaxy S24 Plus, but 60% is still an excellent result.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review, and see our guide to the best Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra cases to protect the phone. 

Best small phone

Those who prefer phones with smaller displays will be pleased to know that the best small Samsung phone is also our top pick for Samsung phones: the Galaxy S24.

The Galaxy S24 has a 6.2-inch display, which makes it easier to reach everything on the display with one-handed use than most Samsung phones with larger displays. Being the smallest, the Galaxy S24 is also one of the lightest Samsung phones at 5.9 ounces.

The Galaxy S24's overall size is also compact, thanks to the narrow borders around the display that waste as little space as possible.

The Galaxy S24's battery life doesn't suffer as much from being a small phone. It scored 58% in our battery test, which is incredibly close to the Galaxy S24 Plus' 60% score with its large 6.7-inch display. That's an amazing feat considering its 4,000mAh battery compared to the Galaxy S24 Plus' 4,900mAh battery.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S24 review, and see our guide to the best Samsung Galaxy S24 cases to protect the phone. 

Best foldable phone

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is one of two foldable phones Samsung currently offers, along with the Galaxy Z Flip 6. 

We recommend the Z Fold 6 before the Z Flip 6 if you're looking for a foldable phone from Samsung. Though it starts at $1,900, the Z Fold 6 has a tablet-hybrid design that is substantially more versatile and offers better relative value than the Z Flip 6's compact design.

When folded, the Z Fold 6 has a 6.3-inch exterior screen that runs at a seamless 120Hz and offers the basic functionality of a traditional phone screen. The 0.11-inch, year-over-year widening of the phone's cover display is a subtle yet critical improvement over previous generations of the device, which had cover displays that were narrow to the point of being difficult to use. When unfolded, the phone becomes a lightweight tablet with a 7.6-inch display, which also runs effortlessly at 120Hz. 

These factors separate the Z Fold 6 from the Z Flip 6 and justify the $700 difference in starting prices.

In contrast, the clamshell-style Z Flip 6, which starts at $1,100, has a 3.4-inch exterior display that offers comparatively limited use as a notification screen, a viewfinder for the main cameras, a means to control music, and a means to write messages. That said, it's the best foldable phone among competing clamshell devices, whereas the Z Fold 6 is not our first overall recommendation for a tablet-hybrid foldable.

Read our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 hands-on assessment, and see our guide to the best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 cases to protect the phone.

Best Samsung phones compared

How we test Samsung phones

As with any of the best phones, we thoroughly test Samsung phones by using them as daily drivers for as long as it takes to get a complete picture of their performance, battery life, features, and overall value. Considering our extensive experience with phones, this can take as little as a few days or longer if major new features are introduced.

During testing, we run popular and common apps and games and watch for signs of stuttering or slower-than-expected loading times. We also run the Geekbench 6 CPU and GPU benchmark tests and various benchmark tests in the 3D Mark app to get an idea of year-over-year performance improvements. For AI performance, we have begun benchmarking with the Geekbench AI app.

We test camera quality by taking photos of the same scenes with each lens and comparing them to the same images taken with different phones. When we test a new phone's camera, we bring its competitors to take the same photos at the same time of day and time of year to make accurate comparisons.

We also use Samsung phones to take hundreds of personal photos, which weigh heavily in our assessments. These photos reveal a camera's real-life strengths and shortcomings that a testing scenario often misses, like a photo's clarity where subjects are in motion and the everyday experience of using its camera apps. You may not see these key photos in our reviews, as they often include friends and family, and we respect their privacy.

Our battery life test aims to simulate a mix of light and heavy usage with three hours of screen-on time at a set brightness that's identical on every phone we test. The test includes five runs of the Geekbench 6 CPU test, two runs of the 3D Mark Wild Life Stress Test, one hour of music streaming while the phone is connected to a Bluetooth speaker, and two hours of video streaming. We then note the remaining battery percentage.

FAQs

Which is the best Samsung phone?

From our testing, the best Samsung phone available now is the Galaxy S24, which offers the best overall combination of performance and features for the price. It's also our top pick for the best small Samsung phone and among the best Android phones you can buy. 

We're aware that many Android users prefer larger displays, and we wholeheartedly recommend the Galaxy S24 Plus, too, as it's essentially a larger version of the Galaxy S24. Just be aware that it's $200 more for the extra display size. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is technically the best Samsung phone you can buy from a specs standpoint, thanks to its quad-camera system, large display, and S Pen stylus (if you're into that kind of accessory). However, it's also an eye-watering $1,300.

We also recommend several other Samsung phones according to specific criteria. 

The best Samsung phone for a more affordable price is the Galaxy A35 5G. It has a large 6.6-inch display that runs at 120Hz, just like a premium phone. Its cameras can take surprisingly good photos for the price, but they can also appear overly bright. Performance is speedy, and battery life is among the best we've tested. 

Samsung's best camera phone is the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which offers a stellar four-camera system and is the company's lone phone with a 5x optical zoom lens.

Samsung's best foldable phone is the Galaxy Z Fold 6, a versatile device that can operate as a 6.3-inch phone or a 7.6-inch tablet.

Which is the newest Samsung phone?

Samsung's latest phone in the US is the mid-range Galaxy S24 FE, released in September 2024. It offers many features of the flagship Galaxy S24 series, including Galaxy AI, at a more affordable $650 starting price.

Before that, Samsung's latest releases were the sixth-generation Galaxy Z foldable devices, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6, released in July 2024.  

The company's latest flagship Galaxy S-tier phones are the Galaxy S24 models, which include the base Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, and Galaxy S24 Ultra. These phones were released in January 2024, and the company's new flagship line is expected to launch later this month.

Best overall: Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus

Pros: Exceptional battery life, excellent three-camera system, stellar performance, lightweight for its large screen size

Cons: Some bloatware, infrequent shutter lag 

Though the Galaxy S23 Ultra is nominally Samsung's top-line phone in 2023, the Galaxy S23 Plus offers a better overall balance of performance, cameras, and features relative to its price. 

Indeed, the Galaxy S23 Plus is a supremely well-balanced phone with all the specs anyone would want in a premium phone, and it has a lower price tag and better battery life than the Galaxy S23 Ultra. 

The Galaxy S23 Plus obtained the best result in our battery test among Samsung's current lineup while offering a large, 6.6-inch screen that runs at 120Hz. Apps open and run quickly and smoothly, and the phone's performance overall feels buttery smooth thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Optimized for Galaxy processor — the same processor in the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The three cameras on the back of the Galaxy S23 Plus take high-quality photos, and we saw no reason to upgrade to the Galaxy S23 Ultra's for its 200MP main camera in our testing. The Galaxy S23 Plus' selfie camera — the same one found in the Galaxy S23 Ultra — is also the best in recent memory for a Samsung phone.  

There's very little we can say against the Galaxy S23 Plus — not only is it the best Samsung phone overall, we also crowned it the best overall Android phone you can buy. 

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus review.

Best budget: Samsung Galaxy A14 5G

Pros: Large screen, smooth 90Hz display, stellar price-to-performance ratio

Cons: Ineffective macro lens, slow 15W charging speed

The Galaxy A14 5G is a surprisingly capable phone for its $200 price tag, and among Samsung's A series phones, it offers the best balance of features and affordability. 

While the A14 isn't as quick to open apps as the flagship Galaxy S23 series, or even the $450 Galaxy A54, it still runs apps smoothly on a 90Hz screen — a spec we wouldn't expect on a phone in this price range.

For $200, the Galaxy A14 also comes with a large 6.6-inch display and a surprisingly sharp 1080p resolution, the same resolution offered by the Galaxy S23 Plus. (The Galaxy A14's display isn't nearly as bright as the Galaxy S23 Plus', however, a factor that is especially noticeable in bright sunlight, but it poses no problems indoors.)

You'll see three camera lenses on the rear of the Galaxy A14's textured plastic back, but you'll likely only use one of them, the 50MP main camera. One of the other cameras is a 2MP macro lens for those niche up-close shots of rain drops on a leaf, but it's not sharp at all. The other is a depth sensor to help the main camera take portrait mode shots, and it doesn't take photos. 

The 50MP main camera takes photos with solid color, contrast, and brightness. It's a capable camera if your budget is in the $200 range, but if camera quality is a priority and you can stretch your budget, we'd rather recommend the Galaxy A54, which starts at $450, for better photos (and performance).

Like the A54, the Galaxy A14 lacks wireless charging. The A14 supports 15W charging speeds, which is slow, but acceptable in this price range.   

Read our full Samsung Galaxy A14 5G review. 

Best camera: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Pros: Stellar four-camera system, impressive 10x zoom lens, smooth 120Hz display, S Pen useful for on-device photo editing

Cons: Screen may be too large for some, expensive relative to competition

With its four camera lenses, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has the best camera system among Samsung's latest phone lineup.  

All of Samsung's flagship Galaxy S23 phones take similarly excellent photos, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra's exclusive fourth 10x zoom lens gives it the most versatility relative to the company's other phones that top out with 3x zoom cameras. It means you can take significantly better photos of faraway objects and subjects than any other Samsung phone, or any other phone, for that matter.

Having a 10x zoom camera not only means you can take crisp, clear, fully detailed photos at 10x zoom, but it also means you can take acceptable, even decent, photos beyond 10x. Apart from older Galaxy Ultra phones with 10x zoom lenses, no other Samsung phone can compete in this regard. 

Samsung was mindful that micro jitters from shaky hands will result in a blurry photo at such high-zoom ranges. The Galaxy S23 Ultra has excellent optical image stabilization (OIS) that greatly reduces the micro jitters from your hands. Just note you still need to be quite still — the Galaxy S23 Ultra's OIS is impressive, but it's not miraculous.  

You might be wondering whether the Galaxy S23 Ultra's 200MP main camera offers better photos than the 50MP main cameras on Samsung's other Galaxy S23 flagships. We actually couldn't see any improvement in the Galaxy S23 Ultra's 200MP main camera over the 50MP main cameras from the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Plus, even in low light photos where so many megapixels could be a benefit. 

That's great news for those who find the Galaxy S23 Ultra too expensive for their budgets, and for those who don't necessarily want a 10x zoom lens. 

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review.

Best battery life: Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus

"The larger the phone screen, the longer the battery life" is a maxim one can typically apply to newer smartphones. However, that's not the case with Samsung's latest lineup. 

The Galaxy S23 Plus with its 6.6-inch screen finished our battery stress test with 67% remaining, while the 6.8-inch Galaxy S23 Ultra finished with 61%.

It's a surprising result, as the Galaxy S23 Plus has a smaller 4,700mAh battery than the 5,000mAh battery in the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Still, when each phone performed five runs of the Geekbench 5 CPU test, two runs of the 3DMark Wild Life Stress Test, two hours of video streaming, and one hour of music streaming with Bluetooth headphones, the Galaxy S23 Plus came out on top. 

The Galaxy S23 Plus also supports the same 45W charging speeds and 15W wireless charging speeds as the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which means it's among the fastest charging models in Samsung's contemporary lineup. 

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus review.

Best small phone: Samsung Galaxy S23

Pros: Excellent three-camera system, stellar performance, smooth 120Hz display, solid battery life

Cons: Slower charging speed (25W) than other S23 models, some bloatware, infrequent shutter lag

The Galaxy S23 is basically a smaller version of the Galaxy S23 Plus, our top pick for the best Samsung phone overall. It runs on the same processor and has the same triple-lens camera, and its display runs at the same silky-smooth 120Hz. 

It does all that while sporting a smaller 6.1-inch screen and a lighter weight that some may find more comfortable. 

Apart from size, the only major difference between the standard S23 and the S23 Plus is battery life, where the former scored lower in our battery stress test (56% remaining). However, that's expected in a smaller phone.

It's also worth mentioning the Galaxy S23 only supports 25W charging speeds while the Galaxy S23 Plus supports 45W, which is baffling, but not a deal breaker if you prefer smaller phones. 

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S23 review.

Best foldable phone: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

Pros: Stellar performance, opens into a lightweight tablet, smooth 120Hz refresh rate on both displays, improved hinge

Cons: Expensive starting price, narrow cover display

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is one of the two current foldable phones Samsung offers, alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 5. 

If you're looking for a foldable phone from Samsung, we'd recommend the Galaxy Z Fold 5 first thanks to its full-size exterior display and greater versatility, which make it worth its hefty $1,800 starting price, and it's available now for $500 off at Amazon. The Z Flip 5's larger cover display means it's more versatile than previous models, but ultimately, you still need to unfold the Z Flip 5 to do anything meaningful on the device.

When folded, the Z Fold 5 has a 6.2-inch exterior screen that runs at a seamless 120Hz and operates as a stellar (though thicker-than-usual) small-screen phone. When unfolded, the phone's interior display acts as a lightweight, 7.6-inch tablet that also runs effortlessly at 120Hz. 

These factors alone separate the Z Fold 5 from the Z Flip 5 and justify the $800 gap in starting price between them. 

In contrast, the clamshell-style Z Flip 5, which typically starts at $1,000, has a 3.4-inch exterior display that essentially acts as an always-on display for notifications, as a viewfinder for the main cameras, to control music and other media, and even reply to a text. Still, the phone needs to be unfolded, which becomes a tiresome requirement very quickly, and it feels like a compromise compared to regular phones.

Worthy of note, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 has an updated hinge design that allows it to fold completely flat. It's a welcome evolution to hinges from previous Fold models, which left a gap at the hinge and not only looked less sleek, but also increased the risk of display scratches from dirt and debris.

The best Samsung phones compared

Specs	Galaxy S23 Plus	Galaxy A14 5G	Galaxy S23 Ultra	Galaxy S23	Galaxy Z Fold 5
Starting price	$1,000	$200	$1,200	$800	$1,800
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Optimized for Galaxy	Exynos 1330	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Optimized for Galaxy	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Optimized for Galaxy	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Optimized for Galaxy
Release date	February 2023	January 2023	February 2023	February 2023	August 2023
Screen size	6.6 inches	6.6 inches	6.8 inches	6.1 inches	6.2 inches (folded), 7.6 inches (unfolded)
Rear cameras	50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x zoom	50MP main, 2MP macro, 2MP depth	200MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x zoom, 10MP 10x zoom	50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x zoom	50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x zoom
Storage	256GB, 512GB	64GB	256GB, 512GB, 1TB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Best Samsung phone FAQs

What is the best Samsung phone?

The best Samsung phone in 2023 is the Galaxy S23 Plus, in our assessment, as it offers the best overall combination of performance, features, and price. It has the best battery life of any Samsung phone we've tested and has the widest potential appeal. 

We also recommend several other Samsung phones according to specific criteria. 

The best Samsung phone you can get for a low cost is the Galaxy A14 5G, a capable budget phone that outperforms its $200 price tag. 

The best camera phone from Samsung is the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which offers a stellar four-camera system and is the lone phone from the company to feature a 10x zoom lens. 

Samsung's best phone with a small screen is the 6.1-inch Galaxy S23, the smaller sibling of our top overall pick, the Galaxy S23 Plus. 

Samsung's best foldable phone is the Galaxy Z Fold 5, a versatile device that can operate as a 6.2-inch phone or a 7.6-inch tablet.

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What is the latest Samsung phone?

Samsung's newest phones are the latest additions to its foldable lineup, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5, which hit stores in August 2023.