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MagyarThe Best Smartphones
Smartphones are destroying everything else in terms of sales in the mobile market. These incredibly versatile devices outstripped normal cell phones ages ago. With even stronger processors and growing display sizes, the so-called "phablets" are now encroaching on tablet territory. The line between these devices is growing increasingly blurry - at least at the upper end of the market. These smartphone-tablet crossbreeds have taken many of the top spots in our smartphone Top 10 list. As a result, most of the top models in our list are occupied by very recently released devices. Still, here and there a brave old soldier has clung on to the top of the ladder.
Besides the ranking of the high-end smartphones, the following charts might be interesting as well:
The Best Smartphones
Position | Total Rating | Date | Image | Model | Height | Weight | Size | Refresh-Rate | Resolution | Screen-to-Body | OS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 91.1 % | 03/2023 |  | Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy Qualcomm Adreno 740 12 GB Memory, 256 GB | 8.9 mm | 233 g | 6.80" | 120 Hz | 3080x1440 | 90 % | Android 13 |
| 2 | 90.5 % | 03/2023 |  | Samsung Galaxy S23 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy Qualcomm Adreno 740 8 GB Memory, 128 GB | 7.6 mm | 167 g | 6.10" | 120 Hz | 2340x1080 | 88 % | Android 13 |
| 3 | 90.3 % | 01/2023 |  | Apple iPhone 14 Pro Apple A16 Bionic Apple A16 GPU 5-Core 6 GB Memory, 256 GB NVMe | 7.85 mm | 206 g | 6.10" | 120 Hz | 2556x1179 | 87 % | Apple iOS 16 |
| 4 | 90.1 % | 07/2023 |  | Honor Magic5 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Qualcomm Adreno 740 12 GB Memory, 512 GB | 8.77 mm | 219 g | 6.81" | 120 Hz | 2848x1312 | 91 % | Android 13 |
| 5 | 90.2 % | 05/2023 |  | Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Qualcomm Adreno 740 16 GB Memory, 512 GB | 10.3 mm | 239 g | 6.78" | 165 Hz | 2448x1080 | 82 % | Android 13 |
| 6 | 89.9 % | 06/2023 |  | Sony Xperia 1 V Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Qualcomm Adreno 740 12 GB Memory, 256 GB | 8.3 mm | 187 g | 6.50" | 120 Hz | 3840x1644 | 84.2 % | Android 13 |
| 7 | 89.7 % | 06/2023 |  | Xiaomi 13 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Qualcomm Adreno 740 12 GB Memory, 512 GB | 9.1 mm | 227 g | 6.73" | 120 Hz | 3200x1440 | 89.5 % | Android 13 |
| 8 | 89.4 % | 05/2023 |  | Motorola Edge 40 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Qualcomm Adreno 740 12 GB Memory, 256 GB | 8.6 mm | 199 g | 6.67" | 165 Hz | 2400x1080 | 91 % | Android 13 |
| 9 | 89.3 % | 10/2022 |  | Motorola Edge 30 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Qualcomm Adreno 730 12 GB Memory, 256 GB | 8.39 mm | 198.5 g | 6.67" | 144 Hz | 2400x1080 | 90 % | Android 12 |
| 10 | 89.1 % | 08/2023 New! |  | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy Qualcomm Adreno 740 12 GB Memory, 256 GB | 6.1 mm | 253 g | 7.60" | 120 Hz | 2176x1812 | 91 % | Android 13 |
The table above contains an overview over the best smartphones reviewed by Notebookcheck over the course of the past 12 months as well as still relevant and available older products. In cases of identical score the more recent device is listed first. All prices in above table and price comparisons are updated daily and can thus differ.
Link: all devices in this class reviewed
Editors' Comments
As expected, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 makes it into the top 10 this month. The upcoming iPhones are certainly hot candidates as well.
1st - Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the top product from the Koreans and lives up to its ambitions of being the best smartphone. It features a large 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED panel that works with a dynamic refresh rate of 1 to 120 Hz and has a high resolution. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy ensures a strong performance and can rely on 8 or 12 GB of RAM depending on the variant. Storage capacities of 256, 512 or 1,024 GB are available. The S Pen is also on board again.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra offers a super-strong overall package that only has a few equipment gaps.
The powerful camera setup offers a wide range of applications from an ultra-wide-angle with macro mode to a 100x zoom. The video features are not neglected in the process. The 5,000 mAh battery helps the S23 Ultra to long battery runtimes, and it is also IP68-certified again, supports wireless charging, eSIM support, USB 3.2, UWB and much more. Only Wi-Fi 7 has to be omitted and the audio codec support for Bluetooth is expandable.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is available among others on Amazon, with prices starting just North of $1,000 for the 256 GB SKU.
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2nd – Samsung Galaxy S23 and S23+
The Samsung Galaxy S23 has a 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED display that can get enormously bright and supports a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. The display-surface ratio is also very appealing. The S23 is powered by the fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, which has 8 GB of RAM. Both a 128 GB and a 256 GB storage solution are available.
Samsung Galaxy S23 is one of the best smartphones of 2023, and its big brother S23+ offers another icing on the cake in some areas.
The 3,900 mAh battery helps Samsung's smartphone to achieve long runtimes and the triple camera takes really good photos as well as videos. The compact phone is rounded off by an IP68 certification and a long update supply. Only UWB and Wi-Fi 7 have to be waived.
The Galaxy S23+ not only has a slightly larger screen, but also a disproportionately larger battery (4,700 mAh), which is why its runtimes are even better. It also has a UWB chip and can also be purchased with 512 GB of storage.
The Galaxy smartphones can be ordered directly from Samsung, but are also available from all common online retailers like Amazon.
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3rd – Apple iPhone 14 Pro (Max)
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are similar in many areas. Both rely on an identical triple camera, whose core is the new 48 MPix sensor. They are also available with at least 128 storage and can fall back on model variants with up to 1,024 GB. Furthermore, UWB, wireless charging, MagSafe, and IP68 certification are on board.
Apple's iPhone 14 Pro models no longer have a notch, but rely on the Dynamic Island instead.
The 14 Pro has a 6.1-inch OLED display with up to 120 Hz, that of the Max smartphone is 6.7 inches. The larger model is correspondingly heavier, and it also has a disproportionately stronger battery that ensures noticeably longer runtimes.
Both iPhones can be purchased directly from Apple in all color and storage variants.
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4th – Honor Magic5 Pro
The Honor Magic5 Pro is a powerful high-end smartphone with an impressive triple camera, a large battery, fast charging, 3D facial recognition, and a long update supply. It uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor with 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage.
The Honor Magic5 Pro is a very good Android smartphone that only allows itself a few weaknesses.
The case is well-made and waterproof. It has a fast USB 3.2 port, but does not support UWB. The smartphone comes with Google Android 13 and the MagicOS 7.1 user interface. The cameras offer good results in both photos and videos. The communication features are modern, but the smartphone does not support 6 GHz WLAN. It has good navigation features and offers good telephony quality. The quite extensive scope of delivery should also be emphasized positively. Overall, the Honor Magic5 Pro is a powerful smartphone with minor limitations.
The Honor Magic5 Pro is not available in the US.
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5th – Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate
The Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is a gaming smartphone that relies on powerful hardware to deliver a premium gaming experience. It features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and is available in a variety of storage configurations. The smartphone's 6.78-inch AMOLED display has a refresh rate of up to 165 Hz, and the high touch sampling rate of 720 Hz enables fast responses to inputs.
Even in the latest version, the ROG Phone 7 cannot knock anyone off the throne: It remains the best gaming smartphone.
The ROG Phone 7 Ultimate stands out with its opulent equipment list. It has a 6,000 mAh battery that ensures a long gaming time and an external fan that provides additional cooling. The smartphone ships with the Android 13 operating system and the custom user interface ROG UI. Asus plans to provide two OS upgrades and provide the device with security updates for four years. The device is IP54 certified, making it dust and splash resistant.
The ROG Phone 7 can be found in all configurations in Asus' web store. Otherwise, user can purchase the smartphone via Amazon US.
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6th – Sony Xperia 1 V
The Sony Xperia 1 V offers a slim 21:9 display with an enormously high resolution and a peak brightness of up to 1,566 cd/m². A fast SoC from Qualcomm is just as much a part of the equipment as a water- and dust-proof casing, but its display-surface ratio looks a bit old-fashioned. In return, the wider bezel accommodates really good speakers and the Xperia 1 V can also accommodate an optional memory card. An audio jack also adorns the equipment list.
Sony's Xperia 1 V is a really good smartphone and can score with features that other manufacturers have already shelved.
The Sony Xperia 1 V is available through Sony's online store as well as the usual retail channels, such as Amazon US.
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7th - Xiaomi 13 Ultra
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra just throws superlatives around. The 6.73-inch AMOLED display is supposed to be able to get up to 2,600 cd/m² brightness, but this was not confirmed in our test. The camera setup is based on a Sony IMX989 and was developed in cooperation with Leica. Fast charging with up to 90 watts and a lot of memory are also included.
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra leaves hardly anything to be desired, but it also has a steep price.
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra does not really have to put up with much criticism. However, despite the great specs, the smartphone is not the spearhead in terms of photography and the front-facing camera does not support Ultra HD video despite its massive resolution. It is also anything but lightweight at 227 grams. However, fans of the manufacturer will get their money's worth.
Currently, the device is available as an import device from TradingShenzhen, prices starting around $1,185.
Pricecompare
8th – Motorola Edge 40 Pro
The Edge 40 Pro is lightweight and compact and offers high-end features, including 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It features a USB-C port with USB 3.2 speed, NFC for wireless payments, and support for an eSIM profile. The Motorola smartphone comes with Android 13, and Motorola has assured that it will receive future updates. However, the security patches were outdated at the time of review.
Motorola Edge 40 Pro shines with a strong price-performance ratio.
The Edge 40 Pro offers good camera quality with a 50-megapixel main camera, a wide-angle lens and an optical zoom for close-ups. The OLED display is bright and can display HDR content well, although it is not outstanding in terms of resolution and luminosity. The speakers deliver good sound, and the phone has a variety of Bluetooth audio codecs.
The battery has a capacity of 4,600 mAh and offers good runtimes. The phone supports fast charging. Overall, the Motorola Edge 40 Pro offers a good total package at a relatively low price.
At the time of writing, the Edge Pro 40 only appears to be available in Europe.
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9th – Motorola Edge 30 Ultra
The Motorola Edge 30 Ultra has a 6.67-inch pOLED display that offers a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz and Full HD+ resolution. It is powered by a fast Qualcomm processor with 12 GB of RAM. The internal storage is 256 GB and cannot be expanded. One highlight of the smartphone is the camera setup, as the Edge 30 Ultra is the first smartphone with a 200 MPix camera.
Motorola succeeds in creating an attractive smartphone with the Edge 30 Ultra that hardly leaves anything to be desired.
Among other things, the bright display is convincing in the review. Furthermore, the Moto phone can be charged very quickly both wired and wirelessly and also offers very good battery runtimes. Only a higher IP certification and eSIM support would have been desirable.
Currently, the Edge 30 Ultra is not available in the US.
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10th – Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 5G
The highlight of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 5G is the 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED, which can be folded. It convinces with a high resolution, high brightness and S-Pen support. The slim display on the outside measures 6.2-inches, is not quite as bright and does not support the S Pen. The storage has a capacity of between 256 and 1,024 GB depending on the choice.
The equipment is on a high level: Wi-Fi 6E, USB 3.2 with image output, a good triple camera, appealing speakers, UWB, IP68 certification and wireless charging. The software not only receives long updates, but also convinces with its comprehensive optimization for the large display, which noticeably improves productivity.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 is not the slimmest foldable, but it is certainly the most technically sophisticated.
The Fold5 is technically absolutely convincing in the test, only the omission of Wi-Fi 7 is not comprehensible. However, the foldable has to put up with criticism in terms of build height and weight, even though the gap is finally closed when folded.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 is available directly from Samsung, but can also be purchased from Amazon US for $1,549.99.
Pricecompare
Best Smartphones in Comparison
Test Results
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | Samsung Galaxy S23+ Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | Samsung Galaxy S23 Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | Apple iPhone 14 Pro A16 GPU 5-Core, A16, 256 GB NVMe | Honor Magic5 Pro Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | Sony Xperia 1 V Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | Xiaomi 13 Ultra Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | Motorola Edge 40 Pro Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | Motorola Edge 30 Ultra Adreno 730, SD 8+ Gen 1, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 Adreno 740, SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response Times | |||||||||||
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 2.43 ? | 0.98 ? | 1.36 ? | 1.81 ? | 0.87 ? | 1.29 ? | 1.54 ? | 1.02 ? | 1.1 ? | 0.95 ? | 6.16 ? |
| Response Time Black / White * | 2.07 ? | 1.37 ? | 1.77 ? | 0.81 ? | 1.18 ? | 1.2 ? | 0.93 ? | 1.04 ? | 1.1 ? | 0.8 ? | 1.55 ? |
| PWM Frequency | 240 | 240 | 240 | 240 | 120 | 513 | 376 | 120 | 235 | 720 | 120 |
| Screen | |||||||||||
| Brightness middle | 1117 | 1128 | 1125 | 1046 | 1291 | 1010 | 934 | 1357 | 1056 | 1020 | 1104 |
| Brightness | 1133 | 1136 | 1122 | 1049 | 1289 | 1016 | 948 | 1340 | 1055 | 1020 | 1107 |
| Brightness Distribution | 97 | 99 | 96 | 98 | 96 | 95 | 96 | 89 | 92 | 96 | 97 |
| Black Level * | |||||||||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2.2 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 1.28 | 1 | 3.1 |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 3.1 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 4 | 2.7 | 2.85 | 2.8 | 4.2 |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 1.7 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 2 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 3 |
| Gamma | 2.37 93% | 2.05 107% | 1.97 112% | 2.19 100% | 2.28 96% | 2.24 98% | 2.2 100% | 2.2 100% | 2.206 100% | 2.29 96% | 2.01 109% |
| CCT | 6572 99% | 6644 98% | 6504 100% | 6538 99% | 6472 100% | 6405 101% | 6384 102% | 6366 102% | 6320 103% | 6502 100% | 6594 99% |
| Heat | |||||||||||
| Maximum Upper Side * | 31.1 | 32.7 | 30.6 | 37.6 | 34 | 30.7 | 44.6 | 48.4 | 46.8 | 32.3 | 48.6 |
| Maximum Bottom * | 30.1 | 30.8 | 30.2 | 37.9 | 31.6 | 29.4 | 44.3 | 46.8 | 46.1 | 31.9 | 49.2 |
| Idle Upper Side * | 23.7 | 24.1 | 25.2 | 28.7 | 34 | 27.3 | 32.8 | 31.2 | 22.6 | 28 | 26.1 |
| Idle Bottom * | 23.4 | 23.7 | 24.2 | 27.6 | 29.1 | 25.1 | 28.2 | 29.7 | 23 | 26.2 | 26.2 |
| Battery Runtime | |||||||||||
| Reader / Idle | 2139 | 2585 | 2249 | 2659 | 2580 | 2448 | 1321 | 1729 | 2102 | 2206 | |
| H.264 | 1543 | 1524 | 1255 | 1397 | 1249 | 1554 | 859 | 1010 | 1062 | 1188 | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 1100 | 1196 | 926 | 807 | 1074 | 1050 | 743 | 1065 | 984 | 872 | 763 |
| Load | 400 | 385 | 370 | 351 | 276 | 412 | 298 | 297 | 323 | ||
| Power Consumption | |||||||||||
| Idle Minimum * | 0.9 | 0.64 | 0.57 | 0.56 | 0.91 | 0.75 | 1.52 | 0.86 | 0.7 | 0.74 | 0.55 |
| Idle Average * | 1.05 | 0.88 | 0.74 | 1.37 | 1.63 | 0.85 | 2.16 | 1.53 | 0.8 | 1.84 | 0.9 |
| Idle Maximum * | 1.1 | 0.94 | 0.83 | 1.42 | 1.67 | 1.14 | 2.2 | 1.64 | 1.3 | 1.86 | 1 |
| Load Average * | 3.99 | 4.18 | 4.26 | 3.42 | 2.61 | 3.52 | 7.85 | 3.12 | 10 | 2.75 | 9.58 |
| Load Maximum * | 7.82 | 6.59 | 6.16 | 5.56 | 4.57 | 6.01 | 11.57 | 6.5 | 13.7 | 4.54 | 10.74 |
* ... smaller is better
Benchmarks
| Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal - offscreen Overall Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 | |
| Apple iPhone 14 Pro | |
| AImark - Score v2.x (sort by value) | |
| Apple iPhone 14 Pro | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Ultra | |
| WebXPRT 3 - --- (sort by value) | |
| Apple iPhone 14 Pro | |
| Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate | |
| Sony Xperia 1 V | |
| Xiaomi 13 Ultra | |
| Motorola Edge 40 Pro | |
| Motorola Edge 30 Ultra | |