BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
What works well, what could be better, and the details worth checking.
685 smartphones
Strengths: Smoother scrolling The Samsung Galaxy A06 5G display supports up to 90 Hz, making feeds, menus and animations smoother than at 60 Hz.
Limitations: Limited sharpness for the screen size At 6.7 inches, the 720 × 1600 resolution makes small text less crisp than on a Full HD+ display.
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Strengths: Mate 70 Pro offers a large 120 Hz LTPO OLED screen and versatile cameras: a variable-aperture main lens, an ultrawide and a roughly 4× telephoto.
Limitations: A 79.5 mm-wide body and 221 g weight make this phone awkward for smaller hands.
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Strengths: Mate XT opens into a 10.2-inch display, leaving plenty of space for documents, reading and multiple windows. It also works in 6.4-inch and 7.9-inch modes.
Limitations: Folded, Mate XT is 12.8 mm thick and weighs around 298 g without its screen protector.
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Strengths: Honor X6b 5G offers 5G connectivity and a 120 Hz screen. Its 5,200 mAh battery supports 35 W charging, and 256 GB provides room for plenty of photos and apps.
Limitations: HD+ resolution limits text sharpness on the large 6.77-inch screen. Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 is better suited to everyday tasks than demanding games.
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Strengths: Performance headroom Snapdragon 8 Elite suits demanding games, photo processing and multitasking. That headroom is useful when buying a phone to keep for several years.
Limitations: Reduced S Pen features The pen loses Bluetooth and remote Air Actions. It can no longer act as a remote camera shutter as it did on the S24 Ultra.
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Strengths: Magic7 RSR brings Snapdragon 8 Elite, 24 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage. Its main camera has a variable aperture, while the 200 MP telephoto offers 3× optical zoom.
Limitations: At 228 g, this is a large phone that will not suit everyone for one-handed use. The designer edition costs considerably more than ordinary flagships.
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Strengths: Magic7 Pro combines the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite with an LTPO OLED display that adjusts from 1 to 120 Hz.
Limitations: At 223 g with a wide body, it will not suit everyone for one-handed use. The European version has a 5,270 mAh battery instead of the 5,850 mAh unit offered in some other markets.
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Strengths: Honor X8c stands out with a slim 7.12 mm body and a light 174 g weight.
Limitations: Snapdragon 685 limits the phone to 4G and modest gaming performance. Video recording reaches only Full HD despite the cameras’ high megapixel counts.
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Strengths: A sharp screen for reading and video The 6.67-inch AMOLED has a 2712 × 1220 resolution and up to 120Hz refresh. Small text looks crisp and scrolling feels smooth.
Limitations: No storage expansion There is no microSD slot, so storage capacity needs to be chosen carefully.
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Strengths: A sharp screen for reading and video The 6.67-inch AMOLED has a 2712 × 1220 resolution and up to 120Hz refresh. Small text looks crisp and scrolling feels smooth.
Limitations: No storage expansion There is no microSD slot, so storage capacity needs to be chosen carefully.
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Strengths: AMOLED with smooth scrolling The 6.67″ screen at 1080 × 2400 gives you plenty of room for reading, photos and shows.
Limitations: No 5G support Mobile connectivity stops at 4G. That is sufficient for LTE service, but the phone cannot switch to 5G when compatible coverage becomes available.
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Strengths: AMOLED with smooth scrolling The 6.67″ screen at 1080 × 2400 gives you plenty of room for reading, photos and shows.
Limitations: No 4K video recording Recording is limited to Full HD at 30fps. That leaves less room for cropping during editing and lacks the motion smoothness of standard 60fps footage.
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Strengths: AMOLED with smooth scrolling The 6.67″ screen at 1080 × 2400 gives you plenty of room for reading, photos and shows.
Limitations: No 5G support Mobile connectivity stops at 4G. That is sufficient for LTE service, but the phone cannot switch to 5G when compatible coverage becomes available.
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Strengths: Strong processing platform The Dimensity 8400-Ultra and LPDDR5X / UFS 4.0 memory provide useful headroom for demanding apps and multitasking.
Limitations: No telephoto camera There is no dedicated optical zoom camera. Distant subjects require digital zoom, which loses detail as magnification increases.
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Strengths: High-contrast AMOLED The 6.67″ AMOLED display with 1220 × 2712 resolution suits video, photos and reading. Deep blacks give dark interfaces and films a more convincing appearance.
Limitations: No telephoto camera There is no dedicated optical zoom camera. Distant subjects require digital zoom, which loses detail as magnification increases.
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Strengths: Huawei nova 13i has a large Full HD+ screen at 90 Hz, making text sharper than on budget HD panels. The 5,000 mAh battery supports 40 W charging.
Limitations: Snapdragon 680 is an ageing chip for basic tasks, and there is no 5G.
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Strengths: Magic7 Lite offers a 6,600 mAh battery and 66 W charging while weighing just 189 g. Its 120 Hz AMOLED screen and stereo speakers suit video viewing.
Limitations: The Magic7 name does not bring flagship speed: Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 has much less gaming headroom than the Pro models.
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Strengths: Mate X6 opens into a large 7.93-inch screen that gives documents and multiple windows more room. Both OLED displays support adaptive refresh rates up to 120 Hz.
Limitations: The global Mate X6 has no 5G or preinstalled Google services, so check your essential apps before buying.
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Strengths: Nova 13 Pro offers a variable-aperture main camera with OIS and a stabilised 3× optical telephoto lens.
Limitations: Even this Pro model is limited to 4G internationally and lacks preinstalled Google services. There is no wireless charging, and USB 2.0 is slow for large file transfers.
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Strengths: Huawei nova 13 combines a slim 6.98 mm body with a flat 120 Hz OLED display. Its 60 MP ultrawide front camera suits group selfies and supports 4K video.
Limitations: The global version is limited to 4G and comes without preinstalled Google services. The main camera lacks optical stabilisation, and there is no dedicated telephoto lens.
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Strengths: Huawei nova Y72S puts its 6,000 mAh battery first, making it an option for buyers who prioritise capacity.
Limitations: HD+ resolution makes small text less sharp on the 6.75-inch screen. Snapdragon 680 suits messaging and browsing better than demanding games, and there is no 5G.
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Strengths: Honor X9c Smart offers a large Full HD+ screen at 120 Hz, 5G connectivity and 256 GB of storage. The 5,800 mAh battery supports 35 W charging.
Limitations: Smart differs substantially from the regular X9c: it uses LCD instead of AMOLED, a smaller battery and slower charging.
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Strengths: Honor X9c combines a 6,600 mAh battery and 66 W charging in a 189 g body. Its 120 Hz AMOLED screen suits reading and video, with stereo speakers providing fuller sound.
Limitations: Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 handles everyday tasks, but demanding games will need reduced graphics settings. The ultrawide camera is only 5 MP, and there is no dedicated telephoto lens.
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Strengths: Smoother scrolling The 120Hz refresh rate makes scrolling and interface transitions smoother.
Limitations: Limited screen sharpness A resolution of 720 × 1640 across 6.88″ means lower pixel density than Full HD alternatives. Small text and fine lines can look less crisp.
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