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Best smartphones to buy in 2023
Looking to buy the best mobile phone? Can't choose between cheap or premium,
Apple or Android? Our in-depth guide can help
The best mobile phone will take the place of your camera, keep you informed and entertained on the move and still leave you with enough battery when you get home.
But it's not easy to find a model that can succeed on all counts. With prices rising and more than ever to choose from, it's important to spend your money wisely on a phone that will last.
Read our in-depth guide for advice on choosing the best mobile phone with the top operating system, brand and additional features that you'll really use.
Or head straight to the mobile phones reviews that have gone through our tough tests.
Best smartphones 2023
We've rounded up some of the very best premium phones you can buy that are great all-rounders. If you want to pay less, scroll down for some excellent options for under £500 and under £300.
Pricing, recommendations and test scores correct as of May 2023.
Best smartphones under £500
A cheaper handset won't just save you money if you're buying outright, but will also result in a cheaper contract. Avoiding a top-of-the-line £800 handset in favour of one that costs under £500 can save you a significant amount each month, depending on how much you pay up front.
Pricing, recommendations and test scores correct as of May 2023.
Best Great Value smartphones under £300
We test mobile phones at every price point, and while some inexpensive models are definite Don’t Buys, there are plenty of affordable gems worth considering. Our Great Value handsets score 60% or more in our tests and they're at least 20% cheaper than the average price for all mobile phones we review. The might not have the very best cameras or displays, but they're solid performers and often have long battery lives.
Great Value handsets must also have around two years of security support remaining. Regular security updates are important to prevent vulnerabilities in your phone being exploited. Find out more in our mobile phones security guide.
If you're looking to spend less, consider a Great Value phone. Here are our recommendations.
How much do I need to spend for a good mobile phone?
You could spend over £1,000 on a smartphone, but fortunately over recent years we've seen excellent models for a fraction of the price.
Expect to spend a little over £300 for a Best Buy. It may not have all the bells and whistles of premium competitors, but any phone good enough to be a Best Buy is guaranteed to tick a lot of boxes.
We have Great Value models for as little as £170. These might not be as powerful as our Best Buys, but you're certainly getting a lot for your money including premium displays and long battery lives.
What you're typically missing out on versus the flagship models are high end cameras and high resolution video, a less sharp or colourful display, and less premium materials in the phone's construction.
What you can get, regardless of price, are perfectly capable and versatile cameras that take great photos, impressive battery life, and processors that are more than fast enough for most day to day tasks. You can find out more about how to buy the best camera phone in our in-depth guide.
This is a key buying decision. It can be tempting to opt for a lower monthly fee rather than pay a lot outright for a new phone, but this could cost more in the long term. Use our phone contract calculator to find the best way to buy.
iOS or Android: which OS is best?
The operating system (OS) is the software that powers your phone. It shapes what the phone interface looks like and what apps it can run, and plays a large part in how easy it is to use. There are two main players to choose from: iOS (Apple iPhones) and Android.
Android
Android is designed by Google and is used by a range of manufacturers, from Samsung and Motorola to OnePlus and Oppo. Android looks and behaves slightly differently depending on the manufacturer, but the basics are essentially the same.
Pros Generally easy to use, customisable and provides access to the wide variety of apps and games from the Google Play store. There are also plenty of Android phones to choose from whatever your budget.
Cons Security support policies vary dramatically by brand - with some offering as little as two years. Sometimes manufacturers and network providers can be slow to release Android updates to users.
Apple iOS
All iPhones use iOS and, unlike Android, the experience of using the operating system is broadly similar whichever iPhone you buy. New updates to iOS are released each year, but some older iPhones may be able to run only older versions, which means you'll miss out on some of the latest features and security patches.
Pros Easy to use and quick to learn, even if you haven’t used a smartphone before. It provides access to the well-stocked Apple app store – where apps are vetted before being released.
Cons Apple iPhones are expensive, though you can find good deals on older handsets and in the second-hand market. Apple iPhones also do not come with a micro-SD card slot, so you’ll need to choose the memory capacity carefully to avoid running out of space for your app, music and photo collection.
Smartphones are getting bigger, with the latest high-end models measuring between 5.5 and 6.5 inches or more. While bigger phones are great for watching films and browsing the web, they won’t suit everyone. Some people find them too large and awkward to hold, and would prefer a model they can comfortably use with one hand.
The best way to find out which handset size is right for you is to try holding a few in a shop. Also pay attention to the physical dimensions of the phone. Screen sizes are available at different aspect ratios, and different phones have different sized bezels. A phone with a 6-inch screen may ultimately be smaller than one with a 5.5-inch screen.
Choose a mobile phone brand with good update support
One important consideration for any phone purchase is how long it'll received important security updates from the manufacturer. We estimate the 'lifetime' of a smartphone – the average time we’d expect one to last before it breaks down or deteriorates significantly – is 5.6 years. This is based on robust analysis of recent product surveys and is a conservative estimate, so we’re confident that the genuine average is above this value.
We asked popular mobile phone brands how long they'd support devices with updates after launch, and as you can see, too many are still falling short of this measure.
Samsung announced in 2019 that all new Samsung phones will be supported for at least four years, and in 2022 it announced support for five years for select devices.
Googlesupports phones for three to five years. The Google Pixel 6 range and phones released later qualify for the five years of support. It states when each device will lose security support on its website.
Fairphone has an update policy of approximately five years.
OnePlussupports phones for three to four years. Its Nord devices get three years of security updates, and all flagship phones from 8 Series onwards get four years of security updates.
Xiaomiphones that are new get at least three years of security support, with certain devices, like the Xiaomi 11T and 11T Pro, getting four years.
Oppophones that are new get at least three years of security support, with select device getting four years, like the Find X3 Pro, the Find X2 Pro and the Find X2.
Nokiasupports C series phones for two years, and G and X series phones for three years.
Motorolasupports phones with security updates in its Edge and G Families for a minimum of three years. It guarantees a minimum of two years of support for its phones in its E Family. Motorola states when each device will lose security support on its website.
Honorphones released since the brand's separation from Huawei have a two year security update process.
Some other popular brands do not have clear minimum update policies. For example, Appledoes not have a strict policy, but typically update iPhones for a minimum of six years. Sony stated that it only aims to supports phones for two years, with no guaranteed support period.
While you may not be at immediate risk if you're using a device that's unsupported, it's obviously desirable to buy and use a device that you know will receive update support for a good period of time. These policies aren't always easy to work out for individual phones, and you need to remember that support durations start from when the phone is released, not when you buy it.
Head to our guide to mobile phone security to check how long your mobile phone will remain supported.
Should I buy a second-hand mobile phone?
One way to get a good discount on a phone is to buy second-hand, or a refurbished model – which is usually a phone that has been used but restored to 'as new' condition, or graded to a certain level of quality.
Read our reviews of mobile phones now only available on the second-hand market. We don’t award Best Buys or Great Value to phones now only available second-hand because the performance of a second-hand or refurbished phone might differ from buying a new one that we test in our reviews.
You might be tempted to think that phones with larger batteries have a better battery life. While battery size is a good indicator, that's not always the case. There are multiple things that can drain a phone's battery, including screen size, resolution and refresh rate, and the type of processor.
We put all phones through a rigorous battery test to find out how long they last under real usage conditions – watching videos, browsing the internet, making calls, using the camera and more, and we factor in idle time as well, to give a realistic usage time, and attribute a star rating.
If battery is the most important thing to you, you can browse all our mobile phone reviews to find the best model that lasts.
Which mobile phone brand is most reliable?
The biggest fault people have with mobile phones is related to battery, with almost one in five reporting issues with phones refusing to charge, or quickly losing charge.
We collect reliability data on all the big brand smartphones so you have all the very best advice before you buy. Read our guide to the most reliable mobile phone brands for more.
Where to buy a mobile phone
When buying a mobile phone, make sure you're handing your money over to a reputable seller. Check the retailer's returns policy and pay attention to customer feedback and reviews. For more details on shopping online safely and arranging refunds for faulty products, see our advice on shopping online.
Mobile Phones Direct, Argos and Carphone Warehouse are some of the most searched-for mobile phone retailers at the time of writing. We’ve included links to these retailers handpicked because of their stock availability, best value price or warranty options.
Mobile Phones Direct – from Sim-free and Sim-only to pay monthly or refurbished, mobile phones direct (part of the AO family) stocks hundreds of phones that are delivered using free next day delivery direct from UK manufacturers. It offers deals with 18 different brands including Apple, Samsung, Huawei and Google with one of three network options; Vodaphone, O2 and Three.
Argos – sells a mixture of Sim-free and Pay as you Go mobile phones. Prices start at less than £20 for basic models and go up to around £1,300. Argos offers same day in-store collection at selected Sainsbury's stores and you can even bump up your nectar points when you shop there.
Carphone Warehouse – specialist mobile phone retailer that stocks lots of different phones from a range of network providers. You can opt for Sim-only or a monthly contract and you can even trade in your old phone when you upgrade. Carphone Warehouse promises to price match if you find a cheaper deal elsewhere and they offer free home or in-store delivery.
Mobiles.co.uk –part of Carphone Warehouse, it's always worth checking this site as well, especially if you're looking to buy on contract. They often have good deals on handsets, though make sure you've added up all extras – including upfront costs. Look for the total price paid, rather than getting seduced by price per month.
If you're upgrading a phone, don't leave the old one gathering dust in a drawer. How to recycle your mobile phone explains how to get money for an old handset, and erase your data securely.
Get the right mobile deal
Use our Which? provider rating, based on real customer feedback, to find the best Sim and contract deals
