12 Best Cell Phones Reviewed for 2024

The best cell phone is one that perfectly meets your needs in terms of performance, camera quality, storage, and usability, while simultaneously aligning with your budget. Getting the most out of your cell phone can make an enormous difference to your life, after all. With so many cell phones on the market, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available, though.

That’s why we’ve reviewed and compared the top 12 smartphones for 2024, so you can see exactly what different models offer for the price and make an informed decision. What’s the best cell phone for you?

The Best Phones Ranked

Here’s our comprehensive list of the best cell phones for 2024:

1. Apple iPhone 13 — Overall, the best cell phone in 2024 with incredible cameras, class-leading performance, and a gorgeous 6.1″ Super Retina display.
2. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra — Stunning bezel-less QHD display, a 200MP rear camera with a 30x zoom, and a super-powerful processor.
3. Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 — Best cheap cell phone with a great AMOLED display and incredible battery life. Perfect for watching YouTube videos and streaming TV shows.
4. Apple iPhone 11 — Affordable iPhone with dual 12MP-wide and ultra-wide rear cameras, as well as Night Mode support.
5. Samsung Galaxy S20 FE — Great triple-lens camera with a 30x zoom, fully immersive 120 Hz Full HD display, and a powerful processor for online streaming and gaming.
6. Moto G Stylus — Excellent value for money, with a stunning FHD display, dual stereo speakers, and a powerful processor.
7. Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ — One of the fastest Samsung smartphones with a large curved screen, easy-to-use S Pen, and DeX mode.
8. Google Pixel 6a — A great pick for digital nomads and frequent travelers as it’s capable of translating speech and video captions in real time from 11 different languages.
9. OnePlus Nord 2 — Decent mid-range smartphone with an impressive 50MP camera and an excellent battery life.
10. TCL 20 Pro — Gorgeous smartphone with a large 6.82″ curved display, decent cameras, and one of the top-performing pieces of hardware in its price range.
11. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 — Convenient foldable phone with blazing-fast performance, a stunning AMOLED display, and adaptive screen refresh rate.
12. Terracube Thrive — Built-in parental controls and safe search, ideal if you want to have full control over your child’s cell phone usage.

Top 12 Cell Phones Reviewed

Read our in-depth cell phone reviews to see how different models compare and find a perfect phone that meets your needs and fits your budget.

1. Apple iPhone 13 — Overall, the Best Cell Phone in 2024

The Apple iPhone 13 is an incredible cell phone all around, providing a signature sleek, modern look, stellar performance, super high-quality cameras, and a stunning display.

The iPhone 13 features a 20% smaller notch than the previous model, making the display more immersive while still offering Face ID and a TrueDepth front camera for professional-quality selfies.

In addition to the sleek design we’ve all come to expect from Apple, this model features a ceramic shield front and durable glass, making it more resistant to drops. It’s also water resistant to a depth of 6 meters, so it can easily withstand an occasional spill.

A reason to opt for the iPhone 13 is its 6.1″ Super Retina display with a stellar OLED panel. The display is both brighter and more immersive than iPhone 12, and it offers excellent color accuracy, so it’s perfect for watching movies and TV shows.

With the iPhone 13, you also get ultra-wide cameras with an improved Night Mode, so you’ll be able to snap breathtaking photos even in low light. You can also leverage the Photographic Styles feature to enhance your photos with filters by improving contrasts or making the colors more vibrant.

The phone also features a cinematic mode, so you can record crisp, clear videos in 1080p at 30 frames per second.

When it comes to performance, the iPhone 13 features the A15 bionic chip and a six-core CPU. Apple claims it’s 50% faster than its competitors, so you can expect excellent responsiveness and console-level quality when playing games on your iPhone 13. An Apple Watch will extend the device’s functionality even further – just check out our list of the best smartwatches.

The average battery life of the iPhone 13 is over 13 hours, which is pretty good, with the one drawback of this model being the slow charging times compared to Android alternatives.

2. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra — Stunning Bezel-Less Display and a 200MP Rear

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the best Android phone on our list, thanks to its elegant bezel-less design, stunning display, and super-powerful processor.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 features an incredible 6.8-inch QHD AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, great brightness, and life-like color accuracy. It supports a 3088 x 1400 pixels screen resolution and is widely considered one of the best displays on a cell phone.

What’s more, this Android cell phone also comes with a Vision Booster feature, which automatically adjusts the brightness, colors, and contrast according to ambient light conditions.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 boasts one of the highest-resolution cameras on a smartphone. The 200MP camera comes with an optimized Night Mode and a 30x optical zoom, so you can take photos with stunning detail. While super-high quality, the images aren’t as bright compared to S22 or iPhone 13.

You can also capture 8K cinematic videos – which makes the S23 a perfect choice for capturing those unforgettable moments in your life or making videos for TikTok and YouTube.

Galaxy S23 features an 8th-gen Snapdragon CPU, with clock speeds of up to 3.36 GHz, so it’s super-fast, incredibly responsive, and offers excellent graphics and performance for gaming. It also has a battery life of over 13 hours, which is a huge plus.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the S23 comes with a built-in S pen, with a write-to-text feature that lets you jot down things on the fly, create shopping lists in seconds, and even write short stories. You can also use the S pen to sketch or draw when you feel a burst of inspiration.

3. Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 — Best Cheap Cell Phone With Incredible Battery Life

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 takes the title of the best cheap Android phone, given that it offers super-solid performance, a great display, and impressive battery life for less than $200.

Despite being one of the more cheap Android phones, the Redmi Note 11 has an impressive build quality, so you can expect it to function flawlessly for years to come. It’s also aesthetically pleasing and super-slim (only 0.32 inches), which gives it an elegant look and feel.

The AMOLED display has a 90 Hz refresh rate, is quite bright, and produces vivid, vibrant colors. The phone is also equipped with two excellent stereo speakers, which makes Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 an excellent choice for video playback.

The screen is also very bright, and you can easily adjust the font size as well, which makes it the best smartphone for seniors on our list.

As for the CPU, the Redmi Note 11 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680, an octa-core processor running at 2.4 GHz. While not as powerful as the first two entries on our list – which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the affordable price – it’s still more than good enough for watching movies, TV shows, YouTube videos, and casual gaming.

You won’t notice any lag or slowing down when using typical phone apps, checking social media, or casually browsing the web either.

One thing to note is that the Redmi Note 11 doesn’t offer the best video or image quality, especially in low light. While photos are more than good enough for the price, the iPhone 13, Galaxy S23, and other premium models provide more pro-level camera hardware.

It’s also important to note that some Xiaomi phones aren’t supported by most US carriers. If you’re interested in this model, please note that the only carrier it will work with is T-Mobile.

4. Apple iPhone 11 — Affordable iPhone With a Great Camera

The Apple iPhone 11, despite being launched way back in 2019, remains one of the best iPhone models in terms of performance and display quality for the price.

While quite similar to the iPhone XR in design, the iPhone 11 is around $100 cheaper. New models cost around $500, but you can find a renewed one for as little as $294, which is a steal.

One of the differentiating features of the iPhone 11, compared to the XR, is that it comes in six different colors, offering more options for people who want something more exciting than the standard black or white cover.

The strong suit of the iPhone 11 is its dual-lens 12MP rear camera. Thanks to two sensors on the back, you can take both wide-angle and regular photos, which makes it excellent for capturing the scenery when you’re traveling. This model also features Night Mode, adding a ton of brightness to even the darkest areas, so it’s a great option for night photography as well.

Unlike the previous models on our list, the iPhone 11 features a 6.1″ LCD screen, so the colors aren’t quite as rich as with the iPhone 13, for example. That said, the display is still pretty decent, so you can expect clear, bright, and sharp visuals. The supported resolution is only 1792 x 828 pixels, however, so it’s not the best option if you’re planning to binge TV shows or watch several hours of YouTube daily.

Still, the iPhone 11 is an excellent phone for everyday use, especially considering that the battery can easily last for 24 hours.

5. Samsung Galaxy S20 FE — Great Triple-Lense Camera With a 30x Zoom

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is a great option if you’re looking for a powerful Android phone but aren’t willing to spend over a grand on the S23.

The S20 FE has a flat 6.5″ Full HD Infinity-O display with thin bezels and a small punch hole for the camera, offering a truly immersive experience when streaming movies and TV shows, joining video calls, or playing your favorite games on the smartphone.

With a 120 Hz refresh rate, the video playback is incredible on this model, especially considering that it can reproduce bright colors and high contrast, resulting in life-like visuals.

You also get a triple-lens camera with an incredible 30x zoom, so you can capture every detail and snap breathtaking photos. The rear camera also has Night Mode, so you’ll be able to take clear, colorful photos during the night and in super low-lit environments. The 32MP front camera allows you to create selfies that look like they were taken by a professional photographer.

Regarding performance, the S20 FE features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor, so it streams online content with no lag and runs Android games like a beast. One thing worth noting is that the phone can get quite hot if you push it to the limit and play demanding games on max settings.

The one drawback of this model is the relatively low storage. The S20 FE comes with just 128 Gb of storage, 22 Gb of which is taken up by the operating system, so you’ll likely have to upgrade if you’re taking a ton of photos and videos or using dozens of apps.

6. Moto G Stylus — Excellent Value for Money, With a Stunning FHD Display

The Moto G Stylus is a decent smartphone, offering excellent performance for the price, with the added convenience of the stylus pen.

The biggest selling point of the Moto G Stylus is its screen. For a little over $200, you get a 6.4″ Full HD display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, which is on par with the almost three times more expensive Galaxy S20 FE.

You’ll be able to watch TV shows, movies, and YouTube videos in 2460 x 1080p and enjoy crisp, clear visuals. The cell phone also comes with dual stereo speakers tuned by Dolby, so you can also expect great audio quality – or you can twin it with some wireless earbuds.

The 48MP triple-camera system on the Moto G Stylus lets you take decent-quality daytime snapshots. You’ll also be able to edit the photos with superb accuracy, thanks to the Stylus pen. That said, the phone doesn’t come with a built-in Night Mode, so it’s not a great choice for night photography.

This model comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor and 6 Gb of RAM, so while it’s not the most powerful on the market, it still offers excellent performance for everyday use. You’ll be able to run all your favorite apps, stream online content, and play most games without issue.

What’s interesting to note is that the Moto G Stylus comes with a gaming overlay that lets you stream on Twitch, the biggest game streaming platform, as well as to set the frame rate and block push notifications while streaming.

7. Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ — One of the Fastest Samsung Smartphones

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ is the most aesthetically pleasing phone on our list.

The large curved screen with super-narrow bezels and the smooth glass back with a mirrored finish make the Note 10+ absolutely breathtaking. The trade-off is that you’ll need to have a firm grip on the smartphone at all times to avoid dropping it since the smooth edges and the slick back make it quite slippery, so it’s not the easiest to handle with one hand.

Still, we believe the 6.8″ AMOLED display is more than worth it. The phone features a discrete punch hole for the front camera, so you’ll enjoy a full-screen FHD display that offers a fully immersive experience when streaming movies and TV shows or playing mobile games.

One of the best things about the Samsung Note 10+ is that it comes with five different cameras, so you can take standard photos, ultra-wide snapshots, breathtaking portraits, and professional-looking selfies. It’s also great for taking videos, especially with the addition of Live Focus portrait mode, which lets you unleash your creativity with many fun video filters.

Another reason to opt for the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ is its stellar performance. With 12 Gb RAM and a gaming-oriented Snapdragon 855 processor, this model is among the fastest Samsung smartphones.

To top it all off, the Note 10+ supports DeX mode, which lets you connect the smartphone to your PC or laptop and display your apps, photos, and videos on a larger screen. Time to invest in a top gaming laptop?

8. Google Pixel 6a — Best for Digital Nomads and Frequent Travelers 

The Google Pixel 6a is an ideal choice for people who’re never in one place for too long. If you’re often visiting different countries, this phone will be an invaluable assistant, thanks to its Live Translate feature that can translate speech and video captions in real-time from 11 different languages.

The phone is slim and lightweight, with a curved 6.1″ screen and an elegant design that gives it that premium look and feel. This is slightly offset by the camera bump on the back. While it is a very slight protrusion, the strip is black regardless of the model’s color, which might deter some people, especially if you prefer a white cover.

The 60 Hz refresh rate OLED display is excellent for the price and offers great contrast and white colors, but it’s not as bright as the displays of premium smartphones like the iPhone 13 and Galaxy S23.

When it comes to photos and videos, you can take great quality photos with the phone’s 12MP camera, as well as utilize tools like the Magic Eraser to remove unwanted objects from the background. While the quality of the photos isn’t on the professional level, they’re still more than decent enough for quick snaps for social media with a reasonable level of detail.

The Google Pixel 6a also offers Motion Mode for more stable video and Portrait Mode, which keeps the objects in the foreground in focus while blurring the background.

When it comes to performance, you can expect apps, web pages, and videos to load quite quickly, thanks to a Google Tensor octa-core processor and a 6 Gb of RAM.

9. OnePlus Nord 2 — Decent Mid-Range Smartphone With an Impressive 50MP Camera

The OnePlus Nord 2 is a solid mid-range phone, offering impressive specifications for the price, such as a 50MP rear camera and a fast octa-core CPU.

The phone features a 6.43″ AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 90 Hz, which offers great picture quality at 2400 x 1080 pixels. While admittedly not as crisp as a 120 Hz display, it’s still a significant upgrade from a 60 Hz display phone, with the upside of not draining as much battery.

As we’ve mentioned, one of this model’s strongest suits is the 50MP rear camera, with built-in Night Mode and optical image stabilization, which lets you capture all the details with stunning image quality.

The OnePlus Nord 2 also leverages the power of AI to instantly recognize different scenes and automatically adjust the contrast and saturation, so you’ll get amazing images in seconds without having to bother with post-editing.

The 32MP single-lens selfie camera is also quite impressive, so you’ll be able to up your selfie game and create incredible photos for your social media.

In terms of performance, the OnePlus Nord 2 is on par with the Google Pixel 4a and Samsung Galaxy A52, so while it can’t be numbered among the fastest smartphones, it still delivers a smooth experience for everyday use.

10. TCL 20 Pro — Gorgeous Smartphone With Top Performance for its Price Range

The TCL 20 Pro is one of those smartphones you’ll fall in love with at first sight, thanks to its gorgeous 6.82″ curved display and a beautiful aquamarine case.

That said, the appeal of the TCL 20 Pro doesn’t come from looks alone. The NXTVISION 2.0 Intelligent Display provides vivid, true-to-life colors with darker blacks and brighter whites, so the standard images look like HDR (High Dynamic Range) content on the screen.

The drawback of TCL sticking to the SDR-to-HDR conversion is that the screen’s refresh rate is only 60 Hz, so you won’t get that buttery-smooth scrolling experience you’d expect from a 90 Hz or 120 Hz display.

This model features a 48MP camera, which provides a great level of detail and lets you take crisp photos. One thing worth noting is that the greens and blues tend to be quite bright, so while the images are good quality, you shouldn’t expect life-like color accuracy.

The TCL 20 Pro has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G processor and 6 Gb of RAM, so it’s reasonably fast. While it would be difficult to justify the $500 price tag this model had on release in 2021, considering you can get it for $300 today, you get incredible performance for the price.

11. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 — Convenient Foldable Phone With Blazing-Fast Performance

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 makes our list as the best foldable phone on the market. It’s got that signature clamshell design, so if you’re looking for a convenient, compact phone that easily fits into your pocket, this model is the perfect option for you.

The foldable nature of the phone allows you to easily find the best angles and capture breathtaking photos and stunning selfies. The 12MP camera, while not the most powerful, is bright and offers great image quality.

What’s interesting about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is the fact that it has an adaptive screen refresh rate (1 — 120 Hz), which automatically adjusts to offer the best experience based on the content you’re viewing while preserving battery life when idling or using apps that don’t benefit from high refresh rates.

In addition to the convenience, this model’s strong suit is the super-powerful 8th-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. This ensures everything on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 loads super fast and allows you to multitask with ease.

The one drawback of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is its poor battery life, so if you’re adamant about getting this foldable cell phone, keep in mind that you’ll likely have to carry a charger with you at all times.

12. Terracube Thrive — Built-in Parental Controls and Safe Search

The Terracube Thrive is the best cell phone for kids since it gives parents full control over what websites their children can access and what apps they can use.

This phone comes with built-in parental monitoring, allowing you to keep an eye on your kid’s cell phone usage via the Thrive Parent app that you can install on your Android or iOS device.

On top of that, safe online search ensures that children aren’t exposed to inappropriate content online, so you don’t have to worry about cyberbullying, online scams, or explicit content.

In addition to parental controls and safe search, the Terracube Thrive is also extremely durable, so you don’t have to fear that the phone will break if your child drops it.

The phone features a powerful processor and 4 Gb of RAM, which is more than enough to perform the basic functions and run your kid’s favorite apps smoothly.

Best Cell Phone Comparisons

Here’s a quick smartphone comparison table so you can compare the specification of different models and get a better idea of the level of performance they offer for the price. What are the best buy cell phone deals?

Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Cell Phone For You

The choice of the best cell phone is highly individual and largely depends on your personal preference. For example, some people make a choice based on the brand and design alone, while others are more concerned with the performance, the camera quality, and the available storage, for example.

In any case, there are quite a few factors you need to consider to find a cell phone that ticks all the boxes for you and fits into your budget:

Dimensions and Weight

When comparing multiple cell phones, you should pay close attention to the dimensions of different models.

Larger phones have bigger screens and are generally a great option if you’re frequently watching YouTube videos or streaming movies or TV shows on your phone, but they’re a lot less convenient since you’ll struggle to fit a large cell phone into your pocket. They’re also heavier than smaller models, so they’re a bit more difficult to handle with one hand.

Operating System

The choice between iOS and Android always sparks a heated debate. We believe it ultimately comes down to personal preference, so we’ll let you make your own choice regarding which of the two you prefer.

That said, what’s important to pay attention to, regardless of whether you go for an iPhone or an Android, is the version of the operating system. Newer systems are better optimized, so it’s always a good choice to opt for a smartphone that supports one of the latest versions of the corresponding operating system.

With older models, not only do you get an inferior version of the OS, but they might also stop receiving software updates from the manufacturer.

Processor and RAM 

The processor speed and the amount of RAM determine how fast the phone will execute tasks, load apps, and run games, so you should carefully go over the phone’s specifications to see what level of performance you’re getting for your money.

Screen Refresh Rate

The difference is quite noticeable during video playback, but you’ll also notice it when casually browsing the web and scrolling through social media.

So, if you have the budget for it, a smartphone with a 120 Hz refresh rate screen is a better option, but keep in mind that 120 Hz screens drain battery life more quickly.

Cameras

If you love taking photos and selfies with your smartphone, you’ll want to go for one with great cameras.

Most modern phones have multiple rear cameras for different types of shots, with premium models offering a variety of different modes that will help enhance the quality of the images or let you take bright photos even in low-lit environments.

The cameras with more megapixels (MP) are usually better, but depending on the lenses, some models might make the images brighter while others might offer true-to-life color accuracy.

Storage

When it comes to storage, you want at least 256 Gb of space to comfortably fit all your apps, photos, videos, and files. Depending on how much stuff you’re planning on having on your phone, you might also want to consider a model with a microSD card slot, so you can easily upgrade the storage later down the line if the need arises.

Battery Life

The battery life largely depends on the phone’s usage, but you’d ideally want a model that can easily last for more than 10 hours on a single charge, even if you don’t put the phone down during that time.

Keep in mind that better-performing phones with higher refresh rate screens typically drain the battery faster, but even then, you shouldn’t have to charge the phone more than once per day.

All in all, if you’re looking for a smartphone with the best battery life, you’ll likely have to settle for one with slightly lower performance and a 60 Hz or 90 Hz screen refresh rate.

Locked/Unlocked Status

If you don’t pay attention to the status, you might end up with a phone that’s locked to a specific carrier. In that case, if you don’t have a phone number tied to that specific carrier, you’d have to switch in order to get the phone to function properly.

With an unlocked cell phone, you won’t have any carrier locks or restrictions. That’s why it’s always a good idea to go for an unlocked phone over one that limits you to a single carrier, such as the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11, which only works with T-Mobile.

Usability

When it comes to usability, you should pay attention to the screen’s brightness levels and additional settings such as font and volume.

The best cell phone for seniors, for example, needs to have options for larger fonts and app icons so it’s easier to see everything on the screen.

If you’re particularly concerned about security, you might also consider getting an Android or iPhone VPN.

Price

Lastly, you should compare the phone’s price with its performance rather than simply going for the most expensive one. So, instead of asking yourself: “How much does a cell phone cost?” you should be wondering about the quality of performance you can get within your price range.

Naturally, powerful phones are more expensive, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find budget phones that will meet all your needs. So, it pays off to compare multiple models and search for the best cell phone deals since you can often find cell phones with excellent performance that won’t burn a hole in your wallet.

Will You Get 5G or Wi-Fi 6 with Your Cell Phone?

Whether you’ll get 5G, Wi-Fi 6, neither, or both largely depends on the cell phone model. Most modern smartphones support both 5G and Wi-Fi 6, so you shouldn’t have to worry. In any case, the information should be readily available in every phone’s product description.

Best Cell Phone FAQs