Bad news: flagship phones cost a small fortune these days. Good news: we can help you pick the right one and get the most for your money.

Modern flagship smartphones are little engineering marvels. And they should be, since they start around $800 and can cost well over $1,000. They tend to last upwards of four or five years, so the high cost is a little easier to swallow, but it’s still a major purchase for most of us.

To make sure you get the most for your investment, we’ve picked out the best of the best. The phones highlighted below may be pricey, but they deliver excellent daily performance and great cameras and will keep on running well into the foreseeable future.

If you’re looking to spend a little less and still get the best smartphone on a budget, you can find something really good for under $500. For those recommendations, check out our guide to budget smartphones.

Best iPhone for most people

Screen: 6.1-inch 1170p resolution OLED, 60Hz refresh rate / Processor: A15 Bionic Cameras: 12-megapixel f/1.6 main with sensor-shift IS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: not advertised / Charging: wired, 15W wireless MagSafe, 7.5W Qi / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

The iPhone 14 seems like the obvious choice for anyone who needs a new iPhone but doesn’t want to step up to the 14 Pro. But hear me out: the iPhone 13 does almost everything that the 14 does, and it’s $100 cheaper.

Sure, if your carrier is offering you a good trade-in offer or dirt-cheap financing for the 14 or you want the (slight) year-over-year upgrades, then go ahead and get that one. It’s great! But if trade-in deal season is over or you’re paying out of pocket, we think the standard iPhone 13 is the better buy; the $799 14’s improvements are so minor that they’re not worth the extra money. In fact, I traded in my old iPhone 11 for a 13 mini rather than a 14 this year.

By opting for the 13, you don’t miss out on anything as far as the screen or processor is concerned. The iPhone 13 features a 6.1-inch screen with a standard refresh rate — no smooth-scrolling ProMotion here — as does the 14. There’s an A15 Bionic chipset in both phones, and although the 14’s is a slight upgrade with an extra GPU core, they both deliver excellent performance. They’re both MagSafe compatible for wireless charging and IP68-rated for robust water and dust resistance.

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Upgrading to the 14 does get you a slightly better camera system, but the improvements are subtle. The ultrawide and front-facing cameras do better in low light compared to the 13, and the main camera features a bigger sensor that’s able to hold on to detail in dim conditions a little better. But for the most part, you have to go looking for these differences in fine details — most people viewing their images at web- and social-media-friendly sizes won’t see what’s changed.

You’ll miss out on a couple of emergency features, too. The 14 includes a new Crash Detection feature that uses specialized sensors to recognize when a car crash has happened and automatically call emergency services. There’s a satellite-based emergency messaging service, too, for when you’re out of cell range. For a small group of people, these services might be worth upgrading for, but they’re likely things that most of us can do without.

From the outside, the iPhone 14 and 13 look almost identical. There are some physical differences to note, though. The first is that you can’t just use an iPhone 13 case on the 14 because the camera bump is a bit bigger. And below the glass and aluminum surface of the iPhone 14, Apple made some changes that enable much easier repairs to the back panel. That means out-of-pocket repairs will likely cost less, and if you’re a DIYer, it’s a much less daunting task to take on yourself.

There are a handful of other interesting new iPhone features this time around, but they’re reserved for the Pro models. If you consider yourself an early adopter or you just want the very best iPhone you can buy right now, it’s worth stepping up to the Pro. But if you’re just looking for a reliable device to get you through your day, take great photos and video, and keep the blue-bubble chat a-flowin’, then the iPhone 13 will serve you just as well as the 14 — for a little less money.

Read our review of the Apple iPhone 13.

Best Android phone for most people

Screen: 6.6-inch 1080p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy / Cameras: 50-megapixel F1.8 main with OIS, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,700mAh / Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless / Weather resistance: IP68

The S23 Plus is a minor update to its predecessor, but the upgrades are good ones. It still has a large 6.6-inch display with a smooth-scrolling 120Hz top refresh rate, and it’s a lovely screen to use — not as high-res as the Google Pixel 7 Pro’s 1440p display, but it’s top-notch. Some tweaks to the display tech and a bigger 4,700mAh battery give the S23 Plus stronger battery performance than its predecessor, so you can get through a full day of heavy use with a little more wiggle room than the outgoing model afforded.

There’s also a new chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It’s included in all models sold across the globe, and that’s a good thing — it is whip-fast. It handles daily tasks without a problem and heavier tasks like gaming with remarkable ease. Otherwise, there’s a lot that’s familiar about the S23 Plus. It still starts at $999, though the base model now comes with 256GB of built-in storage.

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

The rear triple-camera system is also recycled from last year’s model, and for the most part, that’s fine. The 50-megapixel main sensor produces punchy, vibrant 12-megapixel photos by default. Portrait mode photos from either the main sensor or 3x telephoto camera are fantastic, with excellent subject isolation. Outside of portrait mode, the 3x camera looks a lot more average. It’s a shorter focal length than the 5x telephoto on the Pixel 7 Pro, so it’s a bit less useful for distant subjects.

Our least favorite part of a Samsung phone is the out-of-box software experience, as it comes with a lot of duplicate apps to replace or accompany Google’s stock apps like Messages, Google Calendar, and Google Assistant. Unless you’re a Bixby fan, you’ll need to take a little time to de-Samsung the S23 Plus. The Pixel 7 Pro offers a much more streamlined experience right out of the gate. But there’s good news: the phone ships with One UI 5.1 and is slated to receive four more OS platform upgrades and five years of security updates. That means you can keep using the phone safely well into the future and get the most out of your investment.

Read my full review of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus.

Best high-end iPhone

Screen: 6.1-inch (Pro) or 6.7-inch (Pro Max) OLED, 120Hz refresh rate / Processor: A16 Bionic Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.8 with sensor-shift IS, 12-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: not advertised / Charging: wired, 15W MagSafe wireless, 7.5W Qi / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

For a lot of iPhone owners, this isn’t an upgrade year, especially if you’re coming from a 12 or a 13. But if you do need a new iPhone right now and you want the very best device, then Pro is the way to go. The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max usher in some new ideas from Apple that the standard 14 doesn’t get, like the “Dynamic Island,” a playful mash-up of hardware and software that turns the notch into a shape-shifting status indicator. It’s handy for system-level info, like whether your AirDrop went through, and it’s getting more useful as third party app-makers start to use it. There’s also a new high-resolution camera and an always-on display.

The iPhone 14 Pro, which starts at $999, is the very best iPhone you can buy right now. But it’s a bit of an early adopter special. There’s plenty that’s good but a lot of room for Apple to fine-tune and improve these features over the coming years. If you’re not ready to spend a thousand dollars on the first iteration of a new design, then look at the previous-gen iPhone 13. The standard iPhone 14 is an incremental upgrade over the 13 and doesn’t get you that much more; the 13 is still available and starts at $699. That’s our choice for most people, but the 14 Pro does have a lot to offer.

The 14 Pro comes with a 6.1-inch screen, and the Pro Max has a 6.7-inch screen. They’re both ProMotion displays like the 13 models, with adaptive refresh rates that go up to 120Hz for smooth scrolling and animations. New to this generation is an always-on display: when you lock your phone, the screen dims and drops into a low-power mode, with frame rates as low as 1Hz, but the clock, widgets, and wallpaper all remain visible. This means you can check the time or see if you have notifications without having to wake the display.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The display’s other new trick is, of course, Dynamic Island. Apple took the notch — the area of the screen that houses the front-facing camera and Face ID sensors — and turned it into a pill-shaped cutout that appears to expand dynamically (get it?) to show system indicators and notifications. It’s a handy place to quickly see what your phone is doing, whether it’s playing back music, sending files via AirDrop, or using navigation. It’s nice, but it’s something Apple and third-party developers will keep making more useful over the next few years — definitely not something to upgrade for right now.

The 14 Pro also has a new 48-megapixel main camera, which uses pixel binning to maximize light sensitivity and produce 12-megapixel images. The real-world improvements are subtle, with more fine detail in shadows and in low light, but the differences compared to a standard 12-megapixel sensor in the iPhone 14 are hard to see unless you’re looking really closely. The higher-resolution sensor also enables a 2x telephoto mode that’s essentially a 12-megapixel crop from the middle of the sensor. It’s the new default view for portrait mode, and it’s one that feels like a happy medium between the wide and 3x telephoto that have been the only options on iPhones past.

Outside of the new stuff, there’s a lot that’s familiar. The phone’s battery gets through a moderate day of use, though it seems to run down a little faster than the 13 Pro. The camera may not be the leap forward in photography that Apple claims it is, but it’s still one of the best in the game and records stunning video clips. And the new A16 Bionic chipset handles intensive tasks like gaming without a problem.

Read our full Apple iPhone 14 Pro review.

Best high-end Android phone

Screen: 6.8-inch 1440p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy / Cameras: 200-megapixel main with OIS, 10-megapixel 10x telephoto with OIS, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,000mAh / Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless / Weather resistance: IP68

The S23 Ultra is Samsung’s kitchen sink flagship phone. It’s a maximalist experience with a built-in stylus, four rear cameras (including two telephotos), a massive 6.8-inch screen, and the top-shelf Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. It’s hard to imagine what you could cram into this device without turning it into a foldable (please turn it into a foldable, Samsung).

All that hardware comes at a high starting price of $1,200, so it’s not our top pick for just anyone looking for a great Android phone. But if you’re looking for the best of the best — particularly if you live in the US where choice is limited — it’s at the very top of our list. The camera system is impressive; portrait mode photos are excellent, and it’s capable of very good images all the way to 30x zoom. There’s a new 200-megapixel main camera sensor at the heart of the rear camera array, and it does a good job of bringing out fine details in both good lighting and low light conditions.

Image: Allison Johnson / The Verge

The integrated S Pen isn’t new or updated for 2023, but it’s still a nice tool to have at the ready when you need to jot down a quick note. That massive screen is detailed and scrolling is smooth, with a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz all the way down to 1Hz. The sizeable 5,000mAh battery powers it through a day of heavy use, but don’t count on getting a lot more than one day out of it.

Our usual gripes with Samsung software apply here, too, and if anything they’re a little more glaring on such a pricey phone. The phone will happily download a bunch of extra apps you probably don’t want during setup, although you can opt out of a fair chunk of them and hide most of the ones you can’t uninstall. But Samsung’s healthy software support policy is fitting of a $1,200 phone: you’ll get four OS platform upgrades and five years of security updates. Not quite as good as Apple, but among the best on Android.

Read my full Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review.

Best small smartphone

Screen: 5.4-inch 1080p OLED, 60Hz refresh rate / Processor: A15 Bionic Cameras: 12-megapixel f/1.6 main with sensor-shift IS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: not advertised / Charging: wired, 15W MagSafe wireless, 7.5W Qi / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

The iPhone 13 Mini is one of very few small phones on the market with top-tier features and specs; you don’t have to compromise on performance, build quality, or cameras. Apple didn’t announce a new Mini with the 14 series, instead opting for a big-and-bigger approach with the 6.1-inch 14 and 6.7-inch 14 Plus. The 13 Mini is likely your last shot at a small, highly functional iPhone, so get it while you can.

Though it’s much smaller in size than pretty much every other modern smartphone, the Mini’s 5.4-inch screen is still big enough for text messaging, email, web browsing, apps, video, and games, and if you’re coming from an iPhone 6, 7, or 8, it will feel quite spacious. But it’s also small enough that most adults, even those with small hands, will be able to comfortably reach all of the screen with their thumb. You won’t need a PopSocket on this one.

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

One important downside to a smaller phone: the iPhone 13 Mini has a smaller battery that probably won’t last a power user through a whole day without a charge. It’s really designed for someone who isn’t glued to their phone all day. Otherwise, the Mini is the same phone as the iPhone 13: it has the same design, processor, cameras, 5G support, and build quality as the larger model. It’s just smaller and has a smaller price tag — about $100 less.

If you prefer Android, the Asus Zenfone 9 is a good alternative. It’s a little bigger than the 13 Mini, with a 5.9-inch screen, and it doesn’t work on Verizon, but it’s otherwise a very similar proposition: great build quality, top-notch processor, and high-end features like a 120Hz screen are all tucked into a pocket-friendly device.

Read our full Apple iPhone 13 Mini review.

The best phone around $500

Screen: 6.1-inch, 1080p OLED, 90Hz / Processor: Tensor G2 Cameras: 64-megapixel f/1.89 with OIS, 13-megapixel ultrawide, 13-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,385mAh / Charging: 18W wired, 7.5W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IP67

At $499, the Pixel 7A is one of the pricier midrange phones you can buy, but the extra features it provides are well worth the money. It offers a nice 6.1-inch OLED with a 90Hz top refresh rate for smooth scrolling — not quite as nice as the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G’s 120Hz screen but a step up from the 6A’s 60Hz display.

Other new features this year include the latest Tensor G2 chipset from Google — the same on the flagship 7 and 7 Pro — with a healthy 8GB of RAM, an updated 64-megapixel main camera, and wireless charging. Factor in the 7A’s hearty IP67 dust and water resistance, its sturdy aluminum frame, and the fact that it continues to offer the best photo quality in the class, and that $499 price tag starts to look like a pretty sweet deal.

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

Battery life on the Pixel 7A is just average. It will get through a day of moderate use with a bit left in the tank, but if you add in a battery-draining activity like gaming or an extended video streaming session, you’ll probably need to top it off before the end of the day. Otherwise, the 7A is an easy pick if your budget is modest. It’s scheduled to get three OS upgrades and five years of security patches, so it’s well positioned to go the distance, too.

There are other phones under $500 worth considering, and they’re all covered in our guide to the best inexpensive phones. But if you’re looking for the absolute most you can get from a $500 phone, then look no further than the 7A.

Read my full review of the Google Pixel 7A.

Best flip phone

Screen: 6.7-inch 1080p OLED, 120Hz (main), 1.9-inch OLED (cover) / Processor: Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 Cameras: 12-megapixel f/1.8 main with OIS, 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultrawide, 10-megapixel selfie / Battery: 3,7000mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IPX8

When the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is flipped open, you get a big 6.7-inch screen that handles just like the slab-style smartphone you’re used to. But fold it in half, like the flip phones of yore, and you can use its small outer screen to see basic widgets and read notifications. It’s unconventional, but it’s also fun and kinda stylish. It’s a great choice if you’re feeling a little bit adventurous — it’s still the early days for this form factor — and you’d appreciate a way to quickly check info on your phone without having to fully engage with it.

The Flip 4 is the definition of an incremental upgrade, but when you’re talking about a phone that folds in half, that’s still a pretty impressive achievement. It’s the same basic size and shape as the Flip 3, with a slightly slimmer hinge and some squared-off corners. It’s still IPX8 water resistant (no dust resistance, so please don’t take it to the beach), and the cover screen is still a tiny 1.9 inches — big enough to read an email subject line or check the current weather but not big enough to do much more than that.

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

The inner screen is protected by stronger ultrathin glass than the Flip 3. There’s a non-user-replaceable screen protector in place, as there was on the previous model, but the adhesive that attaches it is stronger this time around. That will hopefully avoid the bubbling problem seen by some owners of previous-gen foldables.

The Flip 4’s cameras are mostly the same as the Flip 3’s, and they’re still a bit behind what you’d expect from your garden-variety flagship phone. There’s a 12-megapixel main camera with slightly bigger pixels than the last one, a 12-megapixel ultrawide, and a 10-megapixel selfie camera. Most other phones priced at $999 will throw in a telephoto lens of some kind, but not the Z Flip 4. Still, it’s a lot of fun taking pictures and recording videos in the phone’s L-shaped Flex mode. (Just try and name another phone that comes with its own built-in kickstand.)

If you’re a Flip 3 owner, there’s nothing about the Flip 4 worth upgrading for. In fact, many of the new software-based features introduced with the 4 are already making their way to the 3. And there are still plenty of ways Samsung could improve on its design: making it slimmer, more durable, and increasing the size of the cover screen, for a start. The Flip 4 offers some valuable refinements over the 3 that make it feel like a more mature product and less of a concept. There are likely significant improvements coming down the line for the Flip series, but right now, it’s undeniably fun and different.

Read my full review of the Galaxy Z Flip 4.

Best folding phone

Screen: 7.6-inch 2176p 120Hz OLED inner screen, 6.2-inch 2316p 120Hz OLED cover screen / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 / Cameras: 50-megapixel F/1.8 main with OIS, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 10-megapixel selfie (cover screen), four-megapixel under-display selfie (inner screen) / Battery: 4,400mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless / Weather resistance: IPX8

The Fold 4 is Samsung’s latest folding phone, and it is a pricey multitasking powerhouse — a phone and a tablet wrapped up in one device. Like the Fold 3 before it, it’s sized like a skinny smartphone that fits in your pocket, but it unfolds to reveal a tablet-sized 7.6-inch display on the inside.

That inside screen makes everything from reading books and browsing the web to watching videos and playing games more enjoyable and immersive. When you’re done using it, just fold it back up and stick it in your pocket just like any other phone. You can use the 6.2-inch outer screen for simpler tasks like you would on a slab-style smartphone, but the big screen is there when you need it. The Fold 4 is undeniably a gadget person’s gadget, best suited for someone who wants to get the absolute most out of their mobile device, cost be damned.

The Fold 4’s outer screen looks and handles like any other slab-style smartphone screen; unfold the device and you’re looking at something quite different. For starters, there’s a non-user-replaceable screen protector glued to the inner display to protect against scratches — the ultrathin glass that allows it to fold is easily damaged without it. The whole device is IPX8-rated, meaning it offers robust water resistance but no dust resistance. Folding phones: not recommended for the beach.

Image: Allison Johnson / The Verge

On the software side, the Fold 4 provides a lot of ways to get the most out of that big screen. There are new multitasking interface options that make it easy to open apps in multiple windows or use it in an L-shape like a laptop. These features are already becoming available to the Fold 3, so nobody should run out and upgrade from the previous-gen folding phone just for the software improvements.

The Galaxy Fold 4 is just brimming with cameras, including a 3x telephoto zoom lens, upgraded from a 2x zoom on the outgoing model. There are also 12-megapixel standard wide and ultrawide cameras on the rear panel, plus a 10-megapixel selfie camera on the outside and a 4-megapixel under-display camera on the inside. Image quality is on par with the S23 and S23 Plus, including a great portrait mode. You’d get a more powerful set of cameras on the significantly less expensive S23 Ultra, but the Ultra doesn’t fold in half.

The Fold 4 has evolved beyond the early hardware hiccups of the first Fold phones in the series, and it’s a device you could actually use as your daily driver — not just as a cool gadget that stays at home. The refinements over the Fold 3 are minor, like slightly wider aspect ratios on the screens and better adhesive on the non-user-replaceable inner screen protector, but they push the Fold a little closer to the mainstream. With apologies to the also-ran Microsoft Surface Duo 2, there’s just nothing else like it on the market — if you’re willing to pay the very high $1,800 premium.

Read my full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review.

Flagship performance for a little less money

Screen: 6.7-inch 1440p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 / Cameras: 50-megapixel F1.8 main with OIS, 48-megapixel ultrawide, 32-megapixel 2x telephoto, 16-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,000mAh / Charging: 80W wired (100W outside of US) / Weather resistance: IP64

After a little journey of self-discovery, OnePlus has finally come back around to its strength: making not-quite flagship phones that cost less than the high-end devices from Samsung and Google. The OnePlus 11 costs $699, includes a fantastic Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, has an excellent 6.7-inch screen, and comes with a great software support policy with four OS upgrades and five years of security updates. That alone makes it a very competitive option.

However, OnePlus cut a couple of corners to get to that relatively low price. It comes with an IP64 rating for splash resistance, which is less robust than the IP68 rating most devices in this price bracket carry — they can withstand full immersion in water. There’s also no wireless charging, another feature that virtually every other phone over $500 includes. Instead, you get super-fast wired charging: 80W if you’re in the US and 100W elsewhere. That’s enough to fully charge the phone in less than 30 minutes. You have to use the included charger and cable, and they don’t deliver the same speeds as other devices — bummer. But hey! There’s a charger in the box.

Image: Allison Johnson / The Verge

That’s the bad news. Back to the good news: the OnePlus 11 works on all three major 5G networks in the US right out of the gate — previous devices came with patchy 5G support at launch. The fan-favorite three-stage alert slider is back after taking a hiatus on the OnePlus 10T. And the 1440p OLED offers excellent detail along with smooth scrolling thanks to a 120Hz top refresh rate. It’s a great screen for the price.

The OnePlus 11’s bottom line is that it delivers excellent performance for less than you’d typically pay for a phone with the flagship chipset du jour. If you can live without wireless charging and you’re not concerned about the lack of waterproofing, then you’ll find it’s a great deal.

Read my full OnePlus 11 5G review.

Other good phones

There are a few other devices that didn’t quite make the cut for any of the above categories but are still worth mentioning. The Samsung S23 Plus just edged out the Google Pixel 7 Pro as our pick for the best Android phone for most people. It’s still a great device, and the $899 price tag is attractive (and often marked down). We like its software out-of-the-box better than Samsung’s, and its camera system sometimes outdoes the S23 Plus’ — especially with its longer 5x telephoto lens. But while its custom Tensor G2 chipset is capable, it’s unclear how it will hold up in the long run.

Pixel 6 and 7 owners have also reported their fair share of software bugs and unusual hardware problems. Google seems to be doing the right thing and repairing phones under warranty, and the Pixel series’ frequent updates mean that bugs are usually fixed in a timely manner. Samsung, on the other hand, is pretty much on cruise control with the S23 Plus.

The iPhone 14 Plus is worth considering if you prefer iOS and you like a bigger phone. If the 14 Pro feels like overkill but you want a big screen and a big battery, then the 14 Plus is a good alternative. It costs less than the $1,099 Pro Max, though its $899 price isn’t exactly cheap. But like the iPhone 14, the 14 Plus offers very few appreciable updates over the iPhone 13 and doesn’t quite lend itself to a broad recommendation.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 stands tall — er, small — in a field dominated by huge screens. Its 6.1-inch display makes it a little bigger than the Asus Zenfone 9 and its 5.9-inch screen, but compared to the 6.6-inch-plus screens that are much more common in this category, the Galaxy S23 is your best (maybe only?) option for flagship specs in a reasonably sized phone.

Update May 22nd, 5:45PM ET: Replaced the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G with the Google Pixel 7A as our top pick for under (er, around) $500.

Bad news: flagship phones cost a small fortune these days. Good news: we can help you pick the right one and get the most for your money.

Modern flagship smartphones are little engineering marvels. And they should be, since they start around $800 and can cost well over $1,000. They tend to last upwards of four or five years, so the high cost is a little easier to swallow, but it’s still a major purchase for most of us.

To make sure you get the most for your investment, we’ve picked out the best of the best. The phones highlighted below may be pricey, but they deliver excellent daily performance and great cameras and will keep on running well into the foreseeable future.

If you’re looking to spend a little less and still get the best smartphone on a budget, you can find something really good for under $500. For those recommendations, check out our guide to budget smartphones.

Best iPhone for most people

Screen: 6.1-inch 1170p resolution OLED, 60Hz refresh rate / Processor: A15 Bionic Cameras: 12-megapixel f/1.6 main with sensor-shift IS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: not advertised / Charging: wired, 15W wireless MagSafe, 7.5W Qi / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

The iPhone 14 seems like the obvious choice for anyone who needs a new iPhone but doesn’t want to step up to the 14 Pro. But hear me out: the iPhone 13 does almost everything that the 14 does, and it’s $100 cheaper.

Sure, if your carrier is offering you a good trade-in offer or dirt-cheap financing for the 14 or you want the (slight) year-over-year upgrades, then go ahead and get that one. It’s great! But if trade-in deal season is over or you’re paying out of pocket, we think the standard iPhone 13 is the better buy; the $799 14’s improvements are so minor that they’re not worth the extra money. In fact, I traded in my old iPhone 11 for a 13 mini rather than a 14 this year.

By opting for the 13, you don’t miss out on anything as far as the screen or processor is concerned. The iPhone 13 features a 6.1-inch screen with a standard refresh rate — no smooth-scrolling ProMotion here — as does the 14. There’s an A15 Bionic chipset in both phones, and although the 14’s is a slight upgrade with an extra GPU core, they both deliver excellent performance. They’re both MagSafe compatible for wireless charging and IP68-rated for robust water and dust resistance.

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Upgrading to the 14 does get you a slightly better camera system, but the improvements are subtle. The ultrawide and front-facing cameras do better in low light compared to the 13, and the main camera features a bigger sensor that’s able to hold on to detail in dim conditions a little better. But for the most part, you have to go looking for these differences in fine details — most people viewing their images at web- and social-media-friendly sizes won’t see what’s changed.

You’ll miss out on a couple of emergency features, too. The 14 includes a new Crash Detection feature that uses specialized sensors to recognize when a car crash has happened and automatically call emergency services. There’s a satellite-based emergency messaging service, too, for when you’re out of cell range. For a small group of people, these services might be worth upgrading for, but they’re likely things that most of us can do without.

From the outside, the iPhone 14 and 13 look almost identical. There are some physical differences to note, though. The first is that you can’t just use an iPhone 13 case on the 14 because the camera bump is a bit bigger. And below the glass and aluminum surface of the iPhone 14, Apple made some changes that enable much easier repairs to the back panel. That means out-of-pocket repairs will likely cost less, and if you’re a DIYer, it’s a much less daunting task to take on yourself.

There are a handful of other interesting new iPhone features this time around, but they’re reserved for the Pro models. If you consider yourself an early adopter or you just want the very best iPhone you can buy right now, it’s worth stepping up to the Pro. But if you’re just looking for a reliable device to get you through your day, take great photos and video, and keep the blue-bubble chat a-flowin’, then the iPhone 13 will serve you just as well as the 14 — for a little less money.

Read our review of the Apple iPhone 13.

Best Android phone for most people

Screen: 6.6-inch 1080p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy / Cameras: 50-megapixel F1.8 main with OIS, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,700mAh / Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless / Weather resistance: IP68

The S23 Plus is a minor update to its predecessor, but the upgrades are good ones. It still has a large 6.6-inch display with a smooth-scrolling 120Hz top refresh rate, and it’s a lovely screen to use — not as high-res as the Google Pixel 7 Pro’s 1440p display, but it’s top-notch. Some tweaks to the display tech and a bigger 4,700mAh battery give the S23 Plus stronger battery performance than its predecessor, so you can get through a full day of heavy use with a little more wiggle room than the outgoing model afforded.

There’s also a new chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It’s included in all models sold across the globe, and that’s a good thing — it is whip-fast. It handles daily tasks without a problem and heavier tasks like gaming with remarkable ease. Otherwise, there’s a lot that’s familiar about the S23 Plus. It still starts at $999, though the base model now comes with 256GB of built-in storage.

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

The rear triple-camera system is also recycled from last year’s model, and for the most part, that’s fine. The 50-megapixel main sensor produces punchy, vibrant 12-megapixel photos by default. Portrait mode photos from either the main sensor or 3x telephoto camera are fantastic, with excellent subject isolation. Outside of portrait mode, the 3x camera looks a lot more average. It’s a shorter focal length than the 5x telephoto on the Pixel 7 Pro, so it’s a bit less useful for distant subjects.

Our least favorite part of a Samsung phone is the out-of-box software experience, as it comes with a lot of duplicate apps to replace or accompany Google’s stock apps like Messages, Google Calendar, and Google Assistant. Unless you’re a Bixby fan, you’ll need to take a little time to de-Samsung the S23 Plus. The Pixel 7 Pro offers a much more streamlined experience right out of the gate. But there’s good news: the phone ships with One UI 5.1 and is slated to receive four more OS platform upgrades and five years of security updates. That means you can keep using the phone safely well into the future and get the most out of your investment.

Read my full review of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus.

Best high-end iPhone

Screen: 6.1-inch (Pro) or 6.7-inch (Pro Max) OLED, 120Hz refresh rate / Processor: A16 Bionic Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.8 with sensor-shift IS, 12-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: not advertised / Charging: wired, 15W MagSafe wireless, 7.5W Qi / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

For a lot of iPhone owners, this isn’t an upgrade year, especially if you’re coming from a 12 or a 13. But if you do need a new iPhone right now and you want the very best device, then Pro is the way to go. The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max usher in some new ideas from Apple that the standard 14 doesn’t get, like the “Dynamic Island,” a playful mash-up of hardware and software that turns the notch into a shape-shifting status indicator. It’s handy for system-level info, like whether your AirDrop went through, and it’s getting more useful as third party app-makers start to use it. There’s also a new high-resolution camera and an always-on display.

The iPhone 14 Pro, which starts at $999, is the very best iPhone you can buy right now. But it’s a bit of an early adopter special. There’s plenty that’s good but a lot of room for Apple to fine-tune and improve these features over the coming years. If you’re not ready to spend a thousand dollars on the first iteration of a new design, then look at the previous-gen iPhone 13. The standard iPhone 14 is an incremental upgrade over the 13 and doesn’t get you that much more; the 13 is still available and starts at $699. That’s our choice for most people, but the 14 Pro does have a lot to offer.

The 14 Pro comes with a 6.1-inch screen, and the Pro Max has a 6.7-inch screen. They’re both ProMotion displays like the 13 models, with adaptive refresh rates that go up to 120Hz for smooth scrolling and animations. New to this generation is an always-on display: when you lock your phone, the screen dims and drops into a low-power mode, with frame rates as low as 1Hz, but the clock, widgets, and wallpaper all remain visible. This means you can check the time or see if you have notifications without having to wake the display.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The display’s other new trick is, of course, Dynamic Island. Apple took the notch — the area of the screen that houses the front-facing camera and Face ID sensors — and turned it into a pill-shaped cutout that appears to expand dynamically (get it?) to show system indicators and notifications. It’s a handy place to quickly see what your phone is doing, whether it’s playing back music, sending files via AirDrop, or using navigation. It’s nice, but it’s something Apple and third-party developers will keep making more useful over the next few years — definitely not something to upgrade for right now.

The 14 Pro also has a new 48-megapixel main camera, which uses pixel binning to maximize light sensitivity and produce 12-megapixel images. The real-world improvements are subtle, with more fine detail in shadows and in low light, but the differences compared to a standard 12-megapixel sensor in the iPhone 14 are hard to see unless you’re looking really closely. The higher-resolution sensor also enables a 2x telephoto mode that’s essentially a 12-megapixel crop from the middle of the sensor. It’s the new default view for portrait mode, and it’s one that feels like a happy medium between the wide and 3x telephoto that have been the only options on iPhones past.

Outside of the new stuff, there’s a lot that’s familiar. The phone’s battery gets through a moderate day of use, though it seems to run down a little faster than the 13 Pro. The camera may not be the leap forward in photography that Apple claims it is, but it’s still one of the best in the game and records stunning video clips. And the new A16 Bionic chipset handles intensive tasks like gaming without a problem.

Read our full Apple iPhone 14 Pro review.

Best high-end Android phone

Screen: 6.8-inch 1440p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy / Cameras: 200-megapixel main with OIS, 10-megapixel 10x telephoto with OIS, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,000mAh / Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless / Weather resistance: IP68

The S23 Ultra is Samsung’s kitchen sink flagship phone. It’s a maximalist experience with a built-in stylus, four rear cameras (including two telephotos), a massive 6.8-inch screen, and the top-shelf Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. It’s hard to imagine what you could cram into this device without turning it into a foldable (please turn it into a foldable, Samsung).

All that hardware comes at a high starting price of $1,200, so it’s not our top pick for just anyone looking for a great Android phone. But if you’re looking for the best of the best — particularly if you live in the US where choice is limited — it’s at the very top of our list. The camera system is impressive; portrait mode photos are excellent, and it’s capable of very good images all the way to 30x zoom. There’s a new 200-megapixel main camera sensor at the heart of the rear camera array, and it does a good job of bringing out fine details in both good lighting and low light conditions.

Image: Allison Johnson / The Verge

The integrated S Pen isn’t new or updated for 2023, but it’s still a nice tool to have at the ready when you need to jot down a quick note. That massive screen is detailed and scrolling is smooth, with a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz all the way down to 1Hz. The sizeable 5,000mAh battery powers it through a day of heavy use, but don’t count on getting a lot more than one day out of it.

Our usual gripes with Samsung software apply here, too, and if anything they’re a little more glaring on such a pricey phone. The phone will happily download a bunch of extra apps you probably don’t want during setup, although you can opt out of a fair chunk of them and hide most of the ones you can’t uninstall. But Samsung’s healthy software support policy is fitting of a $1,200 phone: you’ll get four OS platform upgrades and five years of security updates. Not quite as good as Apple, but among the best on Android.

Read my full Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review.

Best small smartphone

Screen: 5.4-inch 1080p OLED, 60Hz refresh rate / Processor: A15 Bionic Cameras: 12-megapixel f/1.6 main with sensor-shift IS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: not advertised / Charging: wired, 15W MagSafe wireless, 7.5W Qi / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

The iPhone 13 Mini is one of very few small phones on the market with top-tier features and specs; you don’t have to compromise on performance, build quality, or cameras. Apple didn’t announce a new Mini with the 14 series, instead opting for a big-and-bigger approach with the 6.1-inch 14 and 6.7-inch 14 Plus. The 13 Mini is likely your last shot at a small, highly functional iPhone, so get it while you can.

Though it’s much smaller in size than pretty much every other modern smartphone, the Mini’s 5.4-inch screen is still big enough for text messaging, email, web browsing, apps, video, and games, and if you’re coming from an iPhone 6, 7, or 8, it will feel quite spacious. But it’s also small enough that most adults, even those with small hands, will be able to comfortably reach all of the screen with their thumb. You won’t need a PopSocket on this one.

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

One important downside to a smaller phone: the iPhone 13 Mini has a smaller battery that probably won’t last a power user through a whole day without a charge. It’s really designed for someone who isn’t glued to their phone all day. Otherwise, the Mini is the same phone as the iPhone 13: it has the same design, processor, cameras, 5G support, and build quality as the larger model. It’s just smaller and has a smaller price tag — about $100 less.

If you prefer Android, the Asus Zenfone 9 is a good alternative. It’s a little bigger than the 13 Mini, with a 5.9-inch screen, and it doesn’t work on Verizon, but it’s otherwise a very similar proposition: great build quality, top-notch processor, and high-end features like a 120Hz screen are all tucked into a pocket-friendly device.

Read our full Apple iPhone 13 Mini review.

The best phone around $500

Screen: 6.1-inch, 1080p OLED, 90Hz / Processor: Tensor G2 Cameras: 64-megapixel f/1.89 with OIS, 13-megapixel ultrawide, 13-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,385mAh / Charging: 18W wired, 7.5W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IP67

At $499, the Pixel 7A is one of the pricier midrange phones you can buy, but the extra features it provides are well worth the money. It offers a nice 6.1-inch OLED with a 90Hz top refresh rate for smooth scrolling — not quite as nice as the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G’s 120Hz screen but a step up from the 6A’s 60Hz display.

Other new features this year include the latest Tensor G2 chipset from Google — the same on the flagship 7 and 7 Pro — with a healthy 8GB of RAM, an updated 64-megapixel main camera, and wireless charging. Factor in the 7A’s hearty IP67 dust and water resistance, its sturdy aluminum frame, and the fact that it continues to offer the best photo quality in the class, and that $499 price tag starts to look like a pretty sweet deal.

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

Battery life on the Pixel 7A is just average. It will get through a day of moderate use with a bit left in the tank, but if you add in a battery-draining activity like gaming or an extended video streaming session, you’ll probably need to top it off before the end of the day. Otherwise, the 7A is an easy pick if your budget is modest. It’s scheduled to get three OS upgrades and five years of security patches, so it’s well positioned to go the distance, too.

There are other phones under $500 worth considering, and they’re all covered in our guide to the best inexpensive phones. But if you’re looking for the absolute most you can get from a $500 phone, then look no further than the 7A.

Read my full review of the Google Pixel 7A.

Best flip phone

Screen: 6.7-inch 1080p OLED, 120Hz (main), 1.9-inch OLED (cover) / Processor: Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 Cameras: 12-megapixel f/1.8 main with OIS, 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultrawide, 10-megapixel selfie / Battery: 3,7000mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IPX8

When the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is flipped open, you get a big 6.7-inch screen that handles just like the slab-style smartphone you’re used to. But fold it in half, like the flip phones of yore, and you can use its small outer screen to see basic widgets and read notifications. It’s unconventional, but it’s also fun and kinda stylish. It’s a great choice if you’re feeling a little bit adventurous — it’s still the early days for this form factor — and you’d appreciate a way to quickly check info on your phone without having to fully engage with it.

The Flip 4 is the definition of an incremental upgrade, but when you’re talking about a phone that folds in half, that’s still a pretty impressive achievement. It’s the same basic size and shape as the Flip 3, with a slightly slimmer hinge and some squared-off corners. It’s still IPX8 water resistant (no dust resistance, so please don’t take it to the beach), and the cover screen is still a tiny 1.9 inches — big enough to read an email subject line or check the current weather but not big enough to do much more than that.

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

The inner screen is protected by stronger ultrathin glass than the Flip 3. There’s a non-user-replaceable screen protector in place, as there was on the previous model, but the adhesive that attaches it is stronger this time around. That will hopefully avoid the bubbling problem seen by some owners of previous-gen foldables.

The Flip 4’s cameras are mostly the same as the Flip 3’s, and they’re still a bit behind what you’d expect from your garden-variety flagship phone. There’s a 12-megapixel main camera with slightly bigger pixels than the last one, a 12-megapixel ultrawide, and a 10-megapixel selfie camera. Most other phones priced at $999 will throw in a telephoto lens of some kind, but not the Z Flip 4. Still, it’s a lot of fun taking pictures and recording videos in the phone’s L-shaped Flex mode. (Just try and name another phone that comes with its own built-in kickstand.)

If you’re a Flip 3 owner, there’s nothing about the Flip 4 worth upgrading for. In fact, many of the new software-based features introduced with the 4 are already making their way to the 3. And there are still plenty of ways Samsung could improve on its design: making it slimmer, more durable, and increasing the size of the cover screen, for a start. The Flip 4 offers some valuable refinements over the 3 that make it feel like a more mature product and less of a concept. There are likely significant improvements coming down the line for the Flip series, but right now, it’s undeniably fun and different.

Read my full review of the Galaxy Z Flip 4.

Best folding phone

Screen: 7.6-inch 2176p 120Hz OLED inner screen, 6.2-inch 2316p 120Hz OLED cover screen / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 / Cameras: 50-megapixel F/1.8 main with OIS, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 10-megapixel selfie (cover screen), four-megapixel under-display selfie (inner screen) / Battery: 4,400mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless / Weather resistance: IPX8

The Fold 4 is Samsung’s latest folding phone, and it is a pricey multitasking powerhouse — a phone and a tablet wrapped up in one device. Like the Fold 3 before it, it’s sized like a skinny smartphone that fits in your pocket, but it unfolds to reveal a tablet-sized 7.6-inch display on the inside.

That inside screen makes everything from reading books and browsing the web to watching videos and playing games more enjoyable and immersive. When you’re done using it, just fold it back up and stick it in your pocket just like any other phone. You can use the 6.2-inch outer screen for simpler tasks like you would on a slab-style smartphone, but the big screen is there when you need it. The Fold 4 is undeniably a gadget person’s gadget, best suited for someone who wants to get the absolute most out of their mobile device, cost be damned.

The Fold 4’s outer screen looks and handles like any other slab-style smartphone screen; unfold the device and you’re looking at something quite different. For starters, there’s a non-user-replaceable screen protector glued to the inner display to protect against scratches — the ultrathin glass that allows it to fold is easily damaged without it. The whole device is IPX8-rated, meaning it offers robust water resistance but no dust resistance. Folding phones: not recommended for the beach.

Image: Allison Johnson / The Verge

On the software side, the Fold 4 provides a lot of ways to get the most out of that big screen. There are new multitasking interface options that make it easy to open apps in multiple windows or use it in an L-shape like a laptop. These features are already becoming available to the Fold 3, so nobody should run out and upgrade from the previous-gen folding phone just for the software improvements.

The Galaxy Fold 4 is just brimming with cameras, including a 3x telephoto zoom lens, upgraded from a 2x zoom on the outgoing model. There are also 12-megapixel standard wide and ultrawide cameras on the rear panel, plus a 10-megapixel selfie camera on the outside and a 4-megapixel under-display camera on the inside. Image quality is on par with the S23 and S23 Plus, including a great portrait mode. You’d get a more powerful set of cameras on the significantly less expensive S23 Ultra, but the Ultra doesn’t fold in half.

The Fold 4 has evolved beyond the early hardware hiccups of the first Fold phones in the series, and it’s a device you could actually use as your daily driver — not just as a cool gadget that stays at home. The refinements over the Fold 3 are minor, like slightly wider aspect ratios on the screens and better adhesive on the non-user-replaceable inner screen protector, but they push the Fold a little closer to the mainstream. With apologies to the also-ran Microsoft Surface Duo 2, there’s just nothing else like it on the market — if you’re willing to pay the very high $1,800 premium.

Read my full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review.

Flagship performance for a little less money

Screen: 6.7-inch 1440p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 / Cameras: 50-megapixel F1.8 main with OIS, 48-megapixel ultrawide, 32-megapixel 2x telephoto, 16-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,000mAh / Charging: 80W wired (100W outside of US) / Weather resistance: IP64

After a little journey of self-discovery, OnePlus has finally come back around to its strength: making not-quite flagship phones that cost less than the high-end devices from Samsung and Google. The OnePlus 11 costs $699, includes a fantastic Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, has an excellent 6.7-inch screen, and comes with a great software support policy with four OS upgrades and five years of security updates. That alone makes it a very competitive option.

However, OnePlus cut a couple of corners to get to that relatively low price. It comes with an IP64 rating for splash resistance, which is less robust than the IP68 rating most devices in this price bracket carry — they can withstand full immersion in water. There’s also no wireless charging, another feature that virtually every other phone over $500 includes. Instead, you get super-fast wired charging: 80W if you’re in the US and 100W elsewhere. That’s enough to fully charge the phone in less than 30 minutes. You have to use the included charger and cable, and they don’t deliver the same speeds as other devices — bummer. But hey! There’s a charger in the box.

Image: Allison Johnson / The Verge

That’s the bad news. Back to the good news: the OnePlus 11 works on all three major 5G networks in the US right out of the gate — previous devices came with patchy 5G support at launch. The fan-favorite three-stage alert slider is back after taking a hiatus on the OnePlus 10T. And the 1440p OLED offers excellent detail along with smooth scrolling thanks to a 120Hz top refresh rate. It’s a great screen for the price.

The OnePlus 11’s bottom line is that it delivers excellent performance for less than you’d typically pay for a phone with the flagship chipset du jour. If you can live without wireless charging and you’re not concerned about the lack of waterproofing, then you’ll find it’s a great deal.

Read my full OnePlus 11 5G review.

Other good phones

There are a few other devices that didn’t quite make the cut for any of the above categories but are still worth mentioning. The Samsung S23 Plus just edged out the Google Pixel 7 Pro as our pick for the best Android phone for most people. It’s still a great device, and the $899 price tag is attractive (and often marked down). We like its software out-of-the-box better than Samsung’s, and its camera system sometimes outdoes the S23 Plus’ — especially with its longer 5x telephoto lens. But while its custom Tensor G2 chipset is capable, it’s unclear how it will hold up in the long run.

Pixel 6 and 7 owners have also reported their fair share of software bugs and unusual hardware problems. Google seems to be doing the right thing and repairing phones under warranty, and the Pixel series’ frequent updates mean that bugs are usually fixed in a timely manner. Samsung, on the other hand, is pretty much on cruise control with the S23 Plus.

The iPhone 14 Plus is worth considering if you prefer iOS and you like a bigger phone. If the 14 Pro feels like overkill but you want a big screen and a big battery, then the 14 Plus is a good alternative. It costs less than the $1,099 Pro Max, though its $899 price isn’t exactly cheap. But like the iPhone 14, the 14 Plus offers very few appreciable updates over the iPhone 13 and doesn’t quite lend itself to a broad recommendation.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 stands tall — er, small — in a field dominated by huge screens. Its 6.1-inch display makes it a little bigger than the Asus Zenfone 9 and its 5.9-inch screen, but compared to the 6.6-inch-plus screens that are much more common in this category, the Galaxy S23 is your best (maybe only?) option for flagship specs in a reasonably sized phone.

Update May 22nd, 5:45PM ET: Replaced the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G with the Google Pixel 7A as our top pick for under (er, around) $500.

Bad news: flagship phones cost a small fortune these days. Good news: we can help you pick the right one and get the most for your money.

Modern flagship smartphones are little engineering marvels. And they should be, since they start around $800 and can cost well over $1,000. They tend to last upwards of four or five years, so the high cost is a little easier to swallow, but it’s still a major purchase for most of us.

To make sure you get the most for your investment, we’ve picked out the best of the best. The phones highlighted below may be pricey, but they deliver excellent daily performance and great cameras and will keep on running well into the foreseeable future.

If you’re looking to spend a little less and still get the best smartphone on a budget, you can find something really good for under $500. For those recommendations, check out our guide to budget smartphones.

Best iPhone for most people

Screen: 6.1-inch 1170p resolution OLED, 60Hz refresh rate / Processor: A15 Bionic Cameras: 12-megapixel f/1.6 main with sensor-shift IS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: not advertised / Charging: wired, 15W wireless MagSafe, 7.5W Qi / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

The iPhone 14 seems like the obvious choice for anyone who needs a new iPhone but doesn’t want to step up to the 14 Pro. But hear me out: the iPhone 13 does almost everything that the 14 does, and it’s $100 cheaper.

Sure, if your carrier is offering you a good trade-in offer or dirt-cheap financing for the 14 or you want the (slight) year-over-year upgrades, then go ahead and get that one. It’s great! But if trade-in deal season is over or you’re paying out of pocket, we think the standard iPhone 13 is the better buy; the $799 14’s improvements are so minor that they’re not worth the extra money. In fact, I traded in my old iPhone 11 for a 13 mini rather than a 14 this year.

By opting for the 13, you don’t miss out on anything as far as the screen or processor is concerned. The iPhone 13 features a 6.1-inch screen with a standard refresh rate — no smooth-scrolling ProMotion here — as does the 14. There’s an A15 Bionic chipset in both phones, and although the 14’s is a slight upgrade with an extra GPU core, they both deliver excellent performance. They’re both MagSafe compatible for wireless charging and IP68-rated for robust water and dust resistance.

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Upgrading to the 14 does get you a slightly better camera system, but the improvements are subtle. The ultrawide and front-facing cameras do better in low light compared to the 13, and the main camera features a bigger sensor that’s able to hold on to detail in dim conditions a little better. But for the most part, you have to go looking for these differences in fine details — most people viewing their images at web- and social-media-friendly sizes won’t see what’s changed.

You’ll miss out on a couple of emergency features, too. The 14 includes a new Crash Detection feature that uses specialized sensors to recognize when a car crash has happened and automatically call emergency services. There’s a satellite-based emergency messaging service, too, for when you’re out of cell range. For a small group of people, these services might be worth upgrading for, but they’re likely things that most of us can do without.

From the outside, the iPhone 14 and 13 look almost identical. There are some physical differences to note, though. The first is that you can’t just use an iPhone 13 case on the 14 because the camera bump is a bit bigger. And below the glass and aluminum surface of the iPhone 14, Apple made some changes that enable much easier repairs to the back panel. That means out-of-pocket repairs will likely cost less, and if you’re a DIYer, it’s a much less daunting task to take on yourself.

There are a handful of other interesting new iPhone features this time around, but they’re reserved for the Pro models. If you consider yourself an early adopter or you just want the very best iPhone you can buy right now, it’s worth stepping up to the Pro. But if you’re just looking for a reliable device to get you through your day, take great photos and video, and keep the blue-bubble chat a-flowin’, then the iPhone 13 will serve you just as well as the 14 — for a little less money.

Read our review of the Apple iPhone 13.

Best Android phone for most people

Screen: 6.6-inch 1080p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy / Cameras: 50-megapixel F1.8 main with OIS, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,700mAh / Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless / Weather resistance: IP68

The S23 Plus is a minor update to its predecessor, but the upgrades are good ones. It still has a large 6.6-inch display with a smooth-scrolling 120Hz top refresh rate, and it’s a lovely screen to use — not as high-res as the Google Pixel 7 Pro’s 1440p display, but it’s top-notch. Some tweaks to the display tech and a bigger 4,700mAh battery give the S23 Plus stronger battery performance than its predecessor, so you can get through a full day of heavy use with a little more wiggle room than the outgoing model afforded.

There’s also a new chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It’s included in all models sold across the globe, and that’s a good thing — it is whip-fast. It handles daily tasks without a problem and heavier tasks like gaming with remarkable ease. Otherwise, there’s a lot that’s familiar about the S23 Plus. It still starts at $999, though the base model now comes with 256GB of built-in storage.

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

The rear triple-camera system is also recycled from last year’s model, and for the most part, that’s fine. The 50-megapixel main sensor produces punchy, vibrant 12-megapixel photos by default. Portrait mode photos from either the main sensor or 3x telephoto camera are fantastic, with excellent subject isolation. Outside of portrait mode, the 3x camera looks a lot more average. It’s a shorter focal length than the 5x telephoto on the Pixel 7 Pro, so it’s a bit less useful for distant subjects.

Our least favorite part of a Samsung phone is the out-of-box software experience, as it comes with a lot of duplicate apps to replace or accompany Google’s stock apps like Messages, Google Calendar, and Google Assistant. Unless you’re a Bixby fan, you’ll need to take a little time to de-Samsung the S23 Plus. The Pixel 7 Pro offers a much more streamlined experience right out of the gate. But there’s good news: the phone ships with One UI 5.1 and is slated to receive four more OS platform upgrades and five years of security updates. That means you can keep using the phone safely well into the future and get the most out of your investment.

Read my full review of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus.

Best high-end iPhone

Screen: 6.1-inch (Pro) or 6.7-inch (Pro Max) OLED, 120Hz refresh rate / Processor: A16 Bionic Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.8 with sensor-shift IS, 12-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: not advertised / Charging: wired, 15W MagSafe wireless, 7.5W Qi / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

For a lot of iPhone owners, this isn’t an upgrade year, especially if you’re coming from a 12 or a 13. But if you do need a new iPhone right now and you want the very best device, then Pro is the way to go. The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max usher in some new ideas from Apple that the standard 14 doesn’t get, like the “Dynamic Island,” a playful mash-up of hardware and software that turns the notch into a shape-shifting status indicator. It’s handy for system-level info, like whether your AirDrop went through, and it’s getting more useful as third party app-makers start to use it. There’s also a new high-resolution camera and an always-on display.

The iPhone 14 Pro, which starts at $999, is the very best iPhone you can buy right now. But it’s a bit of an early adopter special. There’s plenty that’s good but a lot of room for Apple to fine-tune and improve these features over the coming years. If you’re not ready to spend a thousand dollars on the first iteration of a new design, then look at the previous-gen iPhone 13. The standard iPhone 14 is an incremental upgrade over the 13 and doesn’t get you that much more; the 13 is still available and starts at $699. That’s our choice for most people, but the 14 Pro does have a lot to offer.

The 14 Pro comes with a 6.1-inch screen, and the Pro Max has a 6.7-inch screen. They’re both ProMotion displays like the 13 models, with adaptive refresh rates that go up to 120Hz for smooth scrolling and animations. New to this generation is an always-on display: when you lock your phone, the screen dims and drops into a low-power mode, with frame rates as low as 1Hz, but the clock, widgets, and wallpaper all remain visible. This means you can check the time or see if you have notifications without having to wake the display.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The display’s other new trick is, of course, Dynamic Island. Apple took the notch — the area of the screen that houses the front-facing camera and Face ID sensors — and turned it into a pill-shaped cutout that appears to expand dynamically (get it?) to show system indicators and notifications. It’s a handy place to quickly see what your phone is doing, whether it’s playing back music, sending files via AirDrop, or using navigation. It’s nice, but it’s something Apple and third-party developers will keep making more useful over the next few years — definitely not something to upgrade for right now.

The 14 Pro also has a new 48-megapixel main camera, which uses pixel binning to maximize light sensitivity and produce 12-megapixel images. The real-world improvements are subtle, with more fine detail in shadows and in low light, but the differences compared to a standard 12-megapixel sensor in the iPhone 14 are hard to see unless you’re looking really closely. The higher-resolution sensor also enables a 2x telephoto mode that’s essentially a 12-megapixel crop from the middle of the sensor. It’s the new default view for portrait mode, and it’s one that feels like a happy medium between the wide and 3x telephoto that have been the only options on iPhones past.

Outside of the new stuff, there’s a lot that’s familiar. The phone’s battery gets through a moderate day of use, though it seems to run down a little faster than the 13 Pro. The camera may not be the leap forward in photography that Apple claims it is, but it’s still one of the best in the game and records stunning video clips. And the new A16 Bionic chipset handles intensive tasks like gaming without a problem.

Read our full Apple iPhone 14 Pro review.

Best high-end Android phone

Screen: 6.8-inch 1440p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy / Cameras: 200-megapixel main with OIS, 10-megapixel 10x telephoto with OIS, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,000mAh / Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless / Weather resistance: IP68

The S23 Ultra is Samsung’s kitchen sink flagship phone. It’s a maximalist experience with a built-in stylus, four rear cameras (including two telephotos), a massive 6.8-inch screen, and the top-shelf Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. It’s hard to imagine what you could cram into this device without turning it into a foldable (please turn it into a foldable, Samsung).

All that hardware comes at a high starting price of $1,200, so it’s not our top pick for just anyone looking for a great Android phone. But if you’re looking for the best of the best — particularly if you live in the US where choice is limited — it’s at the very top of our list. The camera system is impressive; portrait mode photos are excellent, and it’s capable of very good images all the way to 30x zoom. There’s a new 200-megapixel main camera sensor at the heart of the rear camera array, and it does a good job of bringing out fine details in both good lighting and low light conditions.

Image: Allison Johnson / The Verge

The integrated S Pen isn’t new or updated for 2023, but it’s still a nice tool to have at the ready when you need to jot down a quick note. That massive screen is detailed and scrolling is smooth, with a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz all the way down to 1Hz. The sizeable 5,000mAh battery powers it through a day of heavy use, but don’t count on getting a lot more than one day out of it.

Our usual gripes with Samsung software apply here, too, and if anything they’re a little more glaring on such a pricey phone. The phone will happily download a bunch of extra apps you probably don’t want during setup, although you can opt out of a fair chunk of them and hide most of the ones you can’t uninstall. But Samsung’s healthy software support policy is fitting of a $1,200 phone: you’ll get four OS platform upgrades and five years of security updates. Not quite as good as Apple, but among the best on Android.

Read my full Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review.

Best small smartphone

Screen: 5.4-inch 1080p OLED, 60Hz refresh rate / Processor: A15 Bionic Cameras: 12-megapixel f/1.6 main with sensor-shift IS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: not advertised / Charging: wired, 15W MagSafe wireless, 7.5W Qi / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

The iPhone 13 Mini is one of very few small phones on the market with top-tier features and specs; you don’t have to compromise on performance, build quality, or cameras. Apple didn’t announce a new Mini with the 14 series, instead opting for a big-and-bigger approach with the 6.1-inch 14 and 6.7-inch 14 Plus. The 13 Mini is likely your last shot at a small, highly functional iPhone, so get it while you can.

Though it’s much smaller in size than pretty much every other modern smartphone, the Mini’s 5.4-inch screen is still big enough for text messaging, email, web browsing, apps, video, and games, and if you’re coming from an iPhone 6, 7, or 8, it will feel quite spacious. But it’s also small enough that most adults, even those with small hands, will be able to comfortably reach all of the screen with their thumb. You won’t need a PopSocket on this one.

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

One important downside to a smaller phone: the iPhone 13 Mini has a smaller battery that probably won’t last a power user through a whole day without a charge. It’s really designed for someone who isn’t glued to their phone all day. Otherwise, the Mini is the same phone as the iPhone 13: it has the same design, processor, cameras, 5G support, and build quality as the larger model. It’s just smaller and has a smaller price tag — about $100 less.

If you prefer Android, the Asus Zenfone 9 is a good alternative. It’s a little bigger than the 13 Mini, with a 5.9-inch screen, and it doesn’t work on Verizon, but it’s otherwise a very similar proposition: great build quality, top-notch processor, and high-end features like a 120Hz screen are all tucked into a pocket-friendly device.

Read our full Apple iPhone 13 Mini review.

The best phone around $500

Screen: 6.1-inch, 1080p OLED, 90Hz / Processor: Tensor G2 Cameras: 64-megapixel f/1.89 with OIS, 13-megapixel ultrawide, 13-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,385mAh / Charging: 18W wired, 7.5W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IP67

At $499, the Pixel 7A is one of the pricier midrange phones you can buy, but the extra features it provides are well worth the money. It offers a nice 6.1-inch OLED with a 90Hz top refresh rate for smooth scrolling — not quite as nice as the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G’s 120Hz screen but a step up from the 6A’s 60Hz display.

Other new features this year include the latest Tensor G2 chipset from Google — the same on the flagship 7 and 7 Pro — with a healthy 8GB of RAM, an updated 64-megapixel main camera, and wireless charging. Factor in the 7A’s hearty IP67 dust and water resistance, its sturdy aluminum frame, and the fact that it continues to offer the best photo quality in the class, and that $499 price tag starts to look like a pretty sweet deal.

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

Battery life on the Pixel 7A is just average. It will get through a day of moderate use with a bit left in the tank, but if you add in a battery-draining activity like gaming or an extended video streaming session, you’ll probably need to top it off before the end of the day. Otherwise, the 7A is an easy pick if your budget is modest. It’s scheduled to get three OS upgrades and five years of security patches, so it’s well positioned to go the distance, too.

There are other phones under $500 worth considering, and they’re all covered in our guide to the best inexpensive phones. But if you’re looking for the absolute most you can get from a $500 phone, then look no further than the 7A.

Read my full review of the Google Pixel 7A.

Best flip phone

Screen: 6.7-inch 1080p OLED, 120Hz (main), 1.9-inch OLED (cover) / Processor: Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 Cameras: 12-megapixel f/1.8 main with OIS, 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultrawide, 10-megapixel selfie / Battery: 3,7000mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IPX8

When the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is flipped open, you get a big 6.7-inch screen that handles just like the slab-style smartphone you’re used to. But fold it in half, like the flip phones of yore, and you can use its small outer screen to see basic widgets and read notifications. It’s unconventional, but it’s also fun and kinda stylish. It’s a great choice if you’re feeling a little bit adventurous — it’s still the early days for this form factor — and you’d appreciate a way to quickly check info on your phone without having to fully engage with it.

The Flip 4 is the definition of an incremental upgrade, but when you’re talking about a phone that folds in half, that’s still a pretty impressive achievement. It’s the same basic size and shape as the Flip 3, with a slightly slimmer hinge and some squared-off corners. It’s still IPX8 water resistant (no dust resistance, so please don’t take it to the beach), and the cover screen is still a tiny 1.9 inches — big enough to read an email subject line or check the current weather but not big enough to do much more than that.

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

The inner screen is protected by stronger ultrathin glass than the Flip 3. There’s a non-user-replaceable screen protector in place, as there was on the previous model, but the adhesive that attaches it is stronger this time around. That will hopefully avoid the bubbling problem seen by some owners of previous-gen foldables.

The Flip 4’s cameras are mostly the same as the Flip 3’s, and they’re still a bit behind what you’d expect from your garden-variety flagship phone. There’s a 12-megapixel main camera with slightly bigger pixels than the last one, a 12-megapixel ultrawide, and a 10-megapixel selfie camera. Most other phones priced at $999 will throw in a telephoto lens of some kind, but not the Z Flip 4. Still, it’s a lot of fun taking pictures and recording videos in the phone’s L-shaped Flex mode. (Just try and name another phone that comes with its own built-in kickstand.)

If you’re a Flip 3 owner, there’s nothing about the Flip 4 worth upgrading for. In fact, many of the new software-based features introduced with the 4 are already making their way to the 3. And there are still plenty of ways Samsung could improve on its design: making it slimmer, more durable, and increasing the size of the cover screen, for a start. The Flip 4 offers some valuable refinements over the 3 that make it feel like a more mature product and less of a concept. There are likely significant improvements coming down the line for the Flip series, but right now, it’s undeniably fun and different.

Read my full review of the Galaxy Z Flip 4.

Best folding phone

Screen: 7.6-inch 2176p 120Hz OLED inner screen, 6.2-inch 2316p 120Hz OLED cover screen / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 / Cameras: 50-megapixel F/1.8 main with OIS, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 10-megapixel selfie (cover screen), four-megapixel under-display selfie (inner screen) / Battery: 4,400mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless / Weather resistance: IPX8

The Fold 4 is Samsung’s latest folding phone, and it is a pricey multitasking powerhouse — a phone and a tablet wrapped up in one device. Like the Fold 3 before it, it’s sized like a skinny smartphone that fits in your pocket, but it unfolds to reveal a tablet-sized 7.6-inch display on the inside.

That inside screen makes everything from reading books and browsing the web to watching videos and playing games more enjoyable and immersive. When you’re done using it, just fold it back up and stick it in your pocket just like any other phone. You can use the 6.2-inch outer screen for simpler tasks like you would on a slab-style smartphone, but the big screen is there when you need it. The Fold 4 is undeniably a gadget person’s gadget, best suited for someone who wants to get the absolute most out of their mobile device, cost be damned.

The Fold 4’s outer screen looks and handles like any other slab-style smartphone screen; unfold the device and you’re looking at something quite different. For starters, there’s a non-user-replaceable screen protector glued to the inner display to protect against scratches — the ultrathin glass that allows it to fold is easily damaged without it. The whole device is IPX8-rated, meaning it offers robust water resistance but no dust resistance. Folding phones: not recommended for the beach.

Image: Allison Johnson / The Verge

On the software side, the Fold 4 provides a lot of ways to get the most out of that big screen. There are new multitasking interface options that make it easy to open apps in multiple windows or use it in an L-shape like a laptop. These features are already becoming available to the Fold 3, so nobody should run out and upgrade from the previous-gen folding phone just for the software improvements.

The Galaxy Fold 4 is just brimming with cameras, including a 3x telephoto zoom lens, upgraded from a 2x zoom on the outgoing model. There are also 12-megapixel standard wide and ultrawide cameras on the rear panel, plus a 10-megapixel selfie camera on the outside and a 4-megapixel under-display camera on the inside. Image quality is on par with the S23 and S23 Plus, including a great portrait mode. You’d get a more powerful set of cameras on the significantly less expensive S23 Ultra, but the Ultra doesn’t fold in half.

The Fold 4 has evolved beyond the early hardware hiccups of the first Fold phones in the series, and it’s a device you could actually use as your daily driver — not just as a cool gadget that stays at home. The refinements over the Fold 3 are minor, like slightly wider aspect ratios on the screens and better adhesive on the non-user-replaceable inner screen protector, but they push the Fold a little closer to the mainstream. With apologies to the also-ran Microsoft Surface Duo 2, there’s just nothing else like it on the market — if you’re willing to pay the very high $1,800 premium.

Read my full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review.

Flagship performance for a little less money

Screen: 6.7-inch 1440p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 / Cameras: 50-megapixel F1.8 main with OIS, 48-megapixel ultrawide, 32-megapixel 2x telephoto, 16-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,000mAh / Charging: 80W wired (100W outside of US) / Weather resistance: IP64

After a little journey of self-discovery, OnePlus has finally come back around to its strength: making not-quite flagship phones that cost less than the high-end devices from Samsung and Google. The OnePlus 11 costs $699, includes a fantastic Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, has an excellent 6.7-inch screen, and comes with a great software support policy with four OS upgrades and five years of security updates. That alone makes it a very competitive option.

However, OnePlus cut a couple of corners to get to that relatively low price. It comes with an IP64 rating for splash resistance, which is less robust than the IP68 rating most devices in this price bracket carry — they can withstand full immersion in water. There’s also no wireless charging, another feature that virtually every other phone over $500 includes. Instead, you get super-fast wired charging: 80W if you’re in the US and 100W elsewhere. That’s enough to fully charge the phone in less than 30 minutes. You have to use the included charger and cable, and they don’t deliver the same speeds as other devices — bummer. But hey! There’s a charger in the box.

Image: Allison Johnson / The Verge

That’s the bad news. Back to the good news: the OnePlus 11 works on all three major 5G networks in the US right out of the gate — previous devices came with patchy 5G support at launch. The fan-favorite three-stage alert slider is back after taking a hiatus on the OnePlus 10T. And the 1440p OLED offers excellent detail along with smooth scrolling thanks to a 120Hz top refresh rate. It’s a great screen for the price.

The OnePlus 11’s bottom line is that it delivers excellent performance for less than you’d typically pay for a phone with the flagship chipset du jour. If you can live without wireless charging and you’re not concerned about the lack of waterproofing, then you’ll find it’s a great deal.

Read my full OnePlus 11 5G review.

Other good phones

There are a few other devices that didn’t quite make the cut for any of the above categories but are still worth mentioning. The Samsung S23 Plus just edged out the Google Pixel 7 Pro as our pick for the best Android phone for most people. It’s still a great device, and the $899 price tag is attractive (and often marked down). We like its software out-of-the-box better than Samsung’s, and its camera system sometimes outdoes the S23 Plus’ — especially with its longer 5x telephoto lens. But while its custom Tensor G2 chipset is capable, it’s unclear how it will hold up in the long run.

Pixel 6 and 7 owners have also reported their fair share of software bugs and unusual hardware problems. Google seems to be doing the right thing and repairing phones under warranty, and the Pixel series’ frequent updates mean that bugs are usually fixed in a timely manner. Samsung, on the other hand, is pretty much on cruise control with the S23 Plus.

The iPhone 14 Plus is worth considering if you prefer iOS and you like a bigger phone. If the 14 Pro feels like overkill but you want a big screen and a big battery, then the 14 Plus is a good alternative. It costs less than the $1,099 Pro Max, though its $899 price isn’t exactly cheap. But like the iPhone 14, the 14 Plus offers very few appreciable updates over the iPhone 13 and doesn’t quite lend itself to a broad recommendation.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 stands tall — er, small — in a field dominated by huge screens. Its 6.1-inch display makes it a little bigger than the Asus Zenfone 9 and its 5.9-inch screen, but compared to the 6.6-inch-plus screens that are much more common in this category, the Galaxy S23 is your best (maybe only?) option for flagship specs in a reasonably sized phone.

Update May 22nd, 5:45PM ET: Replaced the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G with the Google Pixel 7A as our top pick for under (er, around) $500.

Bad news: flagship phones cost a small fortune these days. Good news: we can help you pick the right one and get the most for your money.

Modern flagship smartphones are little engineering marvels. And they should be, since they start around $800 and can cost well over $1,000. They tend to last upwards of four or five years, so the high cost is a little easier to swallow, but it’s still a major purchase for most of us.

To make sure you get the most for your investment, we’ve picked out the best of the best. The phones highlighted below may be pricey, but they deliver excellent daily performance and great cameras and will keep on running well into the foreseeable future.

If you’re looking to spend a little less and still get the best smartphone on a budget, you can find something really good for under $500. For those recommendations, check out our guide to budget smartphones.

Best iPhone for most people

Screen: 6.1-inch 1170p resolution OLED, 60Hz refresh rate / Processor: A15 Bionic Cameras: 12-megapixel f/1.6 main with sensor-shift IS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: not advertised / Charging: wired, 15W wireless MagSafe, 7.5W Qi / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

The iPhone 14 seems like the obvious choice for anyone who needs a new iPhone but doesn’t want to step up to the 14 Pro. But hear me out: the iPhone 13 does almost everything that the 14 does, and it’s $100 cheaper.

Sure, if your carrier is offering you a good trade-in offer or dirt-cheap financing for the 14 or you want the (slight) year-over-year upgrades, then go ahead and get that one. It’s great! But if trade-in deal season is over or you’re paying out of pocket, we think the standard iPhone 13 is the better buy; the $799 14’s improvements are so minor that they’re not worth the extra money. In fact, I traded in my old iPhone 11 for a 13 mini rather than a 14 this year.

By opting for the 13, you don’t miss out on anything as far as the screen or processor is concerned. The iPhone 13 features a 6.1-inch screen with a standard refresh rate — no smooth-scrolling ProMotion here — as does the 14. There’s an A15 Bionic chipset in both phones, and although the 14’s is a slight upgrade with an extra GPU core, they both deliver excellent performance. They’re both MagSafe compatible for wireless charging and IP68-rated for robust water and dust resistance.

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Upgrading to the 14 does get you a slightly better camera system, but the improvements are subtle. The ultrawide and front-facing cameras do better in low light compared to the 13, and the main camera features a bigger sensor that’s able to hold on to detail in dim conditions a little better. But for the most part, you have to go looking for these differences in fine details — most people viewing their images at web- and social-media-friendly sizes won’t see what’s changed.

You’ll miss out on a couple of emergency features, too. The 14 includes a new Crash Detection feature that uses specialized sensors to recognize when a car crash has happened and automatically call emergency services. There’s a satellite-based emergency messaging service, too, for when you’re out of cell range. For a small group of people, these services might be worth upgrading for, but they’re likely things that most of us can do without.

From the outside, the iPhone 14 and 13 look almost identical. There are some physical differences to note, though. The first is that you can’t just use an iPhone 13 case on the 14 because the camera bump is a bit bigger. And below the glass and aluminum surface of the iPhone 14, Apple made some changes that enable much easier repairs to the back panel. That means out-of-pocket repairs will likely cost less, and if you’re a DIYer, it’s a much less daunting task to take on yourself.

There are a handful of other interesting new iPhone features this time around, but they’re reserved for the Pro models. If you consider yourself an early adopter or you just want the very best iPhone you can buy right now, it’s worth stepping up to the Pro. But if you’re just looking for a reliable device to get you through your day, take great photos and video, and keep the blue-bubble chat a-flowin’, then the iPhone 13 will serve you just as well as the 14 — for a little less money.

Read our review of the Apple iPhone 13.

Best Android phone for most people

Screen: 6.6-inch 1080p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy / Cameras: 50-megapixel F1.8 main with OIS, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,700mAh / Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless / Weather resistance: IP68

The S23 Plus is a minor update to its predecessor, but the upgrades are good ones. It still has a large 6.6-inch display with a smooth-scrolling 120Hz top refresh rate, and it’s a lovely screen to use — not as high-res as the Google Pixel 7 Pro’s 1440p display, but it’s top-notch. Some tweaks to the display tech and a bigger 4,700mAh battery give the S23 Plus stronger battery performance than its predecessor, so you can get through a full day of heavy use with a little more wiggle room than the outgoing model afforded.

There’s also a new chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It’s included in all models sold across the globe, and that’s a good thing — it is whip-fast. It handles daily tasks without a problem and heavier tasks like gaming with remarkable ease. Otherwise, there’s a lot that’s familiar about the S23 Plus. It still starts at $999, though the base model now comes with 256GB of built-in storage.

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

The rear triple-camera system is also recycled from last year’s model, and for the most part, that’s fine. The 50-megapixel main sensor produces punchy, vibrant 12-megapixel photos by default. Portrait mode photos from either the main sensor or 3x telephoto camera are fantastic, with excellent subject isolation. Outside of portrait mode, the 3x camera looks a lot more average. It’s a shorter focal length than the 5x telephoto on the Pixel 7 Pro, so it’s a bit less useful for distant subjects.

Our least favorite part of a Samsung phone is the out-of-box software experience, as it comes with a lot of duplicate apps to replace or accompany Google’s stock apps like Messages, Google Calendar, and Google Assistant. Unless you’re a Bixby fan, you’ll need to take a little time to de-Samsung the S23 Plus. The Pixel 7 Pro offers a much more streamlined experience right out of the gate. But there’s good news: the phone ships with One UI 5.1 and is slated to receive four more OS platform upgrades and five years of security updates. That means you can keep using the phone safely well into the future and get the most out of your investment.

Read my full review of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus.

Best high-end iPhone

Screen: 6.1-inch (Pro) or 6.7-inch (Pro Max) OLED, 120Hz refresh rate / Processor: A16 Bionic Cameras: 48-megapixel f/1.8 with sensor-shift IS, 12-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: not advertised / Charging: wired, 15W MagSafe wireless, 7.5W Qi / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

For a lot of iPhone owners, this isn’t an upgrade year, especially if you’re coming from a 12 or a 13. But if you do need a new iPhone right now and you want the very best device, then Pro is the way to go. The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max usher in some new ideas from Apple that the standard 14 doesn’t get, like the “Dynamic Island,” a playful mash-up of hardware and software that turns the notch into a shape-shifting status indicator. It’s handy for system-level info, like whether your AirDrop went through, and it’s getting more useful as third party app-makers start to use it. There’s also a new high-resolution camera and an always-on display.

The iPhone 14 Pro, which starts at $999, is the very best iPhone you can buy right now. But it’s a bit of an early adopter special. There’s plenty that’s good but a lot of room for Apple to fine-tune and improve these features over the coming years. If you’re not ready to spend a thousand dollars on the first iteration of a new design, then look at the previous-gen iPhone 13. The standard iPhone 14 is an incremental upgrade over the 13 and doesn’t get you that much more; the 13 is still available and starts at $699. That’s our choice for most people, but the 14 Pro does have a lot to offer.

The 14 Pro comes with a 6.1-inch screen, and the Pro Max has a 6.7-inch screen. They’re both ProMotion displays like the 13 models, with adaptive refresh rates that go up to 120Hz for smooth scrolling and animations. New to this generation is an always-on display: when you lock your phone, the screen dims and drops into a low-power mode, with frame rates as low as 1Hz, but the clock, widgets, and wallpaper all remain visible. This means you can check the time or see if you have notifications without having to wake the display.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The display’s other new trick is, of course, Dynamic Island. Apple took the notch — the area of the screen that houses the front-facing camera and Face ID sensors — and turned it into a pill-shaped cutout that appears to expand dynamically (get it?) to show system indicators and notifications. It’s a handy place to quickly see what your phone is doing, whether it’s playing back music, sending files via AirDrop, or using navigation. It’s nice, but it’s something Apple and third-party developers will keep making more useful over the next few years — definitely not something to upgrade for right now.

The 14 Pro also has a new 48-megapixel main camera, which uses pixel binning to maximize light sensitivity and produce 12-megapixel images. The real-world improvements are subtle, with more fine detail in shadows and in low light, but the differences compared to a standard 12-megapixel sensor in the iPhone 14 are hard to see unless you’re looking really closely. The higher-resolution sensor also enables a 2x telephoto mode that’s essentially a 12-megapixel crop from the middle of the sensor. It’s the new default view for portrait mode, and it’s one that feels like a happy medium between the wide and 3x telephoto that have been the only options on iPhones past.

Outside of the new stuff, there’s a lot that’s familiar. The phone’s battery gets through a moderate day of use, though it seems to run down a little faster than the 13 Pro. The camera may not be the leap forward in photography that Apple claims it is, but it’s still one of the best in the game and records stunning video clips. And the new A16 Bionic chipset handles intensive tasks like gaming without a problem.

Read our full Apple iPhone 14 Pro review.

Best high-end Android phone

Screen: 6.8-inch 1440p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy / Cameras: 200-megapixel main with OIS, 10-megapixel 10x telephoto with OIS, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,000mAh / Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless / Weather resistance: IP68

The S23 Ultra is Samsung’s kitchen sink flagship phone. It’s a maximalist experience with a built-in stylus, four rear cameras (including two telephotos), a massive 6.8-inch screen, and the top-shelf Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. It’s hard to imagine what you could cram into this device without turning it into a foldable (please turn it into a foldable, Samsung).

All that hardware comes at a high starting price of $1,200, so it’s not our top pick for just anyone looking for a great Android phone. But if you’re looking for the best of the best — particularly if you live in the US where choice is limited — it’s at the very top of our list. The camera system is impressive; portrait mode photos are excellent, and it’s capable of very good images all the way to 30x zoom. There’s a new 200-megapixel main camera sensor at the heart of the rear camera array, and it does a good job of bringing out fine details in both good lighting and low light conditions.

Image: Allison Johnson / The Verge

The integrated S Pen isn’t new or updated for 2023, but it’s still a nice tool to have at the ready when you need to jot down a quick note. That massive screen is detailed and scrolling is smooth, with a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz all the way down to 1Hz. The sizeable 5,000mAh battery powers it through a day of heavy use, but don’t count on getting a lot more than one day out of it.

Our usual gripes with Samsung software apply here, too, and if anything they’re a little more glaring on such a pricey phone. The phone will happily download a bunch of extra apps you probably don’t want during setup, although you can opt out of a fair chunk of them and hide most of the ones you can’t uninstall. But Samsung’s healthy software support policy is fitting of a $1,200 phone: you’ll get four OS platform upgrades and five years of security updates. Not quite as good as Apple, but among the best on Android.

Read my full Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review.

Best small smartphone

Screen: 5.4-inch 1080p OLED, 60Hz refresh rate / Processor: A15 Bionic Cameras: 12-megapixel f/1.6 main with sensor-shift IS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: not advertised / Charging: wired, 15W MagSafe wireless, 7.5W Qi / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

The iPhone 13 Mini is one of very few small phones on the market with top-tier features and specs; you don’t have to compromise on performance, build quality, or cameras. Apple didn’t announce a new Mini with the 14 series, instead opting for a big-and-bigger approach with the 6.1-inch 14 and 6.7-inch 14 Plus. The 13 Mini is likely your last shot at a small, highly functional iPhone, so get it while you can.

Though it’s much smaller in size than pretty much every other modern smartphone, the Mini’s 5.4-inch screen is still big enough for text messaging, email, web browsing, apps, video, and games, and if you’re coming from an iPhone 6, 7, or 8, it will feel quite spacious. But it’s also small enough that most adults, even those with small hands, will be able to comfortably reach all of the screen with their thumb. You won’t need a PopSocket on this one.

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

One important downside to a smaller phone: the iPhone 13 Mini has a smaller battery that probably won’t last a power user through a whole day without a charge. It’s really designed for someone who isn’t glued to their phone all day. Otherwise, the Mini is the same phone as the iPhone 13: it has the same design, processor, cameras, 5G support, and build quality as the larger model. It’s just smaller and has a smaller price tag — about $100 less.

If you prefer Android, the Asus Zenfone 9 is a good alternative. It’s a little bigger than the 13 Mini, with a 5.9-inch screen, and it doesn’t work on Verizon, but it’s otherwise a very similar proposition: great build quality, top-notch processor, and high-end features like a 120Hz screen are all tucked into a pocket-friendly device.

Read our full Apple iPhone 13 Mini review.

The best phone around $500

Screen: 6.1-inch, 1080p OLED, 90Hz / Processor: Tensor G2 Cameras: 64-megapixel f/1.89 with OIS, 13-megapixel ultrawide, 13-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,385mAh / Charging: 18W wired, 7.5W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IP67

At $499, the Pixel 7A is one of the pricier midrange phones you can buy, but the extra features it provides are well worth the money. It offers a nice 6.1-inch OLED with a 90Hz top refresh rate for smooth scrolling — not quite as nice as the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G’s 120Hz screen but a step up from the 6A’s 60Hz display.

Other new features this year include the latest Tensor G2 chipset from Google — the same on the flagship 7 and 7 Pro — with a healthy 8GB of RAM, an updated 64-megapixel main camera, and wireless charging. Factor in the 7A’s hearty IP67 dust and water resistance, its sturdy aluminum frame, and the fact that it continues to offer the best photo quality in the class, and that $499 price tag starts to look like a pretty sweet deal.

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

Battery life on the Pixel 7A is just average. It will get through a day of moderate use with a bit left in the tank, but if you add in a battery-draining activity like gaming or an extended video streaming session, you’ll probably need to top it off before the end of the day. Otherwise, the 7A is an easy pick if your budget is modest. It’s scheduled to get three OS upgrades and five years of security patches, so it’s well positioned to go the distance, too.

There are other phones under $500 worth considering, and they’re all covered in our guide to the best inexpensive phones. But if you’re looking for the absolute most you can get from a $500 phone, then look no further than the 7A.

Read my full review of the Google Pixel 7A.

Best flip phone

Screen: 6.7-inch 1080p OLED, 120Hz (main), 1.9-inch OLED (cover) / Processor: Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 Cameras: 12-megapixel f/1.8 main with OIS, 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultrawide, 10-megapixel selfie / Battery: 3,7000mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IPX8

When the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is flipped open, you get a big 6.7-inch screen that handles just like the slab-style smartphone you’re used to. But fold it in half, like the flip phones of yore, and you can use its small outer screen to see basic widgets and read notifications. It’s unconventional, but it’s also fun and kinda stylish. It’s a great choice if you’re feeling a little bit adventurous — it’s still the early days for this form factor — and you’d appreciate a way to quickly check info on your phone without having to fully engage with it.

The Flip 4 is the definition of an incremental upgrade, but when you’re talking about a phone that folds in half, that’s still a pretty impressive achievement. It’s the same basic size and shape as the Flip 3, with a slightly slimmer hinge and some squared-off corners. It’s still IPX8 water resistant (no dust resistance, so please don’t take it to the beach), and the cover screen is still a tiny 1.9 inches — big enough to read an email subject line or check the current weather but not big enough to do much more than that.

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

The inner screen is protected by stronger ultrathin glass than the Flip 3. There’s a non-user-replaceable screen protector in place, as there was on the previous model, but the adhesive that attaches it is stronger this time around. That will hopefully avoid the bubbling problem seen by some owners of previous-gen foldables.

The Flip 4’s cameras are mostly the same as the Flip 3’s, and they’re still a bit behind what you’d expect from your garden-variety flagship phone. There’s a 12-megapixel main camera with slightly bigger pixels than the last one, a 12-megapixel ultrawide, and a 10-megapixel selfie camera. Most other phones priced at $999 will throw in a telephoto lens of some kind, but not the Z Flip 4. Still, it’s a lot of fun taking pictures and recording videos in the phone’s L-shaped Flex mode. (Just try and name another phone that comes with its own built-in kickstand.)

If you’re a Flip 3 owner, there’s nothing about the Flip 4 worth upgrading for. In fact, many of the new software-based features introduced with the 4 are already making their way to the 3. And there are still plenty of ways Samsung could improve on its design: making it slimmer, more durable, and increasing the size of the cover screen, for a start. The Flip 4 offers some valuable refinements over the 3 that make it feel like a more mature product and less of a concept. There are likely significant improvements coming down the line for the Flip series, but right now, it’s undeniably fun and different.

Read my full review of the Galaxy Z Flip 4.

Best folding phone

Screen: 7.6-inch 2176p 120Hz OLED inner screen, 6.2-inch 2316p 120Hz OLED cover screen / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 / Cameras: 50-megapixel F/1.8 main with OIS, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 10-megapixel selfie (cover screen), four-megapixel under-display selfie (inner screen) / Battery: 4,400mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless / Weather resistance: IPX8

The Fold 4 is Samsung’s latest folding phone, and it is a pricey multitasking powerhouse — a phone and a tablet wrapped up in one device. Like the Fold 3 before it, it’s sized like a skinny smartphone that fits in your pocket, but it unfolds to reveal a tablet-sized 7.6-inch display on the inside.

That inside screen makes everything from reading books and browsing the web to watching videos and playing games more enjoyable and immersive. When you’re done using it, just fold it back up and stick it in your pocket just like any other phone. You can use the 6.2-inch outer screen for simpler tasks like you would on a slab-style smartphone, but the big screen is there when you need it. The Fold 4 is undeniably a gadget person’s gadget, best suited for someone who wants to get the absolute most out of their mobile device, cost be damned.

The Fold 4’s outer screen looks and handles like any other slab-style smartphone screen; unfold the device and you’re looking at something quite different. For starters, there’s a non-user-replaceable screen protector glued to the inner display to protect against scratches — the ultrathin glass that allows it to fold is easily damaged without it. The whole device is IPX8-rated, meaning it offers robust water resistance but no dust resistance. Folding phones: not recommended for the beach.

Image: Allison Johnson / The Verge

On the software side, the Fold 4 provides a lot of ways to get the most out of that big screen. There are new multitasking interface options that make it easy to open apps in multiple windows or use it in an L-shape like a laptop. These features are already becoming available to the Fold 3, so nobody should run out and upgrade from the previous-gen folding phone just for the software improvements.

The Galaxy Fold 4 is just brimming with cameras, including a 3x telephoto zoom lens, upgraded from a 2x zoom on the outgoing model. There are also 12-megapixel standard wide and ultrawide cameras on the rear panel, plus a 10-megapixel selfie camera on the outside and a 4-megapixel under-display camera on the inside. Image quality is on par with the S23 and S23 Plus, including a great portrait mode. You’d get a more powerful set of cameras on the significantly less expensive S23 Ultra, but the Ultra doesn’t fold in half.

The Fold 4 has evolved beyond the early hardware hiccups of the first Fold phones in the series, and it’s a device you could actually use as your daily driver — not just as a cool gadget that stays at home. The refinements over the Fold 3 are minor, like slightly wider aspect ratios on the screens and better adhesive on the non-user-replaceable inner screen protector, but they push the Fold a little closer to the mainstream. With apologies to the also-ran Microsoft Surface Duo 2, there’s just nothing else like it on the market — if you’re willing to pay the very high $1,800 premium.

Read my full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review.

Flagship performance for a little less money

Screen: 6.7-inch 1440p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 / Cameras: 50-megapixel F1.8 main with OIS, 48-megapixel ultrawide, 32-megapixel 2x telephoto, 16-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,000mAh / Charging: 80W wired (100W outside of US) / Weather resistance: IP64

After a little journey of self-discovery, OnePlus has finally come back around to its strength: making not-quite flagship phones that cost less than the high-end devices from Samsung and Google. The OnePlus 11 costs $699, includes a fantastic Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, has an excellent 6.7-inch screen, and comes with a great software support policy with four OS upgrades and five years of security updates. That alone makes it a very competitive option.

However, OnePlus cut a couple of corners to get to that relatively low price. It comes with an IP64 rating for splash resistance, which is less robust than the IP68 rating most devices in this price bracket carry — they can withstand full immersion in water. There’s also no wireless charging, another feature that virtually every other phone over $500 includes. Instead, you get super-fast wired charging: 80W if you’re in the US and 100W elsewhere. That’s enough to fully charge the phone in less than 30 minutes. You have to use the included charger and cable, and they don’t deliver the same speeds as other devices — bummer. But hey! There’s a charger in the box.

Image: Allison Johnson / The Verge

That’s the bad news. Back to the good news: the OnePlus 11 works on all three major 5G networks in the US right out of the gate — previous devices came with patchy 5G support at launch. The fan-favorite three-stage alert slider is back after taking a hiatus on the OnePlus 10T. And the 1440p OLED offers excellent detail along with smooth scrolling thanks to a 120Hz top refresh rate. It’s a great screen for the price.

The OnePlus 11’s bottom line is that it delivers excellent performance for less than you’d typically pay for a phone with the flagship chipset du jour. If you can live without wireless charging and you’re not concerned about the lack of waterproofing, then you’ll find it’s a great deal.

Read my full OnePlus 11 5G review.

Other good phones

There are a few other devices that didn’t quite make the cut for any of the above categories but are still worth mentioning. The Samsung S23 Plus just edged out the Google Pixel 7 Pro as our pick for the best Android phone for most people. It’s still a great device, and the $899 price tag is attractive (and often marked down). We like its software out-of-the-box better than Samsung’s, and its camera system sometimes outdoes the S23 Plus’ — especially with its longer 5x telephoto lens. But while its custom Tensor G2 chipset is capable, it’s unclear how it will hold up in the long run.

Pixel 6 and 7 owners have also reported their fair share of software bugs and unusual hardware problems. Google seems to be doing the right thing and repairing phones under warranty, and the Pixel series’ frequent updates mean that bugs are usually fixed in a timely manner. Samsung, on the other hand, is pretty much on cruise control with the S23 Plus.

The iPhone 14 Plus is worth considering if you prefer iOS and you like a bigger phone. If the 14 Pro feels like overkill but you want a big screen and a big battery, then the 14 Plus is a good alternative. It costs less than the $1,099 Pro Max, though its $899 price isn’t exactly cheap. But like the iPhone 14, the 14 Plus offers very few appreciable updates over the iPhone 13 and doesn’t quite lend itself to a broad recommendation.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 stands tall — er, small — in a field dominated by huge screens. Its 6.1-inch display makes it a little bigger than the Asus Zenfone 9 and its 5.9-inch screen, but compared to the 6.6-inch-plus screens that are much more common in this category, the Galaxy S23 is your best (maybe only?) option for flagship specs in a reasonably sized phone.

Update May 22nd, 5:45PM ET: Replaced the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G with the Google Pixel 7A as our top pick for under (er, around) $500.

Making sense of Apple’s messy MagSafe charging ecosystem, where the first-party options are far from the best ones.

Wireless charging is inefficient in many ways. It charges your phone more slowly than using a cable, uses more energy, and requires near-perfect alignment on a charging pad to even work. But inefficiencies aside, it’s just so dang convenient. So when Apple added a ring of magnets to the iPhone 12 and dubbed it “MagSafe,” things got much more interesting. Not only do the magnets guarantee perfect alignment every time but also, with a MagSafe-certified charger, your iPhone can charge at up to 15W — double the 7.5W they get with other wireless chargers. And the magnets also allow for nifty accessories, like car mounts and detachable card wallets.

The iPhone 14 is the third generation of MagSafe phones, but the ecosystem is still a little messy. It can be confusing to figure out whether a charger is “with MagSafe” (Apple’s phrase meaning real 15W MagSafe) or just compatible with MagSafe (read: a basic Qi charger with magnets slapped on). But the options on offer now — official and otherwise — are mostly pretty good. We’ve found the best MagSafe and MagSafe-compatible wireless chargers for your iPhone. Because once you go magnetic, it just starts to feel pragmatic.

The best MagSafe charger for most people

Official MagSafe: Yes / Wireless charge output: 15W / Cable length: 6.5ft (2m) / Connector type: USB-C / Warranty: Two years

Belkin’s new BoostCharge Pro with MagSafe is around $10 more than Apple’s own MagSafe Charger, but it outclasses the Apple puck in nearly every way. It’s the only other magnetic charging puck “with MagSafe,” which means it has the same 15W wireless fast charging as Apple’s charger, instead of being limited to 7.5W. But the BoostCharge Pro has a 6.5-foot (two-meter) braided cable — twice as long as Apple’s — and it includes a fold-out kickstand to prop your iPhone up in landscape orientation for watching or playing stuff as you charge.

Since this charger came out, it’s become vanishingly difficult to see why you’d buy Apple’s own MagSafe Charger. Okay, Apple’s charger is cheaper, about 10mm thinner, and a little sleeker — fine. But it’s also hamstrung by a terribly short cable: at just 3.28ft / 1m, it feels like you’re on a short leash to your wall outlet if you want to use the phone as it charges, and it’s not long enough to reach a wall outlet from any furniture taller than a small nightstand. The Belkin BoostCharge Pro with MagSafe fixes the Apple puck’s biggest issue, and if you want that 15W charging, it makes sense to spend the extra money on the longer cable. (If you don’t need the 15W charging — say, for overnight charging — you can get a magnetic charger with a longer cable for much less money, but more on that in the next section.)

Apple’s MagSafe Charger does go on sale from time to time for around $30 or less — creating a bigger price delta between it and the BoostCharge Pro. But frankly, it’d have to be much cheaper for me to recommend it over this Belkin without slightly gritting my teeth. Make sure you also get a quality 20W USB-C power adapter — neither Belkin nor Apple pucks come with their own.

Best for overnight charging

Official MagSafe: No / Wireless charge output: 7.5W / Cable length: 5ft (1.5m) / Connector type: USB-C / Warranty: 18 months

Official MagSafe: No / Wireless charge output: 7.5W / Cable length: 6ft (1.8m) / Connector type: USB-C / Warranty: Two years

You don’t need to pay the extra money for a MagSafe-certified charger if you mostly charge overnight. Unless you’re getting a dangerously low amount of sleep every night, your phone is going to be topped off by morning regardless of which charger you use. In fact, even if you use a 15W MagSafe charger for overnight charging, your iPhone will automatically slow its charge speed to finish charging a little bit before you need it.

So unless you plan to use the same charger for both quick top-ups and overnight charging, you can save money by buying either the Anker 313 Magnetic Wireless Charger or the standard Belkin BoostCharge Magnetic Wireless charger. These non-MagSafe magnetic chargers charge iPhones at the same 7.5W rate as any other Qi wireless charger, and they both work just fine. The Belkin has a six-foot cable, but the Anker has a slightly thinner charging pad and its five-foot wire is adequate for most situations.

What makes both of these exceptional is their value: you can pick up either puck for under $25 with a 20W USB-C power adapter or about $15 without one. They’re affordable enough that you can justify one (or more) even if you also own a fancier MagSafe charger for when you actually need the speed.

You’ll thank me when you can pick up your phone from your bedside table for your nightly doomscrolling without yanking the cable out of the wall. (Wait, I mean your in-bed guided meditation and breathing exercises.)

The best MagSafe charger for travel

Official MagSafe: Yes / Wireless charge output: 15W / Apple Watch fast charging: No / Cable length: 3.5ft (1.07m) / Connector type: USB-C / Warranty: Two years

Any charger can travel, but that doesn’t mean it travels well. The Mophie 3-in-1 Travel Charger with MagSafe opens like a trifold wallet to charge your phone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all at once. It’s pricey at $149.95, but it’s an all-in-one travel solution: its folding multicharger pad, 30W power adapter, and USB-C cable all pack into a soft fabric carrying case.

It’s hard to overstate how handy this Mophie charger is if you travel with any frequency. I’m the type that stresses endlessly when packing for a big trip, and knowing I had all my charging essentials in this little gray satchel gave me a small sense of calm — like having a fully prepacked toiletry bag.

And since this charger actually supports MagSafe charging speeds, it’s good for quick top-ups when you’re only back at your hotel for a short break. You can also squeeze a short USB-C to Lightning cable into the carrying case with the other accessories so you always have slightly faster 20W wired charging on reserve in an emergency.

While Apple’s MagSafe Duo charger takes up even less space in your travel bag — it’s about half as thick as the Mophie — it only charges up to two devices at once. The $129 Duo also costs about the same or more once you factor in a 20W USB-C power adapter and carrying case, both of which the Mophie package covers.

My only gripe with the Mophie 3-in-1 Travel Charger, aside from its high price, is that, like Apple’s MagSafe Duo, it lifts up from a table as you disconnect your phone — so you have to hold it down with another finger as you pull away from the magnets. That’s far from a deal-breaker, but be wary that trying to snooze an early alarm while severely jet-lagged could send your AirPods and Apple Watch crashing down to a hotel room floor.

The best MagSafe 3-in-1 stand for home

Official MagSafe: Yes / Wireless charge output: 15W / Apple Watch fast charging: Yes, on 2022 revised model / Cable length: 4.8ft (1.47m) / Connector type: barrel (AC adapter) /Warranty: Two years

Belkin’s BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 MagSafe charging stand is another pricey solution for charging your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all at once. But what makes this quirky modern art-like magnetic tree especially good is its MagSafe 15W charging, Apple Watch fast-charge support (for the Series 7, Series 8, and Ultra), and the fact that it puts your phone and watch at a readable level on a desk or table.

In fact, the spacing of the phone and watch above the bottom 5W Qi pad means you can fit a whole other phone down there — making this stand especially good if you have a mixed iPhone / Android household and want to share a little of the wireless charging love.

The Belkin tree is built solidly, with enough weight to prevent your phone or watch from tugging or toppling the whole thing over when removing them. My biggest gripes with it are the high price of $149.99 and the fact that its traditional 12V AC adapter with built-in cable seems larger than it needs to be compared to much smaller USB-C power adapters used by other chargers. Though, since you’re most likely planting this tree in one spot of your home and not moving around with it, the wall wart is mostly forgivable.

The most versatile MagSafe multicharger for home and travel

Official MagSafe: Yes / Wireless charge output: 15W / Apple Watch fast charging: Yes / Cable length: 5ft (1.5m) / Connector type: USB-C / Warranty: 18 months

Anker’s 3-in-1 Cube is its first to support proper 15W MagSafe charging (not simply magnetic Qi), and its nifty compact design makes it an excellent jack-of-all-trades for both home and travel use. It charges your phone in an angled position, with just enough space behind it to wirelessly charge your AirPods, plus a slide-out side drawer for your Apple Watch. I’m happy to see that Anker took the tilt-top design of its cute little soda can 623 MagGo 2-in-1 charger and turned it into an even better 3-in-1. Sadly, in addition to being more angular and much less adorable, it got much more expensive in the process; it costs $149.95 and is only available from Apple or directly from Anker. That means the Cube may not get the frequent discounts we see on Anker products at Amazon or elsewhere.

The price is a bit alarming, but $149.99 seems to be the going rate for MagSafe 3-in-1s. It comes with a 30W USB-C power adapter, and its pop-out Apple Watch charger supports fast charging on compatible models. The charger itself is about the size of a Rubik’s Cube, though it’s slightly taller than it is wide or deep. (Yes, I regret to inform any of you sticklers that the Cube is technically a rectangular prism, not a cube.) Mathematics heresy aside, it feels about as compact as this design can be.

The Anker isn’t quite as good for travel as the fold-up Mophie 3-in-1, and the Belkin tree thing is a better 3-in-1 for home use if you like that elevated height and versatile second Qi spot. But Anker’s Cube is the second-best MagSafe multicharger for home use and travel, which makes it the most versatile option if you travel occasionally and want a single 3-in-1 charger that does it all.

The best MagSafe-compatible battery pack

Official MagSafe: No / Wireless charge output: 7.5W / Cell capacity: 19.25Wh (5,000mAh) / Connector type: USB-C / Warranty: 2 years

I tested a whole bunch of magnetic battery packs. They were all fine. The MagSafe-compatible options from Anker, Mophie, and Belkin all worked well enough for standard 7.5W wireless iPhone charging, and you’d probably be a-okay picking whichever one works for your tastes when it comes to price, physical size (some are chonky), and battery capacity. It’s nice to have a battery that clicks onto the back of your phone without worrying about cables.

I recommend Anker’s 622 Magnetic Battery (MagGo) over the others I tested — even Apple’s own MagSafe Battery Pack — because it strikes the right balance of portability and battery capacity. It’s barely larger than the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack, but its 19.25Wh cell is nearly double the capacity of Apple’s 11.13Wh. It supports passthrough charging while it’s plugged in, and its built-in origami kickstand is a handy addition that doesn’t add much bulk. The fold-out stand is even strong enough to support a hefty Max-sized iPhone in a protective case, and if you get the revised Anker 622 that now features a side-mounted USB-C port, you can do passthrough charging with your phone propped up at an angle on your desk. Lastly, the Anker’s battery comes in some fun colors to match your phone — or at least stand out among your other accessories.

Compared to the Anker 622, Apple’s kinda terrible MagSafe Battery Pack has very little going for it. Sure, it’s a little smaller, and its tight iOS integration lets it show its exact battery percentage on your lock screen, which the Anker doesn’t offer. But it’s mostly for top-ups: the meager battery could never fully recharge my iPhone 12 Pro Max that I was testing it with. It doesn’t even charge your phone any faster than the Anker since Apple limits it to 7.5W when on the go. That’s baffling for a $99 battery pack.

If you want true 15W MagSafe charging from a power bank, you can get the Mophie Powerstation 10K stand with MagSafe for $129.95. It’s expensive, awkwardly chonky, and rimmed with cheap-feeling soft-touch rubber that may not age well, but it can reach 15W wireless charging without the assistance of a power plug. Plus, the Mophie’s sturdy metal stand means it could be your desktop charging base that you can fold up and take with you on the go.

Other MagSafe and magnetic chargers worth considering

While the ones above are the best, here are some more options that are still perfectly fine:

• Apple MagSafe Duo charger: If you’re going to spend as much as $129 on this Apple charger, I think it’s better to add another $30 and get the Mophie travel charger, but the Duo is perfectly adequate for travel or home use if you have just an iPhone and Apple Watch. If you’re lucky, it can go on sale for as low as $99.99, though you’ll need to BYO 20W AC adapter.
• Courant Mag:1 Essentials / Classics: Sometimes having something a little “premium” is just, well, nice. Courant’s magnetic charging pucks don’t get you MagSafe speeds, but for $50 to $80 (discounted to as low as $40) and without a USB-C AC charger, you get a sleek design wrapped in soft linen material or posh leather. It’s totally unnecessary, but if you want your tech to not be an eyesore to your home decor, I think they’re totally justifiable. Plus, the Mag:1 has a lengthy six-foot cable.
• Courant Mag:2 Essentials / Classics: Courant’s same elevated formula but this time in a 2-in-1 charger for your phone and earbuds. If you’re the type that obsesses over mid-century modern stylings like hairpin legs and Eames chairs, here’s your (non-MagSafe) magnetic charger. It’s even sold at the Herman Miller store — need I say more?
• Nomad Base One Max: Speaking of premium, the Nomad Base One Max offers full MagSafe charging support and a built-in Apple Watch charger in a sleek and minimalist metal slab. I love this thing as a bedside charger because it’s so hefty that your phone lifts right off without shifting the base even a millimeter. You could also use this thing as an improvised weapon against any would-be intruders since it’s two whole pounds of metal! Melee combat preparedness aside, though, you can get a more useful 3-in-1 charger for the $149.95 price.
• Anker 637 Magnetic Charging Station (MagGo): Ponder the almighty charging orb and all you can potentially plug into it. The Anker 637 is like a weird amalgamation of a magnetic charging stand and a power strip — it has the magnetic Qi charger, two USB-C ports, four USB-A ports, and three AC ports. The Qi charger and USB ports can output up to about 65W combined; you can charge up to seven devices at the same time (not counting the AC ports) or plug in a lone USB-C cable and get up to 65W of power — enough to power even some smaller MacBook Pros. If you think you can find a good use for the Anker 637 in your space, just buy it. It’s super handy and there’s nothing else quite like it. Then email me and teach me the ways of your cable management skills because I always end up turning this thing into a spaghetti monster of cords.
• Anker 623 2-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger (MagGo): This charger’s real name is terrible, so you should just call it the soda can. As mentioned above, Anker’s soda can is like the precursor to its excellent new 3-in-1 Cube, but it’s much cheaper and does a fine job charging your phone at 7.5W alongside a set of earbuds. Just keep in mind that, if you use it on your bedside table, it will briefly light up your dark room with an obnoxious LED when you put your phone on it to charge.

Other chargers tested include the Nomad Stand One, Twelve South HiRise 3, Mophie Snap Plus Wireless Charger with 3-in-1 Wireless Stand for MagSafe Charger, and various Mophie Snap Plus Juice Pack power banks. These did not make the cut for various reasons, and the recommendations above present better alternatives.

Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

Update May 3rd, 2023: Revised layout of product cards and images.

Making sense of Apple’s messy MagSafe charging ecosystem, where the first-party options are far from the best ones.

Wireless charging is inefficient in many ways. It charges your phone more slowly than using a cable, uses more energy, and requires near-perfect alignment on a charging pad to even work. But inefficiencies aside, it’s just so dang convenient. So when Apple added a ring of magnets to the iPhone 12 and dubbed it “MagSafe,” things got much more interesting. Not only do the magnets guarantee perfect alignment every time but also, with a MagSafe-certified charger, your iPhone can charge at up to 15W — double the 7.5W they get with other wireless chargers. And the magnets also allow for nifty accessories, like car mounts and detachable card wallets.

The iPhone 14 is the third generation of MagSafe phones, but the ecosystem is still a little messy. It can be confusing to figure out whether a charger is “with MagSafe” (Apple’s phrase meaning real 15W MagSafe) or just compatible with MagSafe (read: a basic Qi charger with magnets slapped on). But the options on offer now — official and otherwise — are mostly pretty good. We’ve found the best MagSafe and MagSafe-compatible wireless chargers for your iPhone. Because once you go magnetic, it just starts to feel pragmatic.

The best MagSafe charger for most people

Official MagSafe: Yes / Wireless charge output: 15W / Cable length: 6.5ft (2m) / Connector type: USB-C / Warranty: Two years

Belkin’s new BoostCharge Pro with MagSafe is around $10 more than Apple’s own MagSafe Charger, but it outclasses the Apple puck in nearly every way. It’s the only other magnetic charging puck “with MagSafe,” which means it has the same 15W wireless fast charging as Apple’s charger, instead of being limited to 7.5W. But the BoostCharge Pro has a 6.5-foot (two-meter) braided cable — twice as long as Apple’s — and it includes a fold-out kickstand to prop your iPhone up in landscape orientation for watching or playing stuff as you charge.

Since this charger came out, it’s become vanishingly difficult to see why you’d buy Apple’s own MagSafe Charger. Okay, Apple’s charger is cheaper, about 10mm thinner, and a little sleeker — fine. But it’s also hamstrung by a terribly short cable: at just 3.28ft / 1m, it feels like you’re on a short leash to your wall outlet if you want to use the phone as it charges, and it’s not long enough to reach a wall outlet from any furniture taller than a small nightstand. The Belkin BoostCharge Pro with MagSafe fixes the Apple puck’s biggest issue, and if you want that 15W charging, it makes sense to spend the extra money on the longer cable. (If you don’t need the 15W charging — say, for overnight charging — you can get a magnetic charger with a longer cable for much less money, but more on that in the next section.)

Apple’s MagSafe Charger does go on sale from time to time for around $30 or less — creating a bigger price delta between it and the BoostCharge Pro. But frankly, it’d have to be much cheaper for me to recommend it over this Belkin without slightly gritting my teeth. Make sure you also get a quality 20W USB-C power adapter — neither Belkin nor Apple pucks come with their own.

Best for overnight charging

Official MagSafe: No / Wireless charge output: 7.5W / Cable length: 5ft (1.5m) / Connector type: USB-C / Warranty: 18 months

Official MagSafe: No / Wireless charge output: 7.5W / Cable length: 6ft (1.8m) / Connector type: USB-C / Warranty: Two years

You don’t need to pay the extra money for a MagSafe-certified charger if you mostly charge overnight. Unless you’re getting a dangerously low amount of sleep every night, your phone is going to be topped off by morning regardless of which charger you use. In fact, even if you use a 15W MagSafe charger for overnight charging, your iPhone will automatically slow its charge speed to finish charging a little bit before you need it.

So unless you plan to use the same charger for both quick top-ups and overnight charging, you can save money by buying either the Anker 313 Magnetic Wireless Charger or the standard Belkin BoostCharge Magnetic Wireless charger. These non-MagSafe magnetic chargers charge iPhones at the same 7.5W rate as any other Qi wireless charger, and they both work just fine. The Belkin has a six-foot cable, but the Anker has a slightly thinner charging pad and its five-foot wire is adequate for most situations.

What makes both of these exceptional is their value: you can pick up either puck for under $25 with a 20W USB-C power adapter or about $15 without one. They’re affordable enough that you can justify one (or more) even if you also own a fancier MagSafe charger for when you actually need the speed.

You’ll thank me when you can pick up your phone from your bedside table for your nightly doomscrolling without yanking the cable out of the wall. (Wait, I mean your in-bed guided meditation and breathing exercises.)

The best MagSafe charger for travel

Official MagSafe: Yes / Wireless charge output: 15W / Apple Watch fast charging: No / Cable length: 3.5ft (1.07m) / Connector type: USB-C / Warranty: Two years

Any charger can travel, but that doesn’t mean it travels well. The Mophie 3-in-1 Travel Charger with MagSafe opens like a trifold wallet to charge your phone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all at once. It’s pricey at $149.95, but it’s an all-in-one travel solution: its folding multicharger pad, 30W power adapter, and USB-C cable all pack into a soft fabric carrying case.

It’s hard to overstate how handy this Mophie charger is if you travel with any frequency. I’m the type that stresses endlessly when packing for a big trip, and knowing I had all my charging essentials in this little gray satchel gave me a small sense of calm — like having a fully prepacked toiletry bag.

And since this charger actually supports MagSafe charging speeds, it’s good for quick top-ups when you’re only back at your hotel for a short break. You can also squeeze a short USB-C to Lightning cable into the carrying case with the other accessories so you always have slightly faster 20W wired charging on reserve in an emergency.

While Apple’s MagSafe Duo charger takes up even less space in your travel bag — it’s about half as thick as the Mophie — it only charges up to two devices at once. The $129 Duo also costs about the same or more once you factor in a 20W USB-C power adapter and carrying case, both of which the Mophie package covers.

My only gripe with the Mophie 3-in-1 Travel Charger, aside from its high price, is that, like Apple’s MagSafe Duo, it lifts up from a table as you disconnect your phone — so you have to hold it down with another finger as you pull away from the magnets. That’s far from a deal-breaker, but be wary that trying to snooze an early alarm while severely jet-lagged could send your AirPods and Apple Watch crashing down to a hotel room floor.

The best MagSafe 3-in-1 stand for home

Official MagSafe: Yes / Wireless charge output: 15W / Apple Watch fast charging: Yes, on 2022 revised model / Cable length: 4.8ft (1.47m) / Connector type: barrel (AC adapter) /Warranty: Two years

Belkin’s BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 MagSafe charging stand is another pricey solution for charging your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all at once. But what makes this quirky modern art-like magnetic tree especially good is its MagSafe 15W charging, Apple Watch fast-charge support (for the Series 7, Series 8, and Ultra), and the fact that it puts your phone and watch at a readable level on a desk or table.

In fact, the spacing of the phone and watch above the bottom 5W Qi pad means you can fit a whole other phone down there — making this stand especially good if you have a mixed iPhone / Android household and want to share a little of the wireless charging love.

The Belkin tree is built solidly, with enough weight to prevent your phone or watch from tugging or toppling the whole thing over when removing them. My biggest gripes with it are the high price of $149.99 and the fact that its traditional 12V AC adapter with built-in cable seems larger than it needs to be compared to much smaller USB-C power adapters used by other chargers. Though, since you’re most likely planting this tree in one spot of your home and not moving around with it, the wall wart is mostly forgivable.

The most versatile MagSafe multicharger for home and travel

Official MagSafe: Yes / Wireless charge output: 15W / Apple Watch fast charging: Yes / Cable length: 5ft (1.5m) / Connector type: USB-C / Warranty: 18 months

Anker’s 3-in-1 Cube is its first to support proper 15W MagSafe charging (not simply magnetic Qi), and its nifty compact design makes it an excellent jack-of-all-trades for both home and travel use. It charges your phone in an angled position, with just enough space behind it to wirelessly charge your AirPods, plus a slide-out side drawer for your Apple Watch. I’m happy to see that Anker took the tilt-top design of its cute little soda can 623 MagGo 2-in-1 charger and turned it into an even better 3-in-1. Sadly, in addition to being more angular and much less adorable, it got much more expensive in the process; it costs $149.95 and is only available from Apple or directly from Anker. That means the Cube may not get the frequent discounts we see on Anker products at Amazon or elsewhere.

The price is a bit alarming, but $149.99 seems to be the going rate for MagSafe 3-in-1s. It comes with a 30W USB-C power adapter, and its pop-out Apple Watch charger supports fast charging on compatible models. The charger itself is about the size of a Rubik’s Cube, though it’s slightly taller than it is wide or deep. (Yes, I regret to inform any of you sticklers that the Cube is technically a rectangular prism, not a cube.) Mathematics heresy aside, it feels about as compact as this design can be.

The Anker isn’t quite as good for travel as the fold-up Mophie 3-in-1, and the Belkin tree thing is a better 3-in-1 for home use if you like that elevated height and versatile second Qi spot. But Anker’s Cube is the second-best MagSafe multicharger for home use and travel, which makes it the most versatile option if you travel occasionally and want a single 3-in-1 charger that does it all.

The best MagSafe-compatible battery pack

Official MagSafe: No / Wireless charge output: 7.5W / Cell capacity: 19.25Wh (5,000mAh) / Connector type: USB-C / Warranty: 2 years

I tested a whole bunch of magnetic battery packs. They were all fine. The MagSafe-compatible options from Anker, Mophie, and Belkin all worked well enough for standard 7.5W wireless iPhone charging, and you’d probably be a-okay picking whichever one works for your tastes when it comes to price, physical size (some are chonky), and battery capacity. It’s nice to have a battery that clicks onto the back of your phone without worrying about cables.

I recommend Anker’s 622 Magnetic Battery (MagGo) over the others I tested — even Apple’s own MagSafe Battery Pack — because it strikes the right balance of portability and battery capacity. It’s barely larger than the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack, but its 19.25Wh cell is nearly double the capacity of Apple’s 11.13Wh. It supports passthrough charging while it’s plugged in, and its built-in origami kickstand is a handy addition that doesn’t add much bulk. The fold-out stand is even strong enough to support a hefty Max-sized iPhone in a protective case, and if you get the revised Anker 622 that now features a side-mounted USB-C port, you can do passthrough charging with your phone propped up at an angle on your desk. Lastly, the Anker’s battery comes in some fun colors to match your phone — or at least stand out among your other accessories.

Compared to the Anker 622, Apple’s kinda terrible MagSafe Battery Pack has very little going for it. Sure, it’s a little smaller, and its tight iOS integration lets it show its exact battery percentage on your lock screen, which the Anker doesn’t offer. But it’s mostly for top-ups: the meager battery could never fully recharge my iPhone 12 Pro Max that I was testing it with. It doesn’t even charge your phone any faster than the Anker since Apple limits it to 7.5W when on the go. That’s baffling for a $99 battery pack.

If you want true 15W MagSafe charging from a power bank, you can get the Mophie Powerstation 10K stand with MagSafe for $129.95. It’s expensive, awkwardly chonky, and rimmed with cheap-feeling soft-touch rubber that may not age well, but it can reach 15W wireless charging without the assistance of a power plug. Plus, the Mophie’s sturdy metal stand means it could be your desktop charging base that you can fold up and take with you on the go.

Other MagSafe and magnetic chargers worth considering

While the ones above are the best, here are some more options that are still perfectly fine:

• Apple MagSafe Duo charger: If you’re going to spend as much as $129 on this Apple charger, I think it’s better to add another $30 and get the Mophie travel charger, but the Duo is perfectly adequate for travel or home use if you have just an iPhone and Apple Watch. If you’re lucky, it can go on sale for as low as $99.99, though you’ll need to BYO 20W AC adapter.
• Courant Mag:1 Essentials / Classics: Sometimes having something a little “premium” is just, well, nice. Courant’s magnetic charging pucks don’t get you MagSafe speeds, but for $50 to $80 (discounted to as low as $40) and without a USB-C AC charger, you get a sleek design wrapped in soft linen material or posh leather. It’s totally unnecessary, but if you want your tech to not be an eyesore to your home decor, I think they’re totally justifiable. Plus, the Mag:1 has a lengthy six-foot cable.
• Courant Mag:2 Essentials / Classics: Courant’s same elevated formula but this time in a 2-in-1 charger for your phone and earbuds. If you’re the type that obsesses over mid-century modern stylings like hairpin legs and Eames chairs, here’s your (non-MagSafe) magnetic charger. It’s even sold at the Herman Miller store — need I say more?
• Nomad Base One Max: Speaking of premium, the Nomad Base One Max offers full MagSafe charging support and a built-in Apple Watch charger in a sleek and minimalist metal slab. I love this thing as a bedside charger because it’s so hefty that your phone lifts right off without shifting the base even a millimeter. You could also use this thing as an improvised weapon against any would-be intruders since it’s two whole pounds of metal! Melee combat preparedness aside, though, you can get a more useful 3-in-1 charger for the $149.95 price.
• Anker 637 Magnetic Charging Station (MagGo): Ponder the almighty charging orb and all you can potentially plug into it. The Anker 637 is like a weird amalgamation of a magnetic charging stand and a power strip — it has the magnetic Qi charger, two USB-C ports, four USB-A ports, and three AC ports. The Qi charger and USB ports can output up to about 65W combined; you can charge up to seven devices at the same time (not counting the AC ports) or plug in a lone USB-C cable and get up to 65W of power — enough to power even some smaller MacBook Pros. If you think you can find a good use for the Anker 637 in your space, just buy it. It’s super handy and there’s nothing else quite like it. Then email me and teach me the ways of your cable management skills because I always end up turning this thing into a spaghetti monster of cords.
• Anker 623 2-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger (MagGo): This charger’s real name is terrible, so you should just call it the soda can. As mentioned above, Anker’s soda can is like the precursor to its excellent new 3-in-1 Cube, but it’s much cheaper and does a fine job charging your phone at 7.5W alongside a set of earbuds. Just keep in mind that, if you use it on your bedside table, it will briefly light up your dark room with an obnoxious LED when you put your phone on it to charge.

Other chargers tested include the Nomad Stand One, Twelve South HiRise 3, Mophie Snap Plus Wireless Charger with 3-in-1 Wireless Stand for MagSafe Charger, and various Mophie Snap Plus Juice Pack power banks. These did not make the cut for various reasons, and the recommendations above present better alternatives.

Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge

Update May 3rd, 2023: Revised layout of product cards and images.