There are many factors to consider when buying a smartphone, from design and operating system, to security and durability. We fully test every phone we can get our hands on here at Digital Trends and after conducting hundreds of reviews, we’re confident in recommending whether a particular phone is a good buy for you, or if you’re better off with something else.

After much debate and comparison, we landed on the Apple iPhone 13 Pro as our top pick for the best smartphone available right now. However, one phone doesn’t necessarily fit everyone’s needs, so we have plenty of other great picks depending on what you’re looking for. Android fans will love the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and those looking to save money, or get a smaller phone have lots of strong choices as well.

Why you should buy this: It’s the best smartphone around, with zippy performance, a great camera suite, and some gorgeous good looks.

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants the best smartphone money can buy.

Why we picked the iPhone 13 Pro:

If you’ve got the money, then the iPhone 13 Pro is absolutely the best smartphone around, and the device you should buy. Apple has pulled off another huge task, one-upping 2020’s iPhone 12 Pro and upsetting a legion of other smartphone manufacturers. With top-tier flagship power, a stunning display, an extremely long-lasting battery life, and one of the best cameras around, the iPhone 13 Pro is a triumph and the best smartphone you can buy.

We’ll start with the design because not much has changed here. The iPhone 12 Pro’s angular sides are still here, as is the stainless-steel frame and range of gorgeous finishes. The notch is the largest design change made, though it’s still subtle. The new notch is slightly smaller, but also extends slightly deeper into the display, so doesn’t actually change much. Thankfully, the display it settles into is a stunner. The 6.1-inch Super Retina panel is clear and bright and finally uses the 120Hz ProMotion tech from the iPad Pro, making the performance seem even smoother and zippier.

It’s not just the display that makes the phone seem fast, because it is fast. Apple’s new A15 Bionic processor is extremely powerful and capable of handling anything you’ll throw at it. It’ll stay that way for years to come as well, thanks to Apple’s extremely solid update record, and with storage options starting at 128GB, you’ll have room for plenty of snaps and apps. The battery is excellent too, lasting for well over a day, with the possibility of lasting into a second day on light use.

The camera systems are, as we’ve come to expect, also excellent. The rear suite is comprised of three 12-megapixel lenses: A main wide-angle lens, a telephoto lens, and an ultrawide-angle lens. This trio is powerful and capable, providing strong colour accuracy and plenty of detail. The telephoto lens also has a macro mode, which kicks in automatically, and shoots surprisingly good images.

The Apple iPhone 13 Pro is perhaps the best all-around smartphone you’ll find, though it doesn’t come cheap. Prices start from £949, but you can also find it on every major U.K. carrier, and from a big range of retailers too. 5G is also included, making this a strong future-proof option. Truly, the iPhone 13 Pro is the best smartphone you can buy right now.

Why you should buy this: The same great iPhone, but without the painful price tag.

Who it’s for: Those who want a phone with a powerful battery, amazing cameras, and superfast performance.

Why we picked the Apple iPhone 13:

If the iPhone 13 Pro has one weakness, it might be that it isn’t as good a value prospect as the iPhone 13. While the iPhone 13 Pro is excellent, it isn’t actually that much better than its lower-priced sibling. At £779, the iPhone 13 offers much the same experience as the Pro version, with the same powerful A15 Bionic processor, 5G, a strong battery, and the latest iOS 15. It does miss out in a few areas, obviously. The frame is aluminium, rather than steel, and you’ll miss out on the telephoto lens and 120Hz as well. But if those features don’t tickle your fancy, then the chance to save £200 is one that’s hard to turn down.

Why you should buy this: It’s the best of the best, with a huge and beautiful screen, good software, tons of features, and a great multi-lens camera. Plus, great battery life.

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants a single phone that can handle productivity, gaming, video, and every bit of day-to-day use, all with strong battery life.

Why we picked the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra:

It’s big, it’s brilliant, and it’s just the best Android smartphone you can buy today. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the largest of the 2021 release of the Galaxy S range, and Samsung justifies that size by cramming in as much cutting-edge tech as it could get its hands on. Sure, it’s massive, and a little top-heavy, but if you can get past that, you’ll find one of the best smartphones you can buy today.

We’ll start with the design. As we’ve said, it’s big. But oddly, it’s not as big as the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (the previous owner of the best Android phone title) and the Galaxy S20 Ultra. However, its weight is not as well balanced, and you’ll find the gorgeous new camera module is something of a hefty beast and shifts the point-of-balance enough that you’ll notice it after a while. It’s still utterly gorgeous though, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better-looking smartphone.

It comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, 12GB of 16GB of RAM, and 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage space. Those are some very powerful specs, so expect this phone to handle the latest 3D games and swapping between apps with ease. The 5,000mAh battery easily lasts a full day, and it needs a battery that big, too, to power the 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x display with a 3200 x 1440 resolution. It’s bright and clear and has a refresh rate that automatically changes to match the content on the screen and save battery power.

The camera, as usual for the Galaxy S-range, is quite the showstopper. The rear module is comprised of a 108MP lens, a 12MP ultrawide lens, a 10MP 10× periscope zoom lens, and a 10MP 3× telephoto zoom lens. It’s the same setup we’ve seen before, but Samsung has made a few tweaks to really take these familiar lenses to another level. The 100x zoom is actually usable this time, and the more normal photos are even better than before, with crisp, well-balanced photographs throughout.

But on top of all this, you’ll also get Samsung’s desktop-emulating DeX mode that can connect wirelessly to monitors, reverse wireless charging, an IP68-rating for water-resistance, and strong build quality. On the downsides, well, there’s no microSD card slot, and it’s bigger than some people might want. But still, this is the best Android smartphone around, and the price reflects that. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra starts at a staggering £949 — but if you want the best, you need to pay for the best.

Why you should buy this: You’re on a budget, but you still want a powerful phone.

Who it’s for: Bargain buyers who want a stock Android phone.

Why we picked the Google Pixel 5:

Google is the only other major manufacturer that can exist in a similar space to Apple by offering smartphones intimately keyed into its operating system. That’s because Google creates and manages Android, so the Pixel series is always going to be the first device range to get access to the latest builds and updates of Android. But that’s not the only thing going for the Pixel 6 Pro. It’s exceptionally powerful, and — thanks to Google’s new Tensor chip — it boasts even stronger A.I. capabilities.

A great display and long software support are amongst its other advantages, but its strongest feature is its exceptional camera suite. The best camera phone around, the Pixel 6 Pro’s triple-lens camera suite takes some of the best stills we’ve ever seen, and it’s gone up against both the Apple iPhone 13 Pro and the Galaxy S21 Ultra in a camera shoot-out and beat both. While the Galaxy S21 Ultra has it down in terms of the pure number of features, the Pixel 6 Pro is an extremely good Android smartphone, and a worthy runner-up.

Why you should buy this: You’re on a budget, but you still want a powerful phone.

Who it’s for: Bargain buyers who want a stock Android phone.

Why we picked the Moto G Power Plus:

When you need a solid phone for an exceptional price, you turn to Motorola. It just has this formula perfected at this point, and the latest version is the Moto G Power Plus. For £179, you’re getting a huge 6.3-inch display, 4GB of RAM, a Snapdragon 665-series chipset, and a healthy 64GB of storage. And here’s the big bonus: A massive 5000 mAh battery, which can easily go two days on a charge no matter what you throw at it.

Elsewhere, Motorola continues to show it can make consistent and helpful software. Its take on Android is simple and helpful, with just a few adjustments and apps to enhance the overall experience. You get quick gestures to perform daily tasks like launching the camera or turning on the flashlight, and Moto Display is the best way to quickly manage notifications as they come in.

Obviously for this money you miss out on a lot of high-end features. The body is plastic, the screen isn’t great, and the cameras simply get the job done. You also don’t get a full water resistance rating or other hardware extras like wireless charging. But really, those aren’t fundamental parts of the experience. You can easily do everything you need to do on a smartphone with the Moto G Power, for a highly affordable price.

Why you should buy this: It’s a flagship-level smartphone with an incredible camera, at an unbeatable price.

Who it’s for: Someone who wants a powerful phone with a lot of update potential, for almost half the cost of a flagship phone.

Why we picked the Google Pixel 6:

We’ve highlighted the Pixel 6 Pro above as an excellent Android smartphone, but it’s the Google Pixel 6 that’s easily the best value for money you’ll find in a smartphone at the moment. The Pixel 6 shares the Pro model’s stunning new design, exciting new hardware, a long-lasting battery, and a similarly excellent camera that won’t let you down.

The glass and metal body feels great to hold, and thanks to those materials, it feels substantial and weighty too. It is definitely on the larger side though, and so this definitely isn’t the phone for you if you want something smaller (check below for one of those). The 6.4-inch display has a 2400 x 1080 resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate, so it’ll feel smoother than a regular 60Hz display. The Pixel 6 Pro’s stutter is missing, which is good, and the fingerprint scanner is better too.

Google’s Tensor processor provides strong performance, and you’ll find a lot of strong A.I.-powered features, like Assistant Typing, as well as the newly upgraded Android 12, which brings the new Material You design to Android smartphones. It has 128GB of storage as standard, 5G connectivity, an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, and years of Android updates.

The real jewel in the crown, though, is the camera. Like the Pixel 6 Pro, the Pixel 6 uses Google’s excellent software to tune the pictures you take and turn them into something truly special. Night mode shots are excellent, and Google’s enhanced digital zoom is good too. It’s not good enough to fully replace the missing telephoto lens from the Pixel 6 Pro, but it certainly helps. It’s not the best camera phone around, but it is very good, and great if you’re looking for a great phone with a great camera for everyday snaps.

So you get all of these top features, but how much for? There’s the really good part — the Google Pixel 6 starts from just £529. That’s almost half the price of the iPhone 13 Pro, and with almost all of the same features, power, and photographic prowess.

Why you should buy this: Google’s approach to smartphones fits perfectly with a small, simple, and price-friendly phone.

Who it’s for: Those who are done stretching their hands (and pockets) to use huge modern smartphones.

Why we picked the Google Pixel 4a:

It’s near-impossible to find a truly small phone today, as phones at all price points just get bigger and bigger. But the Pixel 4a is properly small, one of the smallest phones you can get today, with a 5.8-inch display surrounded by small bezels.

Beyond just its size, the Pixel 4a has so much going for it. Google’s simple and helpful software runs very well on this lower-end hardware and doubles up on the value with strong battery life for the size of the phone. Yes, the screen is rather average, and the specs will feel a little tired in a couple of years, but that comes with the territory.

You also get Google’s legendary camera, even in this small and inexpensive device, with a 12MP sensor that can capture photos that rival phones that cost three times as much. There’s no secondary camera, and the selfie camera is just above average, but frankly, we’re just picking nits — this is the best camera in the price bracket.

Better yet, you get all of this for an incredible price: The Google Pixel 4a is just £374. So, not only will you stop stretching your hands, you won’t have to stretch your wallet to get it.

Why you should buy this: Folding phones are finally ready for the big time, and the Z Fold 3 is the biggest and the best folding phone around.

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants to sample the future, and wants a great smartphone to boot.

Why we picked the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3:

Love the idea of carrying a tablet around in your pocket? Have we got the phone for you. It has taken until the third generation of foldables for Samsung to really crack it, but it really got it right this time. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 isn’t just a great folding phone, it’s a great smartphone in its own right, and one we have no hesitation in recommending if you want a foldable phone.

Let’s cover the biggest reason you’ll want one first — the two screens. The outer display is a 6.2-inch AMOLED screen, and it’s very much like using and handling a normal phone, except for the additional thickness. But open it up and you’re treated to a massive 7.6-inch display that’s roughly the same size as that of a Kindle Paperwhite. It’s a veritable tablet screen hiding within your smartphone, and it’s really, really cool.

Really, if you’re looking for a big folding phone, this is about all you need to hear. But there is more. It’s now IPX8-rated for water resistance, so it can take a short dunking, and there’s an improved hinge system to stop dust and particles from causing damage to the mechanism. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 888, has 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage as standard. It’s a real powerhouse, and it wants you to use that extra screen real estate to get some serious work done. Or just watch cat videos and play Pokémon Unite, whatever you prefer.

Of course, the future doesn’t come cheap, and you’re looking at a major investment to get your hands on a Galaxy Z Fold 3. The starting price is £1,550. That’s three times the cost of a Pixel 6, just to give some more context. That’s a lot of money, but if your heart is set on getting a hold of the future, then it doesn’t come better than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3.

If you still haven’t found what you’re looking for, then we also have ideas about the best rugged phones, best phones for kids, and the best gaming phones.

A locked smartphone is tied to a specific carrier’s network. An unlocked smartphone can be used on any network. If you’ve paid in full for your phone, then it should be free to unlock.

While it is possible to get viruses on iPhones or Android phones, what most people mean when they say “virus” is malware. Technically, the term virus means software that infects a host, inserting itself into an existing program, and then spreads that infection by self-replicating. They are a very small percentage of malware and extremely rare on smartphones, but malware isn’t. You should definitely think about how to protect your smartphone from hackers because a little common sense can save you from having to work out how to remove malware from your phone.

The most obvious thing to do with your old smartphone is to pass it on to someone else. If you want to gift it, then make sure to wipe it first. You may also want to turn that old phone into cash, in which case you’ll want to read up on how to sell your smartphone. You may decide to keep it as a spare in case your new smartphone breaks, but you could also repurpose it with the right apps. It’s better to pass it on to someone who can use it or find another use for it than let it languish in a drawer. If you can’t think of a good way to reuse your smartphone then consider donating it or recycling it.

Realistically, you should expect to get two to three years out of your smartphone. You can extend the life of any smartphone by taking proper care of it and it’s always worth shopping for good protective cases. There are also loads of good waterproof phones to choose from nowadays. The problem with many Android phones is that the manufacturers and carriers are slow to push out software updates, so the software can become dated and even insecure over time.

Prepaid cell phones work just like any other phone, but they come without a monthly contract or long-term commitment. You usually pay for service in advance. When you buy a prepaid phone they tend to come with a fixed number of minutes, text messages, and possibly a fixed amount of mobile data. This removes the chance of any overage charges. When you run out, you simply top up by buying more minutes, texts, and data in blocks.

This is where things get personal. Picking a smartphone operating system is a huge deal. You’re buying into an entire ecosystem of apps and compatible products when you choose between Android and iOS.

Apple’s iOS is a beautiful, simple operating system and the App Store offers the best app selection imaginable. Each and every aspect of iOS is curated by Apple, and it shows. Android is more open and it has fewer rules, which means more customisation options, but it also means that manufacturers and app makers can willfully ignore Google’s Material design language and do whatever they want, sometimes rendering Android unrecognisable and cluttered. Android is gorgeous, as seen on Google’s Pixel 3 and 3 XL, but you don’t always see it like that.

Since Apple is the only company that makes iPhones, it also has complete control over software updates. As such, iPhone users always get the most recent and best iOS experience possible. Android users don’t have that luxury. Unless you own a Pixel device — and very few of Android users do — you may have to wait months to get software updates.

A phone is so much more than its spec sheet. Your entire life is stored on it, from your photos and contacts to your music and your favorite apps. For that reason, we take great care when we review phones to recommend only the absolute best out there.

We use each phone we review as our daily driver for an extended period to test out all the features. We do benchmarks, play games, take photos, plunge them in water, and use them until their batteries expire. Then we charge ’em up and do it all over again. We test devices like real people use devices. We’re not in some stuffy lab during obscure tests. We’re running around the cities we live in using these phones just like you use your phones. Then we think about each phone in comparison with its competitors to come to a decision: Should you buy this phone or something else? If the answer is “something else,” we tell you what to buy instead.

Smartphone innovation has peaked, and the number of radical new features that come out each year is shrinking. As such, when you’re buying a phone, you’re buying a device that will be with you 24/7 for several years. It’s a big choice, and things like apps, a product ecosystem, customer support, and security should be important factors in your buying decision.