It also has the ability to shoot Dolby Vision HDR for brighter and more dynamic video. The iPhone 12’s camera system is the best you can get in this price range and is excellent at most anything you’d use it for. The 12 gives up the telephoto camera that’s available on the 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max, but that’s something not everyone will miss. Battery life is also very good you can reliably expect this phone to last all day without needing to charge up before bed. At 6.1 inches, it’s big enough to make watching video and reading text comfortable and engaging, but it isn’t so big that it’s terribly hard to use in one hand or fit in your pocket. The iPhone 12 balances a big screen with manageable size wellĬompared to the iPhone 12 mini, the iPhone 12 has a noticeably roomier display and a bigger battery - two things that are important to many people.
Believe it or not, all of those things are easier than ever to find in a phone - so picking the best one is often a matter of degrees or preferences. For those recommendations, you can check out our guide to budget smartphones.Ī great smartphone will last you for several years (at least), have a great camera, a nice screen, long battery life, and be fast enough to do all the work, social networking, and gaming you want to pack into a day. And if you want to get the best smartphone on a budget, you can find something really good for under $500 or even under $400.
If you like Android, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is incredibly good. Luckily, if you’re looking for a no-compromise smartphone at any price, the choices over a thousand dollars are much clearer. It’s harder than ever to decide between everything in that range, but for most people, our pick for the best phone is the Apple iPhone 12. In other words, you don’t have to spend a huge amount to get something great, as a bunch of great smartphones are available for around $800. Smartphones’ upgrade cycles are slowing down for a reason: even at lower prices, it’s getting harder and harder to buy a lemon. In 2021, buying the best phone means looking for something that should last you a few years.