Best phones 2026 tested — our top picks.

Best Overall

1. Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max View at Amazon View at Amazon View at Amazon The best iPhone comes with the best performance as well. If you're after that best in class experience, look no farther than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which gets a physical makeover, upgraded telephoto camera, and obscenely long battery life.

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Galaxy S26 UltraBest Cameras

1. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra View at Amazon For camera versatility, the Galaxy S26 Ultra remains unbeaten with its quad rear sensors, while its new Privacy Display, updated AI features and longer-lasting battery make sure it delivers when you're not taking photos too.

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Google Pixel 10aBest Value

1. Google Pixel 10a View at Amazon View at Amazon View at Amazon View at Amazon With a Tensor G4 chip offering most — though not all — of the AI features found on the Pixel 10 flagships, the Pixel 10a is a great low-cost flagship alternative. And its cameras perform much better than the ones on many more expensive devices.

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John Velasco Meet the expert John Velasco Senior Editor I'm the senior editor for mobile at Tom's Guide, where I've been working since 2023. I've been covering mobile tech for 17 years in total, starting with old school feature phones and early smartphones powered by Palm OS and Windows Mobile. I'm a New Jersey native and keep up with the latest mobile tech.