Which smartphone is best for everything? is updated by A perfect galaxy A perfect galaxy is a type of technology collecting all necessary data to analyze and select Cell Phones & Accessories products...
The best phones in 2021 are astonishingly good and will make your life better. They're your window on the world, your constant companion, the place you go to work, play and relax.
The best phones today are much more than phones. They're health trackers, fitness coaches, cutting-edge cameras, movie makers, friend finders and games consoles, and with the right apps they can do pretty much everything.
For most people, the most important device they own is their smartphone. So the T3 best phones guide has to cover all kinds of buyers and all kinds of phones, from budget bargains to fantastic flagships. No matter what you use your phone for or how much you want to spend, you'll find the best phones for any budget and any person here.
If you already prefer a specific phone platform, such as Android or iOS, we also have a dedicated guide to the best Android phones and one for the best iPhones.
See More : Best cheap phones 2021: the best cheap smartphones, ranked
Some of the best phones here are quite expensive, but that doesn't mean you need to spend a lot of money on your next phone. We've included some brilliant and affordable models in this guide, and if you'd like to explore even more options we've also curated a guide dedicated solely to the best cheap phones. We can also help if you're looking for a compact device rather than an enormo-screened obelisk: check out T3's best small phones feature to discover some killer compacts.
We've also created a comprehensive guide to the best gaming phones and a guide to the fastest 5G phones. And if you prefer your phone to come from a specific brand, make sure you check out T3's best Samsung phones and best Huawei phones guides.
We haven't included any foldable phones in our best phones guide. That isn't because they're bad phones, but we think they're aimed at a different market sector than more traditional models. That's why we've created a separate guide to the best foldable phones on the market from brands including Samsung, Huawei, Motorola and more.
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The best phones you can buy today
1. Apple iPhone 13
The best phone for most people
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
As night follow day, does Apple produce one great smartphone after the next. Indeed, the iPhone 13 takes smartphone refinement and quality to a whole new level and for most people it will be the ideal companion.
See More : Best phone 2021: the top 15 smartphones you can buy in the US right now
No single feature stands out on the iPhone 13, but that's really part of its attraction – it's a powerful all-rounder that just delivers a great experience across the board, from raw power thanks to the rapid A15 Bionic processor, to bright Super Retina XDR 6.1-inch screen, and low-latency 5G connectivity.
It's stylish and light, too, with the iPhone 13 weighing in at a very pocket and bag friendly 173 grams, while the five colorways the phone is available in (pink, blue, black, white and red) mean there's a phone for each taste.
- Read: Apple iPhone 13 review
Throw in a very capable camera system with a pair of 12MP wide-angle and ultra-wide angle lenses on the rear, as well as strong selfie camera on the front, and photography is handled easily, while 4K 60fps video recording is on tap, too.
Battery life is genuinely all-day, with 19 hours of video playback on offer (that's two hours more than iPhone 12 and three hours more than iPhone 11), and iOS remains the best in class software experience for accessibility and intuitiveness as well.
See More : 10 Most Secure Phones in 2021_
Roll all this together with a very approachable price point, both SIM free and on contract, and you've got the best phone for most people on the market today.
2. OnePlus 9 Pro
The best premium phone
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
OnePlus blew everyone away last year with its OnePlus 8 Pro handset, which cemented its position at the top table of phone makers. The one area where that phone didn't quite punch as hard as its rivals was camera system, though, so that is why this year's new OnePlus 9 Pro has doubled down on camera system. And the results are excellent.
The camera system on the OnePlus 9 Pro is co-designed with photography master Hasselblad, and offers noticeably better color accuracy and detailing that previous handsets, as well as a feature-packed shooting system (both images and video, with video up to 8K 30fps possible) that competes with the best phones on the market today.
Away from camera system, the OnePlus 9 Pro is very much an evolution of the outgoing OnePlus 8 Pro, coming with a similar design and iterative specs bump for this year. That is no bad thing, though, as this handset's design drips with premium and feels great in the hand.
- Read: OnePlus 9 Pro review
The phone is powered by the latest flagship Android system-on-chip, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, and comes in two main configs, one with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space, and the other offering 12GB / 256GB respectively. The model T3 tested was the latter, and it delivered excellent benchmark scores and real world speed and performance, too.
The OnePlus 9 Pro is also a leader when it comes round to charging tech, with the firm's 65 watt Warp Charge charging allowing the phone to be charged from 0-100 per cent in just 29 minutes.
Yes, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (see below) is our hyper premium smartphone choice, but for those who aren't fussed with super high level features like digital stylus support, and just want a premium smartphone that excels across the board, then the OnePlus 9 Pro is a great choice.
3. Apple iPhone SE (2020)
The best budget phone
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
It is fair to say that Apple's iPhone SE (2020) handset has taken this year by storm in terms of praise, with the hot new handset winning critics over worldwide with its brilliant balance of features, quality and performance for a very attractive price point. Retailing for under half what Apple's flagship phones do, this is easily the best budget handset we've ever seen from the American maker.
And, be under no illusion, this phone delivers. It's CPU, for example, is the exact same A13 Bionic chipset that sits in all of Apple's flagship phones, while it comes running Apple's iOS 13 operating system just like those phones do, too. It is in many respects a full fat new iPhone experience but for a shockingly low price point.
- Read: Apple iPhone SE review
Now, of course, you don't get all the bells and whistles that you do with a true flagship iPhone, and the camera, battery and display isn't quite as good as those on the iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro, but they all work and deliver strong results, so at the iPhone SE's bargain price we feel that is a very fair trade-off.
If you are an Android user and are looking for a great new budget phone then, sure, there are even cheaper Android options on the market, but if you sit on the iOS side of the ecosystem divide and want a brand new phone upgrade for cheap, then the iPhone SE is an absolutely not brainer purchase.
Want to learn more about the iPhone SE (2020) while also seeing how it compares to a premium Android smartphone? Then check out T3's OnePlus 8 Pro vs Apple iPhone SE (2020) comparison feature.
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4. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
The best hyper-premium smartphone on the market
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is not only the best phone Samsung has ever made, but it is one that makes history as it is the first S-series handset that comes with digital stylus support. Just like on the Galaxy Note series of phones, the S21 Ultra can now be used in conjunction with a digital stylus, even though the phone does not come with one and, also unlike the Note series, a stylus can't be stored in it.
Away from stylus functionality the phone is a 5-star beast in every single way, from its massive, premium display that delivers 6.8-inches of real estate with both a 120Hz refresh rate and WQHD+ resolution, to its 5nm system-on-chip in the form of the Exynos 2100 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, and right through to its RAM (max spec is 16GB) and large, long-lasting battery (5,000mAh).
- Read: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra review
The phone is also a titan in terms of photography, with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra coming with a super powerful quad rear camera system, as well as high-resolution (40MP) selfie camera. The main rear snapper on the S21 Ultra has a super advanced 108MP sensor which allows for insanely high-resolution shots.
There's an absolute bounty of shooting modes, too, including a fully manual Pro mode as well as Panorama, AR Doodle, Food, Night, and Portrait among others. While Samsung's excellent Single Take mode means that you can utilise the phone's strong AI to capture multiple pictures of a single event, ensuring you don't miss the perfect shot.
The camera goodness continues, too, in terms of the S21 Ultra's telephoto zoom functionality, which allows for up to a remarkable 100x Space Zoom.
Throw in the very latest Android 11 operating system, as well as bevy of advanced features like the laptop-aping DeX Mode and reverse wireless charging, and you're left with a phone that really has no weaknesses at all. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra costs, but it is absolutely worth the investment if you are looking for a premium phone upgrade.
To see how this handset stacks up against our best phone for most people, the iPhone 12, check out T3's Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 12 comparison feature. And to see what marks it out from the standard S21, take a look at our Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra piece.
Potential buyers of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra will also be pleased to hear that the phone has won the coveted Best Phone award at the T3 Awards 2021.
5. OnePlus Nord 2
The best mid-range phone of 2021
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Competing against some of the big players on this list with great specs and a much more convincing price tag, the OnePlus Nord 2 rules the mid-range market.
Firstly, this phone looks like it costs twice as much as it actually does, with a classy glass back and a beautiful 6.43-inch edge-to-edge display. The screen has a 90Hz refresh rate, so although not the 120Hz of the most expensive flagships, it’s still incredibly smooth. You’ll get a great experience from it whether you’re online shopping or playing mobile games.
That’s helped by the impressive performance provided by the exclusive MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI CPU, it delivers speeds that improves on the original Nord and matches up to slightly older flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. What that means is that OnePlus Nord 2 will cope with just about any task you could throw at it, and the large battery means you won’t have to charge it throughout the day.
While it may not have some extra features like waterproofing and wireless charging, it does have plenty going for it, scoring well in all the key areas.
If you’re looking to spend a little less than this, consider the original OnePlus Nord. It won Best Value Phone at the T3 Awards 2021, there will be some great deals on it now there's a new kid on the block.
6. Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
The best premium phone for photography
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Xiaomi is going up against the premium smartphone players with the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra. At first glance, it looks like any other flagship with a large glossy display with a tiny hole punch camera on the front. But turn it around and you'll see something completely different - the phone has a large camera module with a 1.1inch AMOLED display integrated into it. You can use it as an always-on display, notification window or to quickly skip through music.
One of the best uses for the tiny screen is as a selfie preview window. Gone are the days of losing out on quality using a front camera, now you can make use of all of the benefits of the main camera system and be sure that everyone has made it into the shot. Not only will you capture better selfies, but its point-and-shoot capabilities are excellent too.
Two screens and a superb camera system aren't the only benefits of this phone, it's also one of the most powerful handsets you can buy. It handles everything from photo-editing to mobile gaming with ease - it boasted even more impressive performance than the winners on this list.
Granted, this handset is hyper-premium which is sure to be off-putting for a lot of people. Because of that, it won't be the best phone for most people. But if you are big on photography and want a speedy smartphone, then this one offers something just a little bit different to all the rest.
7. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G
The best phone with digital stylus functionality
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Despite the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra getting digital stylus support, the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G remains our top choice of handset if you want stylus functionality. This is primarily because, one, the phone comes with a stylus, and two because that stylus can be stored and charged within the device. The S21 Ultra offers neither of these things, requiring extra spend for a stylus, and no way to dock the stylus inside the phone.
There's also a lot to like about the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G, and if you can manage the cost, it's undoubtedly one of the best Android experiences going right now. It features a brilliant design, a more than capable camera, and internal specs that mean it will outpace almost every phone on the market.
The biggest reason for buying the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G, though, is of course that S Pen – scribble on the lock screen, control the camera remotely, unleash your creative side, and more. If you need a phone with a stylus for serious work on the go, this phone has you covered.
- Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G review
5G is on board, as the name of the phone suggests, which means you're covered for years when it comes to next-gen connectivity – and considering you've got the Exynos 990 or Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset (depending on region) running everything, this isn't a phone that'll be slowing down anytime soon.
As we've said, the price is a little on the eye-watering side, but for something you're going to use every day for years to come, you might consider it worthwhile. The triple-lens rear camera with 5x optical zoom deserves a mention too, as it's capable of capturing some fantastic snaps in any kind of lighting.