I tested 7 top flagship phones from Apple, Samsung, Google, and more here's which models I recommend for every type of user

Date:
Tue, 02 Jun 2026 16:00:00 +0000

Description:
All of the biggest tech brands have released their flagship phones for the 2025/26 season here are our favorites for every type of user.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Weve finally reached that point in the year where all of the biggest tech brands have released their flagship phones for the 2025/26 season, so what better time to take stock of the landscape and highlight our favorite models from the past few months?

Ive covered this very subject in a dedicated YouTube video, which youll find below, but if youd rather read my words rather than listen to them (Ive heard that before), scroll down for my roundup of the best phones you can buy right now. A quick disclaimer: Ive only included phones available for purchase in
at least one of TechRadars core reader regions namely the US, UK, and Australia so China-only models like the Vivo X300 Ultra and Honor Magic 8
Pro Air are excluded, despite being great products in their own right. Latest Videos From Watch full video here: You may like The best Android phones 2025 The best cheap phones 2026 The best phone 2026: top smartphones to buy right now The best flagship phones 2026 to buy right now - YouTube Watch On iPhone 17 Pro (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) Lets kick off with a phone
youve all seen and heard about already: the iPhone 17 Pro .

I tested the regular Pro model, but everything Im about to say also applies
to the larger iPhone 17 Pro Max (though with that phone, you do get a larger screen, a slightly bigger battery, and up to 2TB of internal storage, which is, quite frankly, ridiculous).

On the design front, the iPhone 17 Pro boasts a stunning Super XDR OLED display, an aluminum chassis, a dedicated Camera Control button, and all of the usual bells and whistles that weve come to expect from Apple 's best iPhones .

This is the only non-Android phone on my list, and the only device to use a chipset that isnt made by Google or Qualcomm. But Apples A19 Pro chipset is just as powerful as the competition's (in some cases, its more powerful), and in this price range, its hard to separate phones by performance alone. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Apple has paired that chipset with 12GB of RAM and a dedicated vapor cooling chamber, meaning the iPhone 17 Pro can handle 4K video editing and triple-A games with ease.

One area where we *can* separate the iPhone 17 Pro from the Android crowd is software for good and bad reasons.

iOS 26 is probably the easiest OS package to master, and even if you dont
like the look of Liquid Glass, it features some genuinely life-improving
tools like Call Screening and Adaptive Power Mode. What to read next The best Samsung phones 2026 The best camera phone 2026 Phone reviews roundup the
best new handsets to buy in May

Apples AI features, though, leave a lot to be desired, especially when it comes to things like image editing and voice assistance. At the time of writing, were still waiting for Siri 2.0, so if youre looking for a true AI companion, youre better off choosing a model from Samsung or Google (we are, however, expecting to hear more about Apples future AI plans at WWDC 2026 on June 8). Image 1 of 11 (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) The iPhone 17 Pros cameras, meanwhile, are among the best of any phone weve tested. Our favorite of its three lenses is the 4x telephoto, which also offers access to an impressive 8x zoom by way of a sensor crop. At those shorter zoom lengths, the iPhone 17 Pro is ridiculously good, and its also among the best phones
for portrait photography, high-res video recording, and selfies.

Whats more, the iPhone is the only phone on this list to have a front-facing camera that uses subject tracking to automatically keep you in the frame
*and* that lets you switch between portrait and landscape modes. It sounds like a fad, but Apples Center Stage camera is the real deal.

Theres also a nice Dual Capture mode on the iPhone 17 Pro, which lets you record from the front and rear cameras at the same time, so this is
definitely the best phone for content creators (its ProRes and ProRes RAW support is a boon for videographers, too).

All told, then, this is the most technologically advanced iPhone Apple has ever made, and if youre already embedded in the Apple ecosystem, its the obvious flagship choice. Price comparison: Find the best deal for your next phone Contract Deals Sim Free Recommended Data (high to low) Data (low to high) Monthly cost (high to low) Monthly cost (low to high) Price (high to low) Price (low to high) Contract Deals Sim Free See all prices (31741 found) Filter Recommended Data (high to low) Data (low to high) Monthly cost (high
to low) Monthly cost (low to high) Price (high to low) Price (low to high) Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB HDR) 36 months data 1GB 50 upfront Monthly 54.75 /mth 50 upfront 54.75 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB HDR) 36 months data 1GB 50 upfront Monthly 55.75 /mth 50 upfront 55.75 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB HDR) 36 months data 5GB 50 upfront Monthly 57.75 /mth 50 upfront 57.75 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd Show more Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) Of all the phones on my list, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra offers the most
unique features, with special tools for photographers, artists and even
those who just like to scroll through TikTok.

Yes, the Ultra uses the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, and yes, its got more than all-day battery life, so in terms of performance and endurance, its right up there with the best phones around. But where else can you get a built-in stylus for note-taking and precise video editing? Or a Privacy Display that stops prying eyes from viewing content on your screen?

Theres Super Steady Horizontal Lock for stabilizing videos even when you turn the phone a full 360 degrees, and DeX for transforming your mobile interface into a desktop PC .

The Galaxy S26 Ultra offers something special for every type of user, and although Samsungs OneUI software can be convoluted at times, this is a phone that rewards exploration and those willing to dig through its many customization options.

And, of course, being a flagship Samsung phone, the Ultras cameras are some
of the best around (which, to be honest, is true of every phone on this list, so apologies in advance for the continued repetition). Image 1 of 13 (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) The S26 Ultra is as versatile as camera
phones get, but its especially good at night photography and zoom
photography.

The 200MP main camera picks up so much color and detail that pictures are never grainy, even in low light, and youve got two telephoto cameras to pick from here, which cant be said for a lot of phones on this list.

Samsungs AI features like Audio Eraser and Object Eraser are also industry-leading, so theres plenty of scope for tidying up your photos and videos once youve shot them.

What you dont get with the Ultra is any form of magnetic charging, but if youre not easily overwhelmed by having hundreds of settings and features at your disposal, then Samsungs latest flagship is an absolute beast of a phone. Price comparison: Find the best deal for your next phone Contract Deals Sim Free Recommended Data (high to low) Data (low to high) Monthly cost (high to low) Monthly cost (low to high) Price (high to low) Price (low to high) Contract Deals Sim Free See all prices (17589 found) Filter Recommended Data (high to low) Data (low to high) Monthly cost (high to low) Monthly cost (low to high) Price (high to low) Price (low to high) Samsung Galaxy Buds 4
(White) Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (256GB LED) 36 months data 1GB 50 upfront Monthly 41 /mth 50 upfront 41 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 (White) Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (256GB LED) 36 months data 1GB 50 upfront Monthly 42 /mth 50 upfront 42 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 (White) Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (256GB Black) 36 months data 30GB 50 upfront Monthly 46 /mth 50 upfront 46 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd Show more Google
Pixel 10 Pro XL (Image credit: Peter Hoffmann) Of all the phones on this
list, the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL is the one that will likely get replaced soonest, but theres still a good few months to go until the Pixel 11 line is unveiled (were anticipating an August launch). That means, if youre into Pixels or you want to try out Googles hardware for the first time, the Pixel 10 Pro XL is the best option available now.

So, what do you need to know about Pixel phones? First, they run the cleanest version of Android youll find on any phone, because, well, Android is owned and developed by Google. Theres no bloatware or unnecessary apps, and the Pixel 10 Pro XL gets the latest and greatest AI features straight from
Googles production line.

With genuinely useful features like Call Screen, Magic Eraser, and Photo Unblur, this feels like a phone thats at the cutting edge of smartphone software, and its built-in Gemini assistant is leagues ahead of Apples Siri and Samsungs Bixby.

Now, the Pixel 10 Pro XL isnt the performance powerhouse that both the iPhone 17 Pro and Galaxy S26 Ultra are, so this isnt the phone to buy if youre planning on loads of 4K video editing or super high-end mobile gaming.

Having said that, Googles Tensor G5 chipset is absolutely powerful enough for most people, and you wont have any problems streaming, scrolling, and gaming on most titles. Image 1 of 10 (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future) (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) As for cameras, the 10 Pro XLs lenses are supremely versatile, even when not used in combination
with those aforementioned AI editing features. They deliver accurate colors and plenty of detail at every focal range, and you can get some really great zoom shots with the phones 48MP telephoto lens at 5x optical zoom.

In other words, the Pixel 10 Pro XL is a clean, easy-to-use Android phone
with the best software around, but its not a heavy lifter in the same way
that other flagships on this list most definitely are. Price comparison: Find the best deal for your next phone Contract Deals Sim Free Recommended Data (high to low) Data (low to high) Monthly cost (high to low) Monthly cost (low to high) Price (high to low) Price (low to high) Contract Deals Sim Free See all prices (6066 found) Filter Recommended Data (high to low) Data (low to high) Monthly cost (high to low) Monthly cost (low to high) Price (high to low) Price (low to high) Google Pixel 10 Pro XL (256GB White) 36 months data 1GB 50 upfront Monthly 35 /mth 50 upfront 35 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd Google Pixel 10 Pro XL (256GB Grey) 36 months data 1GB 50 upfront Monthly 36 /mth 50 upfront 36 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd Google Pixel 10 Pro XL (512GB Black) 36 months data 1GB 50 upfront Monthly 40.78 /mth 50 upfront 40.78 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd Show more OnePlus 15 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future) The OnePlus 15 is the jack-of-all-trades pick among the best flagship phones. Its not full of flashy AI features, and it doesnt look particularly unique, but this phone delivers in pretty much every other way you could hope for.

Its display, for instance, is as bright and colorful as the rest, but a refresh rate of up to 165Hz makes the OnePlus 15 extra suited to high-end gaming.

Under the hood, the phones Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset can tackle whatever you throw its way, and its paired with an almighty 7,300mAh battery, which is the biggest and longest-lasting of any phone weve ever tested.

Honestly, this thing lasts for days (and days, and days), with our reviewer managing to eke out almost three days of use from the OnePlus 15 on a single charge. It can also charge at up to 100W (or 80W if youre in the US), and OnePlus will actually include a charger in the box, which is definitely a luxury these days. Image 1 of 6 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future) (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future) (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future) (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future) (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future) (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future) On cameras, the OnePlus 15 gets a trio of 50MP snappers, all of which deliver detailed and well-balanced photos. Its not quite as impressive a camera phone as some of the other phones on this list, but the OnePlus 15 is particularly good as an action camera for fast-moving subjects.

As for downsides, there are no built-in magnets, and OnePlus software isnt quite as feature-packed as other OS packages. But as an overall offering, the OnePlus 15 is probably the best-value flagship money can buy.

Rumors are also swirling that OnePlus is winding down operations outside of Asia , so this might also be the last OnePlus flagship phone youll ever be able to buy. Today's best OnePlus 15 deals 849 819 View 849 View 979 855.73 View Show more We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Oppo Find X9 Ultra (Image credit: Future) The Oppo Find X9 Ultra isnt officially available in the US, but if youre living in Europe, its probably the best camera phone on the market.

I wont spend too much time on the Ultras other specs, as it really is a
device thats all about photography, but like the OnePlus 15, it boasts a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, a gorgeous 6.8-inch display, and a long-lasting silicon-carbon battery.

On the back, youll find four high-res cameras: a 200MP main lens, a 50MP ultra-wide lens, a 200MP 3x telephoto lens, and a second 50MP 10x lens. The last of that quartet is the most exciting, as its almost like having a built-in external teleconverter for the Find X9 Ultra, though Oppo does actually sell a 300mm teleconverter lens for the phone, should you want to extend its zoom capabilities even further. Image 1 of 10 (Image credit:
Future / Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman) Regardless of
which lens you use, you can expect exceptional detail and clarity from the Find X9 Ultra in all lighting conditions

Its default image processing gives you vibrant and contrasty images, but if you want photos that look more like they were shot with a DSLR, you can
switch to the phones Hasselblad Master mode, which is not something youll
find elsewhere.

Oppo even throws in a 50MP selfie camera for good measure, so the Find X9 Ultra really is at the top of the pile when it comes to smartphone photography.

Is it heavy? Yes. Is it expensive? Yes. But this phone wears its USP on its sleeve, and its worth considering if youre serious about cameras. Price comparison: Find the best deal for your next phone Contract Deals Sim Free Recommended Data (high to low) Data (low to high) Monthly cost (high to low) Monthly cost (low to high) Price (high to low) Price (low to high) Contract Deals Sim Free See all prices (106 found) Filter Recommended Data (high to low) Data (low to high) Monthly cost (high to low) Monthly cost (low to high) Price (high to low) Price (low to high) gift Oppo Find X9 Ultra (512GB) 24 months data 25GB 39 upfront Monthly 44.99 /mth 39 upfront 44.99 /mth View at Mobiles.co.uk gift Oppo Find X9 Ultra (512GB Orange) 24 months data 200GB 40 upfront Monthly 54 /mth 40 upfront 54 /mth View at Mobiles.co.uk gift Oppo Find X9 Ultra (512GB Orange) 24 months data 100GB 59 upfront Monthly 44.99 /mth 59 upfront 44.99 /mth View at Mobiles.co.uk Show more Xiaomi 17 Ultra (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) Like the Oppo Find X9 Ultra, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is another photography-focused smartphone from China. It too is available in Europe, though US buyers arent so lucky once again.

The 17 Ultra rivals the Oppo Find X9 Ultra with a 50MP 1-inch main lens, a 50MP ultra-wide lens, and a single 200MP telephoto lens but dont be fooled
by the Xiaomi phones smaller number of cameras compared to its compatriot.

I say that because this phones 200MP telephoto lens features a mechanical optical zoom, giving you a continuous optical zoom range of between 3.2x and 4.3x. The 17 Ultra will also maintain optical-quality zoom up to 17.2x, so this really is another champion when it comes to zoom photography. Image 1 of 11 (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) (Image credit: Future
| Alex Walker-Todd) (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd) Xiaomis partnership with Leica means colors captured with the 17 Ultra are vivid without looking cartoonish, skin tones are well reproduced, and theres minimal noise even in low-light scenarios.

The 17 Ultra isnt quite so adept at video as the iPhone 17 Pro or Oppo Find
X9 Ultra, but only when it comes to very specific features like lens
switching in 4K and using that mechanical zoom lens for specific frame rates and video codecs.

As for the phones non-camera specs, the 17 Ultra sports a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, a 6.9-inch OLED display, and a 6,000mAh silicon-carbon
battery.

In our testing, we managed to use the phone for two days on a single charge, which is in line with most other models on this list, save for the stupidly long-lasting OnePlus 15.

All told, then, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is another extremely impressive phone for a very specific type of user. But hey, that might be you! Today's best Xiaomi 17 Ultra deals 1,299 1,199 View 1,299 1,199 View 1,299 View Show more We
check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Honor Magic 8 Pro (Image credit: Future) Lastly, we have the Honor Magic 8 Pro , which rounds out our trio of Chinese phone picks that, unfortunately, arent available in the US.

Honors latest flagship doesnt put quite so much emphasis on crazy camera hardware as the Xiaomi or Oppo, and should instead be thought of as a great all-rounder like the OnePlus 15.

Theres the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset for lightning-fast performance, the long-lasting 6,270mAh battery in regions outside of China, and the 6.7-inch OLED display that makes the health of your eyes a priority.

On that last point, the Magic 8 Pro features high-frequency PWM dimming for reduced eye strain, and can intelligently adjust the color temperature of its display according to your local sunrise and sunset times. These features
might sound gimmicky, but they make an already good-looking display even more enjoyable to use, and you might feel a bit less guilty about scrolling for hours on the Magic 8 Pro.

The phone is also awash with AI features, though they vary wildly in quality. Theres a dedicated AI Button, but its essentially a dupe of Apples Camera Control button, and while the AI Photos Agent lets you upscale images and remove reflections with ease, the AI Settings Agent and AI Memories apps are pretty much useless by comparison.

Still, these tools are there to be used, or not used, so you can still enjoy the best bits of the Magic 8 Pro without engaging in its hit-and-miss software. Image 1 of 3 (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) And a quick word on the phones cameras: its three rear lenses deliver plenty of color and detail, particularly in nighttime environments, though Honor is guilty of some rather aggressive AI processing if you zoom in much further than the Magic 8 Pros 3.7x optical capabilities.

So the Honor Magic 8 Pro is a strong Android contender that performs well in most areas, though its not as specialized as some of the other phones on this list. Price comparison: Find the best deal for your next phone Contract Deals Sim Free Recommended Data (high to low) Data (low to high) Monthly cost (high to low) Monthly cost (low to high) Price (high to low) Price (low to high) Contract Deals Sim Free See all prices (81 found) Filter Recommended Data (high to low) Data (low to high) Monthly cost (high to low) Monthly cost (low to high) Price (high to low) Price (low to high) gift Honor Magic 8 Pro
(512GB Black) 24 months data 100GB 9 upfront Monthly 34.99 /mth 9 upfront 34.99 /mth View at Mobiles.co.uk Honor Magic 8 Pro (512GB Black) 24 months data 100GB 19 upfront Monthly 40 /mth 19 upfront 40 /mth View at Carphone Warehouse Honor Magic 8 Pro (512GB Black) 36 months data 5GB 30 upfront Monthly 53.72 /mth 30 upfront 53.72 /mth View at O2 Mobiles Show more And there you have it: my roundup of the best flagship phones you can buy in
2026. Every model has its own strengths and weaknesses, but rest assured
that, whichever you choose, youll be getting a powerful, long-lasting, and versatile phone for your money.

Which model is your favorite? Let me know via the poll below, or feel free to vote with your keyboard in the comments. Please also tell me which phones youre most excited to see released in the coming months. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.



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