It’s the season of giving – Christmas is right around the corner, and some keen gift-givers will be looking to buy someone a new smartphone to celebrate the holidays.
However, it can be hard to know which phone to buy for that lucky someone. A keen photographer might want better cameras than a devout mobile gamer, who in turn could need more processing power than a casual user. And that’s before you start factoring in things like price.
So, if you’re not sure which phone to give someone this Christmas, keep scrolling for my expert recommendations.
Christmas phone recommendations: My top pick for everyone
- Top pick: Google Pixel 10
- Value pick: Samsung Galaxy A56
If you’re getting a phone for someone who needs something to cover all bases, or you just aren’t quite sure of their specific mobile preferences, there are several good options to pick from.
The iPhone 17, Samsung Galaxy S25, and Google Pixel 10 all come in at around $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 and offer great performance, compact but sharp displays, and many years of software support. These are the jack-of-all-trades flagships from the Big Three of the smartphone scene, designed to appeal to as many users as possible.
Of these handsets, the Google Pixel 10 is the most focused on the user experience, with useful software and AI tools in abundance, and while it lacks a little in hardware power, it’s my top pick for everyday use.
However, if you’re looking for something a little less expensive, the mid-range Samsung Galaxy A56, Samsung Galaxy S25 FE, and Google Pixel 9a all offer an experience that comes close to flagship quality without breaking the bank.
For new phones cheaper than this, you’ll typically be making compromises to reach a lower price point, so I would recommend finding out a little more about how your intended recipient plans to use their phone before making a purchase. That’s also the case for the mid-range iPhone 16e, which costs about as much as the mid-range Android phones listed above, but offers less consistent hardware.
With that said, there are some great budget options on our list of the best cheap phones. And, of course, there’s no rule saying you need to buy a new phone – and in fact, you may find a better deal on a previous-generation flagship phone than a current-generation mid-range model.
For iPhones, we recommend getting the iPhone 14 or newer to ensure a decent timeframe for software support. Androids vary a bit more when it comes to long-term update support, but models from 2023 or newer (think the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Google Pixel 8) should be covered for a few more years.
Christmas phone recommendations: My top pick for teenagers
- Top pick: iPhone 16
- Value pick: Google Pixel 9a
Buying a phone for a teenager can be a daunting task – you’ll want to equip your kids with something useful and reliable without it being overwhelming or too difficult to replace, all while being something they’ll actually want to use.
The iPhone 16 is a pretty solid choice for all of these requirements this Christmas. As Apple’s previous generation standard flagship, its retail price has fallen to $699 / £699 / AU$1,249. It’s not the cheapest phone on the market, but with the A18 chipset, support for Apple Intelligence, and a 48MP main camera, it’ll feel fast for many years to come.
As a relatively new model, the iPhone 16 is a likely candidate for several years of software updates too, meaning it won’t need replacing for a good while yet. There’s also the cheaper iPhone 16e, which offers the essential iPhone experience for $599 / £599 / AU$999. And there’s always the option of older models, though we’d recommend getting an iPhone 14 or newer to ensure good long-term software support.
iPhones tend to be more popular with younger users, but Android handsets can offer great value for money and an equally capable experience. The Samsung Galaxy A56 is a reliable pick, and if you can get it, the OnePlus 13R offers great value for a mid-range price while still being sleek and stylish.
For those on a budget, the Google Pixel 9a is often on sale and offers the essential smartphone experience with a compact design and capable hardware spec.
Christmas phone recommendations: My top pick for parents
- Top pick: Samsung Galaxy A36
- Value pick: Samsung Galaxy A36
My pick for the best phone for parents this Christmas is the same one I was recommending over Black Friday – the Samsung Galaxy A36.
The Samsung Galaxy A36 has a big 6.7-inch display, a large 5,000mAh battery, three competent cameras, and internal hardware that’s solid enough for everyday needs and the odd bit of multitasking. Like all Samsung phones, the A36 also has plenty of options for display and audio settings, meaning your folks can tailor the experience to their liking.
It’s also a great value buy at $399 / £399 / AU$549, and is often on sale around holidays and shopping events. Both of my parents use the previous-generation Galaxy A35, which is near enough the same phone with slightly older hardware, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about it.
Of course, there are other options to equip your folks with a smartphone; like many phone users, some parents will want to stick with iPhone, so the iPhone 17, iPhone 16, iPhone 16e, or (if you can find it) iPhone 15 are definitely worth a look.
Christmas phone recommendations: My top pick for iPhone fans
- Top pick: iPhone 17 Pro
- Value pick: iPhone 16e
For Apple diehards, iPhone is the only way to go. While it’s unlikely that we’ll see any great iPhone deals on current-gen models this Christmas, there are still options to pick from if you’re looking to get someone an iPhone this year.
Those who just want the best of the best should look at the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, which come in at a hefty $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,999 and $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,199, respectively. These are the best iPhones ever made, with beautiful displays, the powerful A19 Pro chipset, larger batteries than previous models, and an improved triple 48MP camera system with a 4x zoom lens.
The standard iPhone 17 is also a great pick thanks to its dual 48MP rear cameras, 6.3-inch ProMotion display, A19 chipset, and 256GB of base storage. At $799 / £799 / AU$1,399, it isn’t cheap, but it still offers pretty good value for money thanks to its strong spec sheet.
I wouldn’t recommend getting the iPhone Air – the other new model for 2025 – for someone who hasn’t specifically asked for one. Apple’s first thin and light iPhone is a beautiful piece of tech, but its single camera and smaller battery are reasons to avoid it for many everyday users. I would say the same for the iPhone 16e, which offers Apple Intelligence but has an older design that might not appeal to some users, but the iPhone 16e comes in at a much cheaper price point.
Instead, if you’re looking for pure iPhone value, I’d recommend considering older models dating back to the iPhone 14 series, which still offer a great experience. Just keep in mind that, if your recipient is an AI fan, you’ll need to get the iPhone 15 Pro / iPhone 15 Pro Max or newer to get Apple Intelligence support.
Christmas phone recommendations: My top pick for Android fans
- Top pick: OnePlus 15
- Value pick: Nothing Phone 3a Pro
I’ll level with you: if you’re reading this from the US, I can’t guarantee that the OnePlus 15 will arrive in time for Christmas (it only recently went up for pre-order). But if your intended recipient is a true Android fan, they won’t mind waiting a few more weeks for a phone we described as “better than perfect” in our glowing five-star review.
The OnePlus 15 offers some of the best battery life our testers have ever recorded in a phone, and it’s also the first globally available device to ship with Qualcomm’s blisteringly fast Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. It’s a real looker, too.
For a slightly cheaper option, the excellent OnePlus 13 is still worth considering, and retailers will likely be offering that 2024 flagship (there was no OnePlus 14) for a lower-than-usual price this December.
Mind you, not everyone is familiar with OnePlus, so it might be worth looking at more mainstream options. For high-end users, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Google Pixel 10 Pro XL are as good as you can get, while the standard Samsung Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 10 are still competitive options compared to equivalently priced iPhones.
In the mid-range, the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE and Google Pixel 9a offer great value for money, while the Nothing Phone 3a Pro is perhaps the best-equipped cheap Android with its triple-camera system (though it does have a very quirky design). If you’re sticking to a budget, there are also some great Android options in our list of the best cheap phones.
Christmas phone recommendations: My top pick for photographers
- Top pick: iPhone 17 Pro Max
- Value pick: Samsung Galaxy S25 FE
The question of which phone you should get for photography lovers this Christmas once again depends on whether they’re an iPhone or Android user. In our opinion, the best camera phone of 2025 comes from Apple, but Android typically offers better value for money in the mid-range.
The best camera phone is currently the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which wins against the competition thanks to its three high-resolution cameras, 4x telephoto zoom lens, and great new Center Stage selfie camera. As for Android options, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra stands tall with its quad-camera system and 5x optical zoom, while the OnePlus 15 and Google Pixel 10 Pro both offer great triple-camera setups.
Though standard and older iPhones offer great cameras too, if you’re not going to go for the highest-end iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max, the chances are that Android phones will offer better camera performance for the money spent. The standard Samsung Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 10, for instance, both come with three great cameras.
In the mid-range, I like the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE with its high-res main sensor and 3x zoom lens, though perhaps the cheapest triple-camera phone you can find is the CMF Phone 2 Pro.
Camera performance is, unfortunately, one of the things that is most noticeably impacted by the low price tag of cheap phones. If you’re not looking to spend a lot, I’d actually recommend going with a refurbished flagship from BackMarket or another reputable second-hand marketplace rather than buying a budget phone for someone who loves mobile photography, as you’re likely to find a better camera on these second-hand units.
Christmas phone recommendations: My top pick for gamers
- Top pick: Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro
- Value pick: RedMagic 10 Air
If you’re looking to get a new phone for a dedicated mobile gamer this Christmas, you’ve got a few great options to pick from. The best gaming phones are always Android handsets, but iPhones have great access to console-quality titles.
When it comes to dedicated gaming phones, our premium pick is the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro, which is as close to a handheld game console as a phone can get, with blisteringly fast internal hardware and mappable shoulder buttons. On the other side of the coin, the RedMagic 10 Air impresses by offering true gaming phone features for a mid-range price.
If the gamer in your life is an iPhone fan, though, I’d suggest looking at the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 series, or iPhone 17 series, all of which sport very fast chipsets and access to a wide array of high-quality titles via the App Store.
Got any phone recommendations to add to my picks? Let me know in the comments section below.
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.
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FXMD5AyNhN9U4mSwHoyteG-2000-80.jpg
Source link
jamie.richards@futurenet.com (Jamie Richards)
