We’ve 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?
I’ve covered this very subject in a dedicated YouTube video, which you’ll find below, but if you’d rather read my words rather than listen to them (I’ve heard that before), scroll down for my roundup of the best phones you can buy right now.
A quick disclaimer: I’ve only included phones available for purchase in at least one of TechRadar’s 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.
iPhone 17 Pro
Let’s kick off with a phone you’ve all seen and heard about already: the iPhone 17 Pro.
I tested the regular Pro model, but everything I’m 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 we’ve 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 isn’t made by Google or Qualcomm. But Apple’s A19 Pro chipset is just as powerful as the competition’s (in some cases, it’s more powerful), and at this price range, it’s hard to separate phones by performance alone.
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 don’t like the look of Liquid Glass, it features some genuinely life-improving tools like Call Screening and Adaptive Power Mode.
Apple’s 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, we’re still waiting for Siri 2.0, so if you’re looking for a true AI companion, you’re better off choosing a model from Samsung or Google (we are, however, expecting to hear more about Apple’s future AI plans at WWDC 2026 on June 8).
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The iPhone 17 Pro’s cameras, meanwhile, are among the best of any phone we’ve 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 it’s also among the best phones for portrait photography, high-res video recording, and selfies.
What’s 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 Apple’s Center Stage camera is the real deal.
There’s 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 you’re already embedded in the Apple ecosystem, it’s the obvious flagship choice.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
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, it’s got more than all-day battery life, so in terms of performance and endurance, it’s 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?
There’s 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 Samsung’s 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 Ultra’s 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).
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The S26 Ultra is as versatile as camera phones get, but it’s 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 you’ve got two telephoto cameras to pick from here, which can’t be said for a lot of phones on this list.
Samsung’s AI features like Audio Eraser and Object Eraser are also industry-leading, so there’s plenty of scope for tidying up your photos and videos once you’ve shot them.
What you don’t get with the Ultra is any form of magnetic charging, but if you’re not easily overwhelmed by having hundreds of settings and features at your disposal, then Samsung’s latest flagship is an absolute beast of a phone.
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
Of all the phones on this list, the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL is the one that will likely get replaced soonest, but there’s still a good few months to go until the Pixel 11 line is unveiled (we’re anticipating an August launch). That means, if you’re into Pixels or you want to try out Google’s 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 you’ll find on any phone, because, well, Android is owned and developed by Google. There’s no bloatware or unnecessary apps, and the Pixel 10 Pro XL gets the latest and greatest AI features straight from Google’s production line.
With genuinely useful features like Call Screen, Magic Eraser, and Photo Unblur, this feels like a phone that’s at the cutting edge of smartphone software, and its built-in Gemini assistant is leagues ahead of Apple’s Siri and Samsung’s Bixby.
Now, the Pixel 10 Pro XL isn’t the performance powerhouse that both the iPhone 17 Pro and Galaxy S26 Ultra are, so this isn’t the phone to buy if you’re planning on loads of 4K video editing or super high-end mobile gaming.
Having said that, Google’s Tensor G5 chipset is absolutely powerful enough for most people, and you won’t have any problems streaming, scrolling, and gaming on most titles.
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As for cameras, the 10 Pro XL’s 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 phone’s 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 it’s not a heavy lifter in the same way that other flagships on this list most definitely are.
OnePlus 15
The OnePlus 15 is the jack-of-all-trades pick among the best flagship phones. It’s not full of flashy AI features, and it doesn’t 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 phone’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset can tackle whatever you throw its way, and it’s paired with an almighty 7,300mAh battery, which is the biggest and longest-lasting of any phone we’ve 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 you’re in the US), and OnePlus will actually include a charger in the box, which is definitely a luxury these days.
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On cameras, the OnePlus 15 gets a trio of 50MP snappers, all of which deliver detailed and well-balanced photos. It’s 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 isn’t 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 you’ll ever be able to buy.
Oppo Find X9 Ultra
The Oppo Find X9 Ultra isn’t officially available in the US, but if you’re living in Europe, it’s probably the best camera phone on the market.
I won’t spend too much time on the Ultra’s other specs, as it really is a device that’s 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, you’ll 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 it’s 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.
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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 phone’s Hasselblad Master mode, which is not something you’ll 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 it’s worth considering if you’re serious about cameras.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra
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 aren’t 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 don’t be fooled by the Xiaomi phone’s smaller number of cameras compared to its compatriot.
I say that because this phone’s 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.
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Xiaomi’s partnership with Leica means colors captured with the 17 Ultra are vivid without looking cartoonish, skin tones are well reproduced, and there’s minimal noise even in low-light scenarios.
The 17 Ultra isn’t 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 phone’s 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!
Honor Magic 8 Pro
Lastly, we have the Honor Magic 8 Pro, which rounds out our trio of Chinese phone picks that, unfortunately, aren’t available in the US.
Honor’s latest flagship doesn’t 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.
There’s 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. There’s a dedicated AI Button, but it’s essentially a dupe of Apple’s 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.
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And a quick word on the phone’s 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 Pro’s 3.7x optical capabilities.
So the Honor Magic 8 Pro is a strong Android contender that performs well in most areas, though it’s not as specialized as some of the other phones on this list.
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, you’ll 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 you’re most excited to see released in the coming months.
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axel.metz@futurenet.com (Axel Metz)
