The release of the new iPhones in September was a highlight in the smartphone market this year. Similarly, companies like Samsung, Sony, Motorola and Xiaomi also showcased interesting devices. Read our overview to find out which phones received the best ratings from us and which devices are worth taking a closer look at.
Florian Schmitt, 👁 Florian Schmitt (translated by Zhiwei Zhuang), Published 🇩🇪
The new Apple iPhones were unveiled on 12 September, and we have taken a comprehensive look at three of the four models. The iPhone 15 Pro Max (starting at €1,449 on Amazon, or US$1,200 with plan in the US) sits at the top of the best smartphone releases in the past three months. The phone is a great upgrade over its predecessor, offering a chassis with titanium finish, an even faster and more power-efficient processor as well as a 5x zoom camera that takes superb pictures.
The iPhone 15 Pro (starting at €1,199 on Amazon, or US$1,000 with plan) is next on the list with a slightly lower score. Despite having a shorter zoom and a marginally more compact body, it is just as premium and speedy as its bigger sibling.
Coming in at third place is the non-Pro iPhone 15 (starting at €949 on Amazon, or US$830 with plan). This model comes with the likewise very fast Apple A16 SoC as well as some meaningful upgrades, including a USB-C port and a telephoto lens (though it only offers 2x optical zoom).
We gave the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 (starting €1,399 on Amazon, or US$1,500) a “Very Good” rating. The foldable phone features pen input, an excellent OLED display and long update support and wowed us with its high-quality chassis. However, considering the rapid pace at which foldable devices are evolving, Samsung needs to strive to deliver slightly more improvements in the next generation.
The Sony Xperia 5 V (starting at €980 on Amazon, or US$850) likewise earned our Top Rated Award. It is after all extremely premium, lightweight and compact. The phone also has a fantastic camera that stands out with its rich feature set, especially for professional users. That said, Sony needs to keep the thick bezel in check so as not to get left behind.
The Nubia RedMagic 8S Pro (starting at €939 on Amazon, or US$899) similarly received a top rating from us. This gaming phone has a built-in fan that allows it to deliver high and consistent performance. True to its gaming nature, the RedMagic 8S Pro is equipped with a highly responsive screen and shoulder buttons.
Last but not least, the Xiaomi 13T Pro (starting at €692 on Amazon, or US$760) has earned a spot amongst the best smartphones released in the past months. This is because the Xiaomi boasts an excellent camera system, lightning-fast charging, a bright OLED display and long battery life.
The Motorola Edge 40 Neo received our Editor’s Choice Award. Over the past few months, we kept thinking about this phone, particularly because it offers great specs whilst costing only about €400 (may sometimes even go for less at some retailers).
The Edge 40 Neo truly shines when compared with other devices in this price range: the 144Hz screen can get very bright and also supports HDR, and the modern SoC offers heaps of performance and lets you game at 60 FPS. The phone is also kitted out with a huge amount of fast storage, a water-resistant chassis and a snappy Wi-Fi solution with 6GHz support.
Overall, the device represents tremendous value for money.
Another recent release that impressed us is the Honor 90 5G, which currently can be had for around €400 (US$498). This upper mid-range phone stands out with its slim design, large and bright AMOLED display and exceptional main shooter. In particular, this camera captures sharp images and performs very well in challenging lighting conditions.
Though the SoC could be somewhat faster for the price and the phone lacks stereo speakers and wireless charging, the 512 GB of storage in particular is able to make up for some of the shortcomings in the specs department.
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| 78.5 % | Realme C55 Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2 |
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84.7 % | 6.72″ | 7.9 mm | 88.9 % | 189.5 g | 86.9 % | IPS | 2400×1080 | 392 PPI | 20:9 | 87 % | 469 cd/m² | 3.46 | 090 Hz | 57.2 % | 44.15 | 14.43 | 64 % | 15.9 % | 1405 | 5.4 | 30 | 91.1 % | 975 min | 87.1 % | 24.1 °C | 47.2 °C | 68.6 % | 80.6 dB | 88.9 % | 46.1 % | |
| 79 % | Xiaomi Redmi 12 Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2 |
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84.7 % | 6.79″ | 8.2 mm | 88.1 % | 198.5 g | 87.6 % | IPS | 2460×1080 | 396 PPI | 20:9 | 85 % | 437 cd/m² | 2.29 | 090 Hz | 63 % | 45.64 | 7.46 | 61.9 % | 15.5 % | 1334 | 4.7 | 29 | 90.2 % | 803 min | 88.5 % | 24.8 °C | 44 °C | 74 % | 79.4 dB | 88.3 % | 48.4 % | |
| 80.4 % | Xiaomi Redmi Note 12S Helio G96, Mali-G57 MP2 |
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81.4 % | 6.43″ | 8.1 mm | 90.1 % | 176 g | 92 % | AMOLED | 2400×1080 | 409 PPI | 20:9 | 86 % | 631 cd/m² | 1.15 | 090 Hz | 59.6 % | 44.1 | 8.8 | 69.4 % | 24.1 % | 2400 | 8.3 | 30 | 90.7 % | 953 min | 89.3 % | 26 °C | 42.2 °C | 64 % | 81.3 dB | 90 % | 46.4 % | |
| 78.3 % | Nokia G42 SD 480+, Adreno 619 |
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82.7 % | 6.56″ | 8.6 mm | 88.5 % | 194 g | 82.2 % | IPS | 1612×720 | 269 PPI | 20:9 | 83 % | 452 cd/m² | 6.09 | 090 Hz | 59 % | 37.2 | 5.88 | 64 % | 20 % | 2605 | 19 | 30 | 90.8 % | 933 min | 89.6 % | 24.5 °C | 43.1 °C | 66 % | 78.5 dB | 88.9 % | 48.2 % | |
| 84.7 % | Google Pixel Fold Tensor G2, Mali-G710 MP7 |
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83 % | 7.60″ | 6.05 mm | 86.7 % | 283 g | 82.5 % | OLED | 2208×1840 | 378 PPI | 6:5 | 83 % | 997 cd/m² | 1.4 | 120 Hz | 77.8 % | 24.17 | 4.55 | 82.7 % | 50.1 % | 8459 | 28 | 58 | 89.3 % | 651 min | 85.8 % | 33.1 °C | 46.5 °C | 81.8 % | 82.5 dB | 91.1 % | 57.3 % | |
| 86.9 % | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 5G SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740 |
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89.6 % | 6.70″ | 6.9 mm | 89.1 % | 187 g | 91.8 % | Dynamic AMOLED | 2640×1080 | 426 PPI | 22:9 | 86 % | 848 cd/m² | 2.6 | 120 Hz | 77.2 % | 4.88 | 6.57 | 94.4 % | 57.1 % | 13051 | 88 | 88.6 % | 647 min | 79.3 % | 26.6 °C | 56 °C | 78.8 % | 89.6 dB | 92.2 % | 52 % | ||
| 88.3 % | Nubia RedMagic 8S Pro SD 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740 |
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83.6 % | 6.80″ | 9.47 mm | 87.5 % | 228 g | 92.3 % | AMOLED | 2480×1116 | 400 PPI | 20:9 | 89 % | 778 cd/m² | 1.3 | 120 Hz | 15.55 | 8.52 | 97.1 % | 82.2 % | 16291 | 60 | 91.5 % | 1026 min | 74.8 % | 28.4 °C | 55.8 °C | 74.2 % | 92.4 dB | 93.9 % | 66.2 % | |||
| 89.1 % | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 SD 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, Adreno 740 |
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90.4 % | 7.60″ | 6.1 mm | 87.1 % | 253 g | 91.7 % | Dynamic AMOLED | 2176×1812 | 373 PPI | 10.8:9 | 91 % | 1107 cd/m² | 3.1 | 120 Hz | 78 % | 6.06 | 6.74 | 94.6 % | 64.5 % | 14482 | 65 | 89.5 % | 763 min | 87.5 % | 26.1 °C | 48.6 °C | 73.4 % | 88.4 dB | 96.1 % | 68.7 % | ||
| 86 % | Honor 90 5G SD 7 Gen 1, Adreno 644 |
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86 % | 6.70″ | 7.8 mm | 89.5 % | 183 g | 91 % | AMOLED | 2664×1200 | 436 PPI | 20:9 | 90 % | 1202 cd/m² | 1.5 | 120 Hz | 74.8 % | 21.17 | 7.43 | 80 % | 58.2 % | 6466 | 23 | 40 | 90.3 % | 901 min | 81.6 % | 36.9 °C | 47.7 °C | 74.6 % | 91.1 dB | 89.4 % | 51.4 % | |
| 78.7 % | Tecno Spark 10 5G Dimensity 6020, Mali-G57 MP2 |
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81.6 % | 6.60″ | 8.4 mm | 88.5 % | 194 g | 84.8 % | IPS | 1612×720 | 267 PPI | 20:9 | 83 % | 435 cd/m² | 4.04 | 090 Hz | 55.2 % | 42.91 | 14.77 | 71 % | 30.3 % | 2549 | 18 | 30 | 91 % | 962 min | 89 % | 41.3 °C | 64 % | 80.2 dB | 85.6 % | 45.2 % | ||
| 83.6 % | HTC U23 pro SD 7 Gen 1, Adreno 644 |
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82.1 % | 6.70″ | 8.9 mm | 87.9 % | 205 g | 88.5 % | OLED | 2400×1080 | 393 PPI | 20:9 | 84 % | 724 cd/m² | 2.9 | 120 Hz | 63.2 % | 40.47 | 7.63 | 82.1 % | 57.2 % | 6238 | 24 | 88.3 % | 607 min | 81.8 % | 30.8 °C | 49.6 °C | 72.2 % | 88.9 dB | 91.1 % | 50.6 % | ||
| 78.1 % | Motorola Moto G14 T616, Mali-G57 MP1 |
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84.9 % | 6.50″ | 8 mm | 90 % | 177 g | 84.9 % | IPS | 2400×1080 | 405 PPI | 20:9 | 86 % | 478 cd/m² | 4.68 | 060 Hz | 54.8 % | 34.39 | 12.01 | 60 % | 13.2 % | 1108 | 3.5 | 91.2 % | 995 min | 89.7 % | 27 °C | 41.3 °C | 72 % | 81.9 dB | 88.9 % | 46.1 % | ||
| 83.9 % | Realme 11 Pro Dimensity 7050, Mali-G68 MP4 |
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86.7 % | 6.70″ | 8.7 mm | 88.8 % | 191 g | 91 % | AMOLED | 2412×1080 | 394 PPI | 20:9 | 91 % | 764 cd/m² | 1.72 | 120 Hz | 65.6 % | 37.98 | 6.39 | 77.5 % | 45.8 % | 4326 | 17 | 40 | 90.7 % | 799 min | 85.8 % | 27.2 °C | 48.3 °C | 71.6 % | 85.6 dB | 92.8 % | 45.2 % | |
| 86.8 % | Xiaomi Poco F5 SD 7+ Gen 2, Adreno 725 |
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83.9 % | 6.67″ | 7.9 mm | 89.6 % | 181 g | 92.2 % | AMOLED | 2400×1080 | 395 PPI | 20:9 | 89 % | 1033 cd/m² | 1.9 | 120 Hz | 65 % | 47.17 | 10.26 | 85 % | 66.9 % | 10274 | 49 | 60 | 91.2 % | 1014 min | 84.7 % | 29.6 °C | 44.8 °C | 73 % | 90.6 dB | 94.4 % | 52.8 % | |
| 84.3 % | Realme 11 Pro+ Dimensity 7050, Mali-G68 MP4 |
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87 % | 6.70″ | 8.7 mm | 88.9 % | 189 g | 90.6 % | AMOLED | 2412×1080 | 393 PPI | 20:9 | 91 % | 756 cd/m² | 1.9 | 120 Hz | 69.4 % | 22.45 | 10.78 | 78 % | 46 % | 4316 | 17 | 90 % | 829 min | 84.6 % | 37.8 °C | 46.3 °C | 72 % | 80.5 dB | 92.8 % | 47.1 % | ||
| 76.1 % | Tecno Spark 10 Pro Helio G88, Mali-G52 MP2 |
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79.7 % | 6.80″ | 8.5 mm | 87.9 % | 206 g | 82.4 % | IPS | 2460×1080 | 395 PPI | 20:9 | 84 % | 435 cd/m² | 7.19 | 090 Hz | 54.4 % | 40.07 | 9.61 | 62 % | 16 % | 1453 | 4.9 | 90.2 % | 866 min | 89.7 % | 25.9 °C | 43.5 °C | 50 % | 73.9 dB | 87.8 % | 49.6 % | ||
| 83.1 % | Sony Xperia 10 V SD 695 5G, Adreno 619 |
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88 % | 6.10″ | 8.3 mm | 91.5 % | 159 g | 93.4 % | OLED | 2520×1080 | 449 PPI | 21:9 | 82 % | 944 cd/m² | 1.1 | 060 Hz | 54.6 % | 47.47 | 5.82 | 71.9 % | 33.6 % | 3092 | 11 | 30 | 93.2 % | 1157 min | 89.3 % | 29.4 °C | 40.5 °C | 81 % | 89.2 dB | 89.4 % | 48.6 % | |
| 89 % | Sony Xperia 5 V SD 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740 |
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89.3 % | 6.10″ | 8.6 mm | 89.5 % | 182 g | 93 % | OLED | 2520×1080 | 449 PPI | 21:9 | 83 % | 898 cd/m² | 1.4 | 120 Hz | 76.2 % | 33.95 | 6.37 | 94.3 % | 65.9 % | 14492 | 87 | 60 | 92.1 % | 952 min | 84.3 % | 32.4 °C | 45.7 °C | 83.8 % | 89.9 dB | 92.2 % | 57.1 % | |
| 91.1 % | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max A17 Pro, A17 Pro GPU |
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92 % | 6.70″ | 8.25 mm | 87.7 % | 221 g | 94.5 % | OLED | 2796×1290 | 460 PPI | 19.5:9 | 88 % | 1102 cd/m² | 1.1 | 120 Hz | 83 % | 15.68 | 6.57 | 91.8 % | 65.5 % | 55 | 94.5 % | 1163 min | 83.7 % | 34.6 °C | 45.8 °C | 80.6 % | 92.3 dB | 97.2 % | 65 % | |||
| 83.3 % | Tecno Phantom V Flip Dimensity 8050, Mali-G77 MP9 |
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85.5 % | 6.90″ | 6.95 mm | 88.5 % | 194 g | 89.8 % | AMOLED | 2640×1080 | 413 PPI | 22:9 | 86 % | 797 cd/m² | 3.5 | 120 Hz | 73 % | 24.82 | 8.97 | 80 % | 48 % | 30 | 40 | 88.2 % | 598 min | 83.4 % | 26.5 °C | 55.4 °C | 60 % | 81.9 dB | 89.4 % | 48.4 % | ||
| 88.1 % | Xiaomi 13T Pro Dimensity 9200+, Immortalis-G715 MP11 |
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86.7 % | 6.67″ | 8.62 mm | 87.9 % | 206 g | 93.1 % | AMOLED | 2712×1220 | 446 PPI | 20:9 | 87.5 % | 1230 cd/m² | 1.4 | 144 Hz | 76.2 % | 22.23 | 7.46 | 93.6 % | 68.2 % | 10301 | 69 | 60 | 92 % | 1099 min | 84.1 % | 30.7 °C | 45.4 °C | 78 % | 89.7 dB | 94.4 % | 51.5 % | |
| 90.7 % | Apple iPhone 15 Pro A17 Pro, A17 Pro GPU |
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91.7 % | 6.10″ | 8.3 mm | 89.1 % | 187 g | 94.8 % | Super Retina XDR OLED | 2556×1179 | 461 PPI | 19.5:9 | 88 % | 1086 cd/m² | 0.91 | 120 Hz | 80.6 % | 7.35 | 8.95 | 91.7 % | 66 % | 60 | 91.7 % | 832 min | 88.7 % | 23.2 °C | 43 °C | 80 % | 79.4 dB | 96.1 % | 65.9 % | |||
| 84.6 % | Motorola Edge 40 Neo Dimensity 7030, Mali-G610 MP3 |
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84.9 % | 6.55″ | 7.8 mm | 90.6 % | 170 g | 91.5 % | pOLED | 2400×1080 | 402 PPI | 20:9 | 92 % | 957 cd/m² | 1.87 | 144 Hz | 68.8 % | 8.15 | 8.84 | 78.8 % | 44.7 % | 4211 | 18 | 40 | 90.9 % | 864 min | 85.5 % | 23.3 °C | 46.9 °C | 76 % | 83.9 dB | 90 % | 49 % | |
| 89.1 % | Apple iPhone 15 A16, A16 GPU 5-Core |
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90.4 % | 6.10″ | 7.8 mm | 90.5 % | 171 g | 92.6 % | Super Retina XDR OLED | 2556×1179 | 461 PPI | 19.5:9 | 85 % | 1019 cd/m² | 1.4 | 060 Hz | 75.6 % | 7.38 | 10.9 | 91.2 % | 68.8 % | 58.1 | 91.7 % | 1002 min | 89.7 % | 24 °C | 42 °C | 80 % | 81.6 dB | 95 % | 48.3 % | |||
| 80.7 % | Motorola Moto G54 Dimensity 7020, IMG BXM-8-256 |
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85.2 % | 6.50″ | 8 mm | 90 % | 177 g | 84.1 % | IPS | 2400×1080 | 405 PPI | 20:9 | 86 % | 470 cd/m² | 3.9 | 120 Hz | 65.2 % | 17.52 | 9.35 | 70 % | 25 % | 2580 | 11 | 30 | 90.4 % | 875 min | 87.7 % | 24 °C | 45.4 °C | 76.8 % | 79.7 dB | 88.9 % | 45.3 % | |
| 82.2 % | Motorola Moto G84 SD 695 5G, Adreno 619 |
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85 % | 6.50″ | 7.6 mm | 90.8 % | 166.8 g | 91.7 % | P-OLED | 2400×1080 | 405 PPI | 20:9 | 87 % | 889 cd/m² | 1.1 | 120 Hz | 63.2 % | 8.03 | 9.59 | 76 % | 32 % | 3073 | 12 | 30 | 90.4 % | 908 min | 88 % | 24.4 °C | 44 °C | 60 % | 82 dB | 90 % | 51.7 % |
The table above shows all the smartphones we tested during the last three months including their overall and partial scores in our detailed reviews as well as a selection of important parameters and benchmarks. All results and details can be found in the linked reviews.
The table can be sorted in each column – just click on the respective column title, for example “weight”.
Sustainability is growing in importance. That’s why Nokia has kickstarted an initiative with the G42 – a phone designed to be repaired by users with affordable spare parts. There are also guides and videos to help users with the process. Moreover, the company promises to provide updates for a long time. Whilst this is commendable, repairing the phone is probably still too difficult for a complete layperson.
When it comes to storage, improvement has been made especially in the more budget segment. For instance, despite being priced at just €150, the Motorola Moto G14 is equipped with not only 128 GB of storage but also a Full HD screen and NFC functionality.
Editor of the original article: Florian Schmitt – Managing Editor Mobile – 1088 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2009
I initially wrote about gaming laptops when I joined Notebookcheck in 2009. I was then involved with the setup of the comparison portal Notebookinfo and worked with social media concepts for large companies like BMW and Adidas, while also returning to work for Notebookcheck in 2012. Nowadays, I focus on smartphones, tablets, and future technologies. Since 2018 I have been Managing Editor for mobile device reviews, working alongside my colleague Daniel Schmidt.
Translator: Zhiwei Zhuang – Translator – 111 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2022
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering, I moved from Singapore to
Cologne in 2014 and began pursuing a career as a freelance translator. Much of my translation work
focuses on science, engineering and technology. My fascination with computers and mobile
electronics began when I was young. And I have fond memories reading countless tech and gaming
magazines. Working with Notebookcheck gives me the opportunity to incorporate my personal
interests into my professional work.
Florian Schmitt, 2023-11- 9 (Update: 2023-11- 9)