Top Cell Phones 2023

Motorola makes a predictable budget handset in the Moto G30. You get all the basics, great battery life and a 90Hz display, but underwhelming cameras may prompt eyes (and wallets) to wander elsewhere.

The Moto G Stylus features a handy stylus for note-taking and lasts a long time on a charge. But the Moto G Power has a bigger battery, costs less and is the better value.

The tiny Unihertz Jelly 2 is the perfect phone if you want apps when you need them with minimal distraction.

The LG Velvet is an elegant midrange 5G phone that doesn't really stand out.

The LG V60 5G ThinQ is a handsome and powerful flagship phone for a relatively reasonable price, but its lack of multi-band 5G on most carriers limits its prospects for the future.

The Galaxy S20 Ultra is a technically superior phone with an incredible camera, but its size, price, and overkill make it hard to recommend.

Realme X50 Pro is a flagship smartphone with top-of-the-line hardware and Realme UI out-of-the-box. Being 5G compatible, it's future-proof for when the commercial rollout happens and is priced at a sweet spot, which is going to become a battleground in the coming months.

The V50 ThinQ is basically just a 5G V40 with a processor upgrade. That means both good and bad: faster internet speeds and new features, balanced out by a thicker body and slightly reduced battery life. We loved the V40, but almost a year on the V50 doesn’t feel as competitive. Then there’s the Dual Screen. This is a gimmick for most people – which might explain why it isn’t even available in the US. But it’s also a surprisingly novel way to bring the foldable experience to a much lower price point, and if you’re a devoted multi-tasker then it actually works better than you might expect, if you can forgive a few niggling design flaws.

The tiny Unihertz Atom makes a good secondary phone for when you need apps, but you don't want to get sucked into them.

The Motorola Moto Z3 is the "first 5G phone," in that it will have an optional add-on for Verizon's 5G network next year. Until then, it stands on its own merits as a solid phone and a good way to try out Moto Mods.