Best smartphones 2021: The best smartphones we've tested this year

Introduction

With so many great phones available right now, it can be difficult to decide which one to buy for your next upgrade. From Apple to Android, here are all of our favourite phones on the market right now. 

Here at Trusted Reviews we’re constantly testing and adding new phones to this guide (if they impress us, of course). Each phone in this list has been reviewed in-depth and scored highly enough to compete with the best of the best devices available at the time of publishing. 

Our reviews cover everything from processor performance and battery life to display and camera quality. We use the phones in real-world scenarios and measure their performance with benchmarking tests to get a complete all-round look at how good a phone is. 

The following are the best smartphones we’ve tested recently, but that doesn’t mean the list is complete. 

The list includes handsets from a wide range of tech brands, including Apple, Samsung, Asus, Oppo, OnePlus and more. Notable phones still expected to come out this year include the iPhone 13, the Galaxy S21 FE and the Pixel 6, so if you’re looking forward to any of these big names it may be worth holding out to see if it makes our cut when it’s finally announced. 

This isn’t our only guide to the best smartphones on the market right now. If you’re looking at picking up a phone with more specific criteria, you may want to check out our other best lists.

Google fans will want to check out our breakdown of the best Android phones, while loyal iOS users should head over to our best iPhones list to see our top picks from Apple right now. We also have guides designed to match your budget, including the best mid-range phones and the best cheap phones ranked, as well as a guide to the best camera phones for any budding smartphone photographers.



How we test

Learn more about how we test mobile phones Every phone we review goes through a series of uniform checks designed to gauge key things including build quality, screen accuracy, battery life, performance and camera prowess.These include formal synthetic benchmarks and scripted tests, plus a series of real world checks, such as how much battery it loses per hour streaming video.We also make sure to use every phone we review as our primary handset for at least 4 days to ensure our review is as accurate as possible. You can see a more detailed breakdown of our testing methodology in our how we test phones guide.









Apple iPhone 12


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Pros


Fantastic new design
Very reliable cameras
Execptional performance




Cons


Screen lacks some of the benefits you’ll find elswhere
The notch remains annoying





£799$799








Asus Zenfone 8


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Pros


Great size for those who find Android phones big
Impressive speed
Lovely screen
Impressive value




Cons


Can get hot when gaming
No telephoto camera
No wireless charging





£599








OnePlus 9 Pro


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Pros


Excellent screen
Fast wired and wireless charging is a dream
One of the best versions of Android
Impressive ultra-wide camera




Cons


The camera can be frustratingly slow to open
No great zoom skills and better photos taken elsewhere
Not widely available on contract





£829$970








Oppo Find X3 Pro


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Pros


Thin and light for a 6.7-inch phone
Adaptive 120Hz display is gorgeous and highly customisable
Oppo’s software has seen huge improvements




Cons


Battery life not as good as the Galaxy S21 Ultra
Loses the periscope zoom skills of the Find X2 Pro
Vibration motor is terrible




£1099








Samsung Galaxy S20 FE


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Pros


Snapdragon 865 even in the UK model
Better battery life than other S20 models
Nice range of colours
Flat 120Hz display




Cons


You have to pay more for the faster charger
Secondary cameras aren’t the most detailed






£599








Samsung Galaxy S21


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Pros


Much more affordable at launch than S20
Still a great screen (and it’s flat)
Snappy performance




Cons


Lack of microSD and WQHD+ resolution make it feel like an S20 downgrade
Doesn’t feel as good as previous S series phones
Minimal camera upgrades




£769$799








Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra


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Pros


Great screen thanks to WQHD+ and 120Hz
Much-improved design with an attractive finish
Far more versatile camera than the iPhone 12 Pro Max




Cons


Expensive, with many cheaper phones offering the same features
Big and heavy
No charger included




£1149$1199








Sony Xperia 1 III


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Pros


No notch and cutout leaves screen uninterrupted
Narrow body is great most of the time
Features ditched elsewhere like SD card, headphone jack included




Cons


Screen doesn’t get bright enough outdoors
Tall display can make certain things feel cramped
Low-light and zoom photography isn’t that great for something that costs this much




£1199$1299








Xiaomi Mi 11


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Pros






Cons






£749













Apple iPhone 12

The iPhone 12 is a huge upgrade in pretty much every way



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Pros

Fantastic new designVery reliable camerasExecptional performance

Cons

Screen lacks some of the benefits you’ll find elswhereThe notch remains annoying

The iPhone 12 isn’t the top handset in Apple’s current line up, nor is it the cheapest. But, by Apple standards, we at Trusted Reviews believe it hits a good middle-ground between features and affordability, making it the best choice of iPhone for the majority and the best phone around right now.It’s a huge step forward on last year’s iPhone 11, featuring a reworked, more comfortable-to-hold angular design that’s reminiscent of the iPhone 5, and radically upgraded internals.The highlight is the A14 Bionic chip, which adds 5G connectivity to Apple’s iPhone line and offers best-in-class performance – to the point that during testing we couldn’t actually find an app or process the phone couldn’t handle with ease.The camera has been upgraded to feature a new dual-lens setup that pairs a 12-megapixel main sensor with a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit. On paper, this makes it sound less fancy next to the three- to four-sensor setups seen on most Android flagships. However, during testing we found the iPhone 12 easily held its own, making it a very capable camera phone. The most significant differences relate to low-light performance, where images captured with the improved Night mode are a huge step up on those delivered by the iPhone 11.The downside is that, unlike the Galaxy S20, OnePlus 8T or Pixel 5 the iPhone 12 still doesn’t feature a high refresh rate screen. It’s locked to 60Hz, which makes it feel less responsive than most Android flagships, which tend to come with 90Hz or 120Hz panels these days.Nor is the OLED screen the best in Apple’s line up for general movie-binging. Despite offering excellent viewing angles, razor-sharp resolutions and generally being great, during testing we found the 12 screen’s smaller dimensions put it a step behind the much more expensive iPhone 12 Pro Max.Buyers that don’t care about screen size and want to save some cash may also be tempted by the iPhone 12 Mini. It shares the same core specs as the regular iPhone 12, but comes with a smaller form factor and lower price tag. Just be wanted, the battery life on the Mini version takes a hefty hit. During testing it regularly struggled to last a full day’s heavy use.Reviewer: Max ParkerFull review: iPhone 12 Review













Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra phone is the most advanced model in the new flagship lineup.



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Pros

Great screen thanks to WQHD+ and 120HzMuch-improved design with an attractive finishFar more versatile camera than the iPhone 12 Pro Max

Cons

Expensive, with many cheaper phones offering the same featuresBig and heavyNo charger included

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the top Android phone to come out in 2021 so far and a great pick if you’re willing to pay a little extra to get the best of the best. The S21 Ultra is packed with high-end features. The list includes fast performance thanks to its Exynos 2100 chip (or the Snapdragon 888 if you’re shopping in the States), 5G support, up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. One of the headline features is the display. The S21 Ultra boasts a 6.8-inch, curved, WQHD+ screen. It’s bright, hitting 1500 nits, and supports HDR content as well as an adaptive 10-120Hz refresh rate. The fact that this display can handle 120Hz while still maintaining its 1440p WQHD resolution puts the screen ahead of that on its 2020 predecessor. The display even has S-Pen support to coax fans of the Galaxy Note over to the S series – albeit without a slot to store the pen. The quad-camera system is impressive. It includes a 108MP wide sensor that offers great depth of field, a 12MP ultra-wide sensor and two 10MP zoom sensors for capturing images from far away. The Galaxy S21 Ultra isn’t the smallest phone on the market and it might be difficult to come to terms with the £1149/€1249/$1199 price, but if you can part with the cash you’ll struggle to find a better smartphone.Reviewer: Max ParkerFull review: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Review













iPhone 12 Pro

The iPhone 12 Pro is a specced-up version of Apple’s 2020 phone



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Pros

A very welcome redesignReliable cameras in all situationsAccurate HDR displayGreat size

Cons

High refresh rate screen feels sorely missed on the Pro modelPro Max bags the bigger camera upgrades

Apple’s true flagship phone is the iPhone 12 Pro and while it’s not a huge upgrade in many ways over the cheaper iPhone 12, it does offer a few improvements that make it worth it if you simply must have the very best iPhone.There are two sizes of the 12 Pro. One matches the iPhone 12 in every dimension and a larger ‘Max’ model offers a bigger screen, bigger battery and slightly better main camera. Unless you want a huge 6.7-inch screen though, the 12 Pro is still seriously capable.The Pro models add in a 2x telephoto zoom to give you three cameras altogether, a little extra RAM and a starting storage size of 128GB. It also just feels that little bit more high-end, with stainless steel sides that shimmer and a frosted back. These materials, paired with the exceptional squared-off, iPhone 5-inspired look of the phone easily make it the best-looking device on this list. The available colours are darker and moodier too and include a lovely Pacific Blue hueThe rest is very much the same as the iPhone 12. The A14 Bionic chipset is supremely capable, the cameras all take good pictures and the bright OLED display is one of the best around. We do wish Apple could find some way to reduce the size of the notch with the iPhone 13 as it’s larger than it should be. If you’re on a 5G contract, and in a supported area, then you’ll be able to make use of this new data network. During testing, we wouldn’t say 5G is a reason to upgrade yet, but it does futureproof the phone.Apple’s decision to remove the charger and earphones from the box was a controversial one and while not everyone has followed suit yet, we can see it becoming more and more common over the next few years. You can of course use an older iPhone charger, or buy one separately. There’s wireless charging support too and Apple’s magnetic MagSafe charger is a handy add-on that juices the phone up wirelessly at quicker speeds.Reviewer: Max ParkerFull review: iPhone 12 Pro Review













Asus Zenfone 8

If you’re on the hunt for a smaller Android phone then the Asus Zenfone 8 is a winner



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Pros

Great size for those who find Android phones bigImpressive speedLovely screenImpressive value

Cons

Can get hot when gamingNo telephoto cameraNo wireless charging

The Asus Zenfone 8 is the smartphone surprise of 2021 so far. This dinky flagship offers a wildly different experience to other Android phones on this list and it does so without sacrificing too many high-end features.The size here is similar to that of the iPhone 12 (rather than the 12 mini) which is rare in the Android space. It’s small and perfectly usable with one hand, but it packs internals like the flagship Snapdragon 888 chipset, up to 16GB RAM and 30w charging.During testing, we found the Zenfone 8 snappy and as capable as anything from Samsung, OnePlus or Xiaomi. It does get a little hot during gaming sessions, though.The 5.9-inch display is great with a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling, OLED for rich colours and deep blacks and only a very small cutout for the front camera. Asus has even found zoom for a set of stereo front speakers and a headphone jack.The main camera is good, however the lack of any zoom (aside from the digital one) is a shame. Same goes for the lack of wireless charging.Reviewer: Max ParkerFull review: Asus Zenfone 8













Oppo Find X3 Pro

The Oppo Find X3 Pro is the followup to our favourite phone of 2020. Coming loaded with the latest Snapdragon 888, loads of camera features and a lovely screen this could be the phone to beat this year.



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Pros

Thin and light for a 6.7-inch phoneAdaptive 120Hz display is gorgeous and highly customisableOppo’s software has seen huge improvements

Cons

Battery life not as good as the Galaxy S21 UltraLoses the periscope zoom skills of the Find X2 ProVibration motor is terrible

Oppo impressed us a lot with the Oppo Find X2 Pro so it’s hardly a surprise the follow-up, the Find X3 Pro, is one of the best phones you can buy right now.The handset goes toe-to-toe with Samsung’s best for specs and features. Matching the specs of most current flagships, it comes with a super-powerful 5G-ready Snapdragon 888 chipset, wonderfully calibrated, 120Hz, 6.7-inch screen, and a lovely curved glass design.During testing, we found its support for 65W fast-charging saw battery life go from 0-100% in around half an hour, which is a seriously impressive achievement.The only downside is that, unlike the older X2 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, the zoom skills of the rear cameras are limited. Oppo has ditched the periscope zoom lens, instead offering a far better ultra wide sensor and a 3x optical zoom. During testing we found this means you can’t get quite as close to the action as you could before. At least the quality from the wide and ultra cameras are very good – with lovely colours and a strong low-light mode. There’s even a microscope camera that takes some interesting close-up shots.Reviewer: Max ParkerFull review: Oppo Find X3 Pro Review













Samsung Galaxy S21

The Samsung Galaxy S21 isn’t what you expect



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Pros

Much more affordable at launch than S20Still a great screen (and it’s flat)Snappy performance

Cons

Lack of microSD and WQHD+ resolution make it feel like an S20 downgradeDoesn’t feel as good as previous S series phonesMinimal camera upgrades

The Samsung Galaxy S21 and the larger Galaxy S21 Plus are two great options if the S21 series appeals to you but you’re hesitant about spending S21 Ultra-level money on your next phone. Samsung has also decreased the price of its most affordable flagship devices this year, making this an even more tempting offer. Both the S21 and S21 Plus pack the same fast Exynos 2100 chipset (or Snapdragon 888, depending on your region), 5G support and in-display fingerprint scanner as the Ultra, the latter being a major bonus right now with masks making face log-ins more challenging than usual. There are a few differences between the standard S21 and the Plus model. While the Plus is all glass, the cheaper S21 has a plastic back. The WQHD+ resolution has also been swapped out for a FHD+ display on the more affordable smartphone. That said, during testing we found both the 6.2-inch (S21) and 6.7-inch (S21 Plus) OLED displays bright and sharp and the addition of an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate means the displays are smooth, too. Both of these S21 models pack a triple camera made up of a 12MP wide sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide sensor and a 64MP zoom sensor. On the front, there’s a 10MP selfie camera and you can capture video up to 8K. Photos taken with the S21 are beautifully detailed and the colour is bright and punchy. The S21 may not be as advanced as the S21 Ultra, but the phone is slimmer, lighter and a lot more affordable for most people.

If you’re considering picking up the S21, you may want to hold out to learn more about the S21 FE, which is expected to launch this year at an even lower price. Reviewer: Max ParkerFull review: Samsung Galaxy S21 Review













OnePlus 9 Pro

Following months of hype, the OnePlus 9 Pro is here with its Hasselblad-emblazoned camera and some of the fastest charging speeds I’ve ever seen.



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Pros

Excellent screenFast wired and wireless charging is a dreamOne of the best versions of AndroidImpressive ultra-wide camera

Cons

The camera can be frustratingly slow to openNo great zoom skills and better photos taken elsewhereNot widely available on contract

The OnePlus 9 Pro is the best OnePlus phone you can buy and a real rival to the S21 Ultra and Oppo Find X3 Pro for the best overall Android phone award this year. During testing we found the 9 Pro only misses the mark slightly when it comes to overall camera quality, which falls below its two main competitors.When compared to the OnePlus 9, the Pro model has a sharper 1440p display, a full metal body, a proper IP68 water resistance rating and very fast wireless charging. During testing, we found that the upgrades really are worth it if you’re willing to spend a little bit extra cash as they make the phone feel significantly better built.While the camera system does fall below the very best camera phones, the Hasselblad-branded camera system with its main 48MP sensor and an 50MP ultra-wide is still capable and we found it a noticeable improvement when compared to the previous OnePlus cameras. We had standout praise for the ultra wide camera.Performance is fantastic thanks to the Snapdragon 888 chipset and, aside from a slow camera app, the software is among the best you’ll find on any Android phone even if there are a few bugs here and there.Another highlight is the rapid charging, both wired and wireless, which can give you a full charge in roughly 30 minutes.Reviewer: Max ParkerFull review: OnePlus 9 Pro Review













Xiaomi Mi 11

The Xiaomi Mi 11 is a top-tier flagship with a Snapdragon 888, 108MP camera and very quick charging all for a price that sits below much of the competition.



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Pros

Strong displayExcellent performance in all areasLikely far more affordable than similarly specced phonesQuick to charge

Cons

It’s very big, with no smaller optionThe software is buggyNo IP ratingCamera choices aren’t always the best

The Xiaomi Mi 11 is a strong alternative to the Galaxy S21 if you want a bigger screen and faster charging but aren’t keen on spending more.The display is the star here, which we found doesn’t fall too far short of the panel used on the S21 Ultra when it comes to image quality and performance. At 6.81-inches it’s large and it packs a 1440p resolution, HDR support and a 120Hz refresh rate to give you smooth scrolling and responsive gaming.Like the display, the internal and camera specs are high-end and great for the price. This is one of the more affordable Snapdragon 888 devices and it’s paired with 8GB RAM and up to 256GB storage.It’s very speedy too, with any app or game playing with ease when we reviewed it. There’s really nothing that can push this phone too far. You’ve also got 5G support if you’re using the phone in a supported area.There’s a main 108MP camera (along with two other sensors, which aren’t quite so good) on the back that takes decent pictures and 65w charging that’ll give you a full charge in about 40 minutes.The most disappointing part of the Xiaomi Mi 11 is the software, which we found is a little too buggy making it slightly frustrating to use. Apps crash, wallpapers randomly change, notifications take an age to appear and there’s too much bloatware.Reviewer: Max ParkerFull review: Xiaomi Mi 11 Review