The best smartphones of Summer 2025 - 29 tested phones compared

With the update to our new rating system, it has become much more difficult to get a "very good" rating. Manufacturers therefore have to work even harder.

The highest rating was achieved by the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. And there are good reasons for this: The great chassis, an extremely bright display with great color reproduction if desired, long runtimes and plenty of power.

And of course the camera. Four different lenses with different focal lengths and some with periscope zoom make zoom shots child's play. According to the list, you pay 1,249 euros for this, but you can save over 100 euros at many online retailers, for example at notebooksbilliger.de

Close behind is a smartphone with which many technology fans have a love-hate relationship: The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. The design is now a little more user-friendly and less angular, but there aren't really many new features in the 2025 model year. However, with 7 years of updates, it can be used for an extremely long time, offers a great software interface and, more recently, all kinds of AI functions.

Samsung needs to improve the cameras in the next generation, as the weak optical zoom is no longer up to date in view of the competition. Depending on the memory configuration, the manufacturer charges over 1,800 euros (!). Fortunately, many retailers are offering the phone with significant discounts.
 

For those who prefer a handier device but don't want to do without high-end features, the Samsung Galaxy S25 is a great cell phone that also impresses with its very long update promise. However, the competition has now overtaken it in terms of battery life and charging speed, for example.

And there are only a few updates compared to the previous generation. As the Galaxy S24 also came with a long update promise, you can also take advantage of this and save a few hundred euros.
 

The Honor Magic7 RSR is a phone for aesthetes: after all, you are getting a device that was created in collaboration with Porsche Design. However, it is not just a prettied-up phone Honor Magic7 Pro but there are also other changes. For example, improvements have been made to battery, the camera and the scope of delivery.

However, the list price of 1,900 euros is quite steep. The smartphone is only available from Honor or Porsche Design directly.

The last phone to secure a place among the top-rated smartphones is a third model from Samsung's Galaxy S25 series: The Samsung Galaxy S25+. It is larger than the Galaxy S25 and offers slightly more features. Here too, however, only minor improvements have been made compared to its predecessor.
 

For the Editors' Choice Award, we ask our editors which models have stuck in their minds the most in recent months. The final rating is not the deciding factor.

And so everything can be included here: from outdoor phones with unusual features to exceptionally well-equipped budget phones to great overall packages in the mid-range, which our editors want to give special attention to once again.

Folding smartphones are perhaps not quite as successful as the manufacturers would have liked, which is probably also due to the still high price. However, the technology is still fascinating and the Oppo Find N5 also contributes to this: It is one of the slimmest and lightest foldables currently available, which also comes to the customer with a screen with almost no visible or noticeable crease.

The battery life has been increased despite the slim design and the phone also supports pen input. However, there are still some limitations compared to conventional phones in terms of the camera and features.
 

Not everyone has 2,000 euros lying around to buy an expensive foldable.

If you don't want to or can't spend that much money on your smartphone, then thanks to Motorola you no longer have to do without a high-quality look and feel, even for devices under 200 euros: Since this year, for example, the Motorola Moto G15 has a faux leather back with a seamlessly integrated camera module and, if desired, vibrant colors.

The battery life is impressive, the phone locates accurately enough and even comes with a useful ultra-wide-angle camera for just over 100 euros.
 

Note: Commercial use of the award graphics may require a license. Further details.

The table above shows all smartphones tested in the period under review with their overall and partial ratings in our detailed test as well as a selection of important parameters and benchmarks. All results and details can be found in the linked test reports.
The table can be sorted in each column, simply click on the respective column title, for example "Weight".