Best smartphones of 2025: Innovation at its peak

ISLAMABAD: Galaxy and iPhone are usually considered the top choices when it comes to modern smartphones, but this year, the big Chinese brands have also competed on equal terms.

Names like Xiaomi and Oppo not only offer excellent phones without any compromises, but also match or surpass Apple and Samsung in some aspects.

Honor Magic V5

The Honor Magic V5 is one of the best foldable phones tested this year. The phone is introduced with an extremely thin and lightweight design, premium materials, a strong hinge, and class-leading IP58/IP59 ingress protection, which is a rare achievement in this segment.

Both displays are large, sharp, and feature-rich, including stylus support and Dolby Vision certification, while excellent stereo speakers make the multimedia experience even more impressive.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

The iPhone 17 Pro Max has made a controversial change by introducing an aluminum body.

This change has somewhat reduced the weight and performance of the phone, but the phone’s durability has been severely affected, and it can now be easily scratched.

In addition, there is a mixed use of glass and metal on the back, which, combined with the new colors, has made this iPhone one of the least popular models of recent years.

Xiaomi 15 Ultra

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is a really great choice on this list. Its unique design is not only beautiful but also has an iconic identity.

In addition, it includes one of the best displays in the industry.

Features include a p1440 LTPO OLED screen, 12-bit color depth, dynamic 120Hz refresh rate, and Dolby Vision support that make the viewing experience fantastic.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Traditionally, the ultimate model of the (non-foldable) Galaxy carries a burden of high expectations, but the S25 Ultra has not been able to meet these hopes. That’s not to say it’s a bad phone, but in fact a better and more robust device.

Despite its relatively small battery, it manages to deliver excellent battery life, its display is great in most respects, it charges reasonably quickly in the right conditions, and its body quality has also improved (although the extra sealing is lacking). And if you want a stylus, this is the only option on the market.

Oppo Find N5

The Oppo Find N5 more or less represents the pinnacle of current foldable technology. It uses the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite generation chipset and, above all, it is very sophisticatedly designed in such a way that, despite being unusually thin, it houses a large Si/C battery and a brilliant hinge system that makes the display’s notch almost invisible.