Find the best Samsung phone, and chances are you've found the best phone overall. More than just an alternative to Apple's iPhone, a device from Samsung typically features great cameras, strong performance and long battery life. While you can pick from many different phones running the Android operating system, Samsung's handsets reside at the top of the heap.
But which Samsung phone is the best one for your needs? That all depends on what you value in a phone. Are you looking for the fastest performance, particularly when it comes to running graphically-demanding games? Do you want a leading camera phone that produces captivating shots in all sorts of conditions? Or do you want an expansive screen for getting more work done on the go?
We recommend the Galaxy S25 Ultra as the ultimate Samsung phone because it delivers on all those demands and more. But if that $1,299 starting price puts you off, not to worry — Samsung has a wide range of phones at different price points, ready to meet any budget.
In fact, for most people, the Galaxy S25 will be a very satisfying choice, as it supports the same AI-powered features as the Ultra while costing $500 less. The Galaxy S25 Edge brings a super-thin design to Samsung's phone lineup, though the newly unveiled Galaxy Z Fold 7 has proven to be even thinner when opened up.
Now that we've reviewed two of Samsung's new foldable phones — our look at the lower cost Galaxy Z Flip FE 7 is still to come — we've shuffled around our picks for the best Samsung phones. Here are the top choices at a range of prices based on extensive tests and head-to-head comparisons.
Samsung launches dozens of phones every year, but fortunately I am able to try them out, test and review them. Before becoming a professional phones guy, I was a faithful Samsung user, eking out every last drop of life from my Galaxy S7 before my job required me to swap devices more regularly. So I've seen how Samsung's phones have changed and improved over a long period of time, and can hopefully steer you toward the right device in the company's spacious portfolio.
The quick list
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is Samsung's ultimate phone, offering both an improved camera setup and the longest battery life we've seen from a Galaxy flagship. It's the Galaxy AI features that put this model over the top as Samsung takes AI on the phone to new levels with cross app actions.
Because the Galaxy S25 has the same Galaxy AI capabilities as pricier S25 models but the lowest price tag, it's the device most people will gravitate toward. Samsung's entry-level flagship is more compact than ever with a brighter screen and better chipset.
Samsung's AI features are just as potent on the S24 FE as they were on last year's Galaxy S24 phones. Even with updated Galaxy AI on the new S25 models, this discounted phone remains a great option for users who want more value or a smaller device.
Samsung made some welcome changes to the Galaxy Z Flip 7, such as larger screens and AI optimized for the phone's foldable design. New productivity tools boost the value of this phone, which remains the same price as before.
Samsung has made its premium foldable thinner, lighter and more expensive. We're pleased by two of those changes, as well as the addition of a more powerful camera and Galaxy AI features that take advantage of the bigger display.
The Galaxy S25 Edge is the thinnest of all Galaxy S models, though it doesn't sacrifice durability in the name of slenderness. Don't expect battery life to match other Galaxy S models, but the sleek look and powerful processor are certainly appealing.
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The Galaxy A56 is Samsung's top midrange feature with AI features and a lower price tag than the Galaxy S lineup. It's set to reach the U.S. later this year after debuting elsewhere.
Best Samsung phone overall
There aren't many big hardware changes from previous models to the Galaxy S25 Ultra — though as we'll discuss, the ones that are there are pretty noteworthy. Instead, Samsung's focus this time around is on the AI experience with its phones. And, after using the phone, we've found that the AI focus really pays dividends with the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
That's because the new Galaxy AI features include capabilities that let you do more with your phone. Cross app action support means that we could ask the Gemini assistant to perform actions across a wide swath of Samsung and Google apps — looking up an address in the maps app and then texting it to a friend, for example. I've found it to be an impressive productivity booster that takes AI to the next level.
In contrast, the Now Brief feature that surfaces key information based on your preferences and habits is less impressive — at least in our initial testing. When you start using the phone, Now Brief pretty much supplies a weather forecast and a list of upcoming appointments. But since the feature is built to learn more about you as time progresses, that Now Brief screen should be populated by more personalized information that's based on how you use your S25 Ultra. Time will tell if this feature delivers.
As for the hardware changes, the big one involves the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which not only powers top performance among Android phones, but also helps better manage how much power the phone expends. As a result, the Galaxy S25 Ultra posted the best time ever for a Samsung device on our phone battery test, breaking the 17-hour mark. And that's with the battery size on the S25 Ultra not changing from last year's model.
The phone's ultrawide sensor gets an upgrade to 50MP, which produced more detailed macro shots in our head-to-head photo comparisons. But it's the improved ProVisual Engine that improves color in phones produced by the Galaxy S25 Ultra while also helping with better low-light images. The better photo processing allowed the S25 Ultra edge out the iPhone 16 Pro Max in an initial camera comparison — a great development for photo enthusiasts.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra still commands a $1,299 price, putting the phone out of reach for many users and we're not wild about Samsung's decision to remove Bluetooth connectivity from the S Pen, which drops the ability to use the stylus as a remote controller. But other changes are for the better, and the AI experience on the S25 Ultra helps carry the day.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review.
Best Samsung phone for most people
If you blanch at the thought of a $1,299 phone — understandably! — the Galaxy S25 is an excellent alternative. It costs $500 less than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and though that base model comes with half the storage, the standard Galaxy S25 also supports the same Galaxy AI capabilities as its pricier counterpart. And as we outlined in our S25 Ultra write-up, those features are pretty impressive.
Besides the game-changing cross-app actions and the work-in-progress Now Brief that I mentioned in the Galaxy S25 Ultra summary above, the S25 also ushers in existing features like Circle to Search, which can now recognize email addresses, phone numbers and URLs; it can search based on audio, too. I appreciate the fact that searches now support natural language, which made it easier for me to find photos on the phone when testing out the Galaxy S25.
Samsung's base model shares more in common with the Ultra than just Galaxy AI features. It's also got the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset — not just for phones released in North America, but around the world. That means consistent performance no matter where you buy your Galaxy S25. And the performance from this optimized version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite even edges out other Android phones powered by the same chip.
There are no camera hardware changes from the Galaxy S24, so if you have a newer Samsung flagship, you may want to skip an upgrade. That said, changes to photo processing mean the images shot by the S25 are less prone to saturation, as I discovered when testing the new phone.
Perhaps the biggest improvement is to battery life, as the compact size of the entry-level Galaxy S model has always placed a limit on just how big a battery Samsung could fit inside. But the Snapdragon 8 Elite has superior power management, helping the Galaxy S25 outlast it predecessor by more than 2 hours on our battery test.
The Galaxy S25 is thinner and lighter than ever, even if it's since been trumped in thinness by the Galaxy S25 Edge. And testing revealed a much brighter display than last year's model. All told, the Galaxy S25 is a big step forward despite the modest changes. And you won't put as big a dent in your wallet as you would with the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy S25 review.
Galaxy AI for less
The Galaxy S24's time as the top device in Samsung's lineup is over, but don't overlook the Galaxy S24 FE, released several months after last year's flagship and still widely available. In his Galaxy S4 FE review, TG phones editor John Velasco found it was "one of the best values you'll find in a phone," beating the other S24 models, including the standard model.
The newer Galaxy AI features on the S25 models make those phones a better choice, but the S24 FE remains a bargain hunter's dream. That's because this phone has some strong AI capabilities of its own, as well as seven years of promised software support. Test data also showed that the S24 FE had a brighter, more colorful and more accurate display than the Galaxy S24 Plus, a device that sold for $350 more.
The Galaxy S24 FE isn't as good for performance or photography due to Samsung's decision to downgrade the chip and cameras. But the fact it still has a 3x telephoto camera still impressed us, and helps reinforce what John concluded — this is all the phone you need for a surprisingly low price, making it an easy recommendation from us, even with the S25 phones now available and a Galaxy S25 FE model reportedly on the way later this year.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy S24 FE review.
Best foldable Samsung phone
The latest versions of Samsung's premium foldable phones are both outstanding, but I think the Galaxy Z Flip 7 will appeal to more people, given its pocket friendly design and $1,099 price tag — exactly what Samsung charged for the Galaxy Z Flip 6. The price may not have changed, but plenty of other factors have, making this the best Flip Samsung's ever made.
It starts with larger screens, both inside and outside the phone. The 4.1-inch Flex Window is particularly handy for letting you handle tasks without ever having to open the phone, and my colleague John Velasco found the larger panel to be a helpful view finder when capturing images with the Flip's rear cameras.
Features like Gemini Live and the Now Brief are also available on the Flex Window, making it even more useful. That said, I wish Samsung took a cue from Motorola and its Razr foldables and let you run more app natively on the cover display. You still need to turn to Samsung's Good Lock app, which is a little annoying.
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 gets a long-awaited feature by adding Samsung DeX support, so you can now plug your flip phone into a display to use it as you would a laptop. It's a big productivity booster that helps the Flip evolve into more than just a pretty-looking phone, but a tool that power users can turn to. Battery life continues to improve with the Flip, too, in another positive step forward for Smasung's phone.
Should that $1,099 starting price prove to be too steep, Samsung offers the cheaper Galaxy Z Fold 7 FE, which shares more in common with last year's Flip. I'm testing that phone right now so stay tuned to see where it fits in among the best Samsung phones.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review.
Thinnest Samsung phone
If you're looking for the thinnest phone Samsung makes, look past the Galaxy S25 Edge. Instead, open up the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and marvel at this 4.2mm thin phone's slender profile. Even when you close the Galaxy Z Fold 7, it's only 8.9mm thick — just fractionally thicker than the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is thinner and lighter than ever while also featuring larger interior and exterior screens. At the same time, Samsung has boosted durability with a new hinge design to evenly distribute stress. When Mark Spoonauer reviewed the Fold, he marveled at its design, noting that you no longer pay a penalty in extra bulk when you opt for this style of foldable phone.
There's more to the Fold than just a new look. It also boasts the same AI features found on other premium Samsung devices, with some of those capabilities optimized for the foldable design. For instance, you can see before and after shots to view AI-powered photo edits side-by-side. And Gemini Live support lets you share your screen and cameras with the phone's smart assistant.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 gets a big camera boost with the addition of a 200MP main camera, and we really like how Samsung's phone handles low-light photos. A less heralded change sees Samsung swap out the under-display selfie cam on the main screen for a higher resolution camera that uses a more conventional cutout. Selfies certainly look sharper, though not everyone is going to like the cutout interrupting the flow of the main screen.
We wish the Galaxy Z Fold 7 offered better battery life, as it only improved upon the Galaxy Z Fold 6's battery test result by about 20 minutes. And that $1,999 starting price — a $100 hike from last year — will be hard for some people to swallow. Still, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 marks the first time that Samsung has really mastered this phone's design, setting a high bar for similar-looking foldables.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review.
Best Samsung phone design
The Galaxy S25 Edge is a feast for the eyes, particularly when you stack this 5.8mm-thin phone next to another device and see just how slender it is. The Galaxy S25, previously the most compact Samsung flagship at 7.2mm, is noticeably thicker than the Edge. Only the Galaxy Z Fold 6 gets thinner, and that's when you have the foldable phone opened up.
But the question is how much that thinness matters to you. My colleague John Velasco liked the look of the Edge, but he was much more taken with how light it is. (It's about the same weight as the S25 even though it has a bigger display.) Even more impressively, the Galaxy S25 Edge doesn't feel like it will split in two, as Samsung has coated the phone with durable glass and turned to titanium frames.
But you do have to give up features for the Galaxy S25 Edge to be so thin — notably a dedicated telephoto camera and a bigger battery. Comparing zoom shots from the Edge to those with phones that have a telephoto lens, you'll see the difference emerge the more you zoom in. That said, the 200MP main camera captures some real nice photos, even in low light.
The biggest problem with the Edge is that it has to turn to a smaller battery — smaller than even the power pack inside the standard S25. As a result, the nearly 12.5 hours the Edge lasted on our battery test may outperform the average phone, but it's the shortest time posted by any Galaxy S25 model.
These shortcomings matter when you consider the Galaxy S25 Edge costs more than both the S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus, which each have telephoto lenses and longer-lasting batteries. You really have to be swayed by the thin look of the Edge to justify that cost, since other features — including performance and Galaxy AI support — are identical.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review.
Best value Samsung phone
U.S. shoppers can now discover what people in the U.K. and Australia have known since earlier this year: the Galaxy A56 delivers a surprising amount of value for a midrange phone that's less than $500.
After releasing the A56 in other parts of the world this spring, Samsung has now made the phone available in the U.S. And that's good news as we were underwhelmed by the top midrange phone previously available to U.S. shoppers, the $399 Galaxy A36.
While there are elements of the Galaxy A56 that fall flat — performance lags behind similarly priced phones like the Pixel 9a and I was disappointed by the performance of the macro camera — the phone generally delivers solid value. It helps that the Galaxy A56 has the most extensive set of AI feature among Samsung's Galaxy A models, highlighted by a filter creator for saving the color profile of photos you like to apply to other images. I also found Auto Trim for creating a montage out of video clips to be an impressive addition to a sub-$500 phone.
In every day use, the Galaxy A56's battery held up well — we'll run our official battery test now that there's a U.S. release — and I appreciate the ample screen space the A56 provides. Despite some trade-offs with performance and cameras, this is a solid choice if your budget prevents you from getting a Samsung flagship.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy A56 review.
Also tested
If these options don't suit your needs, then fortunately we have other recommendations that aren't necessarily the top choice for a given niche, but could still be excellent for particular users.
You can still probably find the Galaxy S24 models around, and given their lengthy software support (seven years like the S25 models), Galaxy AI features and similarities to the S25 hardware, these would still be very good phones. Some of the new Galaxy AI features introduced with the Galaxy S25 could find their way to older models, but there's no official word yet from Samsung.
If you do look for an S24, make sure you're getting it for less than what the current Galaxy S25 models cost. As a reminder, the Galaxy S25 starts at $799, the S25 Plus goes for $999, and you'll pay at least $1,299 for a Galaxy S25 Ultra. Look for discounts of at least $100 if you opt for the S24 versions.
If you're on a really tight budget — when even the Galaxy A36 and A56 seem pricey — Samsung offers the Galaxy A16, a $199 phone with a 6.7-inch display, Exynos 1330 chipset and three rear cameras. (A macro lens joins the main and ultrawide shooters.)
How to choose the best Samsung phones
Picking which Samsung phone to buy is primarily driven by budget considerations. You're not going to spring for a Galaxy S24 Ultra, for example, if you're not prepared with at least $1,199 even if you opt to spread those payments out over time. But other factors need to be taken into consideration as well.
Start with how you use your smartphone. If it's primarily a productivity device, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is appealing despite its high price because it supports the S Pen. (The Galaxy Z Fold 7 has dropped support in the name of a thinner design.) If you turn to your phone for photography, the Galaxy S series is usually first in line for Samsung's camera innovations, and all three S25 models offer impressive camera features — particularly the 200MP main camera on the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
How we test the best Samsung phones
In order for a smartphone to make our best phone list, it needs to excel on several tests that we run on every handset. We perform some of these tests in our labs and some in the real world. See our detailed explanation on how Tom's Guide tests and reviews smartphones for more information.
When it comes to performance, we rely on such synthetic benchmarks as Geekbench 6 and 3DMark to measure graphics performance. These tests allow us to compare performance across iPhones and Android devices. (Note that some phones in the chart below are still showing their Geekbench 5 numbers.) We also run a real-world video transcoding test on each phone using the Adobe Premiere Rush app and time the result. (We unfortunately have to skip this test on some phones due to app compatibility issues, but we attempt this benchmark with each device we get in to review.)
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Geekbench 6 (single-core / multicore) | 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited (FPS) |
Galaxy S25 Ultra | 3,031 / 9,829 | 161.7 |
Galaxy S25 | 2,916 / 9,886 | 158 |
Galaxy S24 FE | 2,161 / 6,386 | 86 |
Galaxy Z Flip 7 | 2,286 / 8,079 | 114.6 |
Galaxy Z Fold 7 | 3,052 / 9,735 | 123.8 |
Galaxy S25 Edge | 3,129 / 9,916 | 149.2 |
Galaxy A56 | 1,358 / 3,867 | N/A |
To measure the quality of a phone's display, we perform lab tests to determine the brightness of the panel (in nits), as well as how colorful each screen is (DCI-P3 color gamut). In these cases, higher numbers are better. We also measure color accuracy of each panel with a Delta-E rating, where lower numbers are better and score of 0 is perfect. (We're waiting for the U.S. release of the Galaxy A56 to test that phone's display in our lab, which is why it's not listed below.)
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | sRGB (%) | DCI-P3 (%) | Delta-E |
Galaxy S25 Ultra | 151.5 (Vivid) / 128.1 (Natural) | 107.3 (Vivid) / 90.8 (Natural) | 0.25 (Vivid) /0.24 (Natural) |
Galaxy S25 | 152.7 (Vivid) / 129.4 (Natural) | 108.2 (Vivid) / 91.7 (Natural) | 0.25 (Vivid) / 0.31 (Natural) |
Galaxy S24 FE | 140.6 (Vivid) / 120.5 (Natural) | 99.6 (Vivid) / 85.3 (Natural) | 0.23 (Vivid) / 0.2 (Natural) |
Galaxy Z Flip 7 | 151.7 (Vivid) / 126.7 (Natural) | 107.4 (Vivid) / 89.8 (Natural) | 0.23 (Vivid) / 0.23 (Natural) |
Galaxy Z Fold 7 | 148.6 (Vivid) / 135.5 (Natural) | 105.2 (Vivid) / 96 (Natural) | 0.28 (Vivid) / 0.22 (Natural) |
Galaxy S25 Edge | 151.3 (Vivid), 131.6 (Natural) | 107.2 (Vivid) / 93.2 (Natural) | 0.30 (Vivid) / 0.25 (Natural) |
One of the most important tests we run is the Tom's Guide battery test. We run a web surfing test over 5G (or 4G if the phone doesn't have 5G support) at 150 nits of screen brightness until the battery gives out. In general, a phone that lasts 10 hours or more is good, and anything above 11 hours makes our list of the best phone battery life.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Battery life (Hrs:Mins) |
Galaxy S25 Ultra | 17:14 (adaptive); 18:35 (60Hz) |
Galaxy S25 | 15:22 (adaptive); 15:51 (60Hz) |
Galaxy S24 FE | 12:22 (adaptive); 11:38 (60Hz) |
Galaxy Z Flip 7 | 12:24 (adaptive) |
Galaxy Z Fold 7 | 10:55 (adaptive) |
Galaxy S25 Edge | 12:24 (adaptive; 12:54 (60Hz) |
Last but not least, we take the best phones out in the field to take photos outdoors, indoors and at night in low light to see how they perform versus their closest competitors. Below, you can see a gallery of shots we've taken with various Samsung phones featured in this guide.
We take shots of landscapes, food, portraits and more, and also allow you to be the judge with side-by-side comparisons in our reviews.
