Best Cell Phone To Buy 2017
Now you know the testing, but how do we actually crown the winner? Across a total of 44 individual tests (and over 100 different criteria), we score each phone and give it a points tally depending on its ranking to each of the other devices. The best phone gets 10 points, second best gets 9 points, and so on, until the worst phone gets 1 point.
best cell phone to buy 2017
Both phones did something remarkable with their cameras. Creating a bokeh depth-of-field effect has become commonplace with twin-camera phones. But the Pixel 2 has one camera and can still manage such an effect thanks to advanced software. The results are deeply impressive. Add to that the excellent dynamic range in the photos and you have one of the very best cameras on any phone.
The best-rugged smartphones (opens in new tab) on the market offer extreme durability, massive batteries, and a wealth of features specific to outdoor use cases. We've tested all the top handsets designed for intensive use and picked the best options.
Software (opens in new tab) on the best-rugged smartphone is no slouch either. Most offer extra features vital in certain lines of work: some might have infrared cameras (opens in new tab), sound level meters, and sometimes even VOC (volatile organic compound) detectors.
So whether it's your hobby or your profession that is leading you to wild or dangerous places and have you needing a device that'll last a long time with plenty of features or makes you prefer hardy phones over fashionable yet fragile standard smartphones, the best-rugged smartphone is what you need.
Finally, remember that while all ruggedized smartphones will be waterproof and dustproof (and therefore meet the IP68 specification), not all waterproof phones (opens in new tab) will be ruggedized. So think carefully while shopping for the best-rugged smartphone for your needs, and look into all the features these handsets boast.
The very best phones offer great cameras, the kind of performance you need to multitask and enough battery life to last the whole day. And we have our own web surfing battery test to put company's "all-day" endurance claims to the test.
Other highlights for the Galaxy S23 Ultra include smarter OneUI 5.1 features, including Bixby Text call for screening calls for you. And the display is now flatter for easier S Pen use, though we still don't think the panel needs to be curved. Note that there are complaints about S Pen Bluetooth connectivity issues, but hopefully that will be fixed with an update. Although we'd like to see faster charging overall the Samsung S23 Ultra is the best Android phone yet and easily one of the best phones overall.
Other highlights of the iPhone 14 Pro Max include a powerful A16 Bionic processor that smokes most Android phones and a powerful new 48MP camera that gives you the choice of brighter images or sharper resolution in ProRAW. See our ProRAW photo shoot to see the results. And the new Action Mode for video is super smooth and compelling. The best part is the battery life, as we saw over 13 hours in our testing, making this a total beast and worth the premium.
Video is another strong point for the iPhone 14 Pro, as you get a super smooth Action mode along with a sharper 4K Cinematic Mode. Add in a very clever replacement for the notch with Dynamic Island and an always-on display and you have one of the best phones you can buy. We just wish Apple offered faster charging, which likely won't happen until the iPhone 15 Pro.
With 5x optical zoom, the Pixel 6 Pro can pull off some fancy zoom tricks in combination with the enhanced Super Res Zoom. But we think the colors are a bit dull on the telephoto shots, certainly less vibrant than the iPhone 14 Pro in our testing. Regardless, the Pixel 7 Pro is the Android phone to get if you want the best cameras.
The iPhone SE (2022) offers a lot and is one of the best phones under $500. It trades blows with the Pixel 5a, meaning that iPhone buyers on a budget have two great options to look at. (The other being the $499 LTE-only iPhone 11.)
The main reason to get the Galaxy S22 is because you hate paying full price for phones. And at $699, the Galaxy S22 still has a lot to offer since just a few months ago, it was one of the best phones in Samsung's lineup.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 takes the best foldable phone and makes it better in multiple ways. For one, Samsung and Google made it much easier to multitask by adding a taskbar, and you can now drag and drop content between more apps when you're running them side by side.
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 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.
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. 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.
We've collected all of this week's best cell phone deals into one handy page right here, including all the latest devices from Apple, Samsung, Google, and many other leading brands. Regardless of whether you prefer an iPhone or an Android device, you'll be able to find excellent cell phone deals here that can save you tons of cash. We've also made sure to include options for carrier devices, unlocked devices, and even a few decent prepaid choices too, just to cater for all types of phone users.
Generally speaking, you'll find cell phone deals coming in two forms - first as an outright sale on an unlocked device, and secondly as part of a carrier-plan tie-in. The latter can be a bit tricky, involving new cell phone plans and also trade-ins on old devices, but the savings can be absolutely huge if you're eligible. We've also included a third alternative option - cell phone deals from prepaid carriers. These smaller carriers don't tend to offer huge savings on a device, but you'll generally be scoring a much cheaper cell phone plan so it's worth considering the switch for sure.
Which type of cell phone deal should you go for? Well, that will depend on your personal needs. If you're looking for the latest flagship device and an unlimited plan to pair it up with then you'll be well served by Verizon or AT&T's latest promotions. If you're looking for maximum flexibility or long-term savings, then it's generally better to consider either buying a device unlocked and then going with a prepaid carrier, or buying a prepaid device directly from that carrier.
Note, all of the devices featured on our list have been personally reviewed by the staff here at TechRadar. They're all fantastic picks in their own right and you won't find any sub-par choices included. If you'd like to find out which is best for you we'd recommend checking our updated guide to the best phones for 2023.
iPhone 14 Series: up to $1,000 off with trade, plus free iPad and Apple Watch at Verizon (opens in new tab)One of the best cell phone deals we've ever seen is back again this week at Verizon, with the chance to bundle in a free Apple Watch SE and 9th gen iPad with most iPhones. This stacks on top of the usual trade-in rebates of up to $1,000 that you'll find on the latest iPhone 14 series for some exceptional value. While you'll still need a pricey unlimited data plan here to be eligible for this promotion, the freebies alone are worth over $500 so it's well worth considering this one. See this same deal on the iPhone 14 Pro (opens in new tab) and iPhone 14 Pro Max (opens in new tab).
Apple iPhone 14 Plus: $5/mo with new unlimited line, plus free iPad and Apple Watch at Verizon (opens in new tab)The excellent iPhone 14 Plus is available for just $5 per month on an unlimited data plan right now - one of the strongest cell phone deals on the entire Verizon site. If getting your hands on a super-cheap flagship device wasn't enough, then note that you can also bundle in that free iPad and Apple Watch SE with this phone this week. This is a very, very strong promotion, particularly because you're not tied to the usual trade-in criteria.
Apple iPhone 14 & 14 Plus: free with eligible trade-in and unlimited plan at AT&T (opens in new tab)If AT&T is your preferred carrier of choice, you'll also find very similar cell phone deals for the 14 and 14 Plus at this carrier too, with an $800 maximum saving available. Again, you'll need to trade in and be on an unlimited data plan to be eligible for a saving but this is a fantastic way to cut down those monthly fees over your new plan's duration. See this same deal on the iPhone 14 Plus (opens in new tab).
Apple iPhone 14 Pro & 14 Pro Max: up to $800 off w/ trade-in and unlimited plan at AT&T (opens in new tab)AT&T's cell phone deals on the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max have been paired down slightly this week to feature a trade-in rebate of up to $800 - down from the record of $1,000 off. Even though this isn't the best deal we've ever seen from this carrier this promotion is still worth considering if you're interested since it'll take a significant chunk off the overall cost. See this same deal on the iPhone 14 Pro Max (opens in new tab).
Samsung Galaxy S23: up to $1,000 off with a trade-in, or free tablet and smartwatch at Verizon (opens in new tab)It's not just iPhones that are available with significant freebies with this week's cell phone deals at Verizon - you can also get a free Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Tab S7 with a new Galaxy S23. As with the iPhones, you can bundle these in on top of the usual trade-in rebate for some serious value. As of writing, the maximum saving is $800 on the standard Galaxy S23, and up to $1,000 off the Galaxy S23 Plus (opens in new tab) or the Galaxy S23 Ultra (opens in new tab). 041b061a72