Smartphone Awards 2025: The Definitive Winners of the Year

If there’s one thing 2025 proved, it’s that smartphone innovation is nowhere close to slowing down. From bold experiments to unexpected comebacks, this year gave us devices that genuinely pushed boundaries. And yes—it’s finally time to break down the Smartphone Awards 2025, celebrating the best phones across every major category.

Let’s dive straight into the winners and the unforgettable runner-ups that defined this year in tech.

🏆 Best Big Phone—Xiaomi 17 Pro Max

Big phones are only worth their size when they justify every inch—and the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max absolutely did. This beast of a phone embraced its massive 6.9-inch display, delivering more than just screen real estate.

Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, a 7,500 mAh silicon-carbon battery, and triple 50MP cameras, it proved that “big” can also mean “brilliant.” The highlight was its nearly 3-inch, 1,000-nit, 120 Hz secondary screen at the back—not a gimmick, but genuinely useful for notifications and camera framing.

Runner-up: Oppo Find X9 Pro—an absolute camera monster with a 200MP telephoto and the same massive silicon-carbon battery.

📱 Best Small Phone—Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7

True small flagships may be extinct, but the Galaxy Z Flip 7 kept the spirit alive in its own clever way. Unfolded, it’s a full 6.9-inch flagship, but folded—it’s pocket perfection.

Its 4.1-inch cover screen is functional enough for notifications and essential tasks, letting you use it like a minimal, distraction-free mini phone when needed. In a world obsessed with bigger, the Flip 7 dared to stay compact.

Notable Mentions: OnePlus 13S, iPhone 17, and iPhone 17 Pro.

📸 Best Camera—Oppo Find X9 Pro

This one wasn’t even close—the Oppo Find X9 Pro was the camera champ of 2025.

With a stunning quad-camera setup (50MP main, 50MP ultrawide, 200MP telephoto, and true color sensor), Oppo nailed everything: sharpness, dynamic range, speed, and reliability. Its consistent output and full-resolution 50MP shots across sensors made it a dream for photography lovers.

High-end video features? Absolutely. 4K 120 fps, Dolby Vision, log recording, and even an optional Hasselblad telephoto attachment for 10x optical zoom.

Runner-up: iPhone 17 Pro—still the unbeaten king of video because of unmatched stability and pro-level tools.

💰 The Value Award—CMF Phone 2 Pro

If there’s one phone that felt like a steal this year, it was the CMF Phone 2 Pro, starting at just $279.

Modular, fun, and shockingly capable—it genuinely felt like it should cost double. A bright 6.8-inch 120 Hz display, a 5,000 mAh battery, smooth software, three cameras, and playful add-on accessories made it the most exciting budget phone of 2025.

Shout-outs:

• Moto G Play—one of the best under $200

• Pixel 9a—compact, reliable, and consistently great

🔋 Best Battery—OnePlus 15

2025 was the year silicon-carbon batteries officially changed the game—and OnePlus 15 stood at the front.

With 7000+ mAh capacity, it delivered three full days of mixed, high-brightness use and over 10 hours of screen-on time. Add 120W wired and 50W wireless charging, and you have the ultimate endurance machine.

Shout-outs:

• Xiaomi 17 Pro Max—huge 7,500 mAh + crazy 22.5W reverse wireless charging

• Doogee S200 Ultra—the largest battery tested this year at 11,000 mAh

🎨 The Design Award—iPhone Air

When a phone dares to look different, it deserves to be noticed—and the iPhone Air made that risk look beautiful.

Ultra-light, ultra-thin, almost jewelry-like— Apple completely rearranged the internals into the upper section of the phone near the camera bump. It wasn’t just designed for marketing—it genuinely created a fresh, minimalist experience.

Runners-up:

• Xiaomi 17 Pro Max—a back screen that was actually useful

• Galaxy S25 Edge—a bold, rectangular, brutalist approach

• Fairphone 6—the sustainability and repairability king

📖 Best Foldable—Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

Samsung reclaimed its throne with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the most stable and practical foldable of the year.

Amazing software, long battery life, and a much slimmer build made it a joy both opened at 8 inches and closed. It finally felt like a foldable ready for everyday life—not just a futuristic gadget.

Runner-up: Pixel 10 Pro Fold—great when closed, but a bit too thick beside Samsung’s refinement.

📈 Most Improved—iPhone 17

Apple finally listened—and the iPhone 17 became a complete phone.

Major leap from the iPhone 16:

• ProMotion 120 Hz display

• Double base storage

• A much-improved new selfie camera

For once, the base model felt premium enough to recommend without hesitation.

Runner-up: OnePlus 15—huge upgrades in battery, design, and raw power in just one generation.

💔 Bust of the Year—iPhone 16

This one hurt.

Apple took too much away to create a “budget” iPhone—an old A15 chip, a 60Hz display, a single camera, no MagSafe, no modern Wi-Fi support… and then priced it at $599.

The compromises didn’t match the price. That’s why it walked away with the unfortunate crown.

Runner-up: Nothing Phone 3—expectations were high, but the odd design choices and tiny pixelated replacement feature didn’t land well.

🌟 MVP (Phone of the Year) — iPhone 17

The biggest glow-up of the year earned the biggest award.

The iPhone 17 became the most complete base-model iPhone ever made—120 Hz, better selfie camera, double storage, same price. It’s now an 8/10 in every category, and that balance made it the most recommended phone of 2025.

Runner-up: Xiaomi 17 Pro Max—undercut the market with better power, battery, and design while offering more features for less.

Final Thoughts

2025 gave us smart risks, bold experiments, and phones that finally corrected long-overdue flaws. Whether it was value, design, performance, or battery innovation—every category had a standout story.

And as this year’s awards show, the best phones aren’t always the most expensive—they’re the ones that make the smartest decisions.