XDA - Phone Reviews

Asus Zenfone 10 review: The best small smartphone gets even better

Adam Conway — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 14:12:35 GMT

Small phones are hard to come by nowadays, with the best options for consumers basically being the regular Samsung Galaxy S23 or one of the smaller iPhone 14 devices. However, the Zenfone 8 started a trend of Asus prioritizing small phones, so last year's Zenfone 9 stayed smaller than both Samsung's and Apple's offerings. Despite rumors to the contrary, the Asus Zenfone 10 retains that smaller 5.9-inch form factor. You won't get any flashy or new features, but you'll get a standard smartphone with a nice design, decent camera, and excellent performance that won't take up a lot of space in your pocket.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review: It's what a flip phone should be, mostly

Rich Woods — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 13:01:40 GMT

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 comes with some big improvements over its predecessor, including a larger external display, a much-improved hinge, and a faster processor. But the question is, is it enough? After all, for the first time ever, Samsung is facing real competition in the North American foldable space.

Honor 90 review: The sleekest midrange phone to come out this year

Ben Sin — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 13:01:22 GMT

Honor seems to have adapted sleek designs as its M.O. Last week, Honor introduced a foldable phone that was the thinnest and lightest the industry has ever seen. Now comes a mid-range slab phone that's also refreshingly light and thin compared to just about every other great modern phone. In fact, I may go out on a limb and say the Honor 90 is the most comfortable slab phone to hold that has been released this year.

Nothing Phone 2 review: Style and substance

Ben Sin — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 15:36:12 GMT

When I reviewed the Nothing Phone 1 last year, I said the phone was good but fell victim to its own hype machine. For weeks the Carl Pei-founded company teased a mobile experience that was unlike anything else. When you make such bold claims and deliver just a well-rounded solid mid-range phone, people are going to be disappointed.

Huawei Mate X3 review: Impeccable hardware for enthusiasts only

Ben Sin — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 15:03:11 GMT

The Huawei Mate X3 is a hard phone to review. On one hand, it has the most impressive foldable hardware I've ever seen— and I've tested every single foldable phone ever commercially released. Speaking purely of hardware, it makes the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 look a generation behind. But the Mate X3 is also missing easy access to services used by billions of people on Earth, and it's priced on the highest end of the mobile phone spectrum. Due to the latter two factors, the Mate X3 has no chance of being anything other than a niche enthusiast phone in regions outside its native China.

Motorola Razr+ (2023) review: The best clamshell foldable right now

Ben Sin — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:00:20 GMT

After inexplicably making last year's Razr a China-exclusive device, Motorola is bringing the Razr line back to the U.S. and other international markets. And there's good news: The Razr+ (2023) is a polished and eye-catching clamshell foldable that makes the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 look outdated. Of course, the Flip 4 is almost a year old, so it's not the most direct comparison, but the Razr+ is the biggest challenge yet to Samsung's dominant grip on the foldable market in the U.S., all thanks to its much larger cover screen. If you've ever been unsure about this kind of phone, the Razr+ is a great place to start.

Bark Phone review: An excellent phone for kids with an odd way to get it

Chris Wedel — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 13:00:18 GMT

Bark is known as the go-to app for parental controls for kids' devices, and the Bark Phone is its first all-in-one solution. I have reviewed many of the best smartphones for kids and smartwatches for kids, so although I've never used the Bark App myself, I was interested in checking the new phone out with my two young kids.

Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) review: Do you even need a stylus in a midrange phone?

Brady Snyder — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 13:00:19 GMT

As smartphone manufacturers continue to push the limits of pricing, Motorola has gone in the opposite direction. There is a market for affordable smartphones, and Motorola has carved out a niche in this area. With the Moto G Stylus 5G (2023), the company is aiming to create a midrange smartphone with a built-in stylus. Not many midrange smartphones offer this functionality — or smartphones in general for that matter — so this feature alone makes it in the running to be one of the best budget smartphones this year.

Moto G 5G (2023) review: A $250 mixed bag

Max Buondonno — Thu, 25 May 2023 13:00:19 GMT

Motorola’s success over the past few years has stemmed from the lower end of the smartphone market. It’s captured the attention of consumers and reviewers alike with devices that can be well-rounded while delivering on just the fundamentals, making for some of the best budget phones. The standard Moto G series specifically has been a contender in this part of the market, and the latest model for 2023 is no exception.

Motorola Moto G Power 5G (2023) review: Lots of power, but not where you need it most

Timi Cantisano — Mon, 01 May 2023 13:00:51 GMT

Motorola's Moto G Power line has always been about providing smartphones with excellent battery life. The trend continues with the latest version but adds marked improvements over its predecessor, like a 1080p display, 120Hz refresh rate, 5G connectivity, a better processor, and more. The previous Moto G Power was one of the best cheap Android phones available, so our expectations were high.

ThinkPhone by Motorola review: Finally, a phone for ThinkPad stans

Rich Woods — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 13:00:16 GMT

The Lenovo ThinkPhone by Motorola, despite being a really strange branding decision, is a really good phone with some really smart features. It's designed for ThinkPad users, and the Lenovo-owned Motorola is finally starting to find ways to make its devices work with each other.

Asus ROG Phone 7 Ultimate review: The best gaming phone gets even better

Adam Conway — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 17:00:17 GMT

When it comes to gaming phones, Asus' ROG series is probably the cream of the crop. They're not the most popular compared to conventional smartphones, but anybody who's serious about mobile gaming has heard of them. Past devices like the Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro went all out on specifications, and the ROG Phone 7 Ultimate is no different. There's a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a headphone jack, dual front-facing speakers, and even a second USB-C port.

Honor Magic 5 Pro review: On the path to greatness

Chris Wedel — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 08:00:17 GMT

Honor was known for making midrange phones for years while it was still a part of Huawei. With its separation from Huawei to become a standalone brand in 2021, Honor is pushing further into the flagship space to battle for the best smartphone title — and the newly announced Magic 5 Pro is here for the next step.

Teracube Thrive kids smartphone review: A sustainable phone with just enough parental control

Chris Wedel — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 13:00:17 GMT

Kids wanting a cellphone and parents being reluctant to give in is a tale as old as, well, cellphones. But with the rise of smartphones, that desire has shifted from simply wanting to talk with friends to becoming an all-encompassing access point to the world. Thankfully, smartphones also allow parents to keep tabs on their child and, with proper parental controls, manage what that phone can do. The Teracube Thrive wants to be that perfect phone for you and your child.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 vs MediaTek Dimensity 9200: Battle of the titans

Adam Conway — Sun, 12 Mar 2023 13:00:16 GMT

For years when it came to flagships, Qualcomm was the undisputed number one when it came to flagship chipsets. At times the company would trade blows with Samsung's Exynos chips, but in recent years Samsung's chipset prowess has come to a halt. The Samsung Galaxy S23 series now carries the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and the Exynos 2200 in the S22 series was a complete mess. However, MediaTek has now taken up the mantle as the primary Qualcomm competitor, and the chipset battle is heating up.

Samsung Galaxy S23 review: Finally able to stand on its own

Karthik Iyer — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 14:00:17 GMT

It's hard to get excited about yearly smartphone upgrades these days since most don't offer a substantial reason to splurge. But the Galaxy S23 is an exception — a worthwhile upgrade over its predecessor, even if the spec sheet tells you otherwise. I used the regular Galaxy S22 for the better part of 2022, and the Galaxy S23 checks all the right boxes for an upgrade. From the 6.1-inch AMOLED screen and the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip to the improved battery life and camera experience, there is a lot to like about the Galaxy S23 that makes it convincingly better than the last year's model.

Oppo Find N2 Flip review: A worthy challenger to the Z Flip 4

Ben Sin — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 14:00:17 GMT

If you wanted a foldable phone over the past several years, chances are your only options were a Samsung Z Fold or Z Flip. Foldables from other brands (all Chinese), for whatever reason, have stuck to selling only inside China. This made for an odd situation where the foldable phone scene was highly competitive in one country. Everywhere else, there's a monopoly operated by Samsung.

OnePlus 11 display evaluation: Back to the drawing board

Dylan Raga — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 16:01:17 GMT

Once upon a time, OnePlus thrived from a business model that delivered premium hardware specs at conventionally lower prices. Over time, the Chinese company departed further from this pattern year after year, eventually succumbing to competing dollar-for-dollar with other flagship smartphones.

OnePlus 11 performance evaluation: The fast, smooth, and power-efficient phone you expect

Adam Conway — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 14:30:16 GMT

There are few brands as synonymous with speed as OnePlus, and the OnePlus 11, with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, aims to maintain that reputation. It's the company's most powerful smartphone to date, and with its release outside of China, we put it to the test to see just what it's capable of and how well it performs. Not only does it pack the fastest Android SoC on the market (well, technically, that crown goes to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy), but it packs UFS 4.0 storage, too, the fastest storage you can get currently.

OnePlus 11 review: A polished 'almost flagship' at non-flagship price

Ben Sin — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 15:00:17 GMT

When the OnePlus 11 hit the market almost two months ago, it was one of the first new Android phones of the year, and while we liked the phone a lot, we didn't have other devices against which to compare. Now that the spring release flood of Android brands (outside North America) has just about wrapped, and we have a better overview of the entire Android smartphone scene in 2023, we can say that the OnePlus 11 has held up very well against higher priced competition, and many of us at XDA think it's the most underrated phone on the market right now.

RedMagic 8 Pro review: The most powerful gaming phone held back by software

Adam Conway — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 14:00:16 GMT

There are very few smartphone brands that are known solely for gaming phones. The first is probably Asus with its stellar ROG Phone series (though it has an equally great Zenfone series), and the second is probably RedMagic. Gaming on a smartphone isn't exactly a new concept, and with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Qualcomm has been doubling down on some of what makes a gaming phone great.

Moto G Play (2023) review: A former budget king struggles to remain relevant

Chris Wedel — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 14:00:16 GMT

Admittedly it has been quite a while since I have spent a significant amount of time with a budget smartphone, and the last time I used a Motorola device was the Moto Z Play from 2016. Going into my review of the new Moto G Play (2023), I knew I'd have to temper my expectations for how the device would perform as my daily driver after using high-end flagships like the Pixel 7 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. So, how did the budget-minded Moto G Play (2023) fare? About as expected.

Gabb Phone Plus software review: Almost too simple

Chris Wedel — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 16:00:16 GMT

Kids and teens want smartphones. While teens might have a better idea of why they want a phone and what they would use it for, the dangers are still there regardless of age. That's why it's important to use a smartphone designed for kids from a trustworthy source. Gabb Wireless is a U.S.-based brand that provides both devices and custom software to help parents feel more confident handing over smartphones to their kids.

Vivo X90 Pro Plus review: This kitchen sink phone sets a high bar for 2023 flagships

Ben Sin — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 14:00:16 GMT

The Vivo X90 Pro+ is an overkill phone in every sense of the word. From the unnecessarily long name to the tacky over-branding on its backside; the gigantic camera bump to the cutting-edge components used, it's the so-called "kitchen sink" phone because Vivo seemingly threw every mobile tech possible at it. In all my years of reviewing smartphones, only a few devices have hit the scene with this much "new" hardware: the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. The Vivo X90 Pro+ joins the list.

Huawei Mate 50 Pro review: Doing everything right, but is that enough?

Adam Conway — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 14:00:15 GMT

One of my favorite Android OEMs of all time is Huawei. It's always been a hardware king, packing incredible specifications into devices that were ahead of their time and giving us a window into what Android could be.

Oppo Find N2 hands-on: The lightest foldable deserves a release outside China

Ben Sin — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 08:30:16 GMT

The foldable scene is so competitive inside China that it seems like each new release has to set a new foldable hardware benchmark so there can be a marketing angle. This summer's Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 was "the thinnest foldable phone ever". The recently launched Honor Magic Vs has "the largest battery in a foldable phone". And now comes the Oppo Find N2, whose 233g weight makes it the "lightest horizontal foldable" yet (clamshells are excluded).

Google Pixel 7 display review: Tempering expectations

Dylan Raga — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 14:00:16 GMT

Launching at $599, the Pixel 7 is Google's base offering that's seated between the company's flagship and budget phones. It's still one of the most bang-for-your-buck phones in 2022 thanks to having the same excellent main camera sensor and processing as the Pro model. If you want a competitive point-and-shoot camera with Google's software experience, the Pixel 7 is a great choice.

OnePlus Nord N300 5G review: A basic phone you can get for free

Ben Sin — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 14:00:15 GMT

When OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei launched the Nord series two years ago, he said he wanted to strip away superfluous smartphone features and "get back to basics."

Hands on: The Asus ROG Phone 6 Diablo Immortal Edition will send you to Sanctuary

Adam Conway — Sat, 19 Nov 2022 14:00:15 GMT

Asus has been making some pretty incredible video game-centric phones, especially for mobile gaming. From the Asus ROG Phone 6D Ultimate that launched with the Dimensity 9000+ to the Asus ROG Phone 6 with the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, both are stellar options for a mobile gamer.

Google Pixel 7 Pro review: Google finally delivers a true Android flagship that just works

Adam Conway — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 11:00:32 GMT

If you remember the mayhem caused by the Google Pixel 6 Pro from last year, then you'll also recall how simply divisive it was. Many Pixel fans will attempt to rewrite history and state that it was the best thing since sliced bread, but it was anything but. It was a good smartphone with a lot of problems, and in the case of the Google Pixel 7 Pro, Google has attempted to right a lot of those wrongs by approaching the same recipe with alternative ingredients.

Google Pixel 7 review: Pixel hardware finally gets great enough to match best-in-class software

Ben Sin — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 12:30:30 GMT

Ever since its birth in 2016, the Google Pixel series has offered excellent software performance but subpar hardware. The original Pixel had a hilariously thick chin bezel that served no purpose (it didn't house any buttons or sensors); the second Pixel had display quality issues; the third Pixel had that hideous notch on the XL; the fourth Pixel replaced that notch with a bulky bezel housing a 3D facial scanning system that didn't always work; and the Pixel 5 neither used a flagship processor nor premium build materials. Winds of changes arrived with the Pixel 6, the first Pixel phone to offer beautiful hardware to match the industry-best software. But even then, there were still hardware quirks, including a display that didn't get bright enough and an in-display fingerprint scanner that was frustratingly slow.

Xiaomi 12T Pro review: A mid-year upgrade to 200MP

Ben Sin — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 10:00:29 GMT

After starting 2022 with a good but unexciting flagship -- that would be the standard Xiaomi 12 Pro -- Xiaomi hit its strides in the summer, launching a pair of tremendous devices with hardware that clearly trumped rivals -- these would be the Xiaomi 12S Ultra with a 1-inch camera sensor and the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 with an unbelievably thin design.

Google Pixel 7 Pro camera review: Top-tier camera flagship that improves upon the Pixel 6 series

Adam Conway — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 17:00:28 GMT

Google's Pixel 7 series arrived to much fanfare. With promises of improvements in the form of Tensor G2 and more software features than ever, the company has very likely released its best flagship smartphone yet. While we haven't had a lot of time with the Google Pixel 7 Pro just yet (and so, our full review will be coming at a later date), we've prioritized using the camera to get a feel for how things may (or may not) have improved.

Motorola Razr (2022) Review: Sleek hardware but broken camera software

Ben Sin — Sun, 09 Oct 2022 13:00:28 GMT

The foldable smartphone scene is in such an odd place right now. Samsung has a virtual monopoly on the global foldable scene, except for one important, but somewhat insular country: China. Within China, there are a half dozen foldable alternatives to Samsung's foldables, and they all have sleeker and better-looking hardware.

iPhone 14 Pro review: More of the same with just enough change

Timi Cantisano — Sun, 02 Oct 2022 13:00:26 GMT

Whether you're a first-time iPhone buyer or a seasoned iOS veteran, the Apple iPhone 14 Pro is a smartphone that you can count on for practically all situations. It is the best iOS smartphone you can purchase, but it isn't the one that offers the most value, so the recommendation leans on you being a power user.

Apple iPhone 14 review: The most iterative update ever to a great smartphone

Kishan Vyas — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 13:00:03 GMT

The iPhone 14 is such an incredibly minor update that no iPhone 13 owner with a sane mind should consider upgrading to it. The fact that iPhone 14 doesn't even do the bare minimum to justify an upgrade from its predecessor is a reminder of Apple's incredible grip over the smartphone market and how it can afford to get away with controversial moves that others simply can't. Can you imagine any Android brand releasing a flagship with the same chipset as its predecessor, and getting away with it?

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max review: The most 'Pro' iPhone yet

Ben Sin — Sat, 24 Sep 2022 13:00:12 GMT

Apple has been launching "Pro" iPhones since 2019's iPhone 11 series, but it wasn't until this year's iPhone 14 Pro phones did it really put meaningful separation between the Pro and non-Pro iPhones. Some of this separation is due to true innovation: the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max introduce a whole new user interface that has generated discourse through the tech industry over the past couple of weeks, and will very likely inspire sweeping changes to Android phones' UI in the near future. The Pro iPhones also introduce the most pixel-dense camera ever to an iPhone, one that opens up a new optical zoom length and raises the ceiling for what professionals can do in terms of photo editing.

Asus ROG Phone 6D Ultimate review: MediaTek's Dimensity 9000 Plus is one of the most powerful mobile chipsets ever made

Adam Conway — Sat, 24 Sep 2022 11:00:14 GMT

Asus has been leading the charge with chipsets in recent months. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 first arrived in the west via the Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro, a true powerhouse that has everything and the kitchen sink. Following that saw the advent of the Zenfone 9, a dinky little device with a lot of might. Now we're getting the Asus ROG Phone 6D Ultimate, and it's yet another first -- this time, it's the first time the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 Plus is coming to the west.