On Sky News Weekend First Edition with Alex Thomas yesterday, I revealed our top five smartphones of the year. It was an excellent year for phones but some were just a little better than others.
5 – NOTHING PHONE 3
Coming in at number five is the Nothing Phone 3. This phone breaks away from the boring phone design we’ve had for years. Nothing phones are different. Not really like anything else on the market.
The first, unmistakable thing you notice, is the design. It’s futuristic and retro all in one package. No doubt, the coolest thing about Phone (3) is the all-new Glyph Matrix. It’s designed to reduce screen time and streamline how users receive key information. From app-specific alerts to contact-based notifications and real-time progress indicators, Glyph Matrix lets you stay informed at a glance, without getting pulled into endless scrolling.
The cameras and performance are fine but the Nothing Phone 3 makes the top five thanks to it unique design and fun interface.
4 – SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD7
The Fold7 comes in at number four because it hits me emotionally as well as technically. Each time I pulled out my review unit I would always take a couple of seconds to admire its ridiculously thin construction. Barely thicker than its own USB-C port. Incredible.
When folded out the Fold7 is just 4.2mm thick and at 215 grams, it is effortless to hold between your forefinger and thumb. When you rest it on your palm and fingers it could easily stay there all day. When folded, the Fold7 is 8.9mm thick, just 0.7mm thicker than the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The rear cameras got a big bump this year with the inclusion the S25 Ultra flagship 200MP sensor.
Samsung really nailed it with the Fold7 and it’s currently $400 off.
3 – GOOGLE PIXEL 10 PRO
The Pixel 10 Pro is an awesome phone. Google has tweaked its flagship, including the larger XL version (see Phil Tann’s review here) with some interesting features this year.
You get a better screen, processor, and battery but it’s the other features like Pixelsnap which really impress. It means all of Apple’s MagSafe accessories are also compatible with the Pixel 10 series. Being pure Android also means this is a very slick device with plenty of AI muscle. The camera hardware is essentially unchanged but the quality of stills and video is outstanding.
You can also use your Pixel 10 phone to swap files with Apple devices using AirDrop via Quick Share.
2 – IPHONE 17 PRO MAX
This year’s iPhone lineup is a serious upgrade and the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the pick of the bunch. iPhone 17 Pro models have a rear camera array completely made of 48MP sensors with the ability to record ProRes RAW. That’s insane.
Three 48MP Fusion cameras — Main, Ultra Wide, and an all-new Telephoto — offer the equivalent of eight lenses, including the longest optical-quality zoom ever on iPhone at 8x, and the 18MP Centre Stage front camera means selfies can be taken in portrait or landscape while holding the phone vertical.
Video is best in the game and the new design with aluminium alloy gives the best thermal performance of any iPhone.
1 – OPPO FIND X9 PRO
OPPO’s Find X9 Pro was the last major smartphone release globally and it’s a worthy winner of phone of the year. It might come as a bit of a surprise to some but if you’ve seen the specs you won’t be shocked. Its massive 7500mAh battery uses third-generation silicon-carbon battery technology. Si-C batteries batteries combine silicon with carbon in the anode instead of relying solely on traditional graphite. This increases the energy capacity without increasing the physical size of the battery. Enjoy two days of phone use on one charge, maybe more.
The Hasselblad Master Camera System powered by OPPO’s LUMO Image Engine and features a 200MP Hasselblad Telephoto lens. This was co-developed with Hasselblad in both sensor calibration and optical design. There’s also a telephoto lens attachment that extends your optical reach to 230mm.
OPPO’s flagship is THE Android version of the iPhone so if you were looking to switch, this might be your device.
