As 2025 draws to a close, we take our time to look at some of the best smartphones the tech industry has given us. Foldables are slimmer than ever, AI is woven into every menu and app, and batteries are defying physics with capacities that outlast your daily stamina. We’ve spent months on the desk and more time in the wild, testing all sorts of smartphones across all price ranges. From Apple’s featherweight iPhone Air to Android’s battery behemoths from OnePlus and Vivo, phones of 2025 have outshone their predecessors.
Hence, in this article, we put our spotlight on the top five phones that left us most impressed. We have ranked them by a blend of performance, design, camera prowess, and their daily ease of use. Our picks include the iPhone 17 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, Vivo X300, Apple iPhone Air, and OnePlus 15. These aren’t just specs on paper; they’re the handsets that redefined what best means in the world of tech in 2025. Let’s dive in.
iPhone 17 Pro Max:
If there’s one phone that showcases 2025’s tech pinnacle, it’s the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Launched in September, Apple’s flagship arrived with a vapour chamber cooling system that tames the A19 Pro chip’s performance fury, ensuring buttery-smooth performance even during marathon gaming sessions or 8K video edits. At 233g and 8.8mm thick, it’s no lightweight, but the unibody aluminum frame feels premium and purposeful. Battery life clocks in at an all-day-plus unit, outlasting its rivals by hours in our tests. But the cameras steal the show: a trio of 48MP lenses (wide, ultra-wide, and a telephoto with up to 8x optical zoom) deliver professional-level still shots, with 8K recording that’s sharper than ever. If you have wanted a phone that doesn’t compromise, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is your best bet.
-
The iPhone 17 Pro is available with a notable bank offers on Vijay Sales.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7:
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 isn’t just a phone — it’s a productivity beast that disguises itself as a conventional slab when closed. At a relatively featherlight 215g and a mind-bending 4.2mm unfolded thickness, it folds into a 6.5-inch 21:9 cover screen that’s finally usable for one-handed Netflix binges or quick emails. Unfold it, and the 8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X inner display transforms into a mini-laptop, perfect for multitasking with Flex Mode’s split-screen wizardry. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, with up to 16GB RAM and a 4400mAh battery that sips power for 12+ hours of mixed use, the Fold 7 aced our endurance tests and our hearts with its portability.
-
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
Vivo X300:
Vivo’s X300 proves that good things come in small packages. This 190g, 8mm-thick compact flagship slips into pockets like it was born there, yet packs a great Zeiss-tuned camera system that punches way above its weight. The cameras, which include a 200MP main with OIS, flanked by 50MP ultra-wide and periscope telephoto, deliver Zeiss optics that rival the iPhone 17 Pro in portrait depth and low-light clarity. The 50MP front shooter nails selfies with natural skin tones, and IP69 dust/water resistance means it’s adventure-ready. The MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chipset (with 16GB RAM options) handles 4K editing and Genshin Impact at max settings without a sweat. Battery life? A monstrous 6,040mAh cell with 90W wired and 40W wireless charging refuels to 100% in under 30 minutes — our tests showed two full days of moderate use. With OriginOS 6, the Vivo X300 earns a top recommendation from us.
-
Vivo X300
Apple iPhone Air
The iPhone Air redefines “less is more” at a super-thin 5.6mm of thickness and a weight of 165g. This titanium-framed phone houses a 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR with ProMotion (up to 120Hz) and 3,000 nits brightness, making scrolls feel like silk. The A19 Pro chip, along with N1 networking and C1X modem, powers through AI tasks. Cameras shine with a 48MP Fusion main (emulating four lenses) and 18MP Center Stage front for great video calls. Ceramic Shield 2 on both sides shrugs off scratches like a boss! Once you get used to the iPhone Air, it becomes tricky to move to any other smartphone. The only exception is a mediocre battery life, but hey, you need to compromise somewhere.
-
iPhone Air
OnePlus 15
OnePlus crashed the party in 2025 with the OnePlus 15, a 211g value-for-money flagship. Its 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED with 165Hz refresh rate delivers gaming at 120 fps with 3,200Hz touch sampling, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 crushes benchmarks (4 million AnTuTu) and AI tasks without throttling. However, the 7,300mAh NanoStack battery steals the show, delivering 2 days of full moderate use cases. You get 120W wired charging and 50W wireless charging for quick top-ups. The cameras may be the only area where the OnePlus 15 falls short of its contemporaries but elsewhere, this is a solid package to own in 2025.
-
OnePlus 15R
