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Best smartphones to buy in 2024: tested by experts

Looking to buy the best mobile phone? Can't choose between cheap or premium? Our expert tests reveal the Best Buy phones worth considering 
Which? Team
Best smartphones

In this article

With prices rising and more models than ever to choose from, our independent lab tests and expert advice can help find the Best Buy mobile phone to suit you. Our recommended phones can act as a camera, keep you informed and entertained on the move – and still leave you with battery for when you get home.

It's important to spend your money wisely on a phone that will last. We've found ones with pitiful battery lives, slow processors, and short security support. Read on to find out which phones impressed in our tests along with all the advice you need to make an informed decision.

Or go straight to our mobile phone reviews to compare every model we've tested.

Best smartphones 2024

We've rounded up some of the very best phones you can buy that are superb all-rounders. If you want to pay less, scroll down for the links to reviews under £600 and under £300.

Every smartphone we test goes through more than 40 rigorous tests to find the very best. Join Which? to unlock the mobile phones recommended by experts. Already a member? Log in here.

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Why you can trust our mobile phone reviews

We don't accept freebies. We buy every mobile phone we test anonymously to make sure its the same product that you buy – and to keep our results impartial.

Our phones go through more than 40 different tests in lab conditions. Our camera testing is in-depth – from overall picture quality in daylight conditions, to evaluating colour accuracy, image stabilisation and quality of the optical zoom. The phone's display will only get our five-star recommendation if it's quick, responsive and shows rich colours. It needs to be easy to use, too.

We use a robotic arm to interact with the phone to measure its battery life through the day at different brightness settings, and test how long it takes to charge. We benchmark the speed of each phone's processor to compare it to others on the market as well as putting it through daily tasks to make sure you don't end up with a sluggish performance. For your peace of mind, we also test if the phone is durable enough to survive getting caught in the rain or being dropped on hard surfaces.

Our security testing involves checking how well each phone protects your data, and we remove Best Buy and Great Value recommendations if we suspect a phone will soon lose its security support from the manufacturer. This means you know you can keep your data safe on our recommended models for longer. Read more on how we test mobile phones.

As a Which? mobile phone expert I work closely with our labs to ensure that every device goes through extensive testing under equal conditions. I know which phones are worth considering and how to get a good deal.

Amy AxworthySenior Researcher/Writer

Discover our pick of the best mobile phone and Sim-only deals, and best iPhone deals for 2024.

Should I buy a phone on contract or Sim-free?

It can be tempting to opt for a lower monthly fee rather than pay a lot outright, but this could cost more in the long term. Use our phone contract calculator to find the best way to buy.

What's the best way to buy a mobile phone?

Student using mobile phone

Buying a phone on contract

Pros: Spreads the costs over time, may offer additional perks and benefits.

Cons: Susceptible to inflation, could end up costing you more, less flexibility on Sim package.

Buying on contract can make even the priciest handsets seem affordable. The key here is to run the numbers to find out how much you’ll be paying compared to the other options below. Aside from potentially costing more, mobile contracts may be susceptible to mobile contract inflation, which could be significant. However, benefits such as the perks provided by some mobile providers can be tempting – if you’ll use them.

Another thing to look out for is contract length. Many providers now use 36-month contracts for repayment of the handset, plus a two-year Sim package. You can choose your own Sim deal for the remaining year at the same or a different provider. Use our mobile phone contract calculator to work out exactly how much you’ll end up paying in these scenarios.

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Buying a phone on credit

Pros: Spreads the costs over time, ensures you won't overpay for a handset (with an interest-free loan), inflation-proof, flexibility on Sim and provider.

Cons: May not get the best price on a handset, must keep up repayments.

Some manufacturers allow you to buy phones on credit, with the best ones offering interest-free repayments. With Apple you can pay for an iPhone monthly at 0% APR with the option to upgrade before the end of the contract, Samsung offers 0% interest options, as does Giffgaff, both through Klarna. However, it's less likely you'll get a good discount on the handset compared to hunting for a deal separately, and you must keep up with repayments. Retailers often offer finance options too, but check carefully as you may have to pay interest.

Buying a phone Sim-free

Pros: No need to worry about paying it off, easier to make savings on a handset, flexibility on Sim and provider.

Cons: High upfront cost.

If you have the money to pay for a handset upfront, it's often the cheapest option. It also gives you the most flexibility in terms of choosing and switching your Sim plan. Buying a phone outright obviously involves a more significant upfront expense, but you don't need to spend a lot for a very capable smartphone. Alternatively consider a 0% purchase credit card that won't charge interest on purchases for an initial period, usually between three and 22 months. You'll need to keep up with repayments or you'll be charged the card's standard APR – typically around 24%.

How much do I need to spend for a good mobile phone?

You could spend over £1,000 on a smartphone, but fortunately we've seen excellent models for a fraction of the price.

Expect to spend from around £350 for a Best Buy. It may not have all the bells and whistles of premium competitors, but any phone good enough to be a Best Buy is guaranteed to tick a lot of boxes. We have Great Value models for as little as £200. These might not be as powerful as our Best Buys, but you're certainly getting a lot for your money including premium displays and long battery lives.

Find out our picks of the best mobile phone and sim-free deals. 

Where to buy a mobile phone

When buying a mobile phone, make sure you're handing your money over to a reputable seller. Check the retailer's returns policy and pay attention to customer feedback and reviews. For more details on shopping online safely and arranging refunds for faulty products, see our advice on shopping online.

Mobile Phones Direct, Argos and Carphone Warehouse are some of the most searched-for mobile phone retailers at the time of writing. We’ve included links to these retailers handpicked because of their stock availability, best value price or warranty options. 

  • Mobile Phones Direct – from Sim-free and Sim-only to pay monthly or refurbished, Mobile Phones Direct (part of the AO family) stocks hundreds of phones that are delivered using free next-day delivery direct from UK manufacturers. It offers deals with 18 different brands including Apple, Google, Huawei and Samsung with one of three network options – O2,  Three and Vodaphone.
  • Argos – sells a mixture of Sim-free and pay-as-you-go mobile phones. Prices start at less than £20 for basic models and go up to around £1,300. Argos offers same day in-store collection at selected Sainsbury's stores and you can even bump up your nectar points when you shop there. 
  • Carphone Warehouse – specialist mobile phone retailer that stocks lots of different phones from a range of network providers. You can opt for Sim-only or a monthly contract and you can even trade in your old phone when you upgrade. Carphone Warehouse promises to price match if you find a cheaper deal elsewhere and it offers free home or in-store delivery. 
  • Mobiles.co.uk –part of Carphone Warehouse, it's always worth checking this site as well, especially if you're looking to buy on contract. It often has good deals on handsets, though make sure you've added up all extras – including upfront costs. Look for the total price paid, rather than getting seduced by price per month.

If you're upgrading a phone, don't leave the old one gathering dust in a drawer. How to recycle your mobile phone explains how to get money for an old handset, and erase your data securely.

iOS or Android: which OS is best?

The operating system (OS) is the software that powers your phone. It shapes what the phone interface looks like and what apps it can run, and plays a large part in how easy it is to use. There are two main players to choose from: iOS (Apple iPhones) and Android.

Android

samsung mobile phone

 Android is designed by Google and is used by a range of manufacturers, from OnePlus and Oppo to Motorola and Samsung. Android looks and behaves slightly differently depending on the manufacturer, but the basics are essentially the same.

  • Pros: Generally easy to use, customisable and provides access to the wide variety of apps and games from the Google Play store. There are also plenty of Android phones to choose from whatever your budget.
  • Cons: Security support policies vary dramatically by brand – with some offering just two to three years. Sometimes manufacturers and network providers can be slow to release Android updates to users.

Apple iOS

iPhone 15 and Pro Max

All iPhones use iOS and the experience of using the operating system is broadly similar whichever iPhone you buy. New updates to iOS are released each year, but some older iPhones may only be able to run older versions, which means you'll miss out on some of the latest features and security patches.

  • Pros: Easy to use and quick to learn, even if you haven’t used a smartphone before. It provides access to the well-stocked Apple app store – where apps are vetted before being released.
  • Cons: Apple iPhones are expensive, though you can find good deals on older handsets and in the second-hand market.

Read our guide on Apple iPhones vs Samsung Galaxy for more, or check our dedicated comparison guides to see which iPhone is worth splashing out for.

We collect reliability data on all the big-brand smartphones so you have all the very best advice before you buy. Read our guide to the most reliable mobile phone brands for more.

Choose a mobile phone brand with good update support

One important consideration for any phone purchase is how long it will receive important security updates from the manufacturer. We estimate the 'lifetime' of a smartphone – the average time we’d expect one to last before it breaks down or deteriorates significantly – is 5.6 years. This is based on robust analysis of recent product surveys and is a conservative estimate, so we’re confident that the genuine average is above this value.

We asked popular mobile phone brands how long they'd support devices with updates after launch, and as you can see, too many are still falling short of this measure. 

  • Apple officially says it will support iPhones for five years from launch, but in practice we've seen this to be at least six years. 
  • Fairphone has an update policy of approximately five to eight years.
  • Google supports phones for three to seven years. It announced the Pixel 6 and later models would receive a minimum five years – from the Pixel 8 this extends to seven years of support. Google states when each device will lose security support on its website.
  • Honor phones released since the brand's separation from Huawei have a two to five year security update process, depending on the model.
  • Motorola supports phones with security updates in its Edge and Razr Families for four years from launch. The G Family gets a minimum of three years and it's two years of support for phones in its E Family. Motorola states when each device will lose security support on its website.
  • Nokia supports phones for two to four years, depending on the model.
  • Nothing appears to support its phones for three to four years from launch.
  • OnePlus supports phones for three to five years. Its Nord devices get three years of security updates, flagship phones from the 8 Series get four years and all phones launched from 2023 get five years of security updates.
  • Oppo phones that are new get at least three years of security support, with select devices getting five years, such as the Find N2 Flip and X5 Pro.
  • Samsung announced in 2019 that all new Samsung phones will be supported for at least four years, it extended this to five years for select devices launched in 2022, and seven years for selected 2024 releases. 
  • Sony stated that it only aims to supports phones for two or three years. Some of its 2024 releases should be supported for four years, however.
  • Xiaomi phones that are new get at least three years of security support, with certain premium devices getting four or five years.

While you may not be at immediate risk if you're using a device that's unsupported, it's obviously desirable to buy and use a phone that you know will receive update support for a good period of time. These policies aren't always easy to work out for individual phones, and you need to remember that support durations start from when the phone is released – not when you buy it. 

Head to our guide to mobile phone security to check how long your mobile phone will remain supported.

Do I need an antivirus app for a mobile phone?

Mobile antivirus can help protect you against phishing scams, where criminals trick you into clicking a dodgy link and revealing your personal details on a fake website. In our tests, we checked the effectiveness of free and paid-for mobile antivirus apps against the built-in security that comes with Apple and Android phones, and found many to be significantly more effective.

Read out guide to the best mobile antivirus software for more. 

Should I buy a second-hand mobile phone?

One way to get a good discount on a phone is to buy second-hand, or a refurbished model – which is usually a phone that has been used but restored to 'as new' condition, or graded to a certain level of quality. 

Read our reviews of mobile phones now only available on the second-hand market. We don’t award Best Buys or Great Value to phones now only available second-hand because the performance of a second-hand or refurbished phone might differ from buying a new one that we test in our reviews.

The second-hand phone market is a popular one, but you do need to be careful what you buy. Read more in our guide to buying a second-hand or refurbished mobile phone.

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