5G phones offer more than just faster downloads. The best 5G phones also have great cameras, large displays, and huge batteries that offer all-day battery life. Here are the best 5G phones available right now, for every budget.
Contents
- 1 Here are the Best 5G Phones you can get right now
- 2 1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
- 3 2. Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
- 4 3. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
- 5 4. OnePlus 12
- 6 5. Google Pixel 9
- 7 6. Samsung Galaxy A15 5G
- 8 7. Samsung Galaxy S24
- 9 8. Google Pixel 8A
- 10 9. OnePlus Open
- 11 10. iPhone 15 Plus
- 12 11. Motorola Razr (2024)
- 13 12. OnePlus Nord N30 5G
- 14 13. iPhone 15
- 15 14. Google Pixel 9 Pro
- 16 15. Motorola Moto G Power (2024)
Here are the Best 5G Phones you can get right now
1. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Android users who want the best 5G phone should turn to the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which boasts impressive performance and extremely long battery life thanks to its Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset.
This silicon outperforms the A17 Pro chipset that powers the iPhone 15 Pro models in some benchmarks, and unlike the other S24 models, the Ultra is powered by a Qualcomm chip no matter where you live in the world.
With a sharper 5x optical zoom, a faster new processor, a familiarly huge display, and 100x digital zoom, Samsung’s “Ultra” phone is still the best choice for mobile photographers who want plenty of screen space.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is also one of the first phones to feature Samsung’s new Galaxy AI features, including a tool that instantly translates text messages and phone calls, and a new gesture called Circle to Search that lets you search for almost anything on Google by drawing a circle.
Like the previous two generations, the Galaxy S24 Ultra comes with a built-in S Pen for those who like to jot down notes or doodle. Perhaps best of all, Samsung has promised to update these devices with new versions of Android for seven years, so they won’t be outdated any time soon.
The titanium frame adds to the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s sleek design, and seven years of software and security updates extend the value of this expensive phone. Even at $1,299, it’s the best phone Samsung has to offer.
2. Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is one of the most capable phones on the market from a wireless standpoint. It includes C-band, sub-6GHz, and mmWave 5G spectrum, and works well on all major and minor US carriers and international wireless networks.
Plus, it offers the best LTE 4G coverage in areas where 5G is not available. It also has a fantastic screen, great battery life, the best camera ever on an iPhone, and slick software.
If you want the best-performing 5G phone on the market and a good phone overall, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the device you need..
3. Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is one of two Pro models Google currently offers, and it matches the Pixel 9 Pro’s feature set perfectly. But here are two reasons why you should buy it over the cheaper, more compact 9 Pro. Bigger screen and great battery life.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL has a 6.8-inch display. The larger body of this phone leaves more room for the battery, and the XL packs a 5,060mAh power pack, which results in a battery life of over 14.5 hours in our test results. That’s the longest we’ve recorded for a Google phone in our battery tests.
You’ll find the same Tensor G4 chipset used in the other Pixel 9 phones, so the AI-based features are the same. The Pixel 9 Prol XL matches the camera performance of the Pixel 9 Pro, which is actually quite good.
The $1,099 that Google is charging for the XL model is a lot for a phone, but if you’re a big-screen phone fan who values long-lasting devices and great photos, it’s worth it.
4. OnePlus 12
The OnePlus 12 proves that it’s time to talk about OnePlus in the same context as Samsung and Google when it comes to Android flagships. OnePlus’ latest device offers everything you’d expect from a phone like this, but it’s even cheaper at $799, which drops to $699 when you trade in OnePlus.
The same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset found in Samsung’s latest flagships powers the OnePlus 12, ensuring top-notch performance, great 5G connectivity, and a long-lasting device.
(The OnePlus 12 actually beat the Galaxy S24 Ultra in our battery tests.) The camera, long a weak spot for OnePlus flagships, continues to improve, allowing the OnePlus 12 to produce photos that hold their own against the best camera phones.
The OnePlus 12 camera still struggles in low light, and you won’t find the extra AI features that have made their way into other recent Android flagships. However, this is still a great alternative for Android users who don’t want to spend a lot of money on a high-quality phone.
5. Google Pixel 9
There’s a lot to like about the Pixel 9, from its respectable camera to its sleek new design to its long seven-year software update timeline. But Google’s phones have always shined with their clean, slick software, and that’s true again for the Pixel 9 series.
The Pixel is also one of the first phones to get new software updates, making it an ideal choice for those who want to get their hands on the latest version of Android first. In addition to Android updates, Google also brings new features to Pixel phones throughout the year via updates called Feature Drops.
The Pixel 9 comes with a few new AI tricks that you might find useful, like the ability to search for content in your screenshots, create images from scratch in the Pixel Studio app, and add new objects to your photos.
These features aren’t essential, and they’re not without their flaws. Plus, with a starting price of $799, the Pixel 9 should meet a higher bar. But the Pixel 9 feels like it belongs in that category.
6. Samsung Galaxy A15 5G
The Samsung Galaxy A15 5G is one of the most affordable ways to access 5G networks. It supports the 5G bands that are suitable for the US and is a solid performer as an affordable everyday device.
We especially like the large screen, long battery life, and capable camera. The A15 5G is for those who want the latest connectivity features but need to stick to a budget.
7. Samsung Galaxy S24
The most impressive thing about the Samsung Galaxy S24 isn’t the new Galaxy AI features, the brighter screen, or the solid camera. It’s the battery life. In our tests, we can say that the Galaxy S24’s large battery will get you through a long day on a single charge.
The S24 is a great, well-made phone, and it looks great right out of the box, just like the nearly identical S22 and S23 before they were released. This similarity to the S22 and S23 can be seen as either a strength or a weakness, as the design reflects three years of improvements. All of this is overshadowed by the excellent battery life. No one will complain that it’s too long.
8. Google Pixel 8A
The Pixel 8A is so good that it makes the regular Pixel 8 almost irrelevant. From AI-powered features like Circle to Search to the stunning aesthetics and powerful Tensor G3 processor, it has so much in common with its pricier sibling that it’s hard to see why anyone would buy the Pixel 8 instead.
The Pixel 8 offers a slightly better camera system, a slightly larger screen, and the ability to wirelessly charge other phones and accessories from the back of the device. But those features probably won’t be important enough for most people to make a buying decision.
Google’s software is the tech elite’s choice for speed, elegance, and simplicity. The Pixel 8a delivers years of Android updates before anyone else, and it offers a great camera stack and solid 5G performance at a low price.
Google’s Pixel phones aren’t the best-selling Android models, but many still prefer them for their clean software and capable cameras. The Pixel 8a is the best phone for the money, and it works on virtually every 5G network.
9. OnePlus Open
The OnePlus Open is the best foldable phone overall, and a great 5G option if you want a large display. Opening it up reveals a larger 7.82-inch internal display, but its slim design means it’s much thinner than competing foldables.
I was particularly impressed with OnePlus’s approach to multitasking on its foldable phone, the Open Canvas. This lets you run three apps simultaneously, with views that dynamically shift as you switch between them. You can also store up to nine multi-app gifts to really get your multitasking going.
10. iPhone 15 Plus
The iPhone 15 Plus is another older model that remains in Apple’s lineup after the iPhone 16 launch. The price drops to $799. It’s $100 cheaper than the iPhone 16 Plus, but it’s the same price as the iPhone 16, with a faster chipset and Apple Intelligence support.
So why should you consider the older Plus? The iPhone 15 Plus is the iPhone’s battery life champion, barely beating out the iPhone 15 Pro Max in our battery tests. If you want a long-lasting phone with a large screen, this model is cheaper than the discontinued iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Apple’s Plus phones don’t have a telephoto lens, but they do have a pretty powerful main camera now that Apple has adopted a 48MP sensor on all of its phones.
The iPhone 15 Plus ditches the notch and adopts a Dynamic Island cutout, giving you more screen real estate to work with. And like the other iPhone 15 models, the Plus switches from Lightning to USB-C connectivity.
11. Motorola Razr (2024)
We were fans of the 2023 Motorola Razr, but this foldable phone made some compromises to keep its price low. The Motorola Razr (2024) improves on Motorola’s budget flip phone significantly while keeping its price at $699.
What was once just a notification strip has been replaced by a useful 3.6-inch panel that lets you do more without unfolding the phone. With a 6.9-inch main screen, you’ll find it to be much brighter than its predecessor.
While some foldables struggle with battery life, the Razr’s power management is weak, lasting more than 14.5 hours in our battery tests.
The camera is a bit disappointing, and we wish Motorola had promised longer software support. Still, it’s a decent phone, and there are color options that will appeal to fashion-forward users.
12. OnePlus Nord N30 5G
The OnePlus Nord N30 5G packs a lot of features into this price range, but its 50-watt charging speed is a standout in this price range. The phone can charge from 0 to 100 percent in 45 minutes, while other phones under $300 can do the same thing in 90 minutes to two hours.
The large 6.72-inch 1080p display runs at a 120Hz refresh rate, making apps, games, websites, and streaming videos animate smoothly.
It’s worth noting that the 108-megapixel main camera takes slightly better photos than you’d typically see on a phone in this price range, despite its impressive megapixel count.
The OnePlus is giving Google’s Pixel 6A a tough competition (especially when the Pixel is discounted to $270), but it packs a lot of features into its price range.
13. iPhone 15
With a USB-C port for more convenient charging and an upgraded camera with higher resolution and sharper zoom, the iPhone 15 is a significant upgrade for those who own an older iPhone.
Feeling like a scaled-down version of the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple’s entry-level iPhone 15 feels like a bigger leap forward than last year’s.
The iPhone 15 comes in two size options: the 6.1-inch iPhone 15 and the 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Plus. It runs on the same chip as the iPhone 14 Pro, the A16 Bionic, which should provide a noticeable performance upgrade for those who own an iPhone that’s been around for a few years.
The phone also features Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, which should bring new features that should make it easier to find friends and family in a crowd.
Last year’s iPhone 14 Pro, which still has a dedicated telephoto lens, may be a better choice if you can still find it at a discount from a third-party retailer. The iPhone 15 is the most exciting upgrade Apple’s standard iPhone has seen in years.
14. Google Pixel 9 Pro
The Google Pixel 9 Pro is very similar to the Apple iPhone 15 Pro. It has full support for 5G and 4G networks, advanced Wi-Fi and GPS, and excellent NFC. It also offers fantastic software, decent battery life, and fun AI-assisted extras (the best mobile camera).
The Google Pixel 9 Pro is for those who want the best Android camera phone with 5G at a reasonable price. It’s a great choice for photographers who enjoy post-processing.
15. Motorola Moto G Power (2024)
The Motorola Moto G Power 5G is the most versatile option in this roundup, offering wireless charging, a 120Hz high-refresh rate screen, Google Pay for contactless payments, and a stunning vegan leather design.
Combine that with a camera that takes decent photos even in bright conditions and a processor that can handle most everyday tasks, and you have a phone that’s fun to use without the frills you’ll find on more expensive phones.
This phone has a shorter software and security support lifespan than Samsung’s Galaxy A25 5G (one year of major Android OS, three years of security updates), but it’s a more useful device. And because of that appeal, the Moto G Power 5G is our top recommendation for a phone under $300.
Are 5G phones better than 4G phones?
Technically, no. A smartphone’s cellular connectivity doesn’t determine whether one phone is better than another. Having 5G support in your phone will help you prepare for the future as carriers continue to roll out and upgrade their towers to 5G.
Most phones now come with 5G support, so there’s no way to compare them to 4G phones.