The best smartphones for the perfect upgrade

If you like streaming the latest episodes of whatever hit Netflix show is being buzzed about online right now or squeezing in a few games of Genshin Impact on the commute, you should invest in a phone that has a bright, expansive, high-quality display (and many of them can rival your telly at home these days). If you can snag one with a faster refresh rate (which most phones from the last few years offer) then the experience is even better, with buttery-smooth motion that gets the most out of the frantic action of the Premier League.

Processing power is a term often bandied about by smartphone CEOs to denote some vague improvements on the latest model, but you do want a phone with enough power to fly around multiple apps and menus without crashes or lag. We won’t go into too much detail here, but the latest phones we recommend all use the most recent chipset iterations, so keep that in the back of your mind if you're considering an older model (designed for older, less-demanding apps).

Camera quality is a must for many people and most new devices hold their own when it comes to snapping share-worthy photos. All those incredible pics of influencers in Bali are enhanced by software, with different phones automatically adding saturation or lighting to create those pro-level shots. The current trend is to stuff as many lenses as possible onto the back of a phone to give you more options on your shots, but don’t be fooled, quantity is no substitute for quality, so pay attention to the camera specs.

Lastly, take a look at how long your battery life will last and how big your internal storage is. Most devices will keep going for around a day’s use – depending on how long you end up lost in the rabbit hole that is TikTok – and will have wireless charging and/or a USB-C charger with fast charging to get the juice back as quickly as possible. Storage options are similarly straightforward, with options broken down into 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB markers. For most app and photo hoarders, 256GB is more than enough to be getting on with, though it's worth noting you can’t expand your memory further with additional SD cards on iPhones.

There are as many smartphone brands as there are fringe players for Chelsea FC who are unlikely to get any game time this season. In short, there are a lot of different options when it comes to were you lay your phone allegiance.

You'll likely be familiar with the two powerhouse brands that most people will have: Apple and Samsung. The two titans of touchscreens are in constant battle for your attention, but stacked up against many other options, they really are the two best options for most people. The latest range of iPhone 15 are supremely accomplished handsets for those well-versed in Apple's simple-to-use ecosystem. Yes, they are typically expensive, but if you've had an iPhone before and you just want to port everything across and never have to think about anything except when you'll be getting your next TikTok fix, you'll find a happy home with Apple.

Samsung is at the top of the Android pile and, while still comparably expensive to Apple, is the best alternative if you can't get along with an iPhone. Samsung's exceptional range of tech-heavy phones have some of the best customisation and versatility on the market, with pro-grade camera systems, beautifully lit displays and a range of fun, unique designs like the folding Galaxy Fold or the Flip.

Elsewhere, there are some interesting alternatives in the shape of Google and Nothing, two brands that don't quite have the heavy-weight popularity of the former brands, but are by no means devices to dismiss. Google's pedigree in search engine shenanigans is well documented, but its smart tech is definitely improving, with the latest range of Pixel handsets providing class-leading camera systems and a host of smart tech to make life a whole lot easier. Intelligently removing photo-bombers from your snaps, live translating foreign languages and using augmented reality to help you identify flowers, cars or your colleague's dress shirt that you've been desperate to find online. They are typically a smidge less expensive overall – not including the ultra-spenny Pixel Fold – but no less interesting for their cheaper price to entry.

Finally, we'd recommend checking out hype young tech upstart, Nothing. Increasingly popular for its dot-matrix, minimalist aesthetics and cool collabs with artists like Swedish House Mafia and Sampha, the latest Nothing Phone 2 is a cheap, cheerful and genuinely eye-catching phone. Both handsets feature a Glyph on the back that pulses lights in time to notifications, and there's plenty of new tech being released from the brand in the coming years to grow the eco-system.

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Read on for GQ’s pick of the best smartphones in 2024...