The holidays are right around the corner, and finding the perfect gift for your tech-savvy loved ones can be a challenge. But fear not! Our 2024 smartphone gift guide is here to help you navigate the exciting world of mobile technology and choose a present that will truly impress you.
There are many great options for smartphones in 2024, and we’ve tested, reviewed, and are rounding up the very best smartphones you can buy in different price ranges.
Best Smartphones
These are the absolute best smartphones you can pick up in 2024. We have included the best big phone and the best compact phone, both of which are very different.
OnePlus 12
Ever since the OnePlus 12 was announced back in January, we’ve been calling it the “smartphone of the year”. And that’s because OnePlus made a nearly perfect phone here. It has incredible battery life, a stunning display, impressive cameras, and an even more impressive price. It’s about $500 less than the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
The OnePlus 12 is already in the beta for OxygenOS 15, which means it should get the stable version of Android 15 before the end of the year, which is quite impressive. Internally, the OnePlus 12 is running on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage.
Another bright spot for the OnePlus 12 is its display. This is one of the brightest displays on the market, being able to hit 4,500 nits of peak brightness. Making it great for use outdoors in direct sunlight and other bright environments.
The other impressive part of this phone is the camera. OnePlus has equipped this phone with a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 64-megapixel 3x telephoto, and a 48-megapixel ultrawide sensor. These are also tuned by Hasselblad, so you know you’re going to get some great photos out of this phone. And honestly, it’s been one of my favorite smartphone cameras this year.
The OnePlus 12 is an amazing smartphone, and when you consider the price, it’s hard to find anything that comes close to it.
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Google Pixel 9 Pro
This year, Google did something we’ve been begging phone makers to do for quite some time. And that is, make a smaller phone that doesn’t cut any corners. One that is still a flagship, with the flagship processor, cameras, and display. And Google did just that with the Pixel 9 Pro. So now, you can choose between the 6.7-inch Google Pixel 9 Pro XL or the 6.3-inch Pixel 9 Pro.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro is my phone of choice, and it’s what I use every day. I absolutely love it for a number of reasons. First off is the size. It makes it much easier to use with one hand while still having pretty good battery life. This gets me through a full day without any issues. Secondly is the camera. Google has equipped the Pixel 9 Pro with a triple-camera setup. This includes a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 48-megapixel 5x telephoto, and a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera. When paired with Google’s AI smarts, this really makes for a great photography experience.
Google has also included plenty of AI features in the Pixel 9 Pro, most of which you won’t use, and that’s fine. You don’t have to use them, but they are there if you want to. This includes Gemini Live, which lets you sort of do a brainstorming session with Gemini. There’s also the new Pixel Screenshots app that you can use to organize your screenshots better, and, of course, Pixel Studio for creating imagery with AI.
This is a fantastic phone to pick up, especially at its regular price of $999. If you’re into having a smaller phone but don’t want to sacrifice performance, battery life, or camera quality, then the Pixel 9 Pro is the route to take.
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Best Smartphones under $500
Looking for something a bit cheaper? Well, we have a couple of options that are under $500, and honestly, these are incredible phones for the price that they are charging. You’re really not missing out on anything here other than saving money.
OnePlus 12R
If you’re looking for something a tad cheaper, the OnePlus 12R is a pretty good option. It starts at $499, and comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage. It’s not the most spec-heavy phone, like OnePlus typically offers, however it is still a great value for $499.
When we reviewed the OnePlus 12R earlier this year, we called it the “Best $500 phone you can buy”, and that still reigns true nearly nine months later. The only real complaints we had about this phone was the lack of a headphone jack (like most phones these days) and the camera bump.
Like the OnePlus 12, the 12R also has a huge vapor chamber inside, which helps keep the phone cool, even while playing Genshin Impact for a few hours at its highest settings. Thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 inside, it is able to stay cool while providing a spectacular gaming experience.
For those who want a flagship-like experience but at a lower price, the OnePlus 12R is a really good option as a gift.
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Google Pixel 8a
Here’s another $500 phone in the Google Pixel 8a. The design here is based on the Pixel 8 series from last year, so it does not sport the flat design of the new Pixel 9 series. So if you are a fan of the more curved nature of the Pixel 8 series, this is a great option.
Google Pixel 8a is, essentially, a cheaper Pixel device with the same Pixel experience as its more expensive options. Google offers the Pixel 8a in Aloe, Bay, Porcelain, and Obsidian, which make for some really great color options.
Like the other Pixel devices, Google is offering 7 years of updates for the Pixel 8a. That’s something you will not find for any other device in this price range. So that alone is reason enough to buy the Pixel 8a.
Cameras on the Pixel 8a are a bit different than the flagship Pixel devices, we’re looking at a 64-megapixel primary camera, and a 13-megapixel ultrawide sensor. Unfortunately, there’s no telephoto here, and instead, Google has opted to add ultrawide as its second camera. Both cameras take incredible pictures, as you might expect from a Google Pixel, despite having smaller sensors than the Pixel 9 series, the Pixel 8a does still take some incredible pictures, as we found out in our review earlier this year.
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Best Smartphones under $200
Despite the price tag, phones under $200 have gotten pretty good in recent years. And these are great phones to pick up for kids or even your parents. Those who don’t need the latest and greatest features on their smartphones need to be able to call and text.
Moto G 5G (2024)
Motorola has been dominating in the US and the rest of North America in recent years due to their cheaper phone offerings like the Moto G 5G. This is a $199 phone that is often discounted to around $169 or less. It’s a good-looking phone at an even better-looking price.
With the Moto G 5G, Motorola has included a vegan leather back, which not only looks great it also adds some grip. Making it tougher to drop the phone. It includes a good-looking 6.6-inch HD display, which is a great display for its price. This phone is also powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. But what really makes this phone worthwhile is the enormous 5,000mAh capacity battery inside.
The camera experience is decent on the Moto G 5G; of course, it’s not going to compare well with the likes of the OnePlus 12 and Google Pixel 9 Pro, which are about five times the price. But we do have a 50-megapixel primary sensor, along with a 2-megapixel macro sensor. So it’ll take photos, but don’t expect them to be the best photos ever taken on a phone.
For $200, the Moto G 5G (2024) is an excellent offering for those who need a phone but don’t need the latest and greatest features.
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Samsung Galaxy A15
Yes, the Galaxy A15 is already a year old, but unfortunately, the Galaxy A16 is not coming to the US (and won’t be available for sale for a couple more months). At $199, this is still a really great deal, including a 6.5-inch FHD display and the MediaTek Helio G99 processor inside.
One thing that these cheaper phones really do well is the battery. Once again, we are looking at a massive 5,000mAh capacity battery here, which should keep the phone running for at least two days straight, even with heavy usage. Thanks to the lower-resolution display and slower processor.
Surprisingly, Samsung has equipped the Galaxy A15 with three cameras, including a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 5-megapixel ultrawide, and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. Like with the Moto G 5G, the Galayax A15 will take some good-looking photos, but it’s not going to win any awards.
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