The best Samsung Galaxy phones you can buy right now

The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the most complete smartphone you can buy right now, Samsung or not.

It’s a flagship in pretty much every sense of the word, combining stellar performance with a brilliant display and superb battery life. A total of five cameras (main, ultrawide, 2x telephoto, selfie) are all strong in their own right, but combine to deliver an excellent photography experience.

Throw in genuinely impressive AI features, a useful built-in S Pen stylus and an unrivalled seven years of software updates, and it doesn’t get any better than the S24 Ultra.

Perhaps the only thing that’s not ultra-flagship level is the 45W charging. But if you don’t mind a huge phone with a price tag to match, this is the phone to get.

When evaluating the S24+, it’s easy to focus on what you’re missing out on compared to the S24 Ultra.

Yes, there’s no secondary telephoto lens, S Pen stylus support, titanium build or 1TB storage option. And while the US still gets the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, the Exynos 2400 in the UK is a slight step down.

However, none of those things will be dealbreakers for most people. The cameras are superb, build quality excellent and performance very strong, regardless of where you’re based.

With a gorgeous display, stellar battery life and slick software – including AI features and that seven-year update commitment – most people can save some money and still get this excellent phone.

Of course, the budget Galaxy A15 5G isn’t actually the fourth most capable Samsung phone you can buy. But when you consider the superb value for money it offers, the phone deserves this position.

We were pleasantly surprised by the design, which is plastic but feels like a more expensive device. The attractive 90Hz display is great for everyday use, while the main rear camera can take some very nice photos in good lighting. Selfies are also solid, even if the supporting lenses disappoint.

With good battery life, polished software and the best update policy you’ll get on any budget phone (four years OS, five years security). Even performance, the main disappointment, doesn’t stop the Galaxy A15 5G from being a very usable phone.

If you need a smartphone but don’t want to pay big money, this is the device for you.

The Galaxy A15 (4G) is even more affordable, but it’s not just 5G support that you miss out on there.

Big phones appear to be the norm these days, with the 6.7-inch S24+ and 6.8-inch S24+ key examples of this. What if you want something a bit smaller?

Enter the regular S24. Its 6.2-inch display can be considered compact these days, but even at a lower resolution is still looks the part. Whether you get a model powered by the Exynos 2400 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, performance is a key strength.

All three rear cameras and the front-facing selfie lens can more than hold their own, while Samsung’s premium design and build is still in evidence here. The software experience is as good as you’ll get anywhere, with those useful AI features and seven years of updates.

And don’t worry, despite the much smaller battery, you can still expect all-day battery life. Faster charging and more storage options would’ve been nice, but the Galaxy S24 is still a superb choice for most people.

If you’re set on a flip phone, your decision is easy: get the Galaxy Z Flip 6. While the older Z Flip 5 is still a good choice and may be discounted, there are a few upgrades that make the newer model a better buy.

The most impactful is to the main camera, which means photography can match Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S24 series for image quality. Being able to use it for selfies is a real plus.

Elsewhere, you also get improved performance from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, better dust resistance (alongside existing water resistance) and seven years of both OS and security updates.

The internal display is another highlight, with a crease which has no tangible impact on the user experience. However, the cover screen is still awkward to use, and requires a complicated workaround to get all apps running

And while the battery capacity has also been increased, it doesn’t translate to better battery life. Alongside a tendency to overheat, a non-folding phone is still a better choice.

But if you’re ready to join the flip side and want a Samsung phone, the Z Flip 6 is the device for you.

The Galaxy A25 5G is a close second when it comes to great affordable Samsung phones. It’s a bit more expensive, but still offers a lot for relatively little money.

Compared to the A15 5G, the performance is improved thanks to a more powerful chipset. The display is still 6.5-inches but now 120Hz and the ultrawide camera has been upgraded.

Battery life is still solid, while the design is clearly inspired be Samsung’s flagships, even if it won’t be to everyone’s tastes.

Software remains a key strength – One UI is easy to use and will be supported with four years of OS updates and five years of security updates.

There’s no need for most people to spend more on the A25 5G than the A15 5G, but there are a few reasons you might want to.

Samsung has made solid budget and flagship phones for years, but the A55 5G proves it’s also strong in the mid-range markets.

This 6.4-inch smartphone might not have the bells and whistles of Galaxy flagship, but offers a solid all-round experience with few weaknesses.

A premium design looks and feels the part, with the 6.6-inch, 120Hz display a real highlight. Samsung’s Exynos 1480 chipset delivers solid performance, while battery life is a key strength, despite slow charging.

Aside from a slightly bulky design and the current lack of any Galaxy AI features, availability might be the reason you don’t buy the Galaxy A55 5G – it’s not available in the US at the time of writing.

But if you’re in the UK or another country where it’s sold, this is an easy phone to recommend.

If you live in the US, or just prefer something more affordable than the Galaxy A55 5G, get the A35 5G instead.

Given its more affordable price point, there are a few compromises to be aware of. The A35 has a 13Mp front-facing camera instead of 32Mp, ditches the aluminium frame for plastic and swaps Samsung’s Exynos 1480 chipset for the less capable Exynos 1380. There’s also no support for 4K video recording.

But if you can live with all that, there’s no reason to spend more. The A35 5G still gets you a great 6.6-inch, 120Hz display, decent cameras for the price and very good battery life.

And at this more affordable price, the four years of OS updates and five years of security patches is better than you’ll get with almost all of the competition.

Aside from sluggish performance at times, the A35 5G ticks all the boxes for most people, making it a worthy choice – provided you live in a country where it’s sold.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is an iterative update compared to 2023’s Z Fold 5, but there are a few useful refinements.

Moving to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset enables small gains in performance and power efficiency, with the latter delivering a welcome boost to battery life. You’ll be able to make it through a full day on a single charge, albeit not much more.

Refinements to the design make the Z Fold 6 feel more sleek and modern, while both the 6.3-inch outer screen and 7.6-inch inner display are excellent. However, you will have to put up with a noticeable crease in the latter, while the internal camera isn’t great.

Luckily, you can use the main and outer cameras for everything, and they deliver consistently strong results – on a par with many flagship phones.

Elsewhere, the combination of slick, Galaxy AI-infused software and seven years of both OS and security updates is an impressive one.

But that price tag will be a dealbreaker for most people, while charging speeds are still frustratingly slow.

The S23 Ultra has now been succeeded by the S24 Ultra, but if you can find a discounted model, it’s definitely worth buying.

You still get most of what makes the S24 Ultra so good, including superb performance, excellent rear cameras, great battery life and that built-in S Pen stylus. The display here is flat rather than curved, but the quality of the screen is just as high.

The selfie camera is probably the main downgrade, while software support is reduced at four years of OS and five years of security updates. But you’ll probably be upgrading your phone before 2028 anyway.

Assuming that’s the case, the S23 Ultra should now get you that ultra-flagship phone experience at a more affordable price than at launch.