If you're a T-Mobile user after a new phone, you have loads of options. You can get top phones like the iPhone 15 Pro and Galaxy S23 Ultra along with exciting foldables like Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 5 or the Motorola Razr Plus. While the phones included in this list vary when it comes to size, price and features, there are a few things they share in common. The best phones of 2024 have fast processors and vibrant screens to make your Netflix shows look great. The best phones also have high-quality rear cameras that allow you to take gorgeous images you'll return to look back on for years to come. Budget-friendly phones like the Pixel 7A also offer smooth all-around performance at a more cost-conscious price.
No matter what you want or use the phone for, there's a device for you. To simplify the decision, we've rounded up our top picks. Each phone on this list meets the requirements for what CNET considers to be among the best T-Mobile smartphones. Every phone on this list has been thoroughly reviewed and tested, and you'll find options across iPhone and Android that fit different needs and different budgets. Below we've picked the best T-Mobile phones you can get this year.
The best phone for iPhone fans is the $799 iPhone 15. It has one of Apple's most recent processors, the A16 Bionic chip found in last year's iPhone 14 Pro, meaning it should support new software features for years to come. The iPhone 15 has the best balance of camera performance and features (like the Dynamic Island) that will feel new to those coming from older iPhones to satisfy most people.
We test every phone in real-world scenarios, focusing on its features, design, performance, cameras, battery life and overall value. We document our findings in an initial review that is periodically updated when there are new software updates, or to compare it against new phones from competitors such as Apple, Samsung, Google and OnePlus.
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 largely has the same camera hardware as the Z Flip 4. But the new chip brings some image processing improvements.
Lisa Eadicicco/CNETPhotography
Photography is a major focus for most phones these days, so we take pictures and videos of various subjects in a variety of settings and lighting scenarios. We try out any new camera modes, such as Action mode that debuted with the iPhone 14 line, or the Unblur photo tool that launched with the Google Pixel 7 series.
Battery life
Battery testing is conducted in a variety of ways. We assess how long a phone lasts during a typical day of use and note how it performs during more focused sessions of video calls, media streaming and gaming. We also conduct a video playback test, as a simple, replicable measure of pure battery life, which isn't always included in the initial review but sometimes added later in an update.
Performance measuring
We use benchmarking apps to measure each phone's performance, alongside our own anecdotal experiences using the phone for our review. Of note are how graphics and animations look. Are they smooth? Or do they lag or stutter? We also look at how quickly the phone switches between horizontal and vertical orientations, and how fast the camera app opens and is ready to take a photo.
Emergency SOS might be one of the most important features to come out on any phone this year.
Kevin Heinz/CNETWe perform processor-heavy tasks like editing photos, exporting videos and playing games. We evaluate whether a newer version of a particular phone includes enough features to make it worth upgrading from older models.
Read more: How We Test Phones
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