Best 5G Phones of 2023

Google’s Pixel 7 range has seriously impressed us with the combination of a slick refreshed design, superb cameras and a smooth overall experience which makes both these phones a joy to use. At $599 the base Pixel 7 is an affordable option for those of you looking for a solid Android phone for all of your everyday needs.

The Pixel 7 Pro has a larger $899 price tag, for which you get a larger display and a more fully-featured camera system that includes a superb telephoto zoom lens. Otherwise its processor and interface is the same as the cheaper model, so it’s worth considering how important the extra camera features are. Read our Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro reviews.

Pros:

• Stellar camera with awesome new features
• Design refinements look classy

Cons:

The Galaxy S23 is a lot, but in a good way. It’s more than most people need in a phone, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive. Samsung made improvements to the camera’s resolution (200 megapixels compared to 108 megapixels), color tones and dynamic range, while retaining the same edgy design and massive 6.8-inch screen as its predecessor. There’s also a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor that’s been optimized specifically for Samsung’s phones, which brings faster performance compared to the Galaxy S22 Ultra. 

With a starting price of $1,100, it may be an understatement to call this phone expensive. But those willing to pay more for a giant screen and a high-quality, versatile camera won’t be disappointed. Read our full review of the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Pros:

• Fast performance
• Excellent main camera, especially in low light
• Bright screen
• Included stylus
• Double the storage in the base model
• Four years of Android OS updates

Cons:

• High price
• Photos don’t always look natural, especially selfies
• No improvements to fast charging

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the biggest leap forward Samsung’s flip phone has seen in years. Samsung has significantly expanded the size of the cover screen located on the outside of the device, meaning you can look up directions, take photos and send messages without opening the phone. It’s this combined with the Z Flip’s solid battery life and sturdy design that makes it a top pick.

The Z Flip 5 may be our favorite flip phone, but there are still some drawbacks to be aware of. At $1,000, it’s still expensive for a phone without a telephoto camera. And not all apps work natively on the front screen as they do on the Motorola Razr Plus. Read our review of the Galaxy Z Flip 5.

Pros:

• Big cover screen is fun to use
• New hinge eliminates the gap when closed
• Solid battery life
• More storage in base model

Cons:

• Expensive
• Not all apps work on the cover screen natively
• Apps don’t transition from main screen to cover screen
• Minimal camera updates

Though it’s one of the cheapest phones you can buy from Samsung, the Galaxy A54 still packs great features, like 5G connectivity, a decent multiple rear camera setup, solid battery life and power enough for your everyday essentials. It looks pretty, too, and it’s one of the few remaining phones that lets you expand the built-in storage using microSD cards. 

It’s a great all-round budget phone, although generally we found that the Pixel 6A offers better camera and processor performance, and it costs less than the Samsung. Read our review of the Galaxy A54 5G.

Pros:

• Big, vibrant screen
• Expandable storage
• Affordable price

Cons:

• Processor and camera performance lags behind cheaper Pixel 6A

The Lenovo ThinkPhone by Motorola has a lot going for it, from its palatable regular $700 price to its unique aesthetic, easy compatibility with PCs and smooth 6.6-inch screen. But it’s the ThinkPhone’s incredibly fast charging that truly makes it stand out. It supports 68-watt fast charging and notably comes with a compatible power adapter in the box, making it one of the fastest-charging phones you can buy in the US. In CNET’s testing, the ThinkPhone’s battery went from empty to 92% in 30 minutes.

Still, every phone has its drawbacks. The cameras on the ThinkPhone struggle in low light, which means it may not take the best photos in dim restaurants and bars. And even though it’s a great value at $700, there are some cheaper alternatives that are also compelling, such as Google’s Pixel 7A. Read our Lenovo ThinkPhone review.

Pros:

• Cohesive design
• Incredibly fast charging
• Cross functionality with PCs
• Incredible value for the price

Cons:

• The cameras are good, but struggle in low light
• The Google Pixel 7 is $100 less

The OnePlus Nord N30 5G includes a lot of features for the money, but its 50W charging speed is a standout for this price range. The phone can charge from 0% to 100% in 45 minutes, and most other phones that cost $300 or less need 90 minutes to two hours to do the same thing. Its large 6.72-inch 1,080p display that runs at a 120Hz refresh rate also makes apps, games, websites and streaming video animate smoothly.

However it’s worth calling out that the 108-megapixel main camera — despite being an astounding megapixel number on a phone — takes photos that are only marginally better than what I usually see from phones in this price range. While the OnePlus does face stiff competition from Google’s Pixel 6A — especially when the Pixel is discounted to $270 — it does include a lot of functionality for its price. Read our OnePlus Nord N30 5G review.

Pros:

• Truly fast charging
• Large 120Hz refresh rate screen
• NFC for contactless payments

Cons:

• Mixed photography
• Short software update timeline

The Pixel 6A may be more than a year old, but its often discounted price still makes it a tempting choice for Pixel fans on a budget. CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco called it the “best Android phone under $500” in her initial Pixel 6A review in 2022, calling out how it keeps the same Tensor chip seen in the higher-end Pixel 6 and many of its features.

The phone is slightly smaller than the Pixel 6, featuring an 6.1-inch OLED display and a refresh rate of 60Hz. And it has a similar camera to the Pixel 5A, including a 12.2-megapixel main camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. But by including the Tensor chip, photos can benefit from its Real Tone skin tone feature, Face Unblur, Night Sight for darker photography and the Magic Eraser for removing unwanted elements from a photo. Read our Pixel 6A review.

Pros: 

• Great camera
• Affordable price
• Premium design for a middle-tier phone
• Among the first to get new Android updates

Cons:

• Somewhat dim display
• Not as many years of guaranteed Android updates as Samsung
• Video quality isn’t as good as still photos

The iPhone SE may be the cheapest phone Apple produces, but it still comes with superfast 5G. While it lacks the camera prowess of the much more expensive iPhone 13 Pro, it runs the latest iOS 15 software and uses the same processor found in the higher-end models, making it a great phone for everyday use and light gaming. Read our iPhone SE (2022) review.

Pros:

• Affordable price
• Home button and Touch ID FTW
• Good battery life so far
• Camera takes good photos and videos

Cons:

• Lacks night mode for photos
• Screen could be brighter
• Bezels above and below screen look dated
• Selfie camera not on par with rear camera
• 20-watt USB-C charger not included

The $700 OnePlus 11 is a powerful phone that’s well equipped to handle gaming, video streaming and other common tasks. In typical OnePlus fashion, this phone is also cheaper than the Galaxy S23 and Pixel 7 Pro. The cameras aren’t the best, but they’re fine for casual photographers that just want to capture their next vacation or a night out. 

What sets the OnePlus 11 apart from many of its rivals is its blazing fast 100-watt fast charging, which can replenish the battery in just 25 minutes. (The US version only supports 80-watt charging, but that’s still an improvement over the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 45-watt charging). Overall, the OnePlus 11 is ideal for those who want a powerful phone that charges quickly and won’t break the bank. Read our full review of the OnePlus 11.

Pros:

• Incredible performance for gaming
• Slick, refreshed design
• Hyper-fast charging
• Five years of security support

Cons:

• Cameras are good but not great
• Better waterproofing on rivals