The 6 Smartphones to Buy in 2026

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links. Here’s how we test products and why you should trust us.Apple/GoogleProsThe best camera on an iPhone120 hertz OLED displayThe most up to date iOS and Apple Intelligence featuresConsThe Pro iPhones keep getting uglier I’ve made vocal arguments in favor of going against the grain and getting a Windows device instead of a MacBook, but at the end of the day it's all too easy to stick with it if you’re on team iPhone already. The 18 Pro is the iPhone to get if you’re a daily power user, on your phone 24/7 for both work and personal reasons. It’s got a glorious 120 hertz refresh rate retina screen, exactly the smoothness and crispness you’ve come to expect from a pro level phone.It's not merely the one we've seen the most in the wild, it's the best bet for an iPhone that will last you another four years. And while we can't say we love the new design, it's been easy to get used to. And functionally, it's the iPhone Pro we know and love. It is fast, it's got a smooth 120-hertz screen and it has one of the best cameras you can get on a phone. If there's one upgrade we truly feel each time we get a new phone, it's the camera. This year’s is no exception.ProsTop notch cameras front and backThe least expensive major "pro" phoneExcellent battery lifeCompared with the other Android offerings out there, the Pixel 11 Pro is in elite territory. It’s not technically as beefy as a Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra or ZFold 8 Ultra, but it’s notably a lot cheaper than either of those phones.It’s fast and it's got that smooth refresh rate a high-end phone should. Best of all, holy shit is the camera something else? It can take one incredible photo after another and it's probably equipped with the best selfie camera on a phone. Our editors who've tested this one also won't shut up about how much better Gemini is than every other AI assistant. Finally, a "smart" feature that lives up to the moniker. And compared to the equivalent iPhones and Samsung phones, the battery life reigns supreme—even if, as a trade-off, it takes the longest to charge.If you're of the Android persuasion, it's easy to see the iPhone 18 Pro as the other team's Google Pixel 11 Pro, instead of the other way around. On a pure specs level it's a better phone—just probably not better enough to get Apple diehards over the OS gap. Serious sarcasm aside, it's not the iPhone users who need this phone. It's everyone currently suffering on an older Pixel model or, worse, some no-name Android phone.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowProsLight and small Runs all the apps any other iPhone does just fineUSB-C chargingConsLimited camera zoomWireless charges but is not MagSafeIt was only a couple of years ago you could read me advising you not to buy a renewed iPhone. But with how expensive all technology has become recently, there is now a wide enough gulf between something like this and a new iPhone to make buying refurbished worth the cost savings. Instead of buying a 17e new for $700, pick up this refurbished 16e—it’s half the price, and you won’t be living too far in the past.The 16e is pretty much everything a phone should be and nothing extraneous. This phone is light, yet durable. It's got the Action Button from the 16 lineup but does lack the Camera Control.The other omission of note is the lack of MagSafe functionality. The 16e supports wireless Qi charging, but it does not magnetize the way every iPhone since the 12 (barring the SE line) has. Once again, we don't think this matters to the core audience for this phone, so it's less of a flaw and more of a way Apple has honed in on exactly the audience it wants to hit for this one.ProsThe least you can spend and still get a new major brand phoneThe same great Pixel feature set, including Magic Editor and Call ScreeningGreat camera for the priceConsLacks magnetic chargingNo telephoto zoom lensFor $600, this is the most affordable big-name smartphone. There are plenty of Androids in the $200 to $300 range, but by and large they aren't meant to last. They are poorly made stopgaps to get you to something like the Pixel 10a. Right now for only $400, this is the best value you can get on a brand-new smartphone.It has a lot of what we love from the newest Pixel phones—including the latest OS features like Gemini and the invaluable Call Screening feature that automatically detects spam. And while the front-facing camera isn't mind-blowing compared with the 10 series Pixels, it does still rock a very impressive wide-angle back camera that offers more variation than the e series of iPhones.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowProsGenius aspect ratioMatte screen that never shows a creaseFun camera optionsSame chipset as the 18 ProConsStarts at $2,000Not enough apps fully support the extra screen spaceThe iPhone Duo is the most innovative and groundbreaking phone release of the year. We said as much in our gadget awards and editor Luke Gullory has been giving his updates along the way. He’s tested and tested and the verdict is in. This one is a keeper and, most importantly, it’s the best foldable phone to hit the market yet.The genius touch here is the aspect ratio. For the Duo, Apple went with a √2:1 (or 1.414:1) aspect ratio. That is slightly different from the other foldable, but the subtle change makes a difference. On the Duo, the small outside screen exactly mirrors the size of half the large inner screen, but it also exactly mirrors the total aspect ratio of the entire large inner screen. The matte screen seems odd at first, but it’s the solution Apple has found to showing any creasing and, once again, this gives it that design edge. There’s a reason people start to care when Apple does it.I’ll also note it has the same chipset and specs as the 18 Pro, including RAM. Normally, this would put it on par power-wise, but the real-world performance lags behind due to the amount of thermal throttling needed to pull off the design miracle of the form factor.ProsUnique vertical folding design120 Hz OLED inner and outer screensGood wide angle and selfie camerasConsStill over $1,000No telephoto lensIf you want a flip phone, you can shop vintage for pennies but when it comes to using those like daily phones, the truth is they don’t support modern cellular networks. They are as good as a toy. But if you still want that flip phone experience, Samsung’s most affordable new folding phone gives you something of the sort.Don’t get me wrong, the Z Flip8 is still expensive, starting at $1,200. But compared to all the other foldables from Samsung and Google, it is technically the least expensive one. That’s largely because it’s got the least amount of screen space. Really it’s just a normal-sized Galaxy phone with a front-screen, not something that has a unique aspect ratio like the Duo or the Galaxy Z Fold 8 phones. On a specs level, it’s on par with these phones. Crisp 120 hertz screen, solid front and rear cameras, and all the Android app support you’d want. Really, though, if you’re committing it’s a commitment to having a wacky, folding flip phone that you can set up like a tent or show off all the different camera modes.