The year-end is upon us and that means we’ve got to wrap everything we saw this year, clean the slate and move on to newer things. Before we do, there’s just one thing left – what is the Beebom Gadgets team's smartphone pick of 2025? We saw quite a few phones this year, from the traditional slab phones like the Galaxy S25 and Pixel 10 to new foldables like the Pixel 10 Pro Fold and slim phones like the iPhone Air.
Since there’s no clear way to determine which one is the best, I took it upon myself to ask around the Beebom office and know what each of my colleagues think is their best phone of 2025. There were some obvious winners and then some interesting choices, and here’s all of them in a nutshell.
Ajaay Srinivasan – iPhone 17
My personal pick for the best smartphone has to be the iPhone 17. I’ve been a long-time Apple user, but having used a modern flagship Android phone over the past few months, the one thing that stopped me from getting back to a standard iPhone was its dated 60Hz display.
The base iPhone 17 has fixed that, and I’ve never been more happy about the presence of a 120Hz ProMotion screen as I am now. With this, I can not only enjoy content more fluidly, but now I can finally use the Always-On Display to look up the time and pending alerts, something I’ve forever enjoyed on Android phones.
But my favourite upgrade is undoubtedly the new selfie “Centre Stage” camera. This feature has fixed group selfies for me as I can fit in more people without needing to adjust the orientation, single-handedly making every Android selfie look dated. Since I like to multitask even on video calls, the selfie camera makes sure I always stay in the frame no matter how much I move around.
For me, these upgrades make the iPhone 17 feel like the “most complete” standard iPhone yet, one that I personally want to upgrade to and one that unlocks a lot of the “Pro” experience for much less.
Anmol Sachdeva – Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
Ajaay is not the only one rocking the base iPhone 17, I am too. But it’s not enough good goody goodness for me. So, peeping over the walled garden (do not tell Tim Cook), I’ve also been rocking the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, my favourite f̶o̶l̶d̶a̶b̶l̶e phone of 2025.
I didn’t hop on the foldable bandwagon until the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and my office peers had to practically gnaw it out of my hands. It was an excellent phone for my daily use, and the Z Fold 7 has proven to be a well-rounded and worthy successor to upgrade to.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is my primary Android phone nowadays, and it’s no longer reminiscent of old palm phones. It is no longer narrow, but is slim and lighter like regular phones.
The thinness of the Fold 7 is one of the best upgrades, alongside the bigger displays. The outer display is fully usable standalone, but it is the flip open voodoo that makes me glued to this phone. You have a nice 8-inch tablet in your pocket, good for writing and editing news in split view, having your dad review your documents with ease, and gorging on travel videos in bed.
The cameras on the Z Fold 7 are quite good and impressed all my cousins at a recent wedding. So I quickly became the designated photographer, spreading smiles and surprises, showing my clicks on the big screen.
The hinge is smooth, the displays are smoother, and my experience with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has been the smoothest with a foldable. I mean, it does require nails like a diva to flip open and a budget like one too, but it’s the most useful smartphone that money can buy, at least my bank balance tells me that.
Sagnik Das Gupta – Vivo X300 Pro
I have always been the kind of person who'd rather carry a DSLR than trust a smartphone camera. Yet, ever since the Vivo X300 Pro entered my life, my camera gear has stayed untouched more often than I'd like to admit. Photos and videos come out so good that I reach for the X300 Pro instinctively now, and that shift alone says a lot.
What sealed it for me, though, is OriginOS 6. For the first time on a Vivo phone, I'm not obsessing over bugs or refinements. It's smooth, reliable, and finally doesn't feel like it needs an update to fix things. Even during late-night CoD Mobile sessions with my friends, it stays smooth, doesn't get uncomfortably warm and just ticks all the boxes of a true flagship.
The Vivo X300 Pro fits into my routine so naturally that I stop thinking about it altogether, and for me, that's the highest compliment I can give a phone in 2025.
Ramjie Wassane – OnePlus Nord CE 5
I have tested a lot of phones this year, but my favourite pick of the year is definitely the OnePlus Nord CE5. I choose this phone because I feel like it's the most value for money launch in 2025, and it's a solid all-rounder phone as well. Yes, it doesn't come with stereo speakers which is a big catch, but it nails every part of the experience.
I was very happy with the chipset it comes with, the Dimensity 8350 Apex. I never felt it struggle with any tasks like multitasking or gaming in my usage, and I absolutely love the battery life too. With the 7,100 mAh battery, I've used it for 8+ hours, even with some gaming and the software experience is just chef kiss.
OxygenOS 16 is literally the best you can get right now, and this packs all the features and animations, which many brands avoid for their budget versions. I also like the minimal design of the phone, bright enough display outdoors and the IP65 rating held up when I was using it in rains. So yeah, out of all the 100+ phones launched this year, this nails the basics well and also the pricing, hence my pick.
Anshuman Jain – OnePlus 13
As a tech reviewer, I test tons of new phones and move on to the next one after I am done with the review. But the OnePlus 13 is the first phone I reviewed in 2025, and it has remained my favourite ever since. It offers a premium flagship experience, from the looks, the performance, battery, display, charging, and cameras too. It has held up pretty well throughout the year, even against the industry behemoths like the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the iPhone 16 Pro.
It started off the year with a lot of firsts, but also marks the end of a lot of OnePlus traditions, like the alert slider, the Hasselblad partnership cameras, and the off-centre circular camera ring. Anyone who has bought this phone will cherish it for years to come, and it will be remembered as OnePlus's last swan song to its identity, as Oppo seems to be bent on making OnePlus and iQOO competitors now.
Siddhartha Samaddar – iQOO Neo 10R
My pick for smartphone of the year is, without hesitation, the iQOO Neo 10R. This is the one phone I have been recommending to my close ones who have asked me for a reliable and complete phone under Rs 30,000. During my usage, its display stood out as my go-to entertainment package. As it is expected from iQOO, the performance has been rock solid. From everyday apps to casual gaming, it took me flying through any situation. And the battery life was sufficient to last me a whole day away from the charger.
Additionally, with OriginOS 6 finally replacing FuntouchOS, my early software issues now stand resolved. If there is one area where I feel the Neo 10R falls short, it's the cameras. That said, cameras are not my top priority. I value stability, consistency, and long-term usability more, and that is exactly why this smartphone made sense to me.
Abubakar Mohammed – OnePlus 13R
While the team chased flagships, I put my SIM card in the OnePlus 13R and haven't looked back. The OnePlus 13R is my choice for the best smartphone in 2025, not only because it's affordable, but because it feels like the last honest phone left. It preserves OnePlus' signature enthusiast flagship killer DNA I actually care about, with the tactile alert slider, an LTPO display and finally, a telephoto lens that doesn't feel like an afterthought.
Then there is the software. Of all the skins I tested this year, OxygenOS 16 consistently stood out, and the update sealed the deal with its unparalleled fluidity. While the end of 2025 was defined by diminishing returns and aggressive upselling, the 13R feels refreshing. It delivers 95% of the "premium" experience for a fraction of the cost. For me, it isn't just a value pick but a reality check for the industry in many ways. And that's exactly why it's my practical champion of the year.
Ashutosh Srivastava – Oppo Find X9 Pro
For 2025, I’ll choose the Oppo Find X9 Pro as my favourite phone of the year, and I think this is the phone that defines what a true flagship is in 2025. For starters, it has the best battery life for a flagship, which is also one of the reasons why I like this phone. Another reason is the design, as this phone has a very premium in-hand feel. I know, it’s thick and heavy, but it’s not too uncomfortable to hold.
I also like the cameras here, especially the 200MP Telephoto, and with the teleconverter kit, the experience is truly mind-blowing. I agree that it’s not as good as the Vivo X300 Pro, but it comes very close, and one area where it beats the X300 Pro is the software experience.
The ColorOS 16 is way smooth, I think it’s the smoothest and fastest out there. It’s also quite feature-rich, and the AI features also work very well here. I’ve been using this phone for more than a month now, and I feel like this is the most complete flagship of 2025, because it doesn’t compromise on anything.
And that brings this list to a close. With the new year just around the corner, there's a lot to look forward to in terms of smartphones. Stay tuned as we unwrap 2026 and all the goodies it brings to the table. See you next year!
