Another year has come and gone, and it's no surprise that it's been an incredibly active year in the smartphone world We tested all the best smartphones, including the best iPhone and the best Android, to determine which devices will make the Tom's Guide Awards 2024

While the release schedule was as busy as usual, we saw major trends surrounding artificial intelligence and how it powers many new features and experiences We used many of the models in our photo shoot to create a guide to the best camera phones We also factored in other things like price increases on many flagship models to really understand the value they bring to the table

Knowing that, here are our favorite phones of the past year

Even as other new models continue to come out to test Apple's flagship models, nothing impresses us more than the iPhone 15 Pro Max Despite the $100 price increase over the previous model, it's our top pick for best phone for many reasons This year's largest iPhone is packed with all the iterative updates to push it to the top of the leaderboard That includes a new 12MP telephoto camera with a 5x optical zoom that lets you get closer to your subjects than ever before

Other notable reasons why this is the best phone are that it is powered by the A17 Pro chip, which gives it the best performance While it clearly has the muscle power to handle just about anything, including intensive gaming titles, the power efficiency of Apple's silicon has succeeded in delivering the best battery life in iPhone history, with a whopping 14 hours and 2 minutes All of which justifies the high cost

As good as the iPhone 15 Pro Max is, it is also the most expensive device in Apple's lineup Fortunately, the iPhone 15 comes in at a more affordable $799, and Apple's entry-level handset picks up some high-end features from previous Pro models the A16 Bionic chip offers strong performance and excellent power efficiency (later this year the A 17 Pro-equipped iPhone 15 Pro models, even if it does not support the Apple Intelligence feature that will be included later) iPhone's main camera upgrade adds a 48MP sensor This sensor is also capable of cropping photos to provide the equivalent of a 2x optical zoom, cleverly circumventing the fact that this particular model does not have a dedicated telephoto lens

The iPhone 15 will be compatible with iOS 18, with new features ranging from a customizable home screen to updated Notes, Maps, Safari, and Messages apps coming this fall And there are four more iOS updates waiting for you after that In short, your iPhone 15 will remain a dynamic mobile device for years to come

Samsung has shown time and time again that it knows how to make great flagship smartphones, so it may come as no surprise that the Galaxy S24 Ultra won this year's gold award for best Android phone Unlike previous years, however, Samsung's win is less hardware-dependent and more software-dependent

By using one of the first and hence most mature AI feature sets in a smartphone, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has now ensured that it will remain at the forefront of the biggest buzz in the tech world A spacious battery, powerful chipset, and seven years of promised updates ensure that your basic needs are covered, and the 200MP main camera and new titanium frame ensure that the components are cutting edge as well You will have to pay a considerable amount for the privilege, but it is a price that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra can command by being the best

We tested all the best camera phones and even though it has been put to many comparisons, the iPhone 15 Pro Max remains untested in its excellent camera performance The triple camera system is a familiar arrangement, but the biggest change concerns telephoto capability, which is further enhanced by a 12 MP camera with 5x optical zoom The iPhone 15 Pro Max can confidently take sharp photos in any situation, including in the dark

But don't count out its video recording capabilities, as 4K clips capture every detail while keeping things smooth with excellent image stabilization Also, thanks to the change to USB-C ports, the iPhone 15 Pro Max now supports USB 30 at 10 Gbit/s and can record directly to USB-C storage devices

Trust gaming brands to make the best gaming phones Asus ROG and its Phone 8 Pro could have focused solely on performance to create the ultimate gaming device, but the secret to the ROG Phone 8 Pro's success is how current mobile It lies in how well equipped it is In addition to the latest chipset, customizable software, and a large, long-lasting battery, the design is quite subdued, with optional rear lighting, certified water resistance, and a triple camera array on the back for your photography needs

These cameras are not the best we've tried, and many features are available fairly inexpensively on the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra, but the overall combination makes the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro a more gaming-specific phone and less specialized than other elevates it above flagship devices

The OnePlus Open takes the crown for best folding phone this year because it is an excellent device, and its low price tag doesn't come with a bunch of compromises or corners cut The main advantage is that its multitasking support is second to none; the Open Canvas takes its cue from desktop PCs, allowing you to have app windows of any size you want, and even store them (mostly off-screen; you can even save them to your phone) This allows the user to take advantage of the tablet's 78” foldable display without being limited to one app at a time

You also get a thin, lightweight design, better battery life than rival foldable tablets, charging speeds of up to 67W, and a generally quite good camera Unless you're in a dark or gloomy place, OnePlus also opted for a shorter, wider design without reducing the size of its 63-inch cover display, making the Open comfortable to use no matter which screen you're using It is also priced $200 less than Samsung's new Galaxy Z Fold 6, making it a truly excellent value for money

More expensive phones often feature designs with higher-end materials, but the Nothing Phone 2a bucks the trend with a dazzling design style At a fraction of the cost of a traditional flagship, the Nothing Phone 2a tastefully features a unique and original look

The translucent design is clean and allows you to see some of the hardware inside the phone, but the design is further enhanced by the Glyph Interface When you see it light up, you will be dazzled by its dazzling style

Gaming phones top our list of best smartphone battery life, and the ROG Phone 8 broke the 185-hour mark in a test that had us surfing the web on the phone until the power ran out But not everyone wants a gaming phone If you're looking for a long-lasting device that appeals to a wider audience, try the OnePlus 12R It's a suitably impressive time, helped by the OnePlus 12R's 5,500 mAh battery and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset

But this powerful battery is not the only notable aspect of the OnePlus 12R's feature set Supporting 80W charging in the US (faster in other regions), the OnePlus 12R's battery was nearly fully charged after 30 minutes of depletion With this phone, you will never be underpowered

There are several reasons why the Google Pixel 8a was chosen as the best budget phone Based on the already excellent Pixel 7a, the Pixel 8a has an improved screen with higher brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate, plus Google's latest chipset with flagship-grade power Circle to Search and plenty of editing options A wealth of AI features, including a rich set of AI features, make it the best AI-enabled budget phone on the market, and the promise of seven years of software updates will keep the Pixel 8a feeling fresh for a long time to come

The camera, while not much different from the previous model, is powerful, plus Google has yet to do much to improve battery life or charging speed However, it would be hard to find a better phone for $500 For budget-conscious buyers, it may be enough to convince them that the Pixel deserves this crown [The Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station has everything you need for charging on the go This 3-in-1 charger can power an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously, but it also works with Qi2-compatible Android phones and other wireless earbuds

Its practicality is unmatched, thanks in part to a design that folds for portability Thanks to this ingenious design, this charger is ideal for travel With a maximum speed of 15W, it can charge most cell phones in less than two hours, making it an ideal deskside accessory