The curtain is slowly falling on 2025, and the smartphone industry is already setting the stage for what comes next. A new year always brings bold promises, fresh ideas, and a few changes that take time to digest. Before we look ahead, though, this is the right moment to pause and reflect on what the past year delivered.
For hardware enthusiasts and long-time smartphone fans, 2025 was a strong year at the top end of the market. Flagships pushed boundaries in performance, displays, battery tech, and even cooling, showing that innovation at the high end is far from slowing down. While mid-range phones continued to improve, flagship devices still set the tone, defining what the rest of the market will follow.
GizChina Awards: The Best Flagship Smartphones
In this article, we look back at the standout premium devices of the year. These are the phones that impressed us the most through hands-on reviews and real-world use, not just spec sheets or marketing promises. Some were expected hits, others were pleasant surprises, but all of them earned their place.
This is our GizChina Awards: Best Flagship Smartphones of 2025 list. You may not agree with every pick, and that is part of the fun. These are the devices that shaped the flagship segment in 2025 and left a lasting impression on us. With that said, let’s dive into the best flagship smartphones of the year.
REDMAGIC 11 Pro - Pure Power, No Apologies
In a 2025 flagship market full of refined all-rounders, the REDMAGIC 11 Pro stands apart by doing something few others dare. It commits fully to power. Instead of chasing slim profiles or camera prestige, it focuses on performance, cooling, and endurance, and that focus is exactly why it earns a place among the GizChina Awards: Best Flagships of 2025.
At the heart of the REDMAGIC 11 Pro is the Snapdragon 8 Elite, clocked up to 4.6 GHz. On its own, that already puts it at the top tier. What truly sets it apart is how it sustains that performance. The AI server-grade liquid metal cooling, paired with a massive vapor chamber and a 24,000 RPM active fan, keeps frame rates stable even during long gaming sessions. Throttling simply is not part of the experience.
The design reflects its purpose. The semi-transparent Nightfreeze finish proudly shows off the cooling system, while the flat back and lack of a camera bump improve balance and usability. The 144 Hz bezel-less AMOLED display, physical shoulder triggers, and dedicated Magic Key further reinforce its gaming-first identity.
Add a massive 7,500 mAh battery with fast and reverse wireless charging, and you get a flagship built to last. The camera is solid, not spectacular, but that is a conscious trade-off.
The REDMAGIC 11 Pro is not trying to please everyone. It is built for power users and gamers, and it delivers exactly what it promises.
Quick Specs Recap
- Snapdragon 8 Elite (up to 4.6 GHz)
- 6.8-inch AMOLED, 144 Hz
- 7,500 mAh battery
- Liquid metal cooling with an active fan
- Shoulder triggers and Magic Key
iQOO 15
The iQOO 15 arrives at a moment when flagship phones risk feeling predictable. Faster chip, brighter screen, bigger battery. This time, iQOO breaks that loop. The iQOO 15 is not content with being “another powerful phone”. It experiments, pushes, and in doing so, reshapes expectations for performance-focused flagships in 2025.
At its core is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, delivering the raw muscle you expect. What elevates the experience is the Q3 dedicated display chip. Features like frame interpolation and super-resolution genuinely change how games look and feel, bringing console-like smoothness to mobile titles. Add hardware ray tracing, and the gap between mobile and traditional gaming hardware shrinks even further.
The 6.85-inch 2K AMOLED display is sharp, fast, and bright enough to handle outdoor use with ease. Battery life keeps pace with the performance thanks to the massive 7,000mAh cell, backed by fast wired and wireless charging.
The iQOO 15 earns its flagship status by refusing to play it safe. It's a great option for those who want maximum performance. As a result, it was a notable release and deserves its place among the Best Smartphones of 2025.
Vivo X300 Pro
Living with the Vivo X300 Pro for a few weeks revealed something rare in today’s flagship space. This is a phone that doesn’t shout. It doesn’t chase gimmicks or overwhelm you with specs for the sake of headlines. Instead, it settles into your routine and slowly earns your trust.
The design leans into understated premium. Matte glass, solid metal framing, and a large but purposeful camera module give it a calm, tool-like feel. It’s not the thinnest phone around, but that weight pays off once you start using the camera system. And that’s where the X300 Pro truly shines.
The Zeiss-tuned triple camera setup, especially the 200MP periscope telephoto, encourages you to shoot more, zoom further, and experiment. Photos feel natural, controlled, and consistent across lenses. Performance from the Dimensity 9500 is smooth and dependable, while the bright LTPO AMOLED display makes everyday use a pleasure.
The Vivo X300 Pro earns its flagship status through balance, restraint, and one of the most compelling camera experiences of 2025.
Nubia Z80 Ultra
The Nubia Z80 Ultra didn't arrive with the usual flagship theatrics. Instead, it shows up quietly confident, like a device that already knows what it wants to be. And after spending real time with it, that confidence feels earned. For that reason, the device truly deserves a place among the best flagships we've seen in 2025.
This is a phone that refuses to pick a single identity. It wants to be a serious camera tool, a sustained-performance gaming device, and a design-forward flagship — all at once. That kind of ambition usually leads to compromise. Here, it mostly leads to balance.
The full-screen AMOLED display is genuinely striking, not because of raw numbers, but because nothing interrupts it. No holes, no distractions — just content. The custom 35mm main camera brings a refreshing perspective to mobile photography, producing images that feel more intentional and less algorithm-driven. It won’t always win HDR battles, but it often wins character.
Performance is predictably strong, yet impressively consistent. Borrowing thermal expertise from RedMagic pays off, especially during long gaming sessions where many “flagships” quietly surrender. Battery life follows the same philosophy: practical, reliable, and refreshingly stress-free.
The Z80 Ultra isn’t flawless. Software still needs refinement, and its ambition occasionally shows rough edges. But that’s also its charm. In a market full of safe, polished phones, Nubia dared to build something memorable.
Xiaomi 15 - The Compact Flagship We Deserve
For years, the flagship smartphone space has been ruled by familiar names. Apple and Samsung still set the pace, but Xiaomi has steadily positioned itself as the brand willing to challenge them head-on.
The Xiaomi 15 continued that strategy. Xiaomi’s compact flagship lineup is a thing that stands after all those years. The Xiaomi 15 was a nice surprise late last year and earned a solid position throughout 2025. The device didn't aim to reinvent the formula. Instead, it focuses on refinement: stronger internals, better efficiency, and camera upgrades shaped by its ongoing Leica partnership. Even after the launch of the Xiaomi 17, the device remains solid.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
We can't talk about the best flagships without citing Samsung and its hottest device. The brand has managed to remain one of the most relevant names among Android smartphones for years. And, when it comes to Samsung smartphones, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is an undisputed king. Even though other Chinese brands managed to impress with raw numbers, this device remains a solid option and a favorite option for many consumers.
This year’s Ultra model leans heavily into Samsung’s strengths: a massive 6.9-inch QHD+ AMOLED screen that stays bright even in sunlight, robust performance thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, and a quad-camera setup led by a 200 MP main sensor and multiple long-range options.
But the competition is fiercer than ever. With rivals pushing battery tech, fresh designs, and aggressive pricing, Samsung’s proven its worth beyond the badge.
iPhone 17 Pro Max
For Apple fans, there are no other best devices besides the iPhone 17 Pro Max. While the iPhone 17 Pro remains a respectable name for fans of the compact iPhones, the Pro Max is where those who want the maximum hardware will look at.
Apple’s Pro Max series has long been the ultimate expression of the company’s smartphone ambitions. The latest entry manages to deliver with a big design overhaul, powerful cameras, and the best battery ever seen on iPhones.
Powered by the new A19 Pro chip and backed by an advanced vapor chamber for sustained performance, the iPhone 17 Pro Max delivers measurable leaps in speed and battery endurance. As said before, it's the best Apple has offered in years. Apple equipped it with a sprawling 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display that reaches up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness and supports smooth 120 Hz ProMotion, making everything from gaming to HDR video pop in nearly any lighting condition.
Of course, Photography remains a core strength. The triple-48 MP Fusion camera array brings wider optical reach and improved detail across light levels, while enhanced video tools like ProRes RAW and Apple’s latest computational imaging push creative possibilities further than before.
But even with class-leading hardware and polished software, the real question for 2025 buyers is whether the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s incremental refinements justify its appeal. For that reason, we can easily consider the iPhone 17 Pro Max one of the best flagship smartphones of 2025.
OnePlus 13
The OnePlus 13 earns its place in the GizChina Awards by doing what many flagships forgot how to do: focus on real value. It delivers top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite performance, excellent battery life, fast charging, and refined cameras without drowning the experience in half-baked AI features.
OxygenOS 15 feels fast, and the hardware remains powerful and thoughtfully designed. The OnePlus 15 sounds like a fresh option for some fans who wish to enter the flagship market from now, but during 2025, the OnePlus 13 was one of the brand's strongest options.
Quick Specs
- Chipset: Snapdragon 8 Elite
- Display: 6.82″ AMOLED, QHD+, 120Hz, up to 4,500 nits
- RAM / Storage: 12GB–16GB LPDDR5X / 256GB–512GB
- Cameras: Hasselblad-tuned triple camera, improved portrait & zoom
- Battery: 6,000mAh Silicon NanoStack
- Charging: 100W wired, 50W AIRVOOC wireless
- OS: OxygenOS 15 (Android 16)
- Durability: IP68 + IP69
Conclusion - Best Flagship Smartphones of 2025
And this was the list of the best flagship smartphones we've seen in 2025. Obviously, there were a lot of other solid smartphones that could be added in this list. But now, it's open to you to add them and reveal your own list of good smartphones. We'll return in 2026, with another edition full of solid smartphones.
You can also check our list with the best mid-range phones and the best camera phones of 2025.
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