The Editorial Team’s top smartphone picks – July 2024 edition
30/6/2024
Co-author: Lorenz Keller, Michelle Brändle
Translation: Elicia Payne
We’ve tested and reviewed numerous smartphones in recent months. Here are our personal favourites.
Since our last edition of the Editorial Team’s top smartphone picks, we’ve published 19 new smartphone reviews. But there’s only a select few we’d wholeheartedly recommend. Find out here why one smartphone in particular impressed us.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra: the camera grip is the icing on the cake
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is very well equipped. It has a huge image sensor for a smartphone, which doesn’t go unnoticed. The picture quality is outstanding.
The Photography Kit makes photography even more fun. Yes, it’s an extra purchase in addition to the expensive device. But it provides better grip and there’s a nice release button and a zoom rocker on top.
Nothing Phone (2a): eye-catching design, good hardware and attractive price
The Nothing Phone (2a) is one of our favourites because of its eye-catching design, including a glowing LED on the back and good features. All this is available at an attractive price too. For a mid-range phone, its impressive.
The Phone (2a) has a long battery life and takes stunning pictures with the main and ultra-wide-angle camera. It performs well enough for everyday use and the user interface offers unusual customisation options. Definitely not a boring off-the-shelf smartphone.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: everything Samsung has to offer
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the best thing Samsung currently has to offer in a smartphone. The improvements that have been made are small, but make a big difference. And the price reflects it.
I keep catching myself thinking the «normal» Galaxy S24 is actually perfectly adequate. But then I keep thinking of things that only the Ultra offers. For me, the most important unique selling point is the telephoto camera, which Samsung only installs in its top model. This simply opens up more options when taking photos. I don’t use the S Pen as much, but it’s only available in this model. Samsung has also made the display flat again. Plus, this year the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 only features in the Ultra. Samsung relies on its own Exynos chipsets in the other S24 phones. Although they’ve managed to shed the negatives of previous years, it still may tempt people to buy the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Sony Xperia 1 VI: the best of everything
With the Sony Xperia 1 VI, you don’t have to make any compromises. The device is easy to grip, handy and light. Sony has installed the latest high-end chip from Qualcomm, a top triple camera and even a jack plug.
The Sony Xperia 1 VI excels in daylight photography. The images are in a natural colour and not over sharpened. In Pro mode, I can get even more out of it and find myself playing around with ISO and exposure time.
It’s not just taking photos on the Xperia 1 VI that’s fun, but gaming and listening to music too. On top of that, the smartphone is efficient and has a long-lasting battery. I only have to whip out the charger after 18 hours. What more could you want?
If you want to be set for the next four years, don’t want to be without anything and money is no object, the Sony Xperia 1 VI is your guy.
Samsung Galaxy A15: more for your money
The cheapest new smartphone model from Samsung actually costs just 130 francs or euros. It surprised us in two areas when we tested it. In terms of battery life, the entry-level model can even keep up with the top Galaxy S24 Ultra model – known for its long battery life. In addition, the main camera with 50 megapixels is so good that you can usually take sharp and high-contrast pictures with it. However, the Koreans would’ve been better off without the 5-megapixel wide-angle lens altogether. It’s pointless.
Overall, the A15 is a good deal if you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a smartphone for everyday use.
Google Pixel 8a: safe and reliable
The Pixel 8a is what I would call a «no brainer». An all-round solid package in a pleasant size with a good camera, long battery life and a seven-year update guarantee. This is a smartphone you almost can’t go wrong with.
But you should it give it good consideration when buying it, because the normal Pixel 8 offers noticeably better quality in terms of display and camera and isn’t even that much more expensive. It very much depends on how prices develop.
Now it’s over to you: what’s your current favourite smartphone? Let me know in the comments.
Header image: Jan Johannsen
As a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus.