2024 has been a great year for the tech and mobile industry. There's been some incredible, new smartphones that have entered the market and took the world by storm! We're here to round up all the latest 2024 smartphone releases to see which phone perfomed the best this year. We've broken it up into several categories, each with an overall winner plus some additional nominations so you can see which smartphones Envirofone chose as the top picks for 2024. Let's get into it.

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Related blog: Smartphones Releasing In 2025

 

Best selling smartphone:

iPhone 15 - Released September 22nd 2023

The best selling smartphone in 2024 was actually a smartphone that released late 2023. With the introduction of the Action Button plus the improved screen brightness on it'sOLED Super Retina XDR display the iPhone 15 series really left people amazed. Apple's iPhone 15 was actually the best-selling smartphone globally this year along with the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro following just behind. Source: https://www.counterpointresearch.com/insight/top-10-bestselling-smartphone-q3-2024 

But why did the iPhone 15 perform so well in 2024? It could be because, as the new iPhones and other  smartphones released this year, past models began to decrease in price but not in performance. So the iPhone 15 was a cheaper yet still impressive model to get a hold of. Also, it was announced that a new AI tool called Apple AI was going to be added to the iPhone 16 which encouraged people to buy the new phone, it has now been announced that Apple AI won't be added to the iPhone 16 in the UK until the end of the year/start of 2025 which made many people feel fustrated.

Pros:	Cons:
Stunning camera Great optical zoom	Still uses 2022's chipset

Runners up:

• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max

 

Best budget smartphone:

Samsung Galaxy A55 – Released March 20th 2024

The Galaxy A55 offers a large 6.6” screen, 120Hz refresh rate, large battery life, stunning build quality and most importantly, a low price range of around £250. The only downside to this smartphone is that it doesn’t offer a telephoto camera, but with all the other features of a regular Galaxy phone, this isn’t a huge loss.

Pros:	Cons:
Great video quality Impressive stereo speakers	Thick display bezels

Runners up:

• iPhone SE 2022
• Google Pixel 8a
• Oppo Reno 12 Pro

 

Best smartphone camera:

iPhone 16 Pro Max – Released September 20th 2024

The iPhone 16 Po Max has a much higher resolution when it comes to the camera compared to any other smartphone, this means the camera can capture images with much higher levels of detail, enhancing the professional look of your images. The camera sensors on the phone are also much bigger (mainly because the phone is a lot bigger in terms of size and performance), bigger sensors mean better-rendered images, which makes the quality of the image that much better.

Pros:	Cons:
Brilliant battery life Strong connectivity options	Slightly expensive

Runners up:

• Galaxy S24 Ultra
• Google Pixel 9 Pro
• Pixel 8a

 

Best iPhone:

iPhone 16 – Released September 20th 2024

As we mentioned for our top pick for the best overall smartphone for 2024, the iPhone 16 has an improved battery life and incredible camera capabilities, its new Capture Button is impeccable for improving photographs and the Action Button is great for shortcuts around the phone.

Pros:	Cons:
Action button and capture button Fast processor	Apple AI hasn’t launched yet

Runners up:

• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone SE 2022

 

Best Samsung Galaxy:

Galaxy S24 – Released January 31st 2024

The Galaxy S24 has the most powerful processor over any other Android device meaning the phone works at lightning speeds. Although considered a physically smaller phone, the mobile has an impressive battery life, 3 stunning cameras, plenty of new AI features and a smooth 120Hz display.

Pros:	Cons:
Stunning display Incredible camera quality	No major differences from S23

Runners up:

• Galaxy S24 Ultra
• Galaxy Z Fold 6
• Galaxy Z Flip 6

 

Best foldable smartphone:

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 – Released July 24th 2024

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is primarily loved for its sturdy hinge and impressive design quality. Seamlessly integrate between the larger and smaller screens with no lag and experience an amazing battery life of up to 15+ hours straight! Fold devices are a lot sturdier compared to Flip options, and are great for long-lasting, constant use.

Pros:	Cons:
Great durability Improved displays	No fast charging

Runners up:

• Motorola Razr 2024
• Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
• Huawei Mate XT

Related blog: Google PIxel 10 News

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Conclusion:

Want to check out these phones further? We have them all waiting for you on our website with refurbished prices. But want to buy and not sure what to do with your old phone? Sell it with Envirofone Trade! We accept all tech, even damaged! Get over there now.