The 11 best phones of 2026, tested by experts

What about the iPhone Duo?

Apple recently announced the iPhone Duo, its first-ever foldable phone. It’s not out until Oct. 23, but Mashable’s Stan Schroeder got to spend a little time with it at Apple Park earlier this month. (Read his hands-on first impressions.) Look for preorders starting on Oct. 16.

Check back by the end of the month to see if the foldable iPhone Duo earns a spot in our guide to the top smartphones of the year.

Why are the best phones so expensive right now?

If you’re in the market for a new phone right now, you should know that it’ll cost you more than usual. The best phones were never cheap, but smartphone prices surged in 2026 amid a global RAM shortage driven by the AI boom (commonly known as “RAMageddon”). New AI data centers are hogging supplies of memory and SSD storage chips, driving up their prices. Consequently, consumer tech devices with memory components are also getting more expensive. RAMageddon price hikes have also taken their toll on laptops and gaming consoles.

So far, we’ve seen Apple, Google, and Samsung all raise the prices of their new smartphones at launch. Apple also increased the prices of some older iPhones by $100 following its iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and Duo announcements. Meanwhile, as of Oct. 1, Samsung has raised prices on its S26 line by $100 to $200.

With this in mind, it’s especially wise to shop around for deals and carrier promotions before buying your new phone. Trading in an older device is the easiest way to save several hundred dollars on an upgrade. Some carriers will give you a new phone for free (in the form of monthly bill credits) if you also sign up for a new line or certain data plans. For example, the new iPhone 18 Pro is free with eligible trade-ins and plans through AT&T and T-Mobile.

What’s new

In early October 2026, I added two new picks to this guide after our latest round of testing:

The Apple iPhone 18 Pro is now our favorite iPhone for photography.

The Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max is our new battery life pick. It’s rated for up to 45 hours of video playback per charge, which makes it the longest-lasting phone we’ve ever tried.

What about the iPhone Air?

Released in fall 2025, the iPhone Air is Apple’s thinnest phone ever. Its ultra-sleek design is appealing, but it has worse battery life and inferior cameras compared to the standard iPhone 17 (which runs on the same processor… and costs $200 less). We think it’s a very pretty and well-made phone, but not one of the best overall. For more info, check out our iPhone Air review and our dedicated guide to the best iPhones.

​Mashable