"Over the last 12 months, our team has unboxed, benchmarked, dropped, submerged, and doom-scrolled on hundreds of devices. We have worn dozens of smart glasses in an attempt to understand the next frontier of mobile technology -- while making face-worn geekery cool again. We have tested enough noise-canceling headphones to block out the sound of a jet engine (and, occasionally, our own editors arguing about nits of brightness). We have spoken to so many AI assistants that we remember each one by voice."
"Here's the full list of our 2025 winners: Best smartphone This year's selections address the most significant pain points of previous generations. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 distinguishes itself with a reimagined chassis; at just 4.2mm thin when unfolded, it offers a standard tablet experience without the bulk, while the upgraded 200MP main sensor finally brings flagship photography to the foldable form factor. The iPhone 17 was the sleeper hit amongst Apple's flashier-than-usual 2025 lineup for democratizing "Pro" features, gaining the 120Hz ProMotion display and a dedicated telephoto lens, making it the most compelling base iPhone in years. While released later in the year, the Oppo Find X9 Pro secures an award for its optical engineering, with a dual-periscope zoom system that our reviewers found producing lossless clarity at 10x magnifi"
Hundreds of devices underwent unboxing, benchmarking, drop and submersion tests, and extended daily use to evaluate durability and real-world performance. Multiple smart glasses were evaluated to gauge emerging mobile display experiences while noise-canceling headphones were stress-tested for isolation and sound quality. AI assistants were assessed for practical usefulness and conversational capability. Winners were those devices that combined meaningful innovation with reliable real-world performance rather than marketing-driven spec sheets. Standout smartphones include the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 with a 4.2mm unfolded chassis and 200MP main sensor, the iPhone 17 with 120Hz ProMotion and a telephoto lens, and the Oppo Find X9 Pro with a dual-periscope 10x zoom.
Read at ZDNET
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