We have been tracking deals all week long, but the Black Friday shopping spree is almost over. There will be a last hurrah on Cyber Monday, of course, but if you have any holiday shopping to do, don’t put it off any longer.
Flagships
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra remains a unique productivity tool with its built-in S Pen and DeX support. You can use the USB-C for wired video out, but wireless screen casting works too, so the Ultra is pretty versatile.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
The Ultra is also the best Samsung camera phone at the moment. The 2026 model is coming in a few months, but rumors about it temper expectations for major upgrades. This generation, Samsung upgraded the ultra-wide camera to a 50MP sensor, up from 12MP on the S24 Ultra (here’s how the two phones compare). The phone already has a large 200MP 1/1.3” sensor in the main and two telephoto cameras: a 50MP 5x/111mm periscope and a 10MP 3x/67mm medium-range telephoto camera.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL benefits from Google’s experiments in UI design, messaging, AI and more. Its hardware, however, suffers from the underperforming Tensor G5 chipset – it’s nowhere close to the performance of the Galaxy’s Snapdragon 8 Elite. And Google is working with Samsung on building out Android 16’s native desktop experience.
Pixel cameras had an aura around them – they pulled off miracles with aging hardware. Now the Pixel 10 Pro XL has competitive hardware with a 50MP 1/1.31” main, 48MP 5x/113mm periscope and a 48MP ultra-wide. Photos still have that “Pixel feel” to them, though they have fallen behind the market leaders in terms of quality. Luckily for Google and Samsung, the best of the best aren’t available in the US.
There are other things to consider – the Pixel 10 Pro XL had the brighter screen when we tested it (reaching 2,340 nits, compared to 1,417 nits for the S25 Ultra), but the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra had better battery life (14:49h vs. 12:29h Active use score). The Samsung also charged to 100% faster (0:59h vs. 1:22h).
The Google Pixel 10 Pro has the same chipset and cameras, so the same considerations apply. The phone is equipped with one of the brightest displays we have ever tested and it measures 6.3” in size. The relatively large 4,870mAh battery doesn’t last as long as we would have liked with a 12:06h Active Use score. The slow charging doesn’t help either.
Then there’s the Google Pixel 10 – it’s the same size as the 10 Pro, but its display has a lower resolution (1080p+ vs. 1280p+) and dials the brightness back a bit (it’s still one of the brightest displays that you will find, though).
Foldables
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 impresses with its dimensions – it measures 158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9mm and weighs 215g. The Pixel 10 Pro XL is 162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5mm and 232g. Yes, the non-folding Pro XL is a bit larger and is heavier than the folding Samsung! The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is on the chunky side measuring 155.2 x 76.3 x 10.8mm and 258g.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 and Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold
Performance and multitasking are strongly in Samsung’s favor – the Snapdragon 8 Elite trounces the Tensor G5 and DeX is a lot more mature than the Android 16 desktop mode.
Neither phone can match the camera hardware of its rigid counterpart. The Samsung does have a 200MP 1/1.3” main like the S25 Ultra and the same mid-range tele camera, 10MP 3x/67mm, but no periscope and the ultra-wide only has a 12MP sensor. The Pixel has a small 48MP 1/2.0” sensor in the main and a similarly unimpressive 10.5MP ultra-wide. It does have the upper hand with a longer tele lens on its 10.8MP 5x/112mm camera.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold does have a slight price advantage over the Galaxy Z Fold7, though $100 less on a phone that costs well over $1,000 isn’t much. Both phones promise 7 years of OS upgrades. Whether their chipsets and RAM capacities (only 12GB on the Galaxy vs. 16GB on the Pixel) are enough in the 2030s remains to be seen.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 is a major upgrade from its predecessor – the roomy 4.1” cover display with a regular shape makes using the phone when closed so much easier than the weirdly-shaped 3.4” display on the Z Flip6 ever did.
Also, the new model is thinner (6.5mm opened and 13.7mm closed vs. 6.9mm and 14.9mm) with a larger 4,300mAh battery (+300mAh over its predecessor) to boot. The Exynos 2500 is a bit of a curve ball if you were expecting Snapdragon, but it’s certainly fast enough – the Z Flip7 is even the first Z Flip with DeX support. Unfortunately, Samsung neglected to upgrade the cameras – the 50MP main (1/1.57”) and the 12MP ultra-wide are all you get.
The Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 is named after the best flip phone back in the old days. It features a 4.0” cover and a 7.0” inner display (vs. 6.9” on the Samsung). Both phones are rated IP48 for basic ingress protection and resistance against submersion.
The Razr does use the Snapdragon 8 Elite that you may have expected out of the Samsung. And it has more RAM to boot, 16GB vs. 12GB. It lacks Ready For support, however, which is Motorola’s alternative to DeX.
With a larger 4,700mAh battery, the Moto Razr Ultra 2025 lasts longer (15:10h vs. 11:52h Active Use score). The 68W wired charging is a lot faster than Samsung’s 25W too. In half an hour, it gets the phone to 78%, compared to 46% (despite having to fill a battery that is 400mAh larger). A full charge takes half the time – 45 minutes vs. 1 hour 31 minutes. Wireless charging is faster too, 30W vs. 15W.
Motorola is only promising 3 OS updates and an extra year of security patches for the Razr. This is a lot shorter than the 7 OS updates that Samsung is promising for the Galaxy Z Flip7. Worse, the Galaxy launched with Android 16, while the Razr started with Android 15, which exacerbates the update disparity.
Alternatives
Good news – the vanilla Pixel 10 uses the same chipset as the two Pro phones. Bad news – well, we already covered it. We will note that the 128GB phones (both vanilla and Pro) use slower UFS 3.1 storage, so you may want to pick up at least a 256GB phone for the faster UFS 4.0 chips (and extra storage, of course). Battery life is almost exactly the same as on the Pixel 10 Pro.
This phone is saddled with mid-range cameras – a small 48MP 1/2.0” main sensor, a 10.8MP 5x/112mm telephoto and a 13MP ultra-wide, plus a 10.5MP ultra-wide (95°, 20mm) selfie camera.
We have a detailed Pixel 10 vs. Pixel 10 Pro article if you want a more in-depth comparison between the two 6.3” options.
The OnePlus 15 finally got the green light from the FCC, but it is not available just yet (we’ll check again on Cyber Monday). So, let’s have a look at its predecessor. You can pick up the base 12/256GB OnePlus 13 for $700 and the upgrade to 16/512GB is $100 more. Even though it is a previous gen chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite is still one of the fastest around and the 6.82” 1440p+ LTPO OLED is great.
The phone is equipped with three 50MP cameras on the back, including a main with a 1/1.43” sensor and a 3x/73mm periscope. This part is arguably better than the OnePlus 15. The 6,000mAh battery on the old model doesn’t last as long as the 7,300mAh on the new one (but with a 15:28h Active Use score, it can still last a busy day).
Another alternative that steps outside the usual choice of “Apple or Samsung” is the Nothing Phone (3). This one is a bit cheaper than the OnePlus at equivalent memory tiers and it shows it too. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 is a step below flagship level and so is the 6.67” 1260p+ non-LTPO OLED display.
This phone also has three 50MP cameras on the back, including a large 1/1.3” sensor in the main and a 3x periscope. The image quality isn’t on the level of the Hasselblad-branded OnePlus camera, however (the last of its kind, probably, as the 15 switched to in-house camera tech). The smaller 5,150mAh battery doesn’t last as long (12:56h Active Use score) and charging is slower (63% in 30 minutes, compared to 95% for the OnePlus 13).
Note that both phones launched with Android 15 and Nothing promises one OS update more – a total of 5, compared to 4 from OnePlus. Both phones are already running Android 16, so that’s one update down.
Refurbished iPhones
The Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max is only a generation behind the current model, but it is so much cheaper. We have a detailed iPhone 16 Pro Max vs. 17 Pro Max comparison article for you. A few highlights include a sturdier titanium frame instead of the scratch-prone aluminum. Battery life is about the same, though the new model charges noticeably faster (65% vs. 46% in 30 minutes, full charge in 72 minutes vs. 117 minutes).
Camera-wise, you will miss out on the new telephoto module – the 16 Pro Max has a 12MP 5x/120mm camera compared to the upgraded 48MP 4x/100mm on the 17 Pro Max. The 2025 phone also got a revamped 18MP multi-aspect selfie camera with a wider 20mm lens, compared to the 12MP 23mm camera on the older phone.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is even cheaper and the price gap gets wider if you want more than the base 256GB storage. Here’s our in-depth iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. 16 Pro Max comparison. We also have a 15 Pro Max vs. 14 Pro Max article, if you are upgrading from an older model.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a smaller display, 6.7” compared to 6.9” on the two most recent editions. It also has a lower resolution 12MP ultra-wide, down from the 48MP you’d get with a 16 Pro Max. However, the telephoto and selfie cameras are basically the same. Charging is similar enough, but the 16 Pro Max lasts longer (17:18h vs. 16:01h Active use score).
We know some of you prefer smaller phones, so here’s the Apple iPhone 15 Pro. It’s a down-scaled 6.1” version of the Pro Max, however, there are a few other important differences – e.g. the 12MP telephoto camera has a shorter 3x/77mm lens, down from 5x/120mm on the Max. Here’s a detailed comparison between the two iPhone 15 Pros. We also have an iPhone 14 Pro vs. 15 Pro article.
We recommend going for either the 128GB model as the cheapest option or picking up at least a 512GB unit. Especially with the tiny gap between the 256GB and 512GB options. With a bit of patience, you might get the 1TB model closer to $700 as well.
The iPhone 16e is only a few months old, but refurbished units are already showing up. This one has an Apple A18 chipset, which is newer than the A17 Pro inside the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. The single 48MP camera on the back (with a tiny 1/2.55” sensor) isn’t great, though. Still, the 16e is relatively small (6.1” display, 167g), which makes it a solid option for a second phone.
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