Smartphone test: the great cell phone comparison | Stiftung Warentest

Cell phone comparison 2024: Best camera or top battery?

For some, a strong cell phone battery may be the most important thing. For others, a powerful smartphone camera that offers good image quality even in difficult lighting conditions. The next ones only pay attention to the price. Depending on your needs and preferences, other criteria are important when purchasing a smartphone. With our test results and filter options, everyone can find the right model for them among the 452 smartphones in our database – including foldable phones.

Tip: You can even before activation see all tested models and, for example, find out details about the equipment, such as storage space or whether the dual SIM function is available.

The system question: Android or iOS?

An important preliminary decision when looking for the right smartphone is the choice of operating system. Buyers now almost only have the choice between Android Phones or iPhone.

Android OS Overview

This speaks for Android:

Android is developed under the leadership of Google and the program code is available for free. The system is considered flexible and open. Googles Game store offers a large number of additional programs. But applications from other sources can also be installed. Many Android phones have a memory card slot. To facilitate the exchange of music and other files, they can be connected to the PC as a USB drive or via the Media Transfer Protocol (MTP).

This speaks against it:

Cell phone operators often customize the Android system for their devices and are also responsible for updating the software on their cell phones. Therefore, depending on the brand and model, users will have to wait longer for security updates or the latest version of Android or stop receiving them soon after purchase.

In the cell phone test: Cell phones with Android operating system

iOS Operating System Overview

This speaks for iOS:

iOS runs on Apple iPhones. The system is popular due to its easy controls. Additionally, syncing between a user’s multiple Apple devices works seamlessly if Apple’s cloud offerings are used. Apple has been providing updates to its devices for a relatively long time.

This speaks against it:

For a long time, applications only came from Apple App store, which requires a user account. Alternative app stores have been possible since 2024, but so far they barely exist. The internal storage of iOS devices cannot be expanded with memory cards. Access to storage is severely restricted. Local data exchange with the PC occurs through the iTunes program. It must be downloaded from the Internet. Furthermore, the selection of iOS devices is manageable. Apple’s understanding of the brand includes offering premium devices at higher prices. Really cheap smartphones can only be found in the Android warehouse.

In the cell phone test: Cell phones with iOS operating system

This is how cell phone manufacturers make updates

One of the uncertainties when purchasing a smartphone is the question: how long can updates for the operating system be expected? For every model we’ve tested since 2020, we’ve asked suppliers about this. We want to know:

• Until when does the provider promise function updates for your device, for example, from one version of Android to another?
• And how long will it at least provide security updates for this?

In addition, Stiftung Warentest regularly checks how long vendors provide smartphones with security and function updates and creates an update index.

Tip: Click on a product photo in the table. In “Product features” you can see how long the provider guarantees security and functional updates. In our Special cell phone provider upgrade policy find out more about the topic.

Smartphones under test – these are the most important test points

Some top smartphones now cost well over 1,000 euros. But no one needs to spend that much for a good cell phone. Prices often drop quickly after launch, especially for Android devices. The best cell phones from the previous year are often significantly cheaper.

The price range is not the only purchasing criterion. Many quality differences only become apparent in testing. They reveal these checkpoints:

• Basic functions. How good is the voice quality? How stable is the reception? How much computing power is there and how accurate is the location? The test makes clear big differences.
• Camera. How do photos look in low light? How clear are the video recordings? Our tests show that really good cell phone cameras are rare, but they can certainly be found in top models.
• Show. Good contrast, natural colors and high resolution provide a good display. Not all models can boast of this.
• Handling. What unlocking options does the cell phone offer? How intuitive is the menu navigation? This is particularly important for users in everyday life.
• Battery. Operating and charging times for cell phone batteries vary considerably. Some models last more than two days, others not even one.
• Stability. Some smartphones – even expensive ones – break when dropped. Cell phones fail the rain test much less often.

Tip: We also test how good Samsungs and Apples are Cell phone repair kits function. And if you like smart devices, maybe these are Smartwatches and fitness trackers being tested also interesting for you.