My top 4 phones of 2025 - Sagar

Top 4 Smartphones of 2025: A Personal Favorites Roundup

As the calendar flips to 2026, it's tradition for us tech enthusiasts and editors to reflect on the past year's mobile innovations. This isn't about the absolute "best" specs on paper, but rather the devices that genuinely delivered an enjoyable user experience throughout 2025. Having spent considerable time with various devices in India, here are my personal top smartphones of 2025, presented without a specific ranking.

Infinix GT 30 Pro: The Gamer's Choice

The Infinix GT 30 Pro, powered by the Dimensity 8350 Ultimate SoC, proved to be a well-rounded performer. While targeted at gamers with its 144Hz AMOLED display and bypass charging, its standout feature for me was the customizable capacitive touch shoulder buttons, dubbed GT Shoulder Triggers.

These triggers significantly enhanced my gaming sessions, particularly in titles like Call of Duty: Mobile. By mapping in-game actions to these physical buttons, I experienced reduced response times and an improved overall performance, rivaling even flagship devices. The GT Shoulder Triggers offered a tactile advantage similar to past innovations, and I eagerly anticipate seeing them integrated into more mainstream and flagship gaming phones, perhaps even paired with a top-tier SoC for an unparalleled gaming experience.

vivo X200 FE: The Ultimate Travel Companion

Following my preference for travel-friendly phones in previous years, the vivo X200 FE (Fashionable Edition) absolutely stole the show in 2025. Its compact 6.31-inch display, sleek 8mm thickness, and lightweight 186g build, combined with a matte-finished metal frame and rear, made it incredibly comfortable for one-handed use. This is crucial when navigating busy travel scenarios.

Outdoor legibility was excellent, and the 6,500 mAh battery consistently delivered all-day endurance, even with heavy usage and constant connectivity. Fast charging, topping up in under an hour, was another travel essential. While its camera system doesn't match the Pro variant, the primary and periscope telephoto lenses captured pleasing images perfect for vacation snapshots. The Dimensity 9300+ ensured a fluid, lag-free experience, and its eSIM support was a huge convenience for international travel. Minor drawbacks include an 8MP ultrawide camera and the absence of a telephoto macro mode, which I hope to see addressed in future iterations.

Realme GT 8 Pro: Style Meets Substance

Building on the flagship feel of its predecessor, the Realme GT 8 Pro arrived with a host of upgrades. Its vibrant AMOLED display offered excellent sunlight legibility, with an improved 144Hz refresh rate. The battery capacity was boosted to a substantial 7,000 mAh Si/C unit, providing effortless all-day power even under heavy load. Charging remained lightning-fast at 120W wired, complemented by 50W wireless and reverse charging options.

The design was a highlight, with the Urban Blue's "paper-like leather" finish offering a pleasing grip. Realme's unique switchable camera islands added a touch of personalization. The camera system saw a significant jump, with a 50MP ultrawide and 32MP selfie camera, but the star was the 200MP periscope telephoto lens and the Ricoh GR partnership for the main sensor. While I didn't personally connect with the Ricoh GR mode, the overall camera performance was impressive. Running on Android 16 with Realme UI 7.0, it promised four OS upgrades and five years of security updates. Despite some unpolished software moments, its eSIM support and overall package made it a strong contender, especially for travel.

iQOO 15: The Definitive Favorite

My absolute favorite smartphone of 2025 is the iQOO 15. While visually similar to its predecessor, it features a refined flat rear panel and a matte-finished metal frame on the Legend edition, which not only resists smudges but adds a premium feel. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, performance was consistently snappy and cool, even during extended gaming sessions.

OriginOS 6 proved to be a refreshing change with its intuitive UI and useful features, notably the "Blank data authorization" for enhanced privacy. The substantial 7,000 mAh battery easily lasted through demanding days. Photography on the iQOO 15 also impressed, with capable primary and ultrawide cameras and the welcome return of a 3x periscope telephoto lens. The portraits captured at both 85mm and 100mm focal lengths were excellent. Looking ahead, I'd appreciate broader 144Hz refresh rate implementation and potential enhancements to the selfie and ultrawide cameras, perhaps even incorporating iQOO's take on gaming triggers like the Infinix GT series.

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