The most popular phones of the season include the mid-range, Chinese behemoths with 200-megapixel telephoto lenses, and of course, Apple, which insists on its throne. Let's see why you should choose them.
Interesting, isn't it? If you had told someone ten years ago that a mid-range Samsung would beat the entire flagship Olympus, they would have probably sent you for tea. And yet – the ranking of the top 10 most popular phones among fans says exactly that. At the top is not a 1,500-euro beast, but the modest Galaxy A56. It is followed by Chinese giants with batteries that are almost equal in capacity to Tesla, and of course the iPhone, because – iPhone. Below is an overview of all ten, neatly in order, without unnecessary marketing mantras.
1. Samsung Galaxy A56 – the king of reason
Number one on the scale is proof that intelligence is not dead yet. Samsung Galaxy A56 offers a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display with 120 Hz and a stunning 1,900 nits of brightness, an Exynos 1580 chip (4 nm), 8 or 12 GB of RAM and a 5,000 mAh battery with 45-watt charging. The triple main camera is powered by a 50-megapixel sensor with OIS, along with a 12 MP wide-angle and 5 MP macro. IP67, Gorilla Glass Victus+, six years of system updates and a price of around 350 euros. In short – a middle class that knows how to do its homework.
2. Xiaomi 15 Ultra – camera with a mobile phone in the attachment
Xiaomi 15 Ultra is the phone you buy when you take more photos than you live. Under the hood is a Snapdragon 8 Elite, and on the back is a Leica quad: a 50 MP main camera with a real 1-inch sensor (f/1.63), a 50 MP wide-angle camera, a 50 MP 3x telephoto camera, and a beast – a 200 MP periscope 4.3x camera (100 mm, f/2.6). The screen measures 6.73 inches and reaches 3,200 nits, and the 5,410 mAh battery (or 6,000 mAh in China) is charged with 90 W wired and 80 W wireless. Price? Around 1,499 euros. Expensive, but damn good.
3. Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro – price/smart ratio
Poco X7 Pro is that quiet best buy that your friends only notice when you brag about the price. Dimensity 8400 Ultra, 6.67-inch AMOLED with 120 Hz and Dolby Vision support, 8 or 12 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of storage. The main camera is a 50 MP Sony with OIS, accompanied by an 8 MP wide-angle. The real star, however, is the 6,000 mAh battery with 90-watt HyperCharge charging. IP68, Gorilla Glass 7i and a price starting at around 309 euros. Games run, the phone doesn't burn lunches.
4. Xiaomi 17 Pro Max – a phone with two faces
Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is an unusual hybrid – a 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED with 3,500 nits on the front, and a 2.9-inch AMOLED with 120 Hz on the back. Yes, two screens. The drive is provided by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm) with 12 or 16 GB of RAM. Three Leica cameras of 50 MP each with 5x optical zoom, 8K recording and Dolby Vision. But the most impressive is 7,500mAh battery with 100-watt charging. IP68 up to six meters, weight 219 g. Currently mainly on the Chinese market, price around 720 euros.
5. OnePlus 15 – two-day battery, naked power
OnePlus 15 is the spring that broke all the rules in 2026 – Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, 6.78-inch AMOLED with 165Hz refresh rate and a peak of 1,800 nits. It offers 12 or 16 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB of storage. Triple 50 MP camera (Sony main, Omnivision wide-angle and Samsung telephoto), 32 MP selfie. But the real icon is 7,300 mAh silicon-carbon battery with 80W wired and 50W wireless charging. IP69K resistance. At $899 for the base model, this is a sweet package.
6. Samsung Galaxy S25 – small, fast, familiar
Galaxy S25 is proof that Samsung still knows how to make phones that fit in your pocket without a hydraulic support. The screen is 6.2 inches, the chip is Snapdragon 8 Elite, the cameras remain faithful to previous generations – 50 MP main, 12 MP wide-angle, 10 MP 3x telephoto and 12 MP selfie with autofocus. The battery is 4,000 mAh, which is enough for a day, which should be enough for a healthy social life. The main trump card is Galaxy AI: live translations, photo assistant, search circle. Not the brightest name on the list, but a friend who does not disappoint.
7. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra - Discreet Korean
Galaxy S26 Ultra brings the first screen innovation that makes actual sense: Privacy Display, built at the hardware level. Your neighbor on the train can no longer read your Slack. Under the hood Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, 6.9-inch AMOLED with 2,600 nits, main 200 MP sensor with an extremely light-transmitting aperture f/1.4, alongside a 50 MP wide-angle, 10 MP 3x and 50 MP 5x periscope. 5,000 mAh battery with 60 W charging (the fastest ever on a Galaxy S), the S Pen remains, and the price is $ 1,299. Ultra without shocks, but for a reason.
8. Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max – Aluminum is back
iPhone 17 Pro Max buried titanium in 2025 and returned to an aluminum unibody case – heat-forged, as Apple calls it, which sounds more like a blacksmith's profession. A19 Pro chip, 6.9-inch OLED with ProMotion and Ceramic Shield 2, three 48 MP cameras (main, ultra-wide, telephoto with 8x optical quality), 18 MP Center Stage selfie. 5,088 mAh battery delivers record-breaking 39 hours of video playback, charges with 40W wired and 25W MagSafe. Up to 2TB of storage. Apple is still Apple – even NASA uses it in space.
9. Oppo Find X9 Pro – Hasselblad for your pocket
Oppo Find X9 Pro is the quiet photography master of the season. Dimensity 9500, 6.78-inch 3,600-nit display, Hasselblad photo system: 50 MP main with 1/1.28-inch Sony sensor and f/1.5 aperture, 50 MP wide-angle and the heart of a beast – 200 MP 3x periscope telephoto (Sony HP5, 1/1.56″, f/2.1). 7,500 mAh battery charges with 80 W SuperVOOC and 50 W AIRVOOC. IP66/68/69. Price 1,099 pounds or 1,299 euros. Anyone who boasts that they shoot with a DSLR in their pocket is probably lying – unless they have the Find X9 Pro.
10. Xiaomi 17 Ultra – mechanical zoom for fanatics
Xiaomi 17 Ultra is the one you buy when taking enough photos isn't enough. Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, 6.9-inch 3,500-nit flat OLED, 1-inch 50MP Light Fusion 1050L main sensor, 50MP 14mm wide-angle, and an industry marvel: 200MP telephoto lens with 75-100mm true mechanical zoom (Leica APO certified, first time in a phone). 8K recording, 4K 120fps Log, Dolby Vision. Battery 6,000mAh global (6,800mAh in China), 90W wired, 50W wireless. IP68/IP69. This is not a phone – it's an optical statement.
Conclusion: a scale that tells a story
The most fascinating thing about this scale is how beautifully it exposes today's buyer. At the top sits Samsung Galaxy A56 – a reasonable price for 350 euros – and flagships for 1,500 kneel before it. Three Xiaomi models follow (15 Ultra, Poco X7 Pro, 17 Pro Max), which is perfect proof that the Chinese industry is no longer playing by the rules. The OnePlus 15 and its 7,300 mAh battery say that the era of 4,000-mAh compromises is finally over.
It is also interesting that the iPhone 17 Pro Max is only the eighth. Not because it is worse, but because the horizons of the technological audience have expanded – Hasselblad at Oppo, Leica at Xiaomi, stupid fast charging at OnePlusApple is still Apple, but fans are increasingly daring to think outside the box. Prices range from €309 for the Poco X7 Pro to €1,499 for the Xiaomi 15 Ultra and $1,299 for the Galaxy S26 Ultra – the range is so wide that the search for the “right” phone has become more of a search for the right compromise.
My opinion? If you want the best value for money, get the Galaxy A56 or Poco X7 ProIf you're looking for a photography beast, the choice is between Xiaomi 17 Ultra and Oppo Find X9 ProBut if you simply want a phone that will last you a full day and a half without a crisis – OnePlus 15. Apple and Samsung, well, they're still here. As always. And they probably will be for the next twenty years.
