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The Best Smartphones of 2025: The Sperty Awards Winners
Happy December, everyone. It is that wonderful time of year where we collectively heave a sigh of relief that another chaotic year is almost done, only to realize another one is literally just about to begin. But it’s not all doom and gloom; it’s also time for the annual Sperty Awards.
In 2025, I have fondled no less than 75 blowers. From the stupidly skinny to the pocket-punishing enormous, covering every budget from well over a grand to fewer than a hundred quid. Some were brilliant, some were disappointing, and a few were sadly iPhones. So, grab a drink and buckle up. Here is my definitive rundown of the best smartphones of the year.
🚀 Quick Look: The 2025 Sperty Winners
| Category | Winner | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 🏆 Overall Best | Oppo Find X9 Pro | 10/10 |
| 💰 Best Budget | CMF Phone 2 Pro | 9/10 |
| 📸 Best Camera | Vivo X300 Pro | 9.5/10 |
| 🎮 Best Gaming | RedMagic 11 Pro | 9/10 |
Table of Contents
- 1. Best Phone If You’re Proper Skint
- 2. Best Mid-Range Phone
- 3. Most Random Special Edition
- 4. Best Camera Phone of the Year
- 5. Beefcakiest Gaming Phone
- 6. Best Foldable Phones (Big & Small)
- 7. The Soggy Sock Award (Biggest Disappointment)
- 8. Best Compact Phone
- 9. The Overall Winner: Phone of the Year
- 10. Frequently Asked Questions
1. Best Phone If You’re Proper Skint
So, you’ve blown your savings on hobbies you can't explain to your parents? No worries. While you can dip as low as £100 with Motorola's G06 Power, my recommendation for the best budget smartphone is splashing out just a little bit more.
Winner: CMF Phone 2 Pro
This perky, colorful chap defies its low asking price. It serves up a gorgeous AMOLED screen and a respectable camera setup, complete with a basic telephoto shooter. The MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro can handle proper games like Wuthering Waves, and the battery life is top-notch. It stands out from the crowd, especially at this price point.
2. Best Mid-Range Phone
This category was tough to judge because 2025 has given us "shag-loads" of decent mid-range mobiles. I really enjoyed the Oppo Reno 13 Pro and the Motorola Edge 60, but one phone stood out as the definitive smartphone for the masses.
Winner: Nothing Phone (3a)
This might be the final outing for that iconic "glyph disco" rear design. It features a poppy OLED display and a stereo speaker setup decent enough for Netflix. Thanks to Snapdragon smarts, it is nippy enough to play basically any game out there.
Nothing OS is as lovable as ever, and the camera doesn't let the side down either. It’s a proper cracker that balances price and performance perfectly.
3. Most Random Special Edition
We haven't had too many spinoffs in 2025, but one stood out for its incredibly unusual timing. While the POCO "Iron Man" edition was cute (albeit five years late), another brand took the crown.
Winner: Realme 15 Pro "Game of Thrones" Edition
Realme really went to town with this one. The box opens up into an Iron Throne pop-up, and the phone itself features intricate gold detailing and dragon sigils. It’s a collaboration that would have made sense in 2019, but I appreciate the effort. It gives me hope that one day my dream of an 'Allo 'Allo! special edition smartphone will be realized.
4. Best Camera Phone of the Year
This was so difficult that I had to do a "YouTube cop-out" and split the award. Both of these pocket heroes boast superior and flexible camera arrangements that excel in pretty much any condition.
Shared Winners: Oppo Find X9 Pro & Vivo X300 Pro
Whether it is night photography, fast-moving action shots of your pets, or portrait shots, both of these devices are sublime. The zoom capabilities on the Oppo are particularly impressive, even without slapping on external lenses. If photography is your main priority in a smartphone, you cannot go wrong with either of these behemoths.
5. Beefcakiest Gaming Phone
If you want to pack some serious beef into your trousers—digitally speaking—you need a device with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 stuffed inside.
Winner: RedMagic 11 Pro
Not only do you get that Snapdragon grunt, but the RedMagic dazzles with its innovative liquid cooling setup. You can game for hours without the phone throttling. Battery life is stellar; we’re talking over five hours of heavy gaming from that 7,500mAh battery. With super-responsive triggers and haptic feedback, it remains the ultimate blower for thumb-twiddlers.
6. Best Foldable Phones (Big & Small)
Foldables have matured in 2025. For the large, book-style foldables, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 was the most improved, finally fixing the aspect ratio issues. However, it wasn't the winner.
Best Book-Style: Honor Magic V5
The Honor Magic V5 takes the prize for being uber-skinny while still boasting supremely long battery life for a dual-screen device. It offers excellent performance and a camera setup that doesn't feel like a compromise.
Best Flip-Style: Motorola Razr 60 Ultra
For the clamshell fans, Motorola takes the gold. The massive, fully functional cover screen lets you run any app without opening the phone. It’s a stellar bit of pocket-friendly phonage.
7. The Soggy Sock Award (Biggest Disappointment)
Not every smartphone release this year was a winner. The iPhone 16e was a strong contender for being "dumber than a sack of rocks," but I expected that. The real disappointment came from a brand I usually love.
Loser: Nothing Phone (3) flagship
They are great at budget stuff, but their flagship offering went a bit wrong. The "Glyph Matrix" was a gimmick that got boring after four minutes, the battery life wasn't great, and it got distressingly toasty during gaming. It was an ambitious attempt, like Icarus flying too close to the sun, but it ended up crashing into the ocean.
8. Best Compact Phone
True "compact" phones basically don't exist anymore in 2025. The best you can hope for is "stupidly skinny." However, one phone managed to pack a massive battery into a relatively small chassis.
Winner: Vivo X200 FE
This diminutive 6.3-inch mobile boasts a whopping 6,500mAh battery and 90W charging. The 1.5K display is a stunner, and it runs a Dimensity 9300+ chipset. It gets a bit hot, but for a one-handed experience that lasts all day, it’s a mini hero.
9. The Overall Winner: Phone of the Year
Out of the 70+ devices I tested this year, which one would I most like to keep stashed in my pants on a daily basis? There were many contenders, but one stood out as an absolute all-rounder with next to no flaws.
🏆 The Sperty Winner: Oppo Find X9 Pro
It’s not particularly quirky, but it does everything so well. You get one of the best camera systems, perfect gaming performance, bloody good battery life, and a slick OS experience. It provides the most premium experience in every area. It is the definitive smartphone of 2025.
🏆 OPPO FIND X9 PRO: The Verdict
The definitive smartphone of 2025. It balances power, photography, and battery life perfectly.
- ✅ Flawless Camera System
- ✅ Excellent Battery Life
- ✅ Premium Build Quality
- ✅ Perfect Gaming Performance
- ❌ Expensive Price Tag
- ❌ Large footprint (not for small hands)
Conclusion
And there you have it—the 2025 Sperty Awards are a wrap. Whether you are looking for a budget champion like the CMF Phone 2 Pro or the absolute powerhouse that is the Oppo Find X9 Pro, this year has offered something for everyone.
Did I miss your favorite device? Let me know in the comments below. If you want to see full deep-dives on these phones, check out my previous reviews here. Don't forget to share this post if you found it helpful!
10. Frequently Asked Questions
More info : Review: Why the Oppo Find X9 Pro is King
More info : Check full specs on GSMArena
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