Smartphone Awards 2023!

The best smartphones of 2023!
MKBHD Merch: shop.MKBHD.com
Samsung S23 Ultra at geni.us/JiXWof
ASUS Zenfone 10 at geni.us/AUTNv
Samsung Z Flip 5 at geni.us/4V6L
Apple iPhone 15 Pro at geni.us/FJ6qT6X
Google Pixel 8 Pro at geni.us/QZDJa
Google Pixel 7a at geni.us/4MAxB
Samsung Galaxy A54 at geni.us/RQxUT
Apple iPhone 15 Plus at geni.us/QPrD
Honor Magic V2 at geni.us/ShB9j4
OnePlus Open at geni.us/i8eq5
Nothing Phone 2 at geni.us/CTUnyq
Google Pixel 8 at geni.us/qLeWM7
0:00 Let's give out some Awards!
1:12 Best Big Smartphone
3:55 Best Compact Phone
5:56 Best Camera
8:50 The Value Award
11:05 Best Battery
13:07 The Design Award
15:14 Best Foldable Phone
18:25 Most Improved
20:34 Bust of the Year
22:02 MVP
Tech I'm using right now: www.amazon.com/shop/MKBHD
Intro Track: / alltta
Playlist of MKBHD Intro music: goo.gl/B3AWV5
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/ mkbhd

[@yanlevin]

I knew about the folding phone category because I watched the podcast four months ago in August. (Also: microfiber)

[@ASH__143]

where's the replys

[@fdy7n]

Why are the replies gone?

[@DembricOS]

Replies gone, I will come

[@SenhasSenara]

Jeff pesos

[@thedarkknight1971]

MVP - Pixel 8/8Pro.. AS WELL AS the 7 YEARS Software updates, Google IS helping repairability side too in conjunction with iFixit for parts... coughcoughAPPLEcough! 😏 😎🇬🇧

[@lukejackson1575]

20:30 *Honorable mention to the European Union for forcing Apple to switch to USB-C

[@Zvxers7]

honorable mention for apple to use USB-C years late

[@niceAbyss]

very true lmao, hardly an "improvement" on that one

[@ElusiveTy]

@@Zvxers7 Eh, not really. Apple wouldn't have used it at all if the EU didn't care about consumer choice. Just another common European W, having to keep global companies in check because their home countries can't do it themselves.

[@Superfoodcookie]

Yeah I disagree with marques about it. They don't deserve a shout out when they were forced to come to the USB C table. And then they chucked the slowest ports to their lower variants on purpose. Has one of the slowest charge times as a result across USB C phones. So I don't see that as most improved.

[@user-gb4hj3uy8k]

​@@Superfoodcookie Bro its apple they do everything late

[@seanlyons5258]

A lot of respect for someone who can view phones for their attributes alone and ignore the caveman mentality of brand/OS loyalty. Well done, a great and informative video.

[@urlhnd]

but… this video is nothing but brand loyalty lol year after year it’s all the same phones from the same companies

[@ghosts288]

@@urlhndgenuinely wanna know what other phone you wanted to see in this lol

[@Sam-gd1yz]

@@urlhndit’s cause those companies have the resources and technologies to make the best phones

[@Leanzazzy]

​@@ghosts288He wants to see imaginary phones. There's a reason the same brands are recognised each year.

[@urlhnd]

@@ghosts288 Well, for one, not a single Xiaomi phone made it in. That alone could be worth a best value phone, Samsung phones are fairly expensive and 400$ is ridiculous for a “best-value” phone.

[@themahdi9358]

It would be a great idea to have a category of older phones that are still viable and efficient in this new year

[@bonibon6669]

I agree Phones that still have updates and still are rocking it

[@onlyforintelligents9070]

pixel 6a

[@Murillos1]

You can just watch last year’s phone awards…

[@donjoevillacorta2790]

Or category of best survival phone. Where you flush it down the toilet. You take a shower or swimming with the phone in your pocket. You boil it in water. You poop on it. Put it on a blender.

[@ygwaltgmb]

Yup older phone that still holds it value best today award

[@shellyreed2373]

I feel like that was really well thought out and really well done.There is a reason you are so looked up to and reguarded in the smart phone and tech world.Job well done to you and your crew once again.I so enjoy it all.

[@SuperSaf]

The Original Smartphone Awards 🏆 Was waiting for this, great choices 🙌🏾

[@joakimnilsson2245]

True

[@AS3R1US]

Lessgetit 👏

[@kylekorona]

Lack of preparation and or caring

[@anabell7184]

Linus 🧡 LG Wing

[@FRAZERNYAMBE007]

Not until you include Mrwhosetheboss.

[@nikosvrk1849]

Who is watching in 2100?

[@Benvenjtos]

I’ll be back in 2200 promise

[@Sleepy_340]

🤫🤫🤫🤫🙄

[@alot_of_ducks]

Not me I'll be dead

[@kakalihalder6607]

Me

[@blaiseasanga5567]

Not to worry you'll be long gone by then

[@sembalo1776]

petition to add best repairability one of these years, these vids are always awesome and gets me a bit more caught up with the phone market every year. that zenfone 10 seems pretty dope

[@lawrencebeckner1097]

I have the Zenfone 10 and just did a repair on it. I dropped it for about the 100th time and it stopped reading my sim card. I took off the back with a heat gun and everything was pretty accessible. It turned out that the cable to the sim card reader had popped loose and just needed to be pressed back on. This phone was a lot easier to work on than any of the modern Iphones, Pixels or Samsungs that I have opened up in the last 5 years.

[@vennzee7836]

And how would they measure that? given the time frame . 🤷‍♀

[@jitrinsakulpichetratana5983]

The Pixel 7 and 8 just hits that butterzone between price, hardware and software. Crazy reliable. It's not gonna blow you away with the bells and whistles but it does the job, and does it well. That 7 year software update is juicy.

[@supernotnatural]

There are tons of quality control issues with 8 and 7 and you are calling it crazy reliable. 7 year software update means shit for normal customers who need a new phone after battery is done.

[@HorizynCo]

​@@supernotnaturalYou obviously never used it

[@midwestmulisha820]

​@@supernotnaturalhi there, pixel user for the last 10 years now. Most recent one being the pixel 6 pro, which I have to this day. Battery is still great, in fact sometimes Improves with updates, and no glitches. Just figured someone who actually knows what they're talking about should speak on the matter.

[@robyn5859]

My Pixel 6a replacement phone just died after 11 months. The original phone it replaced died after 8 months. I'd love to get the Pixel 8 because I've used Pixels for years, but I just can't trust Pixel's reliability anymore.

[@HorizynCo]

@@robyn5859 can't trust Pixels reliably?! They're literally known for reliability. I switched from iPhone 14 to Pixel 8 and couldn't be happier with the decision

[@J3dotgg]

Samsung not winning in the foldable category is telling in how comfortable they have gotten at putting out the same phone year over year. I really hope that they will come out with a passport type foldable next year.

[@MorganTheGorgon]

Honestly, Samsung got complacent with foldables way faster than I thought they would-or I guess hoped they would. I’m happy that OnePlus and Google are starting to compete and are forcing Samsung to innovate on this more, but it’s straight up disappointing that the Fold3, 4 & 5 are all *so* similar.

[@TamasKiss-yk4st]

Well, i watched a few of this kind of awards videos (almost all big channel do one), and nobody gives that title for Samsung (and it's hard to give them if they are basically still just the fold 2 4th version, almost nothing changed since the the fold 2, if you are not counting the obvious changes like the never chip in the next model)

[@Gold-lv5ih]

I think the Samsung Z Flip 5 is a very good foldable

[@amil89]

@@MorganTheGorgon Fold 6 HAS to be good now. I am considering replacing my Fold 3 with a OnePlus or Honor if they don't. I love the under-display camera, tbh. I wish that would come to more foldables and phones in general. I go months completely forgetting it exists, its very well hidden

[@mayavril1]

They are terrible at listening to feedback. Anyone could have told them where they will get beat in their range and they just don't care. Maybe they are too detached from their consumers or engineers

[@LaunchRecap]

You know the year has come to an end when marques releases the smartphone awards. What a year for everyone. Happy new year marques and anyone reading this. It has been a pleasure watching you in 2023 ❤

[@skyssleepy]

Camera on iPhone 15 Pro is bias. S23 Ultra better. L marques bIacklee

[@faetalize]

@@skyssleepy wtf? kyoself

[@fw2074]

​@@skyssleepyracist dog

[@joelconolly5574]

​@@skyssleepymaybe if that phone can shoot better videos it can get camera awards. Cause Samsung's video still suck 😂

[@trippinhard250]

@@skyssleepy I swear it's always the same with you Android fans. The iPhone does some things better than an Android, is that so difficult to accept? You're the one who's biased here.

[@SilentToast-tw9iu]

Great video as always. Always enjoy the uploads and the constant increase in quality from the channel! Here’s to a great 2024 and beyond!

[@fajulate]

I can't believe that I watch these videos almost everyday. MKBHD content is out of this world. I don't know how he does it but these videos are incomparable.

[@ehmzed]

I'm always so glad to see the Asus Zenfones being mentioned and praised in these videos 🥹 Sad that there's never a Sony Xperia or a Nokia worthy of a mention instead..

[@Mr.Monark]

they never make one now tbh

[@KillBill_gaming]

asus zenfones are top notch phones! one of the most satisfying phones i've used till now

[@PhilKnall]

Low key missing the old Xperia compacts.

[@Rippedyanu1]

I'm really enjoying the Xperia 1 V tbh

[@ketanpatil5915]

​@@0binkimyes I have xperia pro I and I phone 14 pro I say xperia pro I is good in battery and it's display is way too good only thing I don't like about xperia is the nit brightness which is 400 nits only other than that xperia pro I is best in my arsenal

[@Rayfano1002]

I posses the S23 Ultra now for about 8 months and I just want to mention: people saying "that crazy zoom is useless" couldn't be more wrong! The amount of times I've used the 10x zoom is crazy! I think I use it about 30% of the time I make a picture or need to scan a QR-code during a lecture or something. It's just so much more crisp than digital zoom, it actually produces usable pictures.

[@D4vidPgc]

I completely agree with this although I would say I use the 3x more but still the 10x is very useful.

[@SmoothJK]

Yea I never understood why KZbinrs make optical zoom sound like some gimmick. As a parent who has to record a lot of videos of kids doing things far away (concerts and such), great zoom is absolutely necessary.

[@Hayden_Agar]

I got the s21 and I love it, I got it brand new for 260 dollars

[@richardstenlund2431]

Those who says 10x zoom is useless is those who owns a phone without

[@JoseLinaresTorres]

@SmoothJK I have noticed the following pattern from these people. Everything the iPhone doesn't have is a gimmick.

[@sorayaarifin1445]

always love your annual smartphone awards! this year is def. better than last year!

[@travsformation1]

Very fair assessment & balanced choices! As an S23U owner, I feel it deserved the best large phone award, but also agree with the iPhone 15 Pro getting the win for best camera phone; its snaps are richer (Samsung often overdoes the HDR, & pics come out too flat) and overall, colours tend to be more accurate, while video is still much better. The S23U's zoom range might make it more versatile (thus the honorable mention), but the iPhone yields more consistent and reliable results

[@mihnealazar7039]

Great take, I agree

[@carterpillar2724]

Nicee! Mind if i ask, whyd u pick the s23u? Like whats a feature in it u really liked and found it convenient for ur day-to-day life

[@saymy8699]

Bro its s23u its doesnt need to answer u its better than 99% other android phones and have all u need ofc ​@carterpillar2724

[@SyedFaiz3347]

Finally an Android User who respects the iPhone

[@constellationyt725]

Exactly this. Dont know why we are in a phone war, most brands dont care anyway. Accurate take, as a videographer this is true

[@varadkarpe3565]

This is such a smooth video, I didn't even realise that I spent 26 minutes watching it, felt like just another 15 minute video from you.

[@DrewEaves07]

This is an underrated comment! Almost 30 minutes we just spent watching it and it really didn't feel like it at all. As always, great work

[@kimiko3811]

ikr!!! marques always makes things engaging!!

[@danilosdesouza]

😮

[@toddjenkins2561]

Omg I love content Creators so much😊

[@mikediezel0923]

for me it was 8min 30s because I played it at 3x speed lol

[@ROspook]

This year I feel like I can agree with you on all the categories. I think this is the most fair-overall-caption of all the phones released throughout 2023. Nice!

[@tasteofhate5884]

That is realy if exist only 5 smartphone everythink

[@ehinomeiyayi4289]

Agree

[@SimonKabbaj]

For the best camera, I disagree. In comparison with a Pixel 8 Pro, it is far, even extremely far from the Pixel. I am a professional photographer, and I believe many others like me would confirm this perspective.

[@cordigunstheobliterator5251]

@@SimonKabbajI don’t really understand you… he picked the 15 pro as his best camera, he didn’t say any about the pixel 8 pro … which do you think should be the best camera?

[@josephjoestar515]

@@SimonKabbajBut he’s looking overall, so even if the iPhone is slightly worse in stills, the video more than makes up for it.

[@PrinceWalterM]

The sound quality in your videos is so so good..i feel like it goes unnoticed by the majority

[@aracelisagosto44]

Hi, Marquis, You are great! You are intelligent, knowledgeable and honest. You really know your stuff. I've seen many of your videos and I would definitely trust your judgement when choosing a new product. You're a true professional. Keep up the good work.

[@2228224]

imagine a smartphone/telephone award ceremony show 15-20 years ago, where the phones would all be shown from the back. Impossible. But nowadays, the front faces are almost identical, it is the back sides that make a phone's character and identity.

[@D71219ONE]

My old brain thinking for a second, “Smartphones haven’t been around for 20 years.” Oh my, they have.

[@nevil3076]

Because we are in a society that focuses on showing off... What you as an owner look at doesn't really matter... When you hold it in a room you're just looking at the screen whilst people look at the beautiful back. It even happens with cars😅😅😅

[@nicholasmartin9090]

If you count the first iPhone as the first smartphone then no we have till 2027. But if you count the Blackberry... Then yeah... The first came out in 1999

[@Shabkaz]

@@D71219ONEsmartphones existed in 2003?

[@Tophatguy_vr]

Hi

[@gabhoule]

As a foldable phone user, I confirm that every MKBHD videos mostly all works in fullscreen and I love you guys for it.

[@GyroCannon]

Not a foldable user so I have to ask, what would make a video not work in full screen? Genuinely curious what problems you run into.

[@thewyatt1001]

Same

[@ninzzasdful]

@@GyroCannon With a foldable phone you can "zoom in" to make the video fill the entire screen, instead of being played with the original aspect ratio. Therefore it leaves parts of the video out from the sides. In MKBHD videos that doesn't matter, all the actual content "is in the middle".

[@diogoreixa1262]

Always looking for your yearly awards! Thanks for this! ;)

[@kenjikodai]

I just want SD card slots for my music files and Headphone jacks so I can charge my phone while listening to music

[@mohawahba]

That MVP for pixel 8 was a huge plot twist unexpected choice and I love it. P8 has been sitting in my cart for quite some time now. I think it's time to break the bank.

[@deepakbisht4957]

It was not a twist to be honest. Google actually nailed it. Pixel 8 is more like a Pixel 9 in the sense they gave many features to pixel 8 whereas other companies only give minimal upgrades in each iteration or successor...

[@kiranmudnaney]

Well I love my pixel 8... By far the best smartphone at this size... And I've switched 7 flagships to finally keep this 1...

[@galaxyrockstudio4813]

Funny how it’s phone of the year yet it’s not the best camera, battery, performance Really the only thing is price I guess

[@moshimic5628]

@@galaxyrockstudio4813Well it’s like how Oneplus 6 and 7 got the award for phone of the year. They’re not exactly the best in certain fields, but they do it well in all of it, which ends up including the value for its price. Pretty much a phone where you really can’t go wrong with it (like a jack of all trades? Idk). Edit: That’s why there are awards for specific areas, for people who don’t care about anything else but that one thing like battery or camera, which becomes *their* personal phone of the year or ideal phone to get for the year. Sorry lol I’ll stop now

[@gachanja]

​@@galaxyrockstudio4813it has great camera of course, good design (esp the signature camera layout) and I'm sure the performance is pretty good too.

[@jeffer1101]

My wife and I bought new phones this year, partly based on your reviews, and we are both happy. She got an S23 Ultra (on sale) and I got a Pixel 8 Pro, but only bought the Pro because they had a deal where you got a free Pixel Watch 2 ($450 value), otherwise I would have just got the Pixel 8. Good to see you still like them.

[@tanbirmohd9318]

How about sponsoring a phone for me?

[@warriorsfg]

S23 damn

[@azhyhama9649]

Which camera do you prefer and why?

[@goodmankyle25]

I got the 8 pro for the exact same reason lol

[@SandeepYadav-nr7vt]

Great choice

[@mistersoeciale2817]

Good review. One small point I noted is the Asus 10's excellent battery life. I own an Asus 9 and have the same experience. None of the reviews I've read about this phone says it has a good battery. In nowhere will you find a small phone that can go for 2 days with moderate use. The fact that you found this out shows a detailed review of the lesser known phones. Keep up the good job.

[@TarekMidani]

I'm glad to see actual budget phones that are priced reasonably. And happy to see the Zenfone!

[@Liamalaing]

Google going from playing it safe, to winning phone of the year twice in a row, shows that they finally listened to customers and kept to it

[@clips7701]

Pixel 8 or S23?

[@Beyllion]

Remember, his opinion is just is opinion, not a universal truth.

[@Liamalaing]

@@clips7701 pixel 8

[@Liamalaing]

@@Beyllion indeed, however MKBHD has always been Google's biggest critic, so it shows the right steps are being made

[@sebastianstammer9265]

@@clips7701 pixel 8

[@the_Ngatia]

Zero dispute on all the categories. Best judgement I've seen this year ✔️ We'll need an additional category for Best Repairable Phone...like easiest to fix battery or cameras or screen in case of damage bro. Overall, great review 🔥

[@gie3973]

The Vivo x100 not even being mentioned for it's camera is crazy

[@deivytrajan]

@@gie3973but fanboys will never notice that

[@embarrassedbee9140]

Jerryrigeverything should do that.

[@AharenYuujin]

​@gie3973 vivo isnt that easy to get in the us/uk market iirc

[@baxterboy123yt]

I agree with his judgements however when it came to design I definitely thought the nothing phone would at least get a mention

[@DeltaRanger2029]

Another great smartphone award video, I guessed some of your picks just from watching your videos. With all those phones do you ever have a hard time deciding which Android you want to use? Do you switch them out often? Anyhow, have a Happy New Year!! Can't wait for the Galaxy S24 Ultra review!

[@rkmrbig]

Greetings from Texas. Thanks brother, Look forward to this video every year. Keep up the good work. Take Care

[@riteshpaul4759]

Funny how I watch this on my broken s9 every year.

[@mikebroom1866]

Need to have a "best phone for your parents" category.

[@ItsJustJess269]

Thank you! I'm watching this in the Samsung Galaxy S 23rd which is awesome because you gave that award to some of the phone❤

[@FamiliaPM-oi1sy]

I’d like to see a “Smartphone Awards IN 2023” (instead OF 2023). I bet there are a lot of other smartphones in categories like compact, design and value that still can compete very much with others. Also Marques, could you please make, maybe once a year, videos that’d include the used price? It’d be great for (the poorer demographic of/ the most environmentally engaged) some of your viewers, the environment, and the “does this model still has updates” longevity value that somes brands are now trying to pursue. Thank you for your videos !

[@cibernite]

I think there's a category you should definitely add next year: repairability and sustainability. Sure, there's just one contender, the Fairphone, but in the world we live this will become more and more important. Very nice choices btw!

[@beebeedeeie]

yes yes!

[@shadownshaws]

Yep, agreed. It has become more and more important to talk about the industry as a hole (haha wrong whole) and I am more concerned about the treatment of the workers that bring us such marvel of technology.

[@janelly1810]

Durability too. And not just with drop tests. I have been wanting Marques to review older phones for awhile now. They are so juiced up that you probably could have it for 5 years. Revisit some of the cell phone winners in the past to see how they have held up over time.

[@rakhayusan4537]

agreed @@janelly1810

[@amadouderza5824]

While I agree I feel like a channel focused on this aspect would be more relevant. Or he should do it as a featuring with jerryrigeverything or Phonerepairguru

[@neemiasmuondo4287]

Marques you also deserve an award your videos only get better. Congratulations on hitting 18 million subscribers.

[@Fellow_Gamer]

Pretty sure this is just a bot comment lol

[@TurdFergusen]

he isnt reviewing the companies behind the phones and their shady af data handling

[@kylekorona]

Lack of preparation and or caring

[@neemiasmuondo4287]

@@Fellow_Gamer you don't even have a profile picture and i'am the bot lol.

[@mrnarason]

He makes a million factual mistakes each video despite having a whole studio working for him.

[@KilledKenny01]

Time to cash in for MKBHD… 4,4 mil views as by now. Congrats to so much success

[@memoryfoam2285]

I've had my Z Flip 5 just over 2 months now, I'm in a machine shop working with steel two days a week and so far it's held up fine, even with some drops.

[@NanayaShiki]

I've had the A54 for 3 weeks now and have absolutely been loving it. Glad to see it here.

[@samirjamil3324]

He mentioned 400$ but I found in my area 300$ Do you think it is normal for A54 and also do you think it worth buying?

[@frankreynolds9930]

​@samirjamil3324 400 is when it was released. A5x series get price drop very quickly.

[@chrismonsoriano6600]

​@@samirjamil3324 absolutely

[@theinceptor3672]

@@samirjamil3324 its fine, but for the price, i would rather much prefer to go with the pocophone f5, the exynos chip in the samsung is pretty meh, if you are dependent on performance at least, otherwise its an okay phone.

[@savino02]

​@samirjamil3324 100%

[@user-fp8fb9ri8t]

Google pixel 8 definitely has more drastic improvements to last year than other companies flagships compared to years before

[@MaddRezz]

by actually working? wow the bar is so low

[@bradhaines3142]

@@MaddRezz 7 wasnt bad, i owned the 6, it definitely needed some help, but i heard no issues with the 7

[@goldenoodles6281]

​@@bradhaines3142I have the 7. Perfectly fine. No complaints, haven't had any of the bugs that I've seen p6 users have. I mean can it compete with flagships? No, but the p7 isn't trying to be.

[@amodraj726]

@@bradhaines3142i have a 7 and tensor g2 is trash

[@pranavdupati9164]

I owned pixel 6, 7 and 8. Pixel 7 is a refinement of Pixel 6. Pixel 8 is a major improvement over Pixel 6 and 7 in EVERY way

[@ahmetkaran5579]

This is the most comprehensive video about smartphones. Great job :)

[@supinderbabra7068]

Great awards. I appreciate your honest reviews

[@Tazman55x]

Waiting for this show to have its own dedicated 2 hour award show .

[@davidrieger8226]

Idk, I don't want to have to watch twelve laudations by internet celebrities and two out-dated music acts perform to blow up a 20 minute show into an hours-long sitting.

[@handlemonium]

Yeah the Solana Crypto Phone is basically a gimmicky and non-so-repairable Fairphone 5

[@guii5041]

@@davidrieger8226so true this is perfect in its length already it’s not that deep.

[@platimation]

20:00 I love that he was like “wait you can’t do that” 😂

[@adamshields7545]

My Pixel 6Pro just randomly wouldn't turn on today after a manual reboot (just to randomly reboot). Nothing wrong with it up until that point. That said... Thank you for the content. I'm using this to start narrowing what my next phone will be. Classy and Informative. Thanks for everything Marques.

[@oscar133000]

Great video. Would like to hear more about the concept phones that never came. Sorry for this criticism but the sound effect used when showing each of the categories was terrible. It sounded like a robot powering down which kills the vibe. It makes sense in the Bust of the Year category but the rest need something more uplifting. Even just playing that sound in reverse.

[@jucedoesthings4534]

As a Pixel user, it's awesome seeing how much it's starting to dominate these kinds of awards! My dad is the guy who gave me mine and he's even been considering moving to Pixel. Foldables do have a chokehold on him, though; he loves the concept too much to abandon

[@parth3446]

absolutely

[@tonythehitman1]

I have a S series phone and I been telling people for 2 years do not sleep on pixel phones. They are awesome phones

[@bletwort2920]

Yeah, it's because Google is a small company who's only making Pixel phones for 8 years (sarcasm).

[@rickeykoga2312]

I've been loyal to my Pixel since the Pixel 2 - I've been happy with everything this phone can do and the camera is simply intuitive One thing I wish they would bring back is the squeeze to activate Google assistant! That physical action was my absolute favorite that was so dang convenient

[@noodlesthe1st]

@@rickeykoga2312 Being loyal to one brand is boring. Choose a phone because it's good not because it's what you've always had.

[@BrendanBrown1]

Been out of the phone loop for like 2 years, but I have to say that it's so cool how much all these companies have just been chipping away, year after year, trying to make phones more perfect; this is what healthy competition looks like imo. You can say the phone market has just gotten stale and boring, but I feel an underappreciated aspect that comes with that is that almost all of these phones cover 99% of the needs of almost everyone. Pretty crazy how people from the most rich to the most destitute still have some pretty powerful tech in their pockets.

[@ParbstP92]

Hey Marques! I might have a good idea for a video. I don't know if it's a thing or if it's a topic worth making a video about. But I'm a bit of a tech geek, I love having the new tech that comes out into the world. But regarding phones that I actually often change (I'm currently going from a z fold 4 to a pixel 8 pro), and when you change brands, what about the charger? Does the phone's battery get damaged by using chargers from other manufacturers? Eg. a samsung charger for a google pixel 8. Can it be done, or does it damage it? Should you always buy original chargers or what should you look for? Thought it was a cool topic! Good day!

[@corsinivideos]

Got to say Marques absolutely nailed the awards this year. Best one i've seen so far and didnt just do the boring thing of giving top spot to the latest apple or samsung flagship. I also believe the pixel 8 is really the phone of year too, mostly due to the value proposition and the combination of amazing features and support google are offering for the price.

[@abubakarsadeeq3572]

I have no problem with the pixel 8 being awarded the best phone of the year, but it's justifiable to give either of the Samsung or Apple flagship or even both the award for best phone of the year.

[@chieflingco]

whats crazy is google likes to throw out random sales on these phones which makes it even better value

[@MarkBomya]

I feel like google isn’t going to follow through with how many years of promise updates they are committing to.

[@corsinivideos]

@@MarkBomya even if it's 5 will still be very good

[@g_lorn]

​@@chieflingcoright, i got my Pixel 8 Pro for 800 bucks and the Pixel Watch 2 (color of choice) for free, its insane

[@JustinPlayboy]

20:15 no way he just roasted the nothing company about the nothing chat 😂

[@nk3582]

Loved this video, so fun. Felt like I was at an actual awards show lol.

[@jonathanhoffman7464]

I love how he says “so many shapes and sizes” and then pans to dozens of almost identically sized rectangles 🤣🤣

[@thathsaraamarasinghe6774]

Watching this on my A54 I somehow bought for $300, I almost teared up. Loving this phone and would recommend to anyone who's shopping for a phone south of $500

[@napsterking]

I got my A54 last month on Black Friday for $139 on Straight Talk, although it is the 6gb model. I would absolutely recommend this phone to anyone. Plus next month, I can unlock it, instead of waiting 6-12 months like other carriers make you do.

[@tatsm847]

As an A54 user, I have no issues with this phone. Its so good for the price

[@FaresDjebbar]

I bought this phone a month after launch. Worst phone I ever owned. Laggy AF.

[@stvn1577]

Poco F5 should won this

[@zhenlane7402]

absolutely true...poco f5 waay better than a54@@stvn1577

[@KaIIavan]

With Apple quoting MKBHD already in their presentation, I won’t be surprised if these awards start holding more merit and other companies actually start showcasing them. Regardless, this video was really fun!

[@smartsquirrel1]

One Plus used to when Marques rated the OP7 Pro as the MVP. But they had a few busts (unsurprisingly) so they stopped 😂

[@asimmoideen5960]

@@smartsquirrel1 with foldables being the "new" thing, bet they'd bring it back

[@smartsquirrel1]

@@asimmoideen5960 quite surprisingly they've managed to pull a hail Mary. Company was on a serious downward trajectory and seemed to be spiralling. Happy for them I still have my OP1 (sold my OP7) and switched to Samsung Note 20 Ultra. Screen failed so on S22 Ultra.

[@RyanSoltani]

@@smartsquirrel1lol

[@DanielsStation]

This is concerning, to say the least. S23Ultra is the MVP. Let's be real.

[@slambangwallop]

Thanks for the guidelines- Most of us wouldn't have a clue what's out there without it. I'm about to buy an old 2nd hand phone, as my budget requires it, although I had been putting night photography at the top of the list. The longer I look around though, the more I realise I wouldn't use it anyway, as I have no car to get to night skies. I was surprised you didn't mention astrophotography, but I guess that's because most people wouldn't use it? Best camera would be enough? I gave up on low SAR rating too, as I know that's only measured when the phone is in a passive state.

[@dipesh1dp]

Glad to know you got tha Barcelona kit with Drake Owl 2:36

[@Incognito-lv8dc]

1:12 Best Big Smartphone 3:55 Best Compact Phone 5:56 Best Camera 8:50 The Value Award 11:05 Best Battery 13:07 The Design Award 15:14 Best Foldable Phone 18:25 Most Improved 20:34 Bust of the Year 22:02 MVP

[@RR-bc6wy]

Thanks for giving timestamps!

[@japangly]

thanks man

[@mipcstv]

Your a legend

[@aarondustinestrada8103]

legend.

[@abductedAlien]

He got it from the video description...

[@Lumas101]

There was definitely a split second where I thought S23 Ultra may win Small Phone, too, and this might be like back in April. 😅

[@wotermelon_]

Wasn't that an April fool's thing

[@baoquoc3710]

Marques made one, and we all know for the most of the video he always said the best smartphone of each category is Galaxy S23 Ultra😂😂😂but yeah, a great laugh

[@steveguy3]

I feel like the s23 base beats the zenphone in every category but battery

[@Gurenn83]

@@steveguy3For best compact phone, I will go with the base S23 as well. Samsung’s software is just on another level especially with the GoodLock.

[@bumblebee240.]

​@@steveguy3 I wouldn't after using the s22 plus for over a year now. Updates and all are fine. But these things are super toasty. It'll get warm even on some basic stuff. And there still are some bugs and glitches. But at the top of all, within 5 months, the aluminium frame was getting all scratched and rusted. There are so many brown scratches on it now (I use a minimal case). The ip rating is fine, I've taken many videos under water. The camera is also excellent But all they need to focus on rn is their bulky os that is too much even on these flagship processors (mine is 8gen1 256gb). The homescreen animations stutter very often and the phone literally hangs while playing games like fortnite (fortnite is very unoptimised). But it runs genshin impact full graphics full fps very good. All in all great phones But they need to work on their os. Maybe make it more lighter. I'll go for something Chinese next time.

[@ItsNicolau]

The best edition of smartphone awards (and the OG smartphone awards)!! It's also the second-best tech video of the year (the best one is, of course, the blind camera test. I'm patiently waiting for that one to drop, Marques🤞🏻)

[@shane555]

All these phones and all I care about is that Devialet speaker in the background! ❤

[@dawe6504]

As a proud owner of Zenphone 10, I'm happy that it got mentioned 3 times in this video. Truly an awesome, awesome phone!

[@gersonrendon2188]

I feel like the s23 went a little under the radar, literally a value champ, you don't loose any feature compared to more expensive phones.

[@ianvader4697]

Samsungs bloatware sucks, changed to a pixel 8 pro and will never go back

[@clickbaitpro]

@@ianvader4697 Pixel SOC sucks and you can uninstall Samsung bloat and never use them

[@iAfroTech]

A bigger battery would be nice even if it would mean being thicker. It's my prefered compact for 2023.

[@windsormohler5031]

Honestly

[@honzaakkk]

Shit battery life, shit screen to body ratio, whats good about this phone i wonder really. I want to buy samsung phone but they are just progressivly more shit every year.

[@behyesi]

It's crazy to see how your feedback drives sales and how that fact could creep in some bias. I've been using oneplus 11 and iphone 15 pro for over a while and not seeing oneplus 11 anywhere in the categories is just unbelievable. It's just as good at half the price.

[@animaki]

Totally agree on this. OP11 user here as well. Charging the battery in 30 min from 0 - 100% and lasting 1.5 days is at least qualifying it for battery winner or honorable mention.

[@maheshy1]

May as well throw in the phone with the best reception. It's like watching the car of year awards where they award the car with the best door handle, best key fob and what not.

[@muwuffins]

as a Pixel 8 user, I can totally confirm your decision

[@firmanardi4008]

After 7th update, is that still fast?

[@11tea82]

As a pixel user not living in the US. I don't agree with the award. So many features are region locked unfortunately....

[@poncesadventures]

Samsung Gang where you at

[@jaya_surya_a5118]

Pixel is shit and fragile....and spare is costs golden shit...only the camera is good

[@hanuraob]

@@11tea82 I am planning to send unlocked pixel 8 pro to india. Can you please tell me what are top 3 to 5 regional based lock issues..

[@young_n._older]

Thanks Marques, I was literally waiting mindlessly till the end with my brand new Pixel 8 in my hand. Thanks for the MVP award. Cheers 🥂

[@mensaanamuakwofie5634]

Sameeee. Day old Pixel 8

[@Yoavo]

אחלה עמית

[@ericharris3379]

Me too. Got my P8 day one. Went to Best Buy to pick it up and the phone guy was like "Wait. Google released a new phone?"

[@qwuzzy]

Got the 8 Pro day one also, it's been a weird adjustment from using a Samsung my whole life but it's been alright!

[@caydenthompson126]

Pixel 8 ganggg

[@patricknl7845]

Great video my man but i'm missing my favourite category: best audio quality phone for those like me who are addicted listening to good music on their phones 😊. I'd love to hear which phones have the best audio DACs.

[@feliciasbeard]

I think this is more in line with real life than some of the other reviewers. Thanks for that.

[@Deva8877]

Good to see small phone like zenfone is still getting recognition. Hope Asus carry on the good work ❤

[@davaveli6991]

I wouldn't call anything ASUS releases as small, they seem to be doing pretty well to me

[@russellcampbell5436]

I love this phone. I was worried it would be too small but I now think that it's the best size.

[@mohoshi09]

Hearing software support is a bummer. Is that true? Thought of purchasing this one. But only 2 years of software update is kinda deal breaker.

[@creampiess]

@@davaveli6991 he is talking about its literal size, lol.

[@osirisskaiadraly3994]

impossible unlocking bootloader is the reason why i'll send it back, other than that, i love this phone.

[@thejdmstash]

Picked up my A54 around 3 months ago for £230, so I could invest the spare cash in a proper camera setup. Came from a Note 10+ and honestly I'm not missing anything. So happy it won Best Value, it truly is a great phone for the price.

[@sanketdoke834]

How's the performance?

[@joeworks3809]

My friend has one and suprisingly performance is okay, you can play heavy games but need to reduce quality, but Note 10+ didnt age well with Exynos here, so not a big difference really between the two.

[@thejdmstash]

@sanketdoke834 it works fine for me. I don't do anything super intensive but I regularly have KZbin and other apps (Excel, Chrome etc) open and have not had any lag. My only gripe is the camera. Its not good in low light but its brilliant when the lighting conditions allow. But, for £230 it's amazing. I would happily have paid double or triple for this 👏

[@VladimirOnly]

thanks you for the video. really great job and very interesting to see

[@jesussepulveda9992]

Shout out to the spanish audio track option, I usually consume the content on english, but is Awesome how similar is the spanish track option.

[@darkcity925]

Your production quality has gotten insanely good. I can't stop admiring the lighting.

[@SammyFash]

Please explain further how that's possible​@@AIupscaledclips-xr3gu

[@terrybunch7313]

That's the only thing he has going for him. His actual knowledge of phones is severely overrated. I know more than him.

[@Obstone0]

@@terrybunch7313MKBHD has reviewed thousands of phones whilst you most likely have only researched about a couple hundred phones (realistically 20-30). I’m gonna go ahead and say MKBHD knows way more then you.

[@terrybunch7313]

@@Obstone0 I've actually researched a high volume of phones. I also wouldn't make a rookie mistake like saying a phone has metal sides when it's actually plastic (A54). No excuse for that. Imagine simping for some e-celeb 🤣 Senpai won't notice you.

[@Obstone0]

@@terrybunch7313 I'm not simping for him, im stating facts. He's not a machine, everyone makes mistakes since we're all humans. That one mistake doesn't negate his overwhelming hands-on smartphone knowledge which is more effective and convincing compared to research on phones. It's like saying a scientist who research's about the effects of a practical lab test is more academically inclined than a scientist who performs the tests himself, it doesn't make any sense.

[@reymondlopez7468]

Says a lot when the manufacturers actually want the awards. I remember the first year Marquise was shocked when they called him to actually receive the award.

[@UnknownUser-qq1od]

I remember too, but was there a video on actually recieving it?

[@reymondlopez7468]

@@UnknownUser-qq1od he probably just shipped it to them

[@DhruvGamer77]

Best Smartphone Brands 2023 ( Only Android !!!! ) 1. Gaming - Asus ROG 2. Camera - Samsung & Pixel Tie 3. Best Brand for Software experience - Pixel 4. Privacy , Security and Customizations - Samsung 5. Best Overall Brand - Oneplus 6. Best brand for Battery backup - Pixel 7. Best Brand for Design - Nothing

[@DorifutoRabbit]

Shout out to the amazing shots of the trophy, I love the consistency of the motion control

[@prince.davvvid]

as a Pixel fan boy I was wondering if Marques would pick the Pixel 8 or 8 Pro for anything. glad to see the Pixel get recognized in the end!

[@cloudslays-de]

Same. I was almost disappointed.

[@killkiss_son]

No pixel in camera though ☠️ but he said they winned the blind fold test ??? I don't really understand

[@alan_harake]

Pixel still should've won camera tho. Yeah iPhone has better video controls but that's about it. Pixel does better with actual results in any conditions

[@dieulensvictor]

@@killkiss_son Yup that's the people choice,

[@jmck7766]

I'm an iPhone fan boy, and I thought Pixel might of won the camera when it came up because it seemed like he talked about it a lot after It came out. That, but also I've seen it do the best in everyones drop test. Should have had a durability award because Pixel would have won.

[@keerthan7558]

Honestly i feel Moto razr + deserves an honorable mention in foldable category as well as most improved , it is miles better than the first razr that came out couple of years ago and they forced samsung to improve their flip phones as well as made them more accessible due to much" normal" pricing of moto. Sure software support isn't as good as competition but isn't bad either.

[@lindblumpickles3407]

Agreed! Love my Razr+

[@ve3iku]

Love my Motorola razr+ too! Best phone I've ever owned! (I have iphone 15 pro max too)@@lindblumpickles3407

[@Tophatguy_vr]

5:08

[@Jon.Edgar.Martin]

They should have kept the original razr design though like they did with the first folding iterations

[@keerthan7558]

omg i got a heart ,yaa

[@suniakashjyoti]

Just bought the OnePlus Open snubbing the Z Fold 5 completely based on MKBHD's review. And I have to say what a lovely phone it is. Amazing aesthetics, software, build quality, etc etc. The list goes on and on. Loving every minute with my OnePlus Open..❤😊

[@rabbitgaming4938]

Next year you should add Best gaming phone of the year. Great job on this one, as always

[@AleksandarGospic]

I have S23 Ultra and I am also a photographer. This is the first time I can say I'm pleased with a phone camera (never tried iPhone). Even for my high standards, pic quality is definitely usable and 10x zoom is a game changer. The only thing that annoys me with new phones is lack of SD card slot, I just can't get over that fact 🙄

[@Jaysann22]

Totally understand you bro. It pisses me off that just about every smartphone has done away with microSSD.

[@dusselElite]

You can plug a SD card over USB C if you prefer that over cloud storage or transferring to PC

[@TaylorPassofaro]

I've also been surprisingly pleased with the quality out of the S23 series, I'm on the base model since I like small phones. I'm not sure how you've been shooting with it, but my tip for getting the most out of it is actually to skip the stock app raw mode and even the expert raw mode since those "raw" files are still baking some sharpening and processing into the files. To get the most "raw" like photos (that actually feel like I'm editing a raw from my ILC) is either a GCam port or the photo mode with MotionCam. Bringing those files into Lightroom and it's magical, doesn't feel like I'm using a phone. Granted... they're still limited in dynamic range and the sharpness isn't going to stand up to true glass, but I'm super impressed.

[@trappy69420]

Same, I miss the headphone jack too.

[@amil89]

@@Jaysann22 they want to charge you $100-200 more for a 1TB version

[@Joestorm2000]

Love my OnePlus Open and I'm glad it's getting the love it deserves. It isn't perfect, but man is this such a nice phone. The outside screen being only marginally smaller than my old OnePlus 8t at the same aspect ratio combined with the square inside screen makes this phone super usable. Plus, the camera is just fantastic.

[@azhyhama9649]

How is battery life?

[@Darynthe]

​@@azhyhama9649 One day and a half of use for one charge. It charges in less than 20 mins too.

[@18maxx87]

​@@azhyhama9649tbh it's carzy I use my devices for 8hrs straight for trading... I charged it then after 10hrs it still had 48%

[@Howwedoit2112]

I love this phone! Battery life lasts me all day and I consume content all day. I've had the Fold 3 & 4 and I enjoy using it much more. There's not a whole lot of idle time this phone has unless I'm asleep! 😆

[@onepunchman6165]

@@azhyhama9649 It can comfortably last all day

[@jiayouazhary]

Thanks marques, I love this. Next category you should add in 2024 smartphone award in my opinion: -Best AI features utilization/implementation -Best after sales service (comparing the repairability/returnability rate) -Most favored phone (you made a poll out of it)

[@professor-qp1jt]

Mkbhd and his affection with zenphone is eternal 😂😂sometimes I wonder if he owns shares of the company

[@cavaaritaylor3409]

It's crazy how i look forward to this video every year and when December 15th hits I'm like okay when is this coming out.... And then it does and i always feel really satisfied after and like my year is complete. Once again great job Team MKBHD

[@deivytrajan]

This vs. MrWhoseTheBoss phone awards?

[@wotermelon_]

It's like an early Christmas present lol

[@clivematthews95]

Same bro

[@JorgeLuisBoteroB]

I'm in love with my Zenfones (9 and 10) and I'm glad to see it here, after 1.5 years I can confirm that these small flagships live up to their name. Looking forward to see a Zenfone 11 in 2024 and I'll be onboard! My whole family started switching to zenfones after seeing mine, either because of the headphone jack, the image stabilization, and especially the size and the price. KEEP IT UP ASUS!

[@Mecknificent]

Make it work on Verizon Asus pls!

[@jamesorrell7462]

I switched to the Zenfone 9 earlier this year after being a long-time Apple user. What a great phone. I've recommended it to a couple of people now and a mate of mine recently got the Zenfone 10 and is very impressed with it.

[@robertt9825]

Haven't had an opportunity to use one but I really love their color schemes. Please... Smartphone manufacturers, it's okay to have colors! Not everything needs to be black/grey/white!

[@a13w1]

Might have gone for the Zenfone 10 if I had know more about it before buying my current phone which is a Pixel 8.

[@ashyraj555]

i like zenfone 10 / 9 i like to buy it compatable phone thats i like mostly and performance also very good but india asus zenfone phone not available we miss u asus phones

[@anthonyschutz7201]

I used to be of the opinion that all phones were getting too big, but i actually hadnt handled many phones. My current phone is the pixel 4a. I got it because it was good, cheap, and wasnt way too big. However, i recently was looking into a new phone and went to best buy to look at a few, and i never realized thay the s23 is actually pretty small. Its barely bigger than my 4a. So much barely bigger that its basically the same size. The pixel 8 is a little bigger but the s23 really isnt big at all.

[@bennybtw5084]

Can vouch for the 15+ battery. Use it for hours a day and has never gotten close to dying. The 60hz and lack of the new interactive button don’t bother me considering I’m saving over $100 over the pro max. Plan to use this for several years

[@soerenbo]

I have a standard Galaxy S23 and for me it has been an absolute 2-day phone on battery with(!) 120hz active. Basically every day, even if i use it more than normal. A normal day would have me around 50-65% at the end of the day and it's empty at my end of day 2. The only days where it won't make it trough 2 days are on vacation with lots of photos, maps and stuff like that. I wonder if i just use it different or if i got lucky with my battery, but it feels amazing to never have to worry about it.

[@binzianer]

Same

[@krskadave]

yep, I've got one and don't use it as much as my 23U but for days when I know I"m going to be walking a bunch like out at the mall or shops or whatever has me walking more than normal, I stick my SIM card in it and get on down the road with it...great little phone, only wish it had the same screen as the 23U

[@MichaelCarulli]

Feels great to have the phone of the year in my hands. Great video as always Marques!

[@gl5319]

Same here!

[@AndersHolck]

I wish what I got from the P8P got into the non-pro because I would rather have that size but can't miss out on the camera, nits and the extra features. I wish it could only be size difference in between them. Gz anyways (=

[@jeremykurtz9031]

hows the battery life?

[@gl5319]

@@jeremykurtz9031 no complaints from me. i can go all day

[@marioherrerajr5293]

@@AndersHolck same here!!! because I have a kid I do end up taking a lot of zoom pictures, otherwise the pixel 8 is just perfect for anything you might need

[@richardt2052]

Got a Pixel 8 pro because of this video...thanks Marques!! Happy New year!!!

[@sarthakmohapatra3611]

It would be nice to see a category for best and cheap repairability in the next smart phone award😊

[@SlipknotRevan]

Feeling the Zenfone love. Let's hope they actually improve the cameras next year and go even smaller in spite of what everyone says.

[@collin.a.]

just give more than 2 major software updates. this phone will stop at Android 15, pretty inexcusable

[@arkayzi]

Asus probably cut ZenFone unfortunately

[@Leanzazzy]

They already said they are discontinuing the Zenfone lineup. Edit: Asus confirmed that they are not shutting it down and the Zenfone will live on 😊

[@collin.a.]

@@Leanzazzy that was a rumor and Asus responded by saying that they are not shutting it down

[@gugowski]

And let's hope they keep the headphone jack! :D

[@soly]

I the shots in this video can't go unrecognized. The quality and cinematic shots, especially for the trophy reveals, is so sick. Great job MKBHD team!

[@callmetony1319]

the trophy shots are so smooth and perfect that they look like renders (in a good way)

[@SoundofSilence1]

What coor iphone 15 pro was that?

[@timxx3580]

Always here every year when i want to buy new phone! Plan for small phone thisbyear,Zenfone 10 it is thanks boss! All company must be watching this video every year..

[@makaranddamle801]

I am simply amazed by the number of views and the number of subscribers. People are just on their toes to watch your new videos.