Reader's Choice: Samsung dominates in 2024 Phone Awards!

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Reader's Choice: Samsung dominates in 2024 Phone Awards!
“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others,” the saying goes.

So, which phones win the most important award in 2024, the one that you, our readers, give out?

Well, our PhoneArena 2024 Reader Awards results are in, and one thing is clear – Samsung dominates the rankings!

You can find the full results for each poll right below, but here is the quick math: out of 9 award categories, Samsung wins 8! The remaining category is a feature also present on Samsung phones.

But how close was the race, and what were the other contenders? Check out the results right below.

What was the HARDWARE feature of the year?

Anti-glare screen coating (Galaxy S24 Ultra)
39.73%
Camera Control button (iPhone 16 series)
5.54%
Advanced cooling system (ROG Phone 8 Pro)
2.03%
Super slim foldable phones (Honor Magic V3)
4.86%
Tri-fold phones (Huawei Mate XT)
14.73%
Silicon-Carbon batteries (Multiple phones)
28.38%
Other
4.73%

Samsung's anti-reflection coating on the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a brilliant feature that no other manufacturer has copied, and it gets a big win for hardware innovation. The feature was actually developed by Corning and carries the name Gorilla Glass Armor, but Samsung recognized its importance and is the only company to have it.

The other significant breakthrough is Silicon-carbon batteries. This technology allows for bigger battery cells, and it is already present on many phones in China. It's a close runner-up.

Which was the SOFTWARE feature of the year?

Gemini Live (on most Android phones)
40.12%
Sketch to Image (Galaxy AI)
22.55%
Reimagine (Google Photos on Pixel 9)
8.05%
Pixel Studio (AI generated images on Pixel 9)
7.61%
Genmoji (iOS 18)
6.3%
Other
15.37%

When it comes to software, the impressive Gemini Live feature takes first place. It allows for natural voice conversations, and it is available on all Android phones right now.

What was the SURPRISE of the year?

CMF Phone 1 (a new powerful budget phone)
22.42%
Nokia Barbie Flip phone (an unexpected fun phone)
3.48%
Huawei D2 watch (blood pressure monitoring on your wrist)
9.7%
Samsung Galaxy Ring (beautiful, no-subscription ring)
23.64%
Apple Vision Pro (first Apple mixed reality headset)
15.76%
Galaxy Watch Ultra (unexpected Apple Watch copy)
11.52%
Other
13.48%

We had a heated battle for the surprise of the year. Two devices competed until the very last minute, but finally, the Galaxy Ring got just a few more votes than the CMF Phone 1. The Galaxy Ring is a gorgeous wearable, and it marks Samsung's entry into this category. The CMF Phone 1, on the other hand, is a surprisingly capable budget phone by Nothing sub-brand CMF.

"FINE WINE" award for best aged phone

Galaxy S23 Ultra
41.8%
iPhone 15 Pro Max
25.11%
Pixel 8 Pro
11.18%
OnePlus 11
3.48%
Xiaomi 13 Ultra
2.47%
OnePlus Open
11.32%
Other
4.64%

The Galaxy S23 Ultra took home the "fine wine" award without much competition. Even a full year and a half after its official launch, it's an excellent device.

Which was the best VALUE-FOR-MONEY phone?

Galaxy S24 FE
25.04%
Pixel 8a
23.24%
OnePlus 12R
15.59%
Galaxy A35 5G
9%
Nothing Phone 2a / 2a Plus
10.94%
Motorola Edge 2024
9.3%
Other (say which one in the comments!)
6.9%

The battle for the best budget phone was intense. The Galaxy S24 FE emerges as the winner, but it is followed closely by the Pixel 8a, and a few other phones also got a good chunk of votes. We must mention the OnePlus 12R here, as OnePlus returned to its budget-phone roots with this one.

Which was the best COMPACT phone?

iPhone 16 Pro
24.45%
Galaxy S24
29.69%
Pixel 9 Pro
26.35%
Xiaomi 14
9.75%
Other
3.2%
I need an even smaller phone than these!
6.55%

While there were no surprises in the top three for best compact phone, the Galaxy S24 was the winner with a decent margin ahead of the Pixel 9 Pro (second place) and iPhone 16 Pro (third place).

Which was the best FLIP phone?

Galaxy Z Flip 6
49.76%
Motorola Razr Plus (2024)
32.1%
Xiaomi MIX Flip
11.08%
Other
7.06%

The Galaxy Flip 6 grabbed the best flip phone award, beating Motorola's beautiful but slightly less popular Razr Plus device.

Which was the best FOLD phone?

Galaxy Z Fold 6
35.33%
Pixel 9 Pro Fold
23.18%
Honor Magic V3
25.61%
Vivo X Fold 3 Pro
10.05%
Other
5.83%

In our reader awards, the Fold 6 emerged as the best big foldable phone, but interestingly, the razor-thin Honor Magic V3 was the runner-up.

Which was the BEST OVERALL phone?

iPhone 16 Pro Max
19.53%
Galaxy S24 Ultra
41.31%
Pixel 9 Pro XL
14.43%
OnePlus 12
7.08%
Xiaomi 14 Ultra
2.24%
Sony Xperia 1 VI
5.82%
Honor Magic 6 Pro
2.69%
Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra
0.27%
ROG Phone 8 Pro
0.63%
Other
6%

Finally, in tune with the rest of the voting, the Galaxy S24 Ultra grabbed the MVP award for best overall smartphone of 2024. It defeated the competition, getting 41% of the votes, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max was the closest runner-up with nearly 20% of the votes.


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