The tail end of 2025 saw a slew of flagship releases from big players like Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, and iQOO. These smartphones will continue to dominate the market for most of 2025. If you’re thinking of upgrading your daily driver, now is a good time to do so. Don’t know where to start your search? You’ve landed on the right page. Here are the top 10 flagship smartphones that you can buy in January 2026.
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In This Article
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Considered by many to be the ‘everything’ smartphone, the Ultra model in the Samsung Galaxy S25 series remains one of the best smartphones on the market, almost a year after its launch. It is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and runs the Android 15-based One UI 7 OS out of the box. Its 6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. The rear camera panel consists of a 200MP primary shooter, a 50MP ultrawide lens, a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP periscope telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. The 5,000mAh battery pack supports 45W wired and 15W wireless charging. Check out our Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review to learn more about the device.
Pros
- Powerful
- Bright display
- Galaxy AI
Cons
- Lacks and IP69 rating
iPhone 17 Pro Max
Apple came out with its new iPhone series in September last year. As is tradition, the Pro Max variant brought its A game. Powered by Apple’s in-house A19 Pro chipset, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is one of the most powerful smartphones out there right now. Software duties on this device are handled by iOS 26 out of the box. The 6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. The extended camera module on the back panel houses three 48MP sensors, one each for the primary shooter, ultrawide lens, and 4x telephoto lens.
Pros
- Cool design
- Smooth display
- Powerful processor
Cons
- Apple Intelligence needs more work
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
The Pixel 10 series retained the design of its predecessor, but made crucial changes under the hood. It is powered by Google’s Tensor G5 chipset, which is based on a 3nm process. OS duties are handled by Android 16 out of the box. The smartphone has been promised 7 major OS upgrades. Its 6.8-inch LTPO OLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 3,300 nits. The rear camera bar houses a 50MP primary shooter, a 48MP periscope telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, and another 48MP sensor for the ultrawide lens. The 5,200mAh Li-ion battery pack supports 45W wired and 25W wireless charging.
Pros
- Cool design
- Bright display
- Great software experience
Cons
- Heating issues
OnePlus 15
The newly launched OnePlus 15 excels in all the important aspects without costing a bomb. Its 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display has a 165Hz refresh rate and can reach 1,800 nits in High Brightness Mode. At the heart of the device lies the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. One of the more underrated aspects of this smartphone is its durability. Its frame is hardened using Micro-Arc Oxidation (MAO), which makes it 1.2x tougher than titanium. With IP68/IP69/IP69K ratings on board, this smartphone can survive prolonged exposure to dust and water. The rear camera array comprises three 50MP sensors, one each for the primary shooter, 3.5x telephoto lens, and ultrawide lens. The 7,300mAh battery pack supports 120W wired and 50W wireless charging. Read our OnePlus 15 review to learn more about the device.
Pros
- Tough exterior
- Powerful chipset
- Fast charging
Cons
- Cameras need more work
Vivo X300 Pro
The Vivo X300 Pro is a photographer’s dream. It rocks one of the best camera systems in the game, with the sensors tuned by Zeiss. Its massive rear camera island houses a 50MP primary shooter, a 200MP telephoto lens with 3.7x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultrawide lens. Powering the device is the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chipset. The 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 4,500 nits. The 6,510mAh Si/C battery pack supports 90W wired and 40W wireless charging. Read our Vivo X300 Pro review to learn more about its photography skills.
Pros
- Amazing cameras
- Bright display
- Fast charging
Cons
- Contains bloatware
Oppo Find X9 Pro
Oppo’s new flagship offering makes a solid case for being the best phone out there. It is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chipset and runs the Android 16-based ColorOS 16 out of the box. Its 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 3,600 nits. The rear camera array comprises a 50MP primary shooter, a 200MP periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultrawide lens. The device is completely waterproof, rocking IP68/IP69 protection. The 7,500mAh battery pack supports 80W wired and 50W wireless charging. Read our Oppo Find X9 Pro review for a deeper analysis.
Pros
- Nice design
- Great cameras
- Big battery
Cons
- Slightly pricey
iQOO 15
If you’re more interested in gaming, the iQOO 15 should be at the top of your list. It is powered by a dual-processor combination comprising Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and iQOO’s in-house Supercomputing Chip Q3. The 8K single-layer VC cooling system keeps things cool in high-intensity gaming sessions. The 6.85-inch LTPO AMOLED display has a 144Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 6,000 nits. The rear camera array houses three 50MP sensors, one each for the primary shooter, ultrawide lens, and 3x telephoto lens. The 7,000mAh battery pack supports 100W wired and 40W wireless charging. Read our iQOO 15 review for an in-depth analysis of its gaming performance.
Pros
- Powerful processor
- Smooth display
- Big battery
Cons
- Native refresh rate for games is capped at 60fps
Realme GT 8 Pro
The Realme GT 8 Pro packs the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset under its hood. Software duties on this phone are handled by the Android 16-based Realme UI 7 out of the box. Rated IP68/IP69, it is completely dustproof and waterproof. The 6.79-inch AMOLED display has a 144Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 7,000 nits. At the back, the customisable camera panel houses a 50MP primary shooter, a 200MP periscope telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultrawide lens. The 7,000mAh battery pack supports 120W wired and 50W wireless charging.
Pros
- Bright display
- Powerful processor
- Massive battery
Cons
- Only 4 major OS upgrades
Xiaomi 17 Pro Max
Last year, Xiaomi went all out on its flagship phone. The Pro Max variant has 2 displays – a 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED main panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 3,500 nits, and a 2.9-inch LTPO AMOLED panel next to the rear camera panel. The mini display has the same brightness and refresh rate specs as the main unit. Powering this smartphone is the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC. Its rear camera array comprises three 50MP sensors, one each for the primary shooter, ultrawide lens, and 5x telephoto lens. The 7,500mAh battery pack supports 100W wired and 50W wireless charging.
Pros
- Small display on the back panel
- Powerful processor
- Fast charging
Cons
- Limited availability
Nothing Phone (3)
Nothing’s third flagship offering carried forward its transparent design language but ditched the Glyph Lights for a Glyph Matrix. The smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset and runs the Android 15-based Nothing OS 4 out of the box. The 6.67-inch OLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 4,500 nits. The rear camera array comprises three 50MP sensors, one each for the primary shooter, ultrawide lens, and 3x telephoto lens. The 5,500mAh battery pack supports 65W wired and 15W wireless charging. Check out our Nothing Phone (3) review to learn more about the smartphone.
Pros
- Cool design
- Glyph Matrix
- Clean OS
Cons
- Needs a better cooling system
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Final Thoughts
These are the top 10 flagship and premium smartphones you can buy in January 2026. If you’re thinking about going the Samsung route, we recommend waiting a few weeks for the launch of the new Galaxy S26 series. Got any questions? Let us know in the comments!
