My top 5 phones of 2024 – Mister Mobility

It is that time of the year when we look back and list out our favourite phones of the year. I have my list ready. To start with, let’s look at the criteria for my top 5 phones of 2024. This is because my list is based on my preferences and needs, and I must admit that some of them do not line up with what most phone users want.

Firstly, they must be compact. In this case, I am looking at phones with screen sizes of 6.4 inches and below. I am not a fan of all these big phones approaching 7-inch tablet size territory. My ideal smartphone is compact, handy, and lightweight.

Secondly, they must have a telephoto lens. There is a reason why telephoto lenses are not widely available. For example, even Apple includes it only in their Pro models. Telephoto lenses are the crème de la crème of smartphone cameras.

Samsung Galaxy S24

A nice handy size with a 6.2-inch display, a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, and a premium flagship processor, make the Samsung S24 my preferred smartphone of the year 2024.

I dislike the duplication of some core apps that One UI imposes on the user, but it is not a deal breaker. The overall user experience of Samsung’s custom skin is good too.

I do wish that the battery were bigger than the 4000mAh capacity here and I also would love to have at least 45W fast wired charging. But Samsung went with a measly 25W. It is a compromise that I am able to live with, so all good.

Of all the phones on my top 5 phones of 2024, the Samsung A25 is the most widely available. From the US to Canada to the UK, to Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America, you will find the S24 in a store near you.

And you can always buy one, unlocked, for as low as $659 on Amazon and have it shipped to your location.

Vivo X200 Pro Mini

I have owned hundreds of smartphones, but never a Vivo smartphone. However, rright from the first time I had a look at the Vivo X200 Pro Mini, I fell in love with it immediately.

What’s great about it? The 6.31-inch display, Dimensity 9400 chipset, 12GB RAM, 50MP periscope telephoto lens (Ooooh!), 5700 mAh silicon carbide battery, and 90W fast wired charging. I’d take this over the Samsung S24 any day, if it were available.

Sadly, Vivo has kept the X200 Pro Mini restricted to China till now, so no love for those of us who want it outside. It would otherwise easily have been my preferred phone of the year.

Motorola Moto Edge 50 Neo / ThinkPhone 25 / S50

The next device on my list of top 5 phones of 2024 is the Moto Edge 50 Neo. It is essentially the same phone as the Motorola ThinkPhone 25 and the Motorola S50, bar minor differences like the Edge 50 Neo’s 6.4-inch display versus the ThinkPhone 25 and S50’s 6.36-inch displays. I am betting you won’t be able to tell the difference in real life.

The common thread between these three Motorola smartphones include a 10MP telephoto lens, a Dimensity 7300 chipset, 4310mAh battery, and 68W wired fast charging.

The Dimensity 7300 is a midrange chipset and makes these phones less powerful than the flagship models on my list. I wish they had a slightly more powerful chipset, but I can live with this. These phones meet every other criteria, so all good.

Xiaomi 15

Xiaomi 15 looks sleek and checks hardware boxes from top to bottom. It has a 6.36-inch display, the cutting edge Snapdragon 8 Elite flagship chipset, a 50MP telephoto lens, a 5400 mAh silicon carbide battery, and 90W wired fast charging.

Software – HyperOS – is where I am unexcited about the Xiaomi 15. HyoerOS has been a lot of hype so far. It sounds like the name fits. But disappointing as HyperOS has been, it isn’t a dealbreaker.

Google Pixel 9 Pro

The Google Pixel 9 Pro makes the list of my top 5 phones of 2024, but barely. Why? I can’t get my head around the problematic overheating that every Pixel phone I have owned did. So, only if all else fails and I can’t get my hands on any other devices on this list will I look in the direction of the Pixel 9 Pro.

The 48MP periscope telephoto lens is mad attractive and the 4700mAh battery is good on paper. I say that because in practice, often battery performance of Google Pixel phones is piss-poor and likely related to whatever makes them overheat.

Author: Mister Mobility

Mister Mobility, a techie with a passion for storytelling. I have owned, used, and reviewed hundreds of mobile phones since 2001. I started Mobility Nigeria Tech Blog in 2008.