What phones do the Android Authority team use? (2025 Edition) TechTricks365

We use and review plenty of phones each year at Android Authority, from cheap phones to flagship devices. But which phones do we actually use after the reviews are published?

We’ve regularly polled the Android Authority team over the years to find out which phones are actually used as primary devices or daily drivers, with our last survey taking place last year. So with that in mind, we thought it was time to ask the team about their phones once again.

The results

We’ve broken down our team’s daily driver smartphones by model and brand. Check out the first chart below for a model-based breakdown, and the second chart for a brand-based rundown. I’ve also asked team members to give their phones a rating out of 10, and you can see this in the third chart.

For the second year running, Google was the most popular manufacturer among the Android Authority team. Pixel phones accounted for six out of the 15 phones in total (40%).

The Pixel 7 Pro was the most popular individual model with two people — including yours truly — using it. Otherwise, the Pixel 7, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL all made one appearance each. It’s interesting to note that we don’t get any foldable Pixels or Pixel A series phones on the list. We’re guessing nobody is using a Pixel A series phone because we’re mostly tech enthusiasts living in a bubble, and we’ll likely buy a flagship phone if we don’t have a review unit lying around. But it’s also notable that nobody is using a Pixel Fold series device. (Editor’s note: A few of us use them as secondary devices, though.)

Our Pixel-owning team members generally praised their phones for the great cameras, AI and Gemini features, and software, while Senior Writer Ryan Haines and Senior Features Editor Rita El Khoury specifically praised the design and/or build quality of the Pixel 9 Pro phones. Rita added that she liked the safety features (e.g. anti-theft protection, car crash detection), Gemini integration, brisk updates, and Pixel Drops.

One constant complaint about the Pixels from the team (including myself) was the slow charging speed, as Managing Editor Ollie Cragg said:

Charging speeds are pretty terrible compared to the competition. Quick top-ups aren’t really a thing.

Meanwhile, Ryan lamented the fact that the Pixel 9 Pro had slightly slower charging speeds than the Pixel 9 Pro XL.

Contributor Pranob Mehrotra had a few different complaints about his Pixel 7 Pro:

I don’t like the Pixel’s build quality, the power button fell out randomly one fine day and the phone doesn’t quite feel as premium as the iPhone. The standby battery life and thermal managment are also bad.

I can confirm that the Pixel 7 Pro’s battery life isn’t great, and I also attest to the overheating issues. I also hate the fact that the VoLTE, Wi-Fi calling, and 5G features aren’t available in unsupported markets, despite imported phones from other brands working just fine.

Samsung was the second-most popular manufacturer among the Android Authority team, with four members using a Galaxy phone. The Galaxy S25 Ultra was the most popular option, as two team members turn to it daily.

YouTube Producer Paul Jones praised the Galaxy S25 Ultra for its anti-reflective display, rounded design, and LOG video support. Meanwhile, Managing Editor Bogdan Petrovan had good words to say about the “well-rounded” cameras, the Android skin, and the battery life.

Interestingly, Paul’s sole complaint was the battery life when using QHD+ resolution. Meanwhile, Bogdan had a few S25 Ultra complaints:

Initially I wasn’t enthused about its design, but it’s been growing on me. I wished it had Qi2 magnets. And I miss some little quality-of-life software features that I used to get on my previous phone (an Oppo Find X3 Pro).

DroneRush Editor (and man of many hats) Jonathan Feist was the only person using the standard Galaxy S25, and he praised the small size, great battery life, and the sheer level of horsepower.

Jonathan thought there were a few potential areas of improvement, though:

Where’s that Ultra camera already?!?!? Seriously, Samsung, I don’t want a tablet in my pocket just to get the best camera experience. The keyboard is a little weird when swiping, but manageable.

Finally, Deals Editor Matt Horne was rocking the Galaxy S24 Plus, and he had high praise for the phone. Matt said there wasn’t much he didn’t like about the device, but singled out the camera as being “particularly impressive.” He also said that he couldn’t think of any “significant” flaws during his own usage.

Three members of the Android Authority team have iPhones. Senior Writer and wearables reviewer Kaitlyn Cimino is still using an iPhone 11, and she points to the Apple ecosystem.

“I love the seamless integration between all of my Apple devices. Even though I use a Pixel 9 for work and test a variety of smartwatch brands, my go-to device is an Apple Watch Series 10,” Kaitlyn explained. “I also use a MacBook, an iPad, and AirPods. The Apple ecosystem is very comfortable for me.”

Kaitlyn said it was probably time for an upgrade as the phone was quite old now. She also noted that it was a little laggy now and that the cameras couldn’t hang with more recent models.

The other two Apple-toting team members were using the iPhone 16 Pro. Senior Writer Aamir Siddiqui outlined several reasons for his choice:

Reliability across apps, especially my banking apps. App experiences are less broken if I pick a random app or update. I am also very much used to the camera, and I have a fair idea of what results I will get before I press the shutter button — which is very important for me for the job. I also appreciate MagSafe and the ecosystem it enables, like PopSockets and stands, which I can use without my phone in a case. Also, the Apple Watch remains a big reason why I come back to this phone, so good job Apple on the ecosystem lock-in.

Pranob Mehrotra is also rocking an iPhone 16 Pro, and his decision comes down to resale value. He also said he didn’t really like the device, but appreciated the integration with his Mac computer.

Aamir and Pranob both had complaints about this particular iPhone model. Aamir lamented the smaller size, wished for better battery life, and wanted faster charging speeds. In fact, he said he came close to sticking with the OnePlus 13, but that the Apple Watch integration and native MagSafe support won out.

Pranob had a couple of significant issues with his iPhone:

I don’t like the way iOS handles notifications and how it isn’t as straightforward as Apple users chalk it up to be. Also, Apple Intelligence is hot garbage.

In addition to Apple, Google, and Samsung, two other phone brands made the list. Paul also had the OPPO Find N5 on his list, and he said the battery life and build quality were the best he’s experienced on any foldable phone. He also loved the large screen when traveling. However, he lamented the limited availability and the fact that it was a fingerprint magnet.

I had the vivo X200 Pro as my secondary device, and I praised the phone for its cameras, video quality, bright screen, and battery life. In fact, I’ve been using the phone for some product photos in recent months. However, I criticized the device for its drab Android skin, the amount of bloatware, and AI features which often required an internet connection.

Other takeaways

• Three people said they couldn’t recommend their phones to other people. Pranob couldn’t recommend his Pixel 7 Pro or his iPhone 16 Pro, Kaitlyn couldn’t recommend her iPhone 11, and I couldn’t recommend my Pixel 7 Pro. However, all four Samsung owners were unanimous in their positive recommendations.
• The iPhone 11 is also the only phone on this list without an OLED screen. By contrast, all phones on our 2024 list had OLED screens. The iPhone 11 is also the only phone on this list without a high-refresh-rate screen.
• Only one foldable phone made the list (OPPO Find N5). This is in line with our 2024 survey, when the Razr Plus cracked the list.
• None of these phones have a headphone jack. What a shame, especially when we had one phone on the list in 2024.
• None of our daily drivers have a memory card slot, either. By contrast, two phones had this feature last year.
• Three phones (25%) lack UWB support. So, these phones don’t have access to cutting-edge tracking capabilities and modern keyless entry tech.
• All phones have water resistance, but the OPPO Find N5 is the only one without dust resistance. Ouch.
• The average battery capacity is ~4,663mAh. Apple’s iPhones and the standard Galaxy S25 weighed us down, while the OPPO Find N5 (5,600mAh) and vivo X200 Pro (6,000mAh) boosted things.
• Only two out of the 15 phones on the list (13.3%) lacked a telephoto camera.
• For the first time in our daily driver poll, all phones on the list have eSIM support.

When it comes to our next smartphone, plenty of team members are looking forward to the Google Pixel 10 series. Four members mentioned the 2025 Pixels as an option. Meanwhile, Bogdan mentioned a Google Pixel in general. So we’re undoubtedly eager to see what Google has up its sleeve later this year.

Meanwhile, two of us chose the vivo X200 Ultra. That would be Aamir and I, as we’re both clearly looking forward to great camera phones. I really hope we see a global release of the phone, though.

Jonathan and Matt aren’t looking to get another daily driver any time soon. That’s completely understandable as they’ve got two recent phones in the Galaxy S25 and S24 Plus, respectively.

Only one person is looking forward to a foldable phone, as Ryan held out for the Motorola Razr 2025 series and Galaxy Z Flip 7. So, don’t expect to see many more team members using foldables as their daily driver in 2026.