Written October 2025
With a budget of $800 to buy your next phone, a flagship-grade phone is achievable, and you have a lot of options on what to get. What you go for depends on your personal preferences, which is why I’ll try to list the best option for each kind of person here.
For power users: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Key Specs:
- Snapdragon 8 Elite processor & 12-16GB RAM
- 6.9″ 1440p 120Hz Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2x display with 2600 nits peak brightness, Gorilla Armor 2 glass, 218g weight
- 200MP Wide + 5x 50MP periscope telephoto + 3x 10MP telephoto + 50MP Ultrawide + 12MP selfie camera
- 5000 mAh Li-Ion battery with 45W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging
- Android 15 with 7 major software updates
- IP68 dust and water resistance
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, refurbished for $800 unlocked, is the latest Samsung flagship at a discounted price due to the device itself being refurbished, which has no impact on the actual functionality of the phone, other than possibly a slight decrease in battery life. It contains all of the pro features you can have in an Android phone, one of the best cameras on the market (200MP main sensor that takes amazing shots, a 50MP 5x telephoto lens enabling clear 100x zoom, and 50MP ultrawide camera that is pretty good as well for an ultrawide), one of the most powerful chipsets on the market, and powerful AI features such as the image editing tools, Circle to Search, and Live Translate, even though these are standard on many cheaper phones too. The fancy specs of this phone’s display all add up to an overall amazing viewing experience. Plus, what better way to use that fancy display than with the S25’s built-in S Pen, which you can use for taking notes, drawing, or whatever else you need it for? It’s an almost overkill, extremely powerful phone that will last you for years and years to come.
| Cons | -The S Pen included with the phone lacks Bluetooth functionality. -The phone, bought at this price, is refurbished, which is a downside if you prefer your tech to be bought brand new at this price. |
New option: OnePlus 13
Key Specs:
- Snapdragon 8 Elite processor & 12-16 GB RAM
- 6.82″ 1440p 120Hz LTPO AMOLED display with 4500 nits peak brightness, 220g weight
- 50MP wide + 50MP 3x periscope telephoto + 50MP ultrawide + 32MP selfie camera
- 6000 mAh silicon-carbon battery with 100W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging support
- Android 15 with 4 major software updates and 6 security updates
- IP68 dust and water resistance
The OnePlus 13, similar to the Samsung S25 Ultra, is a powerhouse flagship phone, but with a couple of minor drawbacks for its price, which are expected on a phone that can be had for only $750 brand new. The camera, despite what I will mention in the cons list, has negligible differences from its counterparts, taking amazing shots the average person will be perfectly satisfied with. It has one of the best mobile chipsets on the market right now, the Snapdragon 8 Elite; its high-quality 1440p 120Hz AMOLED display looks amazing, and it also has all the other features you would expect out of a phone in this price range. However, what sets it apart from other phones in this category is not only its unique design but also its fast 100W charging, enabling the device to charge its huge 6,000 mAh battery from 0 to 100% in 36-42 minutes. OnePlus’s OxygenOS, despite having the occasional mistranslation error, is known as one of the best Android operating systems due to being customizable, smooth, and having a good set of features. Despite OnePlus being a Chinese company whose phones are mostly bought in regions outside of the US, American OnePlus users have reported little to no problems with their OnePlus 13 phone working in the US, further cementing this phone as a very solid buy.
| Cons | – The camera is good, but a step down from other flagship phones. Users and tech reviewing companies report inconsistent colors in the photos, overprocessing, and shaky results with the telephoto lens. -OnePlus is a Chinese company, and there is the occasional mistranslation in their operating system, OxygenOS. -Will only receive software updates until Android 19, possibly a problem for users looking to keep their device for several years; however, Android apps are good with maintaining support, even on older Android versions. |