The Trusted Reviews Awards 2024 winners are official, including a selection of the best smartphones, tablets, wearables and mobile accessories.
2024 has been a strong year in the world of mobiles, with great strides not only in terms of regular smartphones but also foldable tech, and we’ve seen a huge resurgence in the Android tablet scene too. Throw in exciting new product categories like smart rings and you’ve got a blockbuster year indeed.
Without further ado, here are the very best mobile products of the past year, hand-picked by the Trusted Reviews team.
Best Phone
The winner: Honor Magic 6 Pro
The best smartphone isn’t just the phone with the most impressive specs; it’s about value for money, software experience and more, and we feel that Honor’s top-end Magic 6 Pro embodies that perfectly.
It not only offers a great hardware experience with a high-res camera setup that can compete with the likes of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but it does so at a cheaper price point – and with 512GB of storage as standard.
Throw in a suitably high-end 6.8-inch OLED screen with IR-enabled facial recognition, rapid 80W charging, solid all-day battery life from its 5600mAh cell and a premium, eye-catching design and there’s not much to complain about.
Here’s the shortlist for the best phone award:
Best High-End Phone
The winner: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
If your budget knows no bounds and you simply want the best smartphone that money can buy, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the one to go for.
It offers a solid experience in practically every area; its flat 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen and tiny bezels are a treat for the eyes, especially with the new anti-reflective coating, and the S Pen continues to be a treat. It also delivers top-end performance that allows for handy AI features, and seven years of OS upgrades means the experience will only improve.
It also offers one of the most versatile camera setups on the market, covering everything from ultrawide to extreme levels of zoom with its combination of four rear snappers. What more could you ask for?
You can see the shortlist of the best high-end phones right here:
Best Mid-Range Phone
The winner: Google Pixel 8a
The mid-range market is more competitive than ever, but Google’s affordable Pixel 8a manages to stand head and shoulders above the competition.
That’s largely due to the mid-rangers’ distinctly flagship elements like the Tensor G3 chipset and Google’s suite of AI tools, alongside IP68 dust and water resistance, a clean interpretation of Android 14 and solid camera performance that’s not too dissimilar to what you’d find on the full-fat Google Pixel 8 – though at a much cheaper price point.
There are also seven years of OS upgrades to look forward to, which is pretty much unheard of in the mid-range space and further boosts its value for money.
Here’s the complete shortlist for the best mid-range phone award:
Best Affordable Phone
The winner: Motorola Edge 50 Fusion
The Motorola Edge 50 Fusion really stands out in the affordable end of the smartphone market, offering specs that are usually exclusive to mid-rangers while still managing to look and feel great in the hand. It’s svelte and lightweight at 7.9mm thick and 175g despite a 6.7-inch, 144Hz OLED screen, and it offers flagship-level IP68 dust and water resistance to boot.
There’s also a surprisingly capable camera system including an OIS-enabled 50MP main snapper and a 13MP ultrawide, while the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 and a healthy 12GB of RAM allow it to compete with phones that cost £200 more. And, despite its slim dimensions, it packs in a 5000mAh battery that can get a full recharge in just 47 minutes via 68W fast charging tech.
Here’s the complete shortlist for the best affordable phone award:
Best Camera Phone
The winner: Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
Smartphone hardware has improved vastly over the past few years, and that’s exemplified by this year’s winner, the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL.
Google’s processing continues to be industry-leading, with fantastic contrast and exposure, accurate skin tones and pixel-perfect focus, even with moving subjects, regardless of the trio of rear lenses you use. It’s almost effortless to capture something impressive with Google’s flagship.
It’s also impressive in other areas, with a gorgeous 6.8-inch screen, solid processing power and the most holistic approach to GenAI we’ve seen on a smartphone yet, so it’s far from a one-trick pony.
Here’s the complete shortlist for the best camera phone award:
Best Gaming Phone
The winner: Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition
Our top pick for the best gaming phone of the year goes to the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro Edition. It not only delivers blisteringly fast speeds unmatched by practically any other phone on the market, but its toned-down aesthetic means that it doesn’t look like your typical gaming phone.
Despite this, it offers a plethora of gaming-focused features like a super smooth 165Hz refresh rate, impressive cooling, a suite of gaming accessories – including an external cooler, in the box – and a game-focused UI to boot.
There are two USB-C ports, one on the bottom and one on the side, for more convenient charging when gaming in any orientation, and passthrough charging helps slow battery degradation when gaming while plugged into the mains.
Here’s the shortlist for the best gaming phone award:
Best Clamshell Foldable Phone
The winner: Motorola Razr 50 Ultra
The best clamshell foldable phone on the market right now is Motorola’s Razr 50 Ultra.
The latest top-end Razr offers a large 4-inch cover screen capable of running any Android app you’ve got installed, and a large 6.9-inch foldable screen within. Motorola has also made impressive strides in reducing the crease on the inner screen, with a shallower, less noticeable dip than most of the competition.
It’s also pretty powerful with the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, and dual 50MP main and 2x telephoto cameras deliver a varied shooting experience. Throw in a near-stock implementation of Android with a smattering of handy Moto-themed tweaks and all-day battery life and you’ve got an excellent flip-style foldable.
The shortlist for the best clamshell phone is as follows:
Best Book-Style Foldable Phone
The winner: Honor Magic V3
When it comes to book-style foldable smartphones, the Honor Magic V3 is the clear winner.
The Magic V3’s hardware is, simply put, leagues beyond the competition. It’s the thinnest book-style foldable around at 9.2mm when folded and 4.4mm when unfolded, and at 226g, it’s lighter than some standard smartphones – all without a compromise on hardware.
The 6.4-inch outer screen and 7.9-inch foldable screen share the same flagship specs including an LTPO-enabled 120Hz refresh rate, and the inner screen has a much shallower crease than most of the competition too.
It’s also powerful with the inclusion of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, boasts IPX8 water resistance down to 2.5m, offers all-day battery life with a sizeable 5150mAh battery and, with 66W fast charging, delivers a full charge in just shy of an hour.
Here’s the shortlist for the best book-style phone award:
Best Mobile Gaming Controller
The winner: GameSir G8 Galileo
Gaming on smartphones is serious business, and none provide an experience closer to a console experience than the GameSir G8 Galileo.
It sports a full-size controller shape with a similar layout to an Xbox controller, including the ability to swap the sticks for Hall Effect alternatives that ship in the box, and there are two remappable controls on the rear for macro support. It even supports games like Call of Duty Mobile that lack official controller support.
Combined with a handy expanding mechanism that makes sliding your phone into place a doddle, and USB-C passthrough negating the need for a charger, it’s all that iOS and Android gamers need for those AAA games.
Here’s the shortlist for the best mobile gaming controller award:
Best Power Bank
The winner: Anker Prime 20,000mAh Power Bank
Anker’s Prime 20,000mAh Power Bank is one of the best power banks we’ve ever seen.
Not only does the 20,000mAh capacity deliver multiple charges of a smartphone (or even a laptop) but it delivers 100W of power via USB-C, with two ports capable of delivering 100W simultaneously. That’s ideal for fast charging capabilities, but it’s further improved by the built-in screen that gives you a breakdown of elements like current charge speed, battery remaining and much more.
Throw in great power efficiency, rapid recharging and a pretty sleek design and you’ve got a great power bank on your hands.
Here’s the shortlist of the best power banks:
Best Tablet
The winner: OnePlus Pad 2
When it comes to the world of tablets, we think the OnePlus Pad 2 delivers the best bang for your buck.
The 12.1-inch screen is the star of the show boasting a 3K resolution and 144Hz refresh rate that bests Apple’s (more expensive) iPad Air, with a 7:5 aspect ratio that makes it great for split-screen multitasking.
Performance is also top-notch with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, able to make light work of even demanding games, and battery life is solid at around 11 hours. Plus, with 67W fast charging, it’ll go from flat to full in just under an hour. There’s also the keyboard cover and stylus that, while optional, further extend the tablet’s capabilities.
The shortlist for the best tablet award is:
Best Affordable Tablet
The winner: Honor Pad 9
You don’t need to spend a lot of money to get a great tablet experience, as we’ve seen with the Honor Pad 9.
Despite its affordable price point, the tablet goes all-in on screen tech with a 12.1-inch IPS LCD panel that boasts a 2.5K resolution and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, delivering a pixel-perfect viewing experience ideal for Netflix and YouTube binges.
There’s also the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 that’s capable of both running productivity apps like Google Docs and casual games, and the 8300mAh cell can comfortably get you through a full day’s use without reaching for the charger. All that for less than the price of Apple’s entry-level iPad.
Here’s the shortlist for the best affordable tablet award:
Best E-Reader
The winner: Kobo Libra Colour
The best e-reader we’ve seen in 2024 is the Kobo Libra Colour. It offers an alternative to Amazon’s dominant Kindle range that offers more ways to get access to your favourite eBooks, and importantly, it introduces a colour E Ink screen.
The addition of a colour screen makes reading graphic novels and comic books feel much more complete while still offering all the benefits of E Ink tech. There’s also a backlight for reading in the dark, and with IPX8 water resistance, it’s fine for use at the beach too.
There’s also an optional Kobo Stylus that lets you highlight book passages and take notes on the colour E Ink screen, turning the e-reader into something like a digital notebook when required.
Here’s the shortlist for the best e-reader award:
Best Smartwatch
The winner: OnePlus Watch 2
The best smartwatch available in 2024 is the OnePlus Watch 2. It offers outstanding value for money while delivering an impressive Wear OS experience for Android owners, complete with support for Google Play and third-party apps, with a battery that’ll last up to three days before it needs a top-up.
But what truly makes the wearable stand out is the dual chipset architecture. Not only does the phone run Wear OS, but it can also run in Smart Mode using a secondary, less power-hungry chipset. It still delivers key smartwatch features including full health tracking, exercise tracking, notification support and more, but it extends battery life to an impressive 12 days.
Here’s the shortlist for the best smartwatch award:
Best Fitness Tracker
The winner: Huawei Watch Fit 3
Though there’s no shortage of affordable fitness trackers, the Huawei Watch Fit 3 stands out from the competition.
Taking design cues from the Apple Watch, it looks and feels way more premium than its price tag suggests, and there’s a range of colours and watch straps to choose from.
Beyond its looks, elements like built-in GPS tracking, surprisingly accurate HR readings and health tracking provide a solid fitness tracking experience, with support for over 100 forms of exercise. It can also last up to 10 days before needing a charge, negating the need to charge every night.
Here’s the shortlist for the best fitness tracker award:
Best Running Watch
The winner: Suunto Race
Where running-focused smartwatches are concerned, the Suuno Race is the clear winner.
It’s a watch that manages to go head-to-head with the likes of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 while massively undercutting it on price. It offers a large AMOLED screen that’s bright enough to see clearly outdoors, and ideal for the colourful maps that can be downloaded for free from Suunto’s running-focused OS.
The heart rate tracking is solid, and it offers support for a range of exercises beyond running, though it’s the wearable’s ability to last up to a week with the always-on screen active that helps it stand out.
Here’s the shortlist for the best running watch award:
Best Smart Ring
The winner: Samsung Galaxy Ring
The Samsung Galaxy Ring is our smart ring of the year, representing one of the first big manufacturers to get into the blossoming wearable segment.
But despite being a first-gen product, the Galaxy Ring feels pretty polished, with a sleek design and plenty of health and fitness tracking capabilities including HR and blood oxygen monitoring, and it plays well with other Samsung-branded wearable tech like the Galaxy Watch to improve battery life.
It also offers a more convenient charging solution than much of the competition, with a handy charging case that illuminates while charging.
Here’s the shortlist for the best smart ring award:
Best Mobile Network
The best mobile network, as voted by Trusted Reviews readers, is Tesco Mobile.
Best Mobile Network for 5G
The best mobile network for 5G, as voted by Trusted Reviews readers, is EE.
Best Value Mobile Network
The best value mobile network, as voted by Trusted Reviews readers, is iD Mobile.
Best Mobile Network for Reliability
The best mobile network for reliability, as voted by Trusted Reviews readers, is Giffgaff.
Best Mobile Network for Customer Service
The best mobile network for customer service, as voted by Trusted Reviews readers, is Tesco Mobile.
Best Mobile Network for Roaming
The best mobile network for roaming, as voted by Trusted Reviews readers, is iD Mobile.
Best camera
The winner: Fujifilm X100VI
This year’s pick of the best camera is the Fujifilm X100VI, offering updated subject detection modes, 5-axis IBIS, 6.2K video and the usual hybrid viewfinder, all in a very compact, versatile package.
The 40.2Mp X-Trans CMOS 5 HR back-illuminated sensor takes a great image, with the help of AI that can intelligently detect both scenes and subjects to improve the results.
Here’s the shortlist for the best camera award:
Best vlogging camera
The winner: DJI Osmo Pocket 3
The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is an easy choice for the best vlogging camera of 2024. Its pocket-sized dimensions are instantly more portable than that of a traditional camera, while also being able to record both horizontal and vertical footage with 3-axis stabilisation.
But, despite its small dimensions, it still manages to deliver impressively detailed photos and videos that make it well-suited to vlogging and video creation.
Here’s the shortlist for the best vlogging camera award:
