The S23 Ultra doesn’t do too much to re-write the book after last year’s successful S22 Ultra (which you’ll still find further down this list, as it’s aged well), but it has taken a great phone and made it very slightly better.

The biggest spec change is the jump to a 200Mp main rear camera (up from an already impressive 108Mp last year), backed up by an ultrawide and two telephoto lenses at different optical zoom levels (3x and 10x). The whole rear camera setup is excellent, and among the best in any phone – though let down a little by a dreary, downgraded selfie camera.

The expansive 6.8in display delivers high WQHD+ resolution, an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz, and S Pen stylus support. The phone is powered by a custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, and Samsung promises years of software support that should keep this running for half a decade.

If you can put up with the size (and afford the price), this is a whole lot of phone, and nothing Samsung makes can do more.

Samsung continues on its journey of gradual, generational improvements. Galaxy Flip 5 is the best example of that philosophy.

Some parts of it – such as the outer screen – show a move in a great direction. Other, such as cameras or battery life, were forgotten this year and continue to create one of the most contradictory phones of this generation.

Once again this year you’ll have to live without a telephoto camera – included on all of Samsung’s other flagships – and accept the risk that it may not be as durable as a traditional slab-shaped phone.

Still, the combo of a beautiful, compact design with top-notch specs, water-resistance, and with a bit more battery life thanks to the efficient Snapdragon processor. Even the outer screen is much more usable and a joy to use for a quick glance at your notifications.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra may be the ‘best’ phone Samsung makes right now, and the Z Flip 5 perhaps the most fun, but if you just want a standard smartphone that works exceptionally well, then look no further than the S23+.

With a simple, attractive (plain…?) design this is a phone that doesn’t immediately stand out, but the specs are fantastic: a great triple camera, long battery life, crisp screen, and now top performance thanks to adopting the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset worldwide.

Like all Samsung flagships you can expect excellent long-term software support, for up to five years, and the One UI Android skin is easy to get to grips with. The only real downsides are the price, and the fact that the 45W wired charging is a little slow compared to what other manufacturers offer.

Samsung is back on track with the Galaxy A54 5G, its best mid-range phone in a couple of years.

For an affordable price you get top-notch styling, IP67 protection, one of the best screens on a mid-range phone, and a dependable set of cameras. Furthermore, battery life is solid and Samsung continues to impress with its software upgrade guarantee.

The A54’s strength is that all of that has been bolstered by a powerful Exynos 1380 processor, so performance is smooth and stable – not always the case on cheaper Samsung handsets.

This isn’t quite the best mid-range phone you can buy, with some excellent rivals at cheaper prices, but it’s easy to recommend even if you’re not a Samsung loyalist.

The Galaxy S23 does almost everything that the S23+ does, just a little bit smaller.

You get the same design, same camera, and same performance as the bigger phone, but all for a lower price. The only real changes are the fact that the screen is obviously smaller (though the same resolution), the battery life is lower, and the charging is unfortunately even slower.

Those downsides are enough for us to rank it a touch below the Plus model, together with the fact that the relative pricing leaves this year’s standard S23 a little worse value compared to the competition.

Once again, Samsung isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel with the Fold 5. This time, it folds flat thanks to a new hinge, it’s thinner and has a new camera bump, but that’s basically all when it comes to new styling compared to the Fold 4.

An upgrade to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 guarantees top performance, and finally does away with a few generations with overheating problems. Unfortunately, the rear cameras are quite underwhelming – especially their colour science. On the brighter side, Samsung continues its dominance in folding phone software, further introducing improvements to the experience.

Not every app supports that form factor well though, so some software is still a little awkward on the big screen. You’ll also have to put up with a rubbish under-display selfie camera on the inside of the phone, too.

While the S21 Ultra dabbled with Note-like features, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is unquestionably a full-blown successor to 2020’s Note 20 Ultra in everything but name, laying the groundwork that the S23 Ultra follows.

The design is distinctly different from the other entries in the Galaxy S22 range (which is to say very ‘Note-like’) and features an integrated S Pen stylus that expands functionality beyond most rivals, especially in terms of productivity.

Despite familiar-looking camera hardware, the upgrades made by Samsung rendered it one of the best systems in any phone at the time, and still excellent now; with a 108Mp main shooter backed up by an ultrawide and two telephoto lenses at different zoom levels – with the zoom performance particularly improved on previous models.

The expansive 6.8in LTPO AMOLED display delivers both high WQHD+ resolution and an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz, while long-term software support that surpasses even Google’s Pixels rounds out an impressive list of pros and makes it easy to justify buying even almost two years after launch.

The Galaxy A34 is a great mid-range phone, especially if you specifically want a Samsung at a more affordable price than an S-series model.

You get a 120Hz AMOLED display, reliable water-proofing, and solid performance from the MediaTek Dimensity 1080. Even the cameras impress for the price, especially the 48Mp main shooter.

Ultimately, the Galaxy A34 is good value and ticks the right boxes for most people. If you want slightly better cameras and performance, there’s always the Galaxy A54.

The Galaxy S22 5G is a dream handset for small-phone enthusiasts.

Highlights include a premium compact design, excellent camera performance, 120Hz display, IP68 rating, and Samsung’s One UI skin.

Battery life aside, there are barely any major downsides to the S22. If you are a heavy user, get prepared to charge the phone more than once a day or carry a portable power bank.

Samsung hasn’t historically made especially good budget devices, so the A14 is a welcome change of pace.

This $150/£179 handset is far from the most powerful around, but it offers basic performance and Samsung’s usual slick software at a really affordable price. Spend a little more, and there’s also a 5G version that improves connectivity and bumps the display to a smooth 90Hz refresh rate.

Given the price it should be no surprise that the cameras here aren’t as good as on other phones in this list, and you also won’t get the same five-year software support. But the bang for your buck is very good indeed.