Famous tech content creator Marquis Brownlee (MKBHD) has revealed the first smartphone awards of 2025, announcing the best large phone and the best small phone of the year. This is part of a series of annual awards that it presents and relies on extensive experiments and practical tests of all phones released during the year.

He explained in the introduction to the video that all the phones before him on the table were actually released during the year 2025, and that he would distribute special prizes among them after the evaluation, while adhering to an annual tradition that stipulates that the “trophy” be actually sent to the winning company in each category, if it follows the video.

1. The best big phone in 2025

In classBest big phoneBrownlee talked about the beginnings of this award when the market was clearly divided into small phones, regular phones, and giant phones. Before most devices get bigger and closer together. However, he did not cancel this title and believes that this award will go to the best phone that takes advantage of the front space and offers a giant screen.

He first pointed to a phone Oppo Find X9 Pro Which includes a 6.8-inch screen, and a huge camera system on the back that includes a 200-megapixel telephoto camera. With a 7,500 mAh carbon silicon battery and a dedicated button that can be used to control the camera, it was considered a powerful and gigantic phone, but in the end it was not enough to win.

The title went toXiaomi 17 Pro Maxwhich Brownlee described as “the largest phones can get before they turn into a tablet,” with a 6.9-inch screen. And the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, which is “according to its experience” the most powerful processor in 2025. The battery has a capacity of 7500 mAh, using silicon carbon technology, with RAM and storage with leading specifications.

On the back there are three 50-megapixel rear cameras, in addition to an approximately 3-inch rear screen with a frequency of 120 Hz and a brightness of 1000nits, which is used to display notifications, capture with the camera, and . He considered that the design of the phone, especially how it exploits the protruding space of the camera and the back screen, makes it a model of what a large phone should offer.

2. The best small phone of 2025

Then go to a categoryBest little phonewhich he insisted on maintaining despite the almost extinction of small phones. He explained that phones with a screen less than 6 inches are almost no longer included in the leading category, and that the winner last year was a 6.1-inch screen. This year, phones with screens around 6.3 inches are competing for this title.

He reviewed the OnePlus 13S phone, which has the letter S in its name indicating that it is “small,” and praised its simple design and smooth interface, but did not consider it the best. He also mentioned the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro, as well as the smaller version of the Xiaomi 17 Pro. Before deciding it’s time to honor a phone that actually tries to “solve the size problem” differently.

So award the prize to a phoneSamsung Galaxy Z Flip 7explaining that Samsung has entered a quiet, gradual development path over the past years, and that this accumulated development has clearly appeared in the seventh generation of the vertically foldable phone. The phone offers a full internal screen of 6.9 inches when unfolded, but it easily becomes small in a pocket when folded.

With the ability to use the 4.1-inch external screen to manage notifications, quick responses, and necessary tasks. Brownlee noted that he found himself using the external screen a lot to respond and manage the day without slipping into distraction and endless scrolling, considering it “an ideal small phone in actual use, with a full-sized phone waiting inside when needed.”