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It’s that time of the year when ZDNET braces for the Black Friday rush, and our team of experts gathers the most helpful buying advice we can. While retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart have already begun to ramp up their sales and discounts, there’s one bit of information that you may find useful as you prepare for your holiday phone-shopping journey: a popularity list.
We curate this list by identifying the products our readers actually purchase after visiting our various reviews, buying guides, and other content. (A note: Your privacy is protected — we only have access to aggregate data from our user base, and there is no way for us to identify individual people’s purchases.)
Also: The best Black Friday phone deals live now
The goal? Giving you some insights to empower and inform your next buying decision. With that said, here’s the list, from the 10th most popular phone among our readers to the first. (Some of these phones are also on sale ahead of Black Friday.)
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Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.
The top 10 phones ZDNET readers bought in 2025
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I always say that niche products have niche audiences, and by no means does that imply that no one’s buying them. The Blackview BV7300 is a perfect example, as it’s a budget Android phone with a design that would likely scare away 95% of users.
But the phone’s bulky exterior, paired with a 15,000mAh battery (roughly three times most Android phones), makes it a handy option for power users and outdoor travelers. It even has a built-in camping light!
Review: I went off-grid with this $200 Android phone, and the night vision superpowers came in clutch
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Nothing really struck a chord with its midrange phones this year, and the Phone 3a may be the best of the bunch. It sits comfortably at a $380 price point, but its feature set would make anyone wonder why it doesn’t cost more.
That list includes a 6.7-inch LTPO OLED display with 3,000nits of brightness, a triple camera system, Nothing’s ever-polarizing design, and software that’s full of character and customizability.
Review: I replaced my Pixel 9 Pro with this midrange Android phone – and don’t regret it
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Impressively, Samsung’s A-series of phones consistently performs well in this competitive smartphone market. While the A35 5G model was released last year, it gained significant traction in the lead-up to the introduction of its successor later in 2025.
The draw? A big screen and battery that make all of its other caveats easier to shoulder. This is clearly a recipe for success, as Samsung followed a similar playbook with the A36 5G model, which we now recommend over the A35 5G due to its more modernized specifications.
Review: This $399 Samsung Galaxy is the mid-range phone most people should buy
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Did you think every phone on this list would be cheap and value-driven? It’s about to get interesting. The Motorola Razr Ultra was released this spring, and it was met with considerable fanfare. After all, Motorola essentially took the flip-phone form factor and stuffed it with the best features and specs one can find.
So much so that after reviewing its competitor, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, I returned to the Moto for its handy outer display, uniquely textured back cover, and useful ultrawide camera. Take advantage of all the discounts you can get with this device.
Review: Yes, Motorola’s $1,300 Razr Ultra competes with the Galaxy Z Flip 7 (and not just in price)
Deal: The Motorola Razr Ultra is currently 23% off at Amazon.
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The second Motorola to make this list is the Moto G Power, which features a new textured back cover this year for enhanced grip. It’s also longer-lasting than ever, featuring a 5,000mAh battery paired with a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset, which we found to run fairly efficiently.
Review: I found a $300 Motorola phone that offers flagship features at a fraction of the price
Deal: The Moto G Power is currently 17% off at Amazon.
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If there’s one ultra-slim phone that’s worth celebrating in 2025, it’s this one. The folks at RedMagic somehow developed a gaming phone with a near bezel-less display, a 5,860mAh battery that puts Samsung and Apple to shame, and 512GB of internal storage.
The $699 price is also quite competitive. Just don’t expect to find one of these at your local carrier store anytime soon.
Review: I replaced my Pixel 9 Pro with this $700 Android phone for weeks – and didn’t regret it
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It actually shouldn’t surprise anyone that last year’s iPhone 16 Pro was one of the most popular products on ZDNET in 2025, just like how it shouldn’t surprise anyone when the iPhone 17 Pro makes it into next year’s list.
This one’s rather bittersweet, if you think about it. It’s the last iPhone to feature a singular camera bump on the rear corner, and Apple appears to be moving away from titanium and other hard metals. It’s also the last Pro iPhone to come in black.
Also: Apple iPhone 17 Pro vs. iPhone 16 Pro: I compared both models, and there’s a big difference
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What sold more than iPhones? The Moto G 2025. It’s not flashy; the cameras won’t even beat the cheapest iPhone that Apple sells, and you can’t really count on Motorola to offer the best software support. However, of all the sub-$200 phones on the market, this one reigns supreme.
If you’re shopping for a child or an older family member, or simply want a spare phone with access to the same apps as more expensive handsets, consider this one.
Also: This $200 Motorola phone has no business being this good for the price
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That’s right. The most popular phone, as determined by the millions of ZDNET readers who interact with our reviews, buying guides, and other stories, is a $90 Nokia that’s just as scary as the Blackview BV7300 but in the opposite way.
It’s all about minimalism, living life distraction-free, and appreciating the finer things with the Nokia 2780 Flip, and that’s a message that has clearly resonated with many of you. Dumb phones are carving out a path in our ever-noisy digital world, and this Nokia is at the front of the pack.
Also: Gen Z is ditching iPhones for $100 ‘feature phones,’ and the numbers don’t lie
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Smartphones Reviewed & Compared
