The top 3 best smartphones in May 2023

What is the best smartphone of the moment? The answer is not so obvious, since different criteria come into play, such as budget, screen size, autonomy or photo performance. This is why a real comparison of phones is essential for an informed choice.

We at Frandroid test more than a hundred smartphones each year and can therefore guide you with precision. Below you will find a comparison of the best smartphones of 2023, whether you are an Android fan or an Apple fan. Everything is classified by price range, because the best phone is above all the one that corresponds to your budget.

Because it's not just new in life, you can also find out which refurbished smartphones to choose. In addition, our selection of durable smartphones will help you make a more informed choice over time. If you are looking for innovation, foldable smartphones are some of the best smartphones on the market today.

For those who have specific criteria, we advise you to use our smartphone comparator.

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The best smartphones of May 2023,

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: the best smartphone of 2023
Oppo Find X5 Pro: the best of 2022
Apple iPhone 14 Pro: the best iPhone

Are you looking for the best smartphone of 2023, the one that will meet all your needs? Who has the best components? A powerful processor, a quality camera and a battery that will never let you down? Below, you will find a comparison of the best smartphones of 2023. High-end models that make no compromises, with unsurprisingly prices that match their ambitions... The best smartphones that we tested in May are also available.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Samsung returns to the front of the stage with its high-end smartphones. And it's a success! In light of our test, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is the best smartphone of 2023. It owes this to exceptional performance in all areas

The main novelty of the smartphone is the arrival of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. This is accompanied by, at least, 8 GB of RAM and the performance is there. With this configuration, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is one of the most powerful Android smartphones available. The OneUI 5.1 software brings its share of pleasant customizations and even the use of the S-Pen is facilitated.

Samsung still remains conservative with a design modeled on the previous model. The phone remains quite massive with a good grip, but above all an enhancement of the screen. The 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED panel offers adaptive refresh ranging from 1 to 120 Hz. We have a peak brightness of 1609 cd/m2 and a Delta E of 4.58. Everything is almost perfect except for a slight lack of precision.

The biggest improvement of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is in terms of autonomy. The 5000 mAh battery is very well managed. During our test, the smartphone lasted two full days. Our ViSer protocol found 15 hours and 14 minutes to go from 100 to 10%. This is one of the best autonomy available for a smartphone. These great performances are mitigated by the fact that the 45W charger, which costs an additional 50 euros, only charges in an hour.

A final word on the photo. Last year, the S22 Ultra won all the reviews. The Samsung Galaxy 23 Ultra succeeds it as the best photo smartphone. The four dorsal lenses, including the main one at 200 megapixels, offer good quality shots. Whatever the shot requested, the phone is able to meet all your expectations.

The only real problem is its price, since the basic version is displayed at 1,419 euros. It is quite simply the best smartphone available on the market in 2023. If you want to know more about our crush, we recommend reading our Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra test.

Oppo Find X5 Pro

This Oppo Find X5 Pro has been consecrated by our editorial staff as the best smartphone of 2022. This high-end device is the best in the Oppo catalog. It is only supplanted by the Galaxy S23 Ultra which surpasses it in many areas.

For the screen, there is an OLED LTPO 2.0 panel, the latter ranks among the best we have tested, with high brightness (756 cd / m²), wide color coverage supplemented by good calibration. On the refresh rate side, we are unsurprisingly entitled to 120 Hz.

Oppo opens the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 ball here, the phone takes the most demanding games without flinching. Unfortunately, the autonomy is mediocre. We will barely last a day and it will be better to have your fast charger on hand if you want to leave in the evening. The latter is able to fill the battery in 40 minutes.

After a Find X3 Pro and its stunning microscope mode, the Find X5 Pro is much more classic with 3 excellent sensors. Without going into details, the phone lands at the top of the basket in terms of photo quality. Only small complaint: we would have liked a slightly more powerful zoom. Especially since the next Find X6 Pro may not be released in France. To find out more, it's happening on our test of the Oppo Find X5 Pro.

Apple iPhone 14 Pro

With the release of the iPhone 14, many were moved by the few differences observed between the new generation and the old one. The iPhone 14 Pro contrasts with this observation, bringing its share of new features. It's the best Apple smartphone of 2023 and here's why.

From a design point of view, the phone does not have huge differences. The format is the same, but the handling is different. The iPhone 14 Pro is a little heavier in the hand, but above all the change takes place with the famous Dynamic Island. Functionality both software and hardware, the pill becomes the center of notifications of the smartphone. This is the new attraction of the model.

The 6.1-inch screen is still at 120 Hz. Apple is tweaking its recipe to give you the best possible experience. The touchscreen interface is bright, well-calibrated, and color-accurate. The autonomy component is particularly impressive, with two full days of use, even with the “Always on Display” mode activated. In terms of charging, the iPhone 14 Pro remains at the same wired and MagSafe speed. For the moment, it is still a Lightning port before the eventual arrival of USB-C.

Photography sees the arrival of a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor while the main one is 48-megapixels. This allows you to benefit from a software-generated, but very successful x2 zoom. The shots are always top notch, no matter the circumstances. The iPhone 14 Pro remains one of the best photo smartphones available. The video allows filming in 4K HDR with the possibility of zooming while recording. Finally, the Action mode allows stabilization at all times.

This year, the internal power is provided by the A16 Bionic chip. Its performance makes the iPhone 14 Pro one of the most powerful smartphones of the year. All these agglomerated elements are certainly impressive, but the price increase remains painful. If you have an iPhone 13, you have no reason to buy this new smartphone. On the other hand, for those with a previous generation, the investment may be worth the effort.