Stuff Gadget Awards Winners – Smartphones

It’s time for one more batch of Stuff‘s 2025 Gadget Awards winners to break cover. Of course, if you’d snagged a replica of the journal’s most up-to-date challenge (for now), you’d know what’s about to look beneath. Not everybody appears at slices of lifeless bushes — or digital approximations of them — for enjoyable, although, so we’ve acquired one of the best smartphones of 2025 in a extra fashionable, web format for you.

Just a couple of phrases on Stuff‘s winners from the previous cycle. As with many categories of tech, there may well be better products out there. But they’ve acquired one severe failing — they’re not bought in South Africa. No speciality importers, no native presence, no simple availability from Amazon.com? No award, we’re afraid. And, if one thing is barely out there by importing it your self, it had higher outrank one of the best locally-available package by a bit earlier than we’ll give it a win.

We might say we don’t make the principles, we simply implement them. That’s not true, although. For the Stuff Gadget Awards, we do make the principles. And implement them. Only the truth that we are able to’t summarily execute the responsible retains us from being identical to Judge Dredd. Pity, that. We do just like the bike. Anyway, listed below are the smartphone winners for 2025.

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PHONE OF THE YEAR

APPLE iPHONE 17 PRO MAX

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is one of the best powerhouse cellphone of 2025, and a greater purchase than some other providing within the newest Apple lineup.

Due to a brand new aluminium body opening up brighter color finishes, it’s been given a glow-up – fairly actually. But extra importantly than that, efficiency sees a significant leap, with the all-new ‘vapour chamber’ heatsink efficiently protecting the beefy A19 Pro chip cool. This leads to increased efficiency for longer intervals throughout demanding duties like 4K video seize and gaming, and properly enhances the upgraded graphics capabilities.

The show is exceptionally spectacular, able to reaching 3000 nits for clear visibility in direct daylight. While the aluminium body may increase sturdiness considerations, the display screen is protected by Ceramic Shield know-how, now providing round triple the scratch-resistance of older fashions. Yes, it’s frightfully costly, however given its upgraded digicam and supreme spec sheet, the 17 Pro Max is actually a cellphone that may do all of it.

from R30 500 / incredible.co.za

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra ● Huawei Pura 80 Pro

SHORTLISTED

Apple iPhone 17 ● Honor Magic7 Pro ● Apple iPhone Air

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MID-RANGE PHONE OF THE YEAR

HONOR 400 PRO

The Honor 400 Pro is the cellphone that made us query whether or not we nonetheless want flagship units. Honor has created one thing really particular right here: a mid-ranger that skimps on nearly nothing whereas delivering almost every part that makes the model’s prime fashions so interesting.

The 400 Pro’s 6 000mAh battery beats most others in the marketplace at the moment, however that’s simply the beginning. That 6.7in OLED show hits 5000 nits of peak brightness, making outside viewing easy, whereas the 120Hz adaptive refresh price retains every part easy. Camera efficiency is phenomenal: the optically stabilised 200MP fundamental sensor produces sharp, well-balanced photographs that maintain their very own in opposition to pricier rivals, whereas the digicam setup excels after darkish. This is a flagship cellphone in all however worth.

from R18 000 / honor.com

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Apple iPhone 16e ● Realme 12+ 5G

SHORTLISTED

Honor 90 ● Apple iPhone 16e

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AFFORDABLE PHONE OF THE YEAR

OPPO A5 PRO

Oppo has nailed it with the A5 Pro, delivering a price range handset that packs in premium options out of protecting with its price ticket. It’s one other instance exhibiting you don’t have to spend large to get a premium expertise. Solid waterproofing, hitting IP68/IP69 earlier than you are taking it out of the field and make it do issues out within the wild.

The 6.67in IPS LCD is a good addition too, with its 120Hz refresh price and 1000-nit peak brightness. Camera efficiency? The 50MP fundamental shooter and backup lens (don’t ask, simply verify the money whole in your receipt) delivered detailed photographs that maintain their very own. Performance from the Dimensity 6300 feels easy, whereas the 5800mAh battery confidently lasts a number of days. An absolute gem for these searching for longevity on a price range.

from R7 000 / unbelievable.co.za

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Samsung Galaxy A56 ● Poco X7 Pro

SHORTLISTED

Honor 400 ● Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro+

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CAMERA PHONE OF THE YEAR

HUAWEI PURA 80 ULTRA

The Huawei Pura 80 Ultra secures our cellphone pictures award by taking a sheer ‘brute force’ strategy. Its masterful mixture of heroic {hardware} with nuanced, characterful processing means we couldn’t actually decide the rest.

At its core is its 1in Ultra Lighting lead sensor, which captures excellent photographs in all conditions and delivers bokeh blur that different flagships can’t match. This is paired with two high-pixel-count zoom lenses to present a near-lossless vary of 13mm to 213mm. The firm’s former Leica partnership offers the backing for superior color science, low-light efficiency is excellent, and the video capabilities are top-tier. For severe photographers, any drawbacks Huawei’s tech division might undergo are simply price ignoring for snaps of this high quality.

from R38 000 / client.huawei.com

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Huawei Pura 80 Pro ● Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max

SHORTLISTED

Xiaomi 15 Ultra ● Samsung Galaxy Z Fold ● Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

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FOLDABLE PHONE OF THE YEAR

SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD7

Samsung has lastly given foldable followers nearly every part they requested for. The Z Fold7 represents a monumental generational improve, shedding the majority that held again earlier Folds concurrently including the photographic prowess they had been crying out for.

This is a genuinely slim gadget – it looks like a traditional smartphone in your pocket. Those expansive screens characteristic narrower bezels and extra wise proportions, making the outer show lastly comfy for typing. The crease, in the meantime, is nearly invisible.

And the digicam improve is transformative. By borrowing the S25 Ultra’s 200MP fundamental sensor, Samsung has propelled the Z Fold7 to the very summit of the foldable pictures leaderboard.

from R49 700 / samsung.com/za

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Honor Magic V5 ● Motorola Razr 60

SHORTLISTED

Oppo Find N5 ● Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7

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