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2025 has been a solid year for new smartphones. The usual suspects made good impressions with the exceptionally fully-featured Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra starting the year off with a bang, through to the impressively orange iPhone 17 Pro, the OnePlus 15 with its astonishing three day battery life and the marvelously thin folding Honor Magic V5.
But when I sat down to decide what my favourite phone of the year was, I was surprised to find my mind drawn to a much plainer, cheaper device. Here at Express.co.uk, we often get comments under the reviews of the most expensive smartphones, incredulous that these devices cost north of £1,000, and I can totally see that these high-end pocket computers are too much moolah for most.
It’s made me appreciate the cheaper devices that still impress, which is why my favourite phone of the year is the Google Pixel 9a. At £499, it offers a close to identical experience as the £999 Pixel 10 Pro, and I have used it extensively with my main SIM card slotted inside.
It’s also regularly on sale, with the phone currently just £349 from several retailers including Argos.
