Grade: B+
This has been a particularly strong year for phone releases, with Vivo, OPPO, and Huawei shining bright with their devices. The tri-folding Mate XT set things off at the start of the year, and camera-focused devices like the Vivo X200 Ultra and Find X8 Ultra showcased just what’s possible when Chinese brands dedicate resources in this area.
Vivo: A+
There’s no doubt that Vivo is now my favorite Android brand. It has delivered the best cameras over the last two years, and it overhauled its software efforts in 2025, launching OriginOS globally. The Vivo X300 Pro is my go-to recommendation if you want the best cameras available today, and it is a great all-rounder as well. Vivo is doing all the right things in the mid-range with devices like the V50 and V60, and the foldable X Fold 5 continues to hold its own against the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
OPPO: A
OPPO also had a standout year, and the Find X9 Pro is an outstanding device — it is my daily driver, and I don’t see myself switching to another device for another month at least. The brand is once again selling phones in Western markets, and that is a positive move.
I like what OPPO is doing with foldables as well; the Find N5 launched nearly a year ago, but it continues to be great. The only area where the brand needs to do better is wearables; it makes decent smartwatches, but they’re somehow still limited to China — I’d like to see these debut in more markets around the world.
Huawei: A
Huawei just isn’t letting the trade ban get in the way of delivering outstanding phones. The Mate XT is the most innovative phone I’ve used, and the tri-folding device is incredible. The Pura 80 Ultra has one of the best zoom lenses around, and the all-new Mate X7 takes foldable cameras to new heights. While Huawei’s software efforts are still lagging behind industry standards, it’s clearly leading in hardware design.
I also like how Huawei is building a broader ecosystem. The Watch Ultimate 2 is my favorite smartwatch, the 12-inch MatePad Pro is the best Android tablet I’ve ever used, and the brand rolled out several standout earbuds this year. And with recent devices like the Mate X7 offering the ability to install MicroG during initial setup, it’s easier than ever to get Google services installed on Huawei’s phones.
POCO: B
Honestly, I can’t fault what POCO did this year. The F7 Ultra showcased the brand’s imaging efforts, the X7 Pro proved to be a great budget phone, and the F7 held its own against rivals. With the F8 Ultra, the brand has a legitimate rival to what Vivo and other brands offer in the $700 segment.
POCO needs to do better in India, its biggest overseas market. By not bringing the F8 Ultra to India, it is ceding ground to Realme. Outside of that, the software needs an overhaul, but that’s more on Xiaomi than POCO.
Realme: B
I started paying more attention to Realme again in 2025, and I like what the brand is doing. As an F1 enthusiast, it’s exciting to see the brand partner with the Aston Martin F1 team, and the GT 7 Pro and GT 8 Pro Dream Edition devices are terrific. I’m excited about the Ricoh collaboration as well; as other Chinese brands have demonstrated over the years, there’s plenty of benefit to be gained from partnering with a camera giant, and I’m keen to see where that takes Realme.
If anything, it looks like Realme is now the brand that gets all the limited edition models within the BBK umbrella. This used to be OnePlus’ specialty, but that’s no longer the case in 2025, as evidenced by the Realme 15 Pro Game of Thrones edition.
Honor: C
Honor continues to make good phones, but its software efforts lag behind its rivals. I’m not talking about update policy — Honor is in line with Samsung and Google when it comes to flagship updates — but the state of the UI itself. While Honor has been saying that its software is made entirely in-house, it still has vestiges of EMUI, and it’s just not cohesive.
While Honor phones have decent cameras, the inconsistencies are becoming evident, and phones like the Magic 8 Pro aren’t as good as the Vivo X300 Pro or the Find X9 Pro. Honor itself says it doesn’t want to be highlighted to its Chinese brethren, instead inviting comparisons to Google and Samsung. Given Honor’s struggles with its cameras and their inability to measure up to OPPO and Vivo, it’s no surprise the company is unwilling to pit itself against the best the industry has to offer.
Xiaomi: C
Xiaomi needs a reset — that much is clear from its product positioning and strategy. The Xiaomi 15 and 15 Ultra were strong launches, and I liked using the 15T and 15T Pro. However, the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus was underwhelming (yet again), Xiaomi isn’t doing anything to address long-standing software issues, and it doesn’t have a coherent vision around what it wants to do with its ecosystem globally.
Then there’s the delay with the Xiaomi 17. While its immediate rivals debuted their flagships globally — the Vivo X300 Pro and Find X9 Pro are available in India and the U.K. — there’s no sign of the Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Pro, or the Pro Max. Xiaomi isn’t bringing these devices outside China, and that lack of consistency is hurting the manufacturer.
ASUS: D
I want to like ASUS’s devices, but the Taiwanese brand just doesn’t make it easy. This year’s phones have been great (as always), but an obstinate stance on software updates — where its phones will only get two platform updates — basically killed any interest in its phones. Combined with the likes of Redmagic getting its act together and delivering better software, and I just don’t see the point of ASUS when its devices just don’t provide a good value.
OnePlus: F
Where do I even start with OnePlus? There was a time when the company could do no wrong. In 2025, it felt like it got everything wrong. The OnePlus 15 turned out to be a massive letdown, with the phone being a downgrade from the OnePlus 13, and the new OnePlus 15R is even worse — the phone doesn’t even have a telephoto lens, and it costs $699. Even its Nord devices have been mid at best this year.
The way I see it, OPPO no longer sees value in OnePlus, and it’s entirely possible it is just running out the clock on the brand. All the interesting bits to do with OnePlus — the Hasselblad partnership, unique limited edition devices, and fun software — have been integrated into other brands anyway.
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