The winners for this year’s edition of MKBHD’s Smartphone Awards have just been revealed, and Apple scored four recognitions out of the 10 categories, one of which isn’t exactly a reason to be proud of. Here are the details.
Three phones take four distinctions
Like or hate MKBHD’s yearly exercise of equally frustrating irritable smartphone users on all camps, the truth is that his Smartphone Awards have been offering an interesting snapshot of the increasingly flattened state of the smartphone market.
And while most of the attention naturally ends up going to the winners, he usually brings measured insights on the runners-up and his decision process, often highlighting strengths and shortcomings that wind up being more informative than the award itself.
For this reason, his Smartphone Awards 2025 video is well worth watching, beyond just who wins in each category.
That said, if you just want to cut to the chase without the context or knowing which devices were up against each iPhone, Apple snagged four picks this year:
- Best Design Award for the iPhone Air
- Most Improved for the iPhone 17
- Bust of the Year for the iPhone 16e
- Phone of the Year for the iPhone 17
Commenting on his pick of the iPhone 17 for this year’s top award, Marques Browlee said that this was the phone that “leveled up to be the most complete and actually kind of a great deal,” given the fact that it finally got a 120 Hz display, in addition to the chip and camera upgrades.
Again, be sure to watch the entire video, as it offers a comprehensive snapshot of the state of the smartphone market, including some forward-looking observations on foldables and overall trends.
What’s your take on MKBHD’s picks? Let us know in the comments.
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