There are phones that try to look powerful and there are phones that simply are, like the iQOO 15.

It feels like a device built for people who live long nights with endless games in between, blurring the line between a hobby and a lifestyle.

Build

The first moment I held the iQOO 15, it felt like a phone created intentionally for a specific market.

The metal frame feels cool in the hand, while the matte finish adds a premium texture that stays clean and comfortable. It feels solid with no flex and no hollow points.

Even the camera module keeps everything clean and simple with a flagship presence that makes sense on this design.

It leans slightly heavier than usual, although the weight is balanced well. It settles into your hand in a way that feels reassuring during long gaming sessions or long hours of multitasking.

Everything about this build tells you the device was made for people who actually use their phones vigorously.

Display

Turn on the screen and everything changes. The 6.85-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED display pulls you in with bright, vivid colors and a smoothness that immediately stands out.

Fast-paced content feels clean at 144Hz with no ghosting or motion issues even during heavy gameplay.

Meanwhile, outdoor brightness is impressive. The screen stays readable under direct sunlight, and the colors look lively without looking artificial.

Whether you are watching videos or playing games, the overall viewing experience feels premium and immersive.

Performance

Performance is the part where the iQOO 15 proves its point. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 handles everything with confidence.

Heavy workloads, editing, multitasking, and switching between apps feel natural. The device stays fast even after long hours of continuous use.

Gaming is clearly its comfort zone. Titles like Genshin Impact, Diablo Immortal, and Solo Leveling run smoothly with stable frame rates and reliable touch response.

The cooling system manages heat well, and the phone warms up during long sessions but stays within a level that feels safe and comfortable. Thermal dips are minimal, so you can keep your momentum without interruptions.

Camera

The camera on the iQOO 15 is reliable and consistent. It opens quickly and locks focus well.

Daylight photos are sharp with natural colors and pleasing contrast. The main sensor shines when given proper lighting.

What surprised me was the Super Macro mode. It captures small details with a clarity that feels more flagship than expected.

The textures, patterns, and tiny subjects come out sharp and visually interesting. Also, taking photos using the Portrait Mode  show good separation and smooth background blur.

Night shots hold up well, too. The phone brightens scenes while keeping colors accurate. Although phones with larger sensors still lead in extreme low light, the iQOO 15 performs better than you would expect from a performance-first device.

And if you take a lot of videos, the clips stay stable thanks to effective stabilization.

Battery

Battery life lasts a full day with mixed use.

Even on gaming days, it survives better than expected for a device with a 2K display and flagship power.

Charging is fast. Depending on your charger and settings, it takes about 35 to 65 minutes to fill the battery. The phone warms up slightly while charging but never becomes uncomfortable.

It’s the kind of phone you can top up quickly before leaving the house without feeling stressed.

Software

The software feels clean and manageable. Animations are smooth and transitions feel natural. Multitasking is effortless. There are a few pre-installed apps but nothing overly intrusive.

Features like gaming tools, quick gestures, and UI customization options feel helpful rather than overwhelming. The interface complements the hardware well and creates a smooth, polished user experience.

Is the iQOO 15 your GadgetMatch?

The iQOO 15 excels in the areas that matter. The display is outstanding, the performance is consistent, and the gaming experience feels confident and stable.

Its weight, slightly busy software, and the limits of low-light photography are worth noting, although they do not overshadow the strengths of the device.

For its expected price, it is worth considering if you want a flagship that delivers power with personality. The iQOO 15 fits gamers, power users, and anyone who spends long hours on their phone and needs a partner that can keep up.

If that sounds like you and you want a performance-first flagship built for long gaming sessions, this is easily a Swipe Right.

However, Swipe Left if you prefer lighter phones that disappear in your pocket, and you want the absolute best when it comes to low-light camera performance.

But if you’re looking for those features, you’re probably looking at the wrong device. After all, iQOO is made for those who value power and performance.

Life has a habit of throwing you into challenges you never trained for.

Smartphones should do the same. They should keep up and evolve with you, and sometimes surprise you with strength you did not expect.

I have used devices that moved backward when the world kept sprinting ahead, so I felt nervous when I first saw the OPPO Find X9.

I judged it instantly. The same distrust you give a contestant who looks too smug before a grueling Physical: Asia round. I thought I knew how the story would end, but I was wrong.

For more than a month, I carried the Find X9 like a teammate who reluctantly joined my squad. It traveled with me to Shenzhen, powered through my errands and deadlines, and survived my messy blend of workouts, airport transitions, and late‑night scrolls.

Halfway through, I realized that the OPPO Find X9 was not the timid underdog I imagined. It felt like watching a contestant who starts slow, then suddenly reveals a strength that makes you want to cheer.

Settling into its role like a seasoned contender

The Find X9 is OPPO’s premium flagship and it carries itself like someone who trains in silence and performs only when it matters.

It keeps the familiar slate form of its predecessors, although the camera bump shifts back to a square layout that aligns with the rest of OPPO’s lineup. It feels like the brand wants its roster to share a common uniform, the way Physical: Asia teams arrive coordinated and ready for the cameras.

The boxy silhouette I loved from the Find X8 returns. It feels more refined and softened enough to sit comfortably in the hand.

It reminds me of my boxy iPhone 16 Pro, although the Find X9 is thinner and lighter. That difference becomes a blessing once you carry it through an entire day.

I even found myself playing Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Magic Chess: Go Go longer than I planned. I tapped the screen with the intensity of an elimination round and only noticed the fatigue half an hour later.

Now Playing: Netflix’s Physical: Asia

This is where the Find X9 became my sanctuary. The year‑end grind pushed me from plane to cab to hotel and kept me drifting between destinations like I was competing in my own endurance course.

I barely stayed home, so I clung to the glowing screen whenever I needed a break. The 6.59‑inch AMOLED display feels familiar, although the ultra‑thin bezels create a stage that looks wider and more immersive.

It made watching Netflix’s Physical: Asia feel larger than life. I watched Orkhonbayar Bayarsaikhan rally Team Mongolia with a conviction that made me forget where I was.

The crisp visuals pulled me into every challenge and moment of grit. Soon enough, my TikTok algorithm surrendered and fed me everything related to Team Mongolia, especially Orkhonbayar, who looks like a polar bear who can protect you while still being soft enough to lean on.

The only moment the illusion cracked was when the audio tried to catch up. The Dual Dolby Atmos speakers were loud, although they lacked the fullness I wanted. It felt like watching a high‑stakes challenge with a crowd that forgot to cheer.

Thankfully, I always had earbuds with me, so the storyline continued uninterrupted.

Knows when to push or hold back

Flagships do not get second chances. They need to perform on command the way Physical: Asia contestants must explode into action the moment a round begins.

The Find X9 understood this assignment. It runs on MediaTek’s 3nm Dimensity 9500 chipset, which feels like a regular Reno 14 that trained for months with the best coaches and came back transformed.

It handled multitasking, gaming, creative work, and frantic app switching with the focus of an athlete who knows exactly when to conserve energy and when to unleash power.

The 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB storage, combined with another 12GB of RAM expansion, give the phone an almost excessive strength that reminds me of challenges where every team sends its strongest member.

It mirrored my facet as an athlete. It’s capable, balanced, and ready for anything–just like yours truly.

Stamina that goes the distance

The smoothness from the Find X8 carried over beautifully. Nothing shocked me in terms of performance, which is exactly the point.

Flagships should feel consistent and quietly powerful, like contestants who never brag yet always outlast everyone.

The battery felt like the unexpected plot twist. During my trip to Shenzhen, the 7025mAh battery lasted two full days.

I used mobile data, scrolled endlessly, took photos, and filmed videos. I am so used to charging my phones every night while I shower that I instinctively reached for a charger and realized I did not need one.

The Find X9 kept going like I was watching a contestant breeze through a challenge you expected them to struggle with.

It didn’t ask for a break. It simply kept up and stayed with me through everything I wanted to do.

Support team that moves with you

After living with the OPPO Find X9, everything moved with a sense of intention, as if the system knows when to sprint and when to conserve energy.

Animations feel fluid and continuous, and scrolling feels lighter. App launches feel quicker without drawing attention to themselves.

This smoothness comes from OPPO’s new Luminous Rendering Engine, which renders visual elements in parallel so nothing stutters or breaks the flow. It feels like watching a well‑trained team move in sync.

Alongside it, the Trinity Engine manages resources intelligently, keeping the phone responsive even under pressure while controlling heat and power use.

The interface itself feels refreshed and calmer, and customization finally feels playful again. I could set Motion Photos or videos as wallpapers, explore more font options, and even let AI suggest text styles that matched my overall theme.

The Flux Home Screen became a small joy. App folders could be resized into different shapes and the surrounding icons adjusted dynamically, making the layout feel alive rather than rigid.

The Always‑On Display also stepped up with full‑screen support, more widgets, and style options that felt personal instead of ornamental.

Also, OPPO’s growing AI ecosystem, including AI Mind Space, AI Mind Assistant, and Smart Collections, helped organize content quietly in the background.

Screenshots and notes felt easier to find, and suggestions appeared when they actually made sense. Integration with Google’s Gemini through Gemini Live added another layer of intelligence, allowing real‑time interactions that felt natural instead of forced.

What sealed the experience for a flagship device was its cross‑device connectivity. Features like Phone Connect and PC Connect let me share files and mirror my screen across phones, iPhones, Macs, and Windows PCs.

A steady hand when the stakes are high

The Find X9’s camera feels like the teammate who understands the game. It knows when to push and when to let the moment breathe.

I noticed it first when taking portraits, especially in low light. The AI Portrait Glow steps in gently, balancing lighting and skin tones without flattening texture. Faces looked natural and skin tones stayed true, which felt flattering without feeling edited.

Beyond portraits, the suite of AI photo tools is best used when traveling. AI Eraser helped clean up distractions that would have ruined an otherwise great frame.

In busy streets or low‑light environments, AI Unblur helped rescue shots taken in motion. AI Reflection Remover did exactly what it promised, saving photos taken through glass without leaving obvious traces behind.

But what I appreciated most was how easy it was to trust the camera. I didn’t need to overthink angles or second‑guess results.

I lifted the phone, framed the shot, and let the Find X9 do the rest. It’s the best point‑and‑shoot smartphone camera for casual users or anyone learning the ropes of photography. It’s smart enough to call itself a smartphone.

Here are sample photos I’ve taken:

 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Battery life that lasts through two full days of heavy use
• Flagship‑level performance that handles multitasking with ease
• Immersive, vibrant display perfect for streaming or gaming
• Intelligent, user‑friendly AI camera features
• Smooth, refined ColorOS 16 experience
• Customization tools that feel personal, not gimmicky
• Seamless cross‑device connectivity

Cons

• Speakers are loud but lack premium depth
• Performance might feel overkill for light users

Is the OPPO Find X9 your GadgetMatch?

The OPPO Find X9 is like that teammate who shows up consistently and performs under pressure.

Its performance is nothing short of flagship‑level, and it’s ready to handle anything you throw at it. It’s not perfect. No other smartphone is. But the minor flaws do not outweigh its endurance, consistency, design, and flagship performance.

Some may hesitate and consider it a Swipe Left. But for anyone who wants a smartphone that keeps pace with your life, performs without complaint, and quietly gets the job done, this is a Swipe Right.

And for us, it’s definitely a Super Swipe. The Find X9 earns the GadgetMatch Seal of Approval because it does more than look good and deliver excellent captures.

It’s one of the best flagship smartphones around that you won’t second‑guess buying at its price.

The OPPO Find X9 retails for PhP 69,999 for the 16GB + 512GB variant. It’s available nationwide through OPPO’s official stores, its official Shopee store, and partner channels.

Last year, we grumbled about how smartphone technology seemingly plateaued and obsessively relied on pushing AI onto hapless consumers. When it comes to AI, this year felt no different. Then again, we also saw a lot of breakthroughs for smartphone hardware.

From tri-fold phones to ultra-thin profiles to snazzy rear designs, 2025 marks a return to what we loved about the smartphone space in the first place: those oh-so-subtle design differences that make us go “my smartphone is better than yours.”

Now, it’s fair to say that everyone here at GadgetMatch has experienced their share of premium and flagship phones this year. Though you might not agree with everything here, these are what we consider as the Best Premium Smartphones of 2025.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge

As with every year, Samsung is one of the first ones out with a competitive flagship series. The Galaxy S25 series is a lineup that needs no introduction. And while we can go on and on about how the flagship remains a solid choice this year, we need to give the Galaxy S25 Edge its flowers.

The ultra-thin model, released later in May, kickstarted a trend for thinner form factors. Despite how thin the phone is, it still packed hardware worthy of the Galaxy S25 name.

Unfortunately, the ultra-thin phone trend is seemingly short-lived. The Galaxy S25, and its similarly slim compatriots, have supposedly canned future iterations because of poor sales. Still, Samsung’s spirited attempt is impressive enough to make it on this list.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro / Pro Max

Every year, this list always has the latest iPhone generation, specifically from the more premium Pro duo. This year is no different, but it’s for an even better reason.

For the first time in a while, the two Pro models feature a substantial redesign. It comes with a large camera island that packs three 48-megapixel lenses together to give off the equivalent of eight pro lenses. It also supports up to 8x optical zoom on 200mm.

Oh, and of course, who can forget that beautiful orange color?

ROG Phone 9 Pro

Hands down, the ROG Phone 9 Pro was the best gaming smartphone we’ve tried this year. It was a near-perfect experience. Every time we put it through the ringer, the phone came out looking stronger than ever. Inside, it’s got the purest smartphone experience with a high-performance chipset, an impressive array of cameras, and a superior battery.

On the surface, though, the ROG Phone 9 Pro also comes with AniMe Vision. It’s a unique feature that makes the phone stand out. Though it’s not a perfect feature, it’s still a bold addition that adds some flair to an already perfect phone.

Nothing Phone (3)

Still technically the new kid on the block, Nothing came out with the Phone (3) this year. Like the previous two generations, the Phone (3) features a unique rear design with the new Glyph Matrix. It’s a circular dot-matrix screen on the rear of the phone, which can show notifications or a number of Glyph Toys.

Inside, it’s still an impressive Android experience bolstered by a clean custom skin. Even better, Nothing consistently keeps the phone updated with substantial fixes and new features. It’s well supported, even if it’s a relatively new brand. The only things that mar its spotless records is its bigger price tag and an Essential Key that’s still struggling to find its niche.

vivo X300 Pro

2025 has already reached the pinnacle of smartphones: superior camera system, gargantuan battery capacities with long-lasting endurance, faster than ever performance, displays and speakers that truly satisfy one’s audiovisual cravings.

The vivo X300 Pro is a great embodiment of that. Not only do you get the best in class cameras, but the smartphone itself is just a refined version of a smartphone that was already superior to begin with.

Some “refinements” might look iterative such as a slight battery bump and support for 4K/120fps with Dolby Vision, but they make the X300 Pro heaps better than its predecessor.

Best of all, vivo is listening to its community by finally bringing in the OriginOS 6 to the international units – bringing in a more seamless software experience and unlocking the smartphone’s full potential.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 is the most refined and capable Flip yet, bringing subtle but meaningful upgrades that make it feel stronger, smoother, and more practical in daily use.

It’s an easy step-up for older Flip users or anyone wanting a fresh alternative to traditional slab phones, delivering flagship power, reliable cameras, and a distinctive personality that fits a wide range of lifestyles. 

OPPO Find X9

The OPPO Find X9 delivers outstanding performance with excellent cameras, reliable zoom, smart AI tools, smooth sharing, and a huge battery that lasts through long days.

It’s dependable, versatile, and consistently produces beautiful photos and videos anywhere you go.

OPPO Find N5

OPPO came right out the gate this year and set the standard for thin but extremely capable book-style foldables. It had everything from smart implementations of multi-tasking, performance to keep up, and cameras that won’t leave you wanting. 

There’s the minor issue of the volume buttons being placed too high but it is just a tiny setback in what set the tone for what 2025 book-style foldables should be like.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7

The Galaxy Z Fold7 is the biggest change in design of Samsung’s prime book-style fold line. It finally captured the right balance of proper smartphone when folded and mini-tablet while unfolded. And they did it while keeping the device’s footprint as thin as possible. One of their influencers/ambassadors has even started calling it “Skinny Legend” which is very fitting. 

On top of that, One UI is better than ever, the AI features are improved, and they even added the same main 200MP camera on the thing. 

It’s just a joy to use and hold and was definitely tough to put down despite the emergence of arguably better foldables from OPPO and HONOR.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Concerts. We went to a handful of K-Pop concerts in 2025 and, without fail, we had to have the Galaxy S25 Ultra with us. Samsung still has a firm hold for this specific use-case, but they have to significantly level-up to keep the crown. Other brands are starting to include a Stage Mode, most notably vivo, in their flagship offerings and are bound to catch up if not zoom past what Samsung has to offer. 

Elsewhere, it’s an excellent flagship that has also figured out the right ratio of weight and overall footprint. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is another offering from Samsung that was hard to put down. Here’s to hoping they can build on the momentum they built in 2025 for their upcoming releases.

HONOR Magic V5

This is HONOR’s most incremental release of the Magic V line to date. But that’s because they have long figured out the form factor side of things. The Magic V5 maintains the look of its predecessors while making improvements to performance and camera. 

What it lacked in “headline-grabbing”’features, it more than made up for with consistency and a steady device offering much of the same excellent overall foldable experience. 

Honorable Mentions

POCO F8 Ultra. The POCO F8 Ultra made waves last month by offering a denim-fitted rear panel. Inside, it’s a capable flagship that comes with a more affordable price.

Xiaomi 15. Bigger isn’t always better. The Xiaomi 15 makes the case for a flagship that can still fit in your jeans pocket.

vivo X300. While some flagships tout professional-level photography, sometimes all you need is a point-and-shoot that gets the job done. That’s the vivo X300.

HONOR Magic7 Pro. Released early this year, the HONOR Magic7 Pro is a vestige of 2024’s “AI + camera” trend.