When it comes to buying a smartphone, there’s a huge list of devices to choose from. Today’s market is flooded with handsets spread across different price tiers and niche sectors. Then, we have mobile carriers offering various discounts, deals, or monthly payment plans to make the purchase of that one expensive handset that much easier for the customer.

One of these carriers Verizon Wireless… you know — only the largest wireless telecommunications provider in the US currently. Chances are, you may be looking to sign a new contract with Verizon and may be wondering which of their phones would make for a good purchase. The phones come with a plan, however, and it’s good to be well-informed about those as well.

How to pick your plan

Verizon phones: Your options explained

Verizon offers 54 smartphones right now, of which 19 are iPhones, 18 are Samsung phones and Motorola, LG and Google have 12 in total. The first choice is obvious: iOS or Android. Most users have made the choice years ago and are mostly keeping to the same operating system, but jumping ship is not uncommon. 

Although Apple releases only a handful of phones each year (unlike Samsung), it keeps some of its older models at reduced prices to serve as budget options. This means that even if you’re working on a tight budget, a decent iPhone is still an option. Right now, you can get an iPhone 7 for $0/month and go as high as $45/month for the iPhone 11 Pro Max.

We combed through Verizon’s selection and picked out the best phones depending on what you’re looking for. Here they are:

Best Verizon phones, a summarized list:

Best Verizon Apple phone

Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max

Choosing the most expensive iPhone as the best one might seem like cheating but there’s a good reason for it. Besides all the “Pro” extras this phone is packing, which are honestly not that many, the 11 Pro Max has other iPhones beat in one very important aspect: battery life. All models from last year’s 11 family have bigger batteries than before but the Pro Max is the absolute champ in that regard. Couple that with the gorgeous OLED display and the improved camera system, and you have a no-compromise smartphone. 

Best Android phone

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

With the release of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, we can safely say the Android world has a new king. Exquisite design, top-notch performance, display that’s as good as it gets and a set of cameras that make some of the best pictures any phone can take. And of course, there’s also the S Pen, a feature no other phone on this list has. You can take notes with it, draw, or just just use your phone as usual but without all the fingerprints. Naturally, the Note 20 Ultra comes with support for Verizon’s 5G network as well, so you can make use of those super-fast download speeds.

Samsung Galaxy S10+

Best Verizon 5G phone

Samsung Galaxy S20+

Apple iPhone 11

Best Verizon battery phone

Moto G7 Power

Best Verizon budget-friendly phone

Samsung Galaxy A51

The Galaxy A51 has four cameras: 48MP main one, an ultra-wide-angle one, a macro lens and a depth sensor. Yes, the telephoto is missing, but crops from the 48MP sensor are almost as good as a 2x optical zoom, so you won’t miss it that much. All that for $10/month? The Galaxy A51 is a budget option that’s hard to beat.