SmartphoneAwards

MKBHD Award

Most improved smartphone 2025: Most Improved

Awarded to the brand or phone that made the biggest leap forward year-over-year — whether that's fixing past mistakes or innovating boldly.

8 Years
6 Brands
2× Google

2025 Champion — Most improved smartphone

⭐ Featured Winner 2025
iPhone 17

Apple finally delivers ProMotion 120Hz to the base iPhone 17, along with improved cameras and Apple Intelligence features — making it the most complete standard iPhone ever.

Display 6.1-inch OLED, 120Hz ProMotion
Camera 48MP main + 12MP ultrawide + 12MP front
Battery 3,279 mAh
Launch Price $799
🛒 Check price on Amazon Also at Best Buy →

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Compare Most Improved Winners

How does the 2025 most improved smartphone stack up against previous champions? Key chipset specs side by side.

Current
2025
iPhone 17
Chipset
Apple A19
120Hz display was years overdue. Apple finally delivered the complete package in the base model.
2024
Google Pixel 9 Pro
Chipset
Google Tensor G4
Fixed every Pixel 8 Pro complaint with better thermals, brighter display, and improved cameras.
2023
OnePlus Open
Chipset
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
OnePlus went from zero presence in foldables to best-in-class in one product.
2022
Google Pixel 7 Pro
Chipset
Google Tensor G2
Google fixed the reliability issues of the Pixel 6 Pro and added a better telephoto.
2021
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Chipset
Snapdragon 888
After the disappointing S20, Samsung came back stronger in every category.

Showing last 5 winners with available data. Specs from manufacturer listings.

Which Brand Dominates Most Improved?

Google
2 wins (25%)
Samsung
2 wins (25%)
Apple
1 win (13%)
OnePlus
1 win (13%)
Razer
1 win (13%)

All-Time Most Improved Winners (2014–2025)

Year Winner
2025 iPhone 17 — Apple
2024 Google Pixel 9 Pro — Google
2023 OnePlus Open — OnePlus
2022 Google Pixel 7 Pro — Google
2021 Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra — Samsung
2020 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 — Samsung
2018 Razer Phone 2 — Razer
2017 HTC U11 — HTC

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most improved smartphone in 2025? ▼

According to MKBHD's 2025 Smartphone Awards, the most improved smartphone is the iPhone 17 by Apple. 120Hz display was years overdue. Apple finally delivered the complete package in the base model. Apple finally delivers ProMotion 120Hz to the base iPhone 17, along with improved cameras and Apple Intelligence features — making it the most complete standard iPhone ever.

Who won MKBHD Most Improved in 2025? ▼

The MKBHD Most Improved winner for 2025 is the iPhone 17 by Apple. 120Hz display was years overdue. Apple finally delivered the complete package in the base model.

What phone won MKBHD Most Improved in 2024? ▼

The 2024 MKBHD Most Improved went to the Google Pixel 9 Pro by Google. Fixed every Pixel 8 Pro complaint with better thermals, brighter display, and improved cameras.

Which brand makes the most improved smartphone? ▼

Google has won the MKBHD Most Improved award 2 times — more than any other brand. 6 different brands have won this award since 2014.

What is the MKBHD Most Improved award? ▼

Awarded to the brand or phone that made the biggest leap forward year-over-year — whether that's fixing past mistakes or innovating boldly. It is one of several annual awards given by Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) in his yearly Smartphone Awards video, which he has published on YouTube since 2014.

Has any phone won MKBHD Most Improved more than once? ▼

No single phone model has won the MKBHD Most Improved award more than once. However, Google have had multiple winning devices across different years.

Other MKBHD Award Categories

Phone of the Year Best Camera Best Battery Best Design Best Value Best Big Phone
View all award categories →