Here are the best smartphones in Canada [2024 Edition]

The Canadian smartphone market is becoming less stale, with devices improving their overall experience. Unfortunately, Canada saw less smartphone diversity than in 2023. Motorola didn’t launch a new flagship, OnePlus didn’t release a new foldable and the Nothing Phone (3) is nowhere to be seen. However, there are still pretty great options for Canadians to choose from.

Below are the best smartphones available in Canada. We’ve categorized these into best flagships, foldable devices, and smaller handsets.

Best Foldables

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the best book-style foldable available in Canada. It has a 6.3-inch cover display with an OLED panel and a 20:9 aspect ratio, identical to the base Pixel 9 Pro. The inner display is 8 inches, the biggest of any foldable available in Canada.

It’s also IPX8 water-resistant if you want to bring it into the shower. It sports 16GB of RAM and Tensor G4, allowing it to play games and handle any required tasks. It also offers an amazing Pixel camera experience with a 48-megapixel primary shooter, a 10.8-megapixel telephoto, and a 10.5-megapixel ultrawide, all taking great shots.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the best foldable I’ve ever used, pushing the foldable experience. Most people know about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series, but with such a tall cover display, you’re not getting the same optimal experience that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has. Google told me that they wanted people to feel like they get the best of both worlds, a Pixel 9 Pro and foldable, and they achieved that.

Alongside these features, the device offers the best Gemini experience and will get Android updates for seven years. You’ll also experience the latest versions of Android quicker than most other devices on the market.

Motorola Razr+

The Motorola Razr+ is a well-built clamshell foldable phone with a revamped hinge that makes it easy to flick open the device. Hanging up the phone feels incredibly satisfying, too. The handset has an aluminum frame, making it look elegant.

Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of clamshell foldable devices, but this handset is solid. It has a 6.9-inch display with a 1080 x 2640-pixel resolution, up to 165Hz refresh rate, and an astonishing 3,000 nits of brightness. It also has a surprisingly usable 4-inch cover display, the biggest flip phone on the market. The Razr+ sports a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a 4,000mAh battery.

I’ve seen better camera experiences from the S24 Ultra and even the Pixel 8 Pro, but Motorola enhanced the Razr+ cameras by replacing the old sensor with a 50-megapixel sensor with an f/1.7 aperture.

The best part about the Razr+ is its price: it costs only $1,299.99, and it’ll likely go down in price during Boxing Day.

Honourable Mention

While Samsung didn’t take the crown in my books, if Samsung released the Galaxy Z Fold 6 SE in Canada, this would be a more challenging choice. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 SE has an 8-inch inner display like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and a 6.5-inch Cover display with a 21:9 aspect ratio, which is one of the reasons why the 9 Pro Fold beats the base Z Fold 6. The Z Fold 6 SE is also thinner than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold when unfolded, about the same folded and is also lighter.

The Z Fold 6 SE also has a 200-megapixel primary shooter, which might mean a superior camera experience than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been any news about the Z Fold 6 SE coming to Canada. There is a possibility that Samsung’s new foldable expand to markets outside of South Korea in the future.

Best phones you should buy

While I love flagship phones, most people don’t need them. These devices offer everything you need, including a good camera experience, a somewhat affordable price (under $1,200) compared to the flagships, and solid performance. You can often grab these devices at a more affordable price, so I’d wait until Boxing Day before purchasing these handsets. However, these are the handsets you should purchase if you don’t need a flagship.

Google Pixel 9

The Google Pixel 9 is an excellent device with a 6.3-inch OLED 120Hz refresh rate, a Tensor G4 chip, the same found in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and 12GB of RAM. Our review of the Pixel 9 says, “The Pixel 9 is a great option for people who love taking photos and AI smarts, offering one of the best Android experiences out there.” 

It also comes in Peony, a sexy hot pink colour variant.

OnePlus 12

The OnePlus 12 is an amazing smartphone if you want a larger option. It offers a primary camera that takes great shots and has a long-lasting battery. Oxygen OS 15, which you can download now, offers seamless app switching, live alerts, and AI features like Gemini. I’ve been playing around with the handset for a while and enjoying it.

It’s worth mentioning that Brad Bennett, who has done many of the OnePlus over the past few years, has mentioned before that OnePlus needs to update its devices better. Last year, OnePlus’ policy promised four major Android updates and five years of security updates delivered every two months. It’s also one of the first brands outside of Google to update to Android 15, so it seems to be making good on its promise.

It’s worth mentioning that the OnePlus 13 is already available in Chinese markets and will be available in Canada in January. 

iPhone 16

The iPhone 16 is the obvious choice if you’re moving from one iPhone to another. With Apple Intelligence, an empowered version of Siri with tons of features like ChatGPT, the new Camera Control touchpad/button, which will work with Apple Intelligence, and a new 48-megapixel “fusion” camera, which simulates 2x zoom optical quality, the iPhone 16 is a stellar choice for many users.

The iPhone 16 also has the ability to play some of the latest games, the interactive Dynamic Island, and the customizable Action button. Lastly, USB-C is a great addition. This makes it one of the best handset markets and the best for someone using an iPhone.

Best Flagships of 2024

This is my favourite section, the best smartphones of 2024.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a top-of-the-line phone with some of the best features and specs available. It has 12GB of RAM and can hold up to 1TB.

The handset also sports a 200-megapixel primary shooter that takes phenomenal pictures alongside a 5x optical zoom, better than many devices available on the Canadian market.

In my review of the S24 Ultra, I wrote: “I’ve loved my experience with the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and I believe that the handset could end up being the best 2024 Android smartphone on the market – or maybe even the best smartphone, period.” 

You can’t go wrong with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

It’s worth noting that Samsung typically launches its S-series flagships in January, so you may want to wait to see what comes next before buying the S24 Ultra. 

iPhone 16 Pro Max

If you want an iPhone but not the 16, the 16 Pro Max is the best possible iPhone option. Everything there is to like about the iPhone 16 you can also get on the 16 Pro Max and more, including a 5x optical camera, a top-of-line complete camera solution for video and photos, and a battery that never stops chugging. Seriously, the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s battery is phenomenal; depending on your usage, you can get nearly two days on one charge.

The A18 Pro chip is also a powerhouse able to play triple-A titles like Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Death’s Stranding. It also powers Apple Intelligence features, and allows the iPhone 16 Pro Max to hardcore edit videos on-the-fly.

The Best Phone of 2024

Google’s Pixel 9 Pro XL is hands down the best phone of 2024. It’s the perfect size for those who love big phones. It feels great to hold, and its chassis is absolutely premium. It offers 16GB of RAM and can multitask like a champ. The Tensor G4 chipset isn’t a slouch, especially when running my favourite AI features like Gemini. I also prefer the larger model because you are for sure getting more than a day of battery life, though it’s worth noting the Pixel 9 Pro shares all the same features if you want a smaller device.

Here’s what I said about the Pixel 9 Pro XL in my review:

If you don’t mind a bigger smartphone, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is a solid device. If you want something smaller, I’d wait for the Pixel 9 Pro. I love this handset; it feels incredibly premium inside and out. Of course, I’ve only had the device for a few weeks. The phone may inevitably have issues, and most handsets do, but if you want my current opinion on the phone to get in the market, then it’s the 9 Pro XL. 

Having used the phone for several months now, I still haven’t had any alarming issues. I have noticed it gets a bit warm when I play multiple Wild Rift matches, but it’s pretty solid for other titles like Blasphemous and Afterimage or if I’m streaming titles from my PlayStation. It also has a solid camera experience, where sometimes, if I’m using another handset as a SIM card holder, I’ll still bring the Pixel 9 Pro XL if I know I’ll be taking many photos.

You honestly can’t go wrong with any of the above phones, but if you want the best and most enjoyable experience — and you’re not an iPhone user — the Pixel 9 Pro XL is the phone to get.