Best phone of the year confirmed – has Android or iPhone be crowned the winner?

Published On: Fri, Jul 10th, 2026

Technology | By admin

Best phone of the year confirmed – has Android or iPhone be crowned the winner?

T3 awards

T3 awards – winner of 2026 (Image: GETTY • SAMSUNG • APPLE)

The first batch of tech awards have just been handed out and it’s another good year for the team at Samsung. Having taken home the prize for Best Phone in 2025, the Korean technology giant has now been handed that “Best Phone” gong once again by the expert tech team at T3.

This time it’s the Galaxy S26 Ultra picking up this coveted trophy, with this premium device fending off tough competition from its Android rivals and Apple’s iPhone 17 range.

The S26 Ultra launched earlier this year and is not only more powerful but also now includes a clever privacy screen that can stop strangers from snooping on texts and emails.

Along with Best Phone, T3’s top panel of judges also handed out over 80 other awards, including Product Of The Year, which went to Adidas’ incredible Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 trainers, which are the brand’s lightest and fastest racing shoe ever.

Other winners included Apple boss Tim Cook, who picked up Person of the Year, the Dell XPS 14 got Best Laptop, and the BMW iX3 grabbed Best Electric Car.

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, T3 also dished out a special award for Biggest Product in T3’s Lifetime. This went to the iconic Apple iPod, which transformed the way many tuned into music thanks to its ability to store millions of songs.

Speaking about the awards, T3’s Editor-in-Chief, Mat Gallagher, said: “The iPod was more than just a product, it was a revolution of the whole music industry.

“What started with 1,000 songs in your pocket introduced the world to iTunes and paying for digital music. Though ultimately, the iPhone made the iPod redundant, without the iPod the iPhone wouldn’t have existed.”

You can find the full list of winners at T3 here but here’s a pick of the top ten gongs handed out in 2026

T3 awards