The best Verizon phones in 2023

There are a fair few cell phone providers out there, so we’ve gathered the best Verizon phones from the wireless provider to show you what you can get with this company. It’s always a good idea to look around, regardless of whether or not you’re a current Verizon wireless customer or looking to become one.

Verizon came out top among our best cell phone providers guide, thanks to its reliable and fast 5G network, and array of simple plans. Verizon offers all of the latest flagship 5G phones, including some of the  best Samsung phones, best Sony phones, best OnePlus phones, best Google Pixel phones, and more.

These phones are all available with Verizon, but we’d recommend using the Verizon Coverage Map to check the signal in your area. If you can’t get 5G signal yet, check out the best 4G phones. Or, if you love gaming as much as we do, read our guide to the best gaming phones.

These are the best Verizon phones in 2023:

• Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – best Samsung Verizon phone
• iPhone 14 Pro Max – best iPhone on Verizon
• Motorola Edge (2022) – best Motorola Verizon phone
• Google Pixel 7 Pro – best Google Pixel on Verizon
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 – best foldable Verizon phone
• Samsung Galaxy A23 – best budget Verizon phone

1. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

The best Samsung Verizon phone.

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra specs:

Pros

• Top-of-the-range camera
• High performance all round
• Best in the market at the moment

Cons

• More expensive than similar flagships
• Strong competition across the industry

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is a beast of the mobile market, with the flagship device delivering in every department to make for stiff competition to both fellow Android brands and Apple. It’s the best 5G phone on the market right now and builds on Samsung’s existing reputation of quality and innovation.

If you’re looking for a Verizon phone built for gaming, the S23 Ultra’s Galaxy-exclusive Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset means it can handle any game you throw at it and even tackle raytracing on the go. This device also features some of the best camera technology on the market, outperforming plenty of its competitors and even some highly price cameras. So, whether you’re an avid gamer or an amateur photographer, or perhaps even both, the S23 has everything you need. 

As we mentioned, the only real downside to the S23 Ultra is that it’s pricey, so it might not be the right investment for you right now. Don’t worry, we’ve got a great selection of other Verizon phones that might suit your price range better. You can also check out our guide to the best Samsung phones overall.

Head on over to our Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review when you’re done here.

2. iPhone 14 Pro Max

The best Verizon iPhone.

iPhone 14 Pro Max specs:

Pros

• Apple’s well-known standard of sleek all-round design
• Industry-leading
• Compatibility with other Apple products

Cons

• Very expensive
• Limited designs

Yes, the iPhone 14 Pro Max isn’t quite the latest iPhone with the release of the iPhone 15, but it still has many incredible features that make it a worthy purchase. For example, the unique UI feature Dynamic Island, a brilliant camera, long battery life, and Apple’s classic, sleek design all come together to offer a great device that’s sure to please any iOS lover. We can forgive the lack of fun colors for all the other great benefits of choosing the Pro Max over the base iPhone 14.

The 6.7-inch high refresh rate screen makes the iPhone 14 Pro Max something of a gamer’s dream, turning it into a portable console capable of keeping up with all the best mobile games and Apple Arcade games. Backed up by a powerful long-lasting battery, you don’t have to worry about constantly finding somewhere to charge either, with at least two-days of juice in this thing when at 100%.

The major downside is the Pro Max’s price. But, with the iPhone 15 release date having just been and gone, the price should come down, and we expect to see Verizon put out some great offers to sweeten the deal. Plus, if you’re already an Apple fan and own any of their peripherals or computers, it makes sense to add to your existing system rather than settling for an Android phone that isn’t as easily integrated with your other devices.

3. Motorola Edge (2022)

The best Motorola Verizon phone.

Motorola Edge (2022) specs:

Pros

• Dynamic and colorful screen
• Easy wireless charging
• Good value for money

Cons

• Design feels cheap compared to other flagships
• Older OS and model

Though it’s not the latest model from Motorola, the 2022 cell phone remains the best offering from the company at Verizon, and it’s considerably cheaper than other flagship models from companies such as Samsung, Sony, Google, and Apple. The star of the show here is really the 144 Hz AMOLED screen, allowing for ultra-realistic graphics and an adaptive refresh rate to save on battery life.

Some people might be put off by the fact the Edge 2022 only runs Android 12, but it’s also meant to come with three years of guaranteed OS support so you can get a decent life out of your handset before it starts trailing behind the competition. While this should be the case, it doesn’t look like Motorola has brought the Edge up to Android 13 as of yet, something it was meant to do almost a year ago – and we’re expecting Android 14 in shortly. We haven’t been able to independently verify this, but it doesn’t look like it’s supported yet.

If we move on to storage, the Edge 2022 is a good choice with 128GB, making it more than capable of running some of the more demanding mobile games, such as Genshin Impact and Honkai Stair Rail. With that in mind, casual games like Candy Crush take up little space, so you can get a lot out of that storage.

The good points had to come to an end at some point, and if you enjoy taking pictures, this could be what puts you off this device. Sadly, the Edge 2022’s camera leaves a lot to be desired, and it’s got a low splash and dust resistance rating at only IP52, so you’ll need to be extra careful to protect that beautiful screen from damage.

Still, this is a great option if you’re looking for a more affordable smartphone and your top priority is graphical fidelity. If you’re willing to look outside of Verizon’s offerings for a great Motorola phone, check out our best Motorola phones guide.

Read our full Motorola Edge 30 Ultra review.

4. Google Pixel 7 Pro

The best Google Verizon phone.

Google Pixel 7 Pro specs:

Pros

• More affordable than other flagships
• Excellent cameras and impressive photo editing tools

Cons

• Average battery life
• Limited storage space

If you’re looking for a flagship Verizon phone, then the Google Pixel 7 Pro is the perfect blend of top-quality features and affordability. Sure, it’s still more expensive than a lot of smartphones, but you’re going to be hard pushed finding something with as high-quality a camera for a cheaper price. 

The Google Tensor G2 chipset is Google’s most powerful chip yet, featuring an in-built VPN and enough power to run any app or game you can think of, though it’s still a tad behind Apple and Qualcomm. It also falls slightly behind in terms of battery life, so if you prefer to not have to take a charger lead everywhere you go, it might be worth skipping passed this option. 

While the battery life isn’t great, the cameras on the Pixel 7 Pro are pretty impressive. They’re bolstered by the impressive suite of photo editing tools including photo unblur and magic eraser, making it easier for you to take perfect photos for your digital scrapbooks. If you’re considering a phone from the Pixel line, check out our guide to the best Google Pixel phones.

Read our full Google Pixel 7 Pro review.

5. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4

The best foldable phone available on Verizon.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 specs:

Pros

• Excellent UI
• Bright screens
• Competitive cameras

Cons

• Expensive
• A little large
• Not all apps optimized for tablet layout

Foldable phones are all the rage in the modern smartphone market, and you’re not going to find one better than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4. The caveat to that is that this device is one of the more expensive you can carry round in your pocket, but it certainly isn’t just the fancy folding feature that you’re getting for that price.

The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is still a powerhouse of a chipset, with the differences to the Fold5’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 being minute – on paper at least. Both of the AMOLED screens have that near edge-to-edge display that Samsung is known for, and the cameras are still competitive despite not quite being flagship-level.

The main issue you might face with the Fold4 is that it’s quite tall, so it might not fit comfortably in your jeans pocket. Plus, it’s very expensive for a phone that doesn’t have a fully-optimized suite of apps. Foldable phones are still finding their place in the market, but if you fancy giving one a try, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 is the model to choose.

6. Samsung Galaxy A23

The best budget phone available through Verizon.

Samsung Galaxy A23 specs: 

Pros

• Long battery life
• Affordable
• 1080p display
• Strong build

Cons

• Average camera quality
• Performance can be slow with newer apps
• Uninspired design
• Hard to find cases

If some of the options on this are a little out of your monthly price range, the Samsung Galaxy A23 is a solid option that keeps you in the smartphone game without breaking the bank. It has all the essentials, and some highlights too, including a great screen for the price point, and a battery life that comes close to two days of juice when fully charged.

While it might look unassuming, or perhaps even plain old dull to some, this piece of kit is worth it’s less than £10-a-month contract price just for build quality at own. Sure, it’s made of plastic, but it doesn’t feel fragile or cheap. That’s a big positive considering it’s difficult to find cases for this specific model, so you may have to make do with just a glass screen protector.

However, the Samsung Galaxy A23 does come with some caveats. The camera is distinctly average, with a clear gap in image quality between captures on this device and one of the higher-end Samsung options. It can also struggle with performance when playing some more modern game, or those that require more potent graphical processing, so don’t pick this up thinking it’s a stand-in for a portable gaming console.

How we chose the best Verizon phones

There are many things to think about when finding the best Verizon phones on the market. However, we can’t deny the price and performance are at the forefront of our minds. While a flashy design and high-quality camera is all well and good, we know that this is more than likely what you’re interested in, so both factors play heavily into helping us decide what to include on this list. 

Of course, at Pocket Tactics, we’re particularly interested in mobile gaming, so we also look at how the device’s storage, RAM, display refresh rate, chipset, and battery life affect its performance for gaming. While all phones allow you to play games, not all devices are capable of offering you the likes of Genshin Impact in the way you’d like to play it.

Of course, everyone values different things in their devices, so just because we’ve rated something as the best, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the best option for your life. We’ve got a detailed guide to how we test if you want to learn more.

That’s it for the best Verizon phones in 2023. If, after all of this, you’ve decided that Verizon isn’t the provider for you, head over to our best cell phone providers guide. If you’re looking for a new way to play your favorite mobile games, we’ve also got a guide to the best portable gaming consoles.