Best Verizon phones to buy in 2020

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.

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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.

These days all plans revolve around the amount of mobile data you’ll get and how you’ll use it. Being able to stream movies with HD quality will cost you extra. Using your phone as a hotspot will also cost you extra. It’s up to you to pinpoint your priorities and choose the plan that fits them best. To get more information, check our Verizon plans guide. 

Once you’ve selected your plan, it’s time to choose the phone to go along with it.

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.

Samsung phones from Verizon also vary wildly in prices. You can get one as cheap as $5/month and go up to $58/month for the Galaxy S20 Ultra. Meanwhile, the Google camp is quite small, with just the latest Pixel 4s and the budget Pixel 3a available right now. 

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

• Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max — best Apple phone
• Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus — best Android phone
• Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus — best 5G phone
• Apple iPhone XS — best value phone
• Motorola Moto G7 Power — best battery phone
• Samsung Galaxy A51 — best budget phone

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. 

With Verizon, the iPhone 11 Pro Max will cost you at least $45.83/month, which isn’t cheap, but considering you’re getting the best Apple has to offer, it’s not so bad.

Buy iPhone 11 Pro Max from Verizon.com

Best Android

Now, following the train of thought from above, you might expect the Galaxy S20 Ultra to be our “best Android” suggestion. And while it is a top-notch phone, no doubt about it, it’s just too expensive. The S20+ isn’t much cheaper either, but it did manage to find a spot on our list anyway. 

With those two out of the way, we set our sights on the Galaxy S10+.  Sure, it’s last year’s model, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a capable device. It has versatile cameras, a large display, it’s powered by a fast chip and all that comes in a slim body with sleek design. Software updates are also coming regularly and will continue to do so for a while. So unless you insist on 5G, the Galaxy S10+ will serve you well. And if you do insist, well, keep scrolling…

Buy Samsung Galaxy S10+ from Verizon.com

Sure, 5G isn’t the only advantage the Galaxy S20+ has over the S10+. It has a faster chip, more RAM and a bigger telephoto sensor. But overall, the differences aren’t that big. If you’re living in a metropolitan area, however, and plan on taking full advantage of Verizon’s 5G network, then you need a 5G phone. 

The carrier still has only a few 5G phones and among them the Galaxy S20+ offers the best value right now. With it, you should be future-proof for the next couple of years at least. Can’t settle for a 2019 model? Pick the Galaxy S20+!

Buy Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G from Verizon.com

Best value phone

The iPhone XS might come as a bit of a surprise, but Verizon currently offers it starting at $24.99/month and for that price, it’s a really great option. Yes, the display is on the smaller side, but compact phones are hard to come buy these days, your other alternative would be the 11 Pro, which costs almost $42 a month.

The performance of the iPhone XS is still top-notch, you have Face ID and software support for many years to come and a high-resolution OLED display, unlike the iPhone 11, which comes at about $5/month more. The only drawback is not so much the missing ultra-wide-angle camera, but rather the lack of Night mode for shooting in low light. If you can live without it, however, the iPhone XS is an amazing value proposition.

Buy Apple iPhone XS from Verizon.com

Best battery phone

When someone mentions battery life, the Moto G7 Power comes through the wall like the Kool-Aid man. The whole purpose of this phone is to provide unparalleled battery life. It has a 5,000mAh battery and neither its chip, nor its LCD display are particularly power-hungry, which means you can use it for days without looking for a charger. 

It will struggle with heavy 3D games and the photos it takes won’t blow you away, but at the end of the day, that’s not what it was designed to do. If battery life is of the highest priority for you, the Moto G7 Power should be in your pocket. Best of all? It’s just $5/month!

Buy Motorola Moto G7 Power from Verizon.com

Best budget-friendly phone

The Galaxy A51 is a brand new arrival at Verizon. It closely follows the design language of the Galaxy S20 series but substitutes the curved-edge display for a flat one. What’s good is that it’s still an OLED display, which pretty much only Samsung can afford to do in this price category. Naturally, for the lower price you do get some reduced specs: slower processor and RAM and no wireless charging, to name a few. The phone does offer features that matter more than RAM to most users, however: cameras. 

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.

Buy Samsung Galaxy A51 from Verizon.com