Buying Guide · Phones
The phone we'd actually keep for five years
After three months of testing, two unboxings of repair kits, and one regrettable battery swap, here is the small handful of phones worth buying in 2026.
Most phones do not earn a five-year recommendation. We picked nine for this review, weighed them on what we now call the four-axis longevity test — software updates, battery durability, parts availability, and repairability — and only two made it through cleanly. The rest are fine phones, but at the prices being asked, "fine" is not enough.
Our top pick is not the best camera in the test, nor the fastest, nor the thinnest. It is the one we are confident a buyer can still call their main phone in 2031 — and replace the battery on once along the way without booking a service appointment.
We are also breaking with our usual format and naming a clear "do not buy" below. We don't enjoy doing this, but recommending against a popular phone is precisely the editorial work this publication is for.