Yes, you all love your iPhones and Galaxies, but here's why you shouldn't sleep on the competition
In our latest poll, some major brands ended up at the bottom – but I still think they’re doing a lot of things really well.
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Ultra. | Image credit – PhoneArena
These brands have massive market share, strong reputations and super loyal fanbases. OnePlus is also climbing fast, especially among US buyers, trying to break into the top 3. And Nothing is getting some love, too.
549 people voted on which smartphone brand is the best. | Image by Image credit – PhoneArena
But what really stood out to me were the brands barely getting any love in the poll. Some really popular ones – and ones I think deserve more recognition – are sitting at the bottom.
Yep, Xiaomi is officially the least favorite, which honestly shocked me. Right behind it are Motorola, vivo and Huawei. All four of these are doing some pretty amazing things, but clearly, they are still flying under the radar for a lot of people.
So, I want to give them a little spotlight here – because I believe their low votes aren't about quality but visibility.
Xiaomi and its 2.55% – underrated tech giant that's doing a lot right
Xiaomi 15 Ultra. | Image by Image credit – PhoneArena
Despite being one of the biggest smartphone makers globally, Xiaomi landed at the very bottom of the poll. I didn't see that coming. Maybe people still see Xiaomi as a budget brand or think of it as more of a tech lifestyle company because of all the other products it makes – but trust me, this brand is way more than that.
The company just celebrated its 15th anniversary, and of course, it launched some new stuff to mark the occasion – including the Xiaomi 15S Pro and the Xiaomi Pad 7 Ultra. What makes them special? They are powered by Xiaomi's own chip, the Xring O1. The company is really stepping up its game lately and offering something for everyone – flagships, mid-rangers and budget devices.
Take the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, for example. It is tied for the number one spot in our camera rankings right alongside the Galaxy S25 Ultra. That is no small feat. A lot of that camera magic comes from Xiaomi's partnership with Leica – and if you've ever been into photography, you definitely know that name.
Xiaomi's camera app is also loaded with features. It can be as simple or as advanced as you want. The pro mode gives you full control over both photos and videos, which makes sense given the phone's camera-focused design.
And let's not forget: Xiaomi is one of the fastest brands out there when it comes to charging. If you are always in a rush (and who isn't?), this matters. Phones like the Xiaomi 14T Pro, the Redmi Note 14 Pro+ 5G and even the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ are crushing it in our charging tests. That alone makes them worth considering.
Motorola (2.73%) – the clean Android champ with a nostalgic touch
Motorola Razr Ultra (2025). | Image by Image credit – Motorola
Now, this one also caught me off guard. Motorola barely got any votes and I really don't think that's fair. Yeah, the company's software update policy could use some improvement, but that can't be the only reason people are passing it over. The brand has been around forever and still manages to crank out some really unique and stylish phones.
Another thing I love? Motorola doesn't mess too much with Android. Its phones run a near-stock version of the OS, which a lot of people say they prefer. Our poll actually showed that clean Android is still a big deal for users, so it is surprising that Motorola isn't getting more attention for offering exactly that.
Vivo (3.28%) – a design-driven camera powerhouse that's easy to miss
Vivo X200 Pro. | Image by Image credit – PhoneArena
Vivo is a huge name in Asia, but it still hasn't broken through in a big way elsewhere – and that showed in the poll. But Vivo is no slouch. It is one of the most innovative brands in the photography space and it is doing some really cool stuff with phone design, too.
Thanks to its partnership with Zeiss – yeah, the same legendary German optics company – Vivo's phones are packed with pro-level camera tech. If taking great photos is your thing, the vivo X200 Pro should be on your radar.
Huawei (4.19%) – still pushing boundaries despite the odds
Video credit – PhoneArena
Case in point: the new Mate XT Ultimate. It's the world's first triple foldable phone. Not just another foldable – a tri-fold. That means it can unfold into a massive screen for work or watching content, then fold back down to pocket size. Huawei also just launched a foldable laptop. That's next-level stuff.
Despite all the challenges, Huawei keeps showing us what is possible. It is easy to overlook them because of political and ecosystem limitations, but from a pure tech perspective, they are still killing it.
So yeah, there's a ton of innovation happening just outside the spotlight. So maybe next time, don't just go for the obvious choices (that is if you are not locked in a certain ecosystem, of course). You might find your perfect phone in a place you weren't even looking.
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