What’s the best phone for travel? The OnePlus 15 ($899.99), if your fear is running out of battery: Tom’s Guide measured 25 hours 13 minutes in its test, almost double a Pixel 10 Pro. If you travel to take photos, the Pixel 11 Pro; if you already live in iPhone, the iPhone 17 Pro Max; and if you want to spend little with eSIM, the Galaxy A37 ($449.99). Prices as of October 2026.
Quick pick
| If on the trip you need… | Take | Approx. price |
|---|---|---|
| Two days without a plug | OnePlus 15 | $899.99 |
| Photos and zoom without a camera bag | Pixel 11 Pro | $1,099 |
| To stay on iPhone, with eSIM | iPhone 17 Pro Max | $1,199 (launch) |
| A cheap local line and dual SIM | Galaxy A37 5G | $449.99 |
What to look at for travel (and isn’t on the spec sheet)
A travel phone isn’t chosen by its chip. It’s chosen by four things that fail exactly when you’re far from home. The table shows who wins each one:
| Need on the road | Winner | Why | Cheaper alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery for a long day | OnePlus 15 | 25 h 13 min in Tom’s Guide’s test | Redmi Note 15 Pro (6,580 mAh, ~$299) |
| Battery on iPhone | iPhone 17 Pro Max | 17 h 54 min, ahead of the Galaxy S25 Ultra (17 h 14 min) and Pixel 10 Pro XL (14 h 20 min), per Tom’s Guide | iPhone 17, which per TechRadar trails its Samsung and Google rivals |
| A local line without swapping cards | iPhone 17 Pro Max | US models are eSIM-only: you store several profiles and run two lines at once | Galaxy A37: physical SIM + eSIM or dual eSIM |
| Travel photos | Pixel 11 Pro | 50 MP main sensor and a 48 MP 5x telephoto | Pixel 10a (48 MP, $499) |
| Calling for help with no coverage | Pixel, iPhone, Galaxy S25/S26 | Satellite SOS built in | Pixel 10a, which brings it to the mid-range |
The battery numbers come from Tom’s Guide tests run with the same procedure for every phone; they aren’t manufacturer claims. What does depend on you is the country: satellite SOS and satellite messaging don’t work the same everywhere, and we explain it in our guide to phones with satellite SOS.
Price of the travel phones in this guide (USD, highest to lowest)
The chart shows you don’t need a flagship to travel well: the Galaxy A37 and Pixel 10a cost about half what the OnePlus 15 does, and between them they cover eSIM, camera and long support. What you pay extra for at the top is battery and zoom.
1. OnePlus 15 — the one that doesn’t run out of battery
Why it’s the best: its 7,300 mAh silicon-carbon battery lasted 25 hours 13 minutes in Tom’s Guide’s test, with 30 hours of web browsing and more than 14 of gaming. For a day of trains, maps and photos, it’s the one that least forces you to hunt for an outlet.
Features and specs: a 6.78” AMOLED display at 165 Hz, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and, per TechRadar, 120 W charging on the global version that is capped at 80 W in the US.
Why people buy it: it has one of the longest battery lives among officially sold flagships.
Why it’s recommended: for long trips or road trips. The catch: the camera is a notch below a Pixel’s or an iPhone Pro’s, and up to four Android updates are fewer than Google’s seven.
🛒 Check the OnePlus 15 price2. Pixel 11 Pro — the camera for traveling light
Why it’s the best: it combines a 50 MP main sensor, a 48 MP ultrawide and a 48 MP 5x telephoto, with Pro zoom up to 120x, according to 9to5Google and Nanoreview comparisons. You get a versatile camera without carrying anything else in your bag.
Features and specs: a 6.3” LTPO display from 1 to 120 Hz, Tensor G6, a 4,850 mAh battery and 7 years of updates.
Why people buy it: Google’s processing for night photos and portraits, and that it fits in a pocket.
Why it’s recommended: if your phone is your camera. The catch: it costs $1,099 and its battery is the smallest of the four options; with lots of GPS and photos, carry a power bank.
🛒 Check the Pixel 11 Pro price3. iPhone 17 Pro Max — traveling on iPhone with eSIM
Why it’s the best: it’s the iPhone with the most endurance in Tom’s Guide’s tests (17 h 54 min) and it makes switching lines easy: US models are eSIM-only, with several profiles stored and two lines active at once.
Features and specs: a 6.9” 120 Hz display, A19 Pro chip, three 48 MP cameras with a 5x telephoto and a ~5,088 mAh battery.
Why people buy it: for anyone already in the ecosystem who wants an iPhone that lasts the day. It includes satellite SOS, like every iPhone since the 14.
Why it’s recommended: if your family and photos live in iCloud. The catch: it was discontinued after the iPhone 18 Pro Max and its launch price was $1,199, so stock and discounts vary by seller. With no SIM slot, your destination carrier has to offer eSIM.
🛒 Check the iPhone 17 Pro Max price4. Galaxy A37 5G — cheap, with two lines
Why it’s the best: it’s the cheapest on the list and supports a physical SIM + eSIM or dual eSIM. Android Central included it in its travel-phone guide for its essentials.
Features and specs: a 6.7” Super AMOLED display at 120 Hz, a 5,000 mAh battery with 45 W charging, a stabilized 50 MP camera and 6 years of Samsung updates in the mid-range.
Why people buy it: for $449.99 you get a local line on eSIM and your home line in the physical slot.
Why it’s recommended: for short or budget trips. The catch: the chip is a 2024 Exynos 1480, so it’s tight for games and many apps open at once.
🛒 Check the Galaxy A37 priceMistakes when choosing a travel phone
- Buying by mAh instead of by tests. The Pixel 10 Pro XL has a ~5,200 mAh battery and lasted 14 h 20 min; the iPhone 17 Pro Max, at 5,088 mAh, lasted 17 h 54 min. Look at the test, not just the number.
- Counting on 120 W charging in the US. On the OnePlus 15 it stays at 80 W.
- Leaving with a carrier-locked phone. Check before the trip that it’s unlocked; if not, you can’t add a local eSIM.
- Counting on satellite SOS without checking your destination. It depends on the country and the carrier.
Frequently asked questions
Does the iPhone 17 have a SIM slot? In the United States, no: it’s eSIM-only. In other countries it can vary.
Do I need eSIM to travel? It isn’t mandatory, but it lets you buy a local plan from the phone itself without finding a store when you land.
Which phone has the best battery for travel? The OnePlus 15, per Tom’s Guide’s test; among iPhones, the 17 Pro Max.
Quick verdict
- Battery above all: OnePlus 15.
- Camera above all: Pixel 11 Pro.
- Coming from iPhone: iPhone 17 Pro Max.
- Budget with two lines: Galaxy A37.
For more options see the battery ranking, the Top 10 Android or the Top 10 iPhone.
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