Best Smart Phone For Golfers - Which One To Choose?
It’s hard to get by without a smart phone these days and you’ll find some incredible technology at the touch of your fingertips with a lot of the models on the market. Like the best golf GPS (opens in new tab) devices, after using one you will wonder how you ever managed before! It’s crucial to ask yourself what you want from your smart phone before buying it, as there will be plenty of handy features that golfers will benefit from that many models will offer, whilst some won't.
Whether it’s amazing displays for easy visuals and watching the golf on demand, a brilliant battery life to last a full 36 holes or a market-leading camera to take great course photos and videos, we’ll help you find the right smart phone for you.
Below is our list on the best smart phone for golfers and we also recommend checking out some of our other guides too. Such as the best golf rangefinders (opens in new tab), best golf watches (opens in new tab), or even the best golf launch monitors (opens in new tab) too.
Best Smart Phone For Golfers
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Rated by TechRadar (opens in new tab) as the best smartphone on the market right now, the Galaxy S20 Plus has lots of great tech to help you out on the course. It features the best display on the market and its incredible cameras will produce some beautiful course shots and some detailed videos. The battery life isn’t the very best though, so if you use your phone as a GPS device you may need to charge it quite soon after your round.
If you’re an avid Apple fan and want something slightly below the premium price, the iPhone 12 is a superb handset and is considered the best bang for your buck iPhone. It does everything very well and represents great value. The OLED screen display is impressive, it’s a durable build so should survive any drops and the battery life is increased on the 11. You’ll get a dual-lense camera to take some lovely images of your favourite golf holes and access to the much-loved Apple Store.
The Fluid Display on the Android 8 Pro means it rivals or matches the Galaxy S20 Plus in terms of screen resolution - put simply it is a stunning visual treat. The battery life is fine but not market-leading and it features a great camera with 3x optical zoom. It comes in just below the price point of its Samsung and Apple competitors. Easily one of the top smartphones right now.
You may be unaware of Oppo but the Find X2 Pro is one of the very best camera phones on the market - meaning you’ll get some stunning on-course shots to share with your mates and on social media. The 60x zoom is very cool and will come in handy if you ever want to take a long-range image on the course - maybe you’ve just hit it to gimme range for a tap-in birdie? It’s also got a stunning display. The battery life isn’t great, though, so steer clear if you’re looking to use your phone as a GPS.
The ultimate budget smartphone for battery life is the Moto G8 Power thanks to its 5,000 mAh battery, so you can be sure to use it as a GPS device for 36 holes. It's also ridiculously cheap, coming in below £200 - miles below the premium handsets. Aside from the battery life, the Android G Power is a decent offering with a 16MP main camera and a 6.4-inch full HD+ LCD screen size.
This is the ultimate phone for watching the golf on Sky Go and your favourite golf YouTube videos. It’s got a huge, stunning display and the stylus adds a unique touch to using your smart phone. The camera is also one of the best out there too, with a 50x zoom. Be wary of the battery life - that is the only real negative.
What to consider when buying a smart phone for golf
What are some of the factors to consider when looking at getting a new phone that will deal with the golf course? Let's take a look.
Battery Life
As far as a phones for golf go, battery life is arguably the most important factor. We use our phones for everything these days and you can do the same for golf because you may get GPS yardages from your phone when playing. As such battery life has to be good and sufficient to easily last your round and beyond.
Camera
We think a good camera is vital when out on the golf course because then you can take amazing pictures and videos of the course itself, or of your playing partners, or yourself, hitting shots.
Durability
The golf course can be a dangerous place for a phone so a good model should be able to deal with the occasional drop, or just the general bumps and knocks technology can take when playing golf.
Everyday life
Of course a good smart phone should work in the real world as well so it is worth thinking about what features you think are most important when it comes to your phone. Then pick accordingly.
Budget
The same can be said of budget too because there are models at different price points these days so go for a model you can afford.
FAQ's
Can golfers have cell phones?
Yes golfers can have cell phones on the golf course but we would always recommend putting them on silent or vibrate only so that it does not go off during your swing or anyone else's.
Can I use my phone as a golf GPS?
Yes you can definitely use your phone as a golf GPS as there are lots of apps that are designed to give GPS information. Some of our favorites come from Shot Tracer, Arccos, VPar and Motocaddy. You can also use golf apps on your phone to help with shot tracking or swing information.
